Islanders 6 (EN), Penguins 3: Resuscitation
Jarry, Jarry hallelujah, Jarry Jarry hallelujah... | Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
Anders Lee and Casey Cizikas score twice as the Isles atone for (one of) their pre-Christmas sins. The Islanders made amends of sorts for their pre-Christmas break implosion at the hands of the 13-game-slump-breaking Buffalo Sabres by opening their post-break schedule with a satisfying 6-3 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins.
If you had to choose who they’d embarrass themselves against and who’d they piss off, then the Isles chose wisely. A Karlsson-triggering win over the Penguins provided some comfort — though also some classic Isles giveaways to make it close — as the Isles pulled away in the third after nervously bringing a one-goal lead to the second intermission.
Long-time Islanders Anders Lee and Casey Cizikas each had two goals, Sidney Crosby was kept pointless and minus-3, and Ilya Sorokin made just 22 saves as the Islanders mostly kept the 5-on-5 action light at his end.
[GameCenter | Game Summary | Event Summary | Natural Stat Trick | HockeyViz]
The Islanders were denied the game’s first goal, an overdue but overruled tally for the slumping Brock Nelson, when the Penguins successfully challenged for goalie interference. Anthony Duclair definitely bumped Tristan Jarry (though he was helped by defensive stalwart Kris Letang), but Jarry had time to reset and simply played his angle absurdly.
Still, the gaping net Jarry left open seemed to help his case, and a relatively quick review called the goal off.
The Isles still got on the board first however when J-G Pageau accepted a threaded Mat Barzal pass off his skate, on the doorstep, and then banked it high and in off Jarry. It came off a faceoff that Pageau won, and Barzal made a great stop and change of direction to shake his man and send the pass in from high in the zone.
Barzal to Pageau #Isles | @Ford pic.twitter.com/CPRHfjPdzD— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) December 29, 2024
Michael Bunting tied it on the Penguins’ second power play — hey, the Isles killed one! — to send it to the intermission tied 1-1.
In the second period, the Isles offense came alive, and they even managed to kill both Penguins power plays, including one caused by Max Tsyplakov’s second minor of the game.
#Isles HC Patrick Roy was not pleased with Tsyplakov's two penalties, calling them "unnecessary." Swapped him and Cizikas because Cizikas was going early. "It's not a charity event. It's about winning hockey games, and he wasn't playing well."— Stefen Rosner (@stefen_rosner) December 29, 2024
Anthony Duclair scored his third of the season off a great feed from Kyle Palmieri after both wingers pounced on a slow and broken Penguins breakout.
Palmieri to Duclair. Pretty feed. #Isles pic.twitter.com/evGvwigjOa— Rob Taub (@RTaub_) December 29, 2024
Three minutes later came a classic Letang Experience: He lightly “checked” his man away from the goal, giving a soft crosscheck to Anders Lee in the corner, but then failed to stick with Lee as the Isles captain ventured back toward the net. An uncovered Lee put a rebound off the post, then the puck bounced off Jarry and finally off the skate of Letang, who helpfully pushed it over the line for Lee’s 14th. Like Paul Coffey before him, Letang is totally going to make the Hall of Fame through the “yeah, but defense is only half the game” argument.
Anders Lee's rebound try ends up over the goal line for his 14th tally of the season!#Isles pic.twitter.com/LaU8qBVKfh— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) December 29, 2024
A minute later, Casey Cizikas redirected an Alex Romanov point shot in the mid slot to make it 4-1. With the Isles on the penalty kill, Simon Holmstrom then had a great chance to make it 5-1 with a shorthanded breakaway. He was denied, but still...maybe this would become a laugher?
No, no it wouldn’t.
The Penguins got one back four minutes later through Noel Acciari on a broken play. Then they were allowed to pull it back to 4-3 with just four seconds left in the period, after the Islanders played the final seconds too casually and Rickard Rakell was credited with the mid-slot deflection, his 17th of the season.
Now nursing just a one-goal lead, the Isles came out pretty well in the third. They limited Penguins chances, but from tight checking and forechecking, not from sitting back in a shell. Adam Pelech very nearly handed the Penguins the equalizer about eight minutes in when he mishandled behind the Isles net and the puck squirted out front with Ilya Sorokin unaware. Pelech made a good recovery though and got the clear, which miraculously did not bounce off a skate to calamity.
Casey Cizikas provided a collective exhale for the entire building in Elmont when he sprinted down the wing to get himself a contested but in-the-clear shot, beating Jarry near post to make it 5-3 with just over five minutes left.
A 2-goal game for Casey Cizikas??? #Isles pic.twitter.com/uHnBO0K9kB— Rob Taub (@RTaub_) December 29, 2024
The Islanders had multiple humorous chances at the empty net, including Pageau hitting the post. And then there was a classic moment with Erik Karlsson — Letang’s soul brother in Playing Offense While Tangentially Considering Defense — and Lee. The Isles captain stripped Karlsson behind the net and wrapped the puck around into the empty net to ice the game, causing the kind of classic tantrum that is rivaled only by a Malkin shitfit.
You hate to see it.
Erik Karlsson is LIVID wanting a penalty after Anders Lee picks his pocket and scores the ENG pic.twitter.com/tXxDBYNxgn— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) December 29, 2024
Quote of the Night
“Well it certainly gives you that appearance until there was a lot of violence. But it’s a good movie, it’s a good flick.”
>>Butch Goring, after Brendan Burke raised the topic of whether “Die Hard” is a Christmas movie
Up Next
They do this again tomorrow in Pittsburgh at the Points Per Game colisena garden....
Want the trending hockey news in your inbox daily?.
Just add your email, and we'll start sending you the most important hockey news of the day.
