Islanders use furious rally to turn ugly game into comeback win over Penguins

This looked headed toward not conscionable a loss, but possibly an disfigured 1 for nan Islanders. 

For 45 minutes, they played disconnected and disjointed hockey.

They could not person nan puck.

They recorded conscionable 16 shots successful 2 periods.

They were down by conscionable one, but it felt for illustration a nadir — a infinitesimal wherever they could nary longer enactment affirmative astir really they were playing. 

So overmuch for that. 

Instead, nan Islanders tin locomotion retired of Tuesday perfectly optimistic astir nan astir important thing: The result.

They mounted a precocious comeback earlier Bo Horvat scored to hit nan Penguins 4-3 successful a shootout, cementing a resilient comeback triumph pinch half nan Islanders bluish statement still missing and Isaiah George making his NHL debut. 

Michael Bunting’s extremity 7:44 into nan 3rd appeared to beryllium nan finishing touch, putting nan Penguins up 3-1 aft nan Islanders had grounded to equine a push astatine nan commencement of nan play and prompting “Fire Lou” chants from a mini group of fans who had, evidently, seen enough. 

But Drew O’Connor’s punishment for kneeing Noah Dobson little than 2 minutes later opened nan doorway correct backmost up for nan Islanders, who promptly converted connected nan powerfulness play pinch Simon Holmstrom lifting successful a backhand from down debased to commencement nan rally. 

It was continued by Jean-Gabriel Pageau, who put successful Anders Lee’s rebound astatine nan 12:48 people and fto retired a outcry to spell on pinch a double fist pump.

As acold arsenic morale goes, it mightiness person been nan astir important extremity of this early portion of nan season. 

That sewage nan Islanders to overtime, wherever Kyle Palmieri took a punishment for holding aft conscionable 30 seconds.

But nan much-maligned PK portion came up pinch a termination astatine four-on-three, and soon thereafter nan Islanders sewage a move of their ain connected nan powerfulness play aft Kris Letang tripped Horvat. 

All nan same, though, nan Islanders could not travel up pinch a four-on-three extremity either.

And successful nan skills competition, Horvat hit Alex Nedeljkovic pinch a nasty start-stop move to people nan only goal, pinch Ilya Sorokin stopping each 3 shooters for Pittsburgh. 

None of that is to sugarcoat really bad this looked for overmuch of nan evening. 

That was not truthful overmuch astir nan near broadside of nan defense, which is down each 3 regular starters, aliases nan apical line, which is down Mat Barzal and Anthony Duclair.

It was astir basics and fundamentals. 

That was thing caller for a squad which has, moreover done its losses, mostly possessed nan puck and gotten half-decent chances astir nights, albeit while struggling to finish.

The Islanders struggled to complete passes and didn’t look to beryllium reference from nan aforesaid book while breaking nan puck out, starring to agelong stretches hemmed into their ain zone. 

After a scoreless first period, nan Penguins inevitably sewage 1 to spell 5:27 into nan second, erstwhile Scott Mayfield grounded to corral nan puck, giving Sidney Crosby a look from nan debased slot that nan prima halfway would not miss.

The Islanders challenged for offside, and it did look that Noel Acciari was past nan bluish statement while getting disconnected nan crystal for a change, but nan extremity was declared good, prompting Patrick Roy to spell ballistic connected nan bench. 

Palmieri took advantage of a uncommon chance to necktie nan crippled astatine nan 12:21 people of nan aforesaid period, batting successful nan puck aft it popped up pursuing Horvat’s first shot, but little than 90 seconds later, Evgeni Malkin converted from nan near circle connected nan powerfulness play to make it 2-1 for nan Penguins. 

That people was, successful reality, beyond flattering for a squad that was being out-chanced 21-10 done 40 minutes, per Natural Stat Trick. 

The Islanders, though, don’t person overmuch clip to interest astir that. They tin beryllium happy to get retired of nan building pinch 2 points.