Pittsburgh Penguins Fall 5-4 To New York Islanders In OT Thriller
Pittsburgh fell to the Islanders 5-4 on Tuesday night. The Islanders needed to win as they had lost two games in a row in disastrous fashion. The Islanders worked hard around the net against Pittsburgh. When they did work near the blue paint, they were rewarded with goals, including a first-period goal from rookie sensation Matthew Schaefer. Did you think the Islanders could win this game?
Pittsburgh and Islanders Scoring Summary
Pittsburgh came into this game red hot. They lost last night to the Ottawa Senators 3-2, but have gone 13-2-2 since the Christmas break to vault into second place in the Metropolitan Division. They are one spot ahead of the Islanders in the division. The Islanders hurt their playoff chances last night with a terrible 4-1 loss to the Washington Capitals, who are now only two spots behind the Islanders in the division. Here is a scoring summary from the game.
After the first period, the Islanders were ahead 2-1, though they played from behind for most of the period. Anthony Mantha scored for the Penguins, giving them a 1-0 lead. Then Bo Horvat and Schafer scored late in the period for the Islanders. That gave them a 2-1 lead. That was how the first period ended.
In the second period, the Islanders’ lead did not last that long. Egor Chinakhov scored for Pittsburgh to even the score at two. Then, Bryan Rust scored for the Penguins. That gave Pittsburgh a 3-2 lead.
In the third period, Mathew Barzal scored for the Islanders. His 16th goal of the year tied the game at 3. Then, Justin Brazeau scored for the Pittsburgh Penguins. That gave them a 4-3 lead. Ryan Pulock then scored for the Islanders to tie the game at 4.
The game went to overtime. Horvat, the Olympian, won the game in overtime. He scored two goals tonight.
Sorokin Starts
Ilya Sorokin started in goal for the Islanders. It was good for them that their top goaltender could start the game. Backup Goaltender David Rittich has been struggling of late. Sorokin is 18-13-2 this season with a 2.44 goals against average, a .916 save percentage, and six shutouts (which leads the league).
The Unbelievable Matthew Schafer
In the first period, Schaefer scored for the Islanders. It was an important game for the team that struggles to score goals. However, the goal was his 16th of the season, and his point was his 38th of the year. His 16 goals put him one behind Phil Houlsley and Denis Potvin. His thirty-eight points tied him with Bobby Orr. What he is doing is special. Anytime you can get mentioned with Potvin and Orr, you must be doing something right.
Player Of the Game
The player of the game was Pulock, who scored for the Islanders to tie the game at four with 4:36 left in the third period. That was a big goal from the defenseman. At that point, he saved the Islanders’ season.
Turning Point of the Game
The turning point of the game was late in the game, with it tied at four with only three minutes left. The turning point of the game was when Horvat scored for the Islanders in overtime.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Islanders won this game 5-4 in overtime, though it was touch-and-go for a little bit. Pulock was the player of the game for tying the game late in the third period. The turning point of the game was Horvat’s overtime winner. The Islanders play on Thursday at 7 p.m. against New Jersey. The Pittsburgh Penguins will play on Thursday in Buffalo at 7 p.m.
Parting Shots
The Islanders needed to win the game, having lost the last two games disastrously to the Nashville Predators and the Washington Capitals. To add to the significance of the game, it was at home for the Islanders and yet another division game. These games, before the Olympic break, are important for the Islanders. There is one more on Thursday at the New Jersey Devils.
