0
0
The Five-Time Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins begin their journey in the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Mike Drakulich (@PghSportsNation) who covers the Pittsburgh Steelers and Pitt Panthers for NGSCSports.com brings you the best Penguins hockey coverage in Pittsburgh.
FULLY HEALTHY PENGUINS HUNGRY TO RAISE LORD STANLEY AGAIN
The 2021 NHL season has been anything but normal. The year began in January instead of October, and instead of a normal 82 game slate, teams played a 56 game schedule. The regular season format was broken into four divisions, the East, West, South, and North, in which teams in each division only played against versus one other. Playoffs were determined by the top four of each division.
The Pittsburgh Penguins came into the season with tempered expectations by most of the national and local media, and early on, it looked as if those predictions were going to come true, as the Penguins played out of balance for most of the first month.
To make matters worse, GM Jim Rutherford abruptly walked away from the job on January 27th, leaving the team’s management in limbo. Eventually, the Penguins settled on hiring Brian Burke as Director of Hockey Operations, and Ron Hextall as the new GM.
Eventually, despite a rash of injuries that nearly depleted the entire defense corps, and seeing Evgeni Malkin, Brandon Tanev, Kasperi Kapanen, Jason Zucker, Teddy Blueger, and Brian Dumoulin each miss significant time, the team began to round into form and become a force of nature in the incredibly difficult East Division, which had it’s top four teams all finish with over 70 points, and the 5th place NY Rangers collect just 60 points despite a goal differential of plus 20.
No other division was remotely as competitive from top to bottom. Overall, the Penguins lost 273 man games to injuries.
“It was never easy the whole season,” said defenseman Brian Dumoulin. “We had a lot of ups and downs, especially in the beginning. We had a lot of injuries.”
The strict COVID protocols and the injuries brought this team together in a way no one thought possible.
“The team bonding, I think that’s the biggest thing that I’ve taken out of it,” forward Jake Guentzel said. “You’re stuck in the hotels; you’re just hanging around the guys and it’s the fun times you have after games that really brought us closer as a team. It showed on the ice that we have a fun group this year, and you’re just excited to go to battle with them every night. I think the team camaraderie is really good and I think it was a big part of this year.”
Unlike most teams at playoff time, and basically for the first time all season, the Penguins find themselves fully healthy entering the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
“We put ourselves in a position at that time to potentially put ourselves in the best spot for the playoffs and to have home ice and be where we’re at, so really proud of the group for what we accomplished this season,” Dumoulin said.
The painful endings to the last two seasons have not gone unnoticed by the team, which looks to get back to the formula that lead the team to winning back to back Cup championships back in 2016 and 2017.
“We’ve had some early exits last couple years, so I think it drives you even more, you want to win that much more,” Guentzel said. “So I think for us, it’s just an exciting time. We’ve had a good regular season so far, so I think we’re all excited to get going here and just can’t wait for it to start.”
Team Breakdowns
2021 Head to Head Record
Penguins: 6-2
Islanders: 2-4-2
Goals per game
Penguins: 3.45 GF/G (2nd)
Islanders: 2.71 GF/G (20th)
Goals Against
Penguins: 2.77 GA/G (13th)
Islanders: 2.23 GA/G (2nd)
Power Play
Penguins: 23.7 PP% (4th)
Islanders: 18.8 PP% (21st)
Penalty Kill
Penguins: 77.4 PK% (27th)
Islanders: 83.7 PK% (6th)
Forwards
The Pittsburgh Penguins have an abundance of depth and talent, going four lines that just keep coming at you, wave after wave. The team was 2nd in the NHL scoring 196 goals, only trailing the Colorado Avalanche by one red light in that category.
The strength of the team is clearly down the middle with Sidney Crosby leading the way with 24 goals and 38 assists. Evgeni Malkin tallied eight goals and 20 assists despite missing 23 games this season, though Malkin is still not operating at 100%, but who is at this point of the year? Jeff Carter has become a huge pick-up by GM Ron Hextall, scoring an incredible nine goals in just 14 games as a Penguin, Carter had just eight in 40 games for the LA Kings. Teddy Blueger has recorded seven goals and 15 assists centering the highly regarded 4th line that has Zach Aston-Reese (9-6-15) and Brandon Tanev (7-9-16) alongside him. Tanev has a motor that never stops and will be one of the most hated Penguins by Islander fans by the ten minute mark of the 1st period in game one.
At wing, Crosby has Jake Guentzel (23-34-57) and Bryan Rust (22-20-42) at his disposal, and Malkin has the speedy Kasperi Kapanen (11-19-30) and Jason Zucker (9-9-18) alongside him. Carter centers a deep third line that employs a resurgent Jared McCann (14-18-32) and Frederick Gaudreau (2-8-10), who has opened the eyes of the staff since being placed into the line-up for an injured Evan Rodrigues. McCann lead the team with seven power play goals.
The Islanders are missing their best player in Anders Lee, who scored 12 goals and seven assists before being lost for the year 27 games in. Mathew Barzal is New York’s top player centering the top line, and has 17 goals and 28 assists. Leo Komarov (1-7-8) and Jordan Eberle (16-17-35) round out the Islander’s top unit.
Winger Josh Bailey has eight goals and 27 assists on the 2nd line, with Brock Nelson (18-15-33) being the center on the 2nd line with left wing Anthony Beauvillier (15-13-28).
Jean-Gabriel Pageau centers the 3rd line (14-14-28) with NJ Devils acquisition Kyle Palmieri, a five time 20 goal scorer, but has only managed two with the Isles at LW and Oliver Wahlstrom (12-9-21) at RW.
Casey Cizikas (7-7-14) anchors the very impressive and gritty 4th line along with Matt Martin (6-5-11) and Cal Clutterbuck (4-7-11) at wing. This will be a line that most Penguin’s faithful will want to fight before the 1st period ends with the style of hockey they play.
Defense
Once thought to be a weakness, the defense of the Penguins turned out to be a strength of the team in 2021. Kris Letang shows no sign of slowing down and had a Norris Trophy type of season scoring seven goals and tallying 38 assists, leading the team in ice time at 24 minutes and 39 seconds a game. Brian Dumoulin (4-10-14) has cemented himself as one of the team’s best defensive defenseman in it’s storied history.
Count yourself as one of the very few if you ever envisioned Mike Matheson and Codi Ceci rising to become the Penguins 2nd best defensive unit. Matheson’s speed and offensive talents have turned him into one of the most valuable assets the team has, scoring five goals and 11 assists despite missing 12 games this year. Ceci has been just as impressive with four goals and 13 assists.
John Marino (3-10-13) and Marcus Pettersson (2-7-9) round out the third unit and both play a consistent brand of hockey that head coach Mike Sullivan asks for.
The Islander’s defense doesn’t strike much fear into their opponents offensively, but they do play a stingy brand of hockey the fits the style of play loved by head coach Barry Trotz. The top unit of Adam Pelech (4-10-14) and Ryan Pulock (2-15-17) basically shut down Crosby’s line back in 2019 when the Islanders swept the Penguins in four games.
Nick Leddy lead all defensemen with 29 assists and scored two goals and while Scott Mayfield had two goals and 13 assists for the 2nd unit. Andy Greene (1-4-5) and Noah Dobson (3-11-14) are the Isle’s third pairing.
Goalies
The Penguins Tristan Jarry has just one start in the playoffs, so count out experience being a factor for the young netminder. Despite a rough start, Jarry rounded into form to go 25-9-3, with a 2.75 goals against average and a save percentage of .909%. Casey DeSmith was 17-11-7, with a GAA of 2.54 and a .912 SV%, and will back-up Jarry if he is healthy. DeSmith suffered an injury in the last game of the season. If DeSmith does miss time, Maxim Legace will take his spot behind Jarry. In his only start, Lagace recorded a shutout of the Buffalo Sabres.
The Islanders will start Semyon Varlamov in net, who went 35-19-4, with a GAA of 2.04 and a SV% of .928. Rookie Ilya Sorokin is the back-up and recorded 13 wins with six losses, three OTL’s, with a 2.17 GAA and a SV% of .918 for New York.
The Penguins have routinely terrorized Varlamov in previous encounters, including the 2008 playoffs when he played for the Washington Capitals. This season, Varlamov has just a .897 save percentage and 2.86 GAA vs Pittsburgh.
Prediction
It won’t be easy, and it never is. Both Stanley Cup winning teams in 1991 and 1992 said that the first series was the hardest to win. The high scoring Penguins face off vs the stingy defensive minded Islanders, but unlike in 2019 when NY swept them, this Pittsburgh team is much faster and deeper. All in all, the Penguins are just a better team from top to bottom.
Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang are determined to make amends for the past three playoff failures. This could be the beginning of another special run by these future Hall of Fame trio of players. Penguins in 6
Scouting the Pittsburgh Penguins
Stanley Cup Championships: 5 (1991, 1992, 2009, 2016, 2017)
2021 Record: 37-16-3 | 77 Points (1st in East Division)
Pittsburgh Penguins Team Roster
Head Coach: Mike Sullivan
- Two Stanley Cup Championships (2016, 2017)
Probable Line Combinations
1st Line- LW: Jake Guentzel | C: Sidney Crosby | RW: Bryan Rust
2nd Line- LW: Jason Zucker | C: Evgeni Malkin | RW: Kasperi Kapanen
3rd Line- LW: Jared McCann | C: Jeff Carter | RW: Frederick Gaudreau
4th Line- LW: Zach Aston-Reese | C: Teddy Blueger | RW: Brandon Tanev
Defense- Brian Dumoulin and Kris Letang
Defense- Codi Ceci and Mike Matheson
Defense- Marcus Pettersson and John Marino
Starting Goalie: Tristan Jarry | Back-up Goalie: Casey DeSmith
Scratches: RW Colton Sceviour, RW Sam Lafferty, LW Mark Jankowski, LW Radim Zahorna, C Evan Rodrigues, D Mark Friedman, D Chad Ruhwedel, D Juuso Riikola, D Yannick Weber, G Maxim Legace
Scouting the New York Islanders
Stanley Cup Championships: 4 (1980, 1981, 1982, 1983)
2021 Record: 32-17-7 | 71 Points (4th East Division)
New York Islanders Team Roster
Head Coach: Barry Trotz
- One Stanley Cup Championship (2018)
Probable Line Combinations
1st Line- LW: Leo Komarov | C: Mathew Barzal | RW: Jordan Eberle
2nd Line- LW: Anthony Beauvillier | C: Brock Nelson | RW: Josh Bailey
3rd Line- LW: Kyle Palmieri | C: Jean-Gabriel Pageau | RW: Oliver Wahlstrom
4th Line- LW: Matt Martin | C: Casey Cizikas | RW: Cal Clutterbuck
Defense- Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock
Defense- Nick Leddy and Scott Mayfield
Defense- Andy Greene and Noah Dobson
Starting Goalie: Semyon Varlamov | Back-up Goalie: Iyla Sorokin
Scratches: LW Michael Dal Colle, LW Ross Johnson, RW Travis Zajac, D Braydon Coburn, G Cory Schneider
Series Information
Stanley Cup Playoffs: East Division Semifinals
Game 1: NY Islanders at Pittsburgh Penguins
Venue: PPG Paints Arena
- Date: Sunday, May 16th | Time: Noon ET
- TV: NBC, SN, TVA Sports
- Radio: 105.9 WXDX-FM
Game 2: NY Islanders at Pittsburgh Penguins
Venue: PPG Paints Arena
- Date: Tuesday, May 18th | Time: 7:30 pm ET
- TV: NBCSN, SN, CBC, TVA Sports
- Radio: 105.9 WXDX-FM
Game 3: Pittsburgh Penguins at NY Islanders
Venue: Nassau Coliseum
- Date: Thursday, May 20th | Time: 7:00 pm ET
- TV: NBC, SN360, TVA Sports
- Radio: 105.9 WXDX-FM
Game 4: Pittsburgh Penguins at NY Islanders
Venue: Nassau Coliseum
- Date: Saturday, May 22nd | Time: 3:00 pm ET
- TV: NBC, SN, TVA Sports
- Radio: 105.9 WXDX-FM
*Game 5: NY Islanders at Pittsburgh Penguins
Venue: PPG Paints Arena
- Date: Monday, May 24th | Time: TBA
- TV: TBA
- Radio: 105.9 WXDX-FM
*Game 6: Pittsburgh Penguins at NY Islanders
Venue: Nassau Coliseum
- Date: Wednesday, May 26th | Time: TBA
- TV: TBA
- Radio: 105.9 WXDX-FM
*Game 7: NY Islanders at Pittsburgh Penguins
Venue: PPG Paints Arena
- Date: Friday, May 28th | Time: TBA
- TV: TBA
- Radio: 105.9 WXDX-FM
* If Necessary
Pittsburgh Penguins – NY Islanders Playoff History
The Pittsburgh Penguins are 1-4 vs the NY Islanders lifetime.
- 1975: Islanders win 4-3
- 1982: Islanders win 3-2
- 1993: Islanders win 4-3
- 2013: Penguins win 4-2
- 2019: Islanders win 4-0
Playoff Predictions
East Division
Penguins in six over the Islanders
Bruins in seven over the Capitals
West Division
Avalanche in six over the Blues
Golden Knights in six over the Wild
North Division
Maple Leafs in five over the Canadiens
Oilers in seven over the Jets
South Division
Hurricanes in five over the Predators
Panthers in seven over the Lightning
Author Profile
- Your source for Pittsburgh sports!
-
From Midland, "The Basketball Capital of Pennsylvania", located 35 miles NW of Pittsburgh along the Ohio River. This former steel town was home to storied athletes such as Dave Alston, Norm Van Lier, Simmie Hill, and the legendary 1965 Midland High School Basketball Team.
There's nowhere on earth that is more dedicated to its sports teams like Western Pennsylvania and the city of Pittsburgh. The passion and pride of Pittsburgh's fan base is second to no one. From the NFL, NHL, MLB, NCAA football and basketball, to W.P.I.A.L. high school sports, "The City of Champions" has it all!
As Editor of Pittsburgh SportsNation, Mike Drakulich provides top notch opinions and coverage of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Pittsburgh Pirates, Pitt Panthers football & basketball, Robert Morris Colonials basketball, and Duquesne Dukes basketball, as well as all sports teams that represent Western Pennsylvania, including WPIAL High School Football.
For a refreshing view of sports, mixed with humor and uncensored opinions, check out Pittsburgh SportsNation today on Facebook, Twitter @PghSportsNation and videos with over 1,000,000 views on YouTube!
Latest entries
FeaturesMarch 18, 2024The DraX-Files: This Week in Pittsburgh Sports
FeaturesMarch 12, 2024The DraX-Files: This Week in Pittsburgh Sports
FeaturesMarch 3, 2024The DraX-Files: This Week in Pittsburgh Sports
FeaturesFebruary 25, 2024The DraX-Files: This Week in Pittsburgh Sports