Game 1 Skinny: Isles 4, Pens 3 OT

First Round Game 1Isles 4, Pittsburgh 3 (OT)Isles lead best-of-7 series, 1-0
2021 deadline acquisition Kyle Palmieri scored twice, including the winning goal in overtime, and 2020 deadline acquisition Jean-Gabriel Pageau added a goal and two assists as the Isles grabbed the opening game of their First Round Series with a 4-3 OT win over the Penguins before a socially-distant crowd of 4,672 at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh.
Palmieri is the first player in Islander history to score twice in his team playoff debut; it is the first multi-goal game of his playoff career. Ilya Sorokin made 39 saves to earn the win in his first NHL playoff game.
The Isles lead the series 1 game to 0; game 2 will be played in Pittsburgh on Tuesday.

The Scoring: 1st Period
Kyle Palmieri (1) Jean-Gabriel Pageau (1), Noah Dobson (1) 07:58 NYI 1,PIT 0
Frederick Gaudreau (1) Evan Rodrigues (1) 11:10 NYI 1,PIT 1
2nd Period
Sidney Crosby (1) Brian Dumoulin (1), Jake Guentzel (1) 03:47 NYI 1,PIT 2
3rd Period
Jean-Gabriel Pageau (1) Scott Mayfield (1) 03:33 NYI 2,PIT 2
Brock Nelson (1) Anthony Beauvillier (1), Ryan Pulock (1) 15:50 NYI 3,PIT 2
Kasperi Kapanen (1) Jeff Carter (1), Cody Ceci (1) 16:21 NYI 3,PIT 3
OT
Kyle Palmieri (2) Jean-Gabriel Pageau (2), Oliver Wahlstrom (1) 16:30 NYI 4,PIT 3
The Series (Isles lead, 1-0)Game 1: Isles 4, Pittsburgh 3 (OT)
Game 2: Tuesday at Pittsburgh (7:30)
Game 3: Thursday at Isles (7:00)
Game 4: Saturday at Isles (3:00)
Game 5: Monday, May 24 at Pittsburgh (if needed)
Game 6: Wednesday, May 26 at Isles (if needed)
Game 7: Friday, May 28 at Pittsburgh (if needed)
The Skinny
The Isles are 5-2 in game 1's under Barry Trotz, having won all four series that they won game 1…Kyle Pamieri is the first player in Islander history to score an OT goal in his first playoff game for the team; it was the first OT goal of his playoff career…Oliver Wahlstrom assisted on the winning goal to earn a point in his playoff debut; Noah Dobson earned his first playoff assist on the opening goal…The Isles improve to 38-20 all-time in overtime (18-9 on the road) while Pittsburgh falls to 30-33 (18-21 at home)…This was the longest game ever between these teams… Nick Leddy played his 49th playoff game as an Islander without being penalized, extending his own club record…The Isles were credited with 72 hits; it is the 7th-highest total of any team in the real-time era (The Isles were credited with 75 and 73 hits in two playoff games last season)…JG Pageau is now 21-9-30 in his playoff career (58 games); his overtime assist was his third overtime point (1-2-3)…The Isles have won five straight playoff games from Pittsburgh, including three at PPG Paints Arena.
Lots of Shots
The Isles are 6-1 in playoff games when both teams have at least 40 shots (all seven games have required overtime).
• 18-Apr-87 @ Washington W
• 20-Apr-93 @ Washington W
• 24-Apr-93 Vs Washington W
• 18-May-93 @ Montreal L
• 22-Apr-16 @ Florida W
• 24-Apr-16 Vs Florida W
• 16-May-21 @ Pittsburgh W
First Times in a Long Time
• JG Pageau is the first Islander with three points in a playoff game since Mark Streit (5/7/2013 vs. Pittsburgh).
• Kyle Palmieri is the first player to score an overtime goal at the 16:30 mark of overtime since Joffrey Lupul for Anaheim (5/9/2006 at Colorado) and the first Islander since John Tavares (4-24-2016 vs. Florida) to complete a multi-goal game with an overtime tally.
First Times in a Long Time - Sorokin Edition
• Sorokin was the first Islander rookie since Chico Resch to start game 1 of a playoff season (Chico did it in both 1975 and 1976) and is the first rookie since Resch (4-8-1975 vs NYR) to win his playoff debut.
• Sorokin tied Kelly Hrudey's rookie club record of 39 saves in a playoff game and broke Hrudey's record for shots faced as a rookie (41) - both set of April 11, 1985 in an OT loss to Washington.
5:16 - 5/16
The Isles' last two playoff overtime goals in Pittsburgh were scored at 5:16 of overtime (David Volek in 1993 -Game 7) and on 5/16 (today is May 16). 516 is of course the Nassau County area code.
Pageau, Pageau, JG Pageau
JG Pageau has 21 goals in 58 career Stanley Cup games. Among active players who have played 58 or fewer games, only Jake Guentzel has scored more goals:
• Jake Guentzel 25 goals in 46 games
• JG Pageau 21 goals in 58 games
• Nathan MacKinnon 20 goals in 40 games
• David Pastrnak 20 goals in 53 games
• Jamie Benn 19 goals in 53 games
Brock Best
Brock Nelson now has 17 playoff goals for the Islanders, more than any Isles in the 2000s:
• Brock Nelson 17
• John Tavares 11
• Josh Bailey 10
• Anthony Beauvillier 10
Nelson's 17 goals are tied for 13th in Isles history with Jude Drouin and Billy Harris; his goal today broke a tie with JP Parise. Nelson also has more playoffs goals than any other US-born player for the Isles.
A Familiar Playoff Foe
This is the sixth all-time playoff meeting between the teams:
• 1975- Quarter-Finals. Isles won series 4 games to 3.
• 1982- Preliminary Series. Isles won series 3 games to 2.
• 1993- Division Final. Isles won series 4 games to 3.
• 2013- Conference Quarter-Finals. Pittsburgh won series 4 games to 2.
• 2019- First Round. Isles won series 4 games to 0.
Barry and Al
Barry Trotz is only the 2nd coach to lead the Isles to multiple series wins, joining Al Arbour. Terry Simpson and Jack Capuano are the only other coaches to lead the Isles to a playoff series victory.
Lou and Bill
Lou Lamoriello has won 29 playoff series as a General Manager, which allowed him to pass Bill Torrey for second place on the all-time list in the 2020 Bubble. Glen Sather has 41 series wins.
Overtime is Our Time
The Isles are 37-21 (.638) all-time in overtime, including 18-9 (.667) on the road. Both percentages are 2nd-best (to Tampa Bay) in NHL history. The Isles are 1-0 in overtime this season; they have gone 8-8 in sixteen overtime games since 2015.
Overtime vs. Pittsburgh
The Isles are 4-3 all-time in playoff overtime games vs. Pittsburgh. The 1982, 1993 and 2013 series all ended on overtime goals.
• 04/10/82 @ Rick Kehoe L Pit 4:14
• 04/13/82 Vs John Tonelli W Pit 6:19
• 05/14/93 @ David Volek W Pit 5:16
• 05/05/13 Vs Chris Kunitz L Pit 8:44
• 05/11/13 Vs Brooks Orpik L Pit 7:49
• 04/10/19 Vs Josh Bailey W Pit 4:39
• 05/16/21 @ Kyle Palmieri W Pit 16:30
Lead/Tie/Trailed
Game 1: Led: 3:43, Tied: 53:01, Trailed: 19:46
Series: Led: 3:43, Tied: 53:01, Trailed: 19:46
Playoffs All-Time
The Isles improve to 162-133 in 295 all-time playoff games. They are 90-50 at home (including 2-5 at Barclays, 5-2 in Toronto and 1-2 in Edmonton) and 72-83 on the road. In this year's playoffs, the Isles are 0-0 at home and 1-0 on the road.
Coach Trotz
Barry Trotz is second among active coaches, trailing only Joel Quenneville, in both wins and games. Trotz' NHL record is 877-635-60-158 in 1,730 games.
Most Coaching Wins
1. Scotty Bowman 1,244
2. Joel Quenneville 962
3. Barry Trotz 877
Most Games Coached
1. Scotty Bowman 2,141
2. Joel Quenneville 1,761
3. Barry Trotz 1,730
Coach Trotz (Playoffs)
Barry Trotz has now coached 144 playoff games (73-71). His 144 games are tied for 12th with Peter Laviolette while his 73 wins are 15th all time (3 behind Laviolette). Trotz won the Stanley Cup with Washington in 2018; Joel Quenneville (3) and Mike Sullivan (2) are the only active coaches with multiple Stanley Cups.
Most playoff wins by Islander coaches:
• Al Arbour 119
• Barry Trotz 18
• Jack Capuano 10
• Terry Simpson 9
• Peter Laviolette 4
• Ted Nolan 1
• Steve Stirling 1
Most playoff games coached (Islanders):
• Al Arbour 198
• Barry Trotz 31
• Jack Capuano 24
• Terry Simpson 20
• Peter Laviolette 12
• Steve Stirling 5
• Ted Nolan 5
Most overtime wins/overtime record:
• Al Arbour 26 (26-9)
• Barry Trotz 4 (4-5)
• Jack Capuano 4 (4-5)
• Terry Simpson 3 (3-0)
• Peter Laviolette 0 (0-1)
• Steve Stirling 0 (0-1)
Most game 7 wins/game seven record)
• Al Arbour 4 (2-2)
• Terry Simpson 2 (1-1)
• Barry Trotz 1 (1-0)
• Jack Capuano 1 (0-1)
• Peter Laviolette 0 (0-1)
Most playoff series wins:
• Al Arbour 29
• Barry Trotz 4
• Jack Capuano 1
• Terry Simpson 1
First Things First
The Isles are 1-0 when scoring first and are 0-0 when allowing the first goal in the playoffs.
The Shots
Isles 13-8-13-7=41
Pittsburgh 18-8-6-10=42
Shots by Game
• Game 1: Isles 41, Pittsburgh 42
• Series: Isles 41, Pittsburgh 42
The Isles are 0-0 when they outshoot their opponents, 0-0 when the shots are even and 1-0 when they are outshot.
In the Nets
Ilya Sorokin made 39 saves in his playoff debut.

Tristan Jarry made 37 saves; he is 0-1 in this year's playoffs and 0-2 in his career, including 0-1 in overtime.
Power Plays
The Isles were 0-2 on the power play in 4:00 of PP time; Pittsburgh was 0-3 on the power play in 6:00 of PP time.
Power Plays by Game
• Game 1: Isles 0-2 (4:00, 2 shots), Pittsburgh 0-3 (6:00, 3 shots)
• Series: Isles 0-2 (4:00, 2 shots), Pittsburgh 0-3 (6:00, 3 shots)
Three is a Magic Number
The Isles are 1-0 in the playoffs (0-0 in regulation and 1-0 in overtime) when they score at least three goals and 0-0 when they do not.
Shutting the Door
The Isles are 0-0 when allowing two or fewer goals in this year's playoffs.
One Goal Games
The Isles are 1-0 in the playoffs in one-goal games (0-0 in regulation and 1-0 in overtime). The Isles are 0-0 in playoff games where an empty-net goal turns a 1-goal game into a 2-goal game.
Ice-time Leaders
Isles: Adam Pelech (29:18); Pittsburgh Kris Letang (32:26)
JG Pageau led Isles forwards with 21:28 of ice-time
Isles record by ice-time leader: Adam Pelech (1-0)
Face-offs
Isles 33, Pittsburgh 37 (47%)
JG Pageau won 14 of 18 for the Isles; Teddy Blueger won 6 of 9 for Pittsburgh.
Face-offs by Game
• Game 1: Isles 33, Pittsburgh 37 (47%)
• Series: Isles 33, Pittsburgh 37 (47%)
Hit Count
Isles 72 (Leo Komarov -14)
Pittsburgh 47 (Brandon Tanev-9)
Hits Game by Game:
• Game 1: Isles 72, Pittsburgh 47
• Series: Isles 72, Pittsburgh 47
Blocked Shots
Isles 14 (Josh Bailey and Scott Mayfield -4)
Pittsburgh 12 (Brian Dumoulin and Kris Letang -3)
For the Analytics Crowd
Corsi: All situations: Isles 60, Pittsburgh 67
Corsi: 5-on-5 Isles 55, Pittsburgh 58
5-on-5 leaders:
Isles: JG Pageau +7
Pittsburgh: Sidney Crosby +6
High Danger Chances:
All situations: Isles 8, Pittsburgh 11
5-on-5 Isles 6, Pittsburgh 10
Corsi Game by Game:
• Game 1 (All) Isles 60, Pittsburgh 67; (5-on-5) Isles 55, Pittsburgh 58
• Series: (All) Isles 60, Pittsburgh 67; (5-on-5) Isles 55, Pittsburgh 58
High-Danger Game by Game:
• Game 1 (All) Isles 8, Pittsburgh 11; (5-on-5) Isles 6, Pittsburgh 10
• Series: (All) Isles 8, Pittsburgh 11; (5-on-5) Isles 6, Pittsburgh 10
Scratches
(Anders Lee), (Semyon Varlamov), Sebastian Aho, Braydon Coburn, Kieffer Bellows, Ross Johnston, Travis Zajac, Michael Dal Colle
Playoff games lost: 2
Post-Season Late Heroes (Final Two Minutes of Regulation, or Overtime)
• Kyle Palmieri (16:30 of OT on 5/16 vs. Pittsburgh - Game 1)
Post-Season Late Goals Allowed
• None
Playoff Challenges
• None
Active Islander Playoff Leaders: (As NYI)Games:
Matt Martin 55
Josh Bailey 53
Casey Cizikas 51
Nick Leddy 49
Brock Nelson 49
Consecutive Games
Matt Martin 55
Nick Leddy 49
Brock Nelson 44
Goals:
Brock Nelson 17
Josh Bailey 10
Anthony Beauvillier 10
JG Pageau 9
Jordan Eberle 9
Anders Lee 8
Mathew Barzal 7
Matt Martin 6
Cal Clutterbuck 6
Nick Leddy 5
Assists:
Josh Bailey 27
Mathew Barzal 17
Jordan Eberle 14
Brock Nelson 13
Nick Leddy 12
Ryan Pulock 12
Points:
Josh Bailey 37
Brock Nelson 28
Mathew Barzal 24
Jordan Eberle 23
Nick Leddy 17
Anthony Beauvillier 17
Anders Lee 16
Penalty Minutes:
Matt Martin 66
Cal Clutterbuck 60
Casey Cizikas 42
PP Goals
Mathew Barzal 3
Anders Lee 3
Ryan Pulock 3
Josh Bailey 2
Anthony Beauvillier 2
Jordan Eberle 2
Brock Nelson 2
Nick Leddy 1
SH Goals
Josh Bailey 1

GW Goals
Brock Nelson 5
Anthony Beauvillier 3
Jordan Eberle 3
Josh Bailey 2
Thomas Hickey 1
Mathew Barzal 1
Leo Komarov 1
Andy Greene 1
Scott Mayfield 1
Kyle Palmieri 1
OT Goals
Josh Bailey 1
Mathew Barzal 1
Thomas Hickey 1
Jordan Eberle 1
Kyle Palmieri 1
Goaltending
Semyon Varlamov 11-7 2.14 GAA, .921 save percentage
Ilya Sorokin 1-0 2.35 GAA, .929 save percentage
UP NEXTTUESDAY, MAY 18th -ISLANDERS AT PITTSBURGH 7:30pm[MSG+ [pre-game at 7:00], WRHU 88.7 FM, WRCN 103.9FM, ESPN 98.7]
The Isles remain in Pittsburgh for Game 2 of the series on Tuesday.
The Isles are 18-5 all-time when winning game 1, including 9-3 at home; the Penguins are 15-16 all-time when dropping game 1.
The Isles are 5-0 in playoff games against Pittsburgh under Barry Trotz, including 3-0 in Pittsburgh.
Eric Hornick has been the statistician on Islander home game telecasts since January 21, 1982. Information contained in "The Skinny" has been gathered from various sources. Follow Eric @ehornick on Twitter & on his blog www.nyiskinny.com.