By Mark Madden
https://triblive.com/sports/mark-madden-sidney-crosby-wont-let-penguins-lose-to-islanders/
April 8, 2019
UNIONDALE, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 10: Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins has his shot stopped by Robin Lehner #40 of the New York Islanders during the first period at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on December 10, 2018 in Uniondale, New York. (Photo by Mike Stobe/NHLI via Getty Images)
When Jake Guentzel scored late against the New York Rangers in the Penguins’ regular-season finale Saturday, it scrounged a loser point and matched the Penguins against the New York Islanders instead of Washington in the playoffs’ first round.
That seemed like a good thing. Washington is the defending Stanley Cup champion. The Islanders didn’t make the playoffs last year.
But perhaps it’s not.
The Capitals are a much tougher foe. But the Penguins would take them seriously.
The Penguins won’t have the same respect for the Islanders. Coming out flat for Game 1 on Wednesday seems possible, even probable. Witness Saturday’s OT loss to the Rangers. Witness a 1-3 record against New Jersey, the Metropolitan Division’s last-place team.
But the Penguins will win this series.
Sidney Crosby won’t allow otherwise.
Look at Guentzel’s tying goal Saturday. Crosby just wouldn’t let the play die until he had his 100th point, Guentzel his 40th goal and the Penguins were on their way to Long Island instead of our nation’s capital.
Leadership is mostly imagined after the fact. But Crosby makes it easy to imagine.
The Penguins-Islanders series pits the irresistible force vs. the immovable object. The object might be more immovable than the force is irresistible.
In terms of personnel, this is a mismatch favoring the Penguins.
The Islanders’ leading scorer is Mathew Barzal (68 points). Crosby led the Penguins with 100.
Anders Lee is the Islanders’ top goal-scorer with 28. Guentzel netted 40.
The Islanders’ top defenseman is Nick Leddy, whoever that is. Kris Letang should (but won’t) be a Norris Trophy finalist.
But the Islanders allowed the NHL’s fewest goals, going from worst to best in that department. That allowed them to tack 23 points onto last year’s total despite the defection of superstar center John Tavares to Toronto.
Islanders coach Barry Trotz eliminated the Penguins last year when he was the Capitals’ boss. (He didn’t the two previous years.)
Trotz’s Islanders emphasize structure, not creativity. They will wait for the Penguins to make mistakes, then try to capitalize. (Get it?)
These Penguins do make mistakes. That’s often what enables inferior foes to beat them.
Look at the Rangers’ three goals in regulation Saturday: Egregious turnovers by Garrett Wilson and Guentzel led to the first two, and the third was the 15th short-handed goal conceded by the Penguins, a league high.
Those are the sort of errors the Islanders will feast on.
Perhaps opening the series on the road will give the Penguins focus. Nassau Coliseum is a tough rink. But the Penguins won’t feel the need to entertain like they too often persist in trying to do at PPG Paints Arena.
The Islanders won’t be rattled by Pittsburgh’s star power. They’re not that kind of team.
But they’re not ready for primetime, either.
The Penguins have a few problems. Top-pair defenseman Brian Dumoulin is returning from injury and might not play in Game 1. They have scored two goals or fewer in seven of their last 15 games. Saturday’s loss to the Rangers was not a strong finish.
But goaltender Matt Murray enters the playoffs in great form. Letang and Evgeni Malkin look comfortable after returning from injury. Phil Kessel ended his slump by scoring three goals in the Penguins’ last three games and looks better on the puck. The third line of Nick Bjugstad, Patric Hornqvist and Dominik Simon works well down low and is a useful change of pace. Crosby is hockey’s best player.
The Penguins are just better than the Islanders.
But the standings didn’t show that, and this series might not.
The Islanders nonetheless face an uphill climb. All the games figure to be close, but the Penguins figure to win most of them.
Penguins in six, maybe five.
Mark Madden hosts a radio show 3-6 p.m. weekdays on WXDX-FM 105.9.
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