3 not-so-obvious keys for Penguins in Game 2 vs. Islanders | TribLIVE.com
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3 not-so-obvious keys for Penguins in Game 2 vs. Islanders

Jonathan Bombulie
| Thursday, April 11, 2019 6:25 p.m.
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The Islanders’ Robin Lehner kicks aside a first-period shot by Evgeni Malkin of the Penguins during Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series Wednesday, April 10, 2019, in Uniondale, N.Y.

Teams that play successful playoff hockey often talk about doing enough little things right that they become big things.

Here are three not-so-obvious things the Pittsburgh Penguins could do in Game 2 on Friday night to even their first-round playoff series with the New York Islanders.

Tips, not screens

Justin Schultz’s tying goal late in Game 1 notwithstanding, Islanders goalie Robin Lehner is usually more susceptible to tips than screens, according to analysis done by Kevin Woodley for NHL.com.

At 6-foot-4, 240 pounds, he is better at seeing over and around traffic in front than he is at making the type of quick change-of-direction saves deflections require.

However the Penguins attack him, Lehner’s 41-save showing in Game 1 proved he is no product of a defensive system. His .930 save percentage in the regular season was legit.

A tie is not enough

The Penguins and Islanders scored one power-play goal each in Game 1.

In most cases, it would make sense to call it a push and look for other areas where the game was decided.

That’s not necessarily true in this case.

Despite their inconsistencies and short-handed goals allowed, the Penguins had one of the best power plays in the league in the regular season. It ranked fifth with a 24.6% success rate. The Islanders, meanwhile, were 29th at 14.5%.

With that in mind, the tie goes to the Islanders. They are perfectly happy with a special-teams stalemate.

The Penguins need a win, not a draw.

Back to normal

Olli Maatta’s minus-2 performance was not a typical playoff showing for the 24-year-old Finnish defenseman. Over his career, the Penguins have outscored opponents 50-34 when he has been on the ice at five on five in playoff games. Last season, that advantage was 9-2.

Maatta doesn’t need to find a new playoff gear for the Penguins to be successful. He just needs to play around his career norms.


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