Penguins defeat Islanders in Game 2, even series

If the Pittsburgh Penguins are to enjoy any success in this postseason — in the context of a single victory or the complete set of 16 required to claim the Stanley Cup — there is a baseline level of effort and execution required to gain those desired results.

They largely did not offer that upon the opening of their first-round matchup with the New York Islanders and entered Game 2 on Tuesday trailing in the series.

Vowing to be better, they made good on that pledge and claimed a fiercely combative 2-1 triumph at PPG Paints Arena, evening the series.

“We think we have another level,” coach Mike Sullivan preached via video conference on Tuesday morning. “We’ve got to make sure that we heighten our level of intensity, we heighten our level of urgency.

“When we do that, I think we’re a competitive hockey team.”

The series moves to Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, N.Y. for Games 3 and 4 on Thursday and Saturday. Game 5 will be Monday at PPG Paints Arena.

As for Game 2, it was far more combative than the tactical feel of Game 1. In addition to an untabulated number of scrums, shoves and squabbles, the Islanders were penalized four times and the Penguins recorded three penalties.

“Obviously playoff hockey is playoff hockey,” Penguins defenseman Mike Matheson said. “It’s a new level of intensity and grit.”

A strong start for the hosts in Game 2 was punctuated by a goal by forward Bryan Rust 3 minutes, 22 seconds into regulation. After a neutral-zone turnover by Islanders defenseman Ryan Pulock, Rust claimed the puck, gained the offensive zone and veered to the right wing.

As Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech applied minimal resistance, Rust chucked a fairly pedestrian wrister past the glove hand of goaltender Semyon Varlamov on the near side. It was Rust’s first goal of the playoffs and his second postseason goal since 2018.

“We’re just trying to get to our game as fast as we can,” Rust said. “Get out there, have a good start, create some momentum. Obviously, when you score the first goal, there’s no better way of doing that.”

They got the second goal at 13:07 of the first. After Penguins forward Kasperi Kapanen kept a puck free on the Islanders’ end boards, linemate Jared McCann flicked a backhand pass to the left circle for forward Jeff Carter. Circumnavigating around Pulock, Carter fired a wrister from the slot through Varlamov’s legs for his first playoff goal as a member of the Penguins and first since 2016.

After snuffing out two power-play chances for the Penguins during the second period, the Islanders got on the scoreboard at 14:44 of the middle frame. Taking a pass on the left half wall of the offensive zone, Islanders forward Josh Bailey deked around a lethargic pokecheck from Carter in the left circle and shoveled a backhander past goaltender Tristan Jarry’s glove on the far side for his first goal.

The Islanders had a fantastic opportunity to force overtime late in regulation after Rust was called for closing his hand on the puck at 18:32 of the third period. Despite pulling Varlamov for an extra attacker, the Islanders could only muster a single shot in the final 88 seconds.

“I made kind of a mental error there,” Rust said. “Closed my hand on the puck for too long and threw it out of the zone. (The penalty killers) were working hard for me and the team.

“I’ve got to thank those guys.”

The Penguins had reason to be thankful for their goaltender as well. Rebounding from a 4-3 overtime home loss in Game 1, Jarry made 37 saves on 38 shots to earn his first career postseason victory.

Jarry and company offered far more in Game 2 than in Game 1 and as a result, they have leveled off what has quickly turned into a bellicose series.

“Going into this game, we knew every single one of us needed to bring a higher level of execution, intensity,” Matheson said. “I think we did that tonight.”