Penguins, Islanders pass screen test in Game 1

During the third period of Game 1 of Pittsburgh Penguins’ first-round series against the Islanders on Sunday, a 4-3 overtime win by the Islanders, the teams exchanged very similar goals in the span of 31 seconds.

First, at the 15 minute, 50 second mark, Islanders forward Brock Nelson took a pass in the high slot of the offensive zone and used Penguins defenseman Kris Letang as a screen. That allowed Nelson to fire a wrister under the glove hand of goaltender Tristan Jarry to give his team a 3-2 lead.

Shortly after that, the Penguins tied the score, 3-3. Taking a drop pass from linemate Jeff Carter at the right point of the offensive zone, forward Kasperi Kapanen moved into the right circle, lined up Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield for a screen and sniped a wrister to the far side past goaltender Ilya Sorokin’s blocker. The puck rang off the post and caromed into the cage.

Two goals off of two screens by defensemen trying to prevent them.

How difficult of a tactic is that for an attacking player to master?

“It’s hard,” Kapanen said via video conference. “Some guys just have it. The talented goal-scorers, they know how to use the (defenseman) as a screen. That’s something that I’ve been kind of trying to work on. To this day, I feel I still hit the shin pads and the stick a little too often. But luckily enough yesterday, I was able to get by the (defenseman) and I hit the post and went in.”

While the goals Nelson and Kapanen scored primarily were done in one-on-one sequences, scoring goals with any number of bodies in front of the net has become fairly customary in the NHL.

“When you look at the goal-scorers in the league, a lot of them utilize that strategy,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “Obviously, your chances of scoring are better when the goalie’s sight lines are impeded. Anytime you have an opportunity to use bodies as a screen to make it more difficult for the goalie to pick up the puck off the release, it increases your chances to score. And the goal-scorers, I think instinctively, understand that, whether it’s conscious or subconscious, that’s part of what makes them as good as they are and makes them the goal-scorers that they are.”

Sullivan endorses Jarry

A day after Tristan Jarry allowed four goals on 41 shots, Sullivan gave a rousing endorsement of the goaltender who helped lead the Penguins to the East Division title during the regular season.

“Tristan is in a good spot from a mindset standpoint,” Sullivan said. “We’re confident that Tristan will respond and be at his best. Tristan has played a lot of real good hockey for us, in particular the second half of this season. He’s been a big reason we were able to win the (East) Division. We believe he’ll respond the right way to Game 2.

Tanev gets physical

Penguins forward Brandon Tanev returned to the lineup Sunday after missing 18 games because of an undisclosed injury. Logging 16:27 of ice time on 30 shifts, Tanev led the Penguins with nine hits during Game 1.

While hits are something of a subjective statistic, Tanev’s eagerness to smack anything wearing a white jersey was blatantly evident to the naked eye.

His words Monday verified he was ready to throw his body around.

“Physicality is a part of this game,” Tanev said. “It’s been present for a long time in the sport of hockey. Obviously, when playoff time comes around, the game becomes tougher. There’s a lot more physical play. There’s less penalties called, and the game itself becomes tougher.

“I don’t think you can necessarily stop a team from playing physical. You can’t control what the other guys on the other team are doing. In the same sense, it’s your job to continue to play your game and do whatever the team asks you.”

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