The Pittsburgh Penguins took on the New York Islanders in a New Year’s Eve matchup (Dec. 31), looking to push their winning streak to three and ring in the New Year on a high note. In a goaltending battle between Alex Nedeljkovic and Ilya Sorokin, the Penguins pulled out a 3-1 victory.
Ned Stands on His Head
After last season saw Alex Nedeljkovic struggle to stay in an NHL lineup with the Detroit Red Wings, he has come to Pittsburgh on a one-year deal and has had a bounce-back season so far for the team. His performance against the Islanders could very easily be his most impressive to date as a Penguin.
While both he and Sorokin faced 30-plus shots a piece, it seemed like his shots were more high-danger chances from the Islanders and he was more than willing to take on the task. When challenged, he stood tall and made several huge saves to help preserve the Penguins’ lead. This included a few saves on odd-man rushes for the Islanders and making saves that led to rushes and scoring chances for the Penguins themselves. In total, he saved 37 of the 38 shots he faced in the game.
With the play of both he and Tristan Jarry, who has played like a player who has something to prove this season, the Penguins’ goaltending has been a major strong suit over the last handful of games and can hopefully play a big factor as the team looks to make a push for a playoff spot as the season continues.
Depth Guys Play Big Role
While every team wants to see their “star” players have great games every time out and light up the scoresheet, that does not happen all the time. This ended up being the case against the Islanders, with both goals scored by the Penguins’ bottom six. But the scoring of the goals by this grouping was only part of the game, as these six seemed to be all over the ice and causing havoc in the offensive zone. Whether on the forecheck or with scoring chances and sustained offensive zone pressure, the Pens’ bottom six played quite the game.
The strong play of the bottom six as mentioned above, was rewarded with them scoring all three goals of the game with offseason acquisition Lars Eller opening the scoring in the first period and wrapping up the scoring with an empty-net goal in the third period. Sandwiched between those two goals came a goal off the stick of fellow free-agent signee Noel Acciari. The strong play was also rewarded at the end of the game as coach Mike Sullivan relied upon the trio of Jeff Carter, Acciari, and Eller to play crunch-time minutes while the Islanders made a late-game push with an empty net.
The depth players of the Penguins have continued to play solid as of late and will look to continue to do so. With the strong play of these players, it can take the pressure off the top six forwards and also open up more chances for those guys as the opponents have to account for a full four lines that can contribute.
Power Play Unable to Break Through
The one negative out of the win for the Penguins came in the form of the power play. While having three opportunities on the man advantage, including a five-on-three in the second period, they were unable to get anything truly going against the Islanders.
The power play of the team has been a roller coaster so far this season and has been a surprising disappointment at times due to the firepower they have with Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby, and their big offseason acquisition Erik Karlsson. There were a few chances for the units to get on the board, but solid play by the Islanders’ defense was able to shut any big-time chances down.
Related: Penguins’ Karlsson Trade Will Have Effects Now & in the Future
The Penguins’ power play will continue to be an aspect of the team’s game that many will keep an eye on and critique as the season rolls on. It will be a major factor along with the goaltending if they would like to make a run at a playoff spot come the season’s end.
What’s Next for the Penguins
The Penguins return to the ice on Jan. 2 when they welcome long-time rival the Washington Capitals and Alex Ovechkin in for a matchup before hitting the road on Jan. 4 when they head to Boston for a tilt with the Bruins.
