PITTSBURGH – Kyle Palmieri had two goals in 17 regular-season games for the Islanders after being acquired from the Devils.
The Smithtown-born wing had two in the Islanders’ 4-3 overtime win over the Penguins at PPG Paints Arena on Sunday afternoon in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series, including the winner at 16:30 of overtime.
It was the longest-ever game between the teams, who had gone to overtime six times previously in playoff series.
Game 2 is Tuesday night in Pittsburgh before the series shifts to Nassau Coliseum for Thursday night’s Game 3.
Rookie Ilya Sorokin (39 saves) made his first NHL playoff start, with Semyon Varlamov unavailable, while the Penguins’ Tristan Jarry (37 saves) was making his second postseason start.
Varlamov exited the regular-season finale in Boston on Monday after two periods with an unspecified strain. He did not practice on either Wednesday or Thursday before skating with the extras on Friday and then participating in a full team practice on Saturday.
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Sorokin is no stranger to playoff hockey, just not in the NHL. He led CSKA Moscow to the KHL’s Gagarin Cup in 2019 while being named the playoff MVP.
Jean-Gabriel Pageau beat Jarry over his glove on an unscreened shot from the left circle to bring the Islanders into a 2-2 tie at 3:33 of the third period.
Brock Nelson then put the Islanders ahead, 3-2, at 15:50 on a shot from the slot that got through Jarry. But Kasperi Kapanen tied it again just 31 seconds later.
The Penguins took the game’s first four shots but the Islanders scored first as Palmieri beat Jarry over his glove from the right circle at 7:58 of the first period. But Frederick Gaudreau tied it at 1 at 11:10. Sorokin stopped his initial shot, Josh Bailey blocked his second try but Gaudreau collected the puck in the slot and beat Sorokin with a rising shot.
Cal Clutterbuck had his breakaway chance go off Jarry’s arm at 14:55. Then Brock Nelson, with the puck behind Jarry, couldn’t convert at the right post and, on the ensuing rush, Sorokin tripped Jake Guentzel going to the Islanders’ crease at 16:48 of the first period. The Penguins kept the puck in the Islanders’ zone for the entire two-minute power play but Sorokin stretched out his left leg to stop Sidney Crosby at the post, allowing the Islanders to kill off the man advantage.
The Islanders had their best second-period chances after Andy Greene was called for interference against Jeff Carter at 17:46 but Jarry denied Casey Cizikas in tight. Pageau had an even-better shorthanded chance at the crease after Leo Komarov fed him from the end wall. But Jarry stopped Pageau’s first shot and his second try went high.
Sidney Crosby’s jaw-dropping, one-handed tip around Greene of defenseman Brian Dumoulin’s shot gave the Penguins a 2-1 lead at 3:47 of the second period and the Islanders could only muster two shots on a disheartening, four-minute power play after Carter high-sticked Nelson at 12:25 of the second period.
