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.
