Penguins drop Game 1 in overtime to Islanders

Having qualified for the postseason for 15 consecutive years — the longest such active streak in major North American professional sports — the Pittsburgh Penguins have been blessed with an abundance of goaltending during that span.

Whether it be Marc-Andre Fleury, Tomas Vokoun, Matt Murray or even Jeff Zatkoff, the Penguins have had viable options in net should their top choice be incapacitated or ineffective.

No such luxury exists as the Penguins take their first steps into the 2021 postseason.

It’s Tristan Jarry’s net. Period. Especially because backup Casey DeSmith is sidelined as he convalesces from an undisclosed injury.

On Sunday, in Game 1 of the Penguins’ first-round series against the New York Islanders, Jarry’s net, particularly the upper-left portion of it, was attacked vigorously by a plucky opponent.

Allowing four goals on 41 shots, Jarry and the Penguins lost in overtime, 4-3, at PPG Paints Arena.

All of the Islanders’ scores were in the jurisdiction of Jarry’s glove hand, with three being top-shelf goals.

His teammates offered a pretty stout defense of Jarry after the game. Or at least far better defense than they provided for him during the game.

“(Jarry) is a (heck) of a goaltender,” forward Frederick Gaudreau said via video conference. “We’ve always had great confidence in him. We know how good he is. Our level of confidence towards him will never change. He’s awesome.”

Jarry was certainly awesome in spurts Sunday. He stole a handful of goals with some spectacular saves, the most notable being a short-handed denial of Islanders forward Jean-Gabriel Pageau at 19 minutes, 1 second of the second period after a defensive-zone turnover by his teammates.

“He’s been great for us all season long,” defenseman Cody Ceci said. “He’s won us a lot of games. Even (Sunday), he gave us a chance. There were a few times they could have ended it, and he made some big saves. He’s a key part of our team.”

The Islanders took the game’s first lead 7:58 into regulation when forward Kyle Palmieri lifted a wrister from the right circle of the offensive zone over Jarry’s left shoulder on the near side.

Goals by Gaudreau at 1:10 of the first period and forward Sidney Crosby 3:47 into the second period put the Penguins up 2-1.

Pageau tied the score 3:33 into the third period. Taking advantage of an imprecise line change by the Penguins, Pageau lifted a wrister from the left circle over Jarry’s glove on the far side.

The teams exchanged goals late in the third period. After Islanders forward Brock Nelson slipped a wrister from the slot under Jarry’s glove at 15:50, Penguins forward Kasperi Kapanen fired a wrister from the right circle past goaltender Ilya Sorokin’s blocker 31 seconds later.

Jarry’s glove was beaten again by Palmieri at 16:30 of overtime. Off a pass from the end boards by Pageau, Palmieri lifted a wrister from the right circle that glanced off Jarry’s left shoulder then found twine.

The Penguins had ample opportunity to generate more offense in regulation with three power-play chances resulting in three shots but were blanked, including on a stunning left skate save by Sorokin off a deflection by Crosby from the right side of the cage at 18:51 of the first period.

“I’ve got to bury that,” Crosby said. “If we continue to put pucks to the net that way and get recoveries like that, we’ll generate some scoring chances, and the puck will go in the net.”

Barring anything unforeseen, Jarry will be back in net for Game 2 on Tuesday.

“We’re not worried about him,” Ceci said. “He’s a great, great player, and he’s going to be there for us the next game.”