Penguins outlast Islanders in wild Game 3 as Evgeni Malkin returns

UNIONDALE, N.Y. – The Penguins wanted a good start to Game 3 of their first-round playoff series with the New York Islanders at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Thursday.

But they wound up with a chaotic conclusion.

Most importantly, they got a win.

With forward Evgeni Malkin returning to the lineup and contributing two primary assists, the Penguins were able to fend off a rambunctious opponent that refused to quit — and often refused to play within the confines of the NHL’s rulebook — to claim a 5-4 victory.

During a tornado of a third period, both squads combined for five goals and 15 penalties, including 11 at the same time after a near line brawl that resulted in all 10 non-goaltenders on the ice ending up in the penalty box.

“It was a bit of a roller coaster tonight,” said Penguins forward Jeff Carter, who scored two goals. “Up two going into the third, giving it back. Then all hell kind of broke loose there, but we stuck with it. It’s a resilient group. You give one up and you get right back on the horse and get working. A real strong game in that sense from our team tonight, sticking with it, grinding it out and ultimately getting the win.”

That win gave the Penguins a 2-1 series lead with Game 4, also at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, on Saturday.

A common theme throughout this series has been the value of the first goal. For the third consecutive game, the team that scored first was triumphant. Penguins defenseman Kris Letang’s first goal of the postseason put his team up, 1-0, 2:01 into regulation.

Things were tied, 1-1, at 11:03 of the second period thanks to Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield collecting his first goal.

The Penguins seemed to put this contest in a secure place thanks to goals by Carter (his second of the postseason at 13:33) and forward Jason Zucker (his first at 18:03).

But any sense of security dissipated almost as soon as the final frame began.

After Penguins defenseman John Marino lost his helmet during a battle in his left corner, he retreated to the bench per NHL rules. As defenseman Cody Ceci scrambled to replace him on the ice, Islanders forward Cal Clutterbuck was able to clean up a rebound for his first goal 3:46 into the third.

Things devolved into chaos and just got flat-out bizarre at 5:35 of the third.

After a goalmouth scramble was whistled dead, all five skaters on the ice clustered in a scrum that never seemed to end. The officials sent all 10 skaters — forwards Sidney Crosby, Jake Guentzel, Bryan Rust, Letang and defenseman Brian Dumoulin of the Penguins as well as forwards Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Kyle Palmieri, Oliver Wahlstrom, Mayfield and defensemen Nick Leddy of the Islanders — to the penalty box for roughing minors.

An additional slashing infraction to Guentzel resulted in a power-play chance for the Islanders that was converted by forward Anthony Beauvillier for his first goal at the 5:54 mark to tie the game.

After Clutterbuck was called for goaltender interference when he tried to pin Tristan Jarry to the ice, the Penguins responded with their first power-play goal of the series when Carter coolly lasered a wrister from the left circle past goaltender Semyon Varlamov’s blocker on the near side.

“You can’t teach that,” Letang said. “That’s like pure goal-scoring ability. … I don’t know if he expected (it), but he’s one of the guys that can make it happen. It was just an unbelievable shot.”

The Islanders persisted and tied the game again, 4-4, with a deflection goal by Clutterbuck at the 14:17 mark.

Somewhat fittingly, Penguins forward Brandon Tanev, an absolute agent of chaos, scored the winning goal at 16:24. Deflecting a point shot by Letang into the air, Tanev swatted the puck past Varlamov’s blocker for his first goal.

After that, the Penguins and Jarry, who made 26 saves on 30 shots, turned away the Islanders’ last push and claimed a wild win.

“It wasn’t our best (third) period but at the end of the day, we found a way to win and that’s what matters,” Tanev said. “The guys came together as a group, and we battled through adversity and got the win.”