PITTSBURGH — There’s life in these Islanders yet.
Two days after taking their biggest punch of the season, the Islanders got up off the mat and delivered, snapping a three-game losing streak and beating the Penguins, 5-4, on Tuesday at PPG Paints Arena with Adam Pelech scoring the winner 57 seconds into overtime.
For a dressing room that appeared to be at its lowest point all year after losing to the Rangers in overtime Sunday, and with the playoff math looking worse with every loss, getting a win here was an absolute necessity.
That was made even more urgent by the manner of the game being pushed beyond regulation, with the Islanders fumbling a two-goal lead in the third period and giving the game an air of déjà vu all over again.
But Pelech, who strolled into the zone before unleashing a wrister to beat Alex Nedeljkovic, had something to say about that.
“Especially coming off the outdoor game, which was a big disappointment for us, to respond the way we did, I’m really proud of this group,” Pelech said. “We had to battle in the third but we got the job done and that’s a huge win for us.”
The icing on the cake was the penalty kill, which put together a perfect three-for-three performance that the Islanders very much need to become a building block.
After coach Patrick Roy lost a challenge for a hand pass on Lars Eller’s goal 16:35 into the second, which cut the Islanders’ lead to 3-2, the test came as the Isles were handed a delay of game call.
Not only did the Isles kill it off with good stickwork and Ilya Sorokin coming up big, but they were asked to put in a repeat performance less than a minute later after Mike Reilly went off for tripping.
With the power play traversing the second and third periods, the Islanders went and did what they had to do, keeping the state of play intact and gutting through a moment that appeared designed to sink them.
“I think when push came to shove, we got a stick on it or we blocked it,” Cal Clutterbuck told The Post. “We did what we had to do.”
The Islanders appeared to have turned the tide back in their favor when Reilly extended the lead to 4-2 at the 10:42 mark of the third. But goals from Valtteri Puustinen and Drew O’Connor within three minutes of Reilly’s pulled Pittsburgh into a 4-4 tie and into overtime.
This time, the Islanders would not settle for a mere loser point.
“We really have no time to sit around and have a bad game,” Mat Barzal said. “So every game’s important and getting it tonight was huge. Especially when a guy like Pelly scores in overtime, that can be seriously uplifting.”
The Islanders appeared to have the upper hand early in the game, but the Penguins exited the first period with a 1-0 lead after Scott Mayfield lost Marcus Pettersson, giving the Swede a free one-timer from the right circle, which he promptly converted.
That was quickly rectified by Brock Nelson, who skated right through Pettersson on his way to a backhand finish that tied the game at 3:40 of the second.
Then, after the PK earned its first successful kill of the night, Barzal stepped out of the penalty box to find the puck on his stick and no defenders in sight, easily finishing off a breakaway.
Simon Holmstrom made it 3-1 at the right post at the 13:15 mark, but Eller’s shot from the high slot pulled Pittsburgh back within one, prompting Roy’s failed challenge.
Then came a test of character and will, one the Islanders have failed so many times this season in trying to hold onto leads.
Tuesday, they passed and left the building with two points just as they did exactly one year ago, when a comeback win at Pittsburgh blunted the impact of Barzal going down with injury two days prior in Boston.
That ended up being the start of a run that would get the Islanders into the postseason.
As for this one?
“We kind of got to put together a streak here,” Pelech said. “That’s the only way we’re gonna make up ground. Picking up a point, then two, then none every other night just isn’t enough right now. … So it’s great to get this win. And hopefully it’s the start of something bigger.”
