National Hockey League
Pittsburgh 5, NY Islanders 4
When: 7:00 PM ET, Thursday, May 20, 2021
Where: Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, New York
Referees: Garrett Rank, Kelly Sutherland
Linesmen: Bevan Mills, Jonny Murray
Attendance: 6800

Brandon Tanev scored with 3:36 left as the Pittsburgh Penguins outlasted the New York Islanders 5-4 in a wild Game 3 of the Eastern Conference first-round series Thursday night in Uniondale, N.Y.

The Penguins lead the best-of-seven series two games to one. Game 4 is scheduled for Saturday afternoon on Long Island.

The third period, played in front of a raucous pandemic-era sellout crowd of 7,200, featured five goals, two ties and a whopping 32 penalty minutes thanks largely to a lengthy skirmish near the Penguins' net at the 5:35 mark.

Kris Letang scored in the first, and Jeff Carter and Jason Zucker scored fewer than five minutes apart late in the second to stake the Penguins to a 3-1 lead.

Cal Clutterbuck and Anthony Beauvillier scored 2:08 apart early in the third -- Beauvillier's goal came on the first shift following the fracas -- to tie the game for the Islanders. Carter scored his second goal of the game at the 7:00 mark.

Clutterbuck tied it again by redirecting a shot by Scott Mayfield with 5:53 left before Tanev scored the game-winner. The Islanders pulled goalie Semyon Varlamov with a little more than 1:30 left but did not seriously threaten.

Tristan Jarry made 26 saves for the Penguins.

Mayfield scored the Islanders' first goal, in the second. Varlamov recorded 22 saves.

Letang's goal 2:01 into the first gave the Penguins their second straight early lead. They were up 2-0 after one period in a 2-1 win Tuesday.

The Islanders had a pair of empty power plays and Beauvillier misfired on a breakaway early in the second before Mayfield tied the score with 8:57 left.

The lead lasted just 151 seconds before Carter scored. Zucker made it 3-1 with 1:57 remaining.

Clutterbuck scored 3:46 into the third to begin the Islanders' comeback.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
Pittsburgh   NY Islanders
Kris Letang 3 Points Scott Mayfield 3
Jeff Carter 2 Goals Cal Clutterbuck 2
Kris Letang 2 Assists Scott Mayfield 2
Jeff Carter 1 Power Play Goals Anthony Beauvillier 1
N/A Short Handed Goals N/A
Tristan Jarry .867 Save Percentage Semyon Varlamov .815
Tristan Jarry 26 Saves Semyon Varlamov 22
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Shots Goals Power Play Penalty Kill Penalty Mins Face Offs Won
Pittsburgh 27 5 1-2 3-4 20 27
NY Islanders 30 4 1-4 1-2 16 30
Upcoming Games
  • NY Islanders will play their next game at home against Pittsburgh. The Islanders have a W/L % of .625 after a win and .478 after a loss.
  • Pittsburgh will play their next game on the road against NY Islanders. The Penguins have a W/L % of .639 after a win and .737 after a loss.