There’s no need to stress the importance of Wednesday’s Game 6 to the Pittsburgh Penguins, who face elimination by the New York Islanders in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
It’s simple: Win, and you survive to force Game 7. Lose, and you’re done. Ah, there’s nothing quite like the adrenaline of playoff hockey.
The first period of Game 6 was entertaining as Pittsburgh and New York combined to score four goals in the first 13 minutes of action. Well, maybe not so much entertaining for Islanders and Penguins fans, who found themeslves deadlocked at 2-2 at the end of the first. But it was certainly a productive first period for both teams.
Pittsburgh struck early in the first period off a wrist shot from Jeff Carter, which silenced a raucous Long Island crowd to give the Penguins an early 1-0 lead. But it didn’t last long.
The Islanders answered four minutes later with a backhand goal from Anthony Beauvillier to tie things up at 1-1. Pittsburgh once again took the lead with a timely power play goal from Jake Guentzel at the 8:48 mark. But just about a minute later, Kyle Palmieri scored for the Islanders to tie it up again.
For every goal the Penguins scored, the Islanders had an answer for it, which led to an entertaining first period in a must-win Game 6 for Pittsburgh.
Here’s a look at every goal scored by the Penguins and Islanders in the first period: