Islanders: Three reasons Game 1 win was more important than you think

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - MAY 16: The New York Islanders celebrate their 4-3 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins during overtime in Game One of the First Round of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs at PPG PAINTS Arena on May 16, 2021 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) /

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The New York Islanders celebrate their 4-3 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) /

The New York Islanders took Game 1 with a 4-3 OT win, here are three reasons the win is more important than you think.

With a 4-3 OT win the New York Islanders start their playoff quest in the best possible way. With a series lead. There’s still a lot to do yet, this best-of-seven series is far from over but the Isles start things off in a great position.

The win is an important one for the Islanders in the series. Teams who start 1-0 typically win the series. According to Hockey-Reference, any team that goes up 1-0 wins the series 68.8% of the time.

So by that fact alone, this is a big and massively important win for the New York Islanders. But it goes beyond that for the Isles. There are a few more reasons that this win was more important than you think.

When you get down to the nitty-gritty of it all, this win means a lot. Here are three reasons this Game 1 win is more important than just the Isles being up 1-0 over the Penguins.