Islanders with magical second period against Pittsburgh Penguins

The New York Islanders don’t usually play well in the second period. Typically, the Isles look lost, lethargic, and leggy. They can’t combine two passes together and routinely screw up simple line changes. The Isles one nemesis this season has been the second period.

And that didn’t seem to change in Game 6 at home. With a 3-2 series lead, the Islanders could book their ticket to the second round with a win. Standing in the Isles way were the Penguins and the second period.

As the Isles took the ice for the second frame, things started to go poorly almost immediately. Just 1:53 into the period Jason Zucker scored on a deflection to make it 3-2 for the Penguins.

But, at nearly the halfway point of the period, the tide changed and the flood gates opened for the Isles.

New York Islanders score three in less than three

The trio of Anthony Beauvillier, Brock Nelson, Josh Bailey already goal on the board from the first period. But from 8:35 to 11:34 the “Killer B’s” put up five points as the Islanders scored three unanswered goals to run up a two-goal lead.

Opening things up for the Isles was this beautiful play by the three. First, it was Beau making Crosby look like a pylon, and then it was Bailey with the pin-point slap pass to Brock Nelson for the easy goal.

Just 31 seconds later it was Ryan Pulock who used that incredible slap shot to power one past Tristan Jarry. That was Pulock’s second goal in six playoff games. Remember, he had two in 56 games during the regular season.

Tristan Jarry hasn’t been having a good series for the Pittsburg Penguins.

From not being able to stop a beach-ball on the high glove side to being the reason the Islanders took Game 5 in double OT after he gifted Josh Bailey with the puck. His poor performance in the postseason continued as this Brock Nelson shot squeaks through him to put the Isles up by two.

We’ve all been looking for Brock Nelson to step up in this series and today, specifically in the second period, he did with two goals. Here’s the stat line for the second line through 40 minutes:

Brock Nelson: 2G, 1A
Anthony Beauvillier: 1G, 2A
Josh Bailey: 2A

Again, the Islanders don’t usually play well in the second period, but today it was clear the Islanders were trying to match the intensity of the 9,000 screaming, chanting, and singing fans in the stands at the Nassau Coliseum.

With that production in the second, the Isles second line has eight points on the night (five in the second alone) and there’s still a third period to play.