May 11, 2013; Uniondale, NY, USA; The Pittsburgh Penguins celebrate following the overtime period of game six of the first round of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The Penguins won the game 4-3 and won the series 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

It wasn’t easy, but the Pittsburgh Penguins are moving on the second round of the NHL playoffs. After fending off a hungry Islanders team, the Penguins have advanced for the first time in three years. After unlikely hero Brooks Orpik buried a point shot in overtime, Penguins fans could finally breathe easy. They have survived the Islanders. While they can celebrate their success for now, this comes with the caveat that the Penguins know they must play better if they want to win even one more round in the 2013 playoffs.

For the Islanders, this series was a coming out party—an announcement to the rest of the league that the New York Islanders are back on the map. While on paper they may just be another eighth seed victimized by a top team, the Islanders have one of the brightest futures in the NHL with a top-notch prospect pool, one of the game’s best stars, and a GM willing to do anything to put good players on the ice.

(Side note: It’s funny Garth Snow has gone from being a bit of a laughing stock when he signed that monster Rick DiPietro deal that really set the blueprint for the next five years  of cap circumventing deals to being one of the bolder, more astute GMs. He got Brian Strait off waivers, stuck with Evgeni Nabokov and Lubomir Visnovsky even after both said they wouldn’t play on the Island, and now he has a playoff team with an upcoming new arena that he can add to. Funny how those things work.)

This team and its fans should hold its head high. In truth, they probably outplayed the Penguins for at least half of those six games, but they simply lacked the explosiveness of Pittsburgh. They could outshoot the Pens 10-2 for a ten minute stretch, but those two shots would be goals with the way things were shaking out. Of course, that’s how it goes when an 8 plays a 1. Next year, the Isles will no doubt be vying for a higher seed in the tournament.

As for Pittsburgh, this isn’t all song and dance. The Islanders have exposed flaws on this team, namely the goaltender. Marc Andre Fleury collapsed for yet another playoff series, and this time coach Dan Bylsma at least had the wherewithal to install Tomas Vokoun in net for Games 5 and 6. The move worked as Vokoun allowed three goals total in two victories. Still, Vokoun is a 36 year old backup, and Pens fans can’t feel great about riding him all the way. And if they can’t, do they go back to Fleury? Additionally, if this team does stick with Vokoun in these playoffs, does that mean Fleury is done in Pittsburgh? You start a goalie because you think he can win you a Cup. If the Penguins don’t think MA Fleury can win them another Cup, then they’ll have some serious offseason situations to consider.

There are plenty of questions for today and tomorrow in Pittsburgh. Will their defense be up to the challenge, knowing they don’t exactly have a brick wall in net either way? Will they be able to have as much success against Craig Anderson as they did against Nabokov? The Islanders were mean, but porous on defense. They gave up way too many odd-man advantages that ended up in the back of the net. The Ottawa Senators will not be so accommodating in their own zone though, and their goaltending will be even stingier. The Penguins can’t assume they’ll win a pair of 5-4 games to come out on top this time around. If they allow 3-4 goals per game, they will lose to Ottawa almost every time. The Islanders may have lost this series, but they’ve left a bloody nose behind and a blueprint for success against the East’s top seed.

Three Stars of Round One:

May 11, 2013; Uniondale, NY, USA; New York Islanders center John Tavares (91) skates during pre-game warmups before game six of the first round of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

3) John Tavares – Hart trophy candidate John Tavares was his usual dangerous self in the series. After a slow start, he scored three goals in the last four games of the series. As the captain and clear-cut best player on the team, Tavares will be looked to for more playoff goals for years to come. Bank on him meeting that challenge.

2) Kris Letang – Hard to call a Norris Trophy candidate an under-the-radar player, but Letang probably doesn’t get enough credit for being such a smooth presence on the blue line. On a team that continuously broke down in its own zone, Letang was always there to quickly turn the puck back up the ice. He was especially prominent in both dominating wins in Games 1 and 5.

1) Evgeni Malkin – He drug the team back from trailing late in the third period of Game 6 with a great assist on Paul Martin’s goal, then he assisted on Orpik’s winner. Crosby is the more consistent player, but Malkin’s peak is unmatched in the NHL. When he gets going with that speed and that big frame, there is no one more imposing in the league. Without Malkin and his play this series, the Penguins may have seen a different script in this series.

We’ll see you for Pittsburgh/Ottawa when the teams clash in what should be an even fiercer series, if that’s even possible. Predictions? Comments? Leave them below and we’ll post the best for our Pens/Sens articles.

May 3, 2013; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; New York Islanders right wing Kyle Okposo (21) is greeted by the Islanders bench after scoring a goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the third period in game two of the first round of the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs at the CONSOL Energy Center. The New York Islanders won 4-3. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

When the Penguins jumped out to a two goal lead before most people could turn on the TV thanks to the goals from their two best players, it looked like Friday night would be a replica of Game One. Dominance on both sides of the ice against a listless Islanders squad. Instead the Islanders rolled up their sleeves, got to work, and never looked back. They peppered 42 shots on goal and another 30 or so in its general direction in a winning effort. More importantly, the Islanders won and didn’t look out of place doing it. It’s almost like gulp they could make a series out of this after all.

The Islander goals weren’t pretty unless you can appreciate an odd angle shot sneaking in the net as the result of a frenetic rush like Colin MacDonald’s goal. Unless you can find beauty in Matt Martin working the defenseman down low and bulling his way to a rebound goal, you might call the game a fluke. After all, if Marc Andre Fleury had played Kyle Okposo’s shot off the back boards a little better, the two teams might still be locked in overtime battle. As it stands, none of that matters. The Islanders have split the series on the road and they deserve to be where they are thanks to a tireless game plan that saw them pin the Penguins in their own end for long stretches throughout the game.

The Penguins, while clearly a faster, more talented squad, appeared to let up after their early lead, and it’s almost hard to blame them, except for that whole It’s the playoffs thing. They’d scored the first seven goals of the series in all, and the Islanders looked like pushovers through most of it. It’s surprising unless of course you remember that the last three Pittsburgh playoff runs have ended in disappointing fashion with them falling to a lesser foe.

Perhaps it was the return of Sidney Crosby. Perhaps it was the raucous crowd worked into a lather by the early goals. Either way, the Penguins got far too comfortable on their own ice, and found themselves dominated by New York for long stretches of time. The goals may not have been pretty, but make no mistake, the Islanders were the better team in Game Two. The question for the Penguins now is where do they go from here and does this dampen their chances at returning to the deep rounds in the playoffs?

This third game will be pivotal for both teams. The Islanders have to cash in on their momentum and the Penguins have to shut it down if they’re to keep down a team that gets better as a game goes along.

Three Stars of Game 2:

May 3, 2013; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin (71) is knocked off his skates by New York Islanders left wing David Ullstrom (41) during the first period in game two of the first round of the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs at the CONSOL Energy Center. The New York Islanders won 4-3. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Third star: Evgeni Malkin:

That first goal in Game 2 was a thing of beauty. Crosby may be the best player in the world, and Stamkos may have the best shot in the world, but no one is scoring that goal except Geno Malkin. You can blame the top line guys all you want for not coming up with a goal after the early parts of the second period, but Malkin’s four points in the first two games are as much as you could expect from the guy. This team’s depth will be put to the test against a tenacious Islanders squad, but count on Malkin to be the dagger that sticks it to the Islanders on the road, if there is to be such a thing.

Second star: Evgeni Nabokov:

It was a good game to be named Evgeni for sure. You had to feel for Nabokov after that second goal. It would have been easy for him to think this game was out of reach, but Nabokov hung in there and only gave up one more goal for the rest of the game while making 33 saves to support his team’s rabid comeback. Without some big saves on a later power play in the second period, Nabokov and the Isles might be headed home down 2-0.

First star: Kyle Okposo:

Okposo is clearly not impressed by this whole “Pittsburgh Penguins” rage. After watching a teammate absorb a big hit from Matt Niskanen, Okposo went after the hulking defenseman and left Niskanen bloodied for his trouble. Seconds later, the Islanders would score the goal that made it 3-2 Pens with lots of time to play. It was likely more the situation than the hit that prompted Okposo to go. He knew his team needed a lift and he provided it. Later in the third, it was his shot that would bounce off the boards and sneak past a shaky Marc Andre Fleury. Kyle Okposo is what you want out of a second line forward in the playoffs. Tough, mean, with a nice set of hands for punching and for shooting. The Penguins will continue to make life hell for John Tavares and Matt Moulson so it’s up to Okposo to take the pressure off them and continue his production.

Keys to Game Three for Pittsburgh:

Break the forecheck: The Islanders hemmed Pittsburgh in its own zone for long stretches of time. They dominated the boards and used their physicality to back off a Pens team that appeared to miss Brooks Orpik. The Penguins are one of the fastest teams in the league. To beat that tenacity, they need to make a crisp first pass out of the zone and use the Islanders aggressive forecheck against them to create odd man situations. For a team so fast, the Penguins have had precious few of those, much to the credit of the Islanders.

Marc Andre Fleury: Fleury wasn’t awful on Friday, but he’s certainly had better games. He needs to stop treating the puck like a hot potato and hug the posts. The Islanders don’t have many snipers. He needs to keep everything in front of him and stick to simplicity. The Penguins will not advance unless Fleury stops giving up goofy goals.

Keys to Game Three for New York:

Get even more physical: Tough to imagine given what we saw Friday, but the Isles have to expect a simpler, more focused effort from Pittsburgh in Uniondale. The Islanders need to throw more shoulders, start more fights, and generally get their fans whipped in such a frenzy, they’ll put those Romans in Gladiator to shame.

Take fewer penalties or drastically improve that PK: At one point, the Islanders were 3 for 6 on penalty killing. That cannot continue. The Penguins are simply too lethal on the power play to mess around. The Islanders will have to toe the line on this one, but it’s absolutely imperative that they stop giving up long power plays. Heck, even the short ones are bad. If they can stay out of the box, the rest of this series is pretty even.

We’ll see you after Game Four, when we recap the action on the island. Until then, sports fans.