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Best Moments Of Islanders’ Sweep Over Penguins In 2019

Best Moments Of Islanders’ Sweep Over Penguins In 2019
David Lazar Featured

On April 16, 2019 — exactly three years ago today — the New York Islanders swept the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Very few thought the Islanders would beat the Penguins in a seven-game series. Nobody thought the Islanders would get a sweep.

It was one of the biggest upsets of the year in the NHL, and showed just how good the Islanders were.

They were victorious partly because they never let the Penguins get comfortable. The Penguins led 1-0 in each of the final three games of the series, but those leads lasted only a combined 4:51.

The Islanders had more energy, more physicality and more resilience. Their top players excelled, playing elite hockey when it mattered most.

Robin Lehner had a .956 save percentage during the series, and made countless huge saves. Jordan Eberle scored in every game — twice less than two minutes after Penguins’ goals — and added two assists. He was aided by Mathew Barzal, who had five assists, including one on Bailey’s Game 1 overtime winner.

And of course, Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock must be mentioned. They held Sidney Crosby to just one point in four games — after he recorded 100 points in the regular season.

The Penguins won the Stanley Cup in 2016 and 2017, but against the Islanders in 2019, they looked outmatched. To celebrate the three-year anniversary of this commanding sweep, here are the five best Islanders’ moments from the series.

The Islanders sent the Penguins home in both the 2019 and 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs (Photo courtesy of Justin Berl/Getty Images).

1. Josh Bailey Overtime Winner

Game 1 to the Island.

Those five words have a special meaning to all Islanders’ fans. When Barzal dangled past the Penguins’ defense and fired a backhander off the post, Josh Bailey was there to save the day.

Bailey scored the overtime winner in Game 1, giving the Islanders a 4-3 win. It was a magical moment — one that will go down as one of the best in the modern history of the franchise.

2. An Empty-Net Goal Followed By Handshakes

When Bailey scored an empty-net goal in Game 4, it was over. The impossible had happened, and Long Island could rejoice.

The horn soon sounded, and the Islanders’ sweep was completed. Thus, it was time for one of the best traditions in hockey: the handshake line.

The waning moments of Game 4 and the festivities after were amazing. Islanders’ players shook the hands of the opponents that they just embarrassed, and Islanders’ fans had dreams of a Stanley Cup parade down Hempstead Turnpike on their mind.

3. Hey Josh Bailey!

In Game 2, the score was 1-1 going into the third period. That changed very quickly.

Eberle scored a nifty backhand goal to make it 2-1 with less than 12 minutes left in the third period. A few minutes later, Bailey scored a power-play goal to double the Islanders’ lead.

This sent the crowd into a frenzy, and during a break in the action, fans sang their favorite song.

4. A Full Scrum After A Goal

Rarely do you see a scrum after a goal. But in Game 2, there was a brawl.

After Anthony Beauvillier scored a goal to tie the game, chaos ensued. While Beauvillier, Jordan Eberle and Devon Toews celebrated, Barzal was getting mauled by three Penguins in the corner.

As soon as the trio of Islanders noticed what was happening, they stopped celebrating and rushed over to defend their teammate. While the Islanders got the extra penalty on the play, it was a great moment that represented just how physical this series was.

5. Tom Kuhnhackl Gets the Crowd Going

The Nassau Coliseum was perhaps the loudest arena in hockey. When ex-Penguin Tom Kuhnhackl sniped one past Matt Murray 33 seconds into Game 1, this was proven.

While the goal was overturned after a video review — Kuhnhackl was offsides — it showed the Penguins the Coliseum could potentially give the Islanders a clear home-ice advantage.

And it did.

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