Penguins drop Game 1 in overtime to Islanders

An overtime goal by forward Kyle Palmieri gave the New York Islanders a 4-3 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena on Sunday in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series.

Palmieri’s goal came at 16 minutes, 30 seconds of the overtime period. Taking a pass off the Penguins’ end boards from linemate Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Palmieri lifted a wrister from the right circle that glanced off the left shoulder of goaltender Tristan Jarry and deflected into the cage on the near side. Assists went to Pageau and forward Oliver Wahlstrom

The Islanders took the contest’s first lead 7:58 into regulation. Taking a bank pass off the left-wing boards of the neutral zone, Palmieri crisscrossed with Wahlstrom at the offensive blue line and surged into the right circle. With Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson providing minimal resistance, Palmieri lifted a wrister over Jarry’s left shoulder on the near side. Assists went to Pageau and defenseman Noah Dobson.

Things were tied 1-1 at 11:10 of the first period. Settling a loose puck in the high slot of the offensive zone, Penguins forward Frederick Gaudreau had a wrister blocked by Islanders forward Josh Bailey. Gaudreau claimed the rebound, veered to the right circle and sniped another wrister past the right shoulder of goaltender Ilya Sorokin on the far side. Forward Evan Rodrigues, making his postseason debut, recorded the lone assist.

Penguins forward Sidney Crosby put his team up 2-1 3:47 into the second period. Taking a pass at center point of the offensive zone, Penguins defenseman Brian Dumoulin lobbed a wrister toward the cage. Above the crease, Crosby shrugged off a check from Islanders defenseman Andy Greene and reached his stick with his right hand into the shooting lane, inducing a course correction on the puck causing it to hop past Sorokin’s right leg and into the cage. Assists were tallied by Dumoulin and forward Jake Guentzel.

Things were tied 2-2 3:33 into the third period. Taking advantage of a line change by the Penguins, Pageau gained the offensive zone on the left wing and from the left circle, he lifted a fairly pedestrian wrister that beat Jarry’s left shoulder on the far side. The only assist went to defenseman Scott Mayfield.

The Islanders reclaimed a lead at 15:50 of the third period. After gaining the offensive zone on the left wing, Islanders forward Anthony Beauvillier centered a pass to the slot for forward Brock Nelson. Using Penguins defenseman Kris Letang as a screen, Nelson slipped a wrister under Jarry’s glove. Beauvillier and defenseman Ryan Pulock collected assists.

It took the Penguins only 31 seconds to respond. After forward Jeff Carter gained the offensive blue line, he left a drop pass at the right point for linemate Kasperi Kapanen. Moving into the right circle, Kapanen used Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield as a screen and ripped a wrister past Sorokin’s blocker on the far side to tie the score 3-3. Carter and defenseman Cody Ceci had assists.

Jarry made 37 saves on 41 shots.

Sorokin finished with 39 saves on 42 shots.

Game 2 at PPG Paints Arena is scheduled for Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.

Seth Rorabaugh is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Seth by email at srorabaugh@triblive.com or via Twitter .