Pittsburgh @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 10, 2018 ) Pittsburgh 2, NY Islanders 1

Stellar goaltending and a worst-to-first defense that allowed 100 fewer goals than last season have the New York Islanders in position to enjoy home-ice advantage in a playoff series for the first time since 1988. The Islanders look to gain the upper hand on Wednesday in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first-round set against the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins, who have secured a playoff berth in 13 consecutive seasons.

New York's Robin Lehner and Thomas Greiss rank in the NHL's top five in both goals-against average and save percentage this season and combined for a league-best 11 shutouts, with coach Barry Trotz telling reporters that he has the utmost confidence in both goaltenders. "They've pushed each other and I can't make a bad decision," said Trotz, who hasn't revealed his hand as to the identity of his starter for Game 1 at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The man behind the mask will have to keep tabs on Pittsburgh's superstar captain Sidney Crosby (team-high 65 assists, 100 points), who has tormented the Islanders during his decorated NHL career. The two-time Hart Trophy recipient upped his career total to 113 points (36 goals, 77 assists) after collecting a goal and two assists in Pittsburgh's 6-2 road romp over New York on Dec. 6.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network, AT&T SportsNet-Pittsburgh, CBC, TVAS2, MSG-Plus (New York)

ABOUT THE PENGUINS (44-26-12): Although Jake Guentzel scored a career-high 40 goals this season, the 24-year-old set up five tallies in the season series against the Islanders. Former Hart Trophy recipient Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel struggled at times during the campaign, but both have totaled 54 points in the postseason over the last three years. Matt Murray, who helped Pittsburgh win two Stanley Cups during that time frame, surrendered four goals on nine shots in a 6-3 setback to New York on Oct. 30 before making 24 saves against the Islanders in a 3-2 shootout loss on Nov. 1.

ABOUT THE ISLANDERS (48-27-7): Reigning Calder Memorial Trophy recipient Mathew Barzal registered three of his club-best 44 assists and 62 points versus Pittsburgh while captain Anders Lee had two of his team-leading 28 goals in the season series. "They (the Penguins) have a lot of pieces, but we finished second for a reason," the 21-year-old Barzal said. "This group battles. We have a lot of competitors on this team, we've practiced hard all year and have proven ourselves and beat good teams all year. We're excited for the opportunity." Jordan Eberle scored twice in the first encounter versus Pittsburgh while Brock Nelson had three (two goals, one assist) of his career-high 53 points against the Penguins.

OVERTIME

1. Pittsburgh's fifth-ranked power play converted on 24.6 percent of its opportunities while New York went 3-for-50 with the man advantage in its final 22 games.

2. Islanders D Adam Pelech had a team-high plus-22 rating.

3. Pittsburgh emerged victorious in the last postseason meeting with New York, defeating the Islanders in six games during their 2013 Eastern Conference quarterfinal series.

PREDICTION: Penguins 3, Islanders 2