Getty ImagesUNIONDALE, N.Y. -- The Pittsburgh Penguins knew exactly what to expect from their opponents in Game 2. They knew that the New York Islanders would be better than their showing in Game 1, which ended 5-0 in the Penguins’ favor.

“We didn’t expect it to be easy,” said Jarome Iginla.

But despite knowing what was coming, the Penguins couldn’t find their groove that brought them success in Game 1, and they allowed mistakes to dominate; mistakes that the Islanders capitalized on in order to even the series as they prepare for Game 3 on Sunday on Long Island.

The Islanders put just 26 shots on Marc-Andre Fleury in Game 1. They improved on that in Game 2, firing 42 his way. It was a matter of strategy: Get the puck on net and hope for a deflection, rebound or fortunate bounce.

“As soon as they got over the blueline they got within the top of the circles they were just throwing pucks at the net,” said Iginla. “We also gave away more pucks than we have been. That helped lead to more shots for them, more chances."

As Iginla said, the Penguins aided in the Islanders’ success.

Getty ImagesThe night of May 14, 1993 is one that Pittsburgh Penguins fans would love to forget.

David Volek’s goal at 5:16 of overtime gave the New York Islanders a monumental upset over the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions in the second round of the Wales Conference Playoffs.

Many consider that 1992-93 Penguins team to be a better team than their Cup-winning sides. They won the Presidents' Trophy with 119 points. Mario Lemieux earned his fourth Art Ross Trophy with 160 points despite missing 24 games while receiving treatment for Hodgkin's Disease. Four players, Lemieux, Kevin Stevens, Rick Tocchet and Ron Francis, all finished with more than 100 points during the regular season. They were a juggernaut with a third straight Cup in sight.

But its place in history was forever altered by a winger who played 396 games in the NHL.

But what if he never had a chance to score that goal?

What if David Volek wasn’t an Islander and on the Civic Arena ice accepting that pass from Ray Ferraro?

It almost happened.

Getty Images

Ryan Reaves and Ken Hitchcock: Larger than life

No. 1 Star: Craig Anderson, Ottawa Senators

Entering the third period down 2-1, the Senators stormed back with three unanswered goals to take Game 1 of their series versus the Montreal Canadiens 4-2. Anderson was kept busy making 48 saves, including 25 in the second period. Jakob Silfverberg, Marc Methot and Guillaume Latendresse were the third period scorers.

No. 2 Star: Barret Jackman, St. Louis Blues

Jackman's goal with 50.4 seconds left in regulation snapped a 1-1 tie and gave the Blues a 2-1 victory in Game 2 and a 2-0 advantage in their series against the Los Angeles Kings. The goal was Jackman's first career playoff tally.

No. 3 Star: Gustav Nyquist, Detroit Red Wings

Like Jackman, Nyquist played the hero for his team as the Red Wings evened their series with the Anaheim Ducks with a 5-4 overtime win. Damien Brunner had a goal and two assists, while Johan Franzen a pair of goals for the Red Wings.

Getty ImagesJohan Franzen scored his second goal of Game 2 on the power play to give the Detroit Red Wings a 4-1 lead over the Anaheim Ducks. The goal came 20 seconds into the third period. It was looking all but over, until the Ducks' top guns mounted a comeback.

Captain Ryan Getzlaf started things off with a goal at 7:50 of the third period. Teemu Selanne celebrated his second of the series five minutes later. Then, keeping the dramatics for late, Bobby Ryan evened the scored with 2:22 left in regulation.

But while the Honda Center was ready to explode in overtime at the sight of a completed comeback and a commanding 2-0 series lead for Anaheim, it wasn't meant to be. Just 1:21 into the extra frame, Red Wings forward Gustav Nyquist slotted home the winner after a gorgeous individual effort by Valtteri Filppula to set up the goal:

Credit Getzlaf, Selanne and Ryan for helping the Ducks force overtime, but give all the praise to Jonas Hiller, who made 10 saves in the third period to keep the comeback alive.

Game 3 is Saturday night in Detroit. Which way will the momentum swing in this series after that ending?

Follow Sean Leahy on Twitter at @Sean_Leahy

APWhen the Los Angeles Kings plowed their way through the Western Conference en route to their first Stanley Cup last year, they didn't trail in a single series. After Jonathan Quick's overtime gaffe in Game 1 against the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday, they experienced a series deficit for the first time in a while.

A deficit has now become a hole.

With Game 2 knotted a two and under a minute to go in regulation, Blues defenseman Barret Jackman broke the tie to give St. Louis a 2-0 series lead:

It was Jackman's first career playoff goal and ended a period in which the Blues evened the score early on after a Jonathan Quick rebound bounce in off Patrick Bergland.

The Kings now head back home for Game 3 to Staples Center where they were 19-4-1 during the regular season and are feeling confident.

"Four games in a series, so we just focus on the next one," Brown told LA Kings Insider Jon Rosen. "We’re going home. We played really well at home this year, and we’ve got to take care of our home ice here.”

Follow Sean Leahy on Twitter at @Sean_Leahy

@BonksMulletThe Bell Centre crowd was still celebrating Rene Bourque's goal 13:09 into the second period when they soon went quiet after seeing Lars Eller land face first onto the ice after this hit by Ottawa Senators defenseman Eric Gryba:

(Warning: There's a lot of blood)

The mix of the blood and the face-first landing almost brings back memories of Kevin Stevens from 1993.

Gryba was assessed five minutes for interference and given a game misconduct. Brendan Gallagher would score on the ensuing five minute power play as the Canadiens took a 2-1 lead into the third period. Eller left the ice on a stretcher and appeared to be conscious.

The Canadiens say Eller suffered a "head and facial" injury and is alert at hospital. Hockey Night in Canada reported that Eller suffered a broken nose and a concussion.

This play was a recipe for disaster, beginning with Diaz sending a suicide pass Eller's way. His head is looking for the pass as Gryba is skating in to separate Eller from the puck. Like we saw in the Ryan White suspension, Gryba could have lined up his hit better with Eller's body, not his head, taking the brunt of the blow. The moment of impact appears to be the back of Gryba's shoulder with Eller's chest/head. That's how far off line he was on the hit.

Game 2 for Ottawa/Montreal is Friday night, so a quick decision will be made, one way or another. And the more you watch the hit, the more you have to believe Gryba won't be taking part.

UPDATE: According to CBC's Elliotte Friedman, Gryba will have a hearing with the NHL on Friday at 12pm ET.

A week ago, it was Los Angeles Kings captain Dustin Brown getting a suspension for initiating contact and hitting Jason Pominville in the head. On Thursday, it was Boston Bruins defenseman Andrew Ference's turn for his check to the head of Mikhail Grabovski in Game 1 of their series against the Maple Leafs.

The hit earned Ference a 1-game ban, as handed down by the NHL:

Ference was not penalized on the play and Grabovski was no injured.

As Brendan Shanahan highlights, it's one thing for Ference to attempt to protect the puck along the boards and make contact with Grabovski; it's another to do so while lunging toward the Maple Leafs forward with his arm up and leading the way.

Targeting the head. Principle point of contact. It was a recipe for supplemental discipline, especially for a repeat-offender, which Ference is considered after his Jan. 2012 suspension.

Ference will return to the Boston lineup on Monday for Game 3 in Toronto.

Getty Images"They have to realize that if you want to be a playoff team, and you want to be a Stanley Cup contender, it's the teams that grind it out, that play with that desperation in their game to win those battles."

Those were New York Islanders head coach Jack Capuano's words after his team had a second consecutive defeat in which the game was lost in the third period. After managing to hang on and defeat the Florida Panthers, 4-3, despite allowing three third-period goals, the Islanders then watched a 3-1 lead against the Ottawa Senators evaporate after allowing four unanswered goals in the final frame.

Two night later, the Montreal Canadiens scored three times in the third, breaking a 2-2 tie and sending the Islanders to a second of three defeats on a four-game homestand.

That's when Capuano, with his team sitting three points out of a playoff spot with 18 games to go after that loss to the Canadiens, gave his team a reality check, reminding them what it takes to win in the NHL.