Game Four Islander hero John Tavares congrats winning goalie Evgeni Nabokov. Getty Images/Kathy Willens

The impossible isn’t. The Islanders are proving they can play with the Penguins. Since Game One, the eighth seeded underdog has taken two of three against the East’s heavily favorite top seed. After losing Game Three in overtime, the Islanders responded with an emotional 6-4 win in Game Four to square the best-of-seven first round series.

Continuing a trend, the teams ramped up the offense. After combining for nine goals Sunday, they totaled 10 tonight at a revved up Nassau Coliseum. This one had all twists and turns. It featured four ties and four lead changes. The final one went to the Isles, who battled back from a goal down in the third to prevail. They scored the last three on struggling Pittsburgh netminder Marc-Andre Fleury, who allowed six goals on 24 shots. It was every bit as bad with him responsible for at least two. Since shutting out the Islanders in Game One, Fleury’s permitted 14 goals on 102 shots. He’s posted a 4.49 GAA and .863 save percentage. Pittsburgh coach Dan Bylsma has one interesting decision for Thursday. Does he go to Tomas Vokoun?

While many will speculate, the Islanders clawed their way past the Penguins by out-playing them. The Pens relied on their talent to take leads of 3-2 and 4-3. Ultimately, it wasn’t enough against a thorough opponent who never gave in. The Isles won for the first time at home in the postseason since ’02. They did it on guts and determination. A recipe that works in the Spring. They also followed coach Jack Capuano‘s message by only giving Pittsburgh two power plays. The Pens didn’t connect on either, including a critical two-minute stretch in which they had the puck in the entire time. The Isles won the special teams battle, connecting once on four man-advantages.

With the game scoreless, Game Three culprit Brian Strait got redemption against his former team when he beat Fleury from way out. Following a pass from Lubomir Visnovsky, Strait patiently skated to the left before firing a white knuckler that dipped past Fleury. With the Coliseum rocking, the Pens came right back 45 seconds later thanks to James Neal. Back in after missing the past two games with an injury, he one-timed a perfect Evgeni Malkin cross pass by Evgeni Nabokov. Jarome Iginla added a helper. The Pens took the only three penalties of the first period.

Following a Pens kill, Strait took a high-sticking minor penalty. Pittsburgh never gave up the puck on the power play but couldn’t get one past Nabokov. An exhausted Isles’ penalty killing unit got the job done. It fired up the crowd. Shortly after, Matt Cooke bumped into Nabokov, who flopped to the ice like Devil adversary Martin Brodeur. The acting lesson paid off. Islander captain Mark Streit scored the first of two on the night. He took a Travis Hamonic pass and let one go from the left point. It dipped past Fleury for the Isles’ second lead.

As they had before, the Pens bounced back quickly. Prior to the game, Capuano talked about how they’re so good that they only need one chance to score. Malkin proved that theory true again when he skated through the neutral zone and beat Nabokov to tie it 58 seconds later. Following a Fleury save, he passed to Iginla who dished for Malkin. In on an odd-man break, Malkin whipped his second into the net. Fleury drew a helper. With momentum, they went up 3-2 on Brandon Sutter’s first of the series less than four minutes later. A big Cooke hit forced a turnover. Brenden Morrow retrieved the puck and dished across for Sutter, whose wrister from the left circle went off Nabokov’s left shoulder and in.

The next few minutes proved crucial. Pittsburgh was starting to dictate at even strength. Nabokov came up with a couple of timely stops during a Pens’ power play to keep the deficit one. Late in the second, a fortunate bounce allowed the Islanders to tie it 3-3. Kyle Okposo won a loose puck behind the net and sent a backhand off Fleury and in with 1:24 left. The goal was eerily similar to his Game Two clincher. Fleury was off his goalpost and victimized. Hamonic and Streit added assists. The crowd serenaded “Fleu-ry, Fleu-ry,” until the period ran out.

Following the break, the Pens got a nice bounce to go back ahead 4-3 less than a minute into the third. Chris Kunitz skated up ice and took a shot inside the blueline that caromed off Pascal Dupuis in front past Nabokov. Sidney Crosby helped set it up. It was his sixth point (2-4-6) since returning in Game Two. Earlier in the contest, he took a puck to the jaw, drawing cheers. Not Islander fans’ finest moment. You don’t cheer when an opposing player gets hurt.

Trailing for the second time, the Isles bounced back. Streit scored his second at 4:30. Off a good cycle from Casey Cizikas and Brad Boyes, the Islander defenseman fired a shot that banked off Doug Murray’s skate. With the game knotted at four, Nabokov made a big save to keep it that way until John Tavares put his team ahead for good. Boyes forced Malkin into a turnover. He got the puck to Tavares who cut in on Fleury and put home his own rebound, sending the Coliseum into a frenzy.

The Islanders led 5-4 with still 9:39 left. The Pens threatened after but didn’t find the equalizer. Instead, the Isles grinded their way until Cizikas put it out of reach with another mystifying goal. Following strong defensive work from Colin McDonald and Michael Grabner, Cizikas came in from a bad angle and sent a weak backhand on Fleury he bumbled into the net with 1:16 to go. At the buzzer, Iginla and Kris Letang hit Matt Martin in the corner, leading to Hamonic dropping the gloves with Malkin. As great a player as he is, Malkin is one of the dirtiest in hockey, always looking for the cheap shot. Hamonic didn’t stand for it. Ironically, the scene included Crosby and Letang. All of the Pens’ stars were out for a meaningless shift. Why were they fighting? Bylsma couldn’t have been too pleased.

Notes: Isles lost defenseman Andrew MacDonald with an upper body injury. He took 14 shits (15:36) before exiting in the second. … In twelve minutes, Cizikas had a goal and two assists while going plus-four with three hits. It’s that kind of yeoman effort the Isles have gotten from their supporting cast to make it a series. … NYI out-hit Pit 33-26 including a game high seven from Martin. … The Pens had 12 giveaways (Kunitz, Letang-2 each) to the Isles’ eight (Josh Bailey-3, Tavares-2). Each team had 16 blocked shots with Streit pacing everyone with five while Letang had three. … The Isles held an edge on face-offs 29-25. Frans Nielsen went 9-and-5 and Keith Aucoin was 4-and-2. Jussi Jokinen was a perfect 6-for-6 and Sutter went 8-and-5. In an oddity, Crosby lost 14-of-18. Tavares lost 9-of-15. … Game Four is Thursday at Pittsburgh.

NY Puck 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Travis Hamonic, NYI (2 assists 3 hits, fought Malkin, finished -2 in 28:42 but was a warrior after partner MacDonald left)
2nd Star-John Tavares, NYI (scored game-winner with 9:39 left-exactly when his team needed it most)
1st Star-Mark Streit, NYI (2 goals incl. tying marker, assist, 5 blocks, 2 hits, +1 in 22:56)