Christopher Gibson shows his mettle in goal for Islanders
Islanders goaltender Christopher Gibson, top, gloves a shot by Pittsburgh Penguins' Bryan Rust (17) in Pittsburgh on March 3, 2018. Credit: AP / Gene J. Puskar
PITTSBURGH — It took all of one period for social media to take notice. Then, if you typed in Christopher Gibson into a Twitter search bar, the same question popped up over and over, usually asked by a Penguins fan.
Who is this guy, anyway?
It only Gibson’s fifth NHL game and his first since 2016, but the 25-year-old certainly made it count — stymying a formidable Penguins offense for the better part of three periods before finally succumbing to Sidney Crosby in overtime.
Gibson made 47 saves, and the two goals he gave up in regulation — Patric Hornqvist on a power play, and Derick Brassard, wrapping his stick around his glove side — were hardly cheap.
“They threw pucks from everywhere at him and he did a good job,” Doug Weight said. “He was excellent. He was really tuned in and you could tell he was just real confident and aggressive. He was very composed. There were some flurries. Obviously, they have some tremendous talent. They have some good movement. They put a lot of shots at him but I thought he was excellent tonight.”
Gibson was pleased with his performance, he said (except for that last goal) but also relished in all the adrenaline — facing 50 shots, going up against one of the best offenses in the league. He also deserved better, Anders Lee said.
“He was seeing the puck all night,” he said. “He controlled his rebounds. He came in in one of the biggest games of the year and stood on his head . . . He gave us a chance to win and he deserved a ‘W’ tonight.
Two Islanders return
Jordan Eberle, who missed Friday’s game against Montreal at Barclays Center with soreness, returned to the lineup Saturday. So did Casey Cizikas, who missed Friday’s game for the birth of his first child, Jack William Cizikas.
Laura Albanese is a reporter, feature writer and columnist covering local professional sports teams; she began at Newsday in 2007 as an intern.
