UNIONDALE, N.Y. -- The Penguins will be playing their 62nd game of the season when they face the New York Islanders tonight at 6:38 p.m., but it will be unlike any of the 61that preceded it.
Not because it will unfold at Nassau Coliseum; the Penguins already have played there six times in 2020-21.
And it won't be because of the peculiar starting time, since those have fluctuated from early afternoon to mid-evening during this first-round playoff series.
It will, however, be the first time since Game 1 in Philadelphia on Jan. 13 that the Penguins will be playing to save their season, for New York has a 3-2 lead in the series and can claim a spot opposite Boston in the second round with a victory.
Conversely, if the Penguins can win -- something they did at the Coliseum twice during the regular season, as well as in Game 3 of Round 1 -- the series will be decided by Game 7 Friday at PPG Paints Arena.
So, yeah, this game will not be like any of those that came before it, because there is nothing quite like being in the crucible of an elimination game.
"There's obviously a heightened level of urgency," Mike Sullivan said today. "When your backs are against the wall, you have to bring everything you can to have success. I'd like to believe we're doing that each and every game, but there's something about an elimination game that brings an elevated sense of urgency.
"We're going to try to build on the last game we had (a 3-2, double-overtime loss Monday). We really liked our overall team game. We're going to try to build on the positives and make sure we're playing on our toes and we're bringing the game that brings us the best chance to be successful."
It hasn't worked out that way for the Penguins in several years, however.
They have lost their past three games when facing elimination, dating to Game 6 in the second round against Washington in 2017; the last time they won a potential elimination game was in the Eastern Conference final against Ottawa in 2017, when Chris Kunitz put them into the Cup final by scoring in double overtime.
Most of the Penguins' core players were around when they won four potential elimination games during their Stanley Cup runs in 2016 and 2017, but being on the cusp of ejection from the playoffs is something that others haven't experienced every often.
The key to dealing with the high stakes in such games, Sullivan suggested, is to concentrate on executing one's duties effectively.
"We're not going to get overwhelmed by the circumstance," he said. "We're not going to listen to the surrounding noise around the situation. We're just going to focus on the details. We're going to bring the game that gives us the best chance to win.
"The biggest part of this whole experience is just staying in the moment, staying on task, keeping the focus where it needs to be. And I believe our team has the experience to do that."
Getting more offensive production out of some of those experienced players likely would enhance the Penguins' chances of forcing their first Game 7 since the Ottawa series.
The Islanders have defended Sidney Crosby and his linemates, Bryan Rust and Jake Guentzel, effectively in the series. (Rust has three points, Crosby two and Guentzel one.)
Those are striking numbers, but this one is even more surprising: Crosby is winning just 41.4 percent of his faceoffs, after controlling 53.6 during the regular season.
It's possible that he's dealing with an injury that would affect his performance on draws, but Sullivan did not mention any such issue when asked about Crosby's faceoff struggles in the series.
"Sid has times when he's very effective in the faceoff circle and other times that it's a struggle," he said. "I don't think he's any different than other center-icemen. That's probably somewhat of a normal circumstance. We just have to work at it.
"It's not always about the center-iceman. Seven out of 10 of the draws land somewhere around the faceoff circle, so it's the players on the flanks who are going to try to help to win the loose pucks. It's a collective effort."
Just like trying to stretch their season beyond this evening will be.