Starting off the playoffs with a victory is a big confidence booster for a team but what the Penguins did last night to the Flyers in Game 1 was not only a boost of confidence, it was a message sent to the rest of the NHL.
Bryan Rust opened the scoring just 2:38 into the game and the Penguins didn’t stop scoring the rest of the night. Carl Hagelin and Evgeni Malkin added tallies in the opening period for a 3-0 Pens lead. In the second, Jake Guentzel got in on the act with a power play goal then Sidney Crosby dazzled once more with another out of the air goal for a 5-0 lead and forced Brian Elliott out of the game.