The home opener is always exciting. And this year, there was even more to be excited about.

After a summer of new management reshaping the entire Pittsburgh roster, vibes were high and expectations possibly higher as the home opener finally arrived.

There was a definite buzz around the arena as puck drop inched closer. While some of it was certainly just for the start of the hockey season itself, there was also considerable hype for the arrival of this summer’s first overall pick Connor Bedard.

Bedard jerseys scattered across PPG Paints Arena in pockets, surrounded by the much more familiar black and yellow.

Speaking of PPG Paints Arena, there’s plenty of new things there as well. A new scoreboard, new LED lights, and a new in-game host marked some of the many changes to the game day experience inside the building.

Taking to the ice, the Penguins had put out a roster that featured 10 total new faces on the team, and 8 new players who were suited up to play in the opener.

Everything was brand new, but once the game started, it was the same old Pens.

Pittsburgh jumped out to an early lead, but in classic Penguins fashion, fell apart late and ultimately lost 4-2. The Penguins held a 2-0 lead midway through the second period, but then proceeded to yield four unanswered goals in defeat.

For the Pens, Bryan Rust and Sidney Crosby scored, but both were somewhat anticlimactic.

Rust’s goal was not originally called a goal, and had to be reviewed to determine that the puck hit the back white bar and NOT the crossbar. Crosby’s goal did count initially, but was also subject to review where it ultimately stood.

That was the last of the good vibes inside the arena, and as the Penguins cooled off, you could feel the lead slipping away in real-time.

Ryan Donato opened the scoring for the Chicago Blackhawks, gathering a juicy rebound from Tristan Jarry to put his team on the board.

From there, you could feel the momentum swing towards Chicago, and that would survive the second intermission and carry into the third, when Jarry and the Pens let in three straight goals to lose the game.

Cole Guttman and Jason Dickinson lit the lamp to make it 2-2 and 3-2 respectively, and Nick Foligno redirected a puck into an empty net to bring the score to 4-2.

It was about as classic a loss as I’ve seen the Penguins have, shining early and fading late, and adding an L to their record.

Scarily, it gives shades of last season, one filled with a lot of losing. But, it’s only one game, and the Pens get back at it in Washington vs the Capitals on Friday.

More thoughts down below:

Tristan Jarry A Mixed Bag

What’s going to get lost in this game is some of the amazing saves Tristan Jarry made in this game.

It’s true, he made some key stops to keep the Penguins within reach, but that’s not to say that he was flawless.

Jarry gave several huge rebounds, one of which the Blackhawks made him pay for, when Donato put it into the net to kick off the Chicago comeback.

He still has that tendency to come out of the net, evident that his previous mistakes haven’t deterred him from being a puck moving goaltender back there. It didn’t cost him tonight, but he did get a little risky late in the game, skating out of the net with action around him to clear it.

But in the end, he can’t do enough to keep the Pens in the lead or tied. Chicago keeps pressing and pressing and Jarry collapses, as does his defense in front of him.

Fans Chant “Fire Canada”

Don’t have much to say other than that was hilarious. Can you imagine how unpopular someone as to be for fans of another team, another whole SPORT, to chant that? And let me tell you this chant was LOUD.

It would be really interesting to know what any of the Canadians in the building, who don’t follow football/the Steelers thought during that moment.

Pens Dominate The Faceoff Circle

If there’s a positive in this game, it’s that the Penguins were fantatsic in the faceoff department. Pittsburgh won 67.8% of the draws in this game, a great sign even if it’s just one game.

The Penguins’ struggles at faceoffs was a key point of emphasis last season, as the team constantly had to battle for puck possession as play was starting after losing the draw.

The only player on the team (of those who took at least one faceoff) to finish the night with under 50% in the circle was Jeff Carter.

That Scoreboard Is Massive

You can see it on tv, you can see it in pictures, but the size of the new scoreboard at PPG Paints Arena won’t fully hit you until you see it in person.

Maybe it’s partially because the old scoreboard was somewhat small in comparison to the more modern day ones, but man is that thing large.

Impressive, too. With the increased size, there’s a lot more the jumbotron can display, including additional stats in-game that the previous scoreboard couldn’t accommodate.

Penalty Kill Can’t Clear

On the surface, the Pittsburgh penalty kill was solid. They went 4/4, keeping Chicago and Connor Bedard out of the net.

But it was a dreadful experience watching them trying to clear the zone. The Penguins, almost routinely, failed to clear the puck out of the zone. Whether a Blackhawk kept it in, a Penguin whiffed on it, or the puck took a bounce off a body or stick, Pittsburgh was hemmed in their own zone consistently on the penalty kill.

Chicago might not have taken advantage of that, but other teams will.

Power Play Hasn’t Changed

Look, it’s just one game. But neither special teams looked great.

Too many passes, not enough shots, and just all around frustrating. That’s been the story of the Penguins power play for years, and it was no different tonight.

Even with the addition of Erik Karlsson on the back end, the Penguins failed to capitalize on both chances they were given on the man advantage.

It’s a problem of looking for the perfect shot, which is understandable, but you’re never going to score if the puck gets nowhere near the net.

Bedard Notches His First NHL Point

The Penguins kept him out of the goal column, but they couldn’t keep Bedard off the scoresheet, as the 18 year old tallied his first assist in the National Hockey League last night. Fittingly, it came on Chicago’s first goal of the game (and the season).

No matter who you are a fan of, for a prospect with this much hype and projection as Bedard as, if everything pans out, it’s going to be pretty cool to say ten or fifteen years down the road that you were there for his NHL debut.