Opening Night is awesome.
It’s a new season, played on the ultimate fresh sheet of ice. The excitement and energy of the upcoming campaign always has the building buzzing.
If only that energy was seen on the ice…
As soon as the puck dropped on the new season for the hometown team and the visiting New York Rangers, the vibes went downhill.
Less than three minutes into the game, the Rangers struck first, setting the tone for what would be an appalling and miserable night at PPG Paints Arena.
This is the only goal that starting netminder Tristan Jarry could argue is not his fault. A redirect in front of the net put New York in the driver’s seat early, and they never took their foot off the gas pedal.
The Rangers dominated play, toying with a lethargic Penguins team that could not keep up. It was 3-0 by the end of the first period, with boos raining down on the home team just 20 minutes into the season…perhaps a new record.
If Alex Nedeljkovic was healthy, I guarantee that Jarry comes out for the second period wearing a baseball cap and sitting on the bench. But with Joel Blomqvist in that backup spot, having zero games of NHL experience to his name, I suppose Mike Sullivan wanted to stick it out with Jarry and not risk sending the new kid in cold.
It wouldn’t have really made a difference. Jarry surrendered another three goals in the next two periods – each arguably worse than the last. Blomqvist would have done no worse.
Chris Kreider’s second goal of the game, which came shorthanded (yeah, that hasn’t changed), was really a microcosm of the whole night for the Penguins.
Krieder’s goal was pretty common of Ranger tallies on the night: capitalizing on poor defensive miscues and a Penguins team that routinely turned the puck over. But New York also had no problem beating Jarry on rather soft goals.
Jarry’s counterpart, by the way, put up a 41-save shutout. Igor Shesterkin turned away each Penguin shot with ease – his common flash of the leather almost served as a taunt to Pittsburgh’s shooters that failed to get even one past him.
Every Penguins defenseman was a -2 on the night. Four of Pittsburgh’s top six forwards posted the same figure.
It was a night that almost leaves you speechless in how awful it was. The Penguins were outshot by 12. They were bad in the faceoff circle, winning only 47.5% of the draws. They blocked only half the shots the Rangers did, which is especially rich considering how much New York dominated play.
It was just such a pitiful, stunningly bad brand of hockey, one that leaves a terrible taste in your mouth as you leave the arena, which was half empty by the midway point of the third period.
The 6-0 loss ties the worst opening night loss in Penguins franchise history, set back in 2002, when Johan Hedberg and company were assaulted 6-0 by the Toronto Maple Leafs.
By comparison, the Rangers haven’t opened their season with a shutout since 1956, back when the Chicago Blackhawks used to be two words and not one.
Look, it’s only the first of 82 games. That’s so many games. But man, what an absolutely brutal start. The biggest story coming out of this game will be Tristan Jarry, but it was an awful effort all around.
One team came out ready to play. One team did not. The difference could not be greater.
There’s little time to dwell on this game, and perhaps that’s a good thing. The team is set to be in Detroit tomorrow to take on the Red Wings, and one can only hope that they abandon this game as soon as they board that plane.
Fifth Avenue Sports 
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