If that wasn’t one of the most demoralizing beatdowns in the history of playoff hockey, I don’t know what is. Going into this series, basically every story line you read over the past few days went something like this: both offenses are good, both defenses aren’t very good, the goalies are sort of a question mark (which LOL), and so it’s all gonna come down to which team can keep up in the goal scoring department. A shootout in the postseason, if you will.
Well, we’re through 60 minutes of hockey and the Pens are currently leading the scoreboard 7-0. Sidney Crosby and company put up a goddamn touchdown and extra point in Game 1 of the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs. If you didn’t think the Penguins were ready to defend their throne for the second consecutive year, you’ve been sadly mistaken. Shit just got real. Fast.
Now, I know you only get one win for kicking the absolute piss out of your opponent in a 60-minute hockey game. But if a series was ever over after one game, this is it. There’s no coming back for Philadelphia. Maybe they’ll get lucky and get a win at home by feeding off their horse shit eating fans. Then again, if the Penguins play even 75% the way they played tonight for the rest of the series, this thing is only going four games. Mark it down.
A few notes:
- Evgeni Malkin put on an absolute CLINIC by skating around approximately 1,975 Flyers to score this beauty of a goal the moment he got out of the penalty box late in the 1st period:
There is no stopping a fully evolved Evgeni Malkin pic.twitter.com/LZJ5W4d3nd
— nerd king geoff (@geoffwithano) April 11, 2018
- Sidney Crosby somehow one-upped Evgeni Malkin by recording a natural hat trick, which included his patented “bat the puck out of mid-air goal” that nobody else in the NHL seems to be capable of doing (sorry Phil Kessel).
This is beginning to become routine for Sidney Crosby. 5-0 Pens. pic.twitter.com/gTeDPveENj
— Peep (@PeepsBurgh) April 12, 2018
- The kid not named Marc-Andre Fleury has a hell of a postseason shutout streak going.
Murray with his third consecutive playoff shutout, spanning 206:26.
— Bob Grove (@bobgrove91) April 12, 2018
- These Flyers fans were stunned. A lot.
https://twitter.com/mport56/status/984208604973731842
https://twitter.com/mport56/status/984210517676969986
https://twitter.com/mport56/status/984212906010140673
https://twitter.com/mport56/status/984224358766870528
https://twitter.com/mport56/status/984223863507685376
https://twitter.com/mport56/status/984236760589852672
https://twitter.com/mport56/status/984237257052905472
https://twitter.com/mport56/status/984237807404310529
.
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And that’ll do it for Game 1. Stay tuned for the full recap in the am from Geoff (@G_Off817) per usual.
Go Pens.
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Follow Peep on Twitter: @PeepsBurgh
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