The two-time defending Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins aren’t favored to win it all this year but are showing why you cannot count them out.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are reminding the entire NHL why they are the defending two-time Stanley Cup champions.
It was the perfect start for Pittsburgh who came out and scored a goal at the 2:38 mark of the first period to get the crowd going. The early goal was the first goal scored in the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs and would be credited to Brandon Rust. Rust is one of Pittsburgh’s depth players who contributes constantly.
He and Pittsburgh were not done as former New York Ranger Carl Hagelin put Pittsburgh up 2-0. Hagelin continues his playoff success now with 21 career goals in the playoffs. Eight of those goals have come with Pittsburgh including the six he scored in the Penguins first Cup in 2015-16.
Pittsburgh wasn’t done and next up was Evgeni Malkin who might have scored the goal of the playoffs and we aren’t even through one game of the postseason yet.
Watch how Malkin got around the Philadelphia Flyers’ defense and went to the backhand on Brian Elliot. The goal is one that you definitely will be seeing on the highlight reel over the next few seasons. With Sidney Crosby on the Penguins, you sometimes forget how great of a player Malkin really is. Plays like this show just how good he is.
Pittsburgh would chase Elliot from the game as Elliot was unable to get the job done for the Flyers in his first playoff game. He made just 14 saves on 19 shots leaving the Flyers goaltending questions continue. Jake Guentzel and Crosby would add on the daggers that chased Elliot. Peter Mrazek is currently in goal.
The Penguins are poised to win the Cup for the third straight year, they showed just that in their first action this postseason. They currently lead Philadelphia 5-0 after two periods.