PITTSBURGH \u2014 Many of the players have changed over the years, but when the Pittsburgh Penguins lose in the playoffs, it almost always looks the same.<\/p>\n
And so it did Saturday night in the Philadelphia Flyers\u2019 convincing 3-2 victory at PPG Paints Arena.<\/p>\n
The Penguins, because of their gallery of superstars over the past few decades, have always gone against the grain of conventional playoff hockey. Funny thing is, when they play the way you\u2019re supposed to play in the playoffs \u2014 be disciplined, get pucks deep, keep things simple \u2014 they\u2019re almost always successful.<\/p>\n
They didn\u2019t do any of those things in Game 1 of this highly anticipated series. They looked inexperienced. They looked immature. The Penguins looked tight in the opening period, careless in the second and all over the place in the third. This wasn\u2019t a becoming performance from a team that has future Hall of Famers and Stanley Cup winners in every corner of the dressing room.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know what it was,\u201d Erik Karlsson said. \u201cBut it obviously was not anywhere near the way we know that we need to play.\u201d<\/p>\n
Karlsson\u2019s candidness following losses is typically refreshing, and it was after this performance.<\/p>\n
The defenseman explained that the Penguins didn\u2019t play the way they had discussed playing. And it showed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe didn\u2019t play the game we agreed upon,\u201d Karlsson said, \u201cand the way that we know we need to play.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Penguins, who managed only 17 shots on goal despite entering the game as the NHL\u2019s third-highest-scoring team, could have had more. But they got away from playoff-style hockey, continually passing up shots in an effort to make the perfect play.<\/p>\n
This maddening cuteness with the puck was a substantial part of the Flyers\u2019 getting four breakaways. They didn\u2019t score on any of them.<\/p>\n
Several facets were at play, all of them indicating the Penguins were not mentally sound in this game.<\/p>\n
\u2022 The Penguins were noticeably jumpy in the first period, which isn\u2019t something you\u2019d expect from a team with this kind of experience.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we battled hard,\u201d Karlsson said. \u201cEverybody was trying really hard. But maybe we were trying a little too hard sometimes, overdoing things instead of just trusting one another to do your own job.\u201d<\/p>\n
They registered only five shots on goal in the first period while looking utterly out of sorts. There were spin-o-ramas in their own zone when a simple clear would have done, open looks that were passed up for the sake of making the pretty pass, and enough breakdowns at Philadelphia\u2019s blue line to keep Dan Muse watching video with his team for the next 48 hours.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey settled down before we did,\u201d Karlsson said, acknowledging that the Penguins were far too amped up for this game. \u201cIt was one of those games. The first game in the first round is always like this, a lot of emotions. We just didn\u2019t play well, didn\u2019t handle it well. We never got any traction today.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2022 There wasn\u2019t enough simplicity in the Penguins\u2019 game. In fact, there was none at all.<\/p>\n
A lack of discipline was also a problem. The Penguins looked like they wanted to turn the game into a track meet, and when they couldn\u2019t, they doubled down and tried even harder. It didn\u2019t work out for them, as Bryan Rust explained.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think the type of game they play, it was going to be a low-event game,\u201d Rust said. \u201cWe were not comfortable enough playing in a low-event game.\u201d<\/p>\n
Given their experience, the Penguins should be comfortable playing in any style of game. But Rust was right.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve got to be aware of your opponent, how they play, how the game\u2019s going,\u201d he continued. \u201cWe didn\u2019t adjust to the game early on.\u201d<\/p>\n
They never adjusted, never settled for the simple play.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe wanted things to happen when there wasn\u2019t anything there instead of just waiting for it to come to us,\u201d Karlsson said. \u201cThe will inside of us was a little bit too strong. We didn\u2019t execute the game plan that we set out for today\u2019s game. We battled really hard, maybe too hard. We just didn\u2019t make the plays that were there. And when they were there, we still tried to make them.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2022 There were some flashes of the legendary 2012 series in this game. The Flyers were tough and physical, and for whatever reason, the Penguins sometimes can\u2019t control themselves when Philadelphia is the opposition.<\/p>\n
Evgeni Malkin went out of his way to take runs at players all game. Sidney Crosby took two penalties, his second one late in the third period when he slashed Travis Sanheim enough times to the point of essentially daring the officials to make a call. They did.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know it\u2019s Philly, we know it\u2019s the playoffs, we know it\u2019s coming,\u201d Malkin said. \u201cI like to play physical; I like to play a hard game. But just after a whistle, we need to just, like, go away and play smart. It\u2019s the only way, because they allow it. This game, cross-check, you know? But again, we know it\u2019s coming. But then we just \u2014 everybody should be a little bit smarter. That\u2019s it.\u201d<\/p>\n
That would go a long way toward getting the Penguins in this series. They lost the mental game in every conceivable way in Game 1.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were off in a lot of aspects,\u201d Karlsson said. \u201cWe played with our emotions more than our heads.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ten quick postgame thoughts<\/p>\n
\u2022 Muse needs to put Crosby back on a line with Rickard Rakell and Rust, which would also mean reuniting Malkin with Egor Chinakhov and Tommy Novak. We know those lines work. The trio of Crosby, Rust and Chinakhov was not good, and I don\u2019t see any visible chemistry between Crosby and Chinakhov. You don\u2019t want to overreact to one playoff loss, but it seems like a clear decision to make.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Crosby was oddly quiet, especially given his postseason history and penchant for destroying the Flyers. I have a theory.<\/p>\n