PITTSBURGH — No, that was not another preseason game for the Penguins. It just felt like it.
Thursday’s season opener at PPG Paints Arena pitted the league’s oldest team, one hoping to squeeze one more Stanley Cup out of its generational core, against a mishmash squad of random veterans and a few barely legal NHL newbies.
Unsurprisingly, the outcome was never in doubt. Shortly after all the prerequisite pregame pomp and circumstance ushered in a new hockey season in Pittsburgh, Sidney Crosby and the Penguins pumped in three quick goals to put the Arizona Coyotes in their place. From there, they cruised to a low-stress 6-2 victory.
The home team simply had too much star power. Crosby started his 18th season in a Penguins sweater, a franchise record, with three points. Evgeni Malkin and Jake Guentzel also scored. And Kris Letang had a multi-point performance, too.
It was a fun night for most paying customers. And it’s never a bad thing to open a season with a win. But it is difficult to glean anything from this performance. The Penguins faced more potent lineups in a few of their recent preseason tilts.
As Crosby, Malkin and Co. skated circles around the tank-tastic Coyotes, one’s thoughts couldn’t help but wander off to the “X-Generation” team of 2003-04.
Those Penguins faced an uncertain future in Pittsburgh as they angled for a new arena. They iced an odd collection of prospects and fringe NHLers. Then they piled up losses in the hopes that ping-pong balls would later bounce their way.
The Coyotes are in a similar situation, hoping to lose hard for Connor Bedard. They will have many more nights like this. But odds are they won’t be this lucky.
The Penguins, meanwhile, hope Thursday’s win was their first on the road to their 17th straight playoff appearance — and a much longer postseason stay.
The Penguins grabbed the lead just 1:22 into the game. Guentzel raced to negate an icing call then whipped a blind backhand pass from the corner to Crosby, who whipped the puck between the pads of Coyotes goalie Karel Vejmelka.
Jason Zucker and Guentzel soon made it three goals in less than four minutes.
There was a poetic moment in the second period, when Crosby and Letang set up Malkin for a power-play goal. A few months ago, it was unclear if those three would remain teammates. But there they were, celebrating in the corner together.
Bryan Rust and Kasperi Kapanen scored in the third to punctuate the win.
Ice chips
— Last week, young defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph was reportedly on the trade block. But when the puck dropped on the season, Joseph was in the lineup, getting the nod over Chad Ruhwedel. He played 15 minutes and took one penalty.
— The Penguins went 2 for 6 on the power play and easily could have had a couple more. They had the puck on a string whenever an opponent was in the box.
— In the first period, moments after picking up his first assist for the Penguins, Jeff Petry blocked a slap shot with his right ankle. The defenseman disappeared down the tunnel, but he returned after a brief absence and finished out the game.
— Letang was used sparingly on the penalty kill. The top four defensemen were Brian Dumoulin, Jan Rutta, Marcus Pettersson and Petry. The Penguins trimmed Letang’s shorthanded time on ice in each of the previous two seasons. But he was a rookie the last time he averaged less than a minute per game on the PK.
— With Teddy Blueger out with an upper-body injury, Ryan Poehling skated as the fourth-line center against the Coyotes. As for Blueger, he wore a non-contact jersey during the morning skate. Coach Mike Sullivan said his status remains day to day.
Coming up
The Penguins are scheduled to practice Friday in Cranberry then one day later will host the Tampa Bay Lightning at PPG Paints Arena. Could be a good one.
