This was the worst possible start for the Philadelphia Flyers in the playoffs.
The Pittsburgh Penguins scored three first-period goals before adding two more in the second and two in the third, and the Flyers never were given a shot to get back into the game. Sidney Crosby recorded a natural hat trick to add insult to injury.
Ugh.
Early on, Brian Elliott blockered a shot right to Bryan Rust, and Rust put it off the post and in.
Scott Laughton had a great chance to tie the game, but the puck wouldn’t settle on his stick.
After Ivan Provorov lost his glove and the Flyers couldn’t clear the puck, Carl Hagelin deflected the puck past Elliott.
Things got worse, as Travis Konecny was called for tripping Conor Sheary.
On the Penguins’ power play, Evgeni Malkin took a hooking penalty to make it four-on-four.
Hey Jamie Oleksiak, you don’t want to fight Wayne Simmonds.
A Penguins shot almost fell in the net after Elliott made the save.
The Battle of Pennsylvania started to get very physical.
Late in the period, Evgeni Malkin turned on the jets and backhanded a shot by Elliott.
The Flyers trailed by three after the first.
In the second, Travis Konecny tried to change the momentum of the game.
Ivan Provorov’s shot went off Letang’s stick and the puck split in half.
Sean Couturier got called for an interesting tripping penalty…
…and Jake Guentzel tapped the puck by Brian Elliott to make it 4-0.
Just a few moments later, Sidney Crosby batted the puck out of mid-air and by Brian Elliott.
That was it for Elliott, and Mrazek entered the game.
Scott Laughton got called for a slashing penalty.
Then Raffl got called for a hooking penalty.
Both times, the Flyers killed it.
At the end of the second, the Penguins led, 5-0.
Olli Maatta slashed Oskar Lindblom in the face, and that is an understatement. No call.
Look at Lindblom’s face afterwards.
Kris Letang slashed Konecny while he was breaking to the net, and the Flyers earned another power play.
But they couldn’t do anything with it.
At even strength, the puck found its way to Crosby who tapped it home on the doorstep.
Moments later, Crosby deflected a shot by Mrazek to complete the natural hat trick.
The Penguins won, 7-0.
Well, at least Claude Giroux has friends.
Game Two is Friday at 7 p.m.
Originally published on SonsOfPenn.com