Should the Penguins shake things up for Game 2?

Apr 18, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) handles the puck against the Philadelphia Flyers during the second period in game one of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images It would be an understatement to say that things did not go well for the Pittsburgh Penguins in their Game 1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday night. Despite the close 3-2 final score, as well as the fact they had a prime scoring chance to potentially tie the game in the closing seconds, this game never really felt like it was there for the Penguins to take.

They were shut down, struggled to generate chances and just looked like a sloppy team playing a random mid-December game instead of its first playoff game in three years. The popular argument I have seeen in the aftermath is that it was rust, and an argument for why the Penguins should not have rested people in the final three games of the regular season. I am not going in that direction, nor do I have any interest in it.

This is a largely veteran team with multiple players that have either played in the Stanley Cup Final or won Stanley Cups. They know what the playoffs are about. They should not need a dress rehearsal for that, and they should not have been the timid ones in that game.

It is also not like everybody sat out those games. Every player on the roster played in at least one of those three games, and some of them played in multiple games. It’s also not like they sat around for 10 days doing nothing.