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Three Takeaways From Pittsburgh Penguins Season-Opening Loss

By Chris Ross

PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 16: Matt Murray #30 of the Pittsburgh Penguins makes a save during the third period in Game Four of the Eastern Conference First Round against the New York Islanders at PPG PAINTS Arena on April 16, 2019 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 16: Matt Murray #30 of the Pittsburgh Penguins makes a save during the third period in Game Four of the Eastern Conference First Round against the New York Islanders at PPG PAINTS Arena on April 16, 2019 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) /
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After suffering a 3-1 season-opening loss to the Buffalo Sabres, there is plenty to take away from the Pittsburgh Penguins’ performance.

Fresh off an offseason in which all the stories revolving around the Pittsburgh Penguins focused on how the team was ready to come out and dominate this season, they instead laid an egg in a disappointing season-opening loss. A 3-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres certainly knocked some of the shine off the Penguins, but at the same time, it’s important not to get carried away. At the end of the day, an 0-1 start means almost nothing. One game does not define a season, and the Penguins are still a talented team that could live up to the offseason hype.

Due to the nature of the defeat, many will say this is the end of Penguins hockey as we know it. With that in mind, there are some things we can take away from the Penguin’s first game of the season. Sure, they came out and got thoroughly dominated, but if we look hard enough, there are some positives to take away from the matchup. On the flip side, there are plenty of negatives to take away from the loss.

It was far from a perfect effort for a Pittsburgh team with something to prove, and the lackadaisical start to the contest was troubling at best. With a Friday game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on deck, Mike Sullivan needs to motivate his squad to avoid dropping two straight games to start the year. As we saw on Thursday, Pittsburgh has plenty of work on, but also some strengths to build on.

Without further ado, here are three takeaways from the Pittsburgh Penguins rough season opener.

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