Penguins win scrimmage, playoffs start Wednesday

No Claude Giroux. Officials worrying more about "keeping order" than actually calling a hockey game. Little-to-no energy after the midway point of the first period. That was today's game between the Flyers and Penguins.

Frankly, it was sort of boring.

Well, kind of. The Flyers came back from a deficit early and Jaromir Jagr scored a goal in Pittsburgh, which will always be fun regardless of the scenario, and Brayden Schenn continued to be awesome as well, but after all of the expectations leading into this one, it's safe to say it didn't live up to the hype.

At the end of the day, it was a meaningless hockey game that certainly felt meaningless by the third period. The intensity level fell off the map and I found myself wandering and thinking more about Wednesday's Game 1 than if the Flyers would come back to win this one.

You might hear a lot about how the Pens now have the confidence to beat the orange and black at CONSOL Energy Center after today's game, but let's just leave it as it is. Pittsburgh won a scrimmage. Playoffs start on Wednesday.

Questions with Answers

1. Blood, or too much hype? Harry Z stepped up and fought Joe Vitale. That was cool, minus the fact that he got wrecked. Otherwise, no blood.
2. 6-0 at Consol? Nah.
3. What's the intensity level like in a game that doesn't count? Tapered off as the game progressed.
4. Any injuries on either side? Not that we know of, thank God.

Comment of the Day

I thought the idea was to keep hitting the best guy Pittsburgh has on the ice.

>> The Dark, on Jody Shelley running into an official