Penguins vs. Blue Jackets: Game 1 Prediction

The first game between the Penguins and Blue Jackets in Pittsburgh will surely provide fireworks to start the 2017 playoffs.

In one of the bigger series of the entire playoffs, let alone the first round, Game 1 in Pittsburgh will be a huge test for both the Penguins and the Blue Jackets as they open up the 2017 postseason.

The biggest factor for the Penguins in this run, and specifically in Game 1 to get the ball rolling, will be starting goalie Matt Murray. While he is considered a “rookie,” Murray got plenty of experience for Pittsburgh in its Stanley Cup title run in last year’s playoffs after Marc-Andre Fleury went down with an injury. With Kris Letang out for the foreseeable future, Murray has less of a defensive wall to rely on, and will have to come in clutch for the Penguins in net.

Another large piece of Pittsburgh’s puzzle is its strong offense, specifically led by Sidney Crosby. The team’s ability to have every line clicking was huge in last year’s run, and the same consistency will be needed this year to start off strong in this series.

Phil Kessel will have to keep up the same pace his line had in the last postseason, and if Crosby has a weak performance in any game due to Columbus’s stingy defense, others will be forced to step up.

Crosby was the league’s leading scorer this season, and will have to keep up that pace to get past the Blue Jackets defense, and specifically goalie Sergei Bobrovsky. Bobrovsky led the league in save percentage this season, and will need to be at the top of his game to survive the Penguins’ strong offense.

One large hump the Blue Jackets will have to get over is the mental piece of this series. Just a few years ago in 2014, Columbus’s last playoff appearance, Pittsburgh was the team to send the Blue Jackets packing. There’s no doubt that that fact is stuck in Columbus’s mind, and could either provide the spark they need to get out to a strong start in this series, or could push them back mentally and help out Pittsburgh.

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Pick: Penguins 3, Blue Jackets 1

If the Penguins can get out to the hot start like they should, and Murray stays calm in net, they shouldn’t have any problem winning Game 1 at home. The offense should be strong enough, especially at home, to get to Bobrovsky, and Murray will not have the same nerves he had last year, which makes him even scarier.