The Pittsburgh Penguins were eliminated by the Philadelphia Flyers last postseason. Pittsburgh was dominated by Philadelphia for much of the series. Despite a late comeback, the Penguins fell in six games to the Flyers in the first round.
It seems as if Pittsburgh carried its emotion from last year into its 2026-27 season opener. The Penguins put a beating on the Flyers on Wednesday night, winning 7-0 in Philadelphia. In the process, they matched a level of history not seen in decades.
“(Penguins) make it a mauling in South Philadelphia, matching their largest shutout win over (Flyers) in franchise history (7-0) dating back to 1988,” NHL insider Frank Seravalli noted on Wednesday.
The Penguins got a big-time performance from forward Nick Robertson in this contest. Robertson, making his team debut, scored two goals, including the team's first of the season. Four other players recorded multi-point games in this contest.
Article Continues BelowThe Flyers did not put much pressure on Pittsburgh in this contest, either. Philadelphia managed just 19 shots on goal, with all of them being stopped by veteran Arturs Silovs. Pittsburgh, meanwhile, nearly had 40 shots on goal.
In every way, the Penguins had full control of this contest. The Penguins were able to do whatever they wanted on the ice, it seemed. This is a fantastic way for this team to open the 2026-27 NHL season.
Pittsburgh certainly can carry this momentum forward. There is a lot of hockey to be played. But it's hard not to be proud of a performance like this. The Penguins will look for a second straight win on Saturday when they take on the Montreal Canadiens.