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PITTSBURGH — The sluggish opening three months. The so-so finish. The only occasional attention to detail on defense. None of it matters anymore.

The playoffs are here. The champs are, too.

Sidney Crosby and the Penguins provided proof in Pittsburgh’s 7-0 dismantling of the Philadelphia Flyers in the opening game of their first-round series Wednesday night.

Crosby performed more stick wizardry on his way to his third postseason hat trick, Evgeni Malkin added a highlight-reel goal of his own and the Penguins overwhelmed their seemingly overmatched cross-state rivals to begin their quest for a third straight Stanley Cup with a blowout that seemed to indicate the grudge match could be a mismatch.

Not that Pittsburgh’s captain wanted to buy into any sort of message sending, even after the Penguins became only the fifth team in NHL history to win a series opener by at least seven goals.

“I mean, it’s one game,” Crosby said. “Whether it’s 7-0 or 1-0 or double overtime, it’s one game. A big part in the playoffs is to get better every game and to adjust, and that’s the way we have to look at it.”

That might be a frightening proposition for the rest of the NHL. It certainly is for the Flyers, who have lost all five meetings with Pittsburgh this season, giving up at least five goals each time. Nothing that happened during the regular season, however, compared to Wednesday night. The Penguins pumped five goals in the first 29:01 to chase goalie Brian Elliott, and the Flyers simply could not keep pace.

“It was one of the worst games I’ve been a part of,” Flyers forward Claude Giroux said.

Philadelphia coach Dave Hakstol mercifully pulled Elliott after Crosby swatted Brian Dumoulin’s point shot out of the air and knocked it by a stunned Elliott to put the Penguins up 5-0 just before the game’s midway point. Elliott stopped 14 of 19 shots before being replaced by Petr Mrazek. Mrazek made 12 saves, but Hakstol indicated he’s likely to go with Elliott again in Friday’s Game 2.

Whoever is in net for the Flyers, it won’t matter if the play in front of them isn’t better. Philadelphia’s power play went 0 for 4 and didn’t even generate a shot.

“They beat us from pretty much every aspect tonight, starting from the net out,” Elliott said. “Everybody just has to be better.”

Jake Guentzel had a goal and three assists for Pittsburgh. Bryan Rust and Carl Hagelin also scored. Matt Murray stopped 24 shots for his third straight playoff shutout.

The Penguins jumped on Philadelphia early. Elliott stopped Kris Letang’s slap shot with his blocker only to see the long rebound go right to Rust, who ripped it over Elliott’s right shoulder to give the Penguins the lead 2:38 into the game.

Philadelphia’s best chance at staying in it came minutes later, but Scott Laughton whiffed on his first attempt from the doorstep and Murray made a sprawling glove save on Laughton’s second try to preserve Pittsburgh’s lead.

Jets 3, Wild 2

WINNIPEG, Manitoba — Defenseman Joe Morrow broke a tie with 6:13 left and Winnipeg beat Minnesota in Game 1 for the first playoff victory in franchise history.

In its only other playoff appearances since joining the NHL in 1999 in Atlanta, the franchise was swept in 2007 by the New York Rangers and 2015 by Anaheim.

Nikolaj Ehlers set up the Morrow at the point for a one-timer that beat goalie Devan Dubnyk. Morrow was acquired at the trade deadline from Montreal in exchange for a fourth-round draft pick this summer.

Mark Schiefele, with a power-play goal, and Patrik Laine also scored for Winnipeg, and Connor Hellebuyck made 18 saves. Matt Cullen and Zach Parise scored for Minnesota, and Dubnyk stopped 37 shots.

Game 2 is Friday night in Winnipeg.

Penguins center Evgeni Malkin celebrates his goal in the first period of Wednesday’s playoff opener against the Flyers in Pittsburgh.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/web1_AP18102003226853.jpg.optimal.jpgPenguins center Evgeni Malkin celebrates his goal in the first period of Wednesday’s playoff opener against the Flyers in Pittsburgh. Gene J. Puskar | AP photo

Penguins captain Sidney Crosby redirects a shot past Flyers goalie Brian Elliott for one of his three goals in Wednesday’s playoff opener.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/web1_AP18102046412103.jpg.optimal.jpgPenguins captain Sidney Crosby redirects a shot past Flyers goalie Brian Elliott for one of his three goals in Wednesday’s playoff opener. Gene J. Puskar | AP photo

Associated Press