You’re an MVP, you’re an MVP, everyone’s an MVP!
So there you have it. This was originally intended to be a short list looking at how those three players – Murray, Malkin, and Sheary – dominated the first round. But in the end, it was impossible to only focus on three guys.
It’s cliche to say, but the first round was a real team win. Everyone contributed, and almost everyone made it onto the score sheet. Even those who didn’t stepped up other aspects of their game – like, I wasn’t completely exasperated with Ben Lovejoy‘s defense, for once. That’s pretty rare.
Next: Pittsburgh Penguins Playing Like It's 2009
Some players stood out more than others, but every single player on the roster shone under pressure (excluding game two, which we can just agree to forget about). Building on that success will be important for them to get through round two, but when the whole team is this hot, that shouldn’t be a problem.