The top six juggles around as the Penguins lose 6-0 to the Rangers in their home opener

For the Pittsburgh Penguins, this was one of those nights you just want to flush down the toilet and forget about.

The Penguins were defeated 6-0 by the New York Rangers in their home opener. Chris Kreider scored two goals for New York – one of those goals was a shorthanded breakaway in the second period – and the Rangers overwhelmed goaltender Tristan Jarry with 47 shots.

See also: THN Penguins predictions: Where will the team finish in the standings?

There's not much special here, but here are some notes and observations from the opener.

– Head coach Mike Sullivan didn't hesitate to fight for the top six straight away.

At the beginning of the evening, the same top six that had been in action for much of the training camp were in action again. Sidney Crosby had Drew O'Connor on his left and Anthony Beauvillier on his right, while Evgeni Malkin flanked Michael Bunting and Rickard Rakell on his left and right respectively.

But after the Rangers scored three goals in the first period and the Penguins didn't show too many signs of offensive life, Sullivan swapped Rakell and O'Connor, and the lineup stayed that way for the rest of the game.

It is known that Rakell had success with Crosby, and Bunting had success with Malkin. O'Connor and Beauvillier both play a speed game, so I'm curious to see if these line combinations hold up tomorrow night in Detroit.

The top six will likely be a merry-go-round, at least until Bryan Rust returns. Tonight was chaos.

– We saw some of that last season, but Sullivan wasn't afraid to pit Crosby and Malkin against each other in five-on-five combat. They saw some changes with Bunting and Rakell as third man.

Especially when a guy like Rust isn't in the lineup, he may often fall back on it in the early going to provide an offensive spark.

“I thought at the beginning of the game they had some good shifts,” Sullivan said. “They almost scored. As the game progressed, it once again became more symptomatic of how our entire team was playing. That was part of the logic of why we did this, so we'll see how it goes. But it is certainly something we have done in the past and we may try again. It will all depend on what the group looks like.

– It's game one, but the power play seemed to be returning to some of its old habits that weren't present in the preseason.

Related: Inside The Penguins' New Look Power Play

There were cross-ice passes that didn't hit. Missed shooting opportunities. Lots of perimeter passages. And of course there were several shorthanded opportunities, with Kreider's goal being the result of an errant cross-ice pass from Malkin.

When the team is not doing well, it is difficult to muster a lot of energy. But clear, clean and short passes made the power play work in the preseason, and hopefully that will be the case against Detroit.

– Again it's game one. Tristan Jarry was not good in this game. Not a great start for a guy who will be under the microscope for much of this season.

However, the team defense didn't help him at all. Marcus Pettersson had an unusually chaotic game defensively and was actually saved by Karlsson a few times (something you don't see every day), and the lead pair of Kris Letang and Matt Grzelcyk were a mess.

I think the defensive schemes were very similar to last season, so I don't expect the Penguins to become a strong defensive team any time soon. But much of the defensive corps is the same as last season, so this is a bit concerning.

Even the only newcomer, Grzelcyk, told me recently that Boston's system isn't much different than Pittsburgh's, so the adjustment might be too much.

I'll take my time, but there were definitely some warning signs.

– On the positive side, there were some positive aspects to take away from this game.

The third line of Lars Eller, Jesse Puljujarvi and Rutger McGroarty – who made his NHL debut and took his honorable “rookie lap” before warmups – was definitely the strongest line. They created a few chances and it seemed like the chemistry was right. Despite the chaos in the top 6, this is a combination that I wouldn't change yet.

Anthony Beauvillier also had a pretty good debut with the Penguins. He stayed on Crosby's line all night and had several chances, and his play on the wall and in the defensive zone were both pretty strong. He made some nice stick plays in the defensive zone.

But if I had to highlight one player tonight, I think Cody Glass had a particularly strong game. He stood out in all three zones, he looked great on the penalty kill, had a few big shot blocks and his skating looked great.

This is a guy I would consider moving next to Crosby if they can't find the right fit on his left side in the future. I definitely see the offense as positive, and he is a responsible player on both sides of the puck. He's a pretty dynamic player.

– The Penguins won another offside challenge in the first period. In the end it didn't matter, but her record in these challenges is impeccable.

– The Rangers block a lot of shots. Lots of shots. And – I hate to say it, but – this is a very, very good team.

In the defensive zone, they block a ton of shots and clog up the passing and shooting lanes like crazy, keeping play going all the way to the rim. They excel at attacking, which was evident in half of their goals tonight. And once they have the ball in the offensive zone, it's difficult to keep up with them.

There's a reason these guys won the President's Trophy last season. They are a good hockey team and will be a problem for the East this season.

See also: “Now it’s really starting”: Puljujarvi wants to find his game this season