INSTANT ANALYSIS: Under-Fire First Period the Difference in Pittsburgh

The Blackhawks head home from their opening trip with one point to show from the opening three games, dropping a 5-2 result to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night to close out the season's first week.
Patrick Kane and Kirby Dach found the scoresheet in the second and third periods, but it was too late chasing a multi-goal deficit to make a difference -- an all-to-familiar sight from the early going.
"Certainly not the start we wanted and (then) ultimately we're under fire for most of the period. They scored on their chances," head coach Jeremy Colliton said. "I thought we had some better stretches in the second and third, but ultimately, again, can't dig yourself a hole that deep and expect that you're going to be able to come back.
"We've got a chance to come home and regroup and I think this group has a much better level than we've shown."

POSTGAME LINKS
GAMECENTER: CHI at PIT
RECAP: Blackhawks Fall to Penguins, 5-2 
HIGHLIGHTS: CHI at PIT
GALLERY: Blackhawks at Penguins

DEJA VU

For the third straight game, the Blackhawks found themselves trailing in the opening minutes of action, and for the second straight night within seconds of the opening draw.
A cross-ice pass on the game's first odd-man rush caught the skate of a sprawling Seth Jones and redirected between the legs of Marc-Andre Fleury just 15 ticks of the clock into the contest. It was the first in a dreadful period for Chicago, allowing four goals in the opening 11:25 of action, ending Fleury's night in his longtime home and leaving a big hole for the Blackhawks to try to climb out of yet again.
"The odd-man rushes are not good, what we're giving up," defenseman Connor Murphy said. "Whether it's us making poor puck decisions or not getting on top of their players coming out of their end and them having speed and more numbers than us back, or sorting issues. There's different things for different plays, but it's consistency that we need in how we know how to play. We need more shifts strung together to give ourselves better opportunities and not leave our goalies hanging out like we did."
"It's one of those things, you say it, and it's like it almost comes true for you," Colliton said of the emphasis on better starts. "But we have to take responsibility for it and understand it's getting in the way of the success we need to have…. When you give up those early goals, it's hard on the confidence."
The 0-2-1 record to start brings the team home from their opening trip with just a single point for the second season in a row. Home ice advantage last year kicked off a run of points in nine of the following 10 games, and with a full building expected at the United Center on Tuesday night, the Blackhawks hope history can repeat itself on that front.
"If we have a better start, we can build off of that," Colliton explained. "It's been the starts that have kind of dented our swagger. We've got a day to regroup and then we've got to prepare really well and come out with a ton of energy and make sure we're sharp from puck drop (on Tuesday night)."

SOUR HOMECOMING

Fleury's night back in front of his longtime fans in Pittsburgh was a frustrating one and undoubtedly much shorter than planned. The scoreboard showed four goals against when he was replaced by Kevin Lankinen at 11:25 of the first period, but it was far from the veteran netminder's fault.
"Feel bad tonight leaving Flower out to dry, especially him coming back to Pittsburgh," Kane said after the game. "To perform like that in front of him in the first period is unacceptable."
The first goal deflected off a defenseman in front of him. The second saw a wrapped around puck die along the end boards as he waited for it in the trapezoid safe area behind the net, allowing the Pittsburgh forecheck to collapse and capitalize on the goalie behind his own cage. The third saw little hope to get a glove on a cross-crease diving effort on a blistering 2-on-1 one-timer. And the fourth, a blind look from the blue paint with two bodies directly in front of him as a shot from the high slot was tucked under the bar.
"Poor Flower," Murphy added. "The guy's an All-Star and we just leave him two of those games with those great opportunities right off the bat. He deserves a lot better from us."
"It's not something you want to do," Colliton said of the move. "As a team, we've got to be better to protect our goalies. Ultimately we now he's going to be a big part of our success. He'll move on. He's been through stuff before. It's not a new thing. When you go through your career, some of these things happen."

SPECIAL TEAMS

While 5-on-5 play hasn't been up to par thus far on the year, the Blackhawks are firing on all cylinders both on the power play and penalty kill through three games.
The man advantage struck for the third straight game on Saturday night as Kane's one-time bid from the top of the circle in the second period dented the Penguins' four-goal lead. The penalty kill remained perfect on the year, killing off all three Chicago infractions on the night.
The Blackhawks are tied for the NHL lead in power-play goals on the young season with four in the first three skates (4-for-11, 36.4%). They are one of six teams still perfect on the kill through the opening week, with the most penalties killed of that group thus far (8-for-8).