Dan Muse Sends Stern Message To Penguins After Game 1 Loss originally appeared on SportsNet Pittsburgh. Add SportsNet Pittsburgh as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Dan Muse knows his team has to be better if they are going to advance to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Penguins hosted their in-state rival, the Philadelphia Flyers, in Game 1 on Saturday. However, Pittsburgh struggled as Philadelphia led 1-0, 2-1, and 3-1 to pick up a huge 3-2 win in Game 1.

It was a disappointing result for the Penguins, and Muse believes the team didn’t play close to its best.

“Give them credit,” Muse said postgame on Saturday. “They came in and they executed their game plan. We need to be better in terms of executing ours, and we got to be better, just in general.”

Although Muse wasn’t pleased with how the Penguins played, it is a long series and he’s confident the team can get back on track in Game 2.

Evgeni Malkin, meanwhile, knows they are much better than they played in Game 1 and expects a much different result next game.

“I mean, we played good all year long,” Malkin said. “We know how we play and we just, like, maybe nervous too much or we want (it) too much. We just not thinking a little bit, I think. Everybody wants to play good. I understand. But again, we have a couple bad turnovers. We not play good power play tonight.

“But again, it's just the first game. We understand, we not play (in playoffs) three years. Everybody, like, a little bit nervous, but we have a chance, for sure. We need to just play simple and a little bit better.”

Game 2 of the Penguins vs. Flyers series is set for Monday at 7 p.m. ET.

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