‘Sid and the Kids’are all right

Mike Sullivan’s decision to throw together Sidney Crosby, Conor Sheary and Jake Guentzel was two parts pragmatism and one part experimentation.

The Pittsburgh Penguins were banged up in mid-March and needed a spark. So Sullivan put the best player in the game alongside a couple of 20somethings who make up for in energy and intelligence what they lack in pedigree.

“Sid and the Kids” are growing up on the job. And the defending Stanley Cup champions are only too happy to ride the wave.

Crosby had a goal and two assists, Guentzel scored the first NHL playoff goal and Sheary added a brilliant secondary assist as the Penguins rolled by the frustrated Columbus Blue Jackets 4-1 on Friday in Game 2 of the first-round series.

Sheary’s determination set up Crosby’s 50th playoff goal to give Pittsburgh a first-period lead and Guentzel buried a cross-ice pass from Crosby to put the Penguins ahead near the game’s midpoint as the Penguins went up 2-0 in the best-of-seven series. Game 3 is Sunday night in Columbus.

Evgeni Malkin scored his first goal of the post-season, and Patric Hornqvist pushed in an empty-net goal. Marc-Andre Fleury finished with 39 saves while filling in for the injured Matt Murray, and received plenty of help. The Penguins blocked 23 shots before they even got to their goaltender.

Brandon Saad scored for Columbus , and Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 28 shots but the Blue Jackets continued to have issues offensively. Columbus has scored more than three goals just once in its last 13 games.