Worry about the defense later

Malkin’s pass made it happen. He faked a shot from the right circle and delivered a perfectly placed (and paced) pass to Letang at the center point, right in his wheelhouse.

So maybe we look back on this game and say it was the beginning of a bad trend, a second consecutive year in which the Penguins play a little (or a lot) too loose.

But how about we save that conversation for another day?

I like goals, you like goals, we all like goals — and the goal spree erupted early as Tom Hanks looked on from the crowd. (Maybe he’s looking to do another “Sully” movie.)

The Penguins even let Brooks Orpik score a goal. Orpik hadn’t scored in a regular-season game since Feb. 6, 2016 — a span of 182 games.

Honest question: Had Orpik ever scored on an unscreened slap shot from just inside the blue line? He went 5-hole on Matt Murray, definitely not meaning to.

Those two goals were sandwiched between a Jamie Oleksiak blast from the top of the left circle and a Guentzel tally. The second came on what looks to be a dangerous second power-play unit that also features Justin Schultz, Jack Johnson and Daniel Sprong.

Pucks were flying in everywhere — even on a deflected shot that went off the netting above the glass and then off Holtby’s behind and into the net (some people actually thought it counted). By the time Ovechkin scored on a deflection eight minutes in, it looked like it might be a 10-9 game.

I kind of wish it was.