PITTSBURGH — The temperature was set at the morning skates.
“It takes a period and you already hate the other guys,” Penguins pest Maxime Talbot said of the NHL’s post-season tournament. “It’s awesome. If you don’t have it in the first game of a playoffs, you learn to hate them pretty quick. You know it can go to seven games, so it’s important to leave a message.”
Down the hall in the Senators dressing room a short while later, Matt “Big Country” Carkner was succinct with a similar message.
“I hate every one of them,” he said of the Penguins.
Hours later, there was a lot of love in and around the visitors dressing room as a jovial group of Senators picked up what they wanted to in this week’s trip to Pittsburgh — a win over the defending Cup champions.
They’ll shoot for a second on Friday, but if they don’t get it, at least they’ve stolen home-ice advantage away from the Penguins.
Giving the Senators a lead they would never relinquish in Game 1 was a guy who inflicts more hate — both with his fists and his bone-rattling hits — than any of his teammates: Chris Neil.
It was with a sniper’s eye that the franchise’s all-time PIMs leader scored on a great, top-shelf shot at 14:08 of the first period.
Was it the nicest goal of his career? Neil swatted away such a question.
“It doesn’t matter about me out there, it’s about the team,” he said. “And we won (Wednesday), so that’s the main thing.
“If we would have lost that one, it would have been heartbreaking.”
Indeed, had they let the Penguins come back after controlling of Game 1, the Senators would have hated themselves in the morning.
Starts and stops
CJOH sports director Terry Marcotte was one hour from completing the long drive to Pittsburgh Tuesday when he received a call from home telling him he forgot his luggage. Terry scored a good deal here on six new pairs of underwear, but “they feel weird,” he said. Something to think about if you see him making funny faces during his sportscast ... Thirteen was an unlucky number for Peter Regin in his first NHL playoff game. He took a penalty in the first, and 13 seconds later Evgeni Malkin scored. He took a penalty in the second, and 13 seconds later Malkin scored again. In between, at least he scored his first NHL goal ... Regin completed his hat trick of penalties in the third, but Malkin could not take advantage ... The Senators’ game plan was to come out hitting, but it was the Penguins who were the more physical squad in the first, with Chris Campoli receiving a couple of the roughest rides. Unshaken, Campoli masterfully set up Chris Kelly in the second, as he clearly aimed for the portion of the end glass the puck hit before bouncing out in front, with Marc-Andre Fleury caught trying to field it along the end boards.
BETWEEN PERIODS
It’s the third period and the Senators are up 4-2. Sidney Crosby has two assists, on power plays, but not even one shot on goal. All of a sudden Craig Adams scores, something he hasn’t done in 111 regular-season games dating back to December 2008. Maybe Senators coach Cory Clouston has to start putting Chris Phillips and Anton Volchenkov on the ice against him ... Not even the softest seat at Bert’s (beach) Bar could keep Senators owner Eugene Melnyk from making the trip to The Igloo. He watched the game in a box with GM Bryan Murray and assistant GM Tim Murray ... Put French lessons I’m taking to use on Max Talbot, a former Hull Olympique, after the morning skate. “Combien ça coûte? (How much does that cost?),” I ask. Without missing a beat, Max replied: “Ah, you’ve been talking to the girls at Pigale.” ... Under the category of coincidences: Clouston (41) is one year older than Dan Bylsma, to the day. They were both born on Sept. 19.
THINGS I THINK I THINK
Nice to see Ottawa finally waking up and smelling the playoffs. Only 750 tickets remain for each of Games 3 and 4. That means the SBP box-office spit out a total of 3,500 ducats since Monday. But don’t get too cocky, Sens fans. Game 1 marked the Penguins' 160th consecutive sellout.
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