Faceoff Factor

For Penguins, Key Phrase Is “Go First”

Jesse Marshall | Pittsburgh Penguins

Apr 7, 10:29 PM | Hype this story!

It only took 1:37 for Andrej Mezaros to welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins to the NHL playoffs last year. From there, that goal snowballed into a 3-0 Senators lead. A 6-3 final in Ottawa left a sour taste in everyone’s mouth.

Coach Michel Therrien had that much to say after the game.

“The positive thing is that the first game is under their belts, I didn’t think our team was tight, but I guess they were. We can’t do worse than that. That’s probably one of the worst performances we had this year.’‘

Baptism by fire, indeed. Ray Shero recalls sitting in the press box thinking, “Come on, guys. The game’s started!” as he not so fondly recalled on Fox Sports Pittsburgh last week.

That about sums it up, Ray.

Even though the Penguins struggled on to win game 2, you almost knew the death knell had sounded.

Fast forward a year.

It almost seems to be a complete role reversal. Last year, Ottawa went 31-7-8 from Dec. 23 to the end of the season. This year? Ottawa has the worst record in the NHL since January 1.

Whatever the case, the Penguins will have to be the ones to initiate. Last year, the series ended before they even knew it started. Home ice would have gone a long way for those young Penguins.

It’s time for this young crew to show they’ve learned a hard lesson from last years series. They need to make the first hit, score the first goal, and win the first game. While Ottawa is a team on its heels, if you open the door for them, there’s now doubt they can flip the switch.

There are the obvious lineup changes that play in favor of the Penguins as well. Marian Hossa’s arrival couldn’t be more ironic at this point. The criticism of his past playoff performances in Ottawa still echo on message-boards and websites all across Senator Nation. This will be Hossa’s chance at revenge. The biggest stage in the world to prove he can be a steady playoff threat.

Hal Gill is no stranger to the Senators either. He did his time with the Boston Bruins and, more notably, the Toronto Maple Leafs. Gills presence on the blueline is one that was non-existent last season. Add in the addition of a capable puck-mover in Kris Letang and you’ve got some fairly different looks on the defensive side of the coin.

For the Senators, the story isn’t so sweet. Good decision-makers and Penguin-killers Tom Preissing and Joe Corvo have departed for different pastures. Chris Kelly, Mike Fisher, and Daniel Alfredsson are all on the shelf.

Brian Murray has already attempted to jump start his troops. The feeling in Ottawa has almost been morose. The story that Murray has cooked up about the Penguins allegedly “tanking” to face Ottawa will surely raise eyebrows all across the NHL and draw a “be careful what you wish for” ire all throughout Ottawa.

For the Penguins, the message is clear. Jump on this team often and early.

Sidney Crosby and his crew have a serious advantage in front of them.

Take it by the horns and go first.