-Ottawa opened its playoff series with their biggest loss to the Penguins this season. Although the team held their own 5-on-5, their special teams were awful as Pittsburgh scored 2 powerplay goals and a shortie. Craig Anderson did not have the form he did against Montreal, making 26 saves in the loss, while Colin Greening scored the only goal. Here’s the boxscore. Scott had the scoring chances 18/14, and however shaky Tomas Vokoun looked he only allowed one goal. Eric Gryba was hurt in the loss and while I’d normally expect Patrick Wiercioch to replace him,if he still isn’t healthy enough to go presumably Andre Benoit will join the lineup (or perhaps even Mark Borowiecki, whose best NHL game was against the Penguins).
–The Raaymaker had a hard time coming up with positives from the game, but he liked Sergei Gonchar and Jean-Gabriel Pageau, while dumping on Anderson, Jared Cowen, and Eric Gryba. He also doesn’t like Milan Michalek because he didn’t put up points last night.
–Scott Burnside see’s some positives for Ottawa in the loss:
In fact, one of the interesting things about this series — the fourth time the teams have met in the postseason since the 2007 playoffs — is that the Senators resemble a slightly less developed, less refined version of the Penguins themselves. The Senators move the puck quickly and smartly out of their zone and are patient with the puck in the offensive zone. If they lack the finish of the Penguins, it is a function of a lack of raw skill and experience as opposed to will or understanding. The differences, then, separating these two teams in this series-opening game were subtle, the kinds of differences that almost always separate the teams that can take a first-round series victory and build on it, and those that cannot.
–Stu Hackel jumps in with a late series preview and also thinks the Sens have a great powerplay.
This article is written by Peter Levi (@eyeonthesens)
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eyeonthesens 
I gave you a heads up to what was in store for the Sens. Chris Neil was not a factor as the Pens hacked him and no penalties were called. A lot different for the last series. Anderson will have to stand on his head if this is to be a long series.