The same two teams.  A lot of the same players.  But this time there was a different team dominating the play.  The Pens went right at the Senators from the drop of the puck, and the Pens rolled the Senators 4-0.  The win gives the Pens a pivotal 1-0 lead in the series, as the Senators really could have used the first game.  It was really kind of weird how this first game mirrored the first one of last year's series. 

First of all, how huge was Gary Roberts last night for the Pens?  Roberts had made screwing the Sens in the playoffs his life's work, and he did so again last night.  Roberts, who a lot of people weren't sure was going to be ready to play after missing three months with a broken ankle, set the tone early.  First of all he bumped Wade Redden off the puck, and came in front of the net, and flipped a backhander past Martin Gerber.  Like the Sens scoring 1:38 into the first game last year set the tone for how the series would play out, Roberts' goal at 1:08 felt the same way.  He was apart of a incredible cycle in the second period, where the Sens weren't able to get the puck off of him and linemates Georges Laraque and Max Talbot.  Roberts added the capper with a minute and half left, but wasn't content with that.  A late scrum ensued after he checked a Senator, and be forced off the ice by the refs while looking to take on three different Sens.  Trust me those that were looking to fight Roberts, the refs did you a favor.

Another thing that was big for the Pens last night was Evgeni Malkin.  Malkin had a goal and two assists, already topping his performance from last year's playoffs.  The poke check on Mike Commodore that lead to the 2-1 break and Pens second goal was a thing of beauty.  Malkin was playing tight defense all night, and back checking well.  If he gets going along with Crosby who nearily missed his first goal of the playoffs, the Pens are going to hard to stop.

Kind of lost in the shuffle was the performance of Marc-Andre Fleury and the defense.  This is clearly not the same unit the Sens shredded last year.  The Sens had some big chances to get back in the game, as they had two 5-3s, both for over 50 seconds.  Those kills were just huge.  Including the 5-3s, the Sens were 0-7 on the PP, and Corey Stillman's clanker off the pipe was the closet they got to scoring.  The Pens sent a message that they won't be pushed around like they were last year.  Martin LaPointe went after Fleury and was slammed to the ice by Talbot.  Granted Fleury intiated the scrum, but that type of stand was rare last year.  Wade Redden went after Crosby, and Ryan Whitney of all people, probably the least physical of all the Pens, gave him a through beatdown.  The Sens were never able to get into a clear rhythm and hard time generating 5-5.  Jason Spezza said after the game that Pens weren't the better team 5-5.  Apprentely he played in another game last night.  Fleury wasn't tested much, but when he was, he answered.  The questions about him are starting to be silenced.

The Pens did what they needed to do.  They jumped on the Senators early and often.  Martin Gerber was the only thng standing between the Pens putting up 8 last night.  Give him much credit, because he was the only player that showed up for the Sens last night.  The Canadian press dubbed the Sens a sleeping giant the Pens should fear.  Take out the giant and fear part and you have it right.  The goal for any team starting out ont the road is to get a split, and the Sens are going to go back to the drawing board to get that.  Bank on Alfredsson being rushed back into this series, because without him, the Sens are a punchless, directionless team.  The Pens kept their home ice advantage, and will look for much of the same in Game 2 on Friday.