Rangers-Thrashers, Pens-Sens about to get under way.

Pens called for a penalty in the first seconds of the game- Sens to the PP.

NBC pointed out as the game started that Ottawa is in their 15th playoff series, and has NEVER won the first two games.

Fleury glove save with :39 left in the Ott PP. After the faceoff, Alfie commits a foul and heads for the box- 4 on 4 for :33, and then a shortened Pens' PP.

Whitney shoots (looked like it was going wide), and Phillips deflects it with his skate past Emery.

1-0 Penguins.

Barely 4:00 into the 1st, and we have another PP (Ott again this time).

Schubert gets knocked out by the ice as he tries to avoid getting run down by Talbot- kind of jumped/ran into Talbot with his left side, and hit his head on the ice as he came down. Finally up and off under his own power, but headed for the room- precautionary xrays, no doubt.

Turning into a physical game- Kelly gets run into the boards, but goes to the box for retaliating.... Malkin gets flattened at center ice with the Pens on the PP....

Sens get another PP with 3:27 left in the 1st- several shots, but no tying goal.

1-0 Penguins, end 1st.

edit: also 1-0 Rangers end 1st.

Sens get a PP 3:30 in the 2nd.....

On this PP, Talbot goes down holding his face by the boards- no call, no one saw what happened (he caught a stick right in the chops). As Fleury saves with :02 left in the PP, a small scrum.

With 6:00 gone in the 2nd, there has not been a SOG this period by either team.

Another big scrum after a stoppage, and I thought I saw blood at the left eye of one of the Pens' players. They cut to commercial, so we'll see the result(s) in a moment.

My error- it was Neil bleeding from the left eye.

Result is 4 on 4 hockey.

Lots of open-ice trips being let go by the refs. both teams looking for killer hits now.

Alfie shoots, Fleury stops but doesn't cover, and Spezza roofs the rebound-

1-1.

Good action this period at both ends.

On their 4th PP of the 2nd period, Alfie finally gets a shot to go in-

it's 2-1 Senators with 3:15 left in the 2nd.

The 3rd begins with the drop of the puck, and Comrie and Armstrong dropping the gloves. Not much of a fight, but Comrie the winner considering the takedown.

Pittsburgh immediately gets a PP on the ensueing play.

Emery gives up a huge rebound, and Roberts fires it into the empty side of the net.

2-2.

Couple minutes later, Ottawa retakes the lead.

3-2.

Neglected to mention a Kovalchuk goal, and the Thrash and Rangers are tied mid 3rd.

Just as I hit post, Roberts hit Staal with a beautiful pass, and the Pens have tied it up again.

Now Ott hits the post.....

Malkin to Recchi to Crosby......

4-3 Pens.

Malkin gets called for holding the stick......

Pens are doing a great job of killing penalties, and then keeping ottawa away from clear shots on net. There's under 4:00 to go in regulation, and the sens are already looking desparate in their own barn.

Sens with the empty net..... under 1:00..... great save by Fleury with :13.1 left....

Pens win, 4-3 final.

Great game, and the rest of this series should be real playoff hockey.

While this game was heating up, Shanahan put one in for the Rangers, and they win to take a 2-0 lead in games over the Thrash.

Game 3 of Pens-Sens is actually Sens-Pens at Mellon tomorrow night- should be a barn-burner.

Both evening games are under way now- the Bolts and devils tied 1-1 at the end of 1 period, and the Isles off to a 1-0 lead early in the 1st.

I turn on the Isles-Sabres, and the Isles score right off the faceoff- it's 2-0 now.

1:10 left 1st, Buffalo pings the post, and at 1:02, hits nothing but net.

2-1.

Almost halfway through the 2nd, and it's still 2-1. Pretty good game, but nowhere near as physical as the earlier Pens-Sens.

2-1 end 2nd.

Bolts and Devils tied 2-2, the 3rd just started. MSL and VL both have goals again tonight.

Early in the 3rd the sabres pepper Ricky D with shots, and the fourth one goes in.

2-2.

The Isles respond and get the lead back, 3-2 mid 3rd. meanwhile, the Lightning beat the Devils 3-2 to even their series at 1 game each.

3:00 left, and the Islanders are playing keepaway.... 2:33, they ice the puck.

A faceoff, and now it's down to 1:30.... 1:15.... Isles keeping the puck in the Sabres' end.... 1:09, Buffalo uses their timeout....  the Isles control, and chip it into the Sabres' zone.... the Sabres get it out, and pull the goalie.... :30 left.... Isles ice the puck with :17 left.... Sillinger wins the draw.... the Isles miss the open net, but time runs out.

Islanders win 3-2.