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Crosby, Penguins start playoffs vs. Senators

Apr 11, 2007 - 1:20 PM Pittsburgh (47-24-11) at Ottawa (48-25-9) 7:00 pm EDT Eastern Conference quarterfinals

OTTAWA (Ticker) -- Sidney Crosby has proven he can make a difference in the regular season. Now he must prove he is ready to make an impact in the postseason.

The second-year superstar leads the Pittsburgh Penguins into Ottawa Wednesday to face the Senators in Game One of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals.

The last time the Pittsburgh was in the playoffs (2000-2001) Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux came out of retirement in midseason and led them to the conference finals. Sidney Crosby was in middle school.

The youngest player in NHL history to win the scoring title, the 19-year-old Crosby gets his first taste of the postseason against one of the league's top offensive clubs. And with a good portion of the Penguins' roster also making its playoff debut, Crosby has a tall order ahead of him.

Despite holding a decided advantage in postseason experience, Ottawa must find a way to win a close game against Pittsburgh. The Senators' lone victory in the four-game season series was a 6-3 decision. Their three losses were each by one goal, with two coming via the shootout.

A perennial Stanley Cup favorite, Ottawa still is seeking its first Finals appearance. The Senators have bowed out in the conference quarterfinals four of the last seven postseasons and won only four series during that span.

The majority of the Penguins lineup, including five of the team's top seven scorers, will be making their playoff debut.

The Penguins enter the series in high gear, having gone 6-1-1 in their last eight regular-season games.

The Senators remain one of the most potent offensive teams in the league. They finished second overall with 288 goals, while Dany Heatley was runner-up for the Maurice Richard Trophy with 50 tallies. Heatley, who led the NHL with 10 game-winning goals, scored eight times over his last eight games and netted four goals in four games against Pittsburgh.