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Penguins look to build on strong start

Apr 11, 2008 - 1:23 PM Ottawa at Pittsburgh 7:00 pm EDT Eastern Conference quarterfinals Penguins lead, 1-0

PITTSBURGH (Ticker) - The Pittsburgh Penguins couldn't have asked for a better start to the 2008 playoffs.

The Penguins try to take a two-games-to-none lead in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals when they host the Ottawa Senators in Game Two on Friday.

Pittsburgh was impressive on Wednesday as Gary Roberts scored twice, Evgeni Malkin added a goal and two assists and Marc-Andre Fleury made 26 saves en route to a convincing 4-0 victory over the Senators in the series opener.

"We had a good start for the series," Pittsburgh coach Michel Therrien said. "We played a good game, a solid game. It was a good team effort. It was a great way to start the series."

With the pair of goals, Roberts, who returned to the lineup for the regular-season finale after missing 43 games with a broken leg, now has 14 tallies and 23 points in 24 career postseason contests against the Senators.

"Obviously the adrenaline of being back in Game One and playing at home and the playoffs obviously helps," Roberts said. "I didn't have a lot of jump in my legs out there, I just tried to be in the right place at the right time."

"(Roberts) feels good against us," Ottawa defenseman Wade Redden said. "It seems he just gets to the net. He's a guy that competes and battles, and good things seem to happen to him when he does that."

Ottawa, which is already without second-line center Mike Fisher and 40-goal scorer and team captain Daniel Alfredsson due to knee injuries, might not have Anton Volchenkov on Friday after the Russian defenseman was hit in the head Wednesday while trying to block a slap shot by Evgeni Malkin.

Volchenkov received stitches in his forehead and did not return. His status for Friday's contest is uncertain.