Winger Patrick Eaves was not at Mellon Arena when Ottawa practiced yesterday and will not play tonight in Game 4 of the opening-round playoff series against the Penguins at Mellon Arena, but coach Bryan Murray said Eaves' head injury is not serious.

"He still needs a little time," Murray said. "He's got a little headache, but he's OK."

Senators center Jason Spezza called the hit on Eaves by Penguins winger Colby Armstrong "dirty," but Murray said the third-period check Sunday that left Eaves motionless on the ice and required that he be taken off on a stretcher was within the rules.

It's the rules that Murray has a problem with. Eaves is one of several players who have missed games this season because of concussions and other head injuries sustained in games, sometimes because of what are considered clean hits.

"I do think it's an issue that the league has to address," he said. "I know that guys don't try to bury people in that fashion. I think you try to knock people down. I don't think Colby Armstrong tried to hit Patty Eaves and knock him out in the game. He wanted to get a big hit on him, though.

"I think that something has to be done about guys who get hit in the head, whether it be an Ottawa player doing the hitting or otherwise. I'm sure the league, after this year and after the attention that's been given to it, will address the issue."

Murray would like to see some sort of automatic penalty or other punishment for hitting an opponent in the head.

"If you mandate that you can't hit people in the head, then you get called for it whether you intended to or not," he said. "I don't think Colby meant to hurt Patty Eaves in that situation, but it happened and maybe if there were a league rule or policy, something then would be done about it."

Boo birds

Senators winger Mike Comrie, an Edmonton native, had never heard the Canadian anthem booed until some of the fans at Mellon Arena did so Sunday night, enough that they could clearly be heard.

"I think that they're just excited for the playoffs and they were trying to let their presence to be felt," he said. "I don't think it was disrespect."

He might not be so willing, then, to let them off the hook if they boo the Canadian anthem again tonight.

Close call

Someone suggested to center Dean McAmmond that he won his fight Sunday with Penguins center Maxime Talbot.

"I don't know. He came out of the gate pretty good and I took a few from him right off the bat," McAmmond said. "I wanted to see if he could just tire himself out and just tried to give some back to him."

The fight came after the hit on Eaves and while trainers and doctors were attending to him. McAmmond said he didn't see Armstrong's hit but got involved as a matter of responsibility.

"I turned around and I saw the scrum, so I just jumped in," he said.

Slap shots

Murray said Oleg Saprykin, who has not played in this series, will replace Eaves in the lineup. ... Ottawa had a little better attendance -- 12 skaters and backup goaltender Martin Gerber -- at its practice than the Penguins had. ... Going into last night's games, Ottawa captain Daniel Alfredsson and Penguins center Sidney Crosby were tied for the playoff lead with five points. ... Despite going 1 for 9 on the power play in Game 2, the Senators ranked fourth among playoff teams with a conversion rate of 22.2 percent. ... Ottawa ranked 14th in penalty killing at 76.5 percent, one slot behind the Penguins (77.8 percent).