PREGAME

Our bandwidth is back to adequate levels tonight, so if you get the urge, fire us an e-mail. srorabaugh@post-gazette.com. Our savior in the bandwidth increase is Mario Lemieux.

"Fix Empty Netters' bandwidth now!"

It's heartbreaking to thing that this might be Mike Lange's final game as an announcer. Why exactly is FSN's motto "Penguins Fans First?"

An online petition to keep Mr. Lange.

Our finest Australian fan checks in:

"I'm off to work now, with no way to know what's happening until I get home in about nine hours. I'm hoping to come home to good news. I know you're not going to be at the game, but you're still closer than me, so cheer for me? Please? Hoping for the best." -- Lisa Weir, Perth, Australia

EN: As objective journalists, we adhere to the "no cheering in the press box" rule in this business, even if the "press box" is the basement of Castle Empty Netters. But we're sure we can get the word out for others to pick up the slack for you Lisa.

Erik Christensen will return to the lineup in place of Nils Ekman.

Being behind the wall of the FSN embargo, we will be relaying information to you as FSN offers it to us. If you get anything worthwhile from Radio Free Versus, send your observations to us.

Lyndon Slewidge offers fine renditions of the national anthems. He just needs to lose the train conductor outfit.

And the pompom. Jeff Jimerson would never stoop to such cheap parlor tricks.

FIRST PERIOD

19:00 -- Exactly one minute into this fray, Wade Redden trips Michel Ouellet and the Penguins get a power play.

18:14 -- Dean McAmmond flips the puck into the crowd and the Penguins get will get a two-man advantage for 1:14. They need to capitalize on this.

16:28 -- What's up with the Senators? Christoph Schubert throws the puck over the glass also. Another delay of game penalty.

15:32 -- Crosby fires a shot right into the chest of Emery. The Senators goalkeeper gives up a rebound but is able to snuff out another scoring opportunity for Crosby.

14:28 -- The last of the Senators' penalties expires. The Penguins spent over four minutes on the power play, much of it with a two-man advantage and weren't able to score. Not good.

13:38 -- Brooks Orpik takes a hooking penalty.

10:59 -- We see Georges Laraque's in the lineup. There had been rumors floating around sever Internet message boards that he had actually packed his bags and left the team out of frustration. We're SHOCKED that it wasn't true.

9:28 -- Leroux to Robitaille.

9:17 -- Gary Roberts show a lot of guts and flops down to the ice to block a shot in the slot by Mike Comrie.

7:51 -- Some Outkast:

4:38 -- In about a 25 second span, the Penguins unofficially block six shots.

3:12 -- Andrej Meszaros thumps Jarkko Ruutu with a big check at center ice.

2:36 -- Play is stopped for Ryan Whitney who is laying on the ice in pain after blocking an Ottawa slap shot. He is helped to the bench and limps to the locker room. Ouch.

0:27 -- Brooks Oprik is called for a cross-check on Comrie along the boards.

0:00 -- End of period. After the buzzer, Jason Spezza puts a shoulder into Colby Armstrong along the boards. A small scrum ensues. The Senators will get over 1:30 of power play time on clean ice. Penguins 0, Senators 0.

FIRST INTERMISSON

We supposed it's good that the Penguins dominated the attack for the most part in the first period. But it's obviously terrible they weren't able to cash in with so much time on the power play.

Holy gym teacher Batman! is Chris Neil in shape. Before games, the Senators kick a soccer ball around in a circle in the hallways of whatever stadium they're playing in. Well tonight, the ball got stuck above some duct work. Neil jumped on top of a chair and pulled himself pull-up style over the duct and retrieved the ball.

SECOND PERIOD

18:52 -- Daniel Alfredsson makes a nifty pass from behind the net to Dany Heatley who pounds home a shot for a goal. Senators 1-0.

17:32 -- "Fleeeeerrrrrrr-----eeeeeeeeee, Fllleerrrrrr-eeeeeee."

17:11 -- Chris Kelly takes a feed from Peter Schaefer in the slot, but Marc-Andre Fleury absolutely robs him with a glove save.

17:00 -- "Fleeeeerrrrrrr-----eeeeeeeeee, Fllleerrrrrr-eeeeeee."

15:46 -- Sidney Crosby drives towards the net without the puck and Anton Volchenkov pulls him down to the ice. Two minutes.

15:19 -- Some Eric Prydz with "Call on Me." We'd post the video, but there's this whole "getting fired" thing that the Post-Gazette would do to us. And we've heard less than stellar things about that.

13:40 -- Kelly steals a bad pass from Serge Gonchar. Kelly then feeds it to a streaking Anton Vermette who beats Gonchar to the net and pounds the puck past Fleury. Senators 2-0.

12:17 -- Wow what a graphic from FSN Pittsburgh. The Senators's third and fourth lines have 11 points this series. The Penguins have gotten one point from those respective units.

6:30 -- Roooooobbb-eeeerrrttttsss, Roooobbbb-eeerrttttssss.

4:28 -- Empty Netters Spiritual Advisor Randy Stoernell assigns blame in the Penguins' 2-0 deficit:

"It's All Kordell's fault."

2:05 -- The hole's deeper. With Rob Scuderi and Fleury laying in the crease, Kelly swoops in on a loose puck and puts a shot up over both Penguins. EN friend Jason Yarosik tells us to start writing our post-game wrap up. Senators 3-0.

1:15 -- Comrie comes streaking down the left wing and blasts a slapper off the far post. The puck ricochets out and Fleury freezes it.

0:00 -- End of period. Senators fans give their team a standing ovation. Senators 3, Penguins 0.

SECOND INTERMISSION

A few readers check in:

"I cannot deal with only 20 more minutes of hockey. But alas next year, we will not have to hear about all the Pens that have never been in a playoff game. Might as well finish the Iron City tonight.

Also thanks for the Peanuts breaking it down to Outkast. I missed the first minute of the 2nd because of it. I will try to remember that rather than more squandered power plays when this is all over." -- Jim Buxton, Columbus, Ohio

EN: Save us one Jim.

"Considering it was a 105 point season, only the Penguins were two points out of first place in the Atlantic Division; this playoff performance is the worst coaching effort in the history of Pittsburgh sports. Simple awful, a disgrace." -- Peter Stanick, Bradenton, Florida

EN: Sounds like Peter needs one too, Jim.

THIRD PERIOD

19:17 -- Anton Volchecnkov basket catches a loose puck and is given a penalty for closing his hand on the puck.

17:45 -- Mike Fisher comes flying down the wing shorthanded. Yarosik says, "This guy's like hitting speed burst."

16:59 -- Ottawa gets a penalty for too many men on the ice.

13:16 -- As we head to commercial, Paul Steigerwald sounds like a defeated man.

11:58 -- One reader sees the silver lining in a Penguins loss:

"If the Pens can't make up the three goals and take the series to a sixth game, at least we non-FSN Pittsburgh viewers will not have to suffer through another game called by the grating Joe Beninati of Versus." -- Rob Ullman, Richmond, Va

10:31 -- Gary Roberts isn't going down without a fight. He comes in on the forecheck and pastes Volchenkov into the boards. The Senators defensemen leaves the ice hurting.

8:32 -- "Roooooobbbb-eerrttttsss, Roooobbb-eeerrttttssss."

4:45 -- "Na, Na Nuh, Na, Na Na, Nuh, Na, Hey, Hey, Hey, Goooodd-byyyeee."

1:00 -- As the final minute of the period is announced, the Senators crowd explodes in appreciative applause.

0:00 -- End of period. End of season. Start of something good. Senators 3, Penguins 0.

POSTGAME

It's OK. Even Brad Werenka cries sometimes.

They were better. It's pretty simple. The Ottawa Senators were a better team in every aspect of this series. Bryan Murray was a better coach. Ray Emery was a better goaltender. Chris Kelly and Dean McAmmond were better third and fourth liners. Wade Redden and company were better blue-liners. Daniel Alfredsson, Dany Heatley and Jason Spezza were a better "Big Three."

It happens.

But don't lose focus here.

The Penguins weren't meant to be this far along yet. Around New Year's we were talking about the Penguins just contending for the eighth seed maybe. But they challenged for the Atlantic Division title.

Evgeni Malkin wasn't supposed to be in this hemisphere. He had to sneak out of Europe literally to be here. And he got suplexed by John LeClair in his first preseason game. He pretty much has the Calder Trophy wrapped up.

Jordan Staal wasn't supposed to be here. He should be in Peterborough playing junior hockey. He ended up leading in shorthanded goals.

Some though Marc-Andre Fleury shouldn't have been here. Before the season started, some though Jocelyn Thibault should've started the season in net. Fleury ended up with 40 wins.

Erik Christensen should be in the minors. He ended up becoming a shootout demon.

Mark Recchi's hair shouldn't be here. Wait, it's not.

Josef Melichar should just not be here.

It was a good season that exceeded all expectations. Don't look at this as a disappointing end. It's not. It's a a beginning.

As for us, EN isn't done by a long shot. We'll still blog through the playoffs and the offseason. Granted we'll slow down a tad, but we'll still be here, getting our hockey geek on. Feel free to join us: srorabaugh@post-gazette.com.

PEOPLE READ US

Our e-mail inbox got a small tsunami of notes from loyal readers after the game. Too many to properly address and post on here and allow our online editor to get to a certain post-work location. But one important one came in that we had to post. We'll address the others tomorrow.

"Being stuck at the ice rink late, I appreciate your blog to keep me up to date. The Peanuts rocking to Outkast has made my night even though the Penguins can't. For your readers in the D.C. area this weekend, have them check this out. This is a Special Hockey Tournament featuring teams of challenged hockey players from the United States, Canada , and England . They give 100 percent every time they are on the ice, unlike the Penguins in their "first" playoff series. There's always next year. Lets Go Pens!" -- Michael Stuever, Kettler Capitals Iceplex, Practice Home of the Washington Capitals

EN: Thanks Michael, but are we the only ones wondering why the Capitals' practice rink requires someone being there during "golf" season? (Sorry, we couldn't resist.)