OTTAWA -- As worst-case scenarios go, this one doesn't seem so bad.

Sure, the Penguins would like to close out their first-round series against Ottawa tonight. Complete a sweep by beating the Senators in Game 4 at 7:08 p.m. at Scotiabank Place, thereby earning about a week to rest, regroup and recuperate before moving into Round 2.

"We have a chance here to finish it off," center Sidney Crosby said.

"We want to make sure we do that."

But if the Penguins can't, they will have a chance to try again Saturday night at Mellon Arena, in front of a crowd that surely would savor an opportunity to watch them try.

Heck, if things would play out that way, the Penguins also would get their owners a nice payday, although when that subject came up yesterday,

Max Talbot was quick to volunteer with a big smile that, "I don't think [Mario Lemieux] needs it."

Nonetheless, in light of

all that could come into play tonight, perhaps no one should be surprised if Bryan Murray, the Senators' coach and general manager, decides to accuse the Penguins of trying to lose this game on purpose, too.

Trouble is, very little that happened during the first three games of the series suggests the Senators are a viable threat to win one, no matter how hard the Penguins might attempt to lose it. Consider that:

• The Penguins have held a lead for 112 minutes, 23 seconds, the Senators for four minutes, 28 seconds.

• While Senators goalie Martin Gerber is being praised -- and justifiably so -- for his inspired work, the Penguins have beaten him for four goals in each of the first three games.

• Ottawa seems intent on giving the Penguins' sputtering No. 1 power-play unit as many chances as it needs to get in sync. The Senators have been shorthanded 19 times, often because of lapses in discipline and composure.

"That's what's killing us in the last two games," Murray said.

Among other things, anyway.

One of the Penguins' greatest assets so far has been their attention to detail, and they demonstrated that again yesterday when, to a man, they refused to utter so much as an inflammatory syllable about the Senators, the series or any other subject.

"I'm sure Bryan Murray will say all the right cliches, and I'll say all the right cliches," coach Michel Therrien said.

"That's the way it is."

He proceeded to underscore his point by tossing out this insightful nugget: "We all know, No. 4 is the toughest one to win."

Mind you, Therrien was a virtual verbal flamethrower compared to some of his players.

Witness the observation submitted by right winger Marian Hossa, who seemed intent on praising his team's performance without saying anything that could be construed as slighting the Senators.

"I don't think," he said earnestly, "we expected to be up 3-0 so early."

Hossa didn't specify how many games he had believed the Penguins might need to get a 3-0 advantage.

The plain truth is, the Penguins have come by their lead honestly. They haven't been flawless in this series -- they took too many penalties in Game 1, let Ottawa erase a three-goal deficit in Game 2 and had to withstand a strong start by the Senators in Game 3 -- but always have found ways to manufacture a victory.

If it's not goalie Marc-Andre Fleury making a critical save, it has been a timely power-play goal or a burst of third-period offense. Something the Senators could neither prevent nor answer.

There is reason to suspect that at least some of the Senators have accepted the hopelessness of their situation, are resigned to having their season end sometime in the near future.

The Penguins, though, are having none of that. They are girding for Ottawa to open Game 4 with a fury surpassing the Senators' early surge in Game 3.

"They're going to come out hard," Talbot said.

"Are we going to come out harder? Hopefully. That's the plan."

So is locking up their place in Round 2 before they fly home late tonight.

"We know it's going to be extremely tough to win the last game," Hossa said. "But the sooner we can do it, the better."

Even if it means getting a 4-0 lead earlier than anyone anticipated.