Gene J. Puskar / AP

Pittsburgh's Gary Roberts, right, celebrates with teammates Georges Laraque, left rear, and Ryan Whitney after scoring a first-period goal against the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday.

“We feel we’re a much more mature team now. That’s not our team that played in Game 1 last year,” Penguins captain Sidney Crosby said. “We’re different, much more improved, and I think we proved that tonight.”

Two of Pittsburgh’s most experienced players made certain that letdown didn’t happen as Roberts, who turns 42 next month, exasperated the Senators yet again.

Roberts, out since Dec. 29 with a broken leg until returning Sunday in Philadelphia, kept Wade Redden away from the puck behind the Senators’ net not long after the opening faceoff. That allowed Georges Laraque to grab the puck and return it to Roberts, who beat Martin Gerber in close with only 1:08 gone — Roberts’ first goal since a two-goal game Dec. 23 against Boston.

“You know he’s going to throw it in front, and I just happened to catch Redden while he was still down on the ice,” Roberts said. “I was fortunate to get position on him and get a quick shot away.”

Sykora, who didn’t score in Pittsburgh’s final six regular-season games, made it 2-0 with 7½ minutes left in the first, working a 2-on-1 break with Malkin after defenseman Mike Commodore, pinching on the play, gave up the puck at mid ice.

Malkin and Roberts also scored late in the third period, after it was clear there would be no Senators comeback.

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Ottawa — already without key injured regulars Daniel Alfredsson, Mike Fisher and Chris Kelly — played most of the final two periods without defenseman Anton Volchenkov, who was cut in the forehead by Malkin’s slap shot midway through the second.

Play was stopped briefly to clean up a small pool of blood on the ice, but Volchenkov got up on his own and may have been saved from a more serious injury by his protective visor. Volchenkov couldn’t return because the swelling prevented him from putting on his helmet, Murray said, but should be ready for Game 2.

Notes: With the Penguins nearly at full strength for the first time in months, D Darryl Sydor was scratched. ... Pittsburgh won Game 1 of a playoff series at home for the first time since a 4-3 win over the Rangers in the 1996 Eastern Conference semifinals. ... Ottawa is 3-9-1 without Alfredsson this season. ... Gerber, who backed up Ray Emery as Ottawa reached the Stanley Cup finals last season, made 31 saves.

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Heading to the Cup finals

Adam Henrique scored off a wild scramble in front early in OT and the New Jersey Devils defeated the New York Rangers 3-2 to advance to their first Stanley Cup finals since '03. The new Eastern champs will face LA next.

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Highlights: OT goal delivers Devils to Cup finals

  Check out highlights as the New Jersey Devils advanced to the Stanley Cup finals by defeating the New York Rangers, 3-2, in overtime.

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