Welcome to the Stanley Cup playoffs.

The Penguins had 13 players make their playoff debuts Wednesday in Ottawa and they couldn't have been treated more rudely.

The Senators had a 16-4 edge in shots on goal in the first period, taking a 2-0 lead on the way to a 6-3 triumph that wasn't that close.

Hey, no need to panic yet.

Playoff games are a different animal in hockey, and now the Penguins have gotten a taste of it.

If they pick up their intensity and let their talent take over, they'll stay in the series and possibly win it.

If they lay a couple of more eggs this weekend, get ready for the "We took a big step this year" kind of stuff.

The Penguins are good enough to beat Ottawa and make a run toward the Stanley Cup Finals now. Hopefully, they won't settle for the satisfaction of arriving on the playoff scene ahead of schedule.

The Penguins' potential goes beyond performance on the ice. They could dominate the NHL's postseason awards as well.Sidney Crosby already is the league scoring champion and could be its MVP. Evgeni Malkin should be a lock for Rookie of the Year.Michel Therrien is a prime candidate for coach of the year, and Jordan Staal could receive the award for best defensive forward.Not bad for a bunch of kids.

While Adam LaRoche's batting average dipped below .100 entering this weekend, it's no reason to sit him on the bench while preparing a noose for Dave Littlefield.A lot of good hitters have abysmal batting averages right now. Albert Pujols is hitting .136, for example.As the weather warms up, bats will warm up with it.Be encouraged by the performance of the Pirates' starting rotation so far.That's what's going to make or break this team, after all.

Kudos to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and his tougher conduct policy for the league's bad boys.Pacman Jones is an ultra-talented football player, but if he never plays another down in the NFL, the league and its fans won't miss him.There is plenty of prime football talent out there, much of which isn't in the league right now because roster spots are hard to come by.The NFLis the top of the football world. It takes supreme skill to get there. It should take solid character to stay there.

Now that Butler graduate Tyrell Sales has a clear shot at a starting outside linebacker spot for Penn State and Seneca Valley graduate Kevan Smith has a chance to be Pitt's starting quarterback, former Raiders teammate Don Barclay should feel good about himself.Barclay is headed to West Virginia University as an offensive lineman.By the fall of 2008, Butler and Seneca Valley could be represented in the starting lineups of the three major Division I football programs in his region.Hopefully, those high school programs will be winning as well.