No matter what jersey he is wearing, Gary Roberts just seems to enjoy playing his part in eliminating the Senators. (CP Images)
From the morning-after-the-night-before department of hindsight and what-ifs, the Ottawa Senators probably could have saved themselves a whole lot of hassle, not to mention a few early vacations, had they simply traded for Gary Roberts, say, half a dozen years ago.
Just in case you think you have seen this movie before, relax. You are not losing your mind.
Once again, Gary Roberts looks to lead his Toronto Maple Leafs Pittsburgh Penguins past Ottawa, a one-man wrecking crew who seems to have far too much fun helping the Senators book premature tee times.
It's getting to the point where Ottawa head honcho Eugene Melnyk must have nightmares about this guy.
After one night of tormenting his nemesis yet again, Roberts is one goal shy of his season total. And haven't we heard that Roberts would be an ideal sleeper pick before?
Perhaps Roberts, pushing his 42nd birthday, just doesn't like the city, the team, the jersey. Whatever it is, his disdain is pretty obvious once the win-or-go-home part of the season arrives.
All things being equal, it would be a stretch to say that Roberts was the best player on the ice in their series opener last night. Methinks that #71 guy wearing the black and gold jersey has a leg up on that little honor.
But Roberts not only scored twice, but ruffled more than a few feathers with a dirty hit on Cody Bass as the clock ticked down, just to remind the Senators of playoff years past and what they can expect in the next week or so. In other words, typical Gary Roberts playoff hockey.
As the adage goes, if you can't beat ‘em, join ‘em and for Ottawa fans, who have endorsed the Senators' pursuit of Roberts in recent years, this must be an uncomfortable sense of déjà vu.
Early on, it is looking like the Senators don't even belong on the same ice as the Penguins. Granted it is a long series, but if Game 1 is any indication, Roberts is looking to make it extremely long for the Senators, and not in the most flattering of ways.
In other words, it's the same old, same old.