HOCKEY

SENATORS TAKE GAME ONE FROM PENGUINS

Andrej Meszaros and Chris Kelly scored 5:01 apart early in the first period and the Ottawa Senators ruined Sidney Crosby‘s playoff debut with a 6–3 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins last night in the opening game of the Eastern Conference first-round series. Tom Preissing made it 3-0 with a power-play goal 14:38 into second after Ottawa scored twice on Marc-Andre Fleury in the opening period when the Senators had a 16–4 shots advantage.

The 19-year-old Crosby, who led the NHL with 120 points, scored the game’s final goal at 19:11 for his first playoff point. He also had a goal waved off 37 seconds into the third after Dany Heatley put Ottawa up 4–1 with a power-play goal 28 seconds earlier.

Chris Neil and Mike Comrie added third-period goals, and Ray Emery stopped 23 shots for Ottawa, which went 31–7–8 from December 23 to the end of the season.

Jordan Staal and Sergei Gonchar scored for Pittsburgh, which played its first playoff game since 2001.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

AMAKER ACCEPTS OFFER TO COACH AT HARVARD

Harvard hired Tommy Amaker to coach its men’s basketball team, less than a month after he was fired by Michigan.

“I called today and accepted the offer,” Amaker told The Associated Press on Wednesday. “It’s a terrific opportunity for me. I’ve been fortunate to be associated with some of the finest academic institutions in the country, and none is greater than Harvard.”

Amaker, who played at Duke and was a Blue Devils assistant, has been a head coach at Michigan and Seton Hall.

“His experience as a player and assistant at Duke, where athletic and academic success is paramount, makes him a terrific fit,” Harvard Athletic Director Bob Scalise said in a statement. “We’re looking forward to the support of the Harvard community as we pursue our first Ivy League championship in men’s basketball.”

Frank Sullivan’s contract with Harvard was not renewed after the Crimson went 12-16 overall.