This game was about as meaningless as they come late in the season. The Senators had been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention for a week, while the Penguins were officially in and were nearly guaranteed to play in the 2/3 series of the Atlantic Division. Not to mention the Sens were playing six players who made their NHL debut this season, and two more players who started this year in the AHL. You could hardly have been surprised if the game wasn't exciting.
The first period wasn't very exciting in my opinion. It did open with Bobby Ryan getting injured on the first shift of the game after Fredrik Claesson hit Patric Hornqvist into his legs.