Hundreds upon hundreds upon hundreds of empty seats stood out like very sore thumbs at the top of the upper bowls at Canadian Tire Centre on Thursday night, a fact that is sad, disgraceful and embarrassing for both Ottawa and the Senators organization.

It also likely led to very sore thumbs for arena employees who, eight minutes after the opening face-off, were ordered to walk around picking up all the extra souvenir wave towels. Make sure nobody gets two, right? Save them for Saturday.

Seriously, what’s going on here people? Final count on the attendance was 16,744, almost 2,500 shy of capacity.

How do you not sell out the first game, or any game, in the second round of the playoffs? Did we forget to mention only eight teams remain in the hunt for the coveted Stanley Cup? Or did you believe Guy Boucher’s proclamation from a day earlier about the Senators not having a chance against the mighty New York Rangers.

He didn’t mean that, by the way. It’s called head games.

Those high up seats were being sold for $100, which is an incredible hike, but still doesn’t seem like too much to ask. Rangers fans are probably piling in cars right now to cash in on a deal for Game 2.

Is it the parking thing? Now that I could see. When you raise your ticket prices for playoff games, it’s because the product you’re selling has improved and the stakes are higher.

But demanding $10 more for folks to park their car is ridiculous, not to mention sheer greed. It’s still the same old lots. No wash has been included.

Maybe people spent the nicest day of the year at the beach and then didn’t want to leave?

Another excuse being floated at the Postmedia end of the press box for the porous turnout: Too many games scheduled in April.

The Senators are supposed to be vying with the Edmonton Oilers to become Canada’s Team right now, but the whole country has to be shaking its head in disgust at all the unused seats at CTC for the start of the Eastern Conference semifinal.

Hockey Country is supposed to be so much better than that.

STARTS AND STOPS

Something sure lit a fire under the Senators for this one. “I think the players didn’t want to get swept in four,” Boucher said. Now who would have ever thought that could happen? ... And on the ninth day, God apparently created Henrik Lundqvist. At least it sure looked that way until Ryan Dzingel finally beat the Rangers superstar goalie late in the second period with the Senators 33rd shot ... You had a feeling what kind of a night it was going to be when Lundquist robbed Mike Hoffman and Mark Stone before the five-minute mark. After stopping all 21 shots he faced in the first period, The King had to be polishing his crown during the intermission, knowing he was in the heads of his opponents ... The fleet-footed Michael Grabner could have had two goals in the first period, even though he still had no shots on goal by the intermission. His initial chance was a quick shot from the left wing circle that beat Craig Anderson glove side, but hit the post. His second was on a shorthanded breakway, when he shot wide ... Grabner’s speed led to the Rangers’ second-period goal, as Cody Ceci had to haul him down after he’d been beaten. Ryan McDonagh scored with Ceci in the box ... What you don’t see at the rink — a quality replay. If Chris Kreider didn’t deflect the McDonagh shot, something else must have made the puck change directions. Otherwise, it was a bad goal on Anderson.

CHECK THIS OUT

Really, is there anything Erik Karlsson does that surprises you anymore? Questions being asked at the Boucher post-game conference: Have you ever seen him score from there before? The answer, of course, is yes ... Not to be overlooked was the great job Mike Hoffman did in hanging on to the puck while the Senators made a line change, before rimming it around to Karlsson for a first shot that got blocked and a second, from behind the goal line, that deflected off Derek Stepan then went in off Lundqvist’s head .. The Senators’ starting six defenceman had a combined 116 games of playoff experience heading into he night. Meanwhile, the Rangers top pairing of McDonagh and Dan Girardi had 206, while the Blueshirts entire blue line had 360. Thrown in Lundqvist as the last line of defence, and it’s tough to imagine Ottawa scoring many goals this series ... At 35, Lundqvist’s hands are still as quick as ever. Either that or Dzingel shot it right into the goalie’s trapper on a third period break.

THINGS I THINK I THUNK

Dzingel picked a fine time to play the best game of his young career ... Remember when Kreider ran into Anderson on Feb. 21, 2013, knocking the Senators out of the lineup util April 7 with a sore ankle? The Senators need a Kreider ... Could someone please put a moratorium on mayors making stupid bets regarding the outcome of a playoff series? Who gives a crap if Jim Watson has to walk around in a Rangers jersey? ... The idea of putting Clarke MacArthur, Derick Brassard and Bobby Ryan together was born in the summer. Now it is the Senators’ best line ... Anderson had them on their feet with a glove save off Brendan Smith with six minutes left in the third ... Is it just me, or has there been way too many too-many-men penalties in these playoffs?

DID YOU SEE THAT?

When MacArthur tested Lundqvist early in the third, it left Ben Harpur as the only Senator without a shot on goal ... Hoffman was the TSN 1v1 champ for an eighth consecutive day, giving him the most titles since Newfoundland curler Brad Gushue won 10 in a row last month. Hoffman has even noticed the public eating up his breakaway goal in Game 3 of the Bruins series. “Yeah, the last couple of days, when we’ve had practice days and I’ve been able to get in the lounge and have Sports Centre on,” he said. “It seems like it’s not an easy one to beat. I’m sure there’s going to be something coming up, but I guess it’s pretty cool to see.” The Senators have had five 1v1 champs this season ... Tommy Wingels turned in a solid game for the Senators... Another gem from Lundqvist was the breakaway stop he made off Viktor Stalberg in the second period ... Anderson may look calm and cool in post game interviews, but was the puck was knocked out of the Senators zone with time ticking away to the final buzzer, you could see him literally jumping up and down with excitement. Indeed, it was a big in a game that for the longest time, looked to be headed for a different outcome.

NEIL DOING WHAT HE CAN

The hitter turned designated sitter, Chris Neil is trying to find a new way to help the team.

With his superstitions.

“If we’re on the road, I watch (the game) in the suite,” the 37-year-old winger said Thursday morning. “If we’re at home, I usually do a workout, a ride (on the stationary bike) and watch it down here for the first couple of periods. If the guys are winning, I stay in the same spot. If not, I’ll switch it up and hopefully try to get a couple of goals for us out of it.”

A veteran of more than 1,000 games with the Senators and still one of the team’s assistant captains, Neil has been shuttled to the sidelines. He had played just one game in the last two months, a meaningless season finale against the Islanders. He’s healthy and anxious to go, but currently not even an option coach Guy Boucher is consider — despite the fact the Rangers were the most physical team in the first round of the playoffs.

“It’s tough to watch when you see guys taking runs at Erik (Karlsson), and other guys on our team,” Neil said. “If I’m out there I can do something about it, and if I’m not, I can’t.”

When the Senators played the Rangers in the 2012 playoffs, they were even bigger underdogs than they are this spring. They finished the season with 17 points fewer than New York, but took the first round series to seven games before finally going down to defeat by a goal.

Neil was a force for the Senators, scoring the overtime winner in Game 2, adding putting Ottawa on the board first in Game 6, when it had a chance to wrap up the series at home.

He also led the Senators with 27 hits.

“It was a good series,” Neil said. “We felt we should have come out on top.”

Neil hasn’t been told by Boucher to make sure he’s ready in case he’s needed, but that would be an unnecessary conversation. As his days dwindle down with the Senators, Neil is prepared to jump into the battle, and if it doesn’t happen he’s trying to find other ways to lead.

“We’re here every day, we’re all together,” Neil said. “If you have a close group, guys will do anything for one another. Last time we played the Rangers in the playoffs we were like that, and we’re like that this year too. Everyone cares for one another and the guys who have come in have fit in well.

“We’ve got lots of guys, and you just wait for your opportunity to come in and do what you do.”

BURROW PREACHING URGENCY



The contributions of Alex Burrows in these playoffs go beyond anything the Senators’ eldest playing statesman has, or will do, on the ice.

He has also provided an experienced voice of reason to his teammates.

“We’re going to take advantage of this opportunity because they don’t come that often,” Burrows said after Thursday’s morning skate. “It’s easy to say ‘oh, maybe next year we’ll be able to get it done.’ But next year might be a totally different story.”

Not one to get up and deliver a dressing room speech, Burrows has enforced that point over dinners and casual conversations with other Senators. In his first eight seasons with the Vancouver Canucks, he went to the playoffs six times — including twice as a Presidents’ Trophy winner. Yet the closest he ever came to winning the Stanley Cup was the 2011 final, which Vancouver lost to the Bruins in seven games.

The following year was the Canucks second in a row of having more points than every other team in the regular season, and they were bounced from the playoffs by the Los Angeles Kings in the first round.

“It’s like when you think you’ve got a good team and you still young, you wouldn’t mind having another chance next year or whatever, but next year might never come,” Burrows said. “I learned that the hard way in Vancouver. We felt that (because) we won two Presidents’ Trophies, (you thought) maybe not this year against the Bruins, but we’ll win. And next thing you know, you’ve got injuries ... there’s different reasons ... the team chemistry is not the same, there’s other teams that are planning to win too, so it’s hard.

“You’ve got to take advantage of your opportunity when you get it.”

Burrows only had one point, an assist, in the six-game series against the Bruins, but he was a factor. He created a goal with his play along the boards and he stopped Boston chances at scoring with his back checking and work in the defensive zone.

To him, that was as rewarding as putting the puck in the net himself.

“Oh for sure, I always believe, score or not score, as long as the team wins, I’m happy,” said the 36-year old. “Right now, that’s how it’s been.

“It’s been a lot of fun winning games, but we’re still not satisfied. We’ve only gone through one round. We’re still hungry for a lot more.

“I take a lot of pride in my defensive side of the game,” he added. “At the end of the day, I want to do everything in my power to help the team win games.”

dbrennan@postmedia.com