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This was a game of long feeds for breakaways and perfect setups in front and a behind-the-back show-stopper of a pass. That last one, from Albany Devil Pavel Zacha, didn’t net a goal, but was worth a few oohs and appreciative chuckles from the Times Union Center crowd.

But forget the pretty plays: It was a slow-motion train wreck of a hit that illustrated the true beauty of the Devils’ 3-2 win over the Utica Comets Friday in their Calder Cup Playoff opener at Times Union Center.

Darren Archibald, a big left wing for the Comets, was coming up the right boards and approaching the Devils’ blue line in the first period. Albany defenseman Dan Kelly, who was on a search-and-destroy mission much of the night, had him sized up perfectly.

“My game is a physical game,” Kelly said. “You don’t want to run around and get out of position. But a [good hit] gets the guys going.”

Kelly went old-school on Archibald with a hip check, something you would have seen out of the days of an Orr or Bathgate way back when. Archibald tried to fight through it — “He is not a guy is going to pull up,” Kelly said — even as Kelly rode him higher and higher up the boards.

Eventually, the left wing was out of the play, and halfway into Albany’s bench.

“You have to play with that edge,” Kelly said.

There were prettier plays in this game to be sure. Mike Sislo fired a picture-perfect third-period pass half the length of the ice to hit a streaking Joseph Blandisi for a breakaway goal in what would prove to be the game winner. But to win postseason hockey, it’s a willingness to finish checks, to block shots, to do the little things that often go unnoticed that wins game.

Which takes us back to Sislo.

More impressive than his pass was his one-man forecheck on Utica with their goalie Richard Bachman pulled in the final half-minute. By himself, Sislo kept the Comets pinned in their zone for 15 crucial seconds. By the time Utica broke out, the game was essentially over.

“That is a good example of what we call, ‘Pressure on the puck,’ ” Albany coach Rick Kowalsky said.

As he should, Kowalsky came away pleased with his team’s performance. “I liked a lot of parts of our game,” he said. The win not only gives Albany a 1-0 series’ lead, but means the Devils are 7-0-2-0 against the Comets this season.

Which means . . . a good start. Important, but not conclusive.

Barring a catastrophic injury or suspension, you can’t lose a series in Game 1. By definition series are long, even ones such as this that go only best-of-five.

You can never win a series in Game 1.

But in addition to getting a leg up on a series, a team can set a tone, a pace even. A team can dictate terms. . . . Send. A. Message.

The Albany Devils did all that Friday.

The Devils outhit the Comets.

Outskated them.

They forechecked and backchecked and stickchecked and won an inordinate number of 50-50 battles for the puck.

They even hip-checked.

In the second period, the teams combined for nine shots on goal. Albany had nine shots on goal. Do the math.

“I liked the first period. I liked the third period,” Utica coach Travis Green said. “But against a team like Albany, you are not going to get away with playing 40 minutes.”

That said, Utica made it a game in the third period, scoring 27 seconds in and with 4:19 to play. The Comets, which has more than a few players remaining from the 2014-15 team that went to the Calder Cup finals, made it a game, as they did in most of their games against Albany this season (four overtimes).

“They came back and responded,” Kelly said.

There was a brief scrum after the final horn sounded. Pushing, shoving, nothing major. Just two teams trying to send a message in advance of this afternoon’s Game 2.

But in some ways, most ways, Albany had already taken care of that.