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It took a mugging in New York to prompt it, but at least the adjustment was made. And he’s not about to reverse the switch now, with the Senators headed back to the scene of the crime.

Boucher didn’t have to waste his breath by announcing Neil will be in the lineup when Ottawa attempts to wrap up its Eastern Conference semifinal against the Rangers at MSG on Tuesday.

The players made the decision for him on Saturday.

When Kyle Turris rebounded from a Tanner Glass punch in the face to play the best and toughest game of his career, then says Neil, despite seeing just five shifts, was the Senators most “important” player, the coach heard it.

When Derick Brassard, who sent the game into the overtime Turris won, said how “excited” he was just knowing Neil was going to be in the lineup, Boucher heard that, too.

When players tapped the window at the penalty box where Neil sat after jumping Glass — and Erik Karlsson skated by to give him a wink of approval — the coach noticed.

Same way he made a mental note when, just five minutes after the Neil-Tanner incident, the Senators strike for two goals in a 33-second span to take their first series lead since Game 1.

On a day when the most frequent scrapper in franchise history couldn’t beg Glass to drop his gloves, his teammates fought back from two deficits to take control of a series that looked completely lost.

In 146 seconds of ice time, Neil registered one hit, ripped Glass’ helmet off and dropped a left bomb on the top of his head. Much of the grit he provided was in a stare. It’s also known as intimidation.