It took Matthew Barnaby literally no time to make an impact with the Penguins. As he lined up for a faceoff on his first shift, Barnaby began jawing with Flyers defenseman Roman Vopat. Vopat challenged Barnaby. The two locked arms as the puck dropped. Barnaby snuck in a quick punch but was not penalized. Vopat went to the box for roughing.

Barnaby might as well have stuck out his tongue. He had another victim. The standing-room-only crowd of 17,143 rewarded him with a loud ovation. "It was nice to start off that way and get a little ovation and win the fans over," Barnaby said. "That's something I had in Buffalo, and it's something I took a lot of pride in."

It was especially pleasing to avoid a penalty. Barnaby is a known agitator, a master at drawing opponents' ire. This was a perfect example. "It was just talking and preparing for a fight," he said of his conversation with Vopat. "But I'm not going to fight a guy who's only playing four minutes a game - unless it's necessary.

"My job is to stir things up and work hard."

The Flyers wanted to trade for Barnaby this past week - to add some "attitude" to the dressing room, Flyers chairman Ed Snider said - but the Buffalo Sabres wouldn't bite.

The Penguins got him, instead, sending winger Stu Barnes to the Sabres on Thursday. Barnaby had spent his entire six-year career with the Sabres, so those jitters he felt driving to the arena Saturday morning were understandable.

"It was nerve-wracking," he said. "You don't know how the fans are going to accept you until you get out on the ice. I was nervous but confident."

Barnaby played about 14 minutes, skating mostly on a line with Jan Hrdina and Aleksey Morozov. A right winger for most of his career, he played left wing yesterday. He finished plus-one with an assist, two shots, one hit, a penalty (roughing) and a penalty drawn.

He helped set up the Penguins' first goal with a nifty lead pass to Jaromir Jagr, who took the puck in full stride at the Flyers blue line and fed Martin Straka between the circles.

"He's going to be huge for us," Straka said. "You've got to give him some time. He got the penalty for us right away, and he got some great chances at the beginning. He's a helluva player."

Penguins coach Kevin Constantine said the coaching staff would withhold judgment of Barnaby for his first few games. But Constantine liked what he saw. "I think our guys respect how hard he works and how hard he plays," Constantine said. "I think those things can be a little energizing."

Barnaby had lost all his spunk in Buffalo. He looked at the Flyers game as the start of a new career.

"I took this as a playoff game," he said. "Emotion's been missing from my game for whatever reason - I don't want to bring up the past - but it just wasn't there. I have a new life here. I'm just happy to be here.

"I think ecstatic's the word."