Stop me if you’ve heard this before: scoring first is often a good omen in the National Hockey League.

Don’t believe that? Well, take a look at the records that the Bruins and Senators posted when scoring first during the regular season. The Senators posted a mark of 29-6-3, good for the second-highest points percentage in the National Hockey League trailing only the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Capitals. The Bruins had 32 wins when grabbing a 1-0 lead, good for eighth highest in the 30-team league.

That trend has carried over for the Senators. In the first four games, Ottawa has scored the game’s opening goal on three occasions, winning two of those. If it weren’t for the Bruins’ third-period comeback in Game 1, Erik Karlsson and company would have already swept their Atlantic Division rivals in four games.

In the lone game the Bruins scored first, Bruce Cassidy and company was on the receiving end of a Senators third-period comeback in Game 2. Still, the interim Bruins coach is preaching that all important message of playing with the lead from the get-go.

“It’s been a strength of our team up until this series. We’ve played with the lead the large part of the time, and we’ve had success” Cassidy said during Thursday’s media availability at Warrior Ice Arena. “I think when you look at numbers – not just us, but any team – when you have the lead, you tend to have a better result.”

A good recipe for scoring first would be to come out flying. The Bruins did just that in Game 4 after firing 12 shots on net in the opening 20. Brad Marchand led the team in arguably his best period of hockey with four shots.

Game 4 was a far cry from their three shots on goal in the first period of Game 3 on Monday night. Still, they were searching for that elusive first goal. And once the Senators settled into their 1-3-1, they had trouble getting Goal No. 1. Cassidy could only watch as his team only delivered 10 shots on goal in the final two periods.

Oh, and the Sens got that all important first goal from Bobby Ryan off a tremendous feed from Erik Karlsson. It was the only tally they needed against a Bruins team struggling for consistency in the second and third periods on Wednesday night.

“We didn’t do a good job in Game 3 coming out [with a strong first period],” Cassidy added. “I thought we did [in Game 4], we just didn’t finish, and that’s tough. But if we continue to push like that and create the offense we did. I’m not talking about the shot clock, but the actual scoring chances were in our favor considerably – and the quality of them in the first period – we just weren’t able to finish them. So we’ll keep pushing. Marchand was excellent. He was our best player in the first period – he just couldn’t get it by [Craig] Anderson.”

The Bruins have had success against Anderson and the Sens 1-3-1 defense. They had gotten three past the Ottawa netminder in Games 2 and 3, but just couldn’t get the job done when it mattered the most.

Now as they approach things one game at a time, the Bruins are hoping for a different result. Scoring first against Anderson and company – particularly in the first period where they have a grand total of zero goals in the first four games – will be a key. Adding to their lead after that will be the next task.

“I think the start is certainly crucial,” said forward David Backes, who has a goal and an assist in the series. “I don’t know if you’re going to blow that team out of the building with your start, but you certainly need to have a strong start and not give them a lead. Because with the lead, you know, they’ll be able to concentrate more on stacking up the neutral zone and putting less pressure on your zone and it’s a tough hill to climb.”

That tough hill is another thing the Bruins don’t need in a must-win Game 5.