Back in June, there was talk about the possibility of an official Pensblog jersey. It took a bit of work, but we finally found a quality vendor who didn't want to bang your mom as a deposit to get these things made. So what do these jerseys look like you ask? Well...
This is the patch design (full embroidery)
And here is an example of a finished jersey
Jersey Specs
- Jersey price is $140. This price includes nameplate, number and shipping charges. Jerseys are pro quality and custom built to order.
- Fabric is game weight double knit high stretch 100% polyester with vintage tie neck
- Full-embroidered 11" logo patch
- 2-color sewn on numbers on sleeves and back
- Custom nameplate sewn to back(add $5 a letter for anything over 12 letters)
- Fight strap is optional($10)
- Youth and Adult sizes available - up to 2XL
- #66 is the only number unavailable... unless you get " BURIES IT" as the nameplate
SUPPLIES ARE LIMITED!
There are only 26 jerseys available. 26 is based on a 30-jersey minimum order... 4 are already spoken for. If you are really interested in a jersey, please send us an email or leave a comment in this post's cblog between now and next Friday so we can gauge interest. If the demand is high enough, we may bump the total number of jerseys available to 50 which would provide an additional savings of around $15. Either way, this is the only time this jersey will be available.
DEPOSIT & ORDERING INFO WILL BE POSTED FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 5th
A $50 deposit gets you on the list for one of the available jerseys. Once all jerseys are spoken for, we will make an announcement and you will need to send in the remaining balance so we can place our order. It should take 4-6 weeks for the jerseys to be made and shipped out.
We are stealing this idea from [LGP], only for PS3.
For those not familar with the details, you can have created players on an online team.
This video should help explain a lot.
It is going to be a great option.
Basically we are going to need someone who would like to take charge and organize the team and shit. We'd do it ourselves but we actually want this to work.
So send us an email, or discuss in c-blog and let us know.
The game comes out for all systems on Sept 11.
We will look into also creating an Xbox team, but for right now PS3 is the goal.
How do you know we mean business? We bought the only hockey-preview magazine on the shelves at Walden Books at SHV:
It's a fantasy-hockey magazine, but it could have been a magazine detailing players' bowel movements for all we cared. We went in there hell-bent on buying something. By the way, Pascal Dupuis will take 24 dumps on gamedays this season.
:: [ PSAMP ] came through with Bob Smizik: Behind The Music. Solid read. He was genuinely interested in giving responses to the questions he was asked.
:: Back during the homestretch of the playoffs last season, [ Atom Bomb Bikini ] came out of nowhere with these illustrated pin-up girls that made you think:
He comes now with an interesting proposition: If you're interested in having a woman in your life featured in one his drawings? He's willing to trade an illustration for tickets to three choice games this upcoming season.
We're later than Isaac Hayes on this, but the [ City Paper ] had something to say about Lemieux's arena tactics. The writer mentions how Lemieux used a series of ploys that is known in mob circles as extortion. His main beef is taxpayers getting jobbed.
We have no problem with that argument towards the new arena deal, as in, we just don't care. But it was worth noting.
Average-attendance rank doesn't factor in seating capacity. Thumbs down. And he almost mentioned the Pens selling out every home game last season.
Observation of fan activity? He had to have seen the droves of fans standing outside Mellon Arena watching on an outdoor screen during the playoff run.
Hold on. We're talking about confusing concepts for a Minnesota fan, such as a "playoff run."
WOOOOOOO!
And the online fan activity thing? What a slam. He said he did his research. Maybe he used Lycos Search.
A quick Google search will find our site here, as well as LGP.com. Not to mention the plethora of unreal Penguin blogs out there and the aforementioned Confluence blog, which is on the same Blog Network as this Wild joke.
If you check out the comments on that link we provided, he was getting cowned (comment-owned) in the post's comments.
However, as Wilsmith mentioned in yesterday's comments, maybe it's not the best thing to always dominate someone's comments when they job the Pens.
Then again, we aren't governing what anybody does.
Without Mario Lemieux, we would be without a blog to run. We'd probably be in jail for something.
Mario Lemieux's arrival in Pittsburgh changed the city's sports landscape forever. Youth hockey programs began popping up out of thin air. Ryan Malone and RJ Umberger would be working at a car wash if it wasn't for Mario Lemieux.
Battling through life-threatening cancer and nightly back ailments, Mario Lemieux was helping the city and the team..before he even owned it.
He got jobbed out of some cash due to Howard Baldwin being a joke. A contract is a contract. There's no way around it.
Just as anyone person would do if they got jobbed out of cash, Lemieux found a way to get it back.
10 years ago, this franchise was on life support. Lemieux swooped in and saved the day again.
Was Lemieux's return in 2000-2001 a way to infuse money into his investment? There's no doubt about it. But if you think that was his primary reason for his return, there's no doubt you're a douchebag.
Back in the bankruptcy crap, politicans gave Lemieux their word that a new arena would be built for his hockey team. They could have just as well taken a dump on his face.
The public, his career-long admirers, watched in awe as he got jobbed out of that promise. It had to be humiliating for Buries It.
Fast-forward a couple years of Lemieux playing in the twilight of his career on Penguin teams that were touching themselves in the basement.
By 2005, 66 had had enough. He was openly shopping the team around. But the Pens landing Sidney Crosby changed everything. Lemieux saw what was in front of him and took the team off the market. He was still playing, too. But Father Time eventually caught up with him.
But not before this:
The following season, Jim Balsillie brought his Jobber Train through the Pens franchise. Lemieux bit, but only for a moment.
Through all this, Lemieux got in bed with Isle of Capri casino. The slots license was to be awarded on December 20, 2006. IOC arguably was the best bet for the city of Pittsburgh. IOC had a great track record, as they had turned the neighbordhood around Columbus' Nationwide Arena into a utopia.
And, yet again, the city decided to job Lemieux. And we know how well that slots-license stuff has panned out.
In early 2007, the franchise's future was up in the air. People were vomiting on each other. All of this while the Pens were amidst a crazy 16-game points streak or some shit.
-- March 4, 2007 --
After wheeling and dealing and taking ghost trips to Kansas City and Vegas, Pittsburgh and the state of Pennsylvania got their affairs in order. A new arena deal was announced on March 13, 2007.
Public humiliation after public humiliation, Lemieux never turned his back on the fans. Many happenings in business just have to remain behind close doors and in closed mouths.
But his off-the-cuff comments on the dealings made you feel like he was being honest, much to the chagrin of parties on the other side of the ledger.
Lemieux is a businessman now. He and his financial partners are putting a world-class team on the ice. "It's here. After all my hard work. Come and get it."
And we, as fans, have done so. There's some ridiculous consecutive-sellout streak going on right now.
When Lemieux broke ground on the arena recently, you just had to smile. Lemieux isn't your friend. You don't have his cellphone number. But he's a beast, and he's done everything for the city that is within his limits. And he wasn't even born here.
Basically, anyone saying they're offended that Lemieux used the fans as a bargaining chip is an idiot. They are the kind of people who will say something just to get in a newspaper.
We're glad that Lemieux used us. He could walk into the room right now and touch my girlfriend's boobs.
Mike has a little column called [Pass The Puck] at Sportsnet.ca.
Normally we would not pay attention to this dude, but in his most recent column he had some interesting things to say about the Penguins:
"With all the garbage I've been eating this summer, I shouldn't be trusting my gut. But something tells me the Pittsburgh Penguins are headed for a huge fall. The darlings of the NHL last year when they gave Detroit all it could handle in the Cup final, the Pens go into the new season missing some key pieces to the puzzle. Marian Hossa and Ryan Malone are gone and key defenceman Ryan Whitney will miss the first three to five months with a knee problem. To make up for their missing offence, the Penguins are counting on getting some big minutes and big goals out of the mercurial Miroslav Satan, who lit the lamp just 15 times for the Islanders last season. Sure, the Penguins still boast the one-two punch of Crosby and Malkin. However, Tampa Bay finished in the cellar last year despite sending Lecavalier and St. Louis over the boards every night. Prediction? Coach Michel Therrien doesn't last the season and the Penguins shock the NHL by struggling just to make the playoffs."
Whatev. We want people to discount the Penguins chances. But really, if you are going to bother writing something, get your facts right:
Defenceman Ryan Whitney will miss the first three to five months with a knee problem.
By if knee problem he meant foot, than yea. That sentence right there shows you he doesn't even know whats going on.
We could go on and on about the shit in that paragraph, but we have to figure out if the Penguins can actually play a season without Marian Hossa. Because you know, he played so many regular season games last year.
We posted this subject awhile ago, but it is worth repeating.
Luca Caputi or Luca Brazi as we will most likely call him is nasty.
[NHL.com] has a good read on him from earlier this week:
"I talked to the coach (Michel Therrien) and I talked to Tom Fitzgerald a couple times," said Caputi. "What they told me was go to camp and they have no plans for me. Where I start is up to me. They want me to go there and prove myself again."
We actually can't wait until there is a debate on LGP about putting Caputi on Bing's line.
We posted this video before, but check out the sick move he makes about halfway through.
The Penguins are 6 points ahead of the 8th playoff spot. It could be worse.
::::::::::::::::::::::: GL laid out Rod the Bod on the first shift of the game. Body By Jake flew in to make out with him, but no dice.
He was gone for the game.
It was all Canes, all the time off the bat. They were buzzing all around the Pens zone, which eventually forced Jordan Staal to head to the box.
Man, Jordan Staal has been taking a lot of penalties. About half a second later, it was 1-0 Canes.
Ugh
:::::::::::::::::::::: Brooks Orpik broke Erik Cole's life a couple years ago. In the building where he has been relentlessly booed, he scores his first goal since that 4-3 overtime thriller he won as a sperm for the right to enter the egg. 1-0.
Brooks Orrpik is there when it counts.
:::::: The Pens head back into the Canes zone after the Staal stop. Malkin jobs one to the net. Goal.
2-1.
Right after that, the Canes came down and hit the post. Myocardial infarction. And then Jeff Taffe tries to cut across the slot, but Joey Mormina (who?) decides to give him a flying elbow drop to the chops. Taffe gets his nose broken on the play, which makes you think of only one thing.
Fabio getting hit by that bird.
SLAM A broken nose shouldn't hurt Taffe's ice time, since he never smells the net anyway. SLAM
A garbage call on Rob Scuderi came next. Scuderi probably blocked a shot from the penalty box.
The Hurricanes came with it on that ensuing power play, but they couldn't finish. Just like Acid Queen when she says she's gonna go on a diet.
That cake is done
::::::::::::::::::
Fortunately for the Pens, that Sabu penalty was killed faster than Natalee Holloway.
First rule of Life Club: Don't do drugs and drink in a foreign country with dudes you don't know.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: t wasn't looking good when Talbot was called for some phantom interference call. You knew what was coming. 3-2.
Bad news bears.
Malkin's line starts getting Lecavalier minutes. They don't score, which didn't bode well.
The Pens had to start pressing in the offensive zone to get some business going, and the Canes capitalized by flying down the other end. Master Bayda puts one home off the post. 4-2.
Image your 19 years old, and while most other kids your age are working sweeping up popcorn at the local theater, your playing professional hockey. And more than that, you were drafted high and have serious potential to not just crack the NHL for a cup of coffee, but to become an actual NHL player. Competing at the highest level in the world and with the pay to match.
Now think what it would take for you to wake up one morning and decide that it just wasn't for you anymore.
That's what Columbus prospect Stefan Legein, drafted 37th overall in 2007, did. [ Columbus Dispatch ]
The only logically explanation is that he's throwing it all away to join forces with Patrick Roy's son, Jonathon Roy [ HisSpace ] to create a rap duo that will take the Canadian charts by storm.
jokes and jokes and jokes
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
We've only just crossed the half way point of the 08 Beijing Olympics, but our favorite event is already in full swing. Olympic Doping.
Thus far 4 athletes, not too mention a couple horses, have tested positive. But our first stripped medals for use of prohibited substance goes to:
North Korean Kim Jung Su.
Bronze in 10m Air Pistol, Silver in 50m Pistol.
Essentially ending the career of an athlete whose expertise is shooting weapons with incredible accuracy is either amazingly ballsy or monumentally stupid.
Following quickly in 2nd, Ukranian silver medalist in the heptathlon, Lyudmila Blonska is under investigation for doping.
Keep in mind though, that it's ultimately not about whose first. And if we've learned anything in these olympics thus far, never count Phelps out.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::
:: The Penguins center ice design is going head-to-head with the Blackhawks over at. Let's give Chicago a little taste of 1992. Do it. [ Icethetics ]
:: Ross McKeon, NHL editor at Yahoo, continues to job Caps owner Ted Leonsis. [ Puck Daddy ]
In a perfect world, The Penguins would win the next 25 games of the regular season.
Then they would win 16 straight playoff games, bring the Cup rolling down Grant Street.
And we'd all party all summer on the three rivers.
Realistically, you woke up today.
It was cold.
You were pissed.
That's life. If you can't handle one little loss, what are you really even about?
Come April, you might not even be alive.
Suck it up.
Get yourself together.
See you in Carolina.
Two words: Acid Queen
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
After some jobbing and a Pens power play turning into poop, Gonchar complements his earlier penalty with an egregious giveaway behind the Pens net.
Shot, save, rebound.
Jokelainen puts it home.
1-0.
And then just when you say that the Bruins don't scare you, the Pens lullygag in their own zone while the Bruins were playing hockey.
Puck goes in front. 2-0.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The Pens were able to kill off that penalty.
But that was about it.
Noting remotely interesting happened until Staal pick-pocketed some dude.
He got the puck to Talbot.
Talbot to EC...
Oops.
[Double R]
::::::::::::::::
Just when you think all is lost...
Malkin goes into flight.
Dennis Wideman pulls him down.
Coach Julien, your thoughts please?
[A Canaan joint]
This time Malkin takes over the world.
He gets a pass from Sykora.
Chara screens the goalie. 2-1. ::::::::::::::::::
alkin almost ties it with a buzzer beater.
Wasn't meant to be.
The Pens cashed in early in the second on that 4-on-3.
Malkin gets it to Gonch, who floats one to the net. Big goal.
Picture: John Stevens ask the refs to disallow the goal because a little boy in the stands distracted goalie Biron.
2-1. Dickhead
This was the Pens first lead against the Flyers this season.
After a couple minutes, Scott Hartnell comes in and gets a shot off on Conk.
In the background after the whistle, you see BGL giving Hartnell the how-do-you-do for that Malkin punch in the first.
The worst possible thing to happen to start the third period...happened.
Umberger got things going, grabbing a rebound in front of the net.
Conklin makes a solid save, but the rebound goes back to Umberger's stick.
3-2.
Then another mistake comes, when the Flyers catch the Pens on a line change.
Jeff Carter gets a semi-breakaway, but Whitney hooks him.
Huge PK on the way.
The Pens kill that off, and unreal end-to-end hockey ensued.
Christensen had the Pens best chance, but instead of just unleashing a wrister and praying, he was thinking about doing the dipsy-do and lost control of the puck.
There was 10:00 left, and it was survivorblog.
The Flyers were pressing, and the Pens were on the heels.
Later on, Jeff Taffe jumps onto Malkin's line out of nowhere for the 20th time of the game.
He almost puts one home.
Before the Flyers can get it out of the zone after that chance, Malkin grabs it and feeds a wide-as-balls-open Letang on the right point.
Letang jobs in, Derian Hatcher decides to screen his goalie.
LeGame just picks his spot.
Apparently Alyssa Milano took time out of her tour of major league player's beds and being remembered for a sitcom that ended 16 years ago, to create a line of women's NHL clothing. [ Hockey, Football, and Stiletto Shoes ]
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The Baby Penguins unveiled an alternate jersey. [ WBS ]
No doubt Dwight's already ordered one for Michael's next birthday.
"Here in D.C., I’m legend[sic]for being the guy who screams out crap on the escalator after the game. Mostly because, at that point, it’s the Smithwick's talking."
In four months when you can't buy a box of Wheaties, a can of Coke or a toilet plunger without the face of Michael Phelps on the packaging it might be a little tiring. But right now you've got to give credit where credit is due, even if it's only swimming.
Dominant performance.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:: EA Sports NHL 09 will include a helmet-less Montreal Canadiens Legends team. [ Going Five Hole ] has a video interview with some guys from EA who talk about that and some of the other new features.
:: [ Barry Melrose Rocks ] has the ratings from EA Sports NHL Blogger 09. And we only gets an 85 agility?
In high school they called us "the cat", which had everything to do with our quick and agile reflexes, and absolutely nothing to do with the picture on our Trapper Keeper.
Right off the back, Erik Christensen leads a flying V from the Pens zone. Jordan Staal almost stuns Marty Brodeur.
Brodeur says no. He shows great body control.
Too bad he doesn't have control in other places:
--J Schiff, esq.--
:::::::::::::::::::::::
Everything slows down for a few minutes.
But then Malkin and Sykora settle in for Chemistry class.
Malkin drops it to Sykora.
Sykora lets go a wicked wrister. It hits off some jobber's pads.
Brodeur has no clue.
2-0 Sykora with his 600th career point.
Sick
:::::::::::::::::::
This meltdown is brought to you by Chernobyl power.
Things simply changed.
The Pens had some big-time problems in their own zone.
And then Patrick Elias got the puck.
While Eddie O is running his mouth about how Crosby's ankle might "never be the same," Elias goes to the net.
Puck hits off Tanger. 3-2.
Uh-Oh.
Cue it up.
Heres the thing, we started out friends.
It was cool, but it was all pretend.
Yeah Yeah.
Since You Been Tied
3-3 Kelly Clarkson with the huge goal.
We may suspend ourselves for even putting taht Kelly Clarkson stuff on there.
There was nothing else to put.
Penguin fans everywhere just stare at the TV screen.
What a feeling. Just blah.
But it's not like choking in a Super Bowl.
At that point, it was time to just get a point, because it was clear the Devils and their game had reappeared.
People were getting hooked left and right and anally.
The old NHL makes a rare appearance, as the refs let them play down the homestretch.
Somehow Conk keeps the Devils off the board.
Overtimeblog.
...........................................
OT
Staal comes out flying. He turns Colin White into Colin Powell.
But Colin White tackles him.
Here come the Devils. Dreaded shot from the point.
We're still wrapping our heads around the possibility of not seeing 19 on the ice until near the All-Star break. If anything it means you'll be reading Goligoski's name here more often.
Whit's a top notched d-man, but he's more important to us in the spring than he is in the fall.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:: [ The Strangest One of All ] is taking names for their fantasy hockey league this year. But just to be clear, Ellen Page is not on the line.
:: Ted Leonsis isn't crazy about Puck Daddy floating the idea of nixing his franchise, the Washington Capitals. [ BMR ]
:: They're counting down the twenty greatest photos in hockey history over at [ Greatest Hockey Legends ]
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Olympicblog
It came down to the last half stroke, but Phelps picked up gold medal number 7 by a hundredth of a second over Serbia's Milorad Cavic.
The Serbian team filed a protest for a reviewal, but accepted the decision when the review confirmed Phelps win.
The 7th gold medal ties the record for the most in a single Olympics. He'll go for number 8 tonight in the 4x100 medley relay.
A Swedish wrestler left his bronze medal on the mat to protest a penalty call that left him out of the gold medal match.
The IoC decided since he wasn't all too attached to it, they'd strip him of it.
When the Penguins hit the ice in a couple months across the pond, don't expect to see Ryan Whitney on the bench. He's undergone a procedure to align his foot that will sideline him for 3 months minimum.
According to the [ Trib ] Shero and HCMT "were stunned" by the news.
We'll save you the mental math. The earliest he's back is a couple weeks into the season. But he could be out as long as until January.
Apparently it's something he suffered with since the 07 postseason and they've finally resorted to surgery.
We're no doctors, so osteotomy means nothing to us. But if google images and our ignorance can be trusted, it involves screwing a couple drywall screws into someones heel.
While browsing Gore this afternoon, we realized we forgot to talk about Mario jobbing Kansas City.
"We had to do a few things to put pressure on the city and the state, but our goal was to remain here in Pittsburgh all the way. Those trips to Kansas City and Vegas and other cities was just to go and have a nice dinner, and come back."[Trib]
And while some morons were unhappy about Mario's "tactics." [Trib]
Kristin O'Neil, 28, of the South Side said Lemieux's threat was nothing but a way to get what he wanted.
"He knew how to strike at the heart of the fans and the city," she said. "I think he really duped the people of Pittsburgh, and he'll definitely get away with it because of who he is."
Hoe.
We think it is another reason to celebrate Lemieux, because it shows he is a dick. And that's funny.
Rossi gets busy on a 66 piece. [Trib] Tons of good stuff in that article.
Two things really stick out.
One, Mario thinks Hossa is a joke:
"It was very disappointing," Lemieux said of Hossa's departure. "I thought he wanted to be part of what we've built here over the past couple of years - especially with Sid and Malkin, having two of the best players in the world
Hossa better watch his back. [Jamisen]
Two, they are going to build a statue of Buries it:
"We'd be remiss if we didn't have that," Sawyer said of the to-be-designed statue, which will be positioned near the plaza entrance at the northwest corner of Centre Avenue.
Sick ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Versus released the TV schedule for the NHL this season. [Joke]
Yay.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
In a ceremony Glenn Anderson will become the 6th player from the 1980-81 Edmonton Oilers to have his number lifted to the rafters.
In the dead of August it's something you'd think [ OILBOBOSPHERE! ] would be all over. But they've got bigger fish to fry.
Whether he's really HOF material is a debate that has split families. Or at least bloggers. [ Mirtle vs. Wyshynski ]. Just like Pardon the Interruption except one of them isn't an big black guy and the other doesn't host Monday Night Football.
::::::::::::::::
Gretzky jobbing is in full force. This is shaping up to be one of the best photoshop expos of all time.
[ Jared ]
[ Matt ] [Jefe]
Keep em coming.
[ Alex ]
:::::::::::::::::
Olympicblog
Phelps in the 200 meter individual medley. Gold. New World Record. 6 for 6.
We aren't gonna jinx it by saying the magic words, but let's just say the Canadians aren't doing so great.
"I've been cheering for the Vancouver Canucks for how long? And they still have never won a Stanley Cup," said swimmer Brent Hayden, whose team had been shut out heading into last night, with breaststroker Mike Brown the best hope to end the drought. "I still love them, and I hope Canadians can still think of us the same way." [ National Post ]
Hoping to be thought of in the same light as the Canucks is akin to wanting to be thought of like Creed. Sure they probably have a moderate amount of devoted fans, but everyone else in the world realizes they just suck. [ worst band in the world ]
Perhaps it was fitting with the old number 35 & Ronny Francis looking on from the press box.
In fact, the only thing separating Ty Conklin and Evgeni Malkin from a early 1990's Tom Barrasso and Ron Francis. Conklin probably didn't beat some dudes ass at Froggy's after the game and Malkin didn't save any children from a burning fire.
[Ron Francis never saved any children from a burning fire to our knowledge. But we couldn't think of anything. And it seems like that is something that Francis would do.] With nothing to write home about for the first couple minutes, Orpik and Erik Cole commenced a fight over two years in the making.
No winner, no loser, except Erik Cole has been a loser his whole life. He heads to the locker room after it became obvious that his jersey wasn't tied down.[ It was determined that Cole's strap was broke. He still sucks.]
Some solid back and forth hockey was finally rewarded when Sergei Samsonov sneaks into the soft spot of the Pens defense and bats in a loose puck. 1-0.
Picture: Acid Queen is all business with her friends after the big goal.
No one cheered when the PK cleared the puck halfway through Staal's penalty. Saturday night home games just have that garbage feeling around them.
On the eve of the Super Bowl, you had to wonder where Malkin was during that first period. -- J. Schiff --
The Canes were out of their minds. They got chance after chance. But like many others before them.
Conkblock city.
Why is Crosby's hair always wet? -- Lori and Megan from PSU --
The Canes came out in the second with more jump than Carl Lewis. Again, Conklin was the only reason the Penguins were in the game to this point. A solid effort by Staal's line forced the Canes to get caught with too many men on the ice.
Busted
The Pens can't take advantage of the Carolina mistake.
As the third period loomed, it was frustrating that this game was 1-0 only because of a lucky-as-balls Hurricanes bounce a couple minutes into the game.
Therrien sends out the Christensen-Talbot-Staal line to start the third.
Christensen gets owned in front of the net with a crosscheck. He gets up, finds a soft spot, and is there to bang home a one-timer. 1-1.
With the last ranked penalty kill. You knew the Cane's were going to give a powerplay goal up, at some point. Midway on the Pens power play, Gonchar sends one to the net. Malone tips it. The puck gets behind Ward.
Is that a goal? On the ice it is waived off.
War room time, for third time this week.
After a decent delay, the goal stands. 2-1.
About two minutes after that, Mellon Arena was in a frenzy. Malkin swoops around in his own zone and takes it coast-to-coast, somehow finding the net on the backhand.
3-1.
Any thoughts of a Saturday night letdown went away when the Pens got another power play and Sykora sells some insurance. 4-1.
After that. Carolina quit. BGL tore someone up.
-- Matthew a.k.a. BlacknGold66 --
Game. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: [Michael W] "Pittsburgh has a great team, great people, great organization. I had to compare the two teams, and there's a little better chance to win the Cup in Detroit. I had a great time with Sid and playing on the power play with Geno [Evgeni Malkin], but the team in Detroit is something special. I know it's a short term, but we never talked about a one-year [deal] with Pittsburgh. We just talked about a long-term deal. I totally believe Detroit has the kind of team that can win it again." --Hossa 3:16-- :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The good news?
If we did our math right, Conklin will be showing up in NHL leaderboards today.
2.14 GAA
.934 SV%
Other than that, you pretty much felt like McGruff the crime dog when he brought his bong to some grade school by mistake.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
ou didn't think much about it when it happened, but Malkin went down to block a shot and didn't even care about at least covering his face. Dude.
Staal lost his stick on the PK, but the Pens manage to get out of that mess.
It took the Thrashers a few minutes, but they finally were able to put Kovalchuk at the left point and set him up for a one-timer.
2-0.
Remember when Kovalchuk pointed at the Pens bench?
It is Ruutu's job to go find him and give him an extra little nudge.
Not to injure the guy, but just to say: don't do that again.
Kovalchuk tries to get away from the check, but Ruutu's knee hits Kovy's knee.
No one wants to see anyone hurt.
But the Penguins don't want to see anyone showing them up.
Don't be stupid.
Karma
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
One thing of note"
Atlanta PD issued a search party for Marian Hossa.
Everyone wants him, but is he even good?
Unless the Penguins are planning to do magic shows with disappearing acts, they should not trade for him.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
[Michael W]
"Pittsburgh has a great team, great people, great organization. I had to compare the two teams, and there's a little better chance to win the Cup in Detroit. I had a great time with Sid and playing on the power play with Geno [Evgeni Malkin], but the team in Detroit is something special. I know it's a short term, but we never talked about a one-year [deal] with Pittsburgh. We just talked about a long-term deal. I totally believe Detroit has the kind of team that can win it again." --Hossa 3:16--
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
[Stoosh]
"This Russia-Georgia war has me worried that Malkin’s career in North America and those of other Russian hockey players may be in jeopardy."
You have to love August.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
[Stoosh]
Suck it.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The New York Islanders have filled their head-coaching vacancy. [ Newsday ]
Scott Gordon, AHL Coach of the Year with the Providence Bruins and former Quebec Nordique.
Putting another former goaltender in the Isles front office and giving Garth Snow someone new to tell who to play, but not who they're drafting have philosophical differences with.
We don't know what is going to happen the rest of the season.
But when you walk into New Jersey and beat the Devils at their own game,
you did something.
Kris Beetch didn't show up for the game, which sums up his career.
[We stole that joke from someone in c-blog]
Bam. The Penguins jump was halted when Jordan Staal went to the box for a high stick.
They almost survived it, but Mike Rupp and his huge balls were no match for Daryl Sydor, as he popped it over a spread-eagle Conklin to put the Devils ahead. 1-0. Ryan Malone=Stunned.
There's louder cheers for a priest coming out for a big mass than what the 8 people in attendance displayed after that goal.
As visions of an eventual 2-0 Devils win danced in your head, all you were left to do was watch Orpik get acclimated to his winger position.
-- Ryan O'Shea --
What a picture
There was an empty feeling going into the first intermission that no one can explain.
It was kind of like the time good friend and long-time reader Ronald McDonald got led away by the police for some inappropriate behavior in the playground.
If you've been alive more than a week, you know Jordan Staal has to step up in Crosby's absence.
Early in the second, he drives to the net, and the puck disappears.
Staal raises his arms, the referee points.
Whatever.
Count it.
1-1.
Why are faceoffs a big deal?
Because in the wrong hands, faceoffs can result in Mike Rupp scoring a cheap goal. 2-1.
Mike Rupp doesn't score all year. All of sudden he scores two goals tonight?
Not our year.
The Penguins weren't gonna make the playoffs after that goal; that's how bad it felt.
But a couple minutes later, the hockey gods sent Erik Christensen into the Devils zone.
The Devils make a huge mistake, Max Talbot flips the puck out in front.
Christensen gets the puck point-blank range in front of the net.
Without thinking, he turns Brodeur into a woman.
2-2. We're not psychiatrists, but when a player instinctively goes to that move, confidence is there.
And the big knock on Christo has always been his confidence. Digusting move.
The Pens got their first lead of the night soon after when Malkin's line goes to town.
Tic-Tac-Malone.
3-2. If Peter Sykora is ever on the third line again, we are taking a building hostage in Pittsburgh.
A huge one-goal lead going into the third.
Huge stat is revealed. The Pens are 21-1-1 or something when leading after two periods.
Powerplay Blog comes out flying.
Gonch makes a nice pass to Sykora. Post. Puck jobs out in front.
Ryan Malone eventually bats a puck out of mid-air past Brodeur.
4-2. The clock moved over the 10:00 hump, and it was time for the Devils to go to their neighborhood pharmacy and pick up a prescription for their own medicine.
If you played with yourself in enjoyment as you watched the Devils flail about through the neutral zone, you are not alone.
Game.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
[Michael W]
"Pittsburgh has a great team, great people, great organization. I had to compare the two teams, and there's a little better chance to win the Cup in Detroit. I had a great time with Sid and playing on the power play with Geno [Evgeni Malkin], but the team in Detroit is something special. I know it's a short term, but we never talked about a one-year [deal] with Pittsburgh. We just talked about a long-term deal. I totally believe Detroit has the kind of team that can win it again." --Hossa 3:16--
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Go Pens
If anyone has suggestions for Flashblog, let us know.
If it's unappealing to the eyes, let us know. If sound effects suck or something else should be used, let us know.
If you have any recommendations on what we should add to "best of," let us know, especially any YouTubes we missed that are worthy of that billing.
We're working on changing the "Recent News" thing to something similar to the 5-top news stories things that, for example, the Pens' website has. We just have to relearn how to do a motion guide in order to get a time-lapse circle thing for it.
[Note: We could not find a picture,
so we have asked an angry monkey to play the role of Reasonablejoke.]
"A little over a year ago, I posted an article talking about Hockey Jesus’ contract extension. Granted my writing wasn’t the best (the blog had been open less than a week), but the premise remains the same. Crosby, and his sweater, took a paycut in order for the Penguins to sign some talent to hover around him so he can win a cup."
"Of course, the Pensblog jackbags invaded and got into a tizzy, demanding my head because I neglected to re-iterate that “signing some talent” included re-signing the talent already on the team. So, a year later, let’s see what happened."
-- Looks like he was talking about the time
he said signing Crosby would be the end of the Penguins. [Melt Your Balls Off]
In fact, let's revisit a sample:
"Crosby, born 8/7/87, wearing number 87, signed for $8.7 million a year. How quaint. The problem here is that Crosby, who is now the youngest player ever to be made captain of his team, restructured his deal to make almost 2 million less than he could have, with the sole intent that the cap space would go to re-sign his teammates coming up as Unrestricted Free Agents soon, and to bring in the missing piece or two to the team’s hopeful Cup Run. But, who have the Pens signed since Crosby signed his contract?
Last week they re-signed ColbyAnderson who is another young whippersnapper
that Pens fans feel is a vital cog in the machine."
You can read the rest here: [Poop]
We still want to know who Colby Anderson is.
So, in his latest attempt at humor/analysis,
Reasonablejoke breaks down the Penguins:
The Pens traded for Dupuis and Hossa, both of whom contributed to the Cup run, which ultimately failed.
The Pens lock up Malkin for the next five years.
Hossa bolts the team so fast he leaves skidmarks, because they couldn’t meet his price demand.
Fleury re-signs for seven years
a full third of the team bolts, most of them signing with the Bolts (See what I did there?)
Given all that, the Pens have eleven forwards signed, which is below the bare minimum, given four lines of three players each. They also have six D-Men making at least 2 million a year. Add in that Fleury’s only back-up had a whopping .904 Save % last year over 24 games.
Now let’s review: Staal remains unsigned, the team is below the bare minimums in key positions, overpaying D-Men left and right, and have no coverage if their goalie goes down (again).
Oh yeah, by the way? You’re less than three million under the cap. Good luck, fuck-os. The Lightning called to say thanks for half your team.
Since this post is about three weeks old, we can't really say much.
Ryan Malone, Gary Roberts, Adam Hall, and Mark Recchi.
"The Lightning called to say thanks for half your team."
Well, Ray Shero called back to thank them for the draft picks they gave us when they could have signed the same guys for nothing less than two days later.
If the Pens would have signed any of those guys
to the egregious contracts the Lightning did, we'd be hearing about it, anyway.
We could run this guy out of the building all day, but let's face it,
seeing the lack of research on his side takes the fun out of it.
It's just an invariable truth that some people resent Crosby, which means they resent the Pens.
We don't even want to reread his stuff, but did he mention signing Malkin long-term?
Malkin being another player taking a paycut to stay on a young, up-and-coming team?
Why not throw Malkin under the same bus? Weird.
Curtis Sanford is looking for someone to design his new mask for free so he's turned to Al Gore to get it done. Download the template at [ Canucks.com ] and submit your own design.
[ Mirtle ] is making the call-to-arms for the blogosphere to take control of this contest. Just look at how the Bettman photoshops at Puck Daddy went.
Here at tPB we were made for something like this.
Email materials to [mirtle@gmail.com].
"I'm looking forward to all of them as long as they are tasteful and everything."
:: [ Puck Daddy ]'s Greg Wyshynski was inteviewed over at [ The Hockey News ], talking about his New Jersey Devils and about hockey blogging and it's future.
he Pens fed off it, and late in the first, they got some good chances.
They went nuts in the Flyers zone.
Ryan Whitney with a nice pass to Sydor. Sydor finds Malkin.
Ruutu has it somewhere in there and gets jobbed by Hatcher.
Malkin kicks it around. Shot.
1-1
The Pens keep up the hard work and draw a penalty a minute later.
But with time running down in the first, Ryan Malone gets called for goaltender interference, which is odd, because we didn't know they called that penalty in Philadelphia
::::::::::::::::::
Second
The PK steps up big time and kill it.
But Gonch has a hiccup and gives the puck up.
Some dude gets it over to Mike Richards. Richards finds Tom Jones.
2-1
After the goal, Max Talbot flips out and breaks his stick on the post.
Good times.
Things looked bleak ad the Flyers kept coming.
After the teams skate 4-0n-4, Derian Hatcher runs Conk.
Guess you are allowed to do that now.
The refs make-up the call a minute later by calling Mrs. Danielle Briere on a goalie-interference call.
Briere goes to the penalty box and opens the door, which was the most hard work he did all night.
The Pens powerplay wastes no time.
Malkin to Whitney. Whitney drops it to Gonch.
One-timer, Sykora deflects it past Biron. 2-2
As the period is coming to an end, all hell breaks loose.
It all starts when Steve Downie is going to the boards.
BGL "hits" Downie from behind. Downie goes down like he has been shot.
Great
The net was jarred loose when Staal flew into it.
We go to the War Room. Goal. 3-3
What a huge goal.
But, again, it would not last for long.
What would a game without Mike Knuble scoring be like?
4-3.
Shortly after that, the wheels almost come off when Mike Richards has a wide-open net to shoot at.
Luckily for us, people with egregious contracts stop caring after getting their money.
Father Time enters the building as the Pens have a few good shifts.
Filewhich played a solid hockey game.
He nearly scores his first NHL goal, but Biron says no.
Before you know it, there is under five minutes to play.
The Pens can't get anything going.
Ryan Malone gets called for something. Awful call.
"Pittsburgh has a great team, great people, great organization. I had to compare the two teams, and there's a little better chance to win the Cup in Detroit. I had a great time with Sid and playing on the power play with Geno [Evgeni Malkin], but the team in Detroit is something special. I know it's a short term, but we never talked about a one-year [deal] with Pittsburgh. We just talked about a long-term deal. I totally believe Detroit has the kind of team that can win it again."
Jokeley can wait.
Here is the improbable win by the U.S. men's relay swimming team on Sunday night.
Phelps' 8 gold medals were on the brink of elimination.
We support the Hill District.
We really do.
There are some good people that deserve a chance at a better life.
That's why it is good news to see the Hill District
will be getting $2 million from the Penguins Arena deal.[PG]
That is including $1 million from the Penguins.
"The deal provides $2 million, including $1 million from the Penguins, to help develop a Hill grocery store; requires the city and county to help fund a neighborhood master plan; creates a neighborhood partnership program that gives businesses state tax credits for contributing to Hill development projects and establishes a career center partly funded for two years by the city and county."
That is not a bad deal considering no one was under any obligation to do it.
But one of our old friends is up to his same tricks.
Mr. Jake Wheatley had this to say about the FREE money coming to Hill District:
State Rep. Jake Wheatley, D-Hill District, said he doesn't believe the Penguins put "anything significant" in the deal. He also complained that negotiators failed to get any commitment for development in the Hill above the 28-acre Mellon Arena site.
"I really don't think this CBA goes far enough, in my opinion," he said.
Yeah, what a mistake taking this picture was.
First off, how does this joke keep getting elected?
Second, this is the guy who supported Don Barden's bid for the Casino deal?
Because that is going well.
Bottom line, there comes a time
where you stop looking for free hand-outs and you start doing something.
You wish someone would give your neighborhood $2 million.
Impeach Wheatley.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Speaking of hate...
The "Wayne Gretzky Sucks Photoshop Expo" is off to a flying start.
[Jschiff] is the current clubhouse leader with a potential photoshop-of-the-year candidate.
f you're a pure fan of the game of hockey,
this is the type of game you could watch forever.
Both teams flying back and forth.
Two superstars going toe-to-toe.
The Crapitals played lights out.
A.O. might be a dick, but he can score like a large-breasted blonde on prom night.
As Darren Elliot said, over and over again., "What more can you say?"
We'll take the point for now.
But don't ever forget...
wooooooooooooooo
[Loser Chris]
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The Muskegon line came out for the third shift of the game.
You then realized that this fourth line full of guys who want to stay up here will be bringing 110% every night, which will make it a somewhat dangerous line.
Some of the in-the-know Pens fans in attendance gave the three boys a nice little cheer at the end of their shift.
After that line went to the bench, Malkin came out for a while.
And then Staal-Talbot-Christensen put on the yellow jersey.
Talbot pushes to the front of the net and gets it past Olie the Jokie.
1-0.
Crosby got an assist on the goal.
oing into the second half of the period, the Capitals got the equalizer.
The Caps hit Sabu with a steel chair. No clue whats going on.
1-1.
As the period winded down, the Craps struck again.
They mucked around, and Ovechkin let fire a one-timer.
You didn't think a puck could rebound off of mud with that kind of force, but it did...right to Kozlov.
He puts it home.
Picture: The webmaster of WashingtonCapitals.com celebrates the big goal.
2-1.
But Malkin jumped onto the ice and changed life.
He dominates, takes on everybody but Rod Langway, and puts a wicked backhand past Kolzig. 2-2.
At the end of the first period, though, if Ovechkin lands that hit on Malkin just 2 inches to the right, you could've packed up the season right there.
[Eric P.]
Instead of landing the hit, Ovechkin goes sailing.
Capitals fans everywhere whine that the Penguins training staff moved the boards closer so Ovechkin would hit the dasher.
Did Malkin get the worst of that hit?
If Ovechkin didn't go careening uncontrollably into the boards, we would say yeah.
At the horn, Ruutu did something stupid, so the Pens were gonna be on the PK to start the second.
...............................................
Before and after the game, Versus was showing Karate Kid movies.
What a villain
You could run a blog about the scene where Miyagi jumps over that fence and takes care of business.
As the Caps started their second-period power play, some boos started raining down on Ovechkin.
He uses the boos as fuel to put one past a stunned Dany Sabourin.
3-2.
An eerie silence drops over the Mellon.
Erik Christensen drew a penalty later, so the Pens had a chance to get it right back.
They didn't even have to set up the PP.
Evgeni Malkin, who is in another world, jobs down the slot and snipes one past Kolzig.
It may have the D-man's stick, but nobody cares. You know where he put it. Top shelf.
3-3.
The battle of over-the-top goal celebrations was well underway
Before you could catch your breath, Alexander Semin puts his stick into Kris Letang's face.
( ...wait for it... )
It took the Pens about 20 seconds to take the lead with that PP.
Ryan Whitney dumps a shot-pass to Sykora.
Kolzig was still wiping up his tears from the '90s, leaving Sykora with a wide-open net.
4-3.
If this was football, someone would have drawn this:
The Mellon faithful start the KOLZIG chant soon after.
What a humiliating thing to face.
Finally, two stars were having a showdown in a Caps/Pens game.
All it took was for Sid not to be in the lineup.
He even drinks water better than Ovechkin.
m-u-l-l-e-t
To answer right back, Ovechkin jobbed around and slammed a solid one-timer past Sabu to tie the game up .
4-4.
Backstrom made a big-time pass.
...............................................................................
THIRD PERIOD
The Capitals looked like they scored right off a faceoff, but the referee saw a penalty and threw his hand up before his optical nerves could send signals to his brain that a goal was scored, negating any claims that the referees were favoring the Pens.
Picture: Caps owner Ted Leonsis beaches himself in protest of the call.
SHOOTOUT
Alex Ovechkin comes out and puts it home.
Sick
Therrien sends out Jarkko Ruutu.
While you're already ripping Therrien on a message board for not sending out Malkin, Ruutu scores to tie it up.
How do goalies not know what he is going to do?
It was up to Conklin to keep the world alive.
( ...Now ) Semin leaves a bad taste in our mouths as he gets it past Conk.
"Pittsburgh has a great team, great people, great organization. I had to compare the two teams, and there's a little better chance to win the Cup in Detroit. I had a great time with Sid and playing on the power play with Geno [Evgeni Malkin], but the team in Detroit is something special. I know it's a short term, but we never talked about a one-year [deal] with Pittsburgh. We just talked about a long-term deal. I totally believe Detroit has the kind of team that can win it again."
Why doesn't everyone just stop what they are doing and celebrate Wayne Gretzky's ball sac.
Everyone from [NHL.com] to [TSN.ca] is rehashing the "Great Homo's," trade from Oil country to LA.
The trade is one of the shadiest things in the history of the NHL.
Yes, by all accounts it really wasn't Gretzky's fault. Owner Peter Pocklington was in big time trouble, Gretzky was scheduled to be a free agent, and being that he is driven by greed, he was surely going leave.
So Gretzky helped broker the deal himself.
The Oilers got 15 million in cash money, and all jobbers.
LA got Gretzky and his legend.
No question, it changed hockey in LA forever.
People said hockey wouldn't have existed in LA without #99, but that isn't true. People still did go to Kings game.
LA has yet to fold their organization because Gretzky doesn't play there.
Something just seems fishing about the whole Wayne Gretzky trade. Did it have to do with Gretzky's wife Janet Jones? Some people say "don't bet on it." [Zing] She was an actress, and really wanted to move to LA.
Although she got to move to LA, her career stayed in Edmonton.
Her [IMDB] page is used as waste paper in animal shelters across America.
And she is a degenerate gambler.
What does this all mean?
Nothing.
It just one of the many reasons we can't stand Wayne Gretzky.
So to celebrate our contempt for the "Great Homo," we are going to issue our first Photoshop Expo in almost 6 months.
We hope the Habs fans saw the game tonight. We know it can be hard to see a game with tears in your eyes from all the crying that goes on up there.
They must have saved all the boos they give Crosby for their own team.
One of the bigger wins of the season. Evgeni
Malkin played a game people could be talking about for a long time.
At this point, you can only live game-by-game.
To the man, the Pens showed up.
Bring on the Craps.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
A little later, Roman Hamrlik jobs Talbot into the boards.
Laraque retaliates and hits Francois Bouillon with an elbow.
That could have been bad news when the Pens went on the PK.
But they killed it, helped by some big saves by who else but Dany Sabourin.
He's Back
The Canadiens started getting some business going, but Sabu was holding tough.
And then, the Habs made a fatal mistake.
They let Laraque set up in his office.
-- J. Schiff Esquire --
He gets it out to Jeff Taffe. He buries it.
1-0.
Right after the PK, Malkin changes the world.
He books a flight from New York to L.A.
Malkin could have shot it or pass it to Gonchar.
Both were high-percentage plays.
But Cristobal Huet came up big.
Malkin showed up again later when he sprung Sykora on a breakaway with an 11-line pass.
No dice again.
With that save, you could feel the Penguins chances of jumping to a 2-goal lead diminishing.
Malkin was a force in the first half of the second period.
No two ways about it.
When the game jumped into the second half of the period, Christensen goes off for a slash.
The Pens kill it beautifully.
Towards the end of the period, some jobber pulls down Ruutu. Powerplay.
But Ruutu somehow gets called for diving.
:::::::::::::::::
And then Malkin was on for about two minutes. He was dead tired.
But Dandenault still found it necessary to interfere with him.
If there's anything referees have, it is a jobber detector.
Dandenault could say Malkin simply ran into him, but come on. Don't be stupid.
You did it on purpose, joke.
The Penguin survived a scare, as Plekanec had a solid shorthanded chance after stealing the puck.
Sydor laid off of him a little, knowing that putting his stick in front of a potential shot by Plekanec would do more bad than good.
The Plekanec rush goes for naught.
t was time to pull Cristobal Huet.
Gut-check time.
The Habs fly into the zone, but the puck gets pooped to Malkin.
He tries to put it home from downtown, but it hits the pipe.
Usually that means bad news. But on the bright side, if it doesn't it the post, it is icing.
The Canadiens brought it back into the Pens zone as your balls/ovaries start to fall off.
If you want to know why other teams hate Ruutu, it's for what he did during that last Montreal possession.
When the puck came around the boards near the benches and a Hab was trying to keep it in, Ruutu stands up on the bench and starts screaming gibberish right into the dude's ear.
The puck went around the boards, the Pens got it out.
Okay, Montreal is gonna regroup and come back and --
Then a blur flies into the picture. It's Malkin.
Backhand.
2-0.
Game.
Not to run Malkinblog here, and it doesn't really even matter, but...
The Bell Centre media decided to give two stars to the goalies.
The third star fell to Mike Komisarek, the beneficiary of home-ice advantage.
Mike Komisarek wasn't the third star at his own house tonight.
Huet was all right.
It was a regular mid-January game. Nothing special.
Until about somewhere near 8:00 pm
Sidney Crosby. The boards. Boom.
It's happened about 20 times this season.
It looks like that fall from the Ranger game was a foreshadowing.
::::::::::::::::::::::::
Not a whole lot going on.
Bing and Malkin look like they are about to take over the world again, but Holmqvist is stellar.
For some reason, the Lightning were speeding past the Pens D.
[Guiseppie C]
But then it happened.
Andre Roy got the puck to the left of Conk. Made an unrealistic pass.
Some guy who means nothing, even to his family, scores a huge road goal. 1-0
For some reason, it feels like that was the first first-period goal Conk has allowed all season.
Whatev.
A little later, though, nothing mattered.
......................................
At 7:37 of the first period,
Crosby tries to get around Paul Ranger.
He slides into the boards.
Not really sure what happens. But it just looks bad.
Say one thing about Crosby. He is tough.
As the camera harmlessly pans away, Crosby can be seen trying to skate back to the bench.
He hobbles. Oh man.
He heads to the locker room. Big ups to the usher who helped him off the ice.
Sabu looks stunned.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The next two minutes, and pretty much the rest of the game, are(is?) foggy.
No one knows what's going on.
Marty St. Louis gets two breakaways.
Conkblock tells him to F-off.
The Pens almost score, but the ref loses sight of the puck.
But then Andre Roy shows up again.
He passes to Chris Gratton.
2-0. Lady = Stunned.
Conk keeps the Penguins afloat.
But Gonchar boards St. Lajoke.
Pens kill the penalty.
Not a real fun time.
.........................................
SECOND PERIOD
The second starts with the Pens playing a little better.
Therrien had to juggle the lines.
The puck floats near the Lightning bench during their line change...
Too many men.
We'll be honest -- That's kind of a gross picture.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Andre Roy buries one.
Nothing more than a slap in the face.
What a scumbag. 3-0.
The rest of the third was a nightmare. Nothing going on at all.
In the NHL, the saves made by goalies are considered especially huge.
The dedicated player for the Penguins who makes these saves is part of an elite squad known as The Conk Unit.
These are his stories...
::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The atmosphere during the anthem and preceding the opening faceoff was insane, and it was punctuated when Laraque and Colton Orr drop the gloves.
People go crazy.
Solid fight.
It was old-time Penguins hockey soon thereafter, when the Pens made the Rangers pay for going to the box.
Malkin had it deep, toed the goal line.
He goes upstairs and bangs Henrik Lundqvist's girlfriend.
1-0.
This was a game where Crosby was simply possessed.
Every time he grabbed the puck, he was gone.
Three minutes after the first goal, he Top Guns into the zone, gets a shot off.
The puck just sits there in the crease.
Malkin was sharking around all night. He sneaks in and pops it home.
2-0.
Picture: All Star Scott Gomez getting back on defense on that goal.
Don't worry, we don't see him either.
::::::::::::::::::::
Before you know it, Pens get a powerplay.
During the powerplay, Ty Conklin's stick breaks.
He ends up using the bottom half of his stick, as is allowed in the NHL rulebook.
With one Ranger already in the box, Rosajoke peoples elbows Letang.
5 on 3. Gonch wires it in from the point.
3-0.
Somehow, the Rangers came out of the first with the advantage in shots.
But there's a guy in net who is hot.
And we're talking about Frank Pietrangelo in Games 6 and 7 of the Patrick Division semifinals against the Devils in 1991 hot.
Lord Therrien had the Pens on cruise control to start the third.
The thought of another Malkin hat trick danced in everyone's head.
Speaking of heads, tonight was a ski-cap giveaway night.
If the writers weren't on strike, we'd say this was scripted.
Malkin was racing with some terd for a loose puck.
If you hit someone who does not have the puck, it's a penalty.
When you knock a person down in a race for a puck, that's interference.
::::::::::::::::::::
The emotion was running high, and it was culminated with Jagr spoiling the shutout party.
Double J Style
3-1.
Jagr booing had died off as of late, but this game, for whatever reason, brought the heat.
Big-time.
:::::::::
With that move alone, the Pens regained the momentum.
It was a subtle yet essentially game-clinching move by Therrien.
He knows it.
Laraque came on and hit some ass-clown in the Pens zone. Huge roar.
The Pens were helped with a ticky-tacky slashing call which sent them on the powerplay and sent Malkin back on the hunt. No dice there.
The puck wasn't gonna get past Conklin. It just wasn't gonna happen.
Malkin ended up delivering on the hat trick with a Gretzky empty-netter from center ice.
3 a (1): incongruity between the actual result of a sequence of events and the normal or expected result(2): an event or result marked by such incongruityb: incongruity between a situation developed in a drama and the accompanying words or actions that is understood by the audience but not by the characters in the play —called also dramatic irony, tragic irony
So, really, is what happened in this game ironic?
It could just be called a kick in the face.
Maybe you were at the game.
Maybe you were at home.
Maybe you were at a bar.
Wherever you were, when you saw Wrecking joke line up for the shootout...
You knew it.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
ots of good hockey in the first.
Mark Recchi ruined a lot of it.
The following pictures will allow you to understand what happen:
1-0
Pens on PK.
Puck hits screen.
No call by the refs.
Recchi passes.
Kovaljoke has sweet hands.
[J-Schiff]
1-1
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
SECOND PERIOD
Whatev.
Bing Scores.
2-1
Nothing to write home about.
Conk is sick.
B Smith
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Bobby Holik is a joke.
He jobs one in.
2-2
The rest of the third:
Conkblock city.
............................................
OT
Both teams have one good chance.
Who cares.
....................................
Shootout
3 for ATL don't score.
2 for the Pens don't score.
Bing can win it.
No Dice.
Mark Recchi for the Thrashers.
Walks down.
Stunned.
Cute little move on the shootout goal, but that move's not gonna work when he's trying to sink that big putt on a golf course in mid-April.
Game.
Malkin was still left.
But the book was already written.
The St. Pete Times Forum looks like Mellon east.
You see black and gold shirts all over the place.
John Tortilla looks suicidal.
Tampa Bay fans are stunned.
What a great time to be alive.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
fter the PK, Bing comes flying down.
Using the skill stick, he smokes some guy.
Doesn't score though.
Tampa keeps some solid pressure on.
They sail a puck to the net that almost goes in.
Pens can't control it.
Marty St. Louis gets it. Nice pass to Vinny Lecavalier.
Wide-open net.
Shiii........
Conk robs him.
Huge save.
::::::::::::
SECOND PERIOD
You can tell things were about to change.
The Bolts came out with some guts.
They get an odd-man break.
Paul Ranger joins the rush, picks up a loose puck.
1-0.
Hearing the arena horn go off when the Pens give up a goal on the road is demoralizing.
Pens rotate it around to him.
You look up sick shots, you find Petr Sykora.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
1-1
But hold the phone.
The puck grazed Jordan Staal before going into the net.
The goal really opened things up.
It seemed like maybe Tampa Bay was about to take over.
But Conk would have none of it.
:::
After some mucking in the corner, look who comes out.
Jordan Staal again.
His first real goal since the eighth-grade picnic.
2-1
Tampa Bay fan = Stunned
[ Thanks to Tim L. for the sneaky picture ]
:::::::
In the first 11 seconds of the third, Bing flies into the zone.
Big Ben strikes one.
The one that doesn't throw huge picks.
The Lightning put out their big boys for what turned out to be their last gasp.
Crosby and Malkin block shots left and right.
The Pens work it back up the ice.
Sykora lays into a shot. His stick blade flies toward the net.
While you're watching the stick blade, the red light comes on.
3-1.
Insurance.
You're in finally-performing-to-his-potential hands with AllState.
The winners of the photoshop contest that made us believe that maybe Gary Bettman could save the world, [ or at least the Jews ], is over at [ Puck Daddy ].
Our own Stephen S. brought home the silver medal.
Absolutely clutch.
No word if he wins G-Dubs old Barbara Streisand album collection or a coupon code for 15% off his next purchase at Bath, Body and Beyond.
:::::::::::::::::::::::
Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is facing perjury charges.
Imagine that, a liar in Detroit.
He decided to head to Ontario, a violation of his bond, and is spending at least a night in jail. Judge Ronald Giles is all business. [ AP ]
[ Ian ]
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::
John Collins, an NHL executive who was part of making the Winter Classic and bringing the NHL Network to the US, has been promoted to chief operating officer. [ AP ]
You know things are going well when the only time you get disappointed is when Ty Conklin gives up a meaningless goal to snap his shutout-minutes streak.
That's where we are right now.
And it feels good.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
For whatever reason, Vokoun looked like he was popping pills before the game.
As the first period snoozed to the intermission, Conk survived a scare when a puck caromed off the boards, through his legs, and chilled in the crease.
No big deal.
Solid road period.
Several Panthers fans leave after rumors of a Matlock marathon spread throughout the arena.
Picture: Matlock is all smiles after making a joke that only people older than 65 understand.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
First...
If you weren't awake yet...
Sid gets a breakout pass from Malone, takes over the world, goes far side on Vokoun.
The Pens fans in attendance let out a bellowing roar.
2-0. [ The defense on this play was embarrassing. ]
The Pens had their precarious 2-0 lead again. Nothing funny about that.
Oh, wait, it is funny.
Cause Taffe-Laraque-Hall complement their solid play from the whole game with a goal, as BGL picks up the trash.
Stanley C. Panther = Stunned
:::::::::::::::::::::::
Some dude gets the puck.
STREAK OVER
3-1.
With the score 3-1, things could have gotten scary.
But if Florida would have come back, we would've stopped watching hockey forever.
Malkin and Bing run out the clock.
Game.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
[Michael W]
"Pittsburgh has a great team, great people, great organization. I had to compare the two teams, and there's a little better chance to win the Cup in Detroit. I had a great time with Sid and playing on the power play with Geno [Evgeni Malkin], but the team in Detroit is something special. I know it's a short term, but we never talked about a one-year [deal] with Pittsburgh. We just talked about a long-term deal. I totally believe Detroit has the kind of team that can win it again."
:: Current Panthers partial owner, and former Browns QB, Bernie Kosar becomes the latest NHL owner to face financial troubles. The IRS has filed a quarter million dollar lien against Kosar for unpaid taxes. [Empty Netters ]
:: [ Puck Daddy ] chats with Chris Simon, who at 24 years old and without any professional hockey experience was hired to work in the Minnesota Wild's front office. Now at 27 he's the Director of Hockey Operations. Kinda makes your fantasy hockey team look a little pathetic, eh?
:: [ Faceoff Factor ] does player-by-player analysis of the Penguins defense.
:: [ Japers' Rink ] lists the Caps top 10 rivalries. Guess who was number 1.
woooooooooooooooooo
We have to enjoy it now.
Because in 50 years, it could eventually be the other way around.
Or not.
The opening pan of Mellon Arena showed more than a few empty seats.
Those are Steeler fans tailgating.
And those may be some poor souls who didn't know the game was switched to 3:00.
Speaking of the Steelers
Pensblog Charlie = Stunned
.........................
FIRST PERIOD
After some business, Tyler Kennedy-Staal-Malone connect.
We didn't see the Kennedy goal straight-up because they switched to the camera down on the boards, but it was all right 'cause we saw the fan reaction.
[Ben Cole]
1-0.
The Pens picked up right where they left off the other night.
Sid comes in, jobs, gets it to Whitney. Rebound out to Malkin.
The Panthers realized they couldn't keep their chokehold on the game of ice hockey if they wanted to tie the game up, so the third period started with some wide-open hockey.
As the game hit the homestretch, Errey almost blurted out the magic word.
He knew what he was doing.
Immediately afterward, David Wilkes Booth had a golden chance to beat Conk, you know what this is about.
Conk walks into a bar.
Jobs some dude talking to a girl.
Takes the girl home.
Conkblock
The game was disappearing fast.
Then Bing hit Army on a breakaway. Army farts.
Sid steals the puck, to Malkin, back to Bing.
"Pittsburgh has a great team, great people, great organization. I had to compare the two teams, and there's a little better chance to win the Cup in Detroit. I had a great time with Sid and playing on the power play with Geno [Evgeni Malkin], but the team in Detroit is something special. I know it's a short term, but we never talked about a one-year [deal] with Pittsburgh. We just talked about a long-term deal. I totally believe Detroit has the kind of team that can win it again."
Rickey Dugdale tries his best to capture the NHL and blogging thing in that annoying tone we are so used to.
No shit. Yawn.
Like our good friend Kevin at [Melrose Rocks] we have some major issues.
Especially with poop like this: Practicing a free form of journalism where anything goes, amateur bloggers are not required to uphold media ethics because they are not accountable to a higher authority, such as an editor or publisher.
Like Kevin said, this ain't journalism, and we don't pretend it is.
We have seen all this before. But paragraphs like this really make our blood boil:
Some bloggers tend to post anything and everything, regardless of truth or accuracy, which can create problems because blogs that have been established as reliable must fight harder to be recognized among the established media.
We have no idea he is talking about. He acts like we will just post anything for a cheap laugh:
Shit.
But seriously, well nevermind.
::::::::::::::::
One good point Chipdale brought up was this:
The New York Islanders have been at the front of the pack in allowing bloggers to attend games at Nassau Coliseum. Implementing an auxiliary press box, normally used to accommodate overflow during the playoffs, the Islanders have encouraged fans with running blogs to attend games as members of the press.
We have fun running this thing. Its origins were found in wanting to joke around and talk about the Pens.
And as that column discusses, the Islanders have embraced the medium and give bloggers a spot in a press box and access to the players.
We're not gonna lie. We'd jump at that chance if the Penguins offered.
Standing behind Bob Smizik in line to get a cup of coffee or something is probably the only reason we'd want to go.
We're the common fan. We don't have season tickets. Post-student-rush, we make it to three games a season, if we're lucky.
As soon as we start a sentence with "We talked with Crosby after the game," we might as well start finding something else to do with our spare time.
On the flip side of that coin, we'd be more interested in going to the role players' stalls and asking them about shit.
It will be interesting to see if this is something the Penguins consider.
::::::::::::::
So back to Rickey Chipdale.
He made a list.
Congrats to Kukla's, Dr. Mirtle, Tom Benjamin and Puck Update for the mentions.
[Puck Daddy] apparently doesn't exist. What is even worse is that Puck Daddy's arch nemesis [Hockey Buzz] came in at a shocking third on the list.
Huh? The cynic in us wants to know if he is the number one NHL Blogger on the Internet, why is he ranked #3?
Mark our words, we will job that blog before the season is over. Even if it means putting our AOL screen names at risk.
:::::::::::::::::::::::
Now, much like Rickey Chipdale we want to inform people.
So, inspired by Rickey, we broke down the newspaper world in case anyone needs to be spoon fed obvious info.
Newspapers Take Following Day By Storm
Everything moves just too fast in today's world. So when there's something you want to know about right now, do you know the best place to get information? That's right, in the next days newspaper.
Accessibility isn't really that important after all. And if it's important enough today, you may just get to read about it tomorrow. Or the day after it, tops. Besides, you were busy anyways. Matlock's about to start and you know how confused you get when you miss the beginning.
So just what is a newspaper, or "the paper" as some have taken to calling it.
Most commonly a newspaper is printed on paper called newsprint each day. It carries the previous days happenings and can be delivered to your doorstep in the morning, or picked up at numerous different locations, such as your local corner store.
Ready or not the newspaper is on it's way. That boy just better not throw it in the bushes again, or they'll get another angry letter.
Five Great Newspapers
Idaho Falls Post Register - Covering a wide range of issues in Idaho Falls, it's quickly become a must read for anyone in the immediate Idaho Falls area who need to stay up to date on the new exhibit at the local zoo.
Us Weekly - When it comes to insight on the most important happenings around the world there's not better place to turn than Us Weekly. Plus it comes with the added benefit of not coming everyday. Does it get any better than this?
Pittsburgh Press - Great coverage on everything going on in Pittsburgh today.
The Rocky Mountain Collegian - "Jim's Wings has been chosen "Best Wings" by CSU students and for one very good reason: their delicious wings."
Need we say more?
Middletown Transcript - When local high school bands need instruments donated, the Transcript in on the scene. That's why they are one of the best in the business. Agree? Disagree? Sound off with a telegram!
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The next shift, Tucker was back out there, looking for a man.
Ruutu was there.
[Thanks to Eric P]
It rivaled Roberts/Eaton in terms of awesomeness.
Ruutu throwing haymakers. Tucker throwing gaymakers.
Ruutu totally dominated. He all but mushroom stamps Tucker.
The game heated up a little more after that, with some jobbing going on everywhere.
::::::::::::::::::::
fter a quick job in the Pens zone, Sid flies out of there with Malkin as his sidecar.
Malkin heads to the net.
Crosby gets it to him.
Stunner
4-1.
Next faceoff, Sykora gets past a defender, gets a shot off, rebound.
Maple Leaf Paul Maurice: Stunned
5-1.
Maple Leaf fans stunned:
[Thanks to Randy L. for the pic]
Back in his Toronto home.
Long time Maple Leafs fan, Peter Puck had seen enough.
"Pittsburgh has a great team, great people, great organization. I had to compare the two teams, and there's a little better chance to win the Cup in Detroit. I had a great time with Sid and playing on the power play with Geno [Evgeni Malkin], but the team in Detroit is something special. I know it's a short term, but we never talked about a one-year [deal] with Pittsburgh. We just talked about a long-term deal. I totally believe Detroit has the kind of team that can win it again."
They came out with "O Canada" to start the anthems, which wasn't bad at all.
Anyone who likes hockey knows Canada is the sport's motherland, and it should be respected in a game like this.
You can couple that with the fact that the Ralph is about 20-30 minutes from the border.
And then, to stun the world, the NHL brings in that dude who sings "God Bless America" at Yankee games.
joke
Maybe we have tunnel vision. We know they're honoring U.S. troops.
But, wow, no national anthem.
Jeff Jimmerson wouldn't have stood for this.
After the anthems, there was a flyover, which is noticeably absent from the AP pictures of the game.
[PittsburghPenguins.com] had a nice one.
They had to do a helicopter flyover.
We're gonna make something up and say that using fighter jets would be dicey considering it's so close to Canada air space.
Then again, aren't Canada and the U.S. together in their air-force business or something?
We pulled that reason out of our ass, but it sounds good to us.
Well, that didn't take very long.
We've jobbed Sidney Crosby relentlessly for not being able to deliver the "Lemieux moment."
He gave us two reasons in the Winter Classic to take that label and distinguish it...until he doesn't bury a wrap-around in the third period of a 2-2 game in March.
He comes out flying down the left wing 15 seconds into the game, drives the net, Colby Armstrong is there to pick up the trash. 1-0.
It was almost a moment of disbelief.
All the hype surrounding this game, and a goal is scored off the opening faceoff.
Pens fans were pinching themselves.
You literally could not believe it.
Our section was full of Pens fans.
It was bedlam.
Top 10 moment in our lives.
( Jason G. )
After all the trash talk in the parking lots, after all the chants back and forth between Sabres fans and Pens fans, after all the cheers for Sabres players, after all all the Pens players' cheers being drowned out by boos from Sabres fans...
All of a sudden, there wasn't a Sabre fan to be found.
Bing reacts to the stench permeating from Sabres fans
We usually type these recaps during games just for the sake of time.
Going to games really jobs these recaps, but thankfully there wasn't all that much to write home about, besides, you know, the outdoors thing.
The Winter Classic was the only time when it was imperative to go the men's room in pairs.
Someone accused a Pens fan of writing "Ron Paul" on a bathroom door, and then they threw some anti-Pittsburgh sentiments out into the air.
There's nothing more degrading in the world than when you're trying to take a piss and some other dude starts bumping you and pushing you and telling you that Crosby sucks.
If that bathroom was this blog, Pensblog Adam would have turned around, pissed on the dude's shoe, and gave him the Razor's Edge.
But this was the real world, so he finished up, did a quick jiggle, touched the back of a Sabres fan "to gently push through the crowd" in order to clear his hands of any residual urine, washed his hands with the tears of Sabres fans, and went back to his seat.
The obligatory shot of a fan with his hands raised in a touchdown signal with the rink in the background.
Tocchet jersey. Nasty.
The first period essentially belonged to the Pens.
They had a couple power plays and they were controlling the action.
Sabres fans were getting excited when their team was finally able to carry the puck through the neutral zone.
Sabres fans love the "Let's Go Buffalo" chant.
And they find nothing better than exclaiming "Welcome to Pominville!"
It was sometime during the first period that the first problems with the ice surface became apparent.
They were many extended stoppages in play, because that's what happens when the NFL is involved in any way, shape, or form.
People who cover the NHL and find nothing better than to kick it when it's down...they'll tell you these sporadic ice repairs were a travesty.
On the TV side, it may have been annoying, but in the Ralph, it gave you time to look around and take in the whole atmosphere, which Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said he was doing during the breaks as well.
They were not a big deal at all. It comes with the environment.
The other huge moment in the first period came later on, as the Sabres started mounting some pressure.
Someone made a sick pass. It looked like the Sabres had a goal.
But in pure Grant Fuhr fashion, Ty Conklin lays his life on the line by doing a ninja flop across the crease and gets a piece of it with his stick.
Upon further review, the puck hit the crossbar.
But he still looked sick.
ConkBlock city
The Pens got out of the first period with the lead, but you could feel the Sabres lurking.
If it wasn't for former Sabres goalie Ty Conklin, the second frame would have been Chernobyl time.
Early in the second, Brian Campbell, solid d-man, takes advantage of getting the puck all by himself in the faceoff circle and fires a wrister past Conklin. 1-1.
What a shot.
Stunned
The rest of the second was Sabresblog. And yet again, without typing as we watch, we can't bring much to the table in regards to intricacies of the game action.
During another break in the action to do some patchwork on the ice, Mario Lemieux issues an Amber Alert for Evgeni Malkin.
Lemieux -- Did you even play today?
Malkin -- Did you get those jeans at Gabe's? Your seat's up in the press box joke.
This was the first game of the season that Malkin wasn't a presence at all.
And except for the first and last plays, neither was Crosby.
Old Man Winter took center stage on this day.
We reiterate that it was the Ty Conklin Show from the first intermission onward.
Due to our lack of game details, it's time again to blast some people.
We were lucky enough to sit amongst a solid contingent of Pens fans in Section 243, the seats from the national anthem pic above.
There was a Sabres fan at the bottom of our section with his girlfriend, and he was mud.
He kept trying to start things with us, knowing there were 60,000 Sabres fans waiting to annihilate anyone who touched him.
Luckily, there was a Pens guy in our section who would stand up and dance and give everyone the finger.
Easily the most anticipated 20 minutes of the season.
Snow started dominating the world big-time.
You expect to see Dennis Quaid walking through the Ralph.
Ad nauseam blog, we don't have the skinny on the third-period action.
The Sabres definitely had more of a physical presence than the Pens, and that came centerstage when they showed the "hits of the game," one of which showed Brian Campbell leaving his skates to illegally job Ryan Malone.
There was fire emitting from Conklin in the third, attributing to some more ice patchwork being needed.
Picture: A fan not knowing what to do in a stadium where the home team actually wins AFC Championship Games.
In one of the most awkward moments in professional sports, the teams acknowledge that the clock would be stopping at the 10:00 mark so the teams could switch sides.
Fans who don't read stuff on the internet are stunned.
Old Man Winter and Father Time started making out as the third hit the homestretch.
And the old "at least get the point" thought started popping into our heads.
The Pens survive the third period, but Colby Armstrong goes off at the end of regulation for hooking, giving the Sabres a 4-on-3 for two minutes in overtime.
Pens fans everywhere unite.
Maybe the most nerve-racking two minutes of the season thus far.
This game felt like a playoff game.
Surrounded by 71,000-plus, and Colby Armstrong has never felt more lonely.
With the snow driving, amidst 71,000 screaming Ralph Wilson fanatics, the Pittsburgh Penguins discovered who they were.
On the guts of Hall, Staal, and Scoods, backs against the wall, they stood up for us all.
It was the dance of champions.
Halfway through the PK, the Pens get it out of the zone, giving Pens fans the chance to show their unwavering support of the PK.
The Sabres brought it back in and were able to set it up again.
A couple more scares, and Colby came flying out of the box.
A huge sigh of relief.
We were preparing our exit strategy in the chance that the Sabres got one past Conk.
It would have been devasting.
Although promised, the teams didn't switch ends at the halfway mark of OT, as they did in the third period.
NBC was probably pushing things along.
The OT goes to all zeros, which brings what the NHL and NBC had wet dreams about.
Everyone just turned to each other in disbelief.
We're hockey fans. In this world, there are few things quite as awesome as hearing the collective "MMMYYEEEAARRRGGGGHHH!" from the 60,000 Sabres fans in attendance when that puck got past Conklin.
Goosebumps city.
Jason S. showed us this unreal site from [ YTMND ] regarding Kotalik and Connolly.
Definitely click that.
Christo was first up for the Pens.
There was a palpable feeling before he even touched the puck that it wasn't gonna be his day.
No dice.
At that point it looked as if we were doomed.
But Ty Conklin wasn't done yet.
Tim Connolly comes down with the weight of Gary Roberts on his shoulders.
He chokes. Wide right.
Who's it gonna be? Malkin? Sykora? Crosby?
Nope. Kris Legame hops over the bench.
He comes up huge with a solid backhand that turns Ryan Miller into a woman.
[Ryan P]
1-1.
The final shooter for the Sabres was the only name that strikes fear into your balls simply because he's fast and it's a sick name.
Maxim Afinojokov thought he had a goal, but Conk shows up at 1:00am at your local bar to take the puck home with him.
Right after the save.
Pens fans everywhere know.
Our section, to the man, woman, and whatever else, starts chanting.
We have never chanted another man's name before.
But it had to be done.
It was a fairy-tale story that even Disney would have thought too improbable to tell.
Winter Classic
Shootout.
The game resting on Bing's stick as boos resonate the Ralph.
All game long, Sabre fans had told us the Penguins suck, Crosby is a joke.
Eat it.
This is the moment we have all waited for.
Sid skates down.
He takes his time, doesn't lose the puck.
Quick deke. The puck disappears.
Time stands still.
If you were at the game, you may have been watching for Sid's reaction.
You may have seen the puck go through and began celebrating immediately.
You could have waited an extra 8 seconds for the goal light to go on.
On the TV side, you wait for Doc Emerick's "HE sskeeeeeeeoooooorreeeeesssss!!!!!"
By that time, you're making out with someone.
Penguin fans never see eye to eye on much at times.
But for the briefest of moments, all the disagreements, all the jobbing, all the ill-will....
It disappeared.
All you could do was hug, high-five, and embrace complete strangers wearing Penguins stuff.
GAME.
STATS
Bing: 1 A
Army: 1G
Conk: Just unreal. At least 30,000 saves
..............................................
REACTIONBLOG
The Good
-- [ Fanhouse ] has a couple solid posts on the game.
-- David Shoalts dominates at [ The Globe and Mail ]
The Bad
-- Scott Burnside over at [ ESPN ] is never happy.
-- Bib Dicesare at [ The Buffalo News ] acts like the Winter Classic had sex with his wife.
The Capitals Fans
-- The game was rigged so Crosby could net the game-winner. [ Jobber Message Board ]
Are you serious?
And for the final time, there are too many links to list.
GoogleNews.
.....................................................
REACTIONBLOG PART 2
We were stunned by how many A-hole Sabres fans there were.
But we know they do not speak for all Sabre fans.
There may have been a few jerk-off Pens fans as well.
It was an intense scene. Two passionate fan bases.
We would've liked to see a little more presence of security.
But we didn't hear that much anyway.
We have two Stanley cup rings stuck in our ears.
.......................................
The parking lots after the game were a travesty. Anyone have any idea what happened?
Give it up to the NHL, Sabres, and Ralph Wilson stadium for perfectly walking the line between touting this unique game while also maintaining it as a home game for the Sabres.
The action was hard to pick up only a couple of times.
With outdoor games comes complications of the unknown. The stoppages in play easily attributed to the game's lack of flow, but if that's your reason to shrug this game off, don't come here.
A lot of big-name advertisers jumped onto the Winter Classic. Great to see.
Sabres fans are in love with Lindy Ruff.
This is the start of a New Year's Day tradition. Take it to the bank.
In the endzone under the scoreboard, it was not cold at all. We weren't being dominated by wind, and it was, dare we say, comfortable.
Opposing teams have to come up with something better than chants that Crosby sucks. We get it. But really does he really suck? Come on.
The uniform colors coupled with the color motif of the game was aesthetically pleasing. One of the gayest sentences we have ever typed.
Thanks for all the Pens fans we saw at the game, and the Pens fans watching at home for that matter. We may never even know each other. But it was all of us against the world. It was a great day to be a fan.
............................
UPDATE
A lot of personal videos from Pens fans are showing up online.
Here is one from [LGP] poster "roller81" on youtube.
![[WILDJOBBER.png]](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_fw7iF68JR8k/SLTEQMYhRwI/AAAAAAAAVLE/kqHfDa0q4ok/s1600/WILDJOBBER.png)
![[Picture+14.png]](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_fw7iF68JR8k/SLTBeHWEyFI/AAAAAAAAVKs/7TJ8T2VB9qU/s1600/Picture%2B14.png)
![[Picture+4.png]](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fw7iF68JR8k/SKe69v_tAWI/AAAAAAAAU2o/pw0nmAPQPQw/s1600/Picture%2B4.png)
![[Picture+9.png]](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_fw7iF68JR8k/SKe2bzUjNMI/AAAAAAAAU2Q/mQLiizoUkVc/s1600/Picture%2B9.png)
![[Picture+8.png]](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fw7iF68JR8k/SKez4BNr2AI/AAAAAAAAU2I/tndjAAcGhv4/s1600/Picture%2B8.png)
![[Picture+7.png]](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fw7iF68JR8k/SKPd7sxN_WI/AAAAAAAAUzE/VU-85v8ANfg/s1600/Picture%2B7.png)
![[atl.png]](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_fw7iF68JR8k/Rs4uWttRtqI/AAAAAAAAFUc/GY9FF5CKnYw/s1600/atl.png)
![[pit.png]](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_fw7iF68JR8k/RtDn-NtRuHI/AAAAAAAAFYE/2kYN1aRC7eQ/s1600/pit.png)
![[Picture+6.png]](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_fw7iF68JR8k/SKPbqTtVCLI/AAAAAAAAUy0/jyQfv2PGTLk/s1600/Picture%2B6.png)
![[Picture+2.png]](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_fw7iF68JR8k/SJ8yvSRhPdI/AAAAAAAAUuE/LpZ7WBd0-Ew/s1600/Picture%2B2.png)
![[Picture+12.png]](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fw7iF68JR8k/SJ4D6BPIOkI/AAAAAAAAUtk/iZYo1UP8Jog/s1600/Picture%2B12.png)
![[Picture+11.png]](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fw7iF68JR8k/SJ4BocHvH4I/AAAAAAAAUtc/L1NGsZUCk-c/s1600/Picture%2B11.png)
![[Picture+8.png]](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_fw7iF68JR8k/SJ3-u40UWOI/AAAAAAAAUtM/yk2n_YEJCYg/s1600/Picture%2B8.png)
![[Picture+9.png]](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_fw7iF68JR8k/SJ3-u7aLRJI/AAAAAAAAUtU/qiiO610_eFw/s1600/Picture%2B9.png)
![[Picture+4.png]](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_fw7iF68JR8k/SJ33qUUb-FI/AAAAAAAAUs0/_W8_ecrW-Po/s1600/Picture%2B4.png)
![[Picture+11.png]](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fw7iF68JR8k/SJ0OTcJQa1I/AAAAAAAAUss/VWXMzA0TRO4/s1600/Picture%2B11.png)
![[Picture+15.png]](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_fw7iF68JR8k/SJk4tiLhieI/AAAAAAAAUo8/HVF59V_9Gj0/s1600/Picture%2B15.png)
![[njd.png]](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_fw7iF68JR8k/RtDnottRuDI/AAAAAAAAFXk/Rd28V8gzKbo/s1600/njd.png)
