Pens v Flyers (W 4-2) pt. 2

WARNING: This post contains several pictures. If you're on dialup, I recommend maybe running a few errands while you wait for this page to load.

LATE EDIT: I cannot believe I forgot to give a shout out to good Friend of The Show Pensgirl for teaching me how to process my pictures to get the most out of them. ♥ THANK YOU so much for the help, Pensgirl!!! ♥

I had an absolutely amazing night. Last night's game marks the second time I have been privileged enough to be in the Mellon Arena when Sid scored a goal that will be talked about for years to come. (The first time I witnessed Sid's magic in person was at the January 7, 2007 against Tampa Bay when he scored that goal from his stomach. I somehow managed to get that one on video. You can check it out here.) Unfortunately, I didn't get that between-the-legs beauty on video, but I got some amazing pictures and videos for you!!! I'm going to skip recapping the game in favor of recapping the experience, so make sure you check out The Confluence of The Three Rivers for a complete game recap and some great game analysis.

A word about the following images and videos: This is the first time I've used my new camera. I'm really pleased overall, but when it is used to shoot video, the sound cuts out anytime I focused in or out. Feel free to use these pictures however you see fit - you may even use them on the web for your own blog (email me for larger sizes), provided you give me proper credit for taking the photos. Enjoy!

All the fans got free T-shirts. We made our way to our seats. We were happy because they were pretty good. Any time you go to the Mellon, you get to see this guy. He's famous for his distinctive cry, "Cotton candy, 'eeeeeere!!!" He's even got his own MySpace page:











The national anthem:



The game was just over two minutes in when this happened (That screaming isn't me - the lady behind me when nuts! You can hear me at the very end say, "Ha ha, yes!!!"):

Then things started to get even nastier:








The second period:









The don't call 'em the Broad Street Bullies for nothing:











Right after Sid's first goal of the night:







During the second intermission, fans could text anything they wanted to 32623. The texts then appeared on the Jumbotron. I submitted this in honor of all of you guys (and since Sid scored 2 goals and had an assist, I think this was more than appropriate):







Also during the second intermission, a fan was given a chance to win something. He had to wear a helmet, get on a sled, and... Well, just watch and see for yourself:

Then the Boys of Winter came back out:

There were more close encounters in the third period:






The Penguins' bench:






The final score:










After the game, the Pens gave 26 lucky fans the shirts off their backs. My husband and I made our way down to the glass to be a part of the action. When Pascal Dupuis took his jersey off, he revealed something unexpected to the crowd:






Check out Daryl Sydor and Gary frickin' Roberts in their suits:






The players were throwing T-shirts into the crowd and signing autographs for people who were close enough to throw their jerseys up over the glass while they awaited their turns to give away their jerseys. Sidney surprised everyone when he grabbed about a dozen sticks and handed them out to random fans:






My husband was trying to get a T-shirt, and I was trying to get Sid to sign my jersey. At one point, Geno launched a T-shirt my way. I actually had my fingers on it, but a lady in front of me and a man beside me took roughing penalties to get me out of the way. The man won. He said, "Sorry - I want this for my son." (Riiiiiiiiight. He probably wore it to work today.) I could not be too aggressive because there was an elderly woman in a wheelchair right beside me. Don't for one second think that I didn't consider tackling him and taking the T-shirt, but I thought maybe I'd get thrown out of the Mellon, and I was still hoping Sid would make his way down to where we were for an autograph. I was about 25 feet too far away when it was Sid's turn to strip:

We stayed put in hopes that the Saint would come back and sign a few more of our jerseys, but after he signed his own jersey for the lucky winner, he skated to the locker room, much to our dismay. Needless to say, I was really, really bummed. But, I suppose it's a good excuse to do it again next year!

I'm really sorry this is coming to you so late. I NEVER intended for it to take me so long to get this post done for you. (I've been working on it since 12:50pm!!!) BUT, I will have something for you tomorrow that will make up for it... ;)