The Sidney Crosby Show: Pens v Blue Jackets (W 4-3 SO)

The BlogPressLite app for iPhone/iPod Touch = EPIC fail.

I'm a little upset! I thought I published a post for the Canadiens game on Wednesday using the app. Evidently it did not work. :( I guess I'll just have to fire up the iMac when I want to post. So much for "There's an app for that!" It's just as well - I didn't recap the game because woodstock wasn't here to help me with Killian. He is, as his name means, small and fierce. He's just a big ball of energy, and right now our senior Greyhounds don't exactly know what to make of him.

LATE EDIT: It turns out that I am the epic fail. The post worked - but the date was October 3^rd so I didn't see it. I corrected the date and will be checking the settings on my iPod. Many thanks to good Friend of The Show Jaime for finding the missing post for me!

The calm before the storm... ;)

Anyhoo, speaking of the Canadiens game, how about our Captain?! What a player. Un-freaking-real. The hat trick was incredible, the win was amazing, but losing Geno for a few weeks due to a shoulder strain just plain stinks. But, just as they have done when our other superstars have been out, I have no doubt that the other Boys will pick up the slack.

FIRST PERIOD

This is the second away game that the Pens have worn their 3^rd jerseys - I was lucky enough to be on hand for the first one. :)
In Geno's absence, Gronk moved up to the second line.
Blunden was called for high sticking. With just 5 seconds left in Blunden's penalty, Umberger went for a shorthanded chance. He was hooked by Bourque. Neither team scored on their respective power plays.
The Pens went on an offensive attack, but Mason responded with a series of nice saves.
Cooker was called for high sticking, but the Pens successfully killed the penalty.

After going hard to the net, Siddo pushed a Blue Jackets defender into Mason. In response, Mason (while cowering behind the aforementioned defender) elbowed then popped Sid in the face. A scrum ensued.
The X-Files theme played. I wouldn't mention it, except that it was strangely out of place. Maybe if they had played other Halloween tunes it wouldn't have stuck out in my mind, but they didn't. Maybe I missed something...
Orpik got tripped at the blue line. Nash went for a shot on net. Johnson busted out two of the nicest saves I've seen all season. (That second toe save was un-REAL.) But the trip on Orpik wasn't called. Instead, he was called for slashing. ??? Nash scored on the ensuing penalty kill. [Pens 0, Blue Jackets 1]

With less than 2 minutes left in the period, Dorsett crosschecked Brooksie into Johnson, who seemed a bit shaken up afterward. A scrum ensued. Brooksie and Dorsett were assessed roughing minors, but Dorsett's was a double. Voracek served the second penalty for his teammate. The Pens didn't score on their abbreviated power play.

SECOND PERIOD

The Pens didn't score on the remaining 22 seconds on the power play.
A scary moment came when Vermette took Sid's left leg out in a big collision. Sid left the ice slowly. He was shown on the bench stretching his leg and wincing slightly, but he returned for his next shift. On the replay, it didn't look like it was done on purpose.
A little later, Vermette centered one from behind the net to Nash in the far corner for the goal. [Pens 0, Blue Jackets 2]
Bourque was again penalized for hooking, but the Pens killed the penalty.

As Bourque came out of the box, he joined Kuni and Siddo for an odd-man rush. It went from Kuni to Bourque to Sid for a shot that bounced off Mason's enormous shoulder pads.
Guerin was called for hooking. The puck bounced out of the Pens' zone, and Kuni went on a foot race with Tyutin for the puck. Kuni beat Tyutin, but Tyutin tossed his stick at the puck and swiped Kuni's feet with his arms and tripped him. Inexplicably, no call was made, but that actually ended up being a good thing: The puck went to the corner. Sid took it behind the net and fed it to Kuni with a backhanded pass. Kuni fired the puck into the twine for a shorthanded goal. [Pens 1, Blue Jackets 2] The Blue Jackets didn't score on their advantage. With that shorty, the game became interesting because the Pens finally woke up.

Johnson had two consecutive remarkable saves. It bears mentioning that he looked really confident and solid in goal.
Pahlsson was called for holding. The Pens got the puck deep, but it rolled along the wrong side of the goal line. The Pens didn't use the advantage to tie the game.
To make matters worse, as Pahlsson emerged, he joined his teammates for a rush and helped Dorsett score. [Pens 1, Blue Jackets 3]
With 13 seconds left in the period, Rupp was called for interference. The penalty carried over to the third period.

THIRD PERIOD

On the remainder of Rupp's penalty, Gronk went for a short handed try and drew a hooking penalty on Stralman. Neither team scored on the 4-on-4 or their respective advantages.
Vermette hit a post after Gronk punished the "Monster" Nash, who was slow to get up. To me, it's kind of funny that Steigy and Errey kept mentioning how H-U-G-E Nash is. He's 6'4" 220lbs - that's what size woodstock is! :)

Gogo sent a lead pass to Kuni. Mason came out to block the initial shot and then blocked the rebound as well.
Sid was called for slashing. The Blue Jackets didn't add to their lead while our Captain sat in the box.
Time seemed to be against us, but once again, they became our Comeback Kids. With 2:56 to go in the game and down by 2, an offensive onslaught led to a fortuitous bounce right to Tank, who put the puck in the wide open net. [Pens 2, Blue Jackets 3]
A mere 39 seconds later, the Saint made a beautiful centering pass to Gogo, who fired a rocket from the blue line that went top shelf to tie the game. (I have no idea why, but Blue Jackets head coach Hitchcock would later refer to this tying goal as "fluky." ??? I think he needs to have his eyes checked.) So we went to...

OVERTIME

Both teams fought hard during OT, but it didn't decide the outcome of the game. It didn't even help when, in the last 25 seconds of OT, Voracek was given a penalty for hooking. So the game was decided with a...

SHOOTOUT
The Blue Jackets decided to shoot first.

CBJ - Vermette: Shot was blocked
PENS - Letang: Shot hit the post
CBJ - Nash: Shot went waaaaaay wide
* PENS - CAPTAIN SIDDO: Mason initially blocked the shot but didn't realize it as he AND THE PUCK slowly trickled backward and over the goal line. :)

CBJ - Huselius: Shot was glove saved

THE PENS GOT THE COMEBACK WIN!!

POSTGAME THOUGHTS

Sid is a machine. I don't care if you hate the guy's personality - there's no denying he is absolutely the best in the league and deserves respect. Anyone who says otherwise can't possibly understand the game.
Shero is a master at picking players. We're missing four key pieces of the puzzle (Superstar, Gonch, TK, and Geno - five if you count Flower's day off), but right now we've got the best record in the league. It's a gross understatement to say it's great to have a team that functions this well.
It's nice to see Guerin and Orpik sporting the A on their uniforms while Gonch and Geno are out. They both deserve it.
We've got to stay out of the box. So far it hasn't hurt us much, but sooner rather than later taking so many penalties (8 tonight!) is going to come back to bite us in the arse.

Tomorrow we're taking on our old friend Petr Sykora and his new team the Minnesota Wild.

GO PENS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!