The Sidney Crosby Show

Pens v Canes

2009-12-07T19:25:00.001-05:00

Three words:

SIDDO IS BACK!!!!!!!

Enough said.

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

Pens v Blackhawks

2009-12-05T18:41:00.004-05:00

It figures. :( Just when he's on a hot streak, Siddo gets sidelined by his old groin injury. Unfortunately, groin injuries are nasty. They take forever and a day to heal. So it's better for him to take a night or two off than ignore it and end up missing a big chunk of the season.

I don't have a lot of time tonight because I'm making a big dinner because woodstock and I both have the same day off on a game night (well, that and I want to play with my new DROID!!), but I thought I'd share a few of pictures of Killian experiencing snow for the first time:

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

Pens v Avs

2009-12-03T19:12:00.003-05:00

Colorado is coming to the Mellon tonight after losing to the Panthers in a shootout last night. Rupp is having a banner season, Siddo is a machine, the regular roster is returning to normal, and collectively the Boys are playing solid hockey. :)

In the meantime, here is a screen grab of the picture Friend of The Show MouthGuard told us about in The Friends' Zone in the last post. It's a priceless shot of MAF doing to IFHSA™ what I'm sure we all wish we could do to him:

Somehow I bet even that didn't shut him up.

I thought I would share with you how you can grab your own screenshots, since there are a TON of great photos in Flash slideshows. I have an iMac now, and it's super easy with OS X. But there's a neat (FREE!) utility that I use on the Windows 7 side to make my life easier. Instructions for both operating systems follow.

WINDOWS USERS: Click here and download MWSnap. It's a FREE utility that allows you to save snapshots of entire windows or portions of windows in five different image formats (.jpg, .bmp, .gif, .png, and .tif). It's not hard at all to figure out how to use.

MAC OS X USERS: There's a really simple way to do screen capture images already available. All you have to do is press the command + shift + 3 keys simultaneously. You'll hear a camera click, and the image file (a .png file) will be instantly saved to your desktop. This method saves a screenshot of the content visible in the entire display. But if you just want a portion of a certain window, use command + shift + 4. The cursor will change to a + that you can click, hold, and drag over the portion you wish to save. Again, you'll hear the camera click, and the image will be saved to your desktop. With this method, you don't have to crop the image out of the rest of the display. :)

Smack talk time: The Penguins are on fire! They're so hot, they're going to melt the Avalanche!

:-/

Ooooohh...... Not so much good at the smack talk, am I? ;)

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

Instant Karma's Gonna Get You...

2009-12-01T17:57:00.003-05:00

Now anyone who has read The Show for any extended period knows I don't like it when ANY player gets hurt - ever. But I couldn't help but see a measure of poetic justice in the following incident involving none other than A-hOle™ himself. Here's the video of the deliberate knee-on-knee hit he put on the Carolina Hurricanes' Tim Gleason:

Thankfully A-hOle™ himself took the worst of that hit while Gleason is okay. This makes the second boneheaded hit A-hOle™ has delivered in three games. (He was previously nailed for boarding Patrick Kaleta of my old boss's beloved Buffalo Sabres.) And now even his own coach is saying that he is irresponsible on the ice:

After two years of essentially letting Ovechkin be Ovechkin, [Head Coach Bruce] Boudreau said it might be time for a heart-to-heart talk.

"He's pretty reckless," he said. "It's hard telling a guy that scores 60 goals a year to change the way he plays. At the same time, I don't want to see him getting hurt. Maybe he has to pick his spots a little better. The open-ice hits, you just look around the league. It's not only the hitter, it's the guy that gets hit. ... It's something that will have to be addressed by us, I guess. ... Not only as a coach, but as somebody who admires him, I just don't want him to put himself in harm's way, so we'll see."

I mostly agree with what Boudreau said, but I really don't care for how easily he glossed over the risk that Ovechkin poses to others when he makes these stupid hits. Just ask Gonch. Well, the NHL (finally!) suspended A-hOle™ for two games for the hit - two games he probably wouldn't be able to play anyways since he's the one who ended up getting injured. He'll also forfeit $98,844.16 of his salary to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund. Remember - the NHL just suspended Cooker this:

By comparison, are these hits equal? No way! Cooker hit with his shoulder as Anisimov was caught with his head down as (for whatever reason) he watched his own pass rather than paying attention to the players on the ice around him. On the other hand, A-hOle™ clearly and intentionally stuck his knee out to make contact with Gleason. So should the punishments have been equal? NO WAY!

Despite the suspension, somehow I doubt this is the last time we'll be talking about a dirty hit from Alexander Ovechkin. Perhaps he might have gotten the message if the NHL would have ordered the suspension to begin once he's been cleared to play. But I guess they'd rather wait until he ends someone's career to get that "harsh."

Share your opinion in The Friends' Zone below - even if you're a Caps fan. But please be mature enough to follow the guidelines listed in The Friends' Zone Policies. Comments that violate them will be deleted.

Pens v Rangers

2009-11-30T18:23:00.005-05:00

Here we go again! This is sure to be a crazy rematch.

First things first: SIDDO GOT FIRST STAR OF THE WEEK! :) :) :) :) As if it could have been anyone else after his performance this week!

Gogo (apparently also known as Goose, haha!) is out again. He's got a "lower body injury" which some are interpreting to be an aggravated groin injury. And by now you have probably heard that Cooker is out, too. He was suspended for 2 games for the hit on Anisimov - a punishment that seems like it may have been a little harsher because he is Matt Cooke. I'm no official, but that was not a deliberate head shot. But since he was suspended in January, he's considered a repeat offender. That also means he'll forfeit $29,000 of his salary to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund.

But really, I need someone (anyone!) to explain to me why Cooker was suspended but Avery was not. (Check out this excellent write up about the situation on The Bleacher Report and the lack of consistency from the NHL regarding these punishments or lack thereof.)

This drawing of Super Mario was provided by good Friend of The Show Sid-drawing Jan. I know it's kind of random in relation to the content of this post, but really - who doesn't want to see more Lemieux? :)

I'm sure IFHSA™ will give us even more reasons to hate him. Funny how the big D-bag suffered no further ramifications after he took a run at our Captain's head in the last game (which was the catalyst of the ugliness that ultimately led to the Cooke/Anisimov incident) AND the cowardly unprovoked attack on a completely unsuspecting Fedotenko. (Yeah, I said attack. It's only a fight if the other guy participates.) Fortunately, Siddo saw him coming and ducked out of danger, and Tank wasn't injured. We'll see if he tries anything that stupid again tonight, and more importantly, if he does, whether or not the NHL will do anything about it.

You'll recall that I said I'd share my belated birthday gift from the G twins. 1WingAngel and her sister Nicole G. sent me this email:

Happy Belated Birthday, Jodie!!! [snoop: Thank you! :)]

I'm very happy to let you know that my sister, Nicole, and I recently achieved what we'd like to call our "Roaming Penguin Hat Trick" -- all three of our Roamers are now signed by their respective players! And yes, that means Marc-Andre Penguin (Nov. 3, 2008), Max Penguin (Dec. 1, 2008), AND a certain Sidney Penguin... ;)

Sidney Penguin met his human counterpart today after the Boys' game day skate. Nicole and I arrived at the Igloo at about noon (we cheated because we now live at Duquesne University, less than ten minutes away on foot) and stood along the green fence just outside of Gate 2 alongside a HUUUUUUGE crowd. I was certain that hardly anyone on the roster would approach this unusually large crowd, but I was soon proven wrong.

A young hockey team, the Peterborough Petes (Jordan Staal's team from his younger years), was in town, and some of the guys couldn't resist visiting them. Tyler Kennedy walked right up to the crowd and made his way down the line, then Ruslan Fedotenko followed suit. Jordan Staal and Eric Godard then walked to their cars, but when the young hockey players were escorted into the parking lot, Staalsy paid a visit to his former team... and that's when I noticed Sidney Crosby walking towards the group.

I tapped Nicole (he's her favorite player), and we watched as he signed autographs for the boys and posed for photos. Then he also walked to the long line of fans and proceeded along the fence. I was stunned, because I hadn't thought for a moment that Sid would approach such a sizable group. I put my jersey aside so that I could document Nicole holding out her Sidney Penguin for Sid to sign. Said documentation has been uploaded to my YouTube account, and here's the link.

Notes:
--The woman following him is a Penguins' employee. She set the rules for how long Sid signed for the crowd, and maintained control.

--Sid initially missed Nicole because he was in a conversation with a fan, and Nicole wasn't holding SP over the fence. She didn't want to risk dropping him (although, if she HAD dropped SP over the fence, wouldn't it have been something if Sid picked it up?? :) ).

--The quality is awful because it was recorded by my anxious self using my digital camera...

-- The first two attached photos are of Sid meeting the Peterborough Petes. The third is apparently a look at Sid's thighs... taken by Nicole. The fourth is our RPHT. And last is a screenshot of SC and SP. :)

So there you have it. Sidney Crosby met Sidney Penguin today... and Mama G., Nicole G., and myself have an unofficial "Roaming Penguin Hat Trick!"

GO PENS!!!

Good grief, that is BEYOND AWESOME!!! Siddo finally met his Roaming counterpart! How cool. :D :D :D :D :D Congrats, ladies! Thanks SO MUCH for sharing this with us.

Strap in for what could be a bumpy ride at Madison Square Garden...

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

Pens v Rangers (W 8-3)

2009-11-29T14:06:00.006-05:00

What. A. Game. The Pens absolutely decimated the Rangers. Sid was amazing. How freaking awesome was the hat trick on hat night?! :) In all, he earned five points. What a player.

Okay, so I have made a change in the way comments are made. We've been getting hit pretty hard with spam comments about where to buy Viagra and how to use Playstation 3 consoles. (WTF?!) Up until recently, they were only hitting old posts, so I've been spending a good bit of time deleting them by hand. But this is becoming cumbersome, and yesterday they started hitting the current post. So from now on, you'll have to fill in a captcha before your comment will post. Hopefully this will deter the culprits.

Good Friend of The Show Jaime sent me a few pictures to share with everyone. She made a wallpaper using all the best shots of Siddo following the Cup win in response to the NHL's "This is Our Year" campaign:

Click to enlarge

She also cleaned up the scan of the picture of Mario, Sid, and the Cup that I pulled from the Reflections on a Season 2009 book:

Click to enlarge

And she sent us these scans. Jaime's friend Lizzy B. is a talented artist and drew a few pics of the Saint and one stunning picture of Le Magnifique:

Click to enlarge

Amazing work, Lizzy! :) Tomorrow we face the Rangers again, this time at Madison Square Garden. Look for this one to be intense. They'll be looking for revenge after being humiliated in Pittsburgh.

Also tomorrow: I'll share with you a belated birthday present I got from good Friends 1WingAngel and Nicole G... ;)

GO PENS!!!!!!!!

Pens v Isles

2009-11-27T13:12:00.003-05:00

I hope everyone's holiday was as nice as mine was. :) It's an early game today. The Pens are braving their way through New York Black Friday traffic to get to the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum to face the Islanders at 2:00pm Eastern.

If you haven't seen this yet, check out the awesomeness that is the Penguins and Paws 2010 calendar.

The Pittsburgh Penguins Wives Association and Met Vet present a calendar full of our Boys with their own furry friends as well as some pets that are currently up for adoption. Proceeds from the calendar benefit Animal Friends and the Animal Rescue League of Western Pennsylvania. What a fabulous Christmas gift idea, right? :) :) :) They'll be selling it at the Mellon Arena beginning this December, or you can buy it online here. I'm going to have to get two - one for home and one for the office. :)

Maybe today Godard will get the goal that was JUST BARELY out of his reach on Wednesday...

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

Pens v Canadiens

2009-11-25T18:44:00.003-05:00

I am elbow deep in Thanksgiving dinner prep cooking. This will be my third consecutive year preparing the big feast for woodstock and me; however, it is my first time hosting guests. Originally, it was only going to be my sister, but my father just called to tell me he and my mom may come down for dinner. It's not like there won't be enough food - I got a 20 pound turkey for free this year! The problem is now I'm nervous... If something gets burned or otherwise ruined, it's on me. O_o Here's hoping it all goes off without a hitch!

Since I know I won't have time to do this tomorrow, let me take a minute to wish you all a happy, blessed, fattening, and safe Thanksgiving with your families. :)

Now, COME ON, BOYS! Get that victory and give us all one more thing to be thankful for tomorrow!

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

Pens v Panthers

2009-11-23T17:48:00.004-05:00

The Pens are in Florida gearing up to face the Panthers. None of our other injured Boys are scheduled to return. Hopefully our Captain is feeling better (although, how amazing was that performance against the Thrashers from a sicko Siddo??). Speaking of Sid, I'm going with a totally random shot of him today. I found it when I was looking for good pics of him with the Olympic Torch. I can only guess that it comes from an advertisement that was meant to encourage youngsters to eat healthier foods, but it just creeps me the hell out:

I don't know about you, but the detailed view of his internal organs makes me the opposite of hungry for Kellogg's food...

Anyhoo,

GO PENS!!!!!!!!!

Pens v Thrashers

2009-11-21T18:58:00.002-05:00

The good news keeps coming: Even though he took a puck to the face resulting in 10 stiches, BROOKSIE IS BACK!!! :) :) :) :) :)

Four down (Geno, Max, Gonch, & Brooks), five to go (TK, Kuni, Tanger, Gogo, & McKee)...

Mad Max will be playing on Siddo's line, so look for something special to happen there. We'll get to see our old friend Colby Armstrong. And don't forget there's definitely no love lost between Kovalchuk and our title man. We all know what happens when Sid gets mad, right? POINTS!

Get ready for a good one.

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

A Personal Update

2009-11-20T19:25:00.004-05:00

Hey, I just wanted to let anyone who cares know that late last night, my Gram's doctors finally concluded that the risks of not doing surgery outweighed the risks of going through with it, so this afternoon, she had her gall bladder removed. It was the best we could hope for: she made it through with flying colors!!! :D :D :D :D :D

We kind of have to play it by ear to see if she suffered any long term effects on her mental capacities, but the surgeon and the doctors seem very optimistic. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to any of you who said a prayer or sent out a positive vibe into the universe for my Gram. I cannot even put into words how much that means to me.

Since there isn't a game tonight, I thought you might like to see a little more Killian. Here's a cute shot of the Red Baron (LOVE that nickname, Bill - it's perfect!) on my couch with his blanket:

Pens v Sens

2009-11-19T19:20:00.001-05:00

Folks, we've got GREAT news tonight...

MAX IS BACK!!!!!!

AND SO IS GONCH!!!!!

After losing half of the team to injury/illness, the return of these two key players is enormous. Their return is as important as Geno's return. However, all is not well: our honorary backup goalie, Jay McKee (who leads the league in blocked shots) is out for 2 to 4 weeks with an infected finger. Oy. Two steps forward and one step back... :(

Anyhow, you can pass the time until the game begins by checking out a video and some photos of our Captain with the Olympic Torch! :)

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

Sidney Crosby Carries The Olympic Torch

2009-11-19T17:19:00.008-05:00

Last night, Sidney Crosby carried the Olympic Torch through his native Nova Scotia. Here are the highlights (there's a Chinese ad before the video, but the report itself is in English):

Congratulations, Sid. It is a well deserved honor. :)

What a Month

2009-11-17T15:56:00.004-05:00

As I said before, I'm not deliberately trying to neglect TSCS. I'm still getting accustomed to having a puppy that I have to monitor constantly, and my Gram has been on a health rollercoaster (we're not sure what's happening to her - she keeps getting sick, and doctors think it might be her gallbladder but she can't get surgery because it might kill her). Needless to say, life has been a little hectic around here.

(Greyhounds left to right:) Connor, Logan, Link, and Killian in a rare moment of calm. It's amazing how well behaved they can be when they're waiting for a treat. ;)

We did take a break from it yesterday and headed to Pittsburgh for the game. It was a really good time. I really needed the break. (Parking was insane, though!) The Guerin/Getzlaf brawl was the highlight of the evening for me, second only to meeting Iceburgh in the hall. He is as charming as ever. :) I got a few good pictures for you.

Gronk's shorty:

Siddo:

My first look at the new banner:

The coaches:

Guerin schooling Getzlaf:

The victorious team:

I thought this was weird... The attempt at smack talk fails epically because, um, ducks are birds too:

You have to ignore the grossness of the sidewalk to appreciate this last one:

I apologize for missing most of the beginning of this season. Things will hopefully calm down soon. I so miss doing The Show. :(

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

Pens v Bruins

2009-11-10T19:10:00.002-05:00

Okay, I'm so not trying to ignore this blog on purpose. The Red Devil (a.k.a. Killian) is a handful of energy, and we still have to monitor him constantly because he wants to play but the Greyhounds are 8 times his size. In his defense, he's finally beginning to settle in a bit, but because woodstock and I are working the same shift this week, Big K has been spending 8 hours in a small room by himself and is a complete tornado when we get home. I'll post some more pictures of him soon. :)

Anyhow, we're watching this one online because Versus and DirecTV both suck. Even though the picture quality is terrible this time around, I somehow doubt it will be as painful to watch this game as it was to watch Saturday's. O_o

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

Posting on Behalf of Jodie

2009-08-05T20:42:00.004-04:00

Hello friends and fans of TSCS. This is Jodie's sister Jamie and I am writing this evening on Jodie's behalf. As you have all been so supportive through our family's trials and tribulations, I wanted to keep you all in the loop as to what has been going on. It is with great sadness this evening that I report that unfortunately Baylee has passed on. He has been sick for the past several weeks, and despite every effort humanly and caninely possible, he had liver cancer. Jodie and Kenny ensured he had a very comfortable and fulfilling life, and could not endure the agony of causing Baylee to suffer in his illness. Baylee's doctors were phenominal, and told them that the medication he had been taking the past few weeks gave them some more time to spend with him and made him more comfortable. Jodie got to spend some quality time with him and will cherish every precious second. She is too beside herself at this point in time to post personally, but I assure you that in time, when the healing begins and the hurt lessens, she will be getting back in touch with all of you. I constantly tell her how amazed I am at the outpouring of love and support and loyalty from all of you - not only during the season, but through out the year. I know she truly enjoys the blog, and has all of you to thank for that. I appreciate you all allowing me to say a few words this evening. Baylee, you are forever loved and will forever be missed. You are now reunited with your brothers in Heaven and have earned your doggie wings. RIP my four legged friend.

Jamie

Pens v Kings

2009-11-05T22:02:00.000-05:00

Tonight our Boys will be facing the Kings, which means we'll be seeing Rob Scuderi skating with the bad guys. No word on whether or not Sid will be in goal. ;) (How amazing was that save? All those summers spent in between the pipes while playing street hockey really paid off! What a player.)

The Pens are still taking names and kickin' arse. L.A. isn't going to know what hit them.

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

[ Posted from my iPod Touch using the BlogPress App ]

Pens v Ducks

2009-11-03T17:43:00.002-05:00

Okay, I'm trying this iPod app again. The Boys begin a weeklong tour out West. Siddo has been a man on fire lately and shows no signs of slowing down. There won't be a recap tonight - these late games don't even start until my bedtime, haha!!! ;)

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

[ Posted from my iPod using the BlogPress App ]

Pens v Wild (L 1-2)

2009-10-31T17:58:00.005-04:00

Flower will be in net. Syko will be in the bad guys' uni. We will again be missing some key players... But we will still manage to get the job done. Bring it, Minnesota!

Oh, boy. Be careful what you wish for, eh? Minnesota (read: Backstrom) certainly brought it tonight.

FIRST PERIOD

"Count Steigula" welcomed us to the Mellon Arena. O_o
Gronk beautifully set Bourque up twice. On the second chance, Bourque was hooked by Belanger. The Pens didn't score on their advantage.
Following a shot from the point by Kobasew, the rebound went out in front for Brodziak. He promptly banged it into the net. [Pens 0, Wild 1]

Steelers star safety Troy Polamalu was shown wearing a Crosby jersey in Mario's box.
FSN PGH cut away to show the starting lineup introduce themselves when the Pens won a faceoff to the point to Super Duper for a 1-timer that tied the game. [Pens 1, Wild 1] Backstrom was completely frozen, so Duper basically had an empty net. He's worked so hard this season without reward, so it was nice to see him get one. :)

The Wild went at the Pens all the way to the end of the period. It paid off - with just 0.6 seconds left in the period, Belanger scored. [Pens 1, Wild 2]

SECOND PERIOD

A short clip from the warmup was shown: Syko gave a tap to Godard's shin guard to say hi as Siddo was gliding in and tapping Syko's guard for the same reason.
woodstock was irate as he noticed a woman seated in the row behind the glass behind assistant coach Mike Yeo was knitting.

Lots of offensive work by the Pens failed to pay off because Backstrom was stopping everything.
During one shift, Cooker lost his edge on a bad blade and fell then broke his stick.
Sid was called for slashing. On the ensuing penalty kill, Cooker got away with a trip. The Wild didn't add to their lead.
Gronk shot wide on a wide open net.
Then the highlight of the game (at least it was for me) happened. Zidlicky and Siddo got their skates tangled. Zidlicky ended up kicking Sid's left leg out from under him, which sent him hard into the boards. Predictably, Sid wasn't happy about that, so he responded by pushing him. They ended up whacking each other a few times before ultimately deciding to do the man dance. Advantage: Sid. Why? See for yourself.

Both players were assessed a slashing minor and a fighting major. Sid on the fight: "It's not something I want to make a habit of, but I was a little ticked off." Neither team scored as a result of these penalties.
With about 1:30 left in the period, Schultz slashed and broke Guerin's stick. The Pens didn't score on the abbreviated power play.

THIRD PERIOD

The Pens didn't score on the remainder of the power play, either.
Rupp destroyed Zanon with a big hit. He was slow to get up and even slower to get off the ice. So slow in fact that the Wild ended up taking a too-many-men-on-the-ice penalty because of it. Syko served the penalty. On the ensuing power play, Siddo's stick was slashed and broken but the infraction was not called. To make matters worse, while Sid was talking to the ref about it, the puck was dropped for the next faceoff without him. The Pens failed to tie the game with a man advantage.

Syko and Letang had an incident. They deliberately hit each other. In doing so, Syko brought his stick up and over Letang's face. Shockingly, BOTH men were called for coincidental high sticks. I'm not trying to be biased - I really didn't see why Letang was called. Either way, no one scored on the 4 on 4.
The Pens threw everything but the kitchen sink at Backstrom, but he just wouldn't budge.

Rupp and Scott were shown having words with each other. No punches were thrown, but both men were thrown into their respective boxes for unsportsmanlike conduct. (I wonder what they were saying that was that bad???) Again, no one scored on the 4 on 4.
With less than 2 minutes to go in the game, Adams had an amazing chance. It didn't end with a goal. It created a series of great chances for the Pens that culminated in chaos in front of Backstrom. Unfortunately the puck never crossed the goal line. In the frenzy, Belanger took a stick to the face that left him pouring blood out on to the ice. He left immediately for treatment.

The Pens pulled Flower in favor of the extra attacker, and even though they put forth a valiant effort, the tying goal remained elusive. The Wild walked away with the win, despite having 20 less shots on goal.

POSTGAME THOUGHTS

The Pens fought hard and played well, but Backstrom was a brick wall.
How about the Captain throwing down to try to get his team back into it?! There is one thing that irked me though. Both the Wild announcers (in the video above) and Steigy and Errey said that Sid picked a non-fighter. But think about it - this is only Siddo's 3^rd fight in 5 seasons in the NHL. He's not exactly a professional scrapper either, now is he?!

Next week the Pens go on tour out west. I'll be missing the Tuesday and Thursday game because I have to wake up early for a day job. But I'll make sure I have a post for you to comment on for those games.

Oh, and Happy Halloween!! :)

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

Pens v Blue Jackets (W 4-3 SO)

2009-10-30T18:17:00.006-04:00

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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pens v Canadiens

2009-10-28T11:09:00.000-04:00

The Pens finally play again tonight. I don't know how closely I will be able to watch the game - have been busy, busy, BUSY with Killian. He is adorable, yes, but he's a little spitfire. The Greyhounds and I are exhausted. I have to go feed him again right now. I will resume recaps as soon as I can...

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

[ Posted from my iPod using the BlogPress App ]

Pens v Devils

2009-10-24T19:33:00.002-04:00

There's a new addition in my house!!! :) Meet Killian, my Irish Setter puppy:

It's a little soon, but the opportunity to get him just kind of came up, so we decided to go for it. :) The Pens just got another furry fan!

Speaking of the Pens, how about that comeback last night? Our title man pwned the Panthers. There's not enough time to explain how awesome that was. I can't forget to mention Geno's diving poke to keep the puck for that first goal. It was, while extremely risky, a thing of beauty. What a game.

Sid = THE FREAKING MAN. Hey, Captain: Do it again. :)

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

Pens v Panthers

2009-10-23T17:44:00.003-04:00

I'll be watching Martin Skoula make his Penguin debut with a friend instead of here at home. I don't know if I'll be able to recap the game or not. (Watching games with friends can make it difficult to take notes!)

Just an FYI: I'm working on a few things for The Show. I've got about a million fan photos (some from last season and some from this season) that I want to share, a couple more Musings from Mad Max, and a few other goodies. I realize I haven't been doing a good job keep things current on TSCS, but there's a reason my focus has been less than 100%... I'll reveal it tomorrow evening. :)

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

Pens v Blues (W 5-1)

2009-10-20T19:48:00.001-04:00

I'm watching my first game online. It's not as bad as I thought it would be... Click here to watch it online yourself.

FIRST PERIOD

Winchester hit the pipe early.
Siddo made an attempt to score from his stomach again, but Mason said "NO!"
Gronk stole the puck and had a great chance, but Mason made the save.

Guerin set Siddo up for a nice quick backhand shot, but Mason again made the save.
A looooong lead pass from Cooker prompted Gronk to try a one-handed poke at the puck (it almost looked like he was playing pool), but Mason easily shut the door on him.

Godard delivered a crushing hit to Winchester.
The Pens got the first power play of the night when Perron was called for delay of game. The ATDHE feed started buffering like crazy, so I missed most of this PP. (Still, it's better than missing the entire game!) The Pens didn't score on their advantage.
Later, McKee jumped ahead to join the play in the offensive zone. He sent a pass to TK, who scored with a slap shot. [Pens 1, Blues 0]
McDonald high-sticked Brooksie. The Pens made them pay in less than 30 seconds. Geno stayed with the puck and scored on his fourth try. He fired the initial slapshot. The rebound went right to Gonch, who sent it back to Geno for a wrister that was blocked. Geno recovered the puck himself for his third attempt, which was a snap shot that was kick saved by Mason. Siddo pushed the rebound over to Guerin, who got the puck to Gonch, who centered the shot for Geno. This time, Geno fired it up and over Mason's blocker. [Pens 2, Blues 0]

The Versus announcers stated the obvious: "They're playing link champions!"
In the last seconds of the period, Backes hit Siddo. Siddo pushed him. Seeing an opportunity to possibly energize his team, Backes went after our Captain. Rupp was there in a heartbeat to get in between the two of them. A melee between the teams broke out. Sid and Backes were given coincidental minors for slashing and roughing, respectively. Neither team scored on the abbreviated 4-on-4.

SECOND PERIOD

On the remaining 4-on-4, Kariya took Tanger out by tripping him, but no call was made. Neither team scored while their men were in the penalty boxes.
The Saint knocked a puck out of midair for a chance, but Mason wouldn't budge.
Flower made an unreal save on Winchester, despite the fact that everyone and his brother was camped out in front of him and he lost his goal stick.

Tkachuk served a too-many-men bench minor for his team. On the ensuing power play, Tank fired a rocket that went top shelf (where Grandma keeps the peanut butter!) for the goal. [Pens 3, Blues 0]
Only 36 seconds later, Tanger fired a shot from the point that Cooker deflected into the twine. [Pens 4, Blues 0]
The Blues started to get a little frustrated. It culminated in a crosschecking penalty to Perron. The Pens didn't score.

Something changed in the Blues after the halfway mark. They came on a little stronger and created a few opportunities for themselves. Finally, Johnson fired a shot through traffic that Kariya deflected into the net behind Flower. [Pens 4, Blues 1]

The Blues got an chance to cut the lead in half when the Pens got a bench minor of their own. Geno served the too-many-men penalty, and despite a few close calls, the Blues didn't score on their advantage. As Geno emerged from the box, he and Tank got a 2-on-1 chance, but Mason made a great save on Tank's shot.
Le Magnifique was shown in his luxury suite with his wife. He lifted his hand to reveal that he was wearing his newest Stanley Cup ring. :)

THIRD PERIOD

There was an injury report, but ATDHE went out on me for a second, so I'm not sure who it was. I think it may have been Mason, because Conklin was in goal for the Blues in the third.

Tkachuk hit the post.
Sid was called for holding. On the penalty kill, Flower made an incredible toe save. The Pens successfully killed it.
One of the Versus announcers has twice mentioned that he believes the Blues "respected the Penguins too much" tonight and that's why the Pens were destroying them. I don't think so. How can you respect the reigning Stanley Cup champs - the team with the best record in the NHL right now - TOO much??? I think it's much simpler than that: the Blues just played a terrible game against an amazing team. End of story.
Kuni raced to cancel an icing call. He sent the puck to Siddo, who centered a beautiful pass for Gogo for a snap shot goal. [Pens 5, Blues 1]

The announcers pointed out that Geno's English is better than he lets on - he was shown mouthing off to the Blues' bench. I recognized at least one of those words, and yes, it was in English... ;)

POSTGAME THOUGHTS

The Pens have been at the top of their game both offensively and defensively. And when a puck makes it through our D, Flower has been in the freaking zone.
The Versus commercial where the guy says he sticks needles in his Sidney Crosby bobblehead doll and immediately cuts to Geno shaking his head no is money in the bank. LOVE Geno! :)
ATDHE made this Versus v DirecTV fiasco much more bearable; however, I will likely terminate my service with DirecTV at the end of my contract. Watching games on a 24" iMac screen < watching them on a 46" LCD TV. By FAR.

Thanks a million to all who suggested I use ATDHE - thanks to you guys, I didn't miss the game! :D :D :D :D :D Friday's game against Florida will be broadcast on FSN PGH.

GO PENS!!!!!!!!

The Sidney Crosby Show

Pens v Canes

Pens v Blackhawks

Pens v Avs

Instant Karma's Gonna Get You...

Pens v Rangers

Pens v Rangers (W 8-3)

Pens v Isles

Pens v Canadiens

Pens v Panthers

Pens v Thrashers

A Personal Update

Pens v Sens

Sidney Crosby Carries The Olympic Torch

What a Month

Pens v Bruins

Posting on Behalf of Jodie

Pens v Kings

Pens v Ducks

Pens v Wild (L 1-2)

Pens v Blue Jackets (W 4-3 SO)

Pens v Canadiens

Pens v Devils

Pens v Panthers

Pens v Blues (W 5-1)

Recommended Reads: The Sporting News and Reflections on a Hockey Season