Sunday Bloody Sunday

We've got two days off now, folks. I'm sure the Pens are chomping at the bit to get their hands on the Rangers again (as are the fans). I've got a couple links for you to check out to pass some time until then.

Friends of The Show Michelle B. and Laura H. both hit me with an NHL.com article that details Sid's relationships with his teammates:

According to Maxime Talbot, Sidney Crosby’s faint attempt at growing a playoff beard makes him look “greasy.” As for the mustache he has going right now, Talbot said that makes him look “like Zorro.” [snoop: LOL]

Greasy? I think it looks dirty.

[...]

Fleury said when he and Crosby were both out with high ankle sprains earlier this year, they spent a lot of time at the goalie’s house playing Call of Duty 4 on Xbox 360. The game is so popular the Penguins take it on the road with them.

Fleury, who is three years Crosby’s senior, takes great pleasure in dominating his good friend.

I myself am often a "CoD4 widow" - it's my husband's favorite game. :P

We all have heard about how picky Sidney is about not letting anyone touch his stick after he has finished taping it. Well, Michelle sent me also sent me this story from KDKA.com about how superstitious the Saint really is:

Just ask Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury: "I think Sid's the worst. He's even worse than the goalies!"

"Sid, for sure. Hands down," Malone added. "He's just weird. I just tell him he's a weirdo. He just does all these weird things. I don't even know what he's doing over there now!"

"When you believe in things / That you don't understand / Then you suffer / Superstition ain't the way."
That may be so, Stevie, but whatever Sid's doing seems like it's working!

Pens Forward Pascal Dupuis describes one of Crosby's more unusual habits. "He lifts his feet when we cross a railroad with the bus. He's got to touch the glass and lift his feet. He really does that!"

Danny Kroll, the team's assistant equipment manager, says Sid is even particular about what he uses to tape his sick. "Only tape from the road team that they supply. He won't use ours on the road!"

"Yeah, I have a few weird ones, " Crosby admits.

I had a friend in high school that did the glass touching thing over railroad tracks. It wasn't a big deal when we were in her car, but MAN I hated cleaning off the fingerprints any time we went somewhere in mine!

Other stories you should check out: Our Friend Bill in NS mentioned in the comments that the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame is featuring a Sidney Crosby exhibit now. The Chronicle Herald has all the details.

Take a look at Trina Crosby's old dryer - no WONDER Sid had to buy her a new one!!!

And while I was checking out that article, I found this one about Eric Staal's reluctance to pick sides between brothers Jordan and Marc during this Penguins/Rangers series (again from The Chronicle Herald):

But older brother Eric Staal isn’t taking sides.

The Carolina Hurricanes star, a forward with Team Canada, said Thursday it’s been exciting to watch his younger siblings square off in the playoffs.

"It’s pretty neat," Staal said following practice Thursday afternoon. "Both are playing really hard. They’re putting on a good show."


[...]

"Pittsburgh has looked pretty good in the playoffs," said the 23-year-old Staal, who’s followed by Marc at 21 and Jordan, 19.

"I talked to Jordan the other day and I told him that the fourth win is always the hardest to get."

Indeed. Hopefully, Gronk and company will be taking care of that this Sunday...

Thank yous to everyone who sent in links and/or tips in the comments sections!!! :) :) :)

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

The Sidney Crosby West Coast Tour 2007!!! OMGZ!!

by Jes

As someone who has a blog dedicated to all things Sidney Crosby, I am not surprised at the hype that surrounds the kid, as we know the media has continually gone coo coo for Cocoa Putts over the young prodigy.

What does surprise me, however, is the level of media hype that has accompanied Crosby as he tours the West Coast for the first time in his young career. Yes, the weird schedule meant that we had to wait until Year 3 to see Crosby play in Vancouver.

As Crosby has been in the league for some time, you'd expect the media coverage to die down a little, now that we've seen the kid quite often and there aren't many new stories that you can write. Still, do a Google News search for Sidney Crosby and you'll see countless articles about his West Coast Tour. Every media outlet west of Winnipeg has 3-4 guys writing Sidney Crosby stories, as if people in Vancouver or Calgary have never heard of the guy. I look in today's Province newspaper (aka Vancouver birdcage liner) and see FIVE whole pages of nothing but Sid. There are even contests to win Sidney merchandise (sign me up, Scotty!)

It's obvious that Crosby has that rock star aura, at least in the eyes of the media. Radio talk shows, newspapers, blogs, TV shows... it's all Crosby, all the time. Ovechkin got some pub when he came out West, but it was nothing near what we're getting pounded with now. I'm quite surprised that I haven't learned what brand of underarm deodorant the kid uses, or if he prefers brunettes over blondes.

The one thing pisses me off is how the media is trying to tie Sidney Crosby and Wayne Gretzky together. Ever since Gretzky came out and said Sid would break his records, the media want to lump these two together for all time.

Let's see here ... Crosby and Gretzky don't really know each other, don't regularly talk to each other (once a year, at most), don't play in the same conference, don't even play the same style of game, and play in completely different eras. Other than the fact that they both rake in millions$$$ in endorsements and get a crapload of publicity, you cannot really compare the two men. Sidney's playing style has always been more Forsberg than Gretzky, and today's era will never allow somebody to get close to 200 points a season. Hell, achieving 100 points in a season is pretty frickin' incredible these days.

All in all, despite the fact I may sound like a grumpy old man, I am pleased to see the hype and I think it's good for the league. Any time the fans can get excited about a player coming to their town, it generates more interest in the game and will draw more attention to, what would otherwise be, another regular season game in the middle of December.

(cross-posted)

In Case You Missed It

First things first: a big birthday shout out to my husband today!!! Don't worry, honey, I won't tell anyone how old you are!!! ;)

A bit of Penguins DVD news: A new DVD featuring the 10 best Pens games is due out on November 6, 2007. If you're interested, you can preorder a copy of NHL: Greatest Games in Pittsburgh Penguins History at Amazon.com.

Now onto the Crosby news: friend of TSCS Lana M. sent me this video. It's a newly drafted seventeen-year-old Sidney on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Many thanks go out to Lana for finding this because I was still in college when this aired, so I missed it in favor of a good night's rest. If you missed it too, you can check it out now. (Take note of how Sid pays no attention to Leno's other guest, the always unfunny Rob Schneider. Outstanding!)

And finally, don't forget to vote for Sid in AskMen.com's Top 49 poll!!! Just click the banner below:

Penguins Hut?!

Hello, hello, hello! There's not much going on in Sidneyland™ right now, but there is some Penguins news to tell you about:

For starters, Pizza Hut has become the "official pizza of the Pittsburgh Penguins." Starting this season, Pizza Hut products will be served at concession stands in Mellon Arena. And when the new arena finally opens for business in 2010ish, you'll be able to enjoy pizza from the Hut in a restaurant that will be built within the arena.

Jordan Staal and his older brother Eric have been offered plea agreements from prosecutors in Minnesota that will likely help them avoid jail time. They are consulting lawyers to determine that their visas will not be affected by accepting the offer. They'll be fined $587 each for disorderly conduct, and Jordan will pay an additional $150 for underage drinking. Wow. I hope they don't have to break the bank to pay up! :P

The NHL online shop's most wanted

Finally, sales on shop.NHL.com have increased for the 11th straight month....... [*yawn*]. Here's the teeny tiny bit of Saint Sid news hidden in that article: His jersey is the top seller! (Apparently sales of Penguins merchandise in general have increased almost 200%.) This should come as no real surprise - anyone who went to a Penguins game last season will tell you that it seemed like every fifth person was rocking a Crosby sweater.

Thank GOD training camp starts soon, and there are less than 2 months until it's a hockey night in Pittsburgh again... I don't know about you, but the anticipation is almost KILLING me!!!

2007-2008 Schedule

Can you FEEL it?!! It's almost time! The first game of next season is on October 5, 2007! I can hardly wait. If you haven't heard, the Penguins released the schedule for the 2007-2008 season. And everyone knows this means the PROMOTIONAL SCHEDULE is out, too! You know I don't go to Mellon Arena for the hockey games; I go for the free stuff... I'm kidding!!!

But you have to admit, sometimes that free stuff really is AWESOME! Last season I got a Sidney Crosby collectible coin, an Evgeni Malkin bobblehead doll, a "Let's Go Pens" Stanley Cup playoff towel, and - wait for it - a free Pittsburgh newspaper. Yeah, that's right - on Fan Appreciation night on April 15, the night that John Barbero announced that "every fan's a winner!" I won a stupid newspaper. And that wasn't the only crappy thing about that night for me, either. You can read that story here, if you're interested, but this is The Sidney Crosby Show, so back to the matter at hand...

73 more days!!!

The upcoming season's promotions include some pretty cool stuff! (I'm going to do my damnedest to get tickets to the Oct. 06 game, myself. And how pissed was I that only little kids can get the Penguins Mr. Potato Head?!) Here's the entire list:

Oct. 06 - Trib Total Media Captain's Patch
Oct. 10 - Highmark Penguins Baseball Cap
Oct. 17 - Trib Total Media Schedule Mouse Pad
Oct. 19 - Highmark Penguins Team Calendar
Oct. 27 - *Highmark Penguins Youth Tote Bag
Nov. 12 - Sidney Crosby Bobblehead
Nov. 15 - Penguins Poster #1
Nov. 21 - Trib Total Media Rally Towels
Dec. 03 - Verizon Wireless Mark Recchi '500 Goals' Bobblehead
Dec. 23 - *Highmark Sidney Crosby Growth Chart
Jan. 14 - Penguins Ski Cap
Jan. 21 - Penguins Poster #2
Feb. 07 - Evgeni Malkin Bobblehead
Feb. 19 - Jordan Staal Bobblehead
Mar. 02 - *Penguins Mr. Potato Head
Mar. 12 - Penguins Poster #3
Apr. 02 - Fan Appreciation Night

Late Edit: The promos with asterisks beside them are for fans 14 and under only.

And finally, for the past couple of days, there have been photos surfacing on the web that are purported to be photos of the Penguins' new jerseys. (For anyone who is unaware, the entire NHL is adopting new jerseys for the coming season. They will be made by Reebok. The new jerseys will be designed like the ones worn at the All Star Games.) So anyways, the Penguins organization has been contacting websites and requesting that the pics be removed, which makes me think they're probably the real thing. As of 7:00pm on 07-24-07, you can still take a peek at them here on this post over at Empty Netters.

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Rock The Sidney Crosby Show Vote!

Click the "Vote" button to cast your vote for your favorite new nickname for Sidney!

From Captain to... Private?!

First things first: A friendly reminder that today is the last chance to send in your suggestions for a new nickname for Sid. Tomorrow, the voting begins!!

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There's not much to report about just Sidney today, but there has been some interesting Penguins news over the past couple of days. And since Sid is a Penguin, this stuff affects him which gives me good reason to pass it on to you.

For those of you who don't remember or simply didn't know, as part of preseason training for the 2006-2007 season, Ray Shero and Michel Therrien enrolled our boys in boot camp - LITERALLY! The Penguins trained for a few days at West Point U.S. Military Academy in New York last year, and they have been booked to do it again in September of this year. (Make your own Colby Armstrong joke here.) Dave Molinari of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that Sid and the rest of the team is scheduled to spend September 23 through 26 at West Point enduring some good old fashioned basic training. Coach Therrien is working closely with West Point officials to develop an itinerary, but - tee hee - he won't release any details to the media so that the players won't know what to expect when they get there!!! What a way to get back into the swing of things, eh? The rigorous training the Penguins endured received last year is credited with making the teammates so close and helping to facilitate the HUGE improvement that took them to the playoffs. Kinda makes you want to enlist, right? Don't get hasty, now!

"You're in the Army now..."

The Penguins front office has some new faces. They've added Tom Fitzgerald (Director of Player Development) and Jason Botterill (Director of Hockey Administration). Ordinarily this would be about as interesting as watching grass grow, but longtime Pens fans recognize the name Tom Fitzgerald and may even experience headache and nausea upon hearing that name uttered. Some new and/or young fans are probably asking, "Why, Snoop?" Well, picture this: It's the 1995-1996 season, game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, and our heroes are facing the Florida Panthers at home in what is then known as the Civic Arena. The Panthers feature a right winger named Tom Fitzgerald. It's been a hard-fought series. Key Pens center Ron Francis is out with a broken foot. The score is tied at the start of the third period. Less than 10 minutes into the third, Fitzgerald secures his place in the NHL history books and the ire of every single Pens fan. Fitz fires off a slapshot from about 60 feet back that somehow found its way past goalie Tom Barrasso. The damage is done. It is followed up by an insurance goal from Johan Garpenlov. Penguins lose. Wow.

As if that isn't bad enough, Fitz also played for the 1992-1993 New York Islanders!!! The Isles' improbable and unbelievable upset of the back-to-back Stanley Cup defending champs - our own Pittsburgh Penguins - was completed by a series-winning goal in just over five minutes of overtime in Game 7 from one David Volek. Wow. Again.

Anyhoo, you can now see why it was a bit of a shock to see that Fitz is now working in the front office! One of two things is going on here: Either Mario Lemieux is even classier than I originally thought (is that possible?), or he's living by the "Keep your friends close; keep your enemies closer" motto...

And finally, the funding for the Penguins' new arena was NARROWLY passed on Tuesday. TheVoteWasThisClose: 102 - 100!!! Very literally, we were one vote away from a problem. But since the majority always wins, no matter how small the margin of difference is, we can all breathe a big sigh of relief. The Pens are going to get their new home! :)

Oh No, Please, NOT AGAIN!!!

Okay, folks, I don't want to overreact here, but Mark Belko filed this report with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and it has me a little nervous:

If the state Legislature recesses for the summer without approving a bill critical to funding a new arena, the entire project could be in jeopardy, Gov. Ed Rendell and the Penguins said today.

"The money is there but the Penguins have said that if the bill isn't passed in this session it may delay construction for a year and that might put the deal in jeopardy," said Chuck Ardo, Mr. Rendell's spokesman.

[...]

In response to the statements, Penguins President David Morehouse said, "If this legislative session ends without arena funding in place the entire funding structure for the arena and the arena project would be in jeopardy."

WHAT?! Please, SAY IT AIN'T SO! Okay, okay. I need to calm down for a second. [*Breathes Deeply*]

Is the new arena in jeopardy?

All right. Now that I've settled down, I know exactly what's going on here: Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell (henceforth known here as "Fast Eddie") is grandstanding and using the Pittsburgh Penguins fans to create the public pressure he needs in order to get what he wants from Harrisburg. This isn't the least bit surprising. Anyone who lives in PA is used to Fast Eddie. He's a blowhard and we all know it.

What REALLY shocks and bothers me is that the Penguins' officials are helping him do it. After what we went through this year, they know we don't take this kind of talk lightly. By releasing statements like this, they know it will cause an extreme reaction from the fans. They know that we'll write, call, and email our politicians, imploring them to side with Fast Eddie so we can get our arena and keep our beloved Pens. They also know public pressure will force the state legislature to vote for Fast Eddie's version of the budget, so they too are using us to create some noise.

This kind of political bullshit is completely wrong and unfair to us fans. I know the Pens got a new arena deal, but I didn't know they sold their souls to get it. Instead of using public opinion to try to get his way, Fast Eddie SHOULD be in his office negotiating with state senators to come up with a plan that works for everyone.

And, even though I got indigestion from reading that article, I doubt Sid should start packing his bags just yet. In fact, my bet is that there isn't a serious threat to the new arena deal. But be sure to stay tuned; I'm sure the drama is just getting started...

The Penguins are Total Sellouts!

Wasn't it not too long ago that hockey in Pittsburgh was declared 'dead'?

Hmm, it appears that the sport has suddenly come back to life.

Want seasons tickets? Too frickin bad!

From the Pittsburgh Business Times:

The team put out a statement Thursday saying it is approaching the 13,500 mark for sales of season ticket packages that combined, represent season ticket orders for all 43 home games, including two preseason games.

Fed by interest in a new arena and a roster of talented younger players, the Penguins have eclipsed a previous record of 12,350 full-season ticket packages that was set during their Stanley Cup Championship days back in 1992-1993.

Because of the record sales, the team said it is cutting off full and half-season sales and establishing a waiting list for season tickets. Fans who wish to be on the waiting list will be required to lay down a $200 deposit, the team said.

Waiting list? Wow... like Eric over at The NHL Fanhouse, I am blown away at just how hot an item that Penguins tickets appear to be.

And, to think, that some idiots didn't think hockey would ever work in Pittsburgh. HMPH!

Penguins D'Aversa-fy Roster

It looks like Sidney's got a new potential team-mate, an offensive d-man named Jonathan D'Aversa

From Shelly Anderson of Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Penguins today signed undrafted free agent defenseman Jonathan D'Aversa to a three-year NHL entry level contract.

Last season, his fourth with Sudbury of the Ontario Hockey League, D'Aversa, 21, had career highs in goals (13), assists (47) and points (60) and led his team with a plus-minus rating of plus-14. He was third in the OHL in scoring among defensemen.

In four seasons with the junior hockey Sudbury team, D'Aversa had 150 points in 259 games. He also has 31 points in 50 career playoff games. He has been selected for the OHL All-Star game the past two seasons.

D'Aversa, 6 feet 2, 200 pounds, last season was the defense partner of Marc Staal, younger brother of Penguins forward Jordan Staal.

Thanks to Jodie for the tip

Caution: Beware of Penguins

The Pittsburgh Penguins made some huge strides this year, thanks to their kiddie corps. You know, after their quick defeat to the Senators, that this group is just raring for another go at it.

Mike Burse of The Bleacher Report has a look at the Penguins heading into next season...

2007 will not be the Year of the Penguin.

For most of the Pens roster, the postseason loss to the Ottawa Senators marked a virgin run in the Stanley Cup playoffs—but with four solid lines that can score and take hits, the future looks bright in Pittsburgh.

In fact, if the Penguins can pick up a capable fourth or fifth defenseman and one more defender to come off the bench, they should be primed to make a run at a championship in the next few years.

Wasn't the Penguins biggest problem their goaltending? (Ie. lack of GOOD goaltending)

Marc-Andre Fleury: I'm not entirely convinced that this young man will be able to lead Pittsburgh to a Stanley Cup. Historically, he has struggled in the clutch—especially during his time in the QMJHL and at the World Junior under-20 Championship Tournament. Unless he shows that he can handle the playoffs, Malki may have to be traded before the Penguins win a Cup.

I'm not convinced Fleury will develop into a good goalie, either, which means the Penguins need to find a quality backup. Thibault is a nice backup, but they need somebody better in case Fleury falters again.

Goaltenders are funny toys, and can take a long time to pan out. Just look at how long it took Rick DiPietro to pan out with the Islanders? Fleury may not turn into a GOOD NHL goalie for 2-3 seasons, which would be too late for the Penguins.

If I'm the Pens management, I'm going after a good 1B goaltender that can be counted on...an arrangement like they have in Minnesota or Nashville, for instance.

What Has Sidney Learned This Post-Season?

The Penguins certainly got schooled by the Ottawa Senators, and Sidney Crosby was no exception.

While The Cros was great against the Senators, he still has lots to learn and higher height to climb to

From Wayne Scanlan:

For the longest time, Sidney Crosby stayed in his equipment, staring into space, sitting at a stall used by Wayne Gretzky after his final NHL game in Canada.

The difference is, this Kid will be back. Again and again.

Crosby's first dance in a Stanley Cup playoff ended with a stern lesson at the hands of the Ottawa Senators, who eliminated Crosby's Pittsburgh Penguins at the first opportunity.

Men will do that to boys.

"There's a lot to learn from this," said Crosby, 19, one of 16 Penguins in their initial NHL postseason.

Cheer up, Sid the Kid.

If anyone in black and white could hold his head high at the end of the night, it was you, in the first of many playoff experiences. You'll be back, with more help next time.

Crosby gave all he had, and what he has, of course, is considerable. But he couldn't do it alone, especially when the Senators draped themselves over him at every opportunity.

And, hopefully, Evgeni Malkin and the others will learn a lot from this as well.

Game 5: Penguins 0 - Senators 3: GAME OVER!

*sigh*

So long, sayanora, ciao... Sidney Crosby and the Penguins fizzled out with a 3-0 loss to the Ottawa Senators, losing the series 4-0 and going out like a lamb...

Crosby finished the game pointless (duh) in 23:44 of ice time with 6 shots on goal.

With 5 points in 5 games, Crosby's first playoff mirrors those of past greats like Lemieux and Gretzky, although we all expected more.

His 'lack' of production was certainly not for a lack of effort, as Crosby was flying all over the ice and firing shot after shot. If Sidney's teammates showed up 1/2 as much as Sid did, this series wouldn't be over. Recchi, Malkin, Armstrong... where the hell did they go?

From Yahoo! Sports:

The Ottawa Senators brought a decisive end to Sidney Crosby's teenage years in the NHL.

Ray Emery made 20 saves for his first playoff shutout, leading Ottawa to a 3-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday night to win their first-round series in five games. Dany Heatley, Antoine Vermette and Chris Kelly scored second-period goals.

The Senators scored three times in the middle period and held the 19-year-old Crosby without a point for a second straight game.

Emery helped Ottawa weather two early 5-on-3s, including one that lasted 1:14 after Dean McAmmond was given a delay of game minor for backhanding the puck over the glass with Wade Redden already in the penalty box.

Heatley scored his second goal of the series on a power play 1:08 into the second and Vermette made it 2-0 when he drove through the slot and scored on Marc-Andre Fleury.

Kelly brought the sellout crowd to its feet with a roar once again when he beat Fleury at 17:55.

Ottawa, which has never squandered a 3-1 series lead, advances to face one of the three teams in the New York area. The fourth-seeded Senators will either travel to No. 2 New Jersey, or host the sixth-seeded New York Rangers or the eighth-seeded New York Islanders when the second round begins.

NOW, the question is whether Crosby will join Team Canada at the World Championships. It would be a great way for him to get some action on the International scene.

Game 4: Penguins 1 - Senators 2

Ruh Roh!!!

The Penguins are just one loss away from hitting the links after a 2-1 defeat at the hands of those Senators last night.

Sidney, while he didn't hit the score sheet, was dangerous all night long.

So, why are the Pens losing?

Well, according to Jon Press over at The Fanhouse, the Pens' role players are sucking big time:

The Pens have had goals scored by only three different forwards -- Sidney Crosby, Jordan Staal and Gary Roberts. Notably yet to light the lamp (or bulge the onion bag, as our British friends might say), are big guns Evgeni Malkin and Mark Recchi and role players Michel Ouellet, Erik Christensen, Ryan Malone and Colby Armstrong -- half a dozen players who combined to score 122 goals during the regular season.

The common thread here (with the exception of Recchi), of course, is youth. This is the first playoff experience for the other five skaters, and it shows. Malkin has four assists, but looked largely indifferent until late in Game Three. Armstrong has provided a bit of a physical presence, but no offense. Ouellet has had his moments skating mostly with Roberts and Staal, but has fired only seven shots on goal in the four games. Christensen is getting no ice time (and was scratched for Game Four), and Ryan Malone has a team-worst minus-4 rating. The list of goal-less Pens goes on and on, but you get the point.

Sidney played 22:22 and finished with 4 shots on goal. With Sidney snakebit, nobody was picking up the slack, and now the Penguins are on the brink ...

Game 3: Penguins 2 - Senators 4

Sidney Crosby has been doing a pretty good job in this series, but the rest of his team hasn't been quite up to the task of stopping the powerful Senators attack.

The Penguins mustered just 19 shots (5 of them by Sidney) on Ray Emery and couldn't capitalize on a first minute goal by Gary Roberts (who's been great for the Pens) as they lost 4-2 to the Senators.

Sidney Crosby had another good night with 1 goal, 1 assist, 5 shots on goal, and +2 in 21:44 of ice time.

From Yahoo! Sports:

The Ottawa Senators could live with giving away one game to Pittsburgh. What they were determined not to do was give away another playoff series.

Daniel Alfredsson scored twice during a second dominating Ottawa second period in as many days. The Senators made this lead stand, taking Pittsburgh's stars and its crowd out of the game for a 4-2 victory Sunday in Game 3 of their first-round series.

The Senators seized back home-ice advantage -- they have as many as two home games remaining in the series -- by slowing Pittsburgh's stars and getting two key goals from one of their own in Alfredsson.

Ottawa, rebounding from a 4-3 loss at home barely 24 hours before in which it twice squandered third-period leads, takes a 2-1 lead into Game 4 on Tuesday night. Game 5 follows in Ottawa on Thursday.

"We can't afford to get down 3-1," the Penguins' Gary Roberts said. "We know that. We've got to come out with a much better effort Tuesday."

"Teams are focusing on capitalizing when they get their chances and we have to do a better job of not making mistakes," Crosby said.

It would help if M-A Fleury would play much better. He's had 2 bad games and 1 good game. At this rate, the Penguins will lose the series in 6.

Game 2: Penguins 4 - Senators 3

CROSBY FOR TEH WINZ!!!!111

The Penguins played a MUCH better game in Game 2, tightly controlling the Senators attack, pressuring the Senators defense, and actually WINNING the damn thing.

It helped that Marc-Andre Fleury didn't suck.

It also helped that Sidney Crosby scored the game winning goal, and looked even more comfortable as he was lustily booed by the crowd in Ottawa.

From Yahoo! Sports:

Sidney Crosby doesn't seek attention, he just has a knack of drawing it.

Crosby scored his second goal in two playoff games 11:44 into the third period to lift the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 4-3 win over the Ottawa Senators on Saturday, evening their first-round series at one win apiece.

Crosby, who scored a late power-play goal in Wednesday's series-opening 6-3 loss, netted Pittsburgh's third goal of the third period at 11:44.

"The spotlight is not important to me," Crosby said. "You work hard all year, and even before that, you work hard your whole life to get in the NHL and then to get in the playoffs. Where the spotlight is, that's not really a concern for me. I just want to win."

The Penguins tied it twice in the final frame before the 19-year-old NHL scoring champion gave them their second and final lead.

"Those players find the way to hurt another team and that's what he did," Pittsburgh coach Michel Therrien said.

Crosby, the league's youngest Art Ross Trophy winner, drove the net and planted his stick on the ice to redirect Mark Recchi's cross-ice pass beyond goalie Ray Emery.

"You couldn't write it any better," Recchi said. "I was hoping it would stand up. I was hoping he would get that game-winner. He deserved it. He put himself in a great position and he played a heck of a game."

On the night, Sidney finished with 1 goal, 1 assist, -1, and 2 shots on goal in 17:47 of ice time.

Game 3 is Sunday Night at 6PM EST/3PM PST.

Game 1: Senators 6 - Penguins 3

So, Sidney and the boys got a good schoolin' from the Senators in Game 1 of the series.

Marc-Andre Fleury was the suck, Sidney had a goal called off, and the Sens offense just had their way with the Penguins all night long like Lionel Ritchie.

Sidney did score a goal in 22:43 of ice time. He also finished -1 with 3 shots on goal. Obviously, Sidney should have had two goals, but the video goal judges were heavily biased and did their jobs poorly.

From Yahoo!:

Sidney Crosby found little to celebrate after his first NHL playoff game.

Andrej Meszaros and Chris Kelly scored 5:01 apart early in the first period and the Ottawa Senators ruined Crosby's postseason debut with a 6-3 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday night in the opening game of the Eastern Conference first-round series.

Tom Preissing made it 3-0 with a power-play goal 14:38 into second after Ottawa scored twice on Marc-Andre Fleury in the opening period when the Senators had a 16-4 shots advantage.

Crosby scored one goal and had another disallowed.

"Instead of going out there and trying to set the tone ourselves, I think we tried go out there and feel things out," Crosby said. "When you do that, you get caught watching sometimes and unfortunately they were able to get a lead on us."

The 19-year-old Crosby, who led the NHL with 120 points, scored the game's final goal at 19:11 for his first playoff point. He also had a goal waved off 37 seconds into the third after Dany Heatley put Ottawa up 4-1 with a power-play goal 28 seconds earlier.

"That actually helped us bear down and focus a little more," Preissing said. "When we did restore that three-goal lead, maybe we let up a little bit, and I think that non-goal helped restore our focus."

Sidney's First Playoff Test

Sidney Crosby has taken the hockey world by storm in winning the Art Ross trophy at the tender age of 19.

Now, it's time for him to step up and prove that he can perform at that same high level in the NHL playoffs.

TV Analyst Pierre McGuire says Sidney will be just fine ...

"I saw Sidney get absolutely mauled at the Memorial Cup in London, Ont., a few years ago, and he did just fine (winning the tournament scoring title)," McGuire said.

"You have to understand, Sidney and other great players have been targeted since they were 10 years old. They know how to deal with it."

"Crosby handles the rough stuff just fine," McGuire said. "All the great players do. Besides, Sidney usually plays with Recchi and Ryan Malone, or Staal."

Crosby will likely be shadowed by Mike Fisher and the defensive tandem of Phillips-Volchenkov, something The Kid is all too used to by now.

So, how have other legendary players fared in their first playoff tests in the past?

Wayne Gretzky
Age 19: 3GP 2-1-3PTS
Age 20: 9GP 7-14-21PTS

Mario Lemieux
Age 23: 11GP 12-7-19PTS

Steve Yzerman
Age 18: 4GP 3-3-6PTS

Joe Thornton
Age 19: 11GP 3-6-9PTS

Vincent Lecavalier
Age 23: 11GP 3-3-6PTS

By those standards, the great players do good things in the playoffs, regardless of age. Anything less than a point-a-game for Sidney would be a disappointment.

Penguins 2 - Rangers 1: Here we come, Ottawa!

Sidney Crosby and the boys won the game, but missed out on a division championship as the evil Devils captured that title (again).

Sidney was great with assists on both goals, and moved his point total to 120!

From Yahoo! Sports:

The Pittsburgh Penguins won, yet felt like losers if only for one night. The New York Rangers lost, yet came out of their final regular-season game feeling like winners.

Gary Roberts and Mark Recchi, the oldest players on a Pittsburgh team led by teenage scoring champion Sidney Crosby, scored goals and the Penguins completed one of the biggest single-season turnarounds in NHL history by beating the New York Rangers 2-1 Saturday night.

Despite losing, the Rangers secured sixth place in the Eastern Conference and avoided a first-round rematch against New Jersey when Tampa Bay lost a 3-2 shootout decision to Atlanta. The Rangers, who ended with 94 points to seventh-place Tampa Bay's 93, will play the Thrashers in a first-round series while the Lightning take on the Devils.

"The higher the seed, the bigger the accomplishment," Rangers coach Tom Renney said. "Beyond that, we're going to prepare for Atlanta. We want to play anybody, we don't care who it is. Now that we've got that determined, away we go."

The same goes for the Penguins -- away they go, and to Ottawa for the first round.

Crosby was a big part of that at age 19, accumulating 120 points in his sophomore season to become the youngest scoring champion in NHL history. He ended with six points more than San Jose's Joe Thornton, who had three points in his final game to finish with 114.

Crosby assisted on goals by the 41-year-old Roberts and the 39-year-old Recchi, even though he is less than half the age of both.

"I'm proud of it, but it's not why I play the game," Crosby said of his scoring championship. "Maybe I'll have more time to reflect on it when the season's over."

Penguins 3 - Senators 2: A Playoff Preview?

The Sens and Pens could very well meet each other in the first round of the playoffs or later, so tonight's game was a good preview.

Sid and the boys did a solid job, coming out on top with a 3-2 victory.

Sidney had a decent night with 1 assist and 3 shots on goal in 19:56 of ice time.

The real star of the night was Marc-Andre Fleury, who made 35 stops in his bid to win back the #1 goaltending job.

From NHL.com:

The Pittsburgh Penguins gave themselves a chance to get home-ice advantage in their first playoff series in six years.

Maxime Talbot scored with 9.8 seconds remaining to lift the Penguins to a 3-2 win over Ottawa on Thursday night and preserve an opportunity to claim home-ice advantage in their first-round playoff matchup against the Senators.

Talbot put a shot past Ray Emery into the top of the net during a 4-on-4 situation in the dying moments of the third, moving Pittsburgh into a tie with Ottawa for fourth place in the Eastern Conference with 103 points.

"It was a pretty exciting game," Talbot said. "It was a playoff atmosphere and a playoff-type of game. It's going to be an interesting series."

Maxim Ouellet and Gary Roberts both scored power-play goals during a five-minute elbowing major against Ottawa's Jason Spezza in the first.

Roberts, acquired in a Feb. 27 trade with Florida, helped Toronto eliminate the Senators from the playoffs three times in his four seasons with the Maple Leafs.

"They're a real character team," Roberts said. "They battle hard every night. I know we had some success against them in Toronto but not because we outplayed them. Fortunately our goalie was better than their goalie but if you look at the games in all those series, Ottawa outchanced us on numerous occasions. They're a great club and it's going to be a heck of a series."

Penguins 1 - Sabres 4: Sliced and Diced

Getty Images

Sidney Crosby and the Penguins were absolutely sliced up by the Buffalo Sabres tonight in a 4-1 loss. The Sabres were determined to win the Eastern Conference title, and they did that with some fine goaltending and expert penalty killing.

Crosby? He finished pointless and -1 in 20:54 of ice time. Not a memorable game for him...

From Yahoo! Sports:

The streets lining Pittsburgh's Mellon Arena are draped with banners celebrating the Penguins' first playoff appearance in six years. The Buffalo Sabres gave the home team a reminder of what it takes to win in the postseason.

The Sabres clinched the Northeast Division and wrapped up the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference for the first time in 27 years, slowing Pittsburgh's rush to the postseason with a 4-1 victory on Tuesday night.

In a possible playoff preview, Thomas Vanek scored his 40th and Jason Pominville scored slightly more than a minute later in the third period to put the Sabres up by three in only their fourth victory in Pittsburgh in 10 years. They had been 3-12-5-1 there since the 1996-97 season.

Clearly, the Sabres weren't awed by the huge sign celebrating Penguins stars such as Sidney Crosby that covers nearly one side of a building near the arena.

"We took care of the puck, we didn't make a lot of mistakes and we didn't give them a lot of opportunities," Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. "We took a lot of pride in playing in our own end."

"We had opportunities on the power play and we didn't take advantage of them," Crosby said after the Penguins went 0-for-8 on the power play. "I think if we score on one of those power plays, it's a whole different game."

If you score on one of the PPs, it's still just a 4-2 game, not accounting for how the universe would have shifted and ...err.. *brain explodes*