Emery vs. Holtby; Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Goalie Fights

Last Friday night, the Flyers got shellacked by the Capitals 7-0 in an embarrassing loss that was overshadowed by the giant line brawl in the third period.  For those that missed it, the countless video replays, the god-awful Philadelphia announcing, or the endless tirades from hockey pundits over the weekend about it, let me enlighten you.

It starts with Wayne Simmons gooning it up out there after a Capitals goal.  Then...bedlam.

Ok, so we all see it.  In an apparent effort to "energize" his team that was getting destroyed defensively by the Capitals, Ray Emery takes it upon himself to skate the length of the ice to fight his counterpart, Braden Holtby.  As the announcers mention and as you can see on the video, Holtby wanted nothing to do with a fight.  His team was up 7-0, he played a great game, and was probably looking forward to coasting the rest of the game and relaxing in a hot tub after work.  Well, as you can see by the video, Emery wouldn't take no for an answer and proceeded to pummel Holtby into submission.

So now that all the water cooler talk, NHL news spinning, and focus in general is gone from this event, it's the DFG's turn to speak.  I like to wait till after the fact because if you can't be the breaking news, you might as well re-stir the pot.

What happened to Emery as a result of this play?  He got 2 min for instigating, 2 min for leaving the crease, 5 min for fighting, 10 min misconduct, and a game-misconduct.  Other than that???  Nothing.  The NHL decided taht the league's rules did not allow for any other punishment beyond what was dished out on the ice.  No one has really come forward to explain this fact that I am aware of but apparently the "conduct detrimental to the league" thing they frequently suspend guys for only applies to off-the-ice incidents.

So this begs the question, since Emery didn't violate a rule per-se, did he violate the spirit of the game?  Did he violate the "code" of conduct that players have, for decades, lived by on the ice when it comes to dropping the gloves?  When a guy is unwilling to fight an opponent, the general rule has always been to back off and skate away.  But in this case, that didn't happen and Holtby got destroyed.  I was almost positive that the Shanahammer would drop on Emery come Monday morning but that didn't happen either.  There has been dialogue from commissioner Bettman about changing, or making, a rule that would prevent this kind of behavior on the ice but until the owners meeting next month in Toronto, that change is left to be seen.

I'm curious to hear what everyone else thinks on the subject?  Please leave a comment regarding the fight, the "code", or anything else you'd like to comment about.

Hockey Gods Be Praised, We Have A Game 5

On the brink of elimination, the Pens mustered up whatever they had left in the tank, weathered the initial onslaught by Philadelphia, and some how came out with at 10-3 win.

Statement?  I don't think so.  Payback?  Not yet.

Simply put, it was a do or die situation for Pittsburgh and they stepped it up.  As in the rest of the games of the series, the goal tending was shaky at best for both teams.  Bryzgalov was pulled and Bobrovsky didn't fare much better.  Fleury was able to survive due to the enormous lead in front of him otherwise I thought Coach Bylsma was going to sit him too in favor of Brent Johnson.  The Penalty Kill, again, for both teams was atrocious.  There was a lack of solid defense on both sides of the puck.  But if you like offense, this was fun to watch. 

13 total goals in one game...That makes 51 goals in four games.  Probably not a record but it should be.

I realize it was only one game but if they can keep up the fast paced, mistake free (at least in the last two periods), intense game going, we might have extra innings in this one.  I'm still not convinced they can but tonight's' performance certainly showed that they have the ability.

As an editorial comment...the refs played this one tight.  I think word came down from Toronto that they were to call each and every penalty no matter how ticky-tack it may have been.  There was no "just let them play" mentality in this game.  There was hardly a five minute span without a call being made tonight.  Pavel Kubina, Wayne Simmonds, Zack Rinaldo, Matt Cooke, and Joe Vitale were all assessed 10 minute misconduct penalties with Kubina, Simmonds, Rinaldo, and Cooke all being tossed from the game.  Rinaldo and Kubina were justifiable.  Simmonds initiated the contact on Cooke and his jawing afterword is what got him tossed.  Cooke was the retaliation match penalty.  So either of those would probably have been left alone in any other situation.  Regardless, I think the message was sent that the officials aren't going to allow a repeat of Game 3 and quite frankly, I'm thankful for that.  There were 100 penalty minutes in this game.

Way to restore my faith in humanity, Pens.  At least for another day or two.

Tonight's 3 Stars...(hopefully not for the last time)

#3

 1 Goal, 1 Assist, 12:10 Ice Time, and he chipped in on some pivotal plays.  Pretty good for a D-man.

#2

 Finally gets on the playoff scoring board, 2 Goals, 1 Assist, 20 minutes of Ice Time and best of all, he was a +4, bringing him back to even for the series.

#1

A hat trick will do that for you.  3 Goals, a +2, and almost 23 minutes of Ice Time.  Staal was a workhorse tonight and they really needed that.

Comments on The Series

For those of you living under a rock or simply just not NHL fans, the playoffs started a week or so ago.  Well as a Penguin fan, I hope there is more room because I may join you under that rock.  I wouldn't be doing my civic duty as a Pittsburgh fan or blogger if I didn't at least make one comment, so here goes.  The Penguins play during this first round series embarrasses me. 

How a team that was primed for playoff hockey can go from the odds-on favorites to one game away from the first tee at Oakmont is beyond me.  They have had the offensive firepower, they had the special teams play, they had the defense, and they had the goal tending to back it all up.  I just don't get it.  Above all else, I'm tired of even trying to figure it out. 

Some people put the blame on the hype machine, saying that the Pens were the media darlings and the NHL poster team so their run in the second half of the season was contrived.  I think that is a ridiculous idea and won't even entertain the notion that there is any kind of "favoritism" being played when it comes to any of it.  Sure, Bettman is no angel when it comes to running the league, marketing, or being human.  But logistically there is no way to set anything like that up so FORGET THAT!

Some people are blaming Crosby (besides the typical Cindy, diving, whining, etc. comments) saying that his return to the ice has thrown a wrench into a well balanced team chemistry and changed the way they play their game.  While I can see some merit in that logic, I highly doubt having the games best all around player on the ice hurts them.  Not every player is 100% on their game all the time and they I just think they picked a bad time to start slumping.

But what I will pin the blame on is the Flyers.  They get under the Pens skin.  They always have and always will.  These two teams hate each other and it shows each and every time they play.  I remember going to games when I was a kid at the old Igloo and seeing fight upon fight take place on the ice.  It is simply the norm when Philly and Pittsburgh play.  Now is no different.  In fact, it might even be worse since we had one of our most beloved players (by fans and teammates alike) in Max Talbot take a job in the Orange & White during the offseason.  Plus, we all remember the Jaromir Jagr saga with his return to the NHL.  But for a hockey fan that enjoys playoff time, this series has been a joke.

Are the Flyers a better team this year...Yes!  I said it at the beginning of the year that I thought they would be back in the Finals.  They have the talent, the drive, and the leadership to get there.  Their goal tending is shaky at times but their play in front of the net is second to none so they can get away with it.  They have the right personnel to make opposing teams scramble for an answer and the speed to make them pay for it.  Their one of the best in the league at getting their opponents off balance, taking stupid penalties, and making them suffer the consequences.  Were the Penguins a good match for this kind of play?  That answer was ABSOLUTELY!  But now they are being made to look the fools.

What the Flyers have managed to do to a Pens team that was, for the most part, disciplined all season is just sickening.  And for the Pens to bow down to that level of taking runs at players, cheap shots, blind side hits, and poor sportsmanship is just plain sad (it's also what is expected of a Philly team).  Undisciplined hockey, in today's NHL, gets you one thing...an early exit from the playoffs.  We have seen it happen time and time again, year after year.  Unless the Penguins can regroup, refocus, and play their game, it's over (unfortunately I think it's already too late).

As for the ridiculousness of Game 3, I don't really know what to say that hasn't already been said.  I usually try to defend my team and my players but frankly, there is no point here.  Asham was wrong for the cross check to the face of Schenn (regardless if he is a A-hole or not) and even more so for punching him while he was on the ice.  Neal was wrong for the hits he threw at Coturier and Giroux (although Giroux played his up a bit since the contact was minimal).  Adams was wrong for the instigation penalty he took.  And I hate to actually say this but, bottom line, Crosby is just all around asking for it, plain and simple. 

I don't know if his brain became scrambled eggs with all the concussions or not but he needs remember how to be a leader.  Be the bigger man.  The brushing of the glove was frustration boiling over and although we   can't go back and change what happened, we can move on going forward.  Get the team under control.  That is your job when wearing the Captain's C.  You are supposed to be not only the leader of the team but a pinnacle of the NHL.  They (the media) all call you the "Face of the NHL" for a reason.  You need to act like it.  It's at the point now where I don't care if it ends up a sweep or not.  Stop the theatrics, stop the media grandstanding, get a hold of your team, and start playing Penguin hockey again.

That's all I have to say about that.  Frankly I've said too much.

Well That Didn't Go As Planned, Now Did It?

Well as most of you know, JagrWatch 2011 is officially over.  After weeks (months) of speculation and posturing, the wait for Jaromir Jagr to come back to the NHL officially ended yesterday as the Penguins second greatest player of all time decided that it was in his best interest to take a job in Philadelphia.  That's right, people.  I said Philadelphia.  You know?  The Penguins biggest rivals!! 

In the last two days, the Pens were led to believe by the people in the Jagr camp (ie, Petr Svoboda, his agent) that he was still making a tough decision but his heart was in Pittsburgh.  He had always talked quite candidly about how he left the city early last decade and how he always regretted (or so he claimed) how it all went down.  Does anyone remember the "dying inside" comment?  I do.  The city of Pittsburgh does.  But we got over it.  He spoke before of being willing to take a pay cur or even play for nothing if he could just play again for Mario Lemieux and show him that he still had something in the tank.  Remember the interview during the Olympics?  I do.  The city of Pittsburgh does. 

Everyone seemed willing to let bygones be bygones and move on.  Getting one of the most storied players in franchise history had set the city a buzz with excitement.  It also polarized many Penguin fans because of that feeling everyone has for someone that they loved dearly who betrayed their trust and respect.  On one side you had the people that wanted him back, if nothing else, but to bring himself back into the Pittsburgh Penguin family and retire where he belongs.  On the other side were the naysayers that saw nothing but the same old Jagr antics that we last saw, upsetting the locker room chemistry and wreaking havoc off the ice.  Then there were those, like yours truly that saw a different perspective.  I saw a guy that was willing to put aside his ego, admit his mistakes, and rejoin a team that made him who he was.  He was a guy that despite being almost 40, can still score, can still skate, and can still scrap.  We all saw that in the World Championships and Olympics (albeit on wider ice).  Having a guy like that would drastically improve not only one of the top lines on the wing by complimenting Crosby or Malkin, but also jumpstart the power play that was all but non-existent last season. 

But alas, these shenanigans that transpired yesterday, I'm not too sure either myself, or the city of Pittsburgh will ever get over.  When it came down do it, despite what you might hear different, it came down to two things.  The same exact two things that doomed the Jagr/Penguins relationship the last time.  Money and Ego.  With all the contact his agent and the Penguins had over the course of the last month or so, you would have thought a deal was already worked out.  Even his agent, after the fact of course, said this wasn't about money.  The Pens deal was a one year deal worth $2Million, hardly a feeble gesture to a guy that is just short of 40 and hasn't played the NHL style of game for a few years.  If he really wanted to come back to Mario, he would have taken that in a heartbeat.  Svoboda even said he had another offer of $6Million which I doubt, but if that's the case then why not go there?  Why go somewhere that is only offering $1.3Million more than the place you say your heart is in?  It doesn't make sense.  Or does it.

Part of Jagr's problem with the Pens was that despite being the anchor of the team for so long after Mario's retirement, he never really had the lockeroom.  It was always other guys that stepped up and garnered the respect of the younger guys and kept the team together.  There were rumors of his temper tantrums and shouting matches with other players, none of which I can substantiate but it is an example of how his attitude and ego began to creep out of control.   Despite all this, he wore the Captain C and continued to put on scoring clinics night after night around the NHL.  When Mario came back, he was made to relinquish the C back to his "boss" and now teammate and assume the position of second fiddle once again.  He never really got over that and part of the reason for the jump to Washington the first time was because in a Caps jersey, he would be numero uno. 

I think same goes for Philly.  In Philadelphia, after their clearing house sweepstakes style dismantling of their team, Jagr will be that number one guy.  They have no superstars left on the Flyers other than maybe Claude Giroux or Danny Briere.  Two of their franchise players with seemingly lifetime contracts were wiped out.  First they parted ways with Jeff Carter who is one of few pure 40 goal scorers left in the league, taking a draft pick and Jakob Voracek from the Jackets.  Then they dumped their captain and the heart and soul of the team, Mike Richards to Los Angeles for Wayne Simmonds and Braydon Schenn. 

So Jagr is now the man.  His agent told Pittsburgh sports radio yesterday that this decision was based on Jagr going where he had the best chance to succeed.  He didn't say best chance to win, he said succeed.  And there it is.  He wants a chance to go out on top.  A chance to win a scoring title again.  A chance to win another trophy without the name Stanley on it.  A chance to be the center of attention and the focal point of a line with all eyes on him.  That would shut up the critics.  That would make all the haters sit back and say, "Hmmm?  Maybe he still has it."  He wouldn't have gotten that in Pittsburgh.  At best, he would have been the fourth best player on the team.  A worst, maybe the sixth best.  He would be playing under the shadow of Sidney Crosby, who has been molded into one of the all time greats already at an early age by that same man that previously led the way for his success. 

So yes, I'm upset.  I can't say I won't ever get over it.  Despite the fact that it's just a sport, being a fan goes a bit deeper than that.  When something happens to your team, you feel it too.  The excitement as well as the agony are felt by everyone that calls themselves fans.  I got myself sucked into the frenzy caused by a former player, legend, and childhood "hero"s attempt at another shot at greatness.  Instead, i will have to settle by watching it happen in an orange and black jersey. 

But just to pour salt in the wound, Philadelphia went a step further and picked Max Talbot off the free agency wire, signing him to a five year deal.  Because of his play last season and his drop in production, the offer made by the Pens for him to stay involved a pay cut.  Max was a fan favorite in Pittsburgh for not only his demeanor on the ice, but his civic contributions around the city for various charities and events.  Plus, who could forget that fight with Carcillo that jump started the Pens comeback on their way to the Stanley Cup.  Or, the two goals he scored to help win said Cup.  I have no ill will for Max other than the team he chose.  I don't blame him for not wanting a pay cut when someone else was willing to offer him more.  But why did it have to by Philly?  I think he will do well and I wish him the best. 

Mike Rupp also was signed by the Rangers.  I think Ranger fans are still in shock that Jagr wasn't even offered a deal by the team he last played for, and played well.  Jagr made that team somewhat relevant again prior to the lockout, until Glen Sather wouldn't offer him a longer term deal.  He jumped ship to the KHL and had been there ever since.  See there I go, back to Jagr.  I wish Mike Rupp well too and hope he succeeds with New York.


Man I'm so ready for hockey season again. 

The Curse of the Hossa is Broken

Congratulations to the Chicago Blackhawks for bringing home their first cup in almost a half century.  It took an extra period of overtime to finally put away those pesky Flyers.  The craziest part about the end of this one was the fact that no one knew it was over except Patrick Kane who actually scored the goal.  It went right through Leighton's legs from a sharp angle and stuck under the mesh fringe in the side of the net.  The refs didn't signal goal, nor did the light come on. 

After review, it was clearly in the net and in typical "Philly phasion", the boos rained down as the Hawks began to celebrate.  They boo'd Bettman too which I didn't mind so much.  Jonathan Toews was awarded the Conn Smythe, for playoff MVP.  Kind of a surprise to me since I think there were a few other players on the Hawks a bit more deserving but he is the captain.  At 22 years old, he has shown leadership and poise that the Hawks have been lacking for many years.  He definitely deserves some credit.

I feel so much better now knowing the Flyers don't get any hardware.  It's a peaceful feeling really.  I'm not a Hawks fan, nor will I pretend to be like the 75 people running up and down my street right now as I type, shooting off fireworks and blowing air horns (isn't there a noise ordinance?).  I am just content to know that one of my teams' bitter rivals is going home empty handed.  Not to take anything away from Chicago, though.  They played tough and hung in there with everything Philly had for them.  While Niemi has certainly not been stellar, he made the saves when he needed to.

Again, Congrats to the Hawks, their fans, and their organization.  Victory is certainly sweet.

Stay Classy Philadelphia

Every self-respecting human on the planet Earth knows that there are no real fans of Philadelphia teams outside of Philadelphia.  Now you can claim to the contrary all you want but the rest of us know better.  Quite frankly, I am not going to listen to arguments about it because those are the same people that are Pittsburgh haters and will say anything to get under my skin.

It is also widely known that teams from Western PA are not too keen on the cross-state Yin to their Yang.  With that said, I am not going to sit here and give Phily the benefit of the doubt.  I know what their fan base is capable of.  I have seen it in action in person way too many times to count, each time a little worse than the next, but no less surprising.  Whether it is the constant booing of their All-Pro quarterback, or the Phillie fan deliberately puking on the 11 year old earlier this year.  Don't get me wrong, there are fan bases all over the continent that have that "fringe" contingent of drunkards and miscreants that wreak havoc after games, before games, during games, etc (See New York, Chicago, LA, Atlanta, Boston).  But in all those cities, I can't say I have ever seen another irreverant fan gets tazed by security guards.

With game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals tonight in Phily, I thought it was interesting, to say the least, when I read earlier about the latest in their attempt at welcoming an opposing team to town.  Apparently, Fox 29 is reporting that there is a social blast floating around Facebook and Twitter urging Flyers fans to participate in a flash mob this afternoon in Center City to "attack the Blackhawks’ bus as it leaves for the Wachovia Center."

What?  I can't believe this is even real but, alas, it is...look it up.


Starting at the Four Seasons, where the Hawks players are registered, they will "bike" their way through town, following the Chicago bus on route to South Phily and the stadium.  Though I am not sure whether it is bicycles or motorcycles, does it even matter?  In today's day and age of terrorism and fear of un-permitted assembly, does anyone really think this would be a good idea?  Something tells me there will be a caravan of police giving the Hawks an escort. 

This only added to my disdain for the Flyer fanbase even more, not that it really could, when I read a, slightly biased report from my good buddy Danny Mac in the Chicago Tribune.  I don't normally like the things that Dan McNeil says on his show, or agree with much of what he writes.  Nor, as most of you already know, am I a Chicago fan.  But I know exactly what he is talking about because, as I said, I have experienced it all too often. 

I am not going to post the article...only link it with the instructions to GO READ THIS!!  Apparently rather than sit in the press box, Dan McNeil took a seat amongst the residents of the City of Brotherly Love.  In a quote to summarize the article...

"This city relishes its tougher-than-a-$2-steak image. They take pride in being as warm as a freshly neutered Doberman."

Stay classy Philadelphia.  We wouldn't want the rest of the world to think you are civilized.

The first day of Hate Week

Today is the first day of Hate Week in Pittsburgh.  What is hate week you ask?  Well for any hockey fan, it's the week where we play all the hated rival teams in the course of 7 days. 

First up is the team everyone loves to hate, the Detroit Red Wings.  This is sort of a new rivalry since we sort of created it by being the best two teams in the league for the last two years.  Each of the regular season matchups between us has also been highly competitive and fun to watch.  The Wings are fighting for the playoff lives and are coming off a weekend where they won in overtime against their rivals Vancouver.  The Pens are trying to keep their division lead intact and make a momentum push into the playoffs.  Now is about time we should hit our stride.  Unfortunately, we are going up against who I think is front runner for rookie of the year in Jimmy Howard.  He has played awesome for the Wings, putting up a 2.32 GAA and a .924 SV%.  Here's some stuff for ya...


Yes, that's Penguins coach Dan Bylsma fighting with former Wing Brendan Shanahan.

On Wednesday, the feature game that they have been hyping up for two weeks on the NHL Network is the Pens against the Evil Capitals. I have grown to despise the Caps on a regular basis, although I forget that I don't like them sometimes because, to be honest, they are a fun team to watch. The two biggest stars of the NHL will be on the ice with Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin. I actually get tired of all the comparisons these two get. They are both amazing players to watch. Ovie has tons of individual awards to his credit but Crosby has the Cup. That's all that matters here. The Caps are arguably the best team in the NHL and are hoping for hardware at the end. With this being their last meeting of the regular season, chances are they will meet again in the playoffs.

Finally, on Saturday, the Pens face cross-state douche bag dous-jour's, the Flyers. I love to hate me some Flyers. Regardless of how they perform or play, they are always viewed in my mind as a bunch of goons. Their team is made up of a bunch of faces on America's Most Wanted. Carcillo, Pronger, Hartnell, Giroux, Laperriere...the list goes on and on. Nothing would make me happier than a win here...except maybe 3 wins.

The Pens magic number is 6!! If they win tonight, that would be down to 3 and if the Thrashers win on Tuesday, it would be down to 1. Barring global innihilation, I think we got this.

Go Pens!!

This was a great weekend for sports (IMO)

That is how people abbreviate "In My Opinion", isn't it? I am a noob when it comes to all the abbreviation etiquette in the blogosphere. At any rate, like I said, it was a great weekend for sports.

First off, the Pens won a heck of a game against the hated Flyers, 2-1. The first period alone had 30 minutes of penalties. Fleury was out yet again with his broken finger but despite a shaky start, Brent Johnson was pretty good in net. I will say this, the Pens got lucky with Gagne's high stick that cost the Flyers a goal and the fact that Timonen flipped the puck over the glass to give the Pens a power play at the end. Otherwise, it would have been a different story. The best highlight of the game was the goal by Gonchar that went through the legs of not one, not two, but three Flyer defenders. It was like he was playing croquet, only with ugly bright orange colored wickets. That game pulled the Pens to 10 points ahead of the Flyers and 3 back of the Bruins for the 3rd seed in the East. Go Pens!!

Second on the agenda...the Colts beat the Jets for a trip to the Super Bowl. My ambivalence and frightfully uncharacterizable feelings toward the Colts and their organization is equally matched by my disdain and hatred for all things New York...including the J-E-T-S (Just End The Season). I was on Cloud 9 after the game ended and Peyton began packing for another trip to Miami. Within moments of the closing seconds, the phone was dialing my sister-in-law, who is a huge Jets fan, to toast her teams gallant effort. Actually, I had my 6 year old sing "Na, Na, Na, Na, Hey, Hey, Hey, Goodbye" into the phone like a petulant child. I wonder if she was sobbing uncontrollably into her Wayne Chrebet jersey? If you are reading this and don't have kids, I would suggest getting some. They are wonderful tools for doing stuff you don't want to actually do yourself.

Finally, to cap the weekend off in superb fashion, The Greatest American Hero (...believe it or not...) was vanquished in his attempt to shove himself down the country's throat for one more week. Brett Favre and his "clandestined" season was put to an end by some heavily mistake ridden gameplay and the luck of a coin flip. I am not a Viking hater, nor am I a Saints bandwagon jumper. I am, however, not too keen on Mr. Favre (or as my 2 year old says Brett Fart) and his lack of respect for tradition and selfishness for the game of football. But that is neither here nor there and should be left for a conversation at a later date.

After the game, of course, the speculation began once again on whether he will or won't retire for the umpteenth time. The players, according to everyone's favorite football gossip queen Jay Glazer, seem to think he is done. What does that mean? If you ask me, it means that if there is a team on the cusp of making a run but lacks a solid QB and leader, sign him up. Why not? Let him be the rent-a-player that he seems to want to be. Just keep him off my TV. While your at it, keep his wife and family off my TV, too. Also, mandate that the announcers, analysts, and color commentators not speak his name for at least the next six months.

So there we have it. The Colts and Saints in the Super Bowl. The first time that I can remember (at least in a loooonnnnnggg time) we have both #1's against each other. It should make for some entertaining football.

Sidenote: Why is all the Super Bowl advertising promotion focused on The Who playing during half time and not the game itself? You would think the ads would be spouting "Feb. 7th, the Super Bowl" not "February 7th, The Super Bowl Halftime Show featuring The Who". I don't get it. Bring back the Bud Bowl.

Refocusing my aggression

Now that the NFL season is winding down and there is almost no chance of my Steelers getting in (unless 16 teams lose the rest of their games, a nuclear war breaks out between Spain and Costa Rica, and Jimmy Hoffa declares his candidacy for 2012), it's time for me to refocus my aggression on the NHL. Not that I don't follow my Penguins from the start of the season until the end, but it's hard when you are so deeply involved (obsessed) with Fantasy Football.

Last night's game at home against the hated Flyers was awesome. 6-1 was the final score and there were fights galore, at least in the first two periods. I thought this was supposed to be a re-tooled roster for the Flyers this year? Their offseason moves were supposed to place them in position to dominate the Eastern Conference, especially the Pens.

The only thing they dominated was the penalty box. The Pens scored 6 goals, 2 by Staal, 1 by Crosby, 1 by my boy Guerin, a goal by Fedotenko, and a late tally for Malkin. The VS. coverage of the game was actually somewhat tolerable for once. They had the ice pretty well mic'd up and you could hear most of the sounds of the game, including the clang of the posts on three of the six goals by the Pens.

The best part of the night was when Carcillo scored his "second" goal of the game and after review, it was waived off by the officials because he kicked it into the goal. The Mellon Arena crowd went nuts, as did I in my living room. The Pens have now won 3 in a row and 9 of their last 12 games. Hopefully this will continue on Thursday in Philly.

If only some of this winning would rub off on the other Pittsburgh team. If only...