Pens v. Wings 2010 part TWO. In attendance. :)

Ok, so I pretty much suck at staying consistent about updating.  And since it's been too long since my last post that means I'm gonna go backwards.  Jordan update FIRST!  (Mostly 'cause in my head, that's where it goes anyway.)

Without further ado: 78 games, 48 pts, +19 (He's been a bit slumpy...shhh!!!  I think his brother took over for him.  Marc that is.  A D-man scoring 3 goals in his last 3 games?  It's just ridiculous!)
consecutive career games including playoffs: 372
593 games to go.
I think he's been missing Geno.  Also his regular third line.  :(  Also, I think all of my boys have been a bit...slumpy as of late.  But we're coming back!  Go Pens!

I think now is a good time to talk about Pens v. Wings on the 22nd.  Because I WAS THERE!  (Can you tell it was exciting???...  Even though we lost...)  Umm, well the seats were kickass.  Six rows from the ice on the goal line in the end where the Pens shot twice.  The goal happened in the second period.  Go figure.  BUT.  It was a goal.  By the Penguins.  For which I was physically present for and got to see.  It only took five periods of hockey for that to happen for me.  AND it was Kuny's 100th career goal.  How cool is that?

I was completely enthralled the moment the Pens touched the ice for warm-ups though.  They were on the other side and I was sitting there just staring like an idiot, eyes as wide as pucks.  (I made a joke!  lolz.)  My first game was NOTHING compared to this.  Well, not true.  It was pretty awesome.  But, Sidney.  Oh my god.  I about swooned.  That boy can skate his ass off.  I don't think my sister's raving about how amazing he is to watch live quite prepared me for it.  He's just...breathtaking.  Also, Jordan kept taking faceoffs on the dot right by me.  And I could see all the guys out there and how intense they were and just...OMG.  And there was this moment when Jordy was going after the puck on a breakaway (classic) and he just dug in and you could FEEL the power behind every stride.  Umm...I feel a little awkwardly fangirlish right now.

Let's feel a little less.  I hate the Red Wings.  No joke.  Well, duh.  But I actually kinda liked Jimmy Howard.  Until this game.  In which he was a bitch.  So Sid cross-checked Zetterberg a little hard at the end of the game in front of Detroit's net.  Zetterberg pushed back and so did Bertuzzi.  And then Jimmy Howard comes in and pushes his gloves in Sidney's face. 

I understand, really I do.  If it had been the other way around and it was my boy MAF I would've been like "Whoo.  Go Fleury!"  So I'm not taking too much issue with that.  It was Jimmy Howard's ridiculous comments after the game about Crosby.  Talk about a lack of respect.  Thank you Henrik Zetterberg for being a class act.  ALSO, if you watched the game, you heard the crap that was the Red Wings fans.  Really people?  "Crosby sucks!"???  Mhm.  Because he was drafted first overall, has a Stanley Cup, 47 goals on the year, and makes Mario moves like he can do them in his sleep because he's so...sucky.  Right.  Sure.  I hate the Red Wings.  I kinda am feeling some Jimmy Howard hate at the moment.  But they're damn good players.  There IS a reason they have the kind of success they do.  They are a good team with good work ethic.  I still hate them, but I can respect at the same time.  All I'm asking is that Red Wings fans show that they have some hockey knowledge.  (I know they do, I just wish it was a little more evident.)

Rant over.  I think.  Further updates (because I think my little heart just got upset because of talking about this again and it needs a break) will be uploaded very soon.  Soon, as in later tonight.  Also, pictures to be added.  Yay!

Go PENGUINS!

Jordan v. Eric post-Olympics part 2

Umm...so can we tell what I'm psyched about???  Pretty much just that it's been a good week for hockey (Wednesday didn't happen in my world) and it's about to get better.  We started with a decent win over the Bolts.  (I'm certainly not gonna say that it was dominating the whole time.)  And then MAF GOT A SHUTOUT!  I know.  Stop the presses now.  Cuz CRAZZZZY.  I <3 you MAF.

That's right, you practice your crazy dance moves.

In my neglect over the past week, I've also done the crazy thing of neglecting my hometown team.  And the curling that was here last week.  (BTWS!!! If you have not gone to watch curling, do it.  It's way more exciting than you think.  At least I think so.)  So first off, curling...

USA Curling Nationals were held here, in lovely Kalamazoo, MI last week.  During my spring break.  So, woot!  The US Olympic teams were not there, although John Schuster was and apparently was added as a fifth to one of the teams.  (I sat in front of one of the women's teams during a draw and they were talking about how "yes, that's John Schuster over there!"  Coolness.)  Mes parents attended the first day with me and I immediately picked my favorite men's team.  The youngest ones there.  By like, a lot.  I thought they were perhaps a little older than me.  WRONG.  Team Morton.  I'm just impressed they made it to Nationals at the young ages of EIGHTEEN AND NINETEEN.  Not that I'm weirded out by that at all.  Nope.  Needless to say, they didn't factor into the elimination draws.  Too bad.  Their skip (Blake Morton: far left) was definitely a cutie.  (No judging.  I had to pick a favorite SOMEhow.  And when I know next to nothing about curling strategy, it comes down to umm....who is closest in age to me...sure...)

ALSO.  Their coach looks like Danny Bylsma.  No joke.  Freaked me out a lot.  The last draw I made it too...they were sitting with their coach across from my dad and I, and I kept looking up and my heart would stutter and that little voice in my head would go "Oh look!  Dan Bylsma!"  And then I'd get all dissapointed.  Oh well.  It was a good time.  And incredibly fascinating.  (I swear they all listen to books on tape to get the exact same pitch every time they yell "HARD" and "HURRY."  All of them.  They all are on the same pitch.)

K-Wings.  They are back in town after curling and in the midst of a ridiculous 5 game contest against the Wheeling Nailers (The Pens' ECHL affiliate).  We are 2-1.  We lost on St. Patty's.  The green ice game.  Somehow, I'm less sad that I missed it now.  (And yes, you ARE hearing me talk as if I was rooting for the K-Wings.  Cuz I was.  Am.  Lol.  I figure any Wheeling players that make it to the NHL will have been traded or signed with someone else a couple more times before they do make it, so no danger.)  K-Wings v. Wheeling on Friday.  Now, the first period (I GOT TO GO!  YAY!) was complete shit.  Seriously boys, what was up with that?  Very little puck possession and way too much horizontal passing.  That wasn't connecting.  Go figure.  We were lucky to be winning 1-0 after that.  The second and third periods involved a lot more heavy hitting and a lot more involvement in the plays.  I was certainly less ashamed.  And my faves did pretty splendidly.

Mitch Versteeg: thank you for being such a rockstar defenseman.  I hope your team appreciates you.  Because they would be lost without you.  Also, your hitting was kinda off the charts this game.  What did you do in the last few weeks?  Cuz I like me it and I'd like me some more of it.

He's the one on the left.  The one on the right is Devin Featherstone.  (Also a decent player.)  They both know how to grow skeezy moustaches.  Hence why, while my sister was home and they had them, he was renamed Verskeezy.  <3s, I swear.

Mathieu Curadeau.  Umm...he's pretty much who I decided was gonna be my favorite player of the season way back in October.  It took me a couple games, cuz I had to see how all of the new players (all, meaning most) stacked up.  Alix is convinced it's cuz he played with Kris Letang at one point (for Val D'Or).  Not true.  At least, mostly not true.  MOSTLY it's how he is on the ice.  And I think Mr. Verskeezy may have overtaken him in favorites standings.  Cuz I have those.

Anyway.  He played an ok game.  I can't say he stuck out a lot.  But he had a couple moments that made me go "Whoa!"  He usually tries to do some fancy shit atleast once a game.  Sometimes it even works.

BABYFACE.  Let's just say, he wasn't even really on my radar for favorites standings at the beginning of the season.  But he's come to have a special place in my heart.  Partly for his scoring abilities and playmaking abilities.  And partly cuz he looks like he's 12 with those adorable red cheeks.  Apparently he's 22.  Go effing figure.  Oh....I suppose he has a real name.  Number 9, Andrew Fournier.

12.  Seriously.  He had a decent game as well.  Always making some pretty passes.  They just don't always connect.

So we won.  WHOO!  5-2.  Ryan Nie saved our asses many times.  Especially in the first period.  There were penalties by like, the gazillion.  And Wheeling has not so nice feelings for our Mr. Lloyd.  Also, Wheeling is sitting pretty near the bottom of the barrel, standings-wise (I think they still are...) and when I watch us play them, it makes me wonder how we're sitting toward the tops.  They play a really physical game and make clean passes that connect more often than not and they put up a pretty decent defense on the PK (that kinda makes me like them a little bit).  And we are not consistently physical (except for maybe a few players, who are not so much physical, as rough and fight-prone), our passes tend to be more sloppy than not and we have a few solid defensemen, but when they're gone, it kinda falls apart.  We're surviving on scoring talent and good goaltending at this point.  To make it in playoffs, we're gonna have to step it up.

So, on to PENGUINS HOCKEY.  Can I just say how EXCITED I am for this weekend???  Canes tomorrow (Sorry y'alls gots to lose one more game.  And then win the rest so we can have a SBDG in the playoffs.) and DETROIT on Monday.  Which I am going to!  Like actually GOING.  PSYCHED!  But anyway...Canes first.

Jordan update: 71 games, 46 pts, +20

consecutive career games including playoffs: 365 (That's a year's worth!  Yes, I can do math!)

600 games to go.  (I have faith, why don't you??)

Also, Mr. Staal, if you could please not bleed all over the ice and make me have a heart attack this time, it would be greatly appreciated.  I don't need to see that ^ again.  As rough and tumble and tough as it made you look, I don't like to see you bleed.  It makes me want to punch the other team.  And we all know that wouldn't turn out well.

The Final Stretch...

So I've been a little out of commission, what with basking in the end of Olympic hockey and getting a wisdom tooth out.  And now we're entering the final stretch of regular season hockey.  I'm pretty damn excited.  :D  Umm...first of all.  Congrats USA on a hard fought silver medal!  So awesome.  Ryan Miller is a stud.  Like no joke.  The man worked his ass off and I'm proud that he's an American goalie.  (So are a lot of other people I suppose, i.e. did anyone else see the reactions of the Penguins fans to the visiting goalie last week??  Classy.  Extremely so.)

So, in the midst of all the craziness, the trade deadline came and went.  I'll be honest.  I hit refresh on my computer all day Wednesday while I was hopped up on codeine.  Quality.  I'd just like to say: I adore Luca Caputi!  Good luck with the Leafs.  He will finally be seeing a lot of NHL ice time.  Mostly because um, he now plays for the Leafs.  Need I say more?  In spite of that, I hope he does super well and becomes a superstar.  Except when he's playing the Penguins.

I realize we also lost Skoula and a draft pick and some college kid.  I'm just not as sad about those.  I am, however, very excited about what we GOT!  At first I was like...eh, I dunno.  But really, how can you not like someone who scores nicely and is nicknamed "Pony?"  Really?  How can you NOT?  Also, Jordan Leopold is pretty sweet.  He's seeming to spend some time on the PK, and I think it's cuz his name is Jordan.  Which means he's cool.  And I love our penalty killers.

I'm ending this week on a pretty positive note, which is great, because the Pens are 4 and 0 coming back from the Olympic break!!!!  That's right!  (Now, MAF, feel better and have Sidster practice on you for a couple hours so you're less rusty and we'll be even more excited.)

Jordan update: 66 games, 44 pts, +18
Consecutive career games including playoffs: 360.  Baller.  Such a stud.  605 more games to go to top the NHL record. :P

Yes, Jordan, we all want some of that for you.  So keep on being the amazing giant you are.

Team USA D-Men and Goalies

I'll be real...these guys are my favorite part of Team USA.  I have a bit of a weakness for good solid defensive play.

One of my two favorite guys on the team: Jack Johnson with number 3.  AKA Jack Mother Fucking Johnson from the lovely University of Michigan fans.

Jack Johnon is gonna be a frickin awesome player in the near future.  He has a great start.  A big guy who makes big hits and scores big goals.  (Interruption!  Geno just scored a PP goal and looked like Christmas came early.  Nicely done.)  Jack Johnson is definitely shaping up to be one of the NHL's premiere defenseman.  Also, his blog is pretty quality and he's beyond adorable with his little brother.  He's a fiercely loyal teammate and I think that's awesome.

Tim Gleason is donning number 4.

He's gritty to say the least.  And I don't have a lot of warm feelings toward him (surprisingly since he's a Hurricane).  He's fought a couple of my favorite Pens in the last year.  (Kris Letang and Sir Billy G.)

Erik Johnson wears number 6 and was picked first overall in the '06 draft.

The '06 draft bit is really only important to me because he was drafted about my boy Staal and I'm so glad that the Blues made the mistake of picking him instead of Jordan.  Also, let's get this in again.  Jordan should've been on Team Canada and the fact that he isn't just makes it so much easier to root for USA.  He's the only one of the top 5 draft picks in 2006 who is NOT playing in these Olympics.  Umm...so that was all really about Jordan and not about Erik Johnson at all.

Ryan Whitney, number 19, and former Penguin.

Ryan number five.  Is getting ridiculous.  Whits is crazy awesome.  And I love seeing him in a Pens jersey, so...  :D

Ryan Suter (number 6) wearing number 20.

1980 Olympics plug goes here.  Ryan, son of Bob Suter, member of the 1980 USA Olympic team.  It's special.  (I have friends who didn't know what I was talking about when I said it was the 30th anniversary of the Miracle on Ice.  I was appalled.  The single greatest moment in American sports.  I told them that we're watching "Miracle" very soon.) 

Brian Rafalski: number 28.

I won't even pretend to like him for Team USA.  He's a Red Wing.  Ewwwwwww.  So let's just move on.

BROOKS ORPIK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Number 44!!!!!!!!!!

Umm...LOVE!  Brooksie is great.  He plays a purely defensive game and he's a big body with a physical presence.  (I'm not biased at all.  Really truly.)  Also, I'm extremely excited to watch him play with Jack Johnson against Sidney.  It should be a great matchup.

And now for the goalies.  I'm pretty sure everyone has a bit of a soft spot for goalies.  I know I do.  I even find myself liking Jimmy Howard sometimes.  I know, I know.  WEIRD.  (Never Chris Osgood though, so don't worry too much.)  Like right now, Russia with Nabokov and the Czechs with Vokoun.  I kinda love them both.

Jonathan Quick from the LA Kings wearing number 29.  Tim Thomas from the Bruins wearing number 30.  And RYAN MILLER from the Sabres in number 39.  (Can you tell who I like best?)

Jonathan Quick: Definitely an up and coming goalie.  I don't think he's quite there yet.  But one day, he has the possibility of being among the elite tenders in the league.

Tim Thomas: A great veteran goaltender.  He's solid and pretty consistent and I think his criticism is mostly undeserved.

Ryan Miller: What can I say about Mr. Miller.  He's pretty awesome.  He's underrated a little and I would love to have him at my back on the ice any day.  (Interruption.  GENO JUST SCORED AGAIN!  It's like Christmas came ten times at once.)  Umm...what was I saying?  Oh!  Ryan Miller.  Equals wallness.

Two and a half more hours.  WHOO!  Go USA!!!

Team USA Forwards Part two

Part two!!!

26 is on the back of Paul Stastny.

Mr. Stastny here definitely qualifies as hockey royalty in my book.  He has like a billion former and current NHL-playing relatives.  Quality player that plays for a solid hockey team.  I wish that he'd had the opportunity last season to show more of what he can do.  Unfortunately, he was a beast blocking a couple super hard shots with the wrong parts of his body.  I'm excited to see what he can do getting to play with some star-caliber players.

Dustin Brown: 32.

I'm pretty sure my fond feelings for Dustin Brown really are just bleeding over from Jack Johnson.  Anyway, let me just say that this picture...it's quality.  He has this "OMG, I'm so fine" look to it.  The hands on the hips say it all.  Quality, Monsieur Brown, quality.

DAVID BACKES in sweater 42.

For those of you who don't read nhl.com every day, they pretty much made the important point about David Backes.  He fights.  And he fights Canadians who are in the Olympics.  I heart you, DB.  He's gritty and works hard and I like that a lot.  Maybe we'll see an Olympic fight??  Huh??  Please?  Or a goal or two.  That wouldn't go amiss either.

Bobby Ryan (he counts as Ryan number four) is number 54.

Umm...he's a Duck. Therefore he just reminds me of the "Mighty Ducks" movies.  I realize this is unfair to him.  I also realize these are not quality movies.  But I love them just the same.  (I'm an Adam Banks girl, myself.  Too adorable for his own good.)  Oh, Bobby Ryan, right.  He's scoring a lot of goals this season and you know how I like that.

Phil Kessel coming in with number 81.

I don't know if it's just me, but to me Phil Kessel is kind of annoying and overrated.  Maybe it's the Leaf he wears.  Or maybe it's just that I don't find him as exciting a player as he's hyped up to be.  However, go USA!

And last, but not least, but youngest, Patrick Kane, number 88 (best year ever!).

Pattycakes always has this bit of a douchebag look to him.  I don't know if the sleaze look comes naturally or if he works on it.  But atleast he's a kickass player with some great power moves.  (And as much of a sleazeball as he comes of, I still kinda have a soft spot for him.)  It should be interesting to see who they match him up against in the Canada game.

Next: D-Men and Goalies!

Team USA Forwards Part one

Let's start at the top. Zach Parise, number 9.  Notice how his hair looks EXACTLY the same every time you see him.  It's like, spray glued so the part in the front is always sticking up at an angle.  Craziness.

The 26 year old Minnesotan plays for the Devils.  And well, I'd probably like him better if he didn't.  I'm prepared to go on record stating that I'm pretty biased toward him.  I mean, one: he's a devil.  And two...he's a devil.  Aside from all this, he's apparently a darn good hockey player and I suppose he's pretty good at scoring too.  (Maybe it's the 61 points this season, I don't know.)  I unfortunately had to witness some of this talent firsthand at my very first Penguins game at Mellon arena this year.  Three assists in a 4-0 win to give Brodeur his record shutout number of 104.  Painful I tell you, painful.  Hopefully Zachy will score ON Brodeur this time.

Number 12, Ryan Malone.  Whom I miss very dearly.

Ok, so I was going to put everyone in their Team USA Jerseys.  Look how long that lasted.  I just really wanted to see Bugsy in a Pens sweater again.  As much as I love this character, I can admit that he's a little inconsistent.  When he's hot, he's HOT.  But when he's not, he's really not.  He's great at cleaning up the garbage in the crease and working hard to get the puck in the net.  Also he has a fabulous future as a reporter (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wnE5maHQco).

Former K-wing, Jaime Langenbrunner.  Number 15.

I looked hard for a shot of Jamie in a K-wings sweater with no success.  Apparently noone took pictures of him at all the season he was here.  Mostly I just like to tell myself he went straight from being a K-wing fifteen years ago to Captain of Team USA Hockey and skipped this whole New Jersey Devils bit.  Solid player, solid leadership, and solid veteran presence on the ice (which I feel that USA needs some help on being without Sir Billy G).

Joe Pavelski, number 16. Sharks forward.

SMILE JOE!  Apparently not.  I think it's because he's sad his teammates all left him to go play for Canada.  Poor guy is gonna have to face a whole line of teammates tomorrow.  I hope he gets in some big hits.  :)  Not that he really does those.  But it'd be cute.  In all seriousness though, I hope he does well.  I've never had reason to dislike his playing (for good or bad reasons) and if he does well I'm guessing that'll make Patti happy (Go Sharks!).

Wearing number 17, is Ryan Kesler.  I'll be honest, I really know next to nothing about him.

       

He is, however, a Michigan native.  So cool!  But the Pens rarely see him as he plays for the Canucks.  So I hope the Vancouverites enjoy seeing him play some more.

Donning sweater numbers 23 and 24 are a pair of Rangers.  I know I'm not supposed to like the Rangers, but I kind of do. (Though our last game against them made it pretty easy to dislike them for a while.)  Chris Drury and Ryan Callahan.

 

 

Chris Drury is apparently also a Little League World Champion.  Awesomeness.  He is also one of the many many NHL captains/alternate captains on Olympic rosters.  Ryan Callahan is Ryan number 3 (so far) on Team USA.  Also wears an A for the Rangers.  I haven't been hearing as much about these two this season as I thought I would.  They haven't been terrible, but Ryan Callahan has certainly underperformed expectations.  Who knows...maybe this is just what they need to pick things up.  Let's hope so.

Part two will be up very soon!

Intro and Olympic hockey

I had a number of posts up here before, but I hated all of them and they dwelt a little too much on the past. Which I'm finally ready to move on from. So I decided that I wanted to keep writing and what better to write about than hockey??? (Don't answer that. Because I'm pretty sure many people would say there are much better things to write about.) So I'll warn you now, I'm a hugely unapologetic Penguins fan and my favorite player is Jordan Staal. I live in Michigan (surprise!) so I've learned to deal with dead Penguin jokes.

Right now, I'm getting real excited about the USA v. Canada game tomorrow! (Go USA!)

It took me a long time to finally decide to root for the US and there's still that little nook in my heart that is crying "Go Canada!" Shh, don't tell. However, since Canada made the mistake of not naming Staalsy boy to Team Canada, it is much easier for me to root for my home country.

Now, I haven't gotten to watch a US game yet. I had to work during the first two games and believe me I was UPSET. To say the least. But I did get to watch the majority of the two Canadian games and I watched all of the two Russia games. The second period of the Canada/Switzerland game...karma for not picking JStaal (I know, I know...how many nicknames can I possibly have for him?...). I was highly unimpressed with the seeming lack of chemistry on the Canadian forward lines. With the exception of the Sharks line, the passing was just looking like they were still adjusting to each other in the second and third periods of the second game. They need to step it up and get their heads in the game before medal rounds if they want to have a shot, against Russia especially.

Sidenote: I also decided during this Canadian game against Switzerland that I intensely dislike Switzerland.  For no other reason than that someone high-sticked Sidney and game him a bloody nose.  Not cool.  Not cool at ALL.

Now Russia... I watched their first game and I was like pretty much peeing my pants in terror of their offense. I hate Ovechkin (please don't sue me) but I know and respect that he's a great player. I just...mmm... As a Pens fan, it's REALLY hard to like him. And this season and last season the hits he's made. Some of those are just too questionable to really sit well with me. However, he kicked some ass and I'm willing to admit that. And hell yes to Captain Morosov.

Mm mm good. The Russians just pushed and pushed and played a really high tempo game. They got a lot of their chemistry going early and it showed. And then came their second game. To say that loss surprised me is an understatement. I don't know what was going on there. Slovakia had some really good players, but I was still expecting more in the way of offense from the Russians. And definitely more in the way of defense. They sat back too much and didn't get involved in the offense like they should have.

Tomorrow comes the game I'm most excited for in the round robin, with US/Canada. Of COURSE I get NBC, USA, and CNBC and NOT MSNBC. And what channel is it on? MSNBC. Retarded. So I expect to either invade a friend's house and make them watch hockey or go to a sports bar with drunk people. Whoo! So long as they don't interfere with my hockey watching.