Stanley Cup Final: Game One Pens vs. Wings

Feels Like the First Time – Foreigner

By Jan Snyder

Isn’t it fantastic to be back in the Stanley Cup Finals? Isn’t it fantastic to have another shot at the Red Wings? Of course it is fantastic, but this first game feels a lot like the first game last year, just with more reasons for optimism.

The Pens stayed right with the Wings, watched some bounces go the Wings way, and kept on fighting right up to the sound of the buzzer. Don’t forget too that the Pens lost the first game against the Caps and that round had a happy ending.

After hockey legends Ted Lindsay and Gordie Howe dropped the ceremonial first puck and the last poor dead octopus was removed from the ice surface, the game began. In the first period there were some big hits, like Orpik on Hossa and Sid on Zetterberg, but Hossa got the last laugh as he pocketed the first goal. Not to be outdone, Fedotenko took advantage of Osgood being on the left side of the net and pushed the puck into the right side to tie it up at one. Things were looking up.

Okay, tied going to the second – here was the Pens’ chance to get out ahead and it almost happened when Geno had a breakaway – but Osgood was too good. Then there was a stampede to the penalty box as Lebda, Samuelsson and Adams all found their way to the sin bin, but none of the penalties resulted in goals. With just 55 or so seconds left, our old nemesis, Franzen, the kicking mule, put the Wings up by one.

Our boys never let up; they kept on fighting for the puck, for their space, for their try at scoring. Abdelkader (where did he come from?) scored again for the Wings and that wrapped it up.

But let me point out that last year, the Pens lost the first game by a score of 4-0, so we improved on that score this game! And in the immortal words of Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind, “Tomorrow is another day.”

The Wings are the defending champions for a reason and if the Pens want to take that big ol’ trophy back to Pittsburgh, they need to keep doing what they’ve been doing and do it even better! So let’s get Geno some of his mother’s soup, let’s get Fleury a little more help on those bouncy pucks, and let’s cheer on our team and hope they can head back home with the series tied at 1-1.

We liked that feeling the first time and it’s only getting better the second time!

Let’s Go, Pens!!