Holy Third Period, Batman!

Los Angeles Kings vs. Vancouver Canucks

RD One best of seven series tied: 1-1

by Lisa Ovens

It's safe to say the Los Angeles Kings aren't the team to ease off the gas pedal on if you are the Vancouver Canucks. This became very evident during the 2nd period of Game Two at GM Place on Saturday night. The Canucks watched their two- nothing lead evaporate into the humid, evening air. And just like Game One,  Game Two had to be decided in overtime. But this time, it was the crowns enjoying a sudden victory in a 3-2 OT win.

Game Two OT Goal: Anze Kopitar at 7:28 1st OT Period
Game One OT Goal: Mikael Samuelsson at 8:52 1st OT Period

 Both overtime goals came in the first OT periods, which is a blessing for both teams. Better to get the OT goal scored fast in the playoffs (this coming from a fan who sat in the stands through a quadruple OT playoff game in 2007). We fans do not want to see our teams wear out in round one!

Anyay, back to game two... Holy third period, Batman! I love it when the crowd drowns out the broadcast booth! This was as exciting as a playoff period can get, just minus goals scored. And the OT period picked up the pace where the third left off. Unfortunately for the Canucks and their "two many men" penalty call, the Kings went in for the kill. Well, the kill ended up going in off of Luongo's stick.

A Few of My Highlights from Games One and Two

Alexander Edler's "Howdy Doughty" hit on Drew Doughty
Ryan's Smyth's nose
Jonathan Quick's big save OT Game One
Andrew Alberts This is actually a LOW light for the Canucks, because in two games Alberts took 5 penalties and a game misconduct, with three penalties in Saturday night's loss. This has cost us dearly and the only word I can think of right now is lunkhead-ish.
Roberto Luongo's back stroke save during OT Game One and then while on his stomach, struggling to get his stick that had become lodged in his pads.

And on this note, I had a discussion with former goaltender, current best hockey pal, Michelle about this play. She wondered if the play had not moved up the ice, would the ref had blown the play dead because of where the stick was caught in Luongo's pad. She felt it was similar to when the ref calls a play dead if the goal tender loses his helmet. it was obvious Luongo's stick was really stuck and if the play continued in his crease, the Kings would have scored. I argued that if a goal tender loses his stick, well that's his problem. Here's a poor shot of Luongo "swimming"...

Now the series heads to Los Angeles for games three and four.This is a curious series for me because I don’t exactly hate the Los Angeles Kings. I had the opportunity to work with this club for a Hockey and High Heels event, so they have a tiny piece of my heart for like, ever.

During that event I met some of the Kings very best fans – the women. Knowlegable, yes. Resilient, yes. They embrace the game as good as anyone else in this league. And because of this I am looking forward to watching Game Three: the first of two home games in Los Angeles, something we haven’t seen since 2002. I want to see Staples Center a rockin’, and my regal hockey friends caught up in the wonders of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

At least until my Canucks silence the room with a decisive win or two ;o)

And yes, Nadine...I'll take that bet!

Mario LaMew Gave Me Poison Ivy

by Jan Snyder

Hello, again, hockey friends! Several months have passed since we last talked that lovely night in June when the Pens beat the Wings and brought the Stanley Cup back to Pittsburgh. How was your summer?

Mine was one of diet and exercise (damn, those playoff donuts!) with the goal to lose 15 pounds by the time the season started. Just days away, I’m down 14, so I feel good about that.


I enjoyed Wimbledon and the U.S. Open Tennis Tournament, made it to a couple of baseball games and lots of concerts, including Kid Rock, Def Leppard, Nickleback, and Creed. But mostly, I missed hockey. Watching the guys have their turns with the Cup was fun, but nothing takes the place of the game.

Just last week, I developed a red, angry, itchy rash on both arms. Turns out that my cat, Mario LaMew, must have walked through some poison ivy plants, escaping without incident himself, but then I picked him up and the nasty stuff got all over me. Since I’m allergic to almost everything outside, I know I didn’t touch any poison ivy plants.


But even “scratchin’ like a hound” won’t keep me from boarding a plane on Thursday to be in Pittsburgh for Opening Night! How great it will be to see the Stanley Cup banner raised in Mellon Arena? What fun to see Stanley at the game. And of course, the play itself will be great as the Pens take on the rival New York Rangers.


The next night, through the auspices of my daughter and son-in-law (Jen and Jim), I’ll get to be in on their picture with the Stanley Cup as we celebrate its return to the city after 17 long years. We’ve missed you, Stanley, welcome home!


The somewhat new look New York Rangers will be led into town by their fiery coach, John Tortorella. He’ll bring with him the always loveable Sean Avery, a new addition tough guy, Donald Brashear, and scoring threat Marian Gaborik. Avery is nursing a knee injury but hopes to play in the ‘burg.


Unfortunately, Crosby left a pre-season game in Columbus the other night with a groin injury and didn’t make the trip to Detroit for the last pre-season game. Hopefully by Friday night, he’ll be ready as will all the others. We’ll miss the guys who have left since last year, including Rob Scuderi, Petr Sikora and Hal Gill, but we’ll trudge along without them and wish them well in their new surroundings.


There will be plenty of challenges this season, just like always. The Pens will now have to face Chris Pronger several times both in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. New faces in new places are popping up everywhere – we’ll see what impact they have on their new teams.


So it’s almost time…I’m ready, are you? Our sport is back and all’s right with the world.


GAME ON!

Stanley Cup Final: Game Seven, Pens vs. Wings

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS – Queen

by Jan Snyder

We are the champions - my friends
And we'll keep on fighting - till the end -
We are the champions -
We are the champions
No time for losers
'Cause we are the champions - of the world –

Oh, what a journey and what a great ending! Although the first game seems like it was only a few weeks ago, now the season is over – after 87 games. We as fans couldn’t have asked for any more from our team. They did everything they had to do and their persistence brought Stanley back home to Pittsburgh where he belongs. He’s been gone a long time and welcoming him back to town will be so much fun.
Max Talbot 2, Detroit Redwings, 1. What a game Max had and to hear him talking after the game about his relationships with Fleury and Sid was amazing. I remember the last two times the Pens won the Cup how perfect it seemed to see Mario raise it above his head. I have to say I had the same feeling when I saw Sid do it last night.

How lucky are we to be fans who have seen Mario and Jagr and now Sid and Geno? Speaking of Geno, winning the MVP Award for the playoffs was the perfect ending for him. He meant so much to the team the whole year and his stellar play every night was something we shouldn’t take for granted.

Fleury? What an amazing guy. To be pulled out of a game and then come back and play two of the best games of his life – amazing. We have to mention the Coach too. Dan Bylsma’s youth, his enthusiasm and his steady hand guiding the players was such a big part of this victory.

All the defensemen have to be commended for the job they did all throughout the playoffs. They scored, they checked, they hit, -- they did it all and so well.
As I’ve said many times before, this is the ultimate team game and to win the Cup takes the ultimate team. These guys clearly played for each other.

Now only five short months after the Super Bowl Parade, we have another parade to look forward to – in much nicer weather.

Just a word about Marian Hossa – he made the wrong choice, but if he hadn’t left, we wouldn’t have had Guerin, Fedotenko, Kunitz or Satan. Poetic justice, right? The Pens fans at the Joe tonight were loud. I can’t believe the Detroit fans didn’t try to drown out the “Let’s Go, Pens” chant. Of course, I can’t believe the people in Detroit booed Sid getting hurt either – did they all live in Philadelphia in a prior life?

I enjoyed seeing Mario have that Cup over his head again and seeing Eddie Johnson do it again was special too.

Thanks to all of you who’ve read these playoff columns and thanks to Lisa Ovens for giving me a forum to write about our fantastic Pens.

I’m exhausted and running out of words to say! But we ARE the Champions – that says it all.

We are the champions - my friends
And we'll keep on fighting - till the end -
We are the champions -
We are the champions
No time for losers
'Cause we are the champions - of the world –

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!!

The Other Summer Movie: Flight of the Penguin Meets the Wing Dynasty

by Lisa Ovens

It’s a blockbuster, plot filled Stanley Cup Final and it all begins Saturday may 30th in Detroit. The plot thickens almost immediately because game two of the possible seven game series occurs on Sunday May 31st. Oooh, back to back thrills: stock up on your favorite beverages everybody! They'll have to last you all weekend.

It wasn’t too long ago the hockey world learned the finals might have begun on June 5th causing a lengthy delay and a late end to the season. And boy did everyone complain. Personally I was hoping for a delayed start because it would give the American sports media an opportunity to hype up what should be a thrilling end to the season. Because that’s what hockey needs more of in the United States: Hype with a capital H.

The Hype...

Sea of tranquility by Lisa Ovens

Rematch

We have a rematch of last year’s Final: defending Cup champs Detroit Red Wings vs. last year’s runner up team, the Pittsburgh Penguins. This hasn’t happened since 1984 with the Oilers and the Islanders Final. It's safe to say that hockey now is just as exciting as it was then, with the added bonus of better hair styles and more tattoos!

Karma

We have a serious Karma issue with Marion Hossa. He lost the Stanley Cup last year when playing with the Pens. He signs for millions with the Detroit Red Wings thinking they are his best hope for a Cup. Now he has to play the Pens for the Cup. That Hossa, he’s sitting on a red, hot seat.

Superstition

The Pens touched the Prince of Wales trophy when they won the Eastern Conference, whereas the Wings didn’t touch the Campbell Bowl when they won the West. Will the “Don’t touch the Conference Trophy” superstition prevail??

The Bosses

A Freshie coach vs. a Seasoned coach. It’s a Bylsma vs. a Babcock. A Dan vs. a Mike. The Wings Mike Babcock has been here before, and he obviously reall knows how to prepare his troups for battle. Injuries? No problem. Stupid calls from officials? No problem. Losing a Cup Final (with the Ducks) no problem. Winning a Cup Final with the Wings? No problem.

Dan Bylsma stepped in after the Pens fired coach Michel Therrien back in February. He turned the team around, brought them this far, and now has to push it a little more. He's young, a former player himself, so you have to wonder if he's pulling pranks on the road with the boys still. However, he did write a book about about hockey with his father, and you all know what they say about us authors...we're winners!

Elder Statesman

Every post season there is a token old guy people root for to win the Cup because he hasn’t won one yet. I guess this time around it would be the Pens Sergei Gonchar? He’s 35 years old. Please, if there is another old guy I'm missing, let me know.

Two REALLY Classy Guys Behind the Scenes

Steve Yzerman vs. Mario Lemieux. Who can forget these former superstar players performing the ceremonial puck drop during last year’s final. That’s about all I got here. Just like thinking about these fine specimens sauntering out from the benches in their nice suits...
Smile, pose, drop puck, smile and pose again, shake hands...Ahhhhhh.....

We can expect more stories will bubble to the surface. But for now let’s get ready for some serious hockey this weekend. Go teams GO!!!!

Eastern Conference Final: Game Four Pens/ Canes

by Jan Snyder

Shout – Isley Brothers

You know you make me wanna (Shout!)

Kick my heels up and (Shout!)

Throw my hands up and (Shout!)

Throw my head back and (Shout!)

Come on now (Shout!)

This could be my favorite song ever to dance to and certainly expresses how we Pens fans feel about this great victory in Game Four! Eastern Conference Champions for the second year in a row!

Having survived a couple of real hurricanes myself, I thought this series was going to be tougher than it ultimately proved to be and that the Pens would have a harder road to hoe. Turns out the Pens blew into Carolina like a hurricane and left quite a swath of destruction in their wake.

Again the Canes started out well, with Eric Staal scoring just two minutes into the game as the fans went berserk. Fedotenko tied the game at 1-1 and a little later, Max scored a loopy goal that got away from Cam Ward and made it 2-1.

The Canes seemed to get to Geno tonight as he took two penalties in the first period. Hard to score from the penalty box, but no matter. If both parts of the two-headed monster aren’t scoring, the rest of the team will!

In the second, Guerin took a fantastic pass from Sid and scored and in the third, Sid graciously gave the empty-netter to Adams. A big shout out to Crosby who ended his evening with two assists and to Malkin, who had to cool down a little. He had no points, but laid out some big hits and made some fine defensive plays.

All in all, everyone did their thing, including Fleury who stopped all kinds of shots and had us up and shouting hooray! Ward did his part too, making plenty of nice saves.

So, Coach Cowher traded in his black and gold for red to support the Hurricanes, eh? That’s okay, we’ll take Super Bowl winning Coach Mike Tomlin who goes to Pens’ games dressed in his Crosby jersey! Only three years away from the ‘burg and Pittsburgh native Cowher switches teams? I’ve lived in Texas for 12 years and still follow all the Pittsburgh teams as closely as I did the day I moved away.

Christine Simpson expressed surprise that Superstitious Sidney touched the trophy. I confess to being absolutely flabbergasted! But it’s all good if they want to try to change their fortunes from last year. The team has certainly earned the right to do whatever they please!

Now the Hurricane warning is over, the Red was rocked, and the Orange was crushed. Only one more team stands in the way of the ultimate victory.

Remember the movie Rock Star? In it, Mark Wahlberg plays the part of a Pittsburgh guy who plays in a tribute band. He ultimately lives out his dream when the real band, Steel Dragon, invites him to be their lead singer. One of the songs he sings is Stand Up. They have been playing the song at Mellon Arena – just the first part: “Stand up and shooouuuutttt!” Let’s keep winning, let’s keep shouting, and let’s see who we play in the Stanley Cup Finals!

Reprise:

You know you make me wanna (Shout!)

Kick my heels up and (Shout!)

Throw my hands up and (Shout!)

Throw my head back and (Shout!)

Come on now (Shout!)

Let’s Go, Pens!!

Eastern Conference Final: Game Three Pens/ Canes

Drive My Car – The Beatles

by Jan Snyder

Another Saturday night and time to do another happy dance! The Pens are up 3-0 in the series and they are certainly in the driver’s seat. “Beep beep and beep beep – yeah!”

As the team traveled to a city that is a NASCAR stronghold, they were met by a raucous crowd in Raleigh who certainly were intent on having a good time. I liked the way Max Talbot described the Hurricane fans. He said they create a great atmosphere, and unlike some other teams’ fans, they don’t say much to the opposition – they cheer for their own team and encourage them in every way. Good for them! They brought their cowbells and did their part.

That encouragement helped as the Canes’ Cullen tallied the first goal and ramped up the noise level in the building even more than it was before the game started. Having the Canes score the first goal was a change from the past games, so we had to wonder if this entire game would take a different turn.

But when the Pens went on the power play shortly after that goal, Geno and Sid, our beloved two-headed monster, steered things back on course. Geno scored, assisted by Sid and Gonchar. As the rapid first period moved along and with a mere 42 seconds left in it, Sid decided to make extra sure that they were traveling along the right road, and made it 2-1with a pretty goal. Geno’s half of the monster wanted to get in on the act too, so 31 seconds later, with only 11 seconds left in the period, he potted another and the first period ended with the Pens up 3-1.

*Time out for a U-Turn: How cool is it to see the terrific Ron Francis behind Carolina’s bench? Seeing him sure brings back great memories from the Cup years when he was such a huge part of the team, especially on the power play.

Although there was no scoring in the second period, there sure could have been, except that Cam Ward and Marc-Andre Fleury were both excellent. The lack of goals was not from any lack of trying on the part of either team. Each had the pedal to the metal!

The score was close going into the third and anything could still happen. As if to prove that true, Samsonov scored a nice, desperate goal while he was prone on the ice. Here they came, right on our bumper! We could see them closing in from our rearview mirror.

Not much later, Max sprung himself free and Geno hit him with a long, long pass. Max drove to the net with speed, but Ward veered the puck off in another direction. Nice try, anyway. Of course, Geno wasn’t finished yet. He made a nice pass over to Fedotenko who made sure it crossed the line and put the Pens up 4-2 making Geno’s point total three for the evening.

*Another U-Turn: Help me understand why the announcers on Versus and NHL Network are saying that Carolina had a lot taken out of them by playing two seven game series. Hello? The Pens played six tough games against the Flyers, followed by seven rugged ones against the Caps. My math skills aren’t great, but that seems to be only a one-game difference between the two teams.

Doing again what they do often, the Pens scored two more goals, just 40 seconds apart, and were now on cruise control. Adams won a faceoff and scored on an empty net from his own end. Then Guerin made a nice shot close in and made the final score 6-2. “Beep beep and beep beep, yeah!”

And now the Pens will spend two days in Carolina, resting and practicing, before the next game on Tuesday. The two Ferraris, Sid and Geno, can stay put in the garage for a couple of days and get tuned up and ready for Tuesday.

*U-Turns: Eric Cole’s beard is so full, so dark and so even that it almost looks like his face is covered in bees! Do you think Cam Ward will see Sid and Geno driving towards him in his dreams (or nightmares) tonight?

How absolutely fitting that Geno is playing in Pittsburgh. Maybe the Hockey Gods realized what an injustice was predicated on Mario Lemieux when his career was so often interrupted by injuries and serious illness. Maybe they thought to make up for that, they would send this great guy from Russia to be this generation’s Mario – at least in part because there will never be another Mario. But Geno’s flashes of brilliance, his loping style of skating, and his eye-popping goals, sure bring Mario to mind.

Let’s keep that motor tuned up and running like a champion for the next race on Tuesday.

Let’s Go, Pens!!

Eastern Conference Swag Off: Pens vs. Canes...The Captain Swag

Carolina Hurricanes vs. Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins lead the series 2-0

By Lisa Ovens

Let’s see, these two teams are even Steven when it comes to Staal Brothers. Jordan keeps the Staal stat on the Pens, and Eric has the Staal marker on the Canes. Another interesting stat about these teams: both fired their head coaches during the regular season. (Actually, so did the Chicago Blackhawks... can you say “trendy?”)

But, the Penguins do possess a very important statistic that none of the Conference Final teams have: they don’t wear red. And another important stat: the Pens goalie, Marc Andre Fleury is the only conference final net minder without a Stanley Cup ring.

The Hurricanes lost their first game two since the beginning of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Do you think they feel weird because of it? Nah, they are heading home to the legions of Caniacs for game three. Break out the chips, everybody!!

Enter the Brind'Amour Chips...look at the Carolina Captain celebrating the 2006 Championship. Imagine if the Edmonton Oilers had won it that year: It would be Pronger's image dwarfed by the cascading crisps!

Yep...I got a "C". I received this swag at the Penguins very first Hockey and Heels event in 2007, not long after Sidney Crosby had one sewn onto his jersey for the first time. May 31st will be Crosby's second anniversary as captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins. It will also be Game Six...if necessary.

Eastern Conference Final: Game Two Pens/ Canes

Who Let The Dogs Out – Baha Men

By Jan Snyder

This is a great song to dance to and get rid of all that excess energy we built up watching fantastic Game Two! Who let the dogs out – woof, woof, woof!

While the crowd proudly wore their White-Out shirts that read, “The Real Eye of the Storm”, the teams both came out strong.
As usual, like it’s just what he’s been trained to do, Sid scored the first goal. This is becoming a tradition and I like it! Sidney Crosby is comparable to a Pit Bull when he’s on the ice. No one is going to stop him from his appointed mission, whether it’s scoring, checking – no matter. Just take one look at those eyes and you’ll find a determined Pit Bull staring back at you.

Quickly, though, LaRose tied it up. Not to be deterred, Geno put the Pens up again, but within minutes, Jokinen evened it up at 2-2. Then Seidenberg put the Canes ahead by one and the first period ended. Whew!

But as if to say enough is enough, the big dogs came out in the second and third periods for the Pens. Max Talbot, the gritty little yappy dog who is always nipping at your ankles, brought our team back into a tie, with a little help from his friends in the pack, Sid and Geno.

As the second ended with only seven seconds left, Chris Kunitz, that tenacious Springer Spaniel, finally scored again and put the Pens ahead 4-3.

While a fan dressed as a Hanson brother (wearing the foil, of course) cheered from the seats, so did a real life Hanson brother (Dave) and his son, a player for the Toronto Maple Leafs. They were sure enjoying the game.

In the third, Eaves captured the lead for the Canes again. But then someone made Geno, the big Russian Wolfhound, angry. You don’t want to do that if you are on the other team. The big dog decided to do it all himself after that and quickly scored two

more goals to earn himself a hat trick.

These weren’t just ordinary goals – they were spin around backhand shots. As the fans chanted, “Geno, Geno”, he scored as if by command. The next goal was so incredible that no matter how many times I’ve watched it, I still can hardly believe it! As the hats rained down, Mama and Papa Malkin took it all in and shared a kiss for the big screen, much to the delight of the fans.

Feisty little Tyler Kennedy, like a loyal, I-aim-to-please Beagle, scored the empty net goal, just for good measure.

There was still a little time left when all of sudden as if in tribute to Dave Hanson, a couple of fights broke out. No foil that I could see. Letang was tangling with a Cane and hanging on like a ferocious Pug. Meantime, Satan was all Boxer, going up against his opponent like a junkyard dog.

Cam Ward, who gave up seven goals, faced 35 additional shots and made some brilliant saves. Fleury, that big lovable Lab of a goalie, made a couple of tremendous saves, including one on Cole with just four minutes left. The complexion of the game could have changed drastically had that one gone in.

When all was said and done, Geno had a four point night and Sid had two. Four other Pens had multiple goal games – another real team effort – as they worked like a pack of Alaskan Huskies competing in the Iditarod! Good dogs!

So the big dogs are loose – let’s see what happens when they run in Raleigh. I hope we’ll be the ones to get a treat!

Let’s Go, Pens!!

That’s the Way I Like It

That’s the Way I Like It – K.C. & The Sunshine Band

By Jan Snyder

Right, Pens fans? What was NOT to like about that victory in Philly? The outcome was enough to inspire a little disco dancing to K.C.’s happy little song.

Marc-Andre Fleury was Superman (sung by Five for Fighting, a nice little hockey-related factoid) and stopped 45 of the 46 shots that were thrown at him. He stopped them high, low, flat on his stomach, glove grabs – whatever. He was determined to protect his goal and didn’t give up even an iota of space, wrapping himself around the goal post, having his helmet knocked off, it just didn’t matter.

On the other side, Biron faced far less shots but enough of the ones the Pens took went in. Crosby and Kennedy scored in the second and Max Talbot could see well enough through his shiner and added a much-needed empty-netter in the third.

“I tried to go out and stop the puck – that’s my job,” a very humble Fleury told reporter Dan Potash after the game. He certainly did his job tonight. Do you think he may have read what “Hairy” Hartnell said about him after the last game?

“We did a good job [Sunday] of getting to the net, getting second chances and changing the angle of the puck. It seems like he can stop that first shot most of the time. When we get him moving side to side, it seems like we've been getting some better chances and last game we put them in the back of the net,” Hartnell was quoted as saying in The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Wishful thinking, maybe? Fleury seemed better than usual in his side to side motion in Game Four.

The Pens did many things well, including winning faceoffs and keeping shifts short and productive. But the best thing they did was to get back to playing their brand of hockey with skill and finesse and avoiding the scrums and fighting that the Flyers like to draw teams into doing. One more game like that back in Pittsburgh on Thursday would be great. That’s the way I’d like it!

Let’s Go, Pens!

Welcome To Lisa's Lounge, and its temporary home

Hello Hockey fans! Just a quick entry to let you know Lisa's Lounge is a little different than it used to be. The old lounge is being renovated, and this I blogger spot will serve us until the construction is complete. All recent 2009 playoff columns from Lisa ovens and Jan Snyder have been moved over, and are located below. The rest of hockeyandhighheels.com, including the online shop is still live...visit it here hockeyandhighheels.com

2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs

at

hockeyandhighheels.com!!!

Lisa Ovens, Columnist/ Hockey book author: Lisa Ovens is located in Vancouver, British Columbia, and is covering the Vancouver Canucks, as well as anything else Stanley Cup Playoffs related.

Jan Snyder, Columnist, Freelance writer: Originally from Pittsburgh, writer Jan Snyder has serious depth and perspective on the Pittsburgh Penguins Hockey Club. But she's also a die hard Pens fan who has plenty of fun with hockey and writing. This year's playoff theme for Jan is theme songs for each Penguins Playoff game...you'll never know which one works until after the game!
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