Game Seven

Well, Easter is coming to a close, and even though it's not a Penguins game day, we did have hockey on at our house.  George is showing great progress as he's the one who pointed out we'd be able to catch the Flyers-Sabres game on NBC today (normally Buffalo's games are blacked out as we don't have MSG).

Quick sidebar:  I saw on NBC there was an option to like NHL on NBC through facebook, and I'm curious--does anyone actually like watching hockey on NBC, or are they doing it for the same reason I am, as a necessity?  Personally, I'm not a fan of any of the announcers or commentators, except that I can deal with good old Eddie O.  And aren't the commentators what separates the stations from one another?  Maybe I'm missing something, but back to the topic at hand.

I think George was a little confused that I didn't want the Flyers to lose today.  He made it clear that they could head out to the golf course tomorrow, for all he cared; I'm nearly certain he thought I'd share that sentiment.

It's not as though I were rooting for them.

I explained to him the strategy I currently employ during the playoffs:  hope every series but our own goes the full seven games.  If our team goes on to the next round, I could only hope the team they play next was as tired, run down, and beat up as possible.  I want the teams to make each other suffer and wear each other down.  I want to see seven full games of them testing each other's strengths and divulging each other's weaknesses.

I could actually care less if Philly or Buffalo won their series.  I watch the hockey for love of the game, but find fantasy leagues detrimental.  Participating in polls that encourage me to cheer for the Penguins' opponents to move on to the next round only distracts from my focus on my team.

In the past, I had rarely chosen favorites in other playoff match ups.  While I preferred we not play the Caps or the Devils or [insert team name here], I didn't worry about it and let the ice chips fall where they may.

Last season, though, I let it get personal.  I let myself get distracted.  And as the Penguins defeated the Senators in six games, I let myself get sucked into the Caps-Habs series that extended to seven games.  I cheered on the underdogs as they clawed back from being down 3-1.  And I gloried in the fall of the number one seed to the Canadiens.

Of course, we all know how this played out.  Even though the Penguins won 3 of 4 regular season games against the Habs, and they had outscored them 15 to 9 in those games, we all know the playoffs are their own story.  This story did not end well for Pittsburgh.

And so rather than putting myself in a position to wonder if I rooted for a team because they were an underdog, or if I cheered for that team because I felt they were the easier team for us to beat, I'll just hope for game seven, round by round.

You might say that the Caps-Habs game did just that--went to game seven.

True.  But I chose a favorite in that series, and it wasn't the Penguins.  Regardless of which two teams are competing, my focus--the favorite--should always be the Penguins.

So I'm happy to say that the Blackhawks and Flyers have both forced a game seven today.  Let's go, Pens!

Coming Home

So it's been a long time since I've posted a blog, mostly because I'm not sure if anyone actually reads this, or if it's mainly serving as an online journal for me.  But either way, I'm back.

I thought I'd start blogging again last month after George and I visited the Consol Energy Center for our first time.  We played the Florida Panthers, and despite a lethargic pace to the game, the teams settled it in a shootout.  Kovalev scored the winning goal!  


Despite that, I couldn't get myself to start writing again....


Now is the time, though.  I said before that we're in the process of selling our house.  We're making some progress, and I brought up the conversation again with Gregory, our 7 year old, that we'll be moving out of state soon.  He's not handling it well because of all the friends he has made; he's started to have quite the social life.


We've told him that we'd like to have a party for him and his friends--a going away party.  I want to make sure that he gets their addresses and phone numbers.  I want him to have photographs of them having fun together.  George suggested we get Gregory an email account and bring up the topic with his friends' parents as well.  Then I thought to myself, "Why don't we do a spin-off blog for Greg and his friends so they can post notes and pictures for each other?"


Hence the blogging.


It's an exciting and scary time in our lives.  For me it's a homecoming.  Which is why I'm going to link my current favorite song:

But I'm not the only one coming home.  The Penguins are bringing their series back to Pittsburgh tomorrow.  Honestly, there couldn't be a more exciting time to be a hockey fan.  They're trying to put the Tampa Bay Lightning away in Game 5, and I'm hoping they can exercise some killer instinct.


The other series have been equally exciting.  


In the East, the Bruins came back in overtime last night to tie their series with the Habs at two games apiece.  The Flyers and Sabres battle again tonight to see which team can take the upperhand in their tied series.  And tomorrow the Caps will try to close out their series with the Rangers as well.


I'll be honest:  I haven't been paying as much attention to the West except to know the Red Wings have swept Phoenix.  Also, the Blackhawks have finally decided they'd like to make an attempt to defend the Stanley Cup, and facing elimination against the top-seeded Canucks, they've extended their series at least by another game.


By the time I'm back in Pennsylvania, the playoffs will be over.  But I look forward to discussing it more and hopefully the Pens will keep advancing, round by round.  And of course keeping you (or, if no one is reading this, me) up to date on our move!

If Wishes Were Penguins

Is it fair to expect that my blog's title is self-explanatory?

Only if you know which saying I'm paraphrasing in the first place.

In my family, especially from my Grandma Wyatt, it was just as common to hear, "If wishes were horses, beggars would ride," as it was to hear, "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush."  (That is still, by the way, my favorite of all the Geico commercials.  I mean, it's like Antique Roadshow for goodness sakes.)  Sometimes it'd just be shortened to the first half of the statement; you fill in the rest.

When I first said that to my husband, he looked at me like I had two heads.  In the foothills of western Pennsylvania, proverbs like that are commonplace.  In Webster, NY (a suburb of Rochester), not so much.

I had to explain the concept.  It makes perfect sense if you think it through.  If hoping and wanting for something were all you had to do to make it yours, everyone would have exactly what they desired and dreamed without trying.

As much as I love the saying, and when I was thinking of what to call my blog, I knew "If Wishes Were Horses" just wouldn't do for me.  It would suggest I were a horse person, which would be misleading.  I've ridden, but I honestly know very little about horses.

But since I love hockey so much and planned to make my team integral to my blog, "If Wishes Were Penguins" fit perfectly.  

When I was a teenager and my Grandma Wyatt would ask me what I wanted for Christmas, I told her "anything Penguins."  Since she wasn't necessarily in a hockey state of mind, I would often get stuffed animals, penguin emblazoned porcelain plates, and bird-shaped ornaments.  The bird and the team became interchangeable for me.

Additionally, the style of hockey that the Pittsburgh Penguins play embodies idea of this proverb--that you work hard and reap the benefits.  It's incredible how they can control the tempo of a hockey game by owning the boards and keeping the other team stuck in their zone.  

If wishes were Penguins.

Even after drafting Sidney Crosby, the team didn't experience immediate success; in fact they were still at the bottom of the ranks.  They had to grow into their new identity.  Then Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal joined the team the next season.  The Penguins made it to the first round of the playoffs but lost to Ottawa.  The next year, of course, we lost to Detroit, but this time in the Stanley Cup championship.  So each year they worked harder, gained more experience, and honed their collective team skills until they won the Cup the following year.

If wishes were Penguins.

They are now a team run down with injuries.  Maybe the Pens haven't lost as many man-games as some of the other teams this season.  But what team who had them would want to be without Staal for the first part of the season, without Malkin for the second half, or without Crosby for (hopefully just) its middle?  Even the support players like Kunitz, Letestu, Comrie, Asham, et al are sorely missed.  Yet the team, even when comprised of Wilkes-Barre Scranton Baby Pens, works hard to try to keep our record in tact and maintain our place in the standings as we vie for position in the playoffs.

If wishes were Penguins, every team could have a Stanley Cup.  

Instead it'll be just one.

The players' hard work to dominate the boards.  Shero's trades to fill the gaps.  Bylsma's coaching.  Winning the tight games.  We fans are hoping and praying that these steps will be enough to make us that one team.  

And then it won't matter if wishes are penguins or horses or even elephants.

Oh, and a warm "Welcome back!" to Alexei Kovalev. 

Wingman

Lately I've heard a lot of Top Gun references on TV and movies and commercials.  Almost like it's the new Star Wars.  Everyone wants to allude to Maverick and, of course, his famous wingman, Goose.

As for the Penguins, it seems as though they "lost that lovin' feeling" for their own Goose, Alex Goligoski.

Maybe that sounds a little more personal than it really is.

Trades, as I explained to my brother Evan, leave me with mixed feelings.  I get attached to the players, kind of like members of an extended family.  As fans, we watch them play day in and night out, celebrate their successes, show concern when they're sick or injured, and even dress ourselves like them.

As for Goligoski, the then 22 year-old draft choice joined us from the University of Minnesota WCHA.  We called him Gogo.  Like the rest of our young team, we watched him mature into a Stanley Cup champion.  When Gonchar headed to Ottawa, he helped quarterback the power play.  His nickname transformed to Goose.  We saw his strength on defense and enough offensive prowess to make him the 25th leading scoring defenseman in the NHL this season.

Honestly, I'm not sure how the players deal with trades.  Knowing it's always a possibility--heck, knowing it's likely to happen at some point in the career unless they're deemed a franchise player (and even then there's no guarantee) must be hard.  To pick up your life and family and job and move somewhere you may not even like--well, personally I would feel powerless.

When I was part of a bank acquisition, it was one of the worst experiences of my life.  I didn't feel like a person so much as a commodity.  Fortunately, there was no relocation involved, but suddenly I was working for a company where I did not choose to work.

As for Goligoski, the Stars have revealed he's worth two players, and I hope the Minnesota man acclimates well to Texas.

I know that Shero makes good trades.  He has the ability to see the big picture while maneuvering all the interlocking pieces.  And since we haven't even reached the deadline yet, more dealings may be in negotiation.  While I have trouble letting go, I do like acquiring new players.  Learning to pronounce their names.  Studying their tendencies.  Observing how the team chemistry changes.

Obtaining Neal and Niskanen should be good for the team.  While Niskanen is the even steven trade for Goose (a D-man for a D-man), the focus of all expectations seems to be on Neal.  The fabled hockey gods know could use the offense right now.

Goose, I will miss you.  But I know I'm not alone in wanting to see how our new wingman fits in.

Hockey Party!

Yesterday it was back to hockey after three days off.  The week had one of those scheduling anomalies that involved only two Penguins games within an eight day span.  For fans like me, those gaps are torturous.

Before the game against Chicago, Gregory had a birthday party to attend.  His friend Codie turned eight, and he was hosting a hockey-themed sledding party.

The two boys have been friends since Codie's mom baby-sat Gregory and Olivia.  You may recall mention of him in "Our Little Secret" as the friend who does karate.  After that post, his mom Erin told me of a hockey program they're trying to get Codie into and she was wondering if Greg was interested.  Given the choice of hockey or swim lessons, Greg chose hockey, but the beginners program is still vying for ice time.

The party was at Camp Eastman, just across the road from Lake Ontario.  While there were mounds of snow still on the beach, it had all melted from the ground.  Alas, no sledding.

When we arrived, Codie and his dad, Codie's cousin Bailey, and a friend were shooting around.  I don't think Greg was so sure if he wanted to join in, so he came inside the cabin with us instead.  Soon the kids would all be headed to the playground to burn off a little energy before the indoor activities.

A little later on, the boys were shooting around again.  Gregory picked up a stick, and I showed him how to grip it.  He was still staying back from the net, the other boys, and any of the action.

The ball went back past him into the grass.  He ran back with his stick, lined it up, and tried to hit it toward the others.  One of the older boys made a remark about him golfing.  "Great," I thought.  "The first time he tries to play, someone's going to make fun of him, and he'll never want to do it again."  Maybe he didn't hear, or maybe he didn't care, since he kept playing.

The ball came back to him again, this time on the asphalt.  He steadied it, wound up, and shot it along the ground into the net.  The other boys were amazed because he was further back than any of them.  He did it a couple more times, each time getting a goal and each time impressing the others.  I was so proud of Gregory.  And I told him so.

Most of the boys went back into the party.  I went in to look for George because Greg wanted to see his dad shoot the ball.  "My dad watches hockey," he told the remaining boys.

Codie's party was a lot of fun, and of course we enjoyed his cake that looked like a hockey rink.  There was even a neat light blue translucent glaze over it to make it look like an ice surface.  We hope he enjoys the hockey cards we got for him; we know he'll enjoy spending the gift card.  What kid doesn't?

By the point we arrived home, the Penguins were already into the second period of play.  I watched as they came back from 1-0 and 2-1 deficits.  They skated through overtime and took the Hawks to a shoot out.

I'm in the party that believes that one point in a shoot out loss is certainly better than no points, especially considering how depleted our ranks are, but it was a bit of a disappointment still.  I'll be watching for Jordan Staal in tonight's game versus the Caps to see how he made out after taking a Letang shot to the face in the overtime period.

And as pretty as the pass was from Talbot to Cooke for the shorthanded goal in the second frame, the highlight of my day, without a doubt, was watching my son shoot the hockey ball for the first time, seeing him put it in the net, and witnessing how his face lit up when the other boys praised him.  And telling Gregory again before bed just how proud I am of him.

The Biggest Avs Fan

The other night as the Penguins played the Avalanche in Colorado, my mind kept wandering from the game.

Yes, my team played more consistently, Fleury came up with the huge saves, and the power play looked organized.  Vitale got his first NHL goal, Sterling continued to prove he's worth calling up, and Kennedy won it for us in overtime.

But playing the Avs reminded me of my friend Devin Engles.

I even searched facebook partway through the game, but with no luck.

When I began following hockey, my love of the sport mingled with my penchant for collecting things.  In this case, my baby-sitting money went from purchasing shoes and earrings to buying sports cards, plastic sleeves, and collector's albums.  And don't forget pricing guides.

One of the hockey magazines that I subscribed to featured a section for kids to trade cards with each other.  I began writing to Angel in Buffalo, John in New York City, and Devin in Colorado.

We shared our favorite players with each other, and as we pulled cards, we would write and mail the hockey cards back and forth.  I saved up Haseks for Angel, Kovalevs for John, and Footes for Devin.  While I liked all of my new pen pals, I enjoyed writing to Devin because I could identify with her the most.

A girl after my own heart, she loved the Avs to the point of obsession.  She attended NHL games frequently, and honestly, it was just nice to have another female with whom to discuss hockey and its players.

When I went to college my card trading became less frequent.  I lost touch with my new friends.  Including Devin.

But obviously I haven't forgotten her.

I wish we could get in touch again.  I wonder what she's been doing all these years, who her current favorite player is, and how she would suggest her team turn itself around.  I'm hoping at some point I find her again.

Until then, I'll think of her at our teams' annual meeting.  At least.

Valentine's Day Revisited

Today George delivered my Valentine's Day gift.

I've known for two days what he chose for me, but today the package arrived.

Does my husband get me a dozen roses?  How about chocolates for the most romantic of holidays?

Not this year.

I liked the way my Aunt Lisa described it, "Nothing shouts Love like a hockey game with a possible melee on middle ice!"

At the end of next month, George and I will watch the Penguins play the Florida Panthers at Consol Center.  I'm anticipating my first trip to the new arena, even though as a person with a strong sense of nostalgia, any change of venue is bittersweet for me.

Speaking of bittersweet, I haven't seen any of the tickets for other games, but mine features Malkin and some Panthers players, but we won't have the opportunity to see Geno in action firsthand.  I'm hopeful that since the game is over a month away, our injured players might have the chance to recuperate so I can see them compete.

George and I will have been together for eleven years this Friday, and I thought I'd take a moment to go through our hockey history.

As I pointed out in "Introducing...Me," when George and I started dating, he made it clear that he hated hockey.  He didn't say he disliked it.  Or that he wasn't interested.  He told me he hated hockey.

I wasn't dismayed.  I knew it was more likely that he didn't understand it, so I didn't let it become a deal breaker.  Instead I chipped away.

During the playoffs I would lay claim to the lounge in my dorm so I could watch the Penguins.  George lived clear across campus, but he stayed up with me for the third longest overtime in NHL playoffs--92:01 of extra play (http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/12506186/).  The Flyers won that game, tying up the series, and went on to win the round too.

That same semester George escorted me to the formal hosted by our college men's hockey team.  As statistician I would attend this end of season event.  George was the only guy there who didn't play hockey.

I think George fell in love with the city of Pittsburgh the summer he spent his internship there (thank you, Uncle Rodney).  So it wasn't a difficult task getting him to the Igloo to buy Student Rush discounted tickets with my brothers and me throughout our remaining college years.  In fact, I think he was starting to like hockey by this point.

I spent part of my 2001 Christmas break with George and his mom in Rochester.  That year that we surprised each other by exchanging hockey jerseys.  I got George the Lemieux away jersey.  He got me the then new home jersey with the skating penguin.  For a [insert "poor"] college student, a hockey jersey is a pretty serious commitment.  Just another moment where George demonstrated he knew just what I wanted.

After I moved to Rochester, we spent quite a few years where we couldn't watch many Penguins games.  We focused on purchasing hockey cards.  He would buy them for my for my birthday, for Christmas, for no reason at all.  You'd think we might have caught more Amerks games than we did, but it's just not the same.  My brother Levi got us tickets a subsequent Christmas so we could go see the Penguins play in Buffalo, and we traveled the hour and a half to cheer our team to a win.

I credit Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Jordan Staal, though, in bringing us back to Penguins hockey with fervor.  Those three gave the team new life, and soon we were taking note of the Penguins in the playoffs once again.  Two years ago, George presented the NHL Center Ice package to me as an anniversary gift.

My husband has proven again and again how well he knows me by his gift giving.  While "a diamond is a girl's best friend," he knows I prefer a different kind of ice.

Thank you, George, for eleven wonderful years and all the spot-on gifts of hockey!