Once again, the Cardiac Kids put on one helluva show! Four goals in the last 8 minutes of the game?! Unbelievable. Here's a recap of my experience. First up, check out this quick clip of Siddo flipping pucks at the spot where Flower keeps his water bottle in the pre-game warmup:
Despite the fact that I now have Sid's Winter Classic jersey, I decided to wear my 1967 replica sweater jersey. I wore it for two main reasons: superstition and vanity. Superstition because I wore it to the Winter Classic, and I know everyone here remembers how that one ended. :) Vanity because I like wearing a unique jersey and standing out a little bit. I got a number of compliments on my sweater last night, AND it helped good Friend of The Show Pengylady identify me as I got to my seat. We chatted for a bit, she met my husband, and I got to see her Sidney Penguin during the pre-game warmups. BTW, she was rocking the coolest hat - it was an original "It's a great day for hockey! - Bob Johnson" ballcap. :)
(All the photos and the video in today's post were taken by me. Click any of the photos to enlarge them. If you want to use the pictures on this post feel free, just give me credit with a link back to TSCS.)
This is my favorite shot from the warmups. Enlarge it to check out Jordan Staal in mid-laugh:
Best sign of the night:
The National Anthem:
This was taken during the first break in the game:
This is another good one. Look for the puck in mid-air above the cluster of players in the center of the photo:
A scrum (one of several):
Saint Siddo wins a faceoff:
The Pen Pals refer to the lucky fans that our title man hosts in the luxury suite he purchased for the season:
This was our view of the visitors' tunnel. We were only about 20 rows up from the glass:
Even Iceburgh got some new threads!
"Cotton Can'ere!!!"
The Boys celebrate Geno's goal, which was the first marker on the board of the night for the Pens:
I've decided that Pens fans have to be the most tolerant fans in hockey. Of the dozens of games I've attended over the past decade, only one of those games was an away game. Since it was the Winter Classic, we figured it was a special occasion and that it wouldn't be a big deal. We didn't think we'd encounter any issues with Sabres fans, but we were wrong. Our only offense was showing up in Buffalo in Pens gear. Knowing that, the fellas below were in our house, wearing their Sabres hats, and actually taunting Pens fans - even challenging people to come do something about it - whenever the Sabres scored goals, got power plays, or weren't called for rule violations. After standing and celebrating, they'd turn around, point to the logos on their hats, and raise their beers. Ah, cocky drunk guys, how do we despise thee? Let me count the ways.
Oh, but when Gronk scored what ended up being the GWG, their collective attitude quickly changed. One minute later when Ruslan Fedotenko scored, all three of them swiftly made their escape as we were on our feet celebrating. Talk about being able to dish it out but not being able to take it! (Remember, at that point there were still about three and a half minutes left in the game - any hockey fan knows this is plenty of time for the tide to change again.) Oh well, I guess it's best that they left because they just would have had to witness one last nail in the Sabres' coffin courtesy of an empty netter from Gronk. I snapped this picture of them immediately after Thomas Vanek's goal:
Sabres fans in general were very well represented. Haha, I think after they saw how many Pens fans invaded northern New York for the Winter Classic, they must have had an emergency season ticket holders' meeting and made it their mission to infiltrate the Mellon Arena as payback, LOL!
Check out the Sabres eying up the Saint from their bench:
Enlarge this next one for a good view of the Fu Max Chu:
GENO!!!!!!! He deservedly was the night's first star:
PENGUINS FOR THE WIN!!!!!!!!!!
Come back tomorrow for more about our trip to the Burgh. Okay, I'll give you a preview: we had some very special guests with us... ;)
GO PENS!!!!!!!!
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