There's only one thing more devastating than losing in triple overtime when winning the first round hangs in the balance, and that's losing in triple overtime when your season hangs in the balance.
No one on the Penguins side of things had any reason to think that this game would be easily won and we'd be moving on to round two. Fighting for the season brings out the best in the team, and the Sens really did their part.
This man is now Public Enemy #1.
Leclaire really showed up in this game and we're going to have to tread carefully Saturday, because should the Sens and Leclaire take this win to heart and generate some spirit in the way we've seen the Pens do it in the past, we have some things to be seriously worried about.
But should the Pens take over, the Sens fans can fondly look back on their game five the way we look back on the 2008 SCF game five. Not quite the same things at stake, but a spirited and exciting run nonetheless.
But let's not put a bow on this for the Pens just yet. We have a lot of work to do.
Still, let's not indulge the naysayers. Our team put up a bitchin' effort. There's no other way to get into third OT. Let's think about the silver lining.
Until Kris Letang put one home at the end of the first period, all those watching were starting to doubt that this would even be an OT decision. We could have been on track for the Sens to blow us out of the water with desperation play but then Bill Guerin stepped in the a one timer that was blocked and floated to Letang as if on a ship of dreams. Just like the vodka you can't afford due to the crushing burden of student loans; top shelf.
Chris Kunitz tied it up in the second, though not without some issues. Review was sent to Toronto to see if the puck crossed the goal line before or after the net was dislodged.
Maybe it's all that love we showed Vesa when he was there, maybe it's luck, or maybe it's simply the fact that when viewing hockey on multiple huge screens at different camera angles in slow motion it's kind of easy to know what's up, but Toronto send back word and it's a tie-up for the Pens.
Sid took the lead in the third with one of those "only Sidney Crosby" moments. Press photography had a field day with the ensuing dog pile of joy, and Zack Smith cried and cried.
While we were hoping they'd hang on to the lead to the end, maybe run up the numbers if they got bored, Peter Regin got Pens fans off their feet and back into their seats by making it a tie game once again.
Overtimes were excruciating to watch before they won, the Sens scored but had it called off thanks to a distinct kicking motion. Other than that, it was quiet for a while other than a Malkin post shot that we don't want anyone mentioning ever again, because it hurts.
Third overtime was a mix bag. Sometimes players looked alive, other times hits were like watching a five year old with no skating abilities just run into the rink wall to stop.
I swear we caught players, several times, just staring at something before realizing the game was still happening. At times, everyone looked like they just wanted to die. Regardless, there were bursts of energy. Kunitz and JStaal especially hung on to their livelihood and really capitalized on their ice time.
We were really just as able to win this game as the Sens. It came down to the luck of the draw and who was just a hair more motivated by that time, and that just so happened to be the Sens.
So, as much as we wanted to see handshakes last night, it looks like Saturday is going to be our next shot at it.
Naysayers beware.
We are out for blood on anyone who has a negative thing to say about this man.
And no, we don't mean Jesse Winchester, who you can start making fun of right now for everything from his hair to his name to the way his uni makes his ass look.
In fact, I think we might blame a lot of the bad things on him from now on just because he thought it was his right to be in this photograph.
Fuck you, Jesse Winchester, you will never be loved.
But as for MAF, he played his little heart of gold out. Maybe not yet the MAF we're used to seeing in the playoffs just yet, but the man needs some warm-up time. Lay off. He's our hero.
The Pens haven't won this series yet, nor have they lost it yet. Everyone gets all jazzed up and has to head to the extremes like that, but in reality, there's a lot of hockey to still be played.
Of course we're winning the Stanley Cup, but that's a long road, so let's chill out a little, okay? Maybe the hockey Gods just knew I was throwing a dinner party on Saturday and wanted a hockey game to be the main focus so if my food turns out poorly no one will notice.
See how kind of them that was?
We're going to get through this with the FAITH and HOPE of the masses of Pens fans who are in this together, and the skillz brought to the table by the boys.
There's nothing to get all worked up over yet.
Just calm down, breathe, and repeat after us:
Go Pens.
No one on the Penguins side of things had any reason to think that this game would be easily won and we'd be moving on to round two. Fighting for the season brings out the best in the team, and the Sens really did their part.
This man is now Public Enemy #1.Leclaire really showed up in this game and we're going to have to tread carefully Saturday, because should the Sens and Leclaire take this win to heart and generate some spirit in the way we've seen the Pens do it in the past, we have some things to be seriously worried about.
But should the Pens take over, the Sens fans can fondly look back on their game five the way we look back on the 2008 SCF game five. Not quite the same things at stake, but a spirited and exciting run nonetheless.
But let's not put a bow on this for the Pens just yet. We have a lot of work to do.
Still, let's not indulge the naysayers. Our team put up a bitchin' effort. There's no other way to get into third OT. Let's think about the silver lining.
Until Kris Letang put one home at the end of the first period, all those watching were starting to doubt that this would even be an OT decision. We could have been on track for the Sens to blow us out of the water with desperation play but then Bill Guerin stepped in the a one timer that was blocked and floated to Letang as if on a ship of dreams. Just like the vodka you can't afford due to the crushing burden of student loans; top shelf.Chris Kunitz tied it up in the second, though not without some issues. Review was sent to Toronto to see if the puck crossed the goal line before or after the net was dislodged.Maybe it's all that love we showed Vesa when he was there, maybe it's luck, or maybe it's simply the fact that when viewing hockey on multiple huge screens at different camera angles in slow motion it's kind of easy to know what's up, but Toronto send back word and it's a tie-up for the Pens.
Sid took the lead in the third with one of those "only Sidney Crosby" moments. Press photography had a field day with the ensuing dog pile of joy, and Zack Smith cried and cried.While we were hoping they'd hang on to the lead to the end, maybe run up the numbers if they got bored, Peter Regin got Pens fans off their feet and back into their seats by making it a tie game once again.
Overtimes were excruciating to watch before they won, the Sens scored but had it called off thanks to a distinct kicking motion. Other than that, it was quiet for a while other than a Malkin post shot that we don't want anyone mentioning ever again, because it hurts.
Third overtime was a mix bag. Sometimes players looked alive, other times hits were like watching a five year old with no skating abilities just run into the rink wall to stop.
I swear we caught players, several times, just staring at something before realizing the game was still happening. At times, everyone looked like they just wanted to die. Regardless, there were bursts of energy. Kunitz and JStaal especially hung on to their livelihood and really capitalized on their ice time.
We were really just as able to win this game as the Sens. It came down to the luck of the draw and who was just a hair more motivated by that time, and that just so happened to be the Sens.
So, as much as we wanted to see handshakes last night, it looks like Saturday is going to be our next shot at it.Naysayers beware.
We are out for blood on anyone who has a negative thing to say about this man.
And no, we don't mean Jesse Winchester, who you can start making fun of right now for everything from his hair to his name to the way his uni makes his ass look.In fact, I think we might blame a lot of the bad things on him from now on just because he thought it was his right to be in this photograph.
Fuck you, Jesse Winchester, you will never be loved.
But as for MAF, he played his little heart of gold out. Maybe not yet the MAF we're used to seeing in the playoffs just yet, but the man needs some warm-up time. Lay off. He's our hero.
The Pens haven't won this series yet, nor have they lost it yet. Everyone gets all jazzed up and has to head to the extremes like that, but in reality, there's a lot of hockey to still be played.
Of course we're winning the Stanley Cup, but that's a long road, so let's chill out a little, okay? Maybe the hockey Gods just knew I was throwing a dinner party on Saturday and wanted a hockey game to be the main focus so if my food turns out poorly no one will notice.
See how kind of them that was?
We're going to get through this with the FAITH and HOPE of the masses of Pens fans who are in this together, and the skillz brought to the table by the boys.
There's nothing to get all worked up over yet.
Just calm down, breathe, and repeat after us:
Go Pens.
