Hockey Weekend Across America.

What a weekend it will be! It is Hockey Weekend Across America and this sport deserves a weekend, a whole weekend! I never hide my love for the game of hockey and I share my opinions on why it is the best sport all the time and now is a time to celebrate it. I don't think many people do truly understand just how great the game of hockey is. That is their loss though. They can have their other sports with more commercials than action, or slow tempo, or where arrests of athletes are normal. I'll take my hockey any day.

Today, it was being promoted to wear your Hockey Jersey to get the weekend started and for Pens fans it surely will be a hockey weekend. Tomorrow the Pens will be in Philadelphia to take on the Flyers and then Sunday, Hockey Day in America, the Pens will be in Buffalo to take on the Sabres. Another hockey-filled weekend that is perfectly fitting for the occasion.

On a slightly different note:
Yesterday, I received my Hockey News Magazine and our Evgeni Malkin graces the cover with the title, "Malkin's Vast Power." (MVP)
I finally had the chance to read the article written by Ken Campbell today, entitled, "Emperor Penguin: With Sid on the sidelines, Evgeni Malkin is putting the Pittsburgh Penguins, and the NHL, on his shoulders."
It does not present any new information for Pens fans. It merely states facts that we are all well aware of. Pretty much that Malkin is the best player in the league right now and that he is playing the best hockey of his career. We are also aware that with Crosby out of the lineup, Malkin steps up his game and the article reflects that point as well. The article mentions that Malkin's work along the boards has improved and also that Malkin is becoming more comfortable in the spotlight. We see these things first-hand, during each game and every interview. We are lucky to have him on our team and lucky that his focus and determination and skill are paying off immensely.

The article does not mention how lucky we are to have this Russian superstar rather than the other Russian who is not having a superstar season, Alex Ovechkin, though the article could have. We are well aware of how lucky we are for that though.
However, there is something the article presented that I was not aware of though.
The article begins by mentioning the fact that Malkin sent Ray Shero a text last February 4th. Some may have forgotten that date from last year, but it was the night Malkin went into the boards awkwardly in a game against the Sabres along with the Sabres' Tyler Myers. We would of course learn that Malkin had suffered a torn ACL. The text was simple; it consisted of two words: "I'm sorry." Malkin apologized for being injured. That goes to show you once again how much Malkin wants this team to succeed and how he wants to be a big part of it. It also shows Pens fans how lucky we are to have Malkin on our team, but of course, we already knew that.

Happy Hockey Weekend Across America, celebrate the great game of hockey and celebrate just how great some of these hockey players are!