A New Season Begins.

Hockey season has begun. Last night the puck dropped for the first time this season for several teams. The Pens season gets underway tomorrow night. Though, yesterday and today, the Pens' season beginning has taken a backseat to another sports story in Pittsburgh. (I will save the tired line, 'The Pirates being in the playoffs, yes you read that correctly, Pirates are in the playoffs,' because it's been a tad overused.) Last night the Pittsburgh Pirates won their wildcard game and will begin their series tomorrow.
I have to admit, I am pretty excited about the Pirates. Last night, I watched some of the game on tv, I haven't done that since... well, ever. I watched less of the Chicago and Washington hockey game than I did the Pirate game. How could you not watch some of that game? The fans' energy was incredible and I found myself wishing I was there. So, good luck to the Pirates!

Now, back to business. With all the excitement over the Pirates and the Duck, I still am excited a new hockey season has begun. Though, this season hasn't even started for the Penguins yet and there are already some big stories. Today we learned that Vokoun will be out 3-6 months due to the blood clot that was found and repaired recently. He'll be reevaluated after 3 months. Though, there's no hiding that this season could be done for Vokoun, if not his career. That is enough to make some Pens fans worry due to the fact that Vokoun helped us last season in the playoffs when Fleury was struggling. However, one should remember that Fleury seems to do just fine and sometimes great in the regular season. It's the past couple postseasons that have been rather disappointing. And there it is. The elephant in the room, well not really. It's no secret and people aren't afraid to talk about it; the Pens have had several straight years of disappointing playoff exits. Each year seems to become more and more frustrating and disappointing. The Pens have some of the best players in the league and we are continually picked to win the Stanley Cup at the beginning of a season or to make it to the finals, but the reality is that the Pens have failed miserably at accomplishing that goal the past several seasons.

Here we are once again; several media outlets picking the Pens to make it to the Finals, some individual journalists picking the Pens as the Stanley Cup winner. Well, that's all guessing, as it is every year, and look how well it's turned out for us.
I would be lying if I said I did not have high expectations every season for the Pens. With a roster like ours, how could you not? This season, I'm going to need some proof. I don't want another early playoff exit. I will try my hardest not to get my hopes up this season because I am tired of the crushing feeling of defeat by these recent playoff exits. I am ready to see the Pens reach their potential in the playoffs.

I am getting ahead of myself though. The season hasn't even started and I'm talking about the playoffs. There are other stories to get to:
Today, the Pens announced they signed Chuck Kobasew to a 1 year contract after he was invited to camp on a professional tryout contract.
Beau Bennet was recalled from Wheeling today and forward Chris Conner and defenseman Harrison Ruopp have been re-assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Nick D'Agostini was placed on IR, to join Kris Letang on that list.
With Vokoun out, the Pens are starting the season with Jeff Zatkoff as Fleury's backup.

With every new season comes new issues, injuries, players, storylines, and ups and downs. A new hockey season begins full of promise and potential and that's what I love about the start of a fresh hockey season. All the possibilities. We will see the beginning of hopefully a long season tomorrow night at Consol Energy Center against the New Jersey Devils.

A new season, a fresh start. All the things that happened in the past are in the past. This is a fresh start for the team and each player. Therefore, the slates are clean. No preconceived judgements. You just never know where this season will take us. Well, I'm ready...



Also, I would like to wish Cy, aka Malkamania, a quick recovery! Hope you're doing better Cy and hopefully we see you at some games soon!

It's time for Pens to play to their full potential.

The playoffs are usually never lacking in excitement or some surprises.
Well, some might be surprised with how the Penguins vs. Islanders series is going. If I knew nothing about it, I am not sure I would guess that it was a battle between the first seed and the eighth seed. An eighth seed that was not very good during the regular season. That's exactly what this battle is, as we well know, but the Pens are not looking like their first seed selves. Yes, we are up 2-1 in the series, but we are lucky to be there.

Sure, give some credit to the Islanders, but let's face it, at times, the Pens are making it way too easy for the Islanders. The Pens have had poor puck management their past 2 games. Yes, remember how we won the first one 5-0? Then The Pens had a poor effort in a game 2 loss and then with yesterday's overtime win the Pens were lucky to get a win. We came back after going down 2-0 but again giveaways and poor play resulted in the Islanders tying the game and sending it to overtime. The Pens were lucky to win Game 3.
I am not seeing a team that is determined to redeem themselves after last year's first round loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. Don't get me wrong, it's not like I have lost faith in the Pens. I know they are capable of playing better, just like they did after some losses during the regular season. Let's hope to see their best in tomorrow night's Game 4.

Some injuries aren't helping us. We could use Brooks Orpik back. It was a good sight to see him back at practice today and hopefully he is back in the lineup soon. Many also point out that it seems Jarome Iginla and Evgeni Malkin lack chemistry. It does appear that way, but some want that Dupuis, Crosby and Kunitz line together no matter what, so Iginla and Malkin will most likely stay. James Neal is still out. He was present in practice today too and when Neal comes back into the lineup some changes will be made, obviously.

Game 4 is tomorrow night. I am ready to see a better Pens team, the team we know the Pens are capable of being. I am ready to see the Pens be the dominant force that many were predicting they'd be in this series. Let's hope the Pens are ready to show us better hockey tomorrow night.

Stanley Cup Playoffs begin tonight.

How fitting it is that the sun is shining and the temperature is rather nice. (At least in Pittsburgh.) Today is the beginning of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs and this beautiful weather reflects my wonderful excitement for the start of the playoffs. Months ago the thought of not having a season or playoffs at all was a frequent one. Now here we are, after a shortened season, welcoming the beginning of the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs. The Pens do not play until tomorrow night, but any playoff hockey, even for teams you may despise or couldn't care less about, offers excitement and a story.

Every series has a story. Whether it is large or small, unknown or well known, the underdog or the clear favorite, whatever the story line might be, every series will offer some great hockey. Even if one of the teams completely dominates the other and sweeps the series. It might not be what I think of when I think of thrilling playoff hockey, but it is exciting.

What I imagine when thinking of great playoff hockey and what I want to see for the team I root for are rather different though. When I think of great playoff hockey, I imagine a series so close, picking a winner is nearly impossible. I imagine tight goaltending and great goal-scoring. I imagine tough, physical games, but games not riddled with penalties. I imagine games where the scoring is close and games when every second, every shot can be the difference maker. I imagine those game 7s where the final seconds tick away and it's tied 2-2. The game goes into overtime and it may be one overtime period or it may take 3 or 4, but you see the desperation, you see the sacrifices the players are making to ensure their season doesn't end that night. That is playoff hockey to me and that's what I love to see when watching playoff hockey. Maybe not in my favorite team's series perhaps, but any other series.
Ok, if I'm being truly honest, I love to see my favorite team involved in those kind of games as well. I just might be on the edge of my seat, standing, or even rocking. I will be a nervous wreck, but I still love those games. Just as long as we win, because you may not want to be around me when we lose.

Playoff hockey is when everything is on the line and either teams know and have what it takes, or they don't. The battle to the Stanley Cup is unlike any other sport's playoffs (in my opinion). That journey begins tonight. Here's to those close series, close games, unbelievable performances and to those triple overtime game 7s. Here's to the 2013 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs!

One story ends. A more thrilling one is set to begin.

Saturday brings us to the end of the regular season for the Pittsburgh Penguins. We end the regular season at home with a game against the Carolina Hurricanes. The Pens go into the game losing the past two with some poorly played hockey and will look to end the regular season on a winning note. Though, it was a short time ago that the Pens clinched the top seed in the Eastern Conference, so these losses have meant nothing to our position in the standings. However, it might not be the best thing to come into the playoffs with a losing streak with games featuring some mistakes. Therefore, the Pens will look to correct their mistakes and will look for a boost in the return of James Neal and Paul Martin this Saturday.

Win or lose Saturday though and the Pens are still in the playoffs. That is a nice feeling to have and one Pens' fans as of late are used to. We haven't had to battle for the 8th spot in the Conference for some time, but that does not mean that we have had smooth sailing once in the playoffs. As we all surely know. Last year's first round loss to the Philadelphia Flyers was extremely disappointing. A first round loss, no matter the opponent, this year would be even more disappointing. A first round loss again would surely mean some changes in the organization. This team is expected to perform well and a mediocre or dismal playoff season just will not do. Making the playoffs for some teams is an accomplishment all in itself (Congratulations Toronto!). But not the Pens. For the Pens, it's just a beginning.

While some teams will pack their things this weekend and go their seperate ways, the Pens will join 15 other teams in closing the book of the regular season and begin to prepare for the story of NHL playoff hockey. Every team begins a season with the sole purpose to begin this second story, one that each team hopes will end with another book chronicling what each team member did with the Stanely Cup on their day with the sacred trophy. Only one team will prove to be the best, the toughest, the most skilled, the hardest working, the most complete, the Stanley Cup winners. It most certainly is not an easy task. Upsets will happen, good teams will fall, better teams will prevail, series sweeps will occur, overtime hockey means much more, and perhaps a game 7 or a few will go into overtime where everything will be on the line. History will be made.
Playoff hockey is another level of hockey. Teams know what they have to do to accomplish their dream of raising the Stanely Cup. Next week each of these 16 teams will begin this journey. Each of the 16 teams will be just 16 wins away from their goal. Only one team will make it through though. We won't know until June who succeeds. Of course, we have our expectations and hopes and wishes. But that's the thing about playoff hockey: It is usually impossible to predict. Playoff hockey is meant for surprises; it is meant for exciting hockey. Playoff hockey is meant to bring fans to the edge of their seat or to their feet. Playoff hockey is meant to bring tears of disappointment or tears of pure joy. Playoff hockey is meant to make you nervous, excited, sad, happy, angry and just about any other emotion one can have. Playoff hockey is like nothing else. Therefore, each story will be unique, but only one team will be able to end their story how they want: by raising the most prestigious trophy in sports, the one and only (sort of) Stanley Cup.

So, while the Pens hope to end the season on a winning note, either way the story will end and a new one will begin. One that is much more important, one that has a possibility of a much more meaningful end.

Are you ready for some playoff hockey?

Pens vs. Rangers tonight.

Ok, while trying to forget about superstitions, I also realized that recently I have not been visiting Pinterest like I had been. I mean, the past few weeks, there have been days when I did not pin one thing or even visit the site. Therefore, just in case, I made sure to vistit Pinterest.com and pin a number of things today. Just in case.

Well, silly superstitions aside, it is time to get down to business. The Pens are hosting the New York Rangers tonight. The Pens will be looking to redeem themselves against the Rangers, coming off the 6-1 loss we suffered a few days ago to the same team. Tonight there will be some new line combinations with Jussi Jokinen centering Kunitz and Dupuis. The rest of the lines are: Neal-Malkin-Iginla; Morrow-Sutter-Cooke;
Glass-Adams-Kennedy.
The second power play unit had a different look in practice today: Jokinen, Kennedy and Morrow were down low and on the points the Pens used Dupuis and a rotation of Orpik and Eaton.

We hope that the Pens will pull things together tonight and see the newest additions to the team fitting into their roles. We understand it takes time, but the past two games were just bad. Hopefully we see a much better Pens team tonight against the Rangers. If they don't improve tonight they have a longer break to figure things out before the Pens head to Carolina to face the Hurricanes on Tuesday.
Though, after an entire month of wins, 15 in a row, and now two tough losses, I'd say we are all ready to see a much better game tonight.

Time to get back on track.

I have to apologize. It has been a little while since I have written a post. However, I have a good excuse. Shortly into the Penguins' winning streak I realized that I had not posted during the early stages of the winning streak. While I used to be more superstitious, sometimes I still find superstitions that I hold onto. Apparently, not posting was a good thing. At least until 2 games ago. Therefore, I was absent from this blog, but within good reason. What a streak it was!
I have found that I have abandoned most of my old superstitions, but sometimes a realization will come to mind and I can not quite shake it. I've toned it down a good bit though. I used to have lucky sweatpants, various lucky t-shirts. I had to be wearing my hair a certain way or wearing a certain pair of glasses (I still get caught up on this one from time to time.)Certain food I ate that day or where I was watching the game. Lucky undergarments along with lucky socks and I am sure there were more. We have all been there though and like the commercial says, "It's only crazy if it doesn't work." I realized that a while ago and realized that sooner or later, the Pens lost no matter what I did. You can't win them all. So, now I may have fewer superstitions and I now know that no matter what I do, it does not impact how the Pens are going to play. Or else I would have tried everything the past 2 games to get the Pens to take less penalties or play better defense or just play a solid game of hockey.
It's tough to see a winning streak come to an end. One knows it's going to happen sooner or later, but it's still not all that easy. Especially when it comes to a crashing halt. It would be better to end a streak in a dignified way. Perhaps a game that we did our best but just could not catch a break with scoring, or maybe a hard fought battle into overtime or a shootout where things just did not go our way. Yes, those kind of games may have been easier to see than the loss to Buffalo and a lot better than that loss to the Rangers last night.

It is time to move on though. A lot has changed since the winning streak has begun. We have new faces on the injured list and new faces in the locker room. Not sure if you heard, but while I was on my superstitious break, the Pens acquired some guys through trades, including some guy with the last name, Iginla.
While the Pens were making headlines with the winning streak, the Pens landed some big names through trades. I won't give you a run-down of the players, it's already old news. Though, these new players won't mean much of anything if the Pens continue to play the way they have the past 2 games.

At the beginning of this shortened season, a lot of people were saying the Pens had the best chance to win the Stanley Cup this season. This trade deadline season, Ray Shero did what he thought would make us an even better team to complete the task. Every team wants to win the Stanley Cup at the start of the season. However, by the time of trade deadline, it sometimes becomes clear what teams just won't make it happen. Also, some teams know they won't be able to keep certain players and rather than lose them in free agency over the summer, players are dealt to teams for something in return (I'm not going to even mention the Calgary Flames and what they got in return for Iginla).
Shero wanted to prove that the Pens are very serious in their quest of winning the Stanley Cup and I think he accomplished just that. The Hockey News' writer Ken Campbell wrote earlier in the week, "A lot of GMs in this league would be content to have both Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin in their lineup and hope for the best. Not Shero. Nobody in the league today has a better feel for his team, for the league and the fact that standing pat and doing nothing is tantamount to moving backward."

Well, while the last 2 games have been rough, we should give the Pens some time to get things back together. A lot has changed in the past week and a half for this team. Although, that is certainly no excuse for the way they have been playing. All I can do is hope for the team to play better next game and wait and see what this team can do with new players and injuries. 2 bad games is enough though, I'm ready to see a win.

I certainly won't be thinking of the playoffs just yet; we have a season to finish. However, Ken Campbell knows Shero is thinking far ahead, "Shero knows that only one team can win the Stanley Cup in any given year. And with the unpredictability of the playoffs, you can assume he’s also aware there is no guarantee his team will be the one to do it this spring. But Shero knows as well as anyone else that when you have a legitimate chance to win a Stanley Cup with a group like he has, you seize it with gusto.

'What are you supposed to say, that we’re not all in?' Shero said, shortly after making the Iginla trade. 'Yeah, we’re all in. We want to win.'


Well, that's good to hear. Let's start by playing better the next game and getting a win in that one.

It's writers like Brennan we should be worried about, not Cooke.

I, myself, am tired of hearing about whether or not Matt Cooke intended to injure one of Ottawa Senators' star defensemen, Erik Karlsson when his blade cut Karlsson's left achilles or whether or not he should have been suspended. I'll admit, it was a weird hit, one that we will rarely see, but that does not make the act intentional. I full-heartedly agree with the decision not to suspend Cooke because I truly believe it was an accident, just like most Pens fans and also a number of others associated with the game of hockey.

I was not going to discuss the matter because it was getting enough attention as is, but an article was brought to my attention and it was disgraceful to read. Don Brennan wrote an article for the Ottawa Sun saying that Cooke must pay for his actions and since he was dealt no suspension, Brennan is calling on a player or someone to make him pay and if it is not taken care of before, then one of the Ottawa Senators' players should take care of it when the Pens meet them next on April 22nd.

The article can be found by clicking on the title of this particular blog post or copying and pasting this URL: http://www.ottawasun.com/2013/02/14/pittsburgh-penguins-forward-matt-cooke-must-pay-for-cutting-erik-karlsson


Brennan mentions that he never believed any of the stories of how Cooke transformed his game and says, "Once a dirty player, always a dirty player."
Now, to be quite honest, when Cooke was a dirty player, I did not care for him all that much. At times, his carelessness made me rather upset and embarrassed that he was a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Therefore, when I heard that Cooke made the choice to be a more responsible player, to be a more valuable player for the Pens and a person his children could be proud of, I was quite eager to see the change. And as Pens fans, we witnessed that change first hand last season.
Perhaps the reason why Brennan doesn't believe Cooke is a reformed player is because he rarely saw him play and only saw replayed footage of the dirty hits he had delivered and is still focusing solely on the negative aspects of Cooke's career. Pens' fans know that Cooke is not the dirty player he once was and we are well aware of how beneficial he is to our team. We see this in every game Cooke plays.

It is not Brennan's opinion on whether or not Cooke should have been suspended that bothers me, it is the way that Brennan says things such as, "Matt Cooke must pay. Somehow. Somewhere. At the hands of someone. The guy is a Devil disguised in Penguin clothes."
Retaliation is a common thing in sports. Especially when a star player is injured and out of the lineup for any given time at the hands of another player. That is why we saw what Chris Neil did to Matt Cooke shortly after the injury on Karlsson. Players stick up for their teammates. It is to be expected. Neil took it a little too far in the game in my opinion, but I expected something to happen.

Now, Neil went after Cooke for the Karlsson injury, the league has ruled no suspension because they believe it was an accident. While it is an unfortunate situation and I was sad to see it happen and hope for a full recovery for Karlsson, it is time to move on. The fact that Brennan says Cooke must pay at the hands of someone makes me believe that it is people like Brennan the world should be worried about and not Matt Cooke.

Also, Brennan says that this injury has hurt the game of hockey because this will affect attendance in areas that need any advantage they can get; markets such as the Islanders, the Lightning and the Panthers, to use the examples Brennan supplied. Yes, Karlsson is a reason many hockey fans would come to see a game, but let's be honest here. These markets struggle because they don't have the strongest fan base and some don't have the best product to put on the ice. Knowledgeable hockey fans in Floirda may be more willing to buy tickets to a home game against the Ottawa Senators because of Karlsson but I am not sure that the fan base in Florida has that many people who are aware of high-caliber players such as Karlsson. What I am saying is that while the attendance for a game in Florida against the Senators may be a little higher, we are not talking about a saving grace in terms of ticket sales. Let's face it, hockey doesn't do all that well in Florida. I'm not saying there's no hope for Florida to turn that around sometime in the future, but there's a slim chance of it ever happening, a very slim chance.

Well, I digress. All in all, I find it disgraceful that as a professional writer, Brennan has written such hateful and vengeful things towards a player. Noting how Cooke and this injury have hurt the game of hockey, while I believe that hockey writers like Brennan, that bring hatred and vengance towards a player into their writing about hockey, is also doing a disservice to the fine sport of hockey. Some hockey fans don't like to see the "ugly" side of the game, let's hope those fans don't read this ugly article and decide that a game with such hateful writers (and if they believe what they read, such dirty players) is not worth their time or money. Let's really hope they're not from Florida.

Finding solutions to the problems should be main focus.

Well, as it turns out, yesterday was a great day for hockey. Too bad no one told the players that they were actually supposed to play hockey though.

Judging from the fan reaction at last night's game and social media after the game, I am not the only fan that is frustrated. Boos were heard at Consol Energy Center last night during some of the Pens' power play work, or lack thereof. While I myself am not a fan of booing my team, I completely understand the frustration of other fans. The Pens did not play well last night and the Islanders did play well. That's what it came down to. The Islanders looked good on their power play, had good speed and the Pens were the complete opposite.
Social media also tells me that there are a lot of different people involved in the organization to blame for the way the Pens played, but I will not be pointing fingers. I do not own a hockey franchise, I do not coach a hockey team, I have never played ice hockey and I do not have the credentials to do any of those things either. Therefore, I am not really in the position to cast blame on people and neither are most of you. I find it pointless to find a scapegoat when it's more important to find a solution to a problem and ensure that EVERY ONE understands the problem and situation and how to fix it. Let's face it, the whole team has things that are needed to be fixed.

And apparently today, an attempt to correct a situation has been implemented. The Pens had a new look for their power play at practice today. Evgeni Malkin moved to the right point and James Neal is back to his old position down low. Kris Letang was at the left point and Sidney Crosby was on the half wall while Chris Kunitz was at the net. We will see tomorrow night in New York against the Rangers if this new configuration is the answer to the power play problem.
It wasn't just the power play that was less than satisfactory last night, however. Therefore, the Pens will need to play a more consistent game and have a stronger defense. All in all, every aspect of the game needs to be stronger. Not a perfect game, but a much better one than what was played last night.

Penguin fans are a passionate bunch. Most of us know how lucky we are to have some of the players we have on our team and that translates to a good deal of expectation. It doesn't help that before this season started a week and a half ago, most were betting on the Pens winning the Stanley Cup. I am not saying that can't happen, but if we continue to play like we did last night, I can guarantee it will not happen. Perhaps we need a dose of patience at this point and just hope that the Pens reach their potential sooner rather than later. It's not easy, but what other alternative do we have, become Chicago Blackhawk fans? Well, I am sticking with the Pens. No one said it would be easy. In fact, perhaps we should think of the common logic that anything worth having never came easily. Maybe the Pens need to struggle a little bit to end up where they want to be. It's only 6 games into the 48 game season, we can't lose hope just yet.

Not quite there yet...

It's a Great Day for Hockey! It truly is; the weather today is wonderful: Partly cloudy and in the 60s. Winter in Pittsburgh sure can be unpredictable. (It will feel like winter again on Thursday, sorry.) Also, I apologize for not posting since the season has gotten underway.

Tonight, the forecast is set for a game against the New York Islanders. Now, in recent seasons, the Pens have pretty much dominated against the Islanders (except for the last few last season) and the Islanders aren't out to a great start, 2-2-1, but the Pens are coming off a win after 2 losses, so the Pens sure do have some things to work on. Therefore, the Islanders should not be under-estimated.

One area the Pens will need to be stronger in is puck management. The turnovers have been a problem these few games into the season. The Pens will need to be more responsible. Another area of concern that some people are worried about is the lack of offense. It's still quite early in the season and sometimes it can take a little time before players find the back of the net. I guess with the players on the team, most expect a lot more offense. Don't hit the panic button just yet. This is a season that a month ago still looked doubtful of occuring at all. Therefore, we have to realize that with a short training camp and no pre-season games, and still very early in the season, this is not a perfect team. Hate to break it to some people out there, it never will be either.
Hopefully we see a better version of the Pens in tonight's game.

Let's also hope the Pens will have their first win at home tonight.

Hockey and the fans are back and a lot to look forward to.

After lockouts, one expects that some fans will not return and after such an embarrassing work stoppage for the NHL that officially ended this past Saturday, January 12, one may even expect the number of fans leaving the sport to be greater. It appears that is not the case in Pittsburgh. Practices during this past week during training camp have been well attended and it is expected home game sellouts at Consol Energy Center will continue.

Of course, Pittsburgh is a sports town, even more so when a team does well and has star players. We have yet to see how well the Pens will do, but we know for sure we are lucky to have some of the best talent in the game of hockey on our team. Maybe that's why there seems to be little fallout from the fans after the lockout. Or perhaps, fans have come back because of the attempts by the Penguins to show their gratitude to fans in the form of certain free concession items and 50% off merchandise for the first four home games. Or maybe it's the idea that you don't realize what you have until it is gone. Perhaps taking NHL hockey away for those months left a greater desire in most fans. I realized that I would miss NHL hockey and found ways to fill the void, but it wasn't always easy. Now, a fair amount of fans were realizing how much they missed hockey after the past Steelers' season ended and were left wondering what they would watch then. I have surely missed NHL hockey and can not wait for its return this Saturday. Maybe it's just a pure love of the game that brought many fans back.

Some may want to argue that this shortened season and the team hoisting the Stanley Cup towards the end of June will not be as impressive as if it were a full season. Quite the contrary. These 48 games will be a tad jam-packed into the next few months and while we only see opponents from our conference, there is quite a good bit of competition in our Eastern Conference. The Western Conference will be a good fight as well to the top. This season is sure to bring a lot of excitement.

Though it's the middle of January and not October, that does not change my level of excitment for a new season one bit. The endless possibilities of a new season do not change with a fewer number of games and a later start date. As Pens fans, we have a lot to be excited for:

We are all well aware of how well Sidney Crosby can play and people have been saying that he is back and better than ever from his injuries. If Crosby can get even better, and if there was one player who could keep excelling into even greater excellence, it would be him, then I am ready to see it happen.

Malkin was playing well in the KHL and should be in pretty good game shape already having played in the KHL. He also says he is determined to win the Stanley Cup.

The beginning to a new season means change. Gone is Jordan Staal and in is Brandon Sutter. We will be able to witness what Sutter can offer as a Penguin and I, myself, rather enjoy watching new players on the team show what they've got. With Crosby being back and new players, we won't be seeing the same lines as last year. For instance, for a few days, Eric Tangradi has been on a line with Malkin and James Neal and today, Beau Bennett filled Tangradi's role on that line. In the beginning of a season you see what clicks and what doesn't. The power play has had a new look in some practices with Kris Letang and Neal at the points and Chris Kunitz, Crosby, and Malkin up front.

With some new players and some old, familiar faces gone, new line combinations and special team shake-ups, comes the start of a fresh, new hockey season. While it may be a colder, later start to the season, I don't care about that any more. I'm excited for a new season to get under way and by the looks of it, so is the rest of Pittbsurgh.

NHL hockey is back... and so am I.

The words all hockey fans have been waiting for were uttered and heard this past Sunday and spread quickly. Early Sunday morning, the words we wanted to hear months ago finally held some truth: The NHL lockout is over. After 113 days, but who was counting, of ups and downs, back and forth, media ploys, and a lot of frustration, we will see a shortened season of NHL hockey that will most likely begin by next weekend.

Sure, there were a number of people upset by this lockout. Nearly everyone involved and affected by the lockout were angered by it, in fact. And rightly so. I was one of them. It was an embarrasing work stoppage for the league and left a bitter taste in a lot of people's mouths. Some fans won't return, and I will not hold that against them. I understand their frustration. However, for me, I've never been much of a grudge holder. Hockey is my favorite sport. I don't care much for football, baseball is not at all entertaining to me, it has always been hockey. Therefore, how I could I be anything but excited when NHL hockey is coming back.

I will admit, as a Pens fan it is quite easier to be excited as well. Most of our fan base never held the lockout against our owner, Mario Lemieux. I, myself, would find it very difficult to dislike Lemieux. Most fans in general may never have blamed the players. It might also have something to do with the fact that as Pens fans, we get to see some of the best players in the game play for our team. How can one just simply not watch the best players play if they call themselves a true hockey fan?
I don't want to miss out. Remember, it's a shortened season now, every game is a big game. There will be a lot of hockey crammed into the next few months and we will see a lot of the same opponents from our division and conference. In our case, as Pens fans, a lot of those games are expected to be good ones based on what people believe the teams are capable of. It's no secret that the Pens are one of the teams some are saying has a great shot of winning the Stanley Cup this season. Do you want to miss that? Because you want to prove a point?

During this lockout, I tried to stay away from watching old games or clips because I was trying to put it out of my mind. The more I would watch old clips or games, the more I would have missed NHL hockey. I stayed up-to-date on the lockout news and refused to get my hopes up no matter what the media reports were. These tactics worked just fine for me. Now, I can put the lockout behind me and look forward to watching some great NHL hockey.

I am letting go of the frustration and even the resentment I had towards the Hockey News for writing an article a few issues back about how if there were a season going on, we would be seeing a "scary" Sidney Crosby. How people have never seen him this fast and he would be doing crazy things if there was hockey being played. Well, easy for them to say; now I can let that go because we have the chance to see this new Crosby. As Pens fans we surely are accustomed to Crosby surprising us with his talent and skill. I can't wait to see what surprises he can come up with.

All in all, at this point in time, I don't care to hear all the details of the deal, I don't care to hear much negativity at all. I won't forget this lockout that's for sure, but I also understand that there is not much sense for me to hold onto it either. As a result, I will do my best to put it in the back of my mind. Also, far from my thoughts are the memories of last season's disappointing playoffs and now I am thinking how great it is to have Evgeni Malkin and Crosby starting a season together for the first time since the start of the 2009 season.

I am ready to hear Jeff Jimerson sing the National Anthem, ready to hear the puck drop, the Consol Energy Center crowd cheering. I may not be quite ready to hear Paul Steigerwald and Bob Errey and their infamous mistakes and style, but I surely am ready to hear all the wonderful sounds of NHL hockey back again. At times, the odds of a season happening at all seemed nearly impossible and now I will appreciate the start of this season a little bit more, perhaps.