Saturday seemed pretty ordinary until the opportunity presented itself to go to the 1:00 pm Pittsburgh Penguins hockey game against the visiting Calgary Flames. We are not what you may call a "rabid" Pens fans, however both my daughter and I jumped at the opportunity to attend.
This game was being played at the new Consol Energy Center - a really nice venue, as hockey arenas go.
We wore our Pittsburgh Pens black shirts, braved the wind and the cold (it was around 38F or 3C at noon time) and filed into the arena along with a whole bunch of other fans. This was another sold-out game, so there were plenty of folks there (capacity is stated at over 18,000 and there were folks standing too).
The game started with a 3-0 run by the Penguins, and the fans in the Arena were going wild!
Then the Flames came alive. They scored a goal and were really pressuring the Pens. With little time left in the last period, the Flames pulled their goalie and replaced him with another player, so they could outnumber the Pens players, as they tried to score again.
There were mere seconds left in the last period and the Penguins were still leading by a score of 3-1, however they were short-handed, as they had a player in the penalty box - the Flames now had a two-man advantage.
Then I saw the Penguins captain, Sidney Crosby, entering the game.
Time seem to slow down and the thought raced through my head that he just might try to score again (Crosby had scored two of the Pens' three goals in the game at that point, including the 200th goal of his career).
With 37 seconds left to play, Crosby indeed scored an "empty-netter", achieving the elusive hat-trick and setting-off a frenzied celebration in the crowd! Hats rained onto the ice from all directions, as the fans showed their appreciation for Crosby and game was suspended for several minutes, as the Arena crew tried to collect them all.
The game ended with the Penguins winning 4-1, while the excitement was palpable in the crowd.
Here's a link to a recap of the game online.
After the game we walked rapidly through the cold, stopping traffic and savoring the victory.
Maybe we were not quite die-hard fans, but on this day, most Pittsburghers certainly counted themselves as Pittsburgh Penguins fans.
This game was being played at the new Consol Energy Center - a really nice venue, as hockey arenas go.
We wore our Pittsburgh Pens black shirts, braved the wind and the cold (it was around 38F or 3C at noon time) and filed into the arena along with a whole bunch of other fans. This was another sold-out game, so there were plenty of folks there (capacity is stated at over 18,000 and there were folks standing too).
The game started with a 3-0 run by the Penguins, and the fans in the Arena were going wild!
 |
| I snapped this picture immediately after the Penguins scored their second goal, while every person in the Arena was on their feet. |
Then the Flames came alive. They scored a goal and were really pressuring the Pens. With little time left in the last period, the Flames pulled their goalie and replaced him with another player, so they could outnumber the Pens players, as they tried to score again.
There were mere seconds left in the last period and the Penguins were still leading by a score of 3-1, however they were short-handed, as they had a player in the penalty box - the Flames now had a two-man advantage.
Then I saw the Penguins captain, Sidney Crosby, entering the game.
Time seem to slow down and the thought raced through my head that he just might try to score again (Crosby had scored two of the Pens' three goals in the game at that point, including the 200th goal of his career).
With 37 seconds left to play, Crosby indeed scored an "empty-netter", achieving the elusive hat-trick and setting-off a frenzied celebration in the crowd! Hats rained onto the ice from all directions, as the fans showed their appreciation for Crosby and game was suspended for several minutes, as the Arena crew tried to collect them all.
The game ended with the Penguins winning 4-1, while the excitement was palpable in the crowd.
Here's a link to a recap of the game online.
After the game we walked rapidly through the cold, stopping traffic and savoring the victory.
Maybe we were not quite die-hard fans, but on this day, most Pittsburghers certainly counted themselves as Pittsburgh Penguins fans.
 |
| This picture was taken right after the game ended, as the Penguins players were congratulating each other. |
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