Let's play a game

This game has a few names. 'Please God Let the Penguins Go to the Playoffs and not Suck', 'I Hate New York', or perhaps the ever-popular, 'Let's Pretend Tonight Never Happened, Shall We?'

Seriously, last night was a (mostly) awful night for hockey. My friend came over and we watched the Bruins/Habs game (she's a Leafs fan. We were cheering for Boston), and subsequently cried into out late-night coffee. What happened out there, boys? It was going good until the third, and then Thomas got pissed, lost his focus, the team stopped skating...just a bad scene all around. That Bochenski kid continues to impress, though, and I will say that I'm starting to like Halak, his performance on Saturday was superb.

Around the rest of the NHL there was further disappointment. My poor, poor Penguins lost against the ()&$@&@!-ing Islanders, and although I didn't catch the game, I guess that Sidney had another bout of cussing out someone. I love it when he does that, and I don't blame him...I would have been cussing too. A lone goal by Colby was the Pens only mark on the night. For the other games, the ONLY times I have ever cheered for the Panthers and the damn Capitals, they go and lose. I don't want the Canes any closer in the playoffs than they already are, thanks. In fact, the only team that I wanted to win last night that actually did was Tampa Bay. Tampa Bay. Now if that isn't depressing...well, at least the Pens are still just a few points away from the damn Devils. If we take the division lead, the Pens will jump a few substantial places in the standings (due to the division leader status, take a check at Atlanta, being a good six points behind the Pens and still in 3rd place), and as it stands now, would face the Rangers in the playoffs. How fun would that be?

On a funny side note, while my friend and I were checking the scores after the game (and I was wailing and crying about the Penguins losing), she said that Tampa Bay was the only city-name abbreviation she could never remember...because she thought of tuberculosis. After laughing at her (I mean, really, TB=Tampa Bay), I said that I could sympathize....the Lightning make me want to hack up a lung, too. Other bits of our night included the difference of the Pens sucking, and sucking with flair (which led to a discussion of Sundin and Tucker in dresses, don't ask me how), and my inability to keep a straight face when I was trying to explain to her the reason why Jordan was being called a pterodactyl.

Out in the West, the Magic Wands beat the Wings (ouch, sorry Steph), the Wild stomped all over the Blues, The Flames burned up the Preds (sorry, had to make the joke. Uh, go Flames? Nice hair, Rhett), and the Ducks, 4th in the league and embarassed and wishing they were still at the Pond (ducks need continuity to navigate, you know, confusing them isn't a good thing. Are there even ducks in Arizona?), lost to the Coyotes 2-1, who are second to last, only to be beaten out for the worst record by the Flyers. That will never get old to say (especially since next year they'll probably be back to beating up the Pens).

Next game for the Penguins is on Saturday against the Thrashers. The Pens have two midday games this weekend, Saturday at 1pm, and then on Sunday at 12:30pm against the Bruins.

Go Pens!