Second Period

Back to the game…

The CBC showed the pile of skate guards the players were using for the long walks between the rink and the dressing rooms. Ar we going to see those up for auction on NHL.com?

Buffalo GOALLLLL!!!!!!! It looked like a Sabres powerplay, with the Penguins standing around watching the play, rather than getting involved. Conklin was a little slow on the glove hand. There’s a light snow and mist coming down, and the question of visibility comes into play.

They are referring to Crosby as “Sidney.” Are there any other players in the NHL right now that you could refer to with only their first name, and get away with it? Are they calling him Crosby on the NBC broadcast?

The pace of the game, and the contact, is picking up. It’s what you would expect, with the playing conditions improving, and the players getting used to the situation. I’m sure they came to the game with some serious concerns about how their game would translate to the situations and challenges of an unfamiliar location, but they seem to be adapting well.

And even though it’s looking more and more like an NHL game, I have certainly enjoyed both styles of play.

It’s looking like time for the dry scrape. The puck is slowing down. The players are skating off with the puck, and the puck doesn’t want to go with them.

I wouldn’t be surprised if this game gets higher ratings than the Stanley Cup Finals did last year. If so, there will be bean counters at the NHL looking at how to do this every year.

With only 4 minutes left in the period, the Penguins have only gotten one shot on net, and that’s if the shot that was just taken got through.

So, what happens if this game goes the distance, and due to the ice and other problems, the length of the game goes over what NBC thought it would? Are they willing to cut into such incredible programming as “The Music of Seal on Ice?” I think it’s time to get a deal done with the WGA and get the writers back to work.

End of the second, and the only think I don’t like are the local car ads. I’m loving this game.