Sixty-five minutes and a shootout for slashing (original) (raw)
Last summer, on the day that Pittsburgh Penguins tickets went on sale to the general public, I very deliberately made sure that I was not near a computer, because I didn't trust myself. And then I came home, and was all, "oh, I'll just see if any good seats are left." And that's how I found myself sitting last night directly on the glass, right on the goal line, at the Penguins / Blackhawks game.
It was unfuckingbelievable. Like, I'm still running on the endorphins.
Here in no particular order are some things about being omfgrightthere:
You actually can't hear anything the players are saying to one another; the 2015 NHL plexiglass barriers are waaaaaay better than 1995-1999 ECAC rink barriers. You also couldn't really hear much of the public address system, for example when refs were calling fouls or when there were the little filler announcement things during TV timeouts.
About five minutes into the game, I totally got hit right smack in the glasses with a puck that had made it between the net and the plexiglass, off of Mike Richards' stick (there's about a two inch gap through which the pucks can fall into the audience.) And I am suuuuuuuper disappointed that the dude next to me picked it up off the ground before I did; I was too startled to react in time. But it makes a good story! And me and the glasses are fine. I'm actually glad it hit the glasses instead of like an inch higher or I'd probably be bruised today.
I definitely was on television (I DVR'ed it and will watch later; my parents did watch it and one of my coworkers said he thought he saw me). And I definitely spent a few minutes today looking at game photos on the Pens website and playing the game I like to call "Where's Baldo?" Baldo was easy to find.
The way the puck whips around the plexiglass in the corners is craaaaaazy... so fast, and often right at eye level. I flinched. A lot. Because I'd been hit in the head with a puck.
Patrick Kane really does have hands that good.
Jonathan Toews does not know how to skate with his mouth closed, apparently.
I'm now strongly 'shipping Brandon Sutter / anyone.
It's even more infuriating-slash-scary to watch Fleury go behind the net for the puck when he really should be in front of it, when he's right there in front of you.
I'm still all endorphin-ing about the whole thing. I could go on and on and on.
I took a shitton of photos, because I'm that not-cool. ("A shitton" = 351, apparently. Like half are not-good, but some turned out okay.)
Looking straight ahead:
Turning my head slightly to the left:
(I was right on the curve at the corner.)
Penguins warmups:
Geno was injured during the Flyers game on Tuesday night, apparently, and he was a last-minute scratch after warmups.
It was Arcobello's first game as a Penguin, and he got an assist, which isn't bad.
Sadly, with all the Penguins' injuries, I probably recognized more of the Blackhawks players than the Pens last night.
Fleury
I lovehate this man so much. He's an awesome goalie except when he's being terrible, which is just often enough.
Martin and Crosby
Sutter
<3 <3 <3
Kunitz and Geno
Geno, you are too fast for my cameraphone
Sidney Crosby, why so blurry? Are you secretly The Flash?
Kuni!
(Note that we're 148 photos in and the puck has not yet dropped.)
Sutter don't need no stinkin' helmet during practice
OKAY FINE, LET'S PLAY HOCKEY FOR REALS
Puck drop!
I'm happier when Bortuzzo and Crosby are on the other side of the blue line, frankly
Oh, hi, Kaner
Ice repair
I love how, despite all the technology that this building has, the way they fix a divot in the ice is to fill it from the goalie's water bottle.
Kane and Toews
I have read filthy, filthy porn about these two. Uhm. Is that creepy?
Powerplay
Second period! We're losing, but not by a lot.
Hey, Crawford, you're not a goalie, you're a sieve! You're not a sieve, you're a funnel! You're not a funnel, you're a black hole! You're not a black hole, you just suck! is what I did not chant because absolutely no one would've gotten it and also that would've been rude.
You look pensive, Patrick Kane
Oduya
Oh Captain
I'm probably going to finish that Toews-is-not-a-Cylon fic one of these days.
A scrum!
Captain on Captain action
Do-over
Seabs and Crawford
This isn't a save; Crawford just lost his balance or something while the puck was being cleared.
People in my section strongly felt that if they were tussling and the guy's glove came off, it should've been a fight and/or a penalty. We were disappointed on both counts.
Third period!
You look lonely, Patrick Kane
I'm sorry I didn't get any good photos of you, Andrew Shaw
(I will try harder next year.)
Patrick Sharp, you are too pretty to be reduced to mere pixels
Get your helmet back on and stop flirting with the ref, Marc-Andre Fleury; it is past my bedtime
Welcome home, Saader
Why is your mouth always open when you are skating, Jonny Toews???
(Is it because you are a Cylon?)
Oh, there you are, Sharpy
And eventually we get to the shootout. Sigh.
I do not know where the puck is in this photo, and unfortunately neither does Fleury
Honestly, I cannot even be disappointed that Kaner got the game-winning shot, because he has really sick hands
Sigh. That black spot in the last pic is, indeed, the puck in the goal.
Bonus: Where's Baldo?
Baldo is directly above the net, the disembodied head next to the disembodied head of the Chicago player in the back. Baldo had an effing good time. (Photo from the @penguins twitter account)
SO THAT HAPPENED. HOLY SHIT.
Sorry-not-sorry for the, like, hundred photos I just posted behind the LJ cut back there. And I really wasn't kidding that I knew more about the Chicago players than about the Pens who were out there last night. I'm already going to the game on Tuesday, which will complete my collection of promotional bobbleheads this season, but apparently Crosby and Malkin are currently injured and not going to the All-Star Game this weekend, which according to my waiter at the Indian restaurant around the corner means that even if they are healthy they are required by NHL rules to miss the next game after the All-Star Game as a penalty for pulling out, or something. So I'm going to be watching random AHL call ups, I guess. From the nosebleeds, where I normally would sit when my coworker scalps me his season ticket.