PITT, PENS BOTH LOSE

Within the span of a few hours, what looked like a promising night of Pittsburgh sports viewing turned sour. Very sour.

First, the Pitt Panthers became the latest team to get upset in the Big East Tournament, with a disappointing 50-45 loss to Notre Dame at the Garden. All of a sudden, the team that used to dominate this tournament is suddenly one-and-done the past two seasons, having dropped a 74-60 decision as the #2 seed last year to #7 West Virginia.

Notre Dame led almost the entire game on Thursday night, aided by a 12-4 run to start things off. Pitt would close the gap to one several times in the second half, but could never get over the hump.

As is usually the case in a game with 95 total points, it wasn't the most exciting brand of basketball to watch. Pitt had only two players reach double figures: Brad Wanamaker (16) and Jermaine Dixon (10). Gilbert Brown pulled his usual every-other-game disappearing act, with three points on 1-of-5 shooting, Ashton Gibbs was nearly silent with just four points on four shots, and Gary McGhee was shut out altogether.

Once again, the Panthers were outshot by the Irish, who held the edge in shooting percentage from the floor (53%-39%) and from beyond the arc (46%-20%). Notre Dame also had just two players in double figures on the night, those being Ben Hansbrough and Luke Harangody, who scored 12 points each. And by the way, the number of TV shots of Harangody's family was roughly the same as the volume of ads for "She's Out of My League" - a lot.

So Pitt will get considerable time off before the Big Dance, while Notre Dame will fight to see another day in the BET. The Irish will take on the winner of WVU-Cincy, with Marquette and Georgetown meeting in the other semifinal.


As for the Pens, they were busy blowing an early 2-0 lead in Raleigh, NC to the Carolina Hurricanes, eventually losing 4-3 in overtime on a goal by Brian Pothier - his first since joining the Canes via Washington. This was the first loss in five games since the Olympic break for the Penguins. Scorching hot Carolina is now 13-3-1 in their past 17.

Jordan Staal and Bill Guerin scored quickly in the first period for the Penguins, but Carolina would have the game knotted at two just five minutes later, following goals by Ray Whitney and Zach Boychuk. The teams traded goals in the second, with Eric Staal and Matt Cooke each lighting the lamp for their respective teams. That would be the end of scoring until Pothier's goal just 23 seconds into OT.

Brent Johnson got the start in goal for Pittsburgh and stopped just 17 of the 21 shots he faced. On the other end, Justin Peters was peppered with 40 shots from the Pens, stopping 37 of them and grabbing the game's top star honors.

The Pens now hit the road for four straight games, with the next home contest coming on March 20, a rematch with the Canes. The menu for the upcoming week includes roadies at New Jersey on Friday, Tampa on Sunday, Jersey again on Wednesday, and the Matt Cooke Reunion with Boston on Thursday.

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BILL COWHER'S CAROLINA VIDEOS

I'd comment, but I try to keep the language clean on here.

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CITY OF CHAMPIONS II?

PENGUINS 4
HURRICANES 1

[From Adam]

30 years later, a new generation has a shot at experiencing a "City of Champions" era. Just months after the Steelers returned from the Super Bowl with the Lombardi Trophy in hand, the Penguins have a chance to raise Lord Stanley in the very near future.

Game Four started off with Bill Cowher furiously cranking the Hurricanes' pregame siren, as promised and heavily hyped. Of course, Versus was too busy to actually show this on live TV, lest they take away from their highly acclaimed lead-in program, Holy @#%*! But thank goodness for highlights and their screen-capture opportunities.

If Cowher decides to give up his CBS gig, he might have a scholarship offer open up as the Texas Tech Bell Ringer:


As Hot Dog Zanzabar reminds me, "Kid Crosby was waving a Terrible Tahl when announced as the number 1 star when Mr Bill's team had their Super Bowl run." Yes, I'm going to go out on a limb and predict that the city of Pittsburgh won't be too thrilled with Cowher's in-game interview. That's fine. He can watch his neighbor Matt Cullen golfing next week.

But back to serious business, where Eric Staal opened up the game's scoring just 1:36 into the first period, beating Marc-Andre Fleury and giving the Cowher-charged crowd even more momentum. Eric looked awfully angry after scoring, though.
About seven minutes later, perennially rosy-cheeked Ruslan Fedotenko tied it with his sixth goal of the playoffs, tipping in Philippe Boucher's shot from the point. And who else but Mad Max Talbot put the Pens ahead for good with a knuckle-puck that beat Ward with a minute and a half left in the first. What can you say? 12 goals in the regular season, four in the playoffs. He's a superstar.
The second period featured just one goal - the seventh of the playoffs for Bill Guerin, who's probably justified that conditional draft pick that the Penguins will give up for him in the draft. He was the #1 star in the Eastern Conference clincher. Thanks again for the boost, Garth Snow!
With 20 minutes to go until a second straight berth in the Stanley Cup Finals, all eyes were on Marc-Andre Fleury to hold down the fort. And MAF did exactly that, turning away all 10 Hurricane shots in the final period while getting an empty netter from Craig Adams, closing out the Canes with a surprising four-game sweep. As the clock ticked to 0:00, the Prince of Wales Trophy was given to the Pens, who decided they wouldn't treat it like it was covered in cooties this year. A bearded 66 looked on in approval.
So to put a bow on this one, Carolina peaked a minute and a half in, their goalie and their team looked physically and emotionally spent, MAF stopped nearly everything Carolina threw at him, and Bill Cowher continued to struggle in conference championships. It was time for this series to end, and the Penguins didn't mess around.

The Pens sit just four wins away from the third title in team history, and a likely rematch with Marian Hossa and Detroit awaits them, as long as the Wings can close out Chicago on Wednesday night [preview]. It's a good thing, because I'm thinking of an obvious sequel to this photo:

Check back throughout the day for more pics, video, and links, and feel free to drop me a line with your two cents. LET'S GO PENS!

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A BRIEF WORD ON MR. BILL

As you're well aware of, Bill "Benedict" Cowher will be cranking the siren for the Carolina Hurricanes prior to tonight's Game Four with the Pens. I've discussed the topic at length and ran this picture about 800 times, but for one last go-round, I'll direct you to an AOL Fanhouse article written by Adam Gretz which gets a few different Pittsburgh points of view on the topic. And for a longer take in audio form, you can listen to the most recent Mondesi's House/Dave Dameshek podcast here. I won't spoil it for you, but you can probably write my answer to this question better than I could at this point.

By Sounding Siren, Is Bill Cowher Turning His Back on Pittsburgh? [Fanhouse]

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THE CAROLINA EXPERIENCE

After a few days away from blogging, I'm kicking off Tuesday with...a post written by someone else. Rather than listening to a half-hearted recap of Freddy Sanchez's six-hit performance against the Cubs yesterday, I thought you'd prefer to hear a first-hand account of the atmosphere at Game Three this past weekend. It's written by A.J., who has done a number of great pieces for the site over the years, most notably "The Official Playlist of the NHL Playoffs" last season. So sit back, enjoy, and get mentally prepared for a potential broom game tonight.

Howdy, Mondesi Housers. It has been awhile since I’ve chipped in with any of the writing around here. There have been a few changes since the last time I posted. One of those things being that I am no longer A.J. of 105.9 the X. Instead, I’m just A.J. - recent victim of radio station budget cuts. Fortunately for me, I have another job and not all is lost. One of the benefits of no longer working Saturdays & Sundays and playing the same Pearl Jam song for the 1,137^th time in my life is that now my weekends are open to do other things such as travel.

Last week after I failed to acquire tickets for any of the home games for the Eastern Conference Championship, I decided to log onto Ticketmaster and attempt to find some tickets in enemy territory. Low and behold, I was able to secure a pair of seats about 7 rows back from the ice several hours after they had gone on sale. I thought that they would surely have been sold out by the time I logged on, but there were plenty of seats available. I guess that kind of debunks the propaganda that the Hurricanes PR Department was spreading shortly after tickets went on sale.

I’ve made the trip from Pittsburgh to Raleigh, N.C. several times before and it’s a rather easy and scenic 7 ½ to 8 hour drive. This however would be my first voyage to the RBC Center and I was looking forward to taking in a game at the proclaimed “Loudest Arena in the League”.

The trip south was pretty uneventful. We did see a few Pens fans on the highway, so we knew we wouldn’t be alone once we arrived. I checked into my hotel which was conveniently located right across the street from the RBC Center and decided to grab a bite at a sports bar next to the hotel. As I walked in the door, I felt like I was entering bar on Carson Street not Hurricane Way. Had the guy at the door not greeted us with a “Hi Y’all”, I would have thought I walked into some kind of worm hole back to Pittsburgh. The place was filled with people wearing Pens gear, all grabbing dinner before heading to the arena. The atmosphere was quite festive and every time a new group of Pens fans walked through the door, a quick “Let’s Go Pens!” chant would break out. There was some playful trash talk between the Canes fans in the place, and a woman wearing a powder blue Crosby t-shirt roamed from table to table taking photos.

After dinner, we made the short walk across the street to the RBC Center. I had read previously on The Pens Blog that several of the readers planned on staging a tailgate party somewhere in the arena parking lot. We decided to grab a six pack and go looking for some Pens fans. Safety in numbers, right?

I’ve got to give credit to the RBC Center, the layout is really fantastic. Plenty of parking (that only costs $10 a spot!), easy access to the highway, and nice green areas in the parking lot make for a great tailgate experience for the Hurricane faithful.

Shot of the Caniacs in their natural habitat. It looks a lot like the parking lot of a NASCAR race.

Again, we took some good natured ribbing from the Canes fans as we walked through the sea of red, and even dished a little back. Example: When one them overheard me ask a friend “Where do you think the Pens fans are?”, a man wearing a Cole jersey shouted back “They didn’t even bother to show up!”. To which I replied, “Kinda like your team in the 3^rd period the other night?”

So anyway, I was told to look for a Pens flag. Wait… what’s that… I think… Yep. There it is.

We spotted the flag and made our way down “Penguin Fan Alley”. You could hear the buzz of the crowd as we got closer. Pantera blared from a car’s speakers as fans swilled IC Light and tossed beer pong balls. The entire row was nothing but Pens fans as far as the eye could see. As the group spotted us approaching in our black and gold gear, another chorus of “Let’s Go Pens!” broke out as they welcomed us into the fold.

Pens fans turn the RBC Center into Mellon Arena South.

Finally, I left the parking lot for the arena as game timed neared. A few shots as players warmed up…

The view from my seat as Cam Ward prepares to give up six goals.

A Ronnie Francis Whalers jersey. My guess is that this guy was probably a transplant from Hartford, as later in the evening I had to explain to one of the locals that her team was originally The Whalers.

Speaking of transplants, we met a bunch of people in North Carolina that were originally from the Burgh. Such as these nice folks, who were originally from Mt. Lebo but now reside in nearby Greensboro. I was stunned by the number of Pens fans in the house. The section I sat in was particularly Pittsburgh flavored.

The National Anthem. I don’t know who sang, but they were no Jeff Jimmerson.

The scoreboard at the RBC Center. One of the reasons the building is so loud, is that you are under a constant assault of audio and video to either fire up the crowd or sell a sponsor’s product.

The Hurricanes love to feature local “celebrities” cheering on the home team. We heard all about Benedict Bill Cowher, but Marco Battaglia sounded the Hurricane Siren before Game 3. Yes, the same Marco Battaglia who played tight end in the NFL and was never particularly good at it. Apparently, he played for both the Steelers and the Panthers during his career. I guess the Canes just really wanted to rub it in our face that yet another former Steeler now sides with them. I suppose that would have really hurt… you know, had I remembered that Marco Battaglia ever played for the Steelers without first having to Google him.

Before the drop of the puck, the place was really amped. Pens fans and Canes fans fought to out-shout each other and there was a great energy in the building. When the Canes struck first, the place erupted. Half way through the first period, I made the stunning realization that I had not yet used my seat. The entire crowd (at least in the lower section) had remained standing for the first ten minutes of hockey. Just unreal.

In between periods, the arena played a video clip filled with various “celebrities” singing along to a Canes Fight Song (of course Benedict Bill was one of them). The tune sounded vaguely familiar to me…

Yep… knew I had heard this song somewhere before.

Wow! There hasn’t been that big of a rip-off in the music world since Milli Vanilli. Now, the Pens’ version of the song was performed by Roger Wood (same guy who brought us the infamous Steelers “Here We Go” song). The question is, did the Canes just blatantly rip him off or is the Here We Go guy also a Canes defector? Scandalous. What other ideas could the Canes possibly steal from the Pens?

Sid winning a defensive zone face off in the second period. All of the goals that the Pens scored happened at this end of the ice. I totally lucked out with the seats.

Of course by this point, we all know how the game turned out. Pens fans had a lot to cheer about and they made themselves heard. When the visiting team’s crowd can mock the home team’s goalie during a playoff game, it is epic.

Obviously, I thoroughly enjoyed the trip to Raleigh. The atmosphere at RBC is fantastic and the Canes fans that I met were all very friendly. I seriously doubt that many Philly fans would have bought me a beer after a 6-2 trouncing, but back at the sports bar after the game, that is exactly what happened. Then again, the Hurricanes fans were just a little outnumbered.

By the way, still plenty of seats available for Game 4.

UPDATE:

From Steve in Raleigh:

"Transplanted Pittsburgher trapped in Raleigh here. The Battaglia that ran the Hurricane warning siren Saturday night was not Marco, but Bates Battaglia. He used to be one of the Canes' most popular players in the early part of this decade, and most recently was with Toronto. He lives in Raleigh still and even owns a local bar."

A.J. said that two of his friends confirmed that it was Marco Battaglia, which he then added means that three of them got it wrong.

More A.J.:

PITTSBURGH VS. MILWAUKEE – A REBUTTAL

LEAVE MARIO ALONE!

PITTSBURGH'S ONE-HIT WONDERS

THE PITTSBURGH PIRATES ARE MY EX-GIRLFRIENDS

THE OFFICIAL PLAYLIST OF THE NHL PLAYOFFS

THE GOAL SONG: When Hockey Becomes a Rock Concert

The Ballad of Cotton Eyed Joe

The Greatest Defunct Places to Suffer Hearing Loss in Pittsburgh

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SPEECHLESS

PENGUINS 6

HURRICANES 2

At this point, there's not much more I could add to the tale of the Pittsburgh Penguins' romp through the Eastern Conference Finals. We've seen two of the best players on the planet reaching their respective pinnacles simultaneously; defense that would make Mean Joe Greene proud; a goalie making all the saves he needs to make; a disciplined squad that has nearly eliminated mental mistakes; contributions from players up and down the lineup; and a rookie coach that's extremely competent at pushing the right buttons at the right times.

Add those ingredients together, let them marinate for a few months, and they will produce results like we witnesses Saturday night, a 6-2 bloodbath on enemy turf that left an entire franchise and their fanbase scrambling for answers. 13 goals in two playoff games? That's right, although the vaunted Cam Ward has "only" allowed 11 of them.

The Penguins' killer instinct has crept into the series in a hurry. Two goals in the final minute of the first period and two goals in 40 seconds in the third period was simply Tiger Woods-esque. Kid Crosby's extreme focus and The Incredible Malk's sheer power have combined to become a nearly unstoppable duo. This is what Penguins fans envisioned years ago when these two young men fell into their lap.

It's important to remember that the series is by no means over, but after three games, it's the Penguins' to lose. Carolina has been slowed by an offense that simply cannot match their opponent's and a defense that's hanging their accomplished goalie out to dry. We've seen the recipe for success in this series, and unfortunately for Carolina, we've seen the recipe for Epic Fail as well.

Game Four is slated for 7:30 PM on Tuesday. Ironically, Carolina's last emotional gasp is none other than Bill Cowher, who is supposed to sound the siren before the game. Now we all know and love (or used to love) The Chin. But as many have pointed out, his track record in Conference Championships if iffy at best. If the Canes drop this one, he can't blame it on Kordell.

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MOST ENJOYABLE MOMENT?

The more I've thought about last night's classic Game Two, the more I've wondered what the most enjoyable unexpected moment was. Curious to your thoughts. The candidates:

1. Evgeni Malkin scores, his dad grabs a blonde in front of him, the Mrs. gets perturbed, so he plants one on her next. Instant classic.

Candidate 2: Miroslav Satan delivers a knuckle sandwich and looks like he's enjoying it way too much. A year's worth of frustration is delivered on Patrick Eaves.

I've got to say, it's a tough call, but I'm going to go with the Malkin family reaction. I think they might actually be more popular than Geno at this point, probably because they get more face time. But that was priceless.

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BEATDOWN

PENGUINS 7
HURRICANES 4

I'm pretty sure that everyone's either seen or heard about the Penguins' 7-4 thrashing of Carolina in Game Two by now, so this belated recap is simply here to serve as a little bit of afterglow to a contest that had a little bit of everything. 11 goals in the game, including 5 in the first period; a fake Hanson brother and a real Hanson brother in the stands; a Miroslav Satan fight; Chris Kunitz's first goal of the postseason; KENNEDY! and last but not least, an Evgeni Malkin hat trick, highlighted by this amazing goal:

The Pens looked every bit like a team capable of hoisting the Cup in the near future, with an overwhelming offensive display that would have qualified fans for a free cup of Wendy's chili in years past. Pittsburgh outshot Carolina 42-28, beating the heralded Cam Ward six times on the evening - the most goals Ward has allowed in a playoff game. Ever.

Malkin quietly slipped into first place in the playoff scoring race, leapfrogging his distinguished teammate in the process. And he even hit some Hurricanes on the top of the head like a Whack-a-mole game in a skirmish, which served as gasoline on the fire that lights the fiesty 22-year-old. As Carolina learned, you don't make The Incredible Malk angry. You won't like him when he's angry.

Luckily, Pittsburgh not only likes an angry Malkin, they love him. They littered the Mellon Arena ice with hats after Malkin's third goal and enveloped his parents in jubilation. He had such a great game that it's taken this many words to get to Sidney Crosby's two-point night, including his 13th goal of the postseason. Crosby had six in last year's playoffs.

The Penguins are trying to become the first team since the 1984 Edmonton Oilers to lose in the Stanley Cup finals one season and win the Cup the next, and if last night was any indication, they might just pull it off.

Carolina will host Game Three tomorrow night at 7:30 PM. The Hurricanes need to get their act together - quickly. Following last night's contest, Carolina defenseman Tim Gleason said, "This isn't going to be a four-game series, I'll tell you that."

Well Tim, it's quickly becoming put up or shut up time.

---

A couple Pens-related emails to share:

Can anyone help out emailer D.D., who had a minor personal dilemma on his hands for the Carolina games?

1. Can I (should I) wear my Hines Ward jersey to game 4 in Raleigh?

2. How do you defeat the spell bound Ric Flair "whoooo" during the game. Every time I hear it I want to naturally respond with an echo? It's in my DNA.

3. How can I disrespect Cowher without really disrepecting him?

And from Nipsy:

"I caught this last night during the Pens game. You know the NHL “Portal” commercial that airs on Versus probably 200 times per game? There’s a clip where the Canucks score a goal at a home game. There’s a familiar looking #7 jersey in the stands beating on the glass in celebration. It’s a little grainy in the screenshot I swiped from the youtube clip, but it’s pretty obvious in HD. Just look for it during one of the 500 times it’s shown during Saturday’s game."

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COULD IT BE....SATAN?

PENGUINS 3
HURRICANES 2

On a night when red-hot Sidney Crosby quietly had just two shots, the Penguins used goals from the most unlikely of sources to sneak past the Carolina Hurricanes, 3-2, in Game One of the Eastern Conference Finals.

Miroslav Satan, who played his way to the minors in March, opened the game's scoring with his first goal of the postseason on a breakaway at 9:17 of period one. 84 seconds later, Evgeni Malkin cemented a solid performance with his seventh goal of the playoffs, giving the Penguins an early 2-0 lead. The Penguins dominated play in the first period, with a sparkling, 12-save performance from Marc-Andre Fleury, who outdueled the heavily hyped Cam Ward on the evening.

Carolina played their way back into the game in the second period, creating turnovers and getting a goal from Chad LaRose at the 13:04 mark to close the gap to 2-1. The Pens outshot the Canes by a 12-6 mark in the period, but their efforts did not translate to the scoreboard.

In the third, the Penguins' Philippe Boucher scored at 11:33 on a power play, his first goal of the postseason and his first playoff goal since April 12, 2004. Boucher's goal was valuable insurance for the Pens, who would surrender a second Carolina goal to Joe Corvo on a power play with 1:26 remaining in the game. The Hurricanes would throw the kitchen sink at Fleury in the game's closing moments, but #29 stood strong, finishing with 23 saves on 25 shots and gaining his ninth win of the postseason.

The game seemed to lack the usual playoff intensity until well into the third period, which could be attributed to both teams coming off Game Sevens in their last series. Roughhousing was kept to a minimum, and the Penguins managed to stay out of the penalty box for most of the game, getting just two slaps on the wrist - one of which turned into the Hurricanes' final goal. But expect the physicality and animosity to increase as the series matures.

To briefly summarize, Ward was solid, Fleury was spectacular, Malkin had a strong performance, and Carolina once again struggled to score goals, which isn't really news to anyone. The Penguins got contributions from unexpected sources, and that's usually a key ingredient in a playoff victory. And the viewing audience got a live interview with Big Ben, which was the cherry on top of a perfect evening for Pittsburgh.

The two teams won't meet again until Thursday, when the series resumes at Mellon Arena. Any guesses as to which random Penguin will help save the day in Game Two?

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EARLY NOTES ON PENS-CANES

A few notes on the pending Penguins-Carolina Hurricanes Eastern Conference Finals, made possible by this goal by Scott Walker last night...

Series Schedule is as follows:

Monday, May 18 Carolina at PITTSBURGH 7:30 p.m. TV: Versus

Thursday, May 21 Carolina at PITTSBURGH 7:30 p.m. TV: Versus

Saturday, May 23 Pittsburgh at CAROLINA 7:30 p.m. TV: Versus

Tuesday, May 26 Pittsburgh at CAROLINA 7:30 p.m. TV: Versus

*Friday, May 29 Carolina at PITTSBURGH 7:30 p.m. TV: Versus

*Sunday, May 31 Pittsburgh at CAROLINA 7:30 p.m. TV: Versus

*Tuesday, June 2 Carolina at PITTSBURGH 7:30 p.m. Versus

Things you'll hear about:

--Eric Staal and brother Jordan Staal - often

--Bill Cowher's support of the Canes (which some people are already tired of)

--The Pens won the season series, 2-1-1, outscoring Carolina 12-8. Both victories came against backup goalie Michael Leigton.

--Ron Francis is Carolina's assistant head coach; Tom Barrasso is in charge of their goalies

--No games will be broadcast on NBC; however, Game One and Game Four of Chicago-Detroit will be shown on the Peacock.

--Carolina's power play was the worst of the teams in the second round; their penalty kill was second-best in the playoffs.

--Hurricanes have played in four straight seven-game series and won them all.

--The Canes feature Cam Ward in goal, a Conn Smythe winner. Ward is 8-6, 2.22 GAA, .927 save %. By contrast, Marc-Andre Fleury is 8-5, 2.72, .901.

--1o members of the Hurricanes won rings with the team in 2006

--Sergei Gonchar has four days to rest before the series starts

--Sidney Crosby leads all playoff scorers with 21 points; Eric Staal leads Carolina with 13 points

--Pittsburgh defensemen have scored 10 goals in the playoffs; Carolina defensemen have scored two.

--And finally, don't forget, Brooks Orpik is not popular in Carolina:


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SEVENTH HEAVEN

PENGUINS 6
CAPITALS 2

"Penguins get 2 points, but play leaves little doubt season is over" -
Gene Collier, PG, February 26, 2009

For a team that was virtually dead and buried by the Pittsburgh media, which resorted to more than one member seriously suggesting the Penguins trade Sidney Crosby, I guess Ray Shero gets the last laugh for now. Because I'm pretty sure the Pens needed old #87 last night.

Yes, Crosby is once again the best player in the world, even getting praised as the better player in the end by the Washington Post. He once again stands alone, says Scott Burnside of ESPN. It's amazing how one game can change so many people's minds, but that should speak to just how great of a game Sidney Crosby played last night in the Penguins' 6-2 slaughter of the Capitals.

He scored the first goal, he scored the last goal, and he set the pace for an outcome that many hoped for but few anticipated. He scored 13 points in the series and leads the NHL with 12 playoff goals. With a little help from his friends, most notably Marc-Andre Fleury, Craig Adams, Bill Guerin, and "Willis" Gonchar, Crosby and Company now move on to the league's Final Four for the second time in as many years. And Bruce Boudreau can take as much time as he needs to come up with injury excuses.

Sure, Simeon Varlamov came down to Earth like a comet hurling from the sky, but for every mistake the Capitals made, the Penguins took advantage, down to the great Alexander Ovechkin turning the puck over and Crosby scoring the Pens' final goal. Washington had 19 giveaways, the Penguins had four. Washington had four penalties resulting in two Penguin goals. The Penguins had zero penalties. Zero!

For a Penguin fan, it was as satisfying as a second-round win could possibly be. For Washington, they have an entire offseason to come up with reasons why Ovechkin is better than Crosby. But once again, much like fans of the Ravens and Flyers, Pittsburgh got the last laugh in this heated rivalry. It sure is a great time to follow Pittsburgh sports. And in honor of the win, a celebratory "California Soul" will be presented.


Carolina or Boston await, to be decided starting at 8 PM tonight [preview]. It's either Bill Cowher or New Englanders in the next round. But I'm guessing Pittsburgh will continue to be upset at seeing a sight like this should the Canes advance:

That's OK. We've got a coach who supports our team.

Go Pens.

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COWHER IMMERSED IN CAROLINA HOCKEY

Maybe it's just me, but I certainly don't remember Bill Cowher ever showing up at a Penguin game donning a Penguin jersey, as Mike Tomlin has been known to do (and if anyone has such a photo of Cowher, please send it in, and I will gladly be proven wrong). So imagine my surprise when I find out that one of the biggest Carolina Hurricanes "celebrity fans" is...guess who:

Former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher is a ubiquitous local celebrity in Raleigh, as his latern jaw has popped up everywhere from local supermarkets to the putting greens.

Tonight, like Ric Flair and Elizabeth Dole before him, Cowher's scheduled to sound the ceremonial "warning siren" before Game 3 between the Boston Bruins and the hometown Carolina Hurricanes. It'll be the second time Cowher's had the honor.

The Jaw did an interview today with Raleigh's 850 The Buzz, in which he explained his hockey credentials and quickly steered the conversation from the Penguins-Caps series to his excitement about the Hurricanes' playoff run. From the sound of things, it certainly appears like his conversion to an ex-Yinzer is near completion.

Bill Cowher must decide: Pittsburgh for life or Caniac Nation? [Puck Daddy]

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