Your thighs burn every time you take a step, and your hands feel a little tender as you grab that ice cold (and most welcome) beer. Muscles in your neck that you didn’t realize you had hurt for reasons you can’t quite explain. You hope the swelling and bruising go down soon, and you wish you spent a little more time washing the smell of hockey gloves off of your fingers. The water in the shower took too long to warm up, didn’t it? At least the new water softener systems are making showering so much more enjoyable.

The final horn sounds, and champions are crowned in their respective divisions. Some friends and family brought blankets and gloves and shared in the fun. Even the losers are smiling; no one wants to go to work tomorrow.

You curse the heavens as you swing your heavy, wet hockey bag onto your back, wincing as the weight of drenched pads strains your aching muscles. It felt a lot lighter on Friday, and the scale at the airport check-in counter will later confirm your suspicions. Your sticks clank in the bag as you tear it from its comfortable recline against the cold wall, and you reassure everyone you’ll be back next year. You wouldn’t miss it for the world, you say, and you mean it. You hug friends both new and old.

You leave the rink and creatively stuff your bags and sticks in the back of the rental car, suddenly grateful for the hours spent playing Tetris on your graphing calculator. How do people with sedans play this game, you wonder. You climb behind the wheel and map your route back to the airport. Hopefully you’ll pass a gas station on the way. You put your sunglasses on and smile, knowing you could die right then and there and somehow be alright with it. You’re filled with an inexplicable mix of happiness, gratitude, and sorrow, wondering how it’s possible.

It’s just a game.

Hockey and I go way back to when I was a kid, but I didn’t actually get to play until 2008 at the Chelsea Challenge in New York. It’s crazy to think how much of my life can be traced back to what, in the end, is really just a game. Like all relationships, the one I’ve got with hockey has transformed and matured and endured its rough patches, and I’d like to think we’re both better off for it. No matter how I envision my life going forward, hockey always figures in somewhere. It might not have quite the starring role it did in my earlier days, but it’s always there, however indirectly, donning what I imagine is a knowing smile once I put 2 and 2 together in my occasionally scattered brain.

In some ways, this past year has been one of my most varied when it comes to this beloved game. Pittsburgh Gay and Lesbian Hockey, which (mainly) Mike and I founded when we moved here in 2011, has continued to grow and now fosters a true community environment. The people that I’ve met on the team have become friends, and I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to see how happy playing on the team makes us. Sure, my work travels make me miss more games than I’d like for this and my ‘straight’ teams. Yes, we’ve got a wide gap in talent levels, and most games see victory in the form of keeping the opponents’ goal totals in the single digits. But that doesn’t bother me the way it would have when I was 25 because I’ve learned that the gold is found in the experience itself and not the result. It’s a terribly basic lesson, and I’m somewhat ashamed that it took me this long to fully understand and accept it. But when I look up and down the bench, full of players eager for the next shift or with a single soul gasping for breath, I know I’m home. All thanks to a game.

On the other hand, I’ve found myself less at home as a hockey fan. Rather, I think my lease is up and I need to find a new place in hockey fandom that better suits my needs and current situation. Social media can be a wonderful thing, but in the past 12 months or so, I’ve learned that it can also chip away at the joy you once took in being a spectator around 140 characters at a time. Granted, I shoulder a lot of the blame here, and I recognize this. No one’s forcing me to tune into what other folks are saying about this team or that, their analysis (or lack thereof, most often), or their “hot takes,” as the cool kids call ’em.

What I will say is that social media really has an uncanny ability to bring out the ugliest in us, and it’s taken a toll on my ability to enjoy hockey as a fan. I’ve been a participant in the mess, and the more I see it happening, the more I feel like a complete and utter idiot for getting sucked into it as much as I did. Hell, there are times when I still slip right on up, but I recognize it and make a conscious effort not to do it. At the very least, I aim to grow the time between slip-ups, and I think that’s a fair goal on my end.

I’ve taken breaks from Twitter because of hockey, and the temptation comes back every now and again, especially come spring. Sometimes it’s hard not to take things personally when so much of your energy over the span of years has been channeled into a single pursuit. Then again, why take it personally in the first place at all? Why on earth would it even cross your mind to feel a little sting and lash out in response out of weakness and poor judgment? Why do I even entertain the debates in my head about whether or not I’m being a fan in the ‘right’ way, if such a thing even exists?

It’s just a game.

I took the time to write this guest post on PuckBuddys because playing this past weekend in the Madison Gay Hockey Association’s MGHA Classic brought a lot of these feelings to the forefront. I wanted to wonder and think out loud.

At the MGHA classic, everything I just wrote about came together. My boyfriend that I met through hockey played on my team, as did a close friend from New York and another who now lives in Madison. We were able to reconnect through the game that brought us together in the first place, and it was one of the most enjoyable experiences of the past several years.

I also got to meet Tony (@jovenitti), the nice fellow who stepped up to take over covering the Pittsburgh Penguins when I scaled back due to work and the general fandom malaise mentioned above. If this tournament was any indication, I see hockey bringing him the same elation and comfort that it brought me when I started playing.

There’s something beautiful about that.

I’m still walking a little funny, and I entertained the idea of not going to the rink tonight due to my physical condition*. But the more my head told me that I’d be justified in skipping, the more my heart tugged and reminded me I’d regret it if I did. For once, I think I’ll give the heart what it wants without much of a fight. Even if it’s just a game.

*Update: I guess it’s a good thing I decided to play after all. Notched the game-winning goal in the shootout. You’re welcome, straights.

By the time the Pirates season ended, I was worried whether I’ll have enough time off to go home for the holidays, I had thousands of emails in my inbox and—hey, look at that!—the Penguins were already 3-0-0!

Pittsburgh sports fans are little like Miami fans, they really only have enough bandwidth to support one team at a time. In Miami, this is because fans are simply indifferent, and only care about whichever team happens to be winning. In Pittsburgh, this is because people invest all of their energy into one team and go a little crazy over it. Now that the Pirates are done until the spring and fans have had time to breath, it’s time to turn our attention back to the Boys of Winter.

We all know about the star power the Pens have on offense. And it would be a waste of time if I “previewed” what Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin can do this year. Hell, Crosby’s line with Chris Kunitz and Pascal Dupuis might even stay together on Team Canada (boo, Canada!).

The two questions going into the season were defense and goaltending. The Penguins reaffirmed their trust in Marc-Andre Fleury—after he saw a psychologist, of course—and brought back Tomas Vokoun to help ease the load of a full season off Fleury’s shoulders.

Then, Vokoun almost died. And now the Penguins have no legitimate back-up in net. Fleury has started 8 of the first nine games, going 7-1. The one game they gave Fleury the night off, they lost 6-3 to the Panthers, in Jeff Zatkoff’s first NHL appearance.

So while he may be off to a great start, Fleury looks like he may have to play in quite a few games this year. Luckily, he has a little more stability in front of him this season.

Some credit Fleury’s newfound calmness in the crease to his therapist, but I choose to praise Rob Scuderi. The Penguins thought they could live without Scuds after they won the Stanley Cup in 2009. But since then, only Scuderi has won another Stanley Cup. He just brings a stability to the blue line that calms everyone around him. He’s already made some clutch blocks and saves this season.

Kris Letang proved to be the Penguins’ best offensive defenseman last year (at least during the regular season), but an early season injury has kept him out of the lineup thus far. However, rookie Olli Maatta is quickly making a name for himself. He’s giving the coaching staff a difficult choice for when Letang returns to the blue line.

But who am I kidding? Nobody is worried about the Penguins this year…during the regular season. We’ve seen it four years in a row. The Penguins stroll through the regular season—with the exception of 2010-11, where they injured themselves through the regular season—only to flop on the big stage.

The Penguins regular season looks to be just like all the rest in recent memory. They should have no trouble finding a playoff spot, even if they don’t finish at the top of the standings. The only thing different this year is that the fans are getting anxious for more playoff success. Yes, a conference finals appearance last year was nice.

But the way that they lost left a bad taste on the season. Losing in a close-fought, seven-game series to the Bruins would have been a respectable way to go out, but scoring as many goals in the entire series as the Blackhawks did in 17 seconds against the Bruins is a little embarrassing.

Thus, the playoffs will define the Penguins’ season this year, and—unless something crazy happens—the regular season will be of little consequence. But hey, there’s another outdoor game this year!

Because if there’s one thing that NHL fans want more of, it’s the Penguins playing outdoors.

Apparently, Tomas Vokoun and Kris Letang are injured? And the Pens have some massive salary cap issues going into the season? But all I have stuck in my head is 40,000 Pirates fans chanting “Cue-to! Cue-to!” as if he was an opposing goalie.

So, I’ll bring you a more thorough preview whenever baseball in the ‘Burgh is over.

The theme of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 2013 free agency: Let’s make Boston feel better about losing the Stanley Cup.

As if the Penguins didn’t already give Boston whatever they wanted in the Eastern Conference final, the Penguins handed over Jarome Iginla and finally got rid of Matt Cooke. The Bruins wanted Iginla from the beginning, and well, we all know how Bruins fans felt about Cooke.

That said, the Penguins had a pretty successful free agency. Nobody could have honestly expected Iginla to stick around. He was a rental player, and everyone knew it. It’s a shame the Pens couldn’t get him a Cup, but life goes on.

If you ask any average hockey fan that watched the playoffs what the Penguins’ biggest weakness was (besides Marc-Andre Fleury) everyone would say defense.

So what does Ray Shero do? He brings back Rob Scuderi. Scuds was idolized by fans during the 2009 Stanley Cup Run. Heck, he basically single-handedly saved Game 6 to force Game 7 in Detroit. And Pens fans were rooting for LA last year because of him. (Well, and Pens fans just really wanted New Jersey to lose). And just look at him: the man can rock a beard. If you want to have a chance at such a magnificent beard, check out these beard oil reviews.

Also, the Pens re-signed some of the key parts of what made their regular season so successful – Pascal Dupuis and Craig Adams. Dupuis lit it up on offense playing alongside Sidney Crosby this year, and Adams helped the Penguins maintain one of the best penalty kills.

Shero also made sure Pens fans would have a great head of hair to ogle for another eight years. Sure, Kris Letang had a rough postseason, but you don’t get nominated for the Norris Trophy if you don’t have potential. Perhaps he just needs a guy like Scuderi to help settle him down in his own zone.

Two questions remain for the Penguins, though. First, which defensemen gets left out of the picture now that they have Scuderi? (Answer: Matt Niskanen) And Second, who can replace Matt Cooke on both the penalty kill and the other teams’ nerves? (Answer: I have no idea).

In Shero we trust.

So you can probably guess that I am a Cleveland sports fan. I am a die hard Lake Erie Monsters fan, my ring tone is even the Monsters’ theme song Monster by Skillet. I am also a fan of the Tribe, I have a lot of memories, but as this is a hockey site not a baseball site I will move on. If I was a fan of football and basketball, and could actually stand watching a football or basketball game, I would root for the Browns and Cavs because I am loyal to my home town. I am bisexual, but I tend to be more attracted to guys.

I remember my first crush in high school being the captain of the hockey team (I should have suspected then that I was into hockey, but I was an idiot teenager and didn’t really think about it because he was straight). I am working on coming out, I am out to most of my close friends, but I believe that if you need to know I will tell you, otherwise who cares, I am still the exact same person I was just a few seconds earlier, you just have another tag you can attach to me. I have recently completed my degrees at Cleveland State, and have started looking for a full time job.

I played hockey when I was about 5 or 6 years old before my family moved to Oregon and I lost interest in the game. Fast forward to January 2011 to when one of my friends tells me that she has an extra ticket for the Lake Erie Monsters game and I say sure because I had nothing better to do that night, little did I know that my life would forever change that night at the Q.

I went and I fell in love with hockey to the point where I would go out and buy a cheap pair of skates so that I could start re-teaching myself how to skate so that one day I could play again. I have since gone on to become a partial season ticket holder (check out my view at the right) with the Monsters, and can skate once again and am learning the game of hockey all over again. I hope to play in my first game in about 20 years during the winter rec league this year.

A couple years back after I first started watching hockey again I figured I need to figure out which NHL team I would root for as I couldn’t get enough hockey. Being loyal to Cleveland my gut told me to follow the Avalanche our NHL affiliate, but it is nearly impossible to see an Avs game in C-town (even with NHL game center, it is hard to catch a game). So how am I to fill my need to watch as much hockey as possible, I have to pick one of the teams close enough to see a game on cable, the Pittsburgh Pengiuns or the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Since I am truly not a sports masochist and believe that I should be allowed to root for at least one winning team and much to the delight of my uncles in Pittsburgh (yes, I admit I am half yinzer on my father’s side) I decided to root for the Penguins under the stipulation that I would only root for the Penguins as long as they weren’t playing the Avs, because I have to root for the hometown team. So I am an Avs fan who will also root for the Penguins as long as they are not playing the Avalanche.

Go Monsters, Avs, and Pens!

My twitter is @lemonster88 if you care to follow, but be warned, it will mostly be Lake Erie Monsters posts during the season.

I came out of the closet in not-so-private fashion a few months ago, and it’s been a wonderfully positive experience and opened many doors for me – including writing for Puck Buddys and joining a gay hockey league.

I interned with the Penguins in 2010-11, where I wrote features and blogs for the team’s Web site, and you can see an example of the work I did for the team here. It was a great season up until the Winter Classic. After that, the entire team got injured and Craig Adams was our best player in the playoffs. After the Lightning eliminated Pittsburgh, I moved to Madison, Wisconsin for a job. That brought me closer to bandwagon Blackhawks fans and self-loathing Wild fans.

But Wisconsin also brought me closer to the college game, so you may see some posts from me arguing that college hockey is more exciting. I’m a proud Badgers season-ticket holder for both the men’s and women’s teams. (You may also see some posts from me arguing that the women’s game features better plays than the men’s game).

Last year, I started doing some work for College Hockey News, where I wrote various features about WCHA teams and a story about how college hockey is growing in Pennsylvania, mostly thanks to Penn State (Boo!). I went to college at Pitt, where I fell in love with hockey and the Penguins. All during school, I didn’t think it was possible to be an openly gay man while also being a hockey fan, let alone a hockey writer.

I’m glad I was wrong, and this blog helped me realize that. After I came out, I received lots of support from my former colleagues with the Penguins. And everyone has been very encouraging as I finally start to play hockey. Brooks Orpik was right when his terrifying eyes told me that, “You Can Play.”

I don’t know exactly what I’ll be writing about here, perhaps I’ll start documenting my experience learning to skate and playing in the Madison league, but whatever it is, I’ll try to write it from my unique perspective. Hopefully, you all enjoy, and follow me on the Twitter!

Well, this is pretty much what everyone saw coming in the Eastern Conference.

The Penguins and Bruins will take the ice at Consol Energy on Saturday in game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals in a battle that, though anticipated by most, has people justifiably excited. There are some pretty noteworthy storylines built into the series: Jarome Iginla’s decision to play in Pittsburgh instead of Boston (because, um, he knows what’s up [Which got the Bruins an arguably as good player, and let us keep second round star Matt Bartkowski.  So hey, thanks, Jay Feaster’s complete incompetence]), Jaromir Jagr’s second series against the Penguins since coming back to the NHL, the Matt Cooke/Marc Savard incident of yore… Oh, and they’re kind of great hockey teams [Matt Cooke is still a festering boil on the ass of hockey. Just ask Eugene Melnyk and his CSI squad].

Let me say this right off the bat: the Boston Bruins are the best opponent the Pittsburgh Penguins will face in the Eastern Conference, hands-down. The roster, from Bergeron to Seidenberg to Krejci to Chara to Rask and errrrrybody in between, is loaded with pretty tremendous talent. They’ve won the Stanley Cup recently, clearly know what it takes to win hockey games (even if they arrive late to the party. Sorry, Toronto.) [This was in fact deliberate and exquisite timing.  It’s a fundamental rule of hockey that Leafs fans must have their hopes crushed at the moment of victory.  The Kerry Fraser non-call in 1993.  Wade Dubielewicz.  And now, surrendering a 2 goal lead in the last 2 minutes.  It totally wasn’t the Bruins almost blowing it, ok?].

The Boston Bruins are also the best team in the Eastern Conference that will lose to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Eastern Conference in 5 or 6 games [Dream on, sunshine.  This series is going 7.  And I seem to recall a couple of years ago the Bruins had quite good luck with a 7 game first round, easy second round, and 7 game conference final]. In fact, I think that the New York Islanders and Toronto Maple Leafs were the two teams in the East that, in terms of how they matched up with Pittsburgh, made me sweat the most. While they might not have the same names and star power of, say, the Boston Bruins, their style of play posed a bigger threat [So what you’re saying is you have a gut feeling and can’t really justify it. Right.]. In short, I kind of like the way Pittsburgh matches up, and if the regular season was any indication of what’s to come, the games will be tight, but ultimately the Penguins come out on top. But why?

Well, we know the Penguins can score. They’re doing it at a near-historic rate, actually. But in their previous games against Boston, there were some pretty, um, notable absences: Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby, and Kris Letang were all out for at least one of the games against the Bruins. Pretty sure their defensemen are going to have their hands full when they realize that after Kunitz-Crosby-Dupuis finally comes off the ice, they’ll see the smiling faces of Jarome Iginla, Evgeni Malkin, and James Neal. Oh, and then their BFF Matt Cooke with Brandon Sutter and Pittsburgh’s favorite runt (sigh) Tyler Kennedy. Did I mention that Brenden Morrow and Jussi Jokinen are on the FOURTH line [This is surprising? At this stage of their careers they’re basically 4^th liners on a good team] ? No? Oh, okay, well…they are. Good luck with that, guys. Did I mention Tuukka Rask’s horrible record against the Penguins, as well? [Stupid narratives about Tuukka Rask have had such a good record these playoffs. Please, keep indulging in them]

The Penguins defense has had its ups and downs, to put it mildly [More down than up]. But they’ve seemed to right the ship after finding which pieces fit where, and they’re getting the job done at both ends of the ice. Kris Letang is on an absolute tear, Paul Martin’s allowing fewer even-strength goals per 60 minutes than all but Slava Voynov and Rob Scuderi, and Douglas Murray (yeah, really, though) will just run you over if you don’t like it [Douglas Murray is also terrible at hockey, but hey, don’t let that stop you pretending he’s a strength.  In fact, stop pretending that the Pens D can actually defend. They can’t (honorable exception of idiot Pens fans whipping boy Paul Martin aside).  Pittsburgh’s made an industry of winning 8-6.  This doesn’t suggest competent D in their own end].

Ah, but there’s goaltending, right? The infamous Achilles heel of the Pittsburgh Penguins these past few years in the postseason has seen a new addition in the form of Tomas Vokoun, and he’s a big reason the Pittsburgh Penguins will go to the Stanley Cup Finals. Sure, he ain’t glamorous, and sometimes you wonder if, like the wobbly hubcap on that old-ass Caprice Classic you see parked outside, he might just fall apart, he somehow manages to keep the puck out of the net. His numbers are  better than any goalie not named Jonathan Quick, and that guy sets the bar kind of…high. Two of the Penguins’ three victories over Boston saw Vokoun in net, and in one of the games, the Bruins only made it a one-goal game on a throwaway marker with under 20 seconds to play.

In Boston. The guy’s calm, confident, and unflappable [He also leaves massive rebounds right up the slot.  During the regular season, our crease crashing line of Lucic-Krecji-Horton were playing like utter crap.  Note that they’ve been our best line in the playoffs. Enjoy the free rebounds lying uncleared in the slot by your crappy D and being potted by a rampaging Lucic]. You also have to think he’s motivated by the fact that he spent so many years on absolute dirtball crappy teams in Florida praying for a chance to win this. As much as people want to see guys like Jarome Iginla and Brenden Morrow hoist the Cup, I’m all-in on the Tomas Vokoun hand [This I actually have to agree with. Aside from the fact that they Pens are in the B’s way for a second trip to the SCF in 3 years, Wouldn’t mind seeing the long-suffering Vokoun and Iginla win a cup.]. I want this guy to win the Stanley Cup more than anyone else. THAT IS A NARRATIVE.

The Pittsburgh Penguins didn’t lose many games this year, but most of them were against teams that didn’t make the playoffs. They elevated their game against the big-name opponents, and I think that’s exactly what we’re going to see in this series. Again, there are going to be some tough, tight games (wouldn’t be surprised if they were all 3-2 Penguins victories, in fact), but I just like this Penguins team and matchup too much [I understand the reason for your confidence; the Pens forwards are an intimidating, fantastically talented group.  However, I think you underestimate just how bad the Pens D is 5 on 5, and overestimate the stability in goal.  I wouldn’t be surprised for a similar series to the 2011 SCF, with the Pens playing the role of the Canucks. Hopefully with less rioting].

The Boston Bruins are a really, really good team. It’s going to be tough to say goodbye [Agree totally. Will shed many a tear when the Pens choke on their own complacency and hit the golf course]. 

Sports are wrought with emotion. It’s what’s makes them such a great part of fan(atic)s’ lives. The unexpected highpoints and the crushing low points are what litter the landscape on the road that ends at 16W with a stop at Lord Stanley’s. The New York Islanders Fans have traveled this road before. They know the road and where the potholes are. This incarnation of the team hasn’t, though.

They are young and inexperienced. That much was evident in game 1 when Pittsburgh blew the doors of them. They sat there and the black sports car with gold racing stripes streaked by them. The Penguins notched 1W out of the 16 needed to reach their goal and it seemed like 4.

The height of the clamor of the Chicken Littles was 3 minutes in yesterday where the Islanders were already down 2-0. A few journalists with keen eyes and a penchant for analytics pointed out the Isles were starting to actually steer play in their direction and that Pittsburgh couldn’t keep allowing chances in waves. The Isles poked one home and then the Captain of the Penguins and the only story the NHL cares about responded. The New York Islanders were trying to outrace a Ferrari in a Dodge Dart.

Okposo busts the Pens’ grill

Then a funny thing happened. Brian Strait took the side mirror off that snazzy sports car with a (surgically repaired) teeth rattler on Crosby. And then Kyle Okposo smashed their grill in with a cross that crossed up Matt Niskanen. 13 seconds later, the Islanders found the back of the net.  3 minutes later, they squared the score. From then on, the Islanders had the inside track. The race is 2 laps in, and dead even.  

With Goaltenders, confidence is a funny thing. With some, no matter how many big games they win, it’s never more than an awkward bounce away from eroding. With others, you can hang 8 on them in 3 periods, have the best player in the world streaking down the wing unchallenged, biscuit on his stick looking for a hat trick and have the seemingly struggling goaltender swagger the puck away with panache. The Professor is the teams thermostat, not it’s thermometer. Nabby sets the temperature. His cool demeanor never gives it away, win or lose. 6 times this team has gone on the road and spotted the opposition a quick deuce lead and then rallied to overtake them. Your barn does not scare them. They are too young to know any better. They are however, starting to learn they are good.

Ready to roar

It’s a funny thing going into a game knowing you are going to be reduced to tears. That was the experience at the regular season home finale against Florida. The boys flexed the guns and imposed their will and the old Barn on Hempstead Turnpike got a little dust kicked up in the air possible, because a few eyes got misty as ‘WE WANT PLAYOFFS’ shook the rafters dotted with memories of playoff glory past.  After the clincher (scored by who else, Johnny Franchise) in Carolina, the dust seemed to make it’s way through every TV set that was watching the game. Quite a few TV sets, too as the Islanders ratings, lockout and all are up 150%. Anyhow, the last game at the Coliseum and the first game at Barclay’s will produce some of that eye irritating dust, but tomorrow will produce something else: Ear-aches. Soak in the atmosphere tomorrow afternoon. It’s been a long time coming.     

The Ghost Of Volek has awakened…

This team has been ‘lost in the wilderness’ since David Volek smoked a one-timer past Tom Barrasso in the Spring of ’93 to deny the Penguins a dynasty. Since then, they’ve been sold, mocked, faced extinction and irrelevance. Now, they have one of the best players in the world, a sparkling new home waiting, an outdoor game next year, and oh yeah, an inspiring month plus of play to get the opportunity to be where they are today.  The New York Islanders tradition is that of a team that doesn’t believe in convention, that scoffs at the easy way.

That tradition was began in 1975 by ousting the Rangers and twice rallying to square series that they trailed 3-0, including a legendary salvo by 18 to take down the mighty Penguins. Then there were Tonelli’s heroics to keep the dynasty dreams alive at the expense of Pittsburgh. And lastly, the aforementioned thunderclap that was Ferraro to Volek.

This history, this road traveled by the Islanders, has gone through the Steel City before. They know the path and they’d like nothing more than to complete that trip again. The ’80s muscle car has the engine humming and the flashy imported sports car is sporting a few nicks in the paint today.  Better buckle up, kids.

The thing is, I  haven’t been engaged. The return of the NHL in middle January was anti-climatic for me. I was ready for the season to start in the fall—I think we all were. But as the lockout kept going, the Winter Classic evaporated and the All-Star game fell, my enthusiasm went with it.

Even going to a Dallas Stars/Chicago Blackhawks game and seeing long-time hockey crush Jaromir Jagr play in person couldn’t quite spur me to get into the NHL. That game should’ve done it too since the game was within the first couple weeks of the season start.

As un-interested as I’ve been, I have paid attention to a few things this season:

The Red Wings: Of course I have to at least keep an eye on my all-time favorite team. However, to say they have not done well this season might be an understatement. As I write this they are fighting for their playoff position–a fight that got harder as they lost to the Flames last Wednesday and Canucks on Saturday (although that got them one point since it was a shootout loss). It’s sad to see this once dominant team struggling to get the eighth spot. Will the Wings get their 22nd consecutive trip to the post-season? I wish I could say “yes” with any kind of confidence, but their performance this season leaves me drowning doubt, especially since there’s no room for error in the final four games of the season over the coming week.

Perhaps the season connects back to Glee after all. The show’s fourth season has been extremely disappointing with very few bright spots… much like the Wings’ season performance.

Pittsburgh Penguins: On the flip side, my other favorite team had a great season. There was a healthy winning streak mid-season. They didn’t collapse when Sid came out of the lineup with the broken jaw. They added Jarome Iginla, another crush of mine, to the roster. These guys had a season that I regret not paying more attention to. If anything is going to get me excited during the post-season it’s the hope that the Penguins will crush the competition.

The Winter Classic: The loss of the Classic this past January was something I thought couldn’t happen. I was sure NBC would send a clear message to the NHL and NHLPA to get it together and make the game happen. All I got was more disappointment. Now it is set up again for the Red Wings and Maple Leafs to go at it in the Big House. I’d planned to go in 2013. I’m still deciding if I’m going to try to put the trip together for ’14.

Realignment: Some of the best news of the season, and I know not everyone likes it, is the realignment for 2013-14. I’m thrilled that Detroit is in the East. It’ll be easier to see games on TV. I’ll potentially see them live far more since they’ll visit New York teams multiple times a season instead of once every two seasons. It’s going to be more difficult to maintain equal standing for me between Detroit and Pittsburgh since they’ll be in the same conference, but that’s a small problem compared to the many advantages of the change.

While I haven’t been enthused by the NHL, there’s been hockey that has made me quite happy over the fall and winter.

University of Alabama’s Frozen Tide: The Tide finished the season second in the South Eastern Collegiate Hockey Conference, losing in the finals to Arkansas. The Frozen Tide also made a return trip to the American Collegiate Hockey Association’s Division 3 National Championship tournament. While they didn’t make it out of the pool play, the Tide did win a game in pool play and that’s better than they did in the 2012 tourney. The season was another huge step in the Tide’s growth to become a dominant hockey force. I’m already looking forward to fall to see what this team does for 2013-14.

Road trip: I made my first trip to an AHL game when I went to You Can Play night at the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. The game was a lot of fun. It was also, of course, inspiring to watch YCP in action during the pre-game talk back and with videos showing on the rink’s big screen before and during the game. Plus, getting to play in the scrimmage that followed was a blast. It was an honor to share the ice with Patrick Burke.

YCP: Speaking of You Can Play, watching them go from their first night at a pro game with the Sound Tigers to the organization receiving the full support of the NHL and NHLPA was incredible. YCP, along with the hockey community, are such a powerful force for equality. It makes me proud to be a hockey fan and hockey player.

Now I’ll spend the next week hoping the Red Wings get it together and psych myself up for some playoff hockey. Maybe the race for the Cup can fully get me back into the NHL fold.

I cannot help it. From the second I heard of him playing in the QMJHL back in 2003 I was hooked. If I actually met him in person I would most likely pass out (I once got close though, seeing him get on the “away-team bus” after they played the New York Rangers about 20 feet from where I was standing … wooh, heart was pounding). And so of course, with my fandom of Crosby came the haters attacking me during the 2005-2006 NHL season and beyond who insisted Crosby was a joke and Alexander Ovechkin was the “real deal.” So the second reason is that I have had this comparison on my mind for a while and have long been a participant of this debate. (Also, I got Adam’s permission to write it and assuming you are reading it now, Doug and Craig did not mind either).

Now let us get something out-of-the-way before I continue. If you are one of those haters who simply says “Crosby sucks” or “Crosby is a crybaby” only because your team cannot handle his talent (ehem … Flyers and Capitals fans) you probably do not need to keep reading. I am sure anything you read that I write that is positive about Crosby you will probably just ignore, deny, etc. 

Frankly, I do not understand why fans on opposing teams say things like that. If Crosby had zero professional accomplishments, okay. But Crosby has won every hockey award (except the Calder Memorial Award). He not only won an Olympic gold medal on 2010 but scored the game winning goal to get team Canada the medal. You want to boo him because you want your team to win, I get that. You want to cheer when he loses the puck, misses a shot, or gets checked by one of the players from your team, I get that. But to say that he sucks, I got the evidence to disagree. There I go. I already anticipated Crosby hatin’ and went off on a tangent. Ok, I am focused again.

So I know some people might be asking, why are you writing this article now? 12:30pm on Super Bowl Sunday is puck drop for the first meeting between the Pens and Caps. To many, that’s the real show of the day. Through the first eight games of the season, we have a decent glimpse of these two players: Crosby is 4-6-10, coming off a great game on Saturday against the Devils, while Ovi is struggling a bit, 2-1-3. Beyond these early season numbers, I’ll take a few steps back and offer a more comprehensive look at both captains.

Ovechkin has not put up the numbers as he used to in the last few seasons and Crosby has accomplished so much, how is it even a question? Well, I think it still maters. People still like to compare the two players and it is also still one of the most hyped rivalries going on in the NHL. I still think a Capitals vs. Penguins Eastern Conference final would be the NHL’s wet-dream series. It is also now with all the games that have come to pass that we can look back and have real information to use in the debate (as opposed to just saying “Crosby is better!” “No, Ovechkin is better!” “Nu uh!” …). So let us get into it.

I am going to compare and contrast the 2 players in several categories and argue which one I think is better (spoiler alert: I am going to say Crosby). To be honest, I think both of them are incredible hockey players. But I sincerely think one is a better player than the other. And I will provide my evidence and opinions to support why I believe so.

Goal Scoring:

Yes, Ovi has won the Rocket Richard Trophy (for most goals) twice and Crosby has only won it once (and had to share it with Steven Stamkos). And yes, Ovi scored 65 goals in the 2007-2008 season, which no one had been able to do for almost two decades (and no one else has since at this point). However, this is a comparison of the two players overall, not just a season to season contrast. Looking at the players over the past 8 years Ovechkin seems to have peaked already whereas Crosby is still growing. Ovechkin had 65 goals in the 2007-2008 season and 56 goals in the 2008-2009 season. Since then his numbers have dropped. Crosby on the other hand has been increasing his goal numbers. In the 2007-2008 season he scored just 24 goals. The next season he scored 33 goals.

The next season, 51 goals. In the 2010-2011 season he scored 32 goals before he was sidelined by his concussion. Most said he was actually on pace to score at least 66 goals that season. That is the reason why I think Crosby is the better goal scorer. It almost seems like the NHL figured out how Ovi scores and has come up with an answer to it. But Ovi has not figured out how to adjust his game to get back to those high numbers. Meanwhile, Crosby has increased his scoring numbers and abilities. He will shoot from anywhere, the side, in front of the net, from the blue line, etc. Ovechkin has that powerful one timer he likes to shoot from the slot. Crosby shoots wrist shots, back-hands, and will even try a slap shot from time to time (though he is not very good at it [yet]). When Crosby sees something is not working, he adjusts his game to fix it.

Leadership:

Both players are the current Captains of their respective teams. Therefore both of them are looked at as their team’s leader. Crosby was named captain of the Penguins at the beginning of the 2007-2008 season. The organization wanted to do it earlier but Crosby said he did not feel it was the right time yet (even further evidence of his leadership skills). Early in his career he was already showing his leadership capabilities to the team and the “higher ups” of the Penguins’ organization.  He made his voice heard in the locker room and on the bench. He was able to push and motivate the other players on the team, both young and old. When he was injured during Game 7 of the 2009 Stanley Cup finals he came back to the bench even though he would not skate the rest of the game to show support for his teammates. You do not really see this sort of role when it comes to Ovechkin.

Ovi was named team captain in 2009 and unlike Crosby, where he was given a title to a character he was already playing, my impression is that Ovi now had to adjust to that being that character. I do not really see Ovechkin as the type of leader that gets his teammates motivated and going. Sure he is trying to be that person and lead by example. In the game in 2010 vs. the NY Rangers when the Capitals were performing very poorly, he got into his first NHL fight to try to motivate the rest of the team. (It did not work, they lost 7-0). You see Crosby constantly on the bench talking to other players, critiquing the last play, making a suggestion what to do the next time in that situation, etc. You do not see that as much with Ovechkin. He screams and cheers a lot when the team is doing well. But when they are not, he seems to tend to just shut down (as we saw in the HBO 24/7 documentary).

Face of the NHL:

From the moment Crosby was going to play in the NHL he was seen as not only being the face of the Pittsburgh Penguins but of the entire League. The NHL wanted to put on a new face after the 2004-2005 lockout. They wanted to personify a young and fresh look that would showcase talent and flashy goal scoring. Crosby was going to be that face. But after a few seasons people began to tout Ovechkin as being that face and a better choice than Crosby. Ovi was scoring often and glitzy goals. He had the rock-star personality; driving fast and expensive cars, going to clubs, etc. But in my opinion, that is exactly why he is not the face of the NHL.

The rock-star personality is not what should represent a professional sports league. You do not want the unpredictable, showy, large ego person. You want someone who embodies professionalism, humility, and simplicity. That is what Crosby does for the NHL. He does not put himself above his teammates. He always makes himself available to the press and is non-confrontational. He tries to stay away from controversy and help those less fortunate. That is why Crosby is the better face of the NHL.

Okay, that is my argument. That is (mostly) why I think Crosby is the better player than Ovechkin. And if all of that did not convince you, how about Crosby’s GQ pictures?