What a weekend it was for Pittsburgh Penguins hockey. After a hard fought win over a very good Carolina team, the Pens come back the next night and beat the Capitals, which is customary.

For one thing, when Ben and I sat down to watch the game after a hard night’s work, we both wondered why the Caps were wearing white at home. After a little research, I found out it was because the Caps and their fans wanted to have a “white out.” It never worked. There were audible cheers of “Let’s go Pen-guins!” as the game went on, and a lot of black.

Fleury played a strong game, and Jordan Staal showed signs of life with 2/3rds of a Gordie Howe hat trick. A Howe hat trick is a goal, an assist, and a fight. He had the goal and the fight. Good for him.

I think I hate the Caps almost as much as I hate the Flyers, and I know that Caps fans hate the Pens more than any other team in the league. Why? Because the Pens own them and have owned them for over a decade.

I cannot begrudge Caps fans for booing Crosby. They have Ovechkin. As a Pens fan, I hated Gretzky. He got all the attention I felt Lemieux should have received. Now Crosby gets all the attention, while Ovechkin continues to be one of the premere offensive forces in the league.

Imagine an alternate universe. Say in 2004, the Pens won the draft lottery and picked Ovechkin first overall, while the Caps got Malkin. Then, the Caps won the Crosby lottery, and drafted Sidney Crosby. Pens fans would hate Crosby, while feeling that Ovechkin didn’t get the attention he deserved. It’s okay for Caps fans to boo Crosby, especially because Crosby and the Pens always get the last laugh.

You could also imagine an alternate universe in which the Pens drafted both Ovechkin and Crosby. In that universe, with that fire power, the Penguins would have invaded Poland by now.

The Rangers

Jagr and the boys come to town tomorrow night. In the early going, things have not been clicking for the Rangers, especially considering that they went out and signed both Chris Drury and Scott Gomez to ridiculous contracts. I still feel that this Rangers team will be a dangerous one and will gel together, but right now, while they’re still finding their identity, these are important points for the Pens to pick up.

Prediction? Pens win 4-3 in a shootout. Malkin busts loose for a multi-point night, while Jagr brings his A game back to the Burgh with a two goal effort.

I beg of you Pens fans, do not boo Jagr. He’s the second greatest Penguin ever, and scored an awful lot of points in his decade long tenure here. Pay respect for what he did on the ice.