Last night, I met former Broad Street Bully, ESPN, NBC, and VS. analyst, Bill Clement. He now works for NHL Radio, and has joined the Philadelphia Flyers television broadcast team. I first noticed him when he walked through the door. Despite his Flyers ties, I always thought Bill Clement was one of the best commentators in the hockey business on the television side. Here was a guy who was versitile enough to be a color guy and a studio host. He doesn’t abide by the old school Canadian rule, either.

I was back in the kitchen clearing some plates when I get a shout from the bartender, Diane, who’d tracked me down.

“Rich!” she shouts over the din of crashing plates, running water, and incessant babbling from a chorus of pantry workers and over sexed and under educated waitresses. “You wanna make five bucks?”

“Hell yes,” I said.

“Go get a pack of Marlboro Lights for the guy sitting alone at the bar,” she said and handed me a ten. “Keep the change.”

“You mean Bill Clement?” I asked.

“He’s the guy sitting alone at the bar, that’s all I know.”

I grabbed my coat and high tailed it over to the 7-11 for a pack of smokes. I came back in and handed the pack to Mr. Clement.

“What a guy!” he said.

They were then showing promos for the Pens on the television behind him, and I noticed the Pens Sunday game against the Buffalo Sabres is set for 6pm.

“6 o’clock?” I asked.

“Work night, school night, I don’t know,” he said.

“Boy, they sure are hot right now.”

“Ha,” he said and took a drag from a cigarette. “They sure as hell are.”

“Without Crosby, too, it’s amazing.”

“Well, you move Malkin back to center which is his natural position and give him more ice time and he’s just eating it up!”

“I know,” I said and took some plates.

That was it, and it rocked…hard.

Pens/Bruins. Malkin scores two.