The Penguins play the Panthers tonight.

MA Fleury will be in net.

Sidney Crosby will play center.

I wonder if Malone gets bumped down to that second line with Sid at some point tonight.

I have to work this evening. I will miss most of the game. I will rely on Rich and Fake Mick Jagger for in-depth analysis after the fact.

On Tuesday, I was scolded by my assistant manager for polishing wine glasses in one of the empty dining rooms, which we rent out to big pharmaceutical companies to give presentations about ED drugs and Lithium, while watching the Pens-Lightening game. Some time late in the second period someone overflowed a urinal in the men’s room.

My AM was pissed.

I was amazed at how fast Sid looked in his first game back.

So it goes.

While the Steelers plod away trying to patch together an O-line to protect their 100million-dollar QB, and the Pirates assemble the greatest all-time bobble head lineup ever and book REO SpeedWagon to sing the National Anthem, (are the Pirates the REO SpeedWagon of the NL Central?, actually I think they remind me more of KISS-No talent at all, but they make tons of money off stupid people who pay to see them because they are entertaining. Why practice guitar when you can shoot rockets and stuff out of your drum set?) Sorry for the long parenthetical, but the Penguins are in first place in the Eastern Conference. They are winning despite the of the Injury Walrus’ season long rampage, and have exceeded the expectations projected by even the most Prozac-drenched brain of the sun-shiniest optimist.

Right now on ESPN radio the guys are talking about the Steelers signing Mewelde Moore. There really is no off-season in the NFL. I don’t even watch ESPN between the Super Bowl and opening day. At least acknowledge that hockey is a sport  played in North America. That network lost me a long time ago.

ON PANTHERS

Imagery of a rat-infested ’96 Conference Finals still haunts me. Sometimes I wake up in a cold sweat at 3am, with that weird “where am I feeling” and I think for a minute the Pens won that series and went on to the finals, then I’m sad all over again.

I say, Bring back the Black Panthers, and get rid of the Florida Panthers.

The Panthers are a team that never should have been. I say combine them with Tampa Bay and move them to Hartford. They could be the new Whalers, or may be the Connecticut Thunder Cats.

The Panthers Arena will be half empty tonight, South Florida residents are all probably concerned with this news out of Dolphin Land.

Florida has a hot backup goalie, something Anderson, he’s made  2,120 consecutive saves while posting back-to-back shutouts in his last two starts.He’s due to let in half a dozen or so tonight.

Hossa will be back on Sunday, and we’ll finally get a look at a healthy Penguin team, except for Gary Roberts, who will play again this season.

Let’s Go Pens!