In other words, it’s about damn time!

So I fixed myself a delicious sandwich, watched the end of a thrilling Rose Bowl between TCU and Wisconsin, and the time has come to shift my attention to NBC for the Winter Classic.

Pregame Notes

• I just sent out the following tweet: “Awesome Rose Bowl! Congrats to TCU Horned Frog fans! Tonight is your night, no question! Now it’s time to switch over to the #WinterClassic.”
• Bob Costas opens with Mike Milbury (on skates). Costas made a joke about how he’s taller than Millbury. The stage that Costas is standing on has to be about two feet high, judging by how it looks across the way. Costas is proof that good things come in very small packages. And that’s not what she said.
• Mario Lemiere (SP), Jerone Bettis, Franco Harris, and Sgt. 1st Class Bradley T. Tinson out to drop the ceremonial first puck to Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin as Heinz Field began to chant “MARIO! MARIO!”
• After an A-plus national anthem from a young Pittsburgh area girl has the crowd rocking. It’s game time!

First Period

20:00 – As we start i’m surprised to see such a wide camera angle. I don’t like it. Look, I know that Heinz Field is much larger than the Igloo, but couldn’t NBC try to zoom in a bit more or put some cameras on a crane by the ice. Not that much to ask for…

18:02 – Pierre McGuire reporting about the “balmy” conditions. I like his French/Irish name. Not a common combo.

15:44 – Back and forth early on. The Penguins are wearing their dark blue throwbacks with sky blue trim (which makes goalie Marc Andre-Fleur’s yellow and white helmet look off) and the Capitals are in their white 80s throwback. Between the weird uni’s and the wide camera angle, it isn’t easy to know which team is which.

15:20 – Washington about to go on the power play as Pittsburgh head coach Dan Bylsma is shown wearing a fidora! I’m calling him Tom Landry the rest of the game.

14:00 – Awesome blimp shot as Jordan Stall (Pittsburgh’s third line center, playing in his first game of the season) has a great shorthanded chance. He left the ice to a good ovation in his first game of the year. But back to the blimp shot…

13:20 – Pittsburgh just killed off the power play as Washington’s Jay Beagle and Pittsburgh’s Zbynek Michalek (a buffalo nickel for whomever can pronounce that right) get into the first official post-whistle scrum of the game just to the left of the Pittsburgh net. I feel like all hockey announcers should have a degree in Russian or some other Eastern European language to pronounce some of these names. Zbynek?!

12:32 – Our first commercial break of the game. One thing the NHL has over the NFL: two or three commercial breaks would have already occurred during an NFL telecast.

11:39 – Crosby just got around Green to draw a holding penalty on a play that could have very well ended up in a penalty shot. The Penguins are going on the power play.

10:31 – Back-to-back shorthanded chances from Washington, the Penguins answered with a good chance of their own in the transition. Two more good chances from Pittsburgh and the first Penguin power play is half gone.

9:39 – A great scoring chance from the second power play unit (Tyler Kennedy), but Washington goalie Semyon Varlamov held tight, and Washington killed off the power play.

9:02 – Staal with a good scoring chance. Pittsburgh now has the momentum after the power play. When we later returned from a commercial, Tom Landry talked with McGuire about the impact of Staal in this game. He’s been the best player on the ice thus far.

8:08 – Pittsburgh’s Michael Rupp and Washingtong’s John Erskine are fighting! For anyone who thinks that fighting is bad, bite me.

6:41 – A Capitals shot just rang off the post. Nearly had our first goal. I have a feeling that Fleury, whom the announcers said was admittedly having difficulty adjusting to Heinz Field, is going to be shaky in this one.

5:43 – Mark Letestu just rang one off the post for a near Penguin goal.

2:40 – I was just thinking that we haven’t heard much from Ovechkin when he fell down attempting a slap shot at the blue line. The crowd laughed at him, but I wonder if the warm weather had something to do with it. What temperatures are hockey arenas? They aren’t 32 degrees right, so why should the warm weather matter? Is it the rain we’re worried about? Speaking of Ovechkin, isn’t it ironic that a Russian hockey player star plays his home games in Washington D.C.? Wouldn’t anyone from the 1980s and before think he was a Communist spy? Let’s run it by Marty McFly and Doc Brown when they visit Hill Valley in October of 2015.

1:33 – Jim Cantore, a.k.a. the Fox Weather guy, just came on and said that the atmosphere will draw the moisture out of the air and keep the ice in good shape. As I type this, Fleury just made a sprawling save as the period goes under 1 minute.

0:00 – Pittsburgh has one final push at the end of the period, which ends with some sparring between the two squads. Good emotion for a big time game. Unfortunately, no one’s scored.

2nd Period

20:00 – The weather guy just came back on to talk about how the rain that’s starting. He’s saying that it shouldn’t be a big deal. There just can’t be a major sporting event anymore without a story being beaten into the ground. I’m glad I could join in … Let’s get back to some damn hockey!

19:27 – Crosby just fed Chris Kunitz (a member of my fantasy hockey league team “The Zig Zags”) for a good scoring chance. In more weather related news (yay!), the rain should only last 5 more minutes.

19:00 – Ovechkin was just denied by Fleury on a breakaway chance and stoned the Russian spy, excuse me, star yet again just seconds later. Fleury looked really good there. Guess he’s doing just fine after all. Must be my Flyer-fan bias coming out. Don’t you hate when that happens?

17:47 – Malkin scores on the breakaway just seconds after Fleury again stoned Ovechkin. Wow, Heinz Field just erupted! Malkin looks pumped. He just jumped into the arms of his teammates at the bench. Think the players know how big this game is?

Washington 0
Pittsburgh 1

17:01 – Washington Brooks Laich was pushed into Fleury and whistled for goalie interference. It could have been interference on Pittsburgh, but it looks like the Penguins just caught a break. Penguin power play time.

15:31 – Crosby had a good chance in the slot, after a nice feed by Malkin, but the shot went high and wide. That would be the best scoring chance before the Capitals killed off the power play.

14:04 – Ovechkin just drew a holding penalty on a good burst through the neutral zone to put Washington back on the power play.

13:06 – Former Flyer fan favorite Mike Knuble pokes the puck through Fleury’s five-hole off a scramble in front of the net to tie the score. Remember how the coach in Mighty Ducks 3 talked about blue collar hockey and cleaning up the trash in front of the net, well tonight I’m bestowing Knuble with the nickname “Blue Collar Hockey”.

Washington 1
Pittsburgh 1

12:30 – Good pressure by Washington followed by a transition play by Crosby that set up Malkin for a big drive. Now it’s Washington getting good effort on their next offensive zone possession. This game has finally opened up!

10:59 – Yet another weather update. Is there are term for when a story is past “beaten into the ground” status?

8:50 – Jason Chimera just whiffed on a wrap around attempt that would have given Washington the lead. Needless to say that the Phoenix, whom I have been exchanging text messages, was incredulous after that. Pittsburgh’s Brooks Orpik appeared to get a piece of the puck on a later replay. Time to calm down, Adio

7:57 – The announcers just had the following exchange: “Rain seems to be coming down a little harder now.” — “It is.” Please stop.

7:14 – Caps head coach Bruce Boudreau talks about how he told his team to stop trying to stick-handle as much due to the weather. Must stop talking about the weather.

6:29 – Ovechkin just played one in front of the net and Knuble, a.k.a. Blue Collar Hockey, again tried to poke the rebound past Fleury, but this time the Penguin netminder was up to the task. Blue collar hockey but no blue collar goal.

5:15 – Blimp cam as we come back from commercial just in time to see Eric Fehr score off a turnover from Fluery behind the net. Go to the net and good things happen. OH I LOVE HOCKEY! P.S. File this under I hate modern sports coverage: the announcer to Darren Pang: “Did the weather play a factor in that goal?”

Washington 2
Pittsburgh 1

4:23 – Tripping call on the Capitals as Maxime Talbot was dragged down in front of the goal. Good penalty as it could have easily resulted in the tying goal. The Penguins, 0-for-2 thus far on the power play with seven shots, have a chance to get the quick equalizer.

2:56 – After an early Malkin slapper, Washington has done a good job during the power play and killed it off rather easily.

1:30 – The ice is looking kind of weird with some rain puddles on it. Corny joke alert: Pucks will be rolling in Pittsburgh tonight!

0:34 – A Pittsburgh goal was immediately waived off as Rupp slammed into Varlomov and knocked the puck into the net. No penalty but rather “incidental contact”. As the announcer said in Might Ducks 2 after Dewayne (the Cowboy) got two minutes for roping, “Well that’s a new one on me…”

0:00 – Crosby got nailed away, um, accidentally by Washingtong’s David Steckel from the puck a few seconds before the intermission, and he is indeed shaken up. Now that’s what I call incidental contact!

2nd Intermission

Jerome Bettis and Franco Harris squared off in a friendly shooting contest between periods. Bettis got two more pucks in the net, but Harris won when he threw a football (the money ball) into the net for four points and the Bus’ shot did not. Solid effort between periods, even if it did publicly embarrass Jerome Bettis. Programming during hockey intermissions are usually disasters.

Before we go back to play, I just saw the NBC promo for the Rams-Seahawks contest for the NFC West title, or as I call it: the newest event at the Special Olympics. Normally, I would root for the Rams — who have a former Eagles coach (Steve Spagnuolo) and a rookie quarterback (Sam Bradford) — but why not go for broke and have a 7-9 Seahawks team in the playoffs? It is, after all, the NFC West manifest destiny. I’m done thinking of this as a bad thing. Go Seahawks!

3rd Period

20:00 – Crosby is back on the ice, warming up, so it looks like his injury at the end of the 2nd period wasn’t too serious. In other news, the rain has stopped. Thank you, Sports Gods!

19:11 – Malkin is skating with Staal early on in the 3rd. Malkin is sort of a like a free agent in the Penguin lines tonight. Interesting move by Tom Landry, always an innovator!

16:09 – Play was stopped as the net became dislodged after a Sidney Crosby stuffer attempt. Old Sid the Kid looks a-ok. What doesn’t look okay is the now pouring rain. (Damn! Damn! Damn!)

15:21 – Varlomov made a trio of nice saves, one courtesy of the post off a backhand from Malkin.

12:31 – Knuble was just called for a delay of game penalty when he flipped a puck over the glass. Blue collar hockey fail!

10:59 – The Penguins just got some major pressure, but Crosby’s shot from point-blank range went wide off strong defensive pressure from Laich.

10:25 – The Caps kill off the penalty but mistakenly ice the puck, giving the Pens an offensive zone draw. Pittsburgh has four scoring chances thus far this period and none from Washington.

9:59 – Both teams switch ends. I guess that’s a Winter Classic tradition too?

9:03 – I just replied to an @NHL tweet that offered a $100 credit to the NHL Shop for whomever could answer which Washington player took the delay of game penalty. (crosses fingers) I hope I win.

8:01 – Chimera just scored his second goal of the game on a breakaway wrist shot. A bicentennial quarter to anyone who saw Chimera as the star of the game.

Washington 3
Pittsburgh 1

6:59 – Damnit! @Josh__Anderson won the NHL Shop competition. I thought I got on that reply quicker than Knuble on a rebound, but Mr. Anderson was just better than me today. I just sent him a threatening by congratulatory text: “Damn you, @Josh__Anderson for winning the contest!!!! (j/p congrats).” I want to seem nice but also scary.

4:30 – Apparently Washington’s AHL affiliate is something of a dynasty. That’s a good sign of depth for Blue Collar Hockey and the rest of the fighting Ovechkins.

3:43 – Another goal has been waived off from incidental contact! This time Ovechkin was the culprit. The good news for everyone involved, no one should be complaining about incidental contact — except maybe Crosby.

1:34 – Pittsburgh with some extended pressure. Again it’s the Staal line getting good pressure, though Staal whiffed on a one-timer from the slot. That would have been a huge goal right there.

1:00 – Fleury is on the bench for an extra attacker. It’s 6-on-5 time.

0:15 – The Caps clear the zone, and it looks like they’re in the clear for a tough win over the Penguins in the 2011 Winter Classic.

:00.6 – Some slashing before the final faceoff leads to a good scrum between Kunitz (I will remind you again, one of my fantasy hockey players) and Ovechkin. No fisticuffs but it’s a fitting end for two teams that don’t appear to like each other one bit. Team Ovechkin (excuse me, Chimera) and Blue Collar Hockey rule the New Year in 2011.

Final Score – 2011 Winter Classic

Washington 3
Pittsburgh 1

So we’re at the conference finals, with the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins now just three wins away from playing for hockey’s ultimate prize. But really, it seems like there are only two contenders for the Stanley Cup: the aforementioned Red Wings and Penguins. You might remember these teams from such matchups as last year’s Stanley Cup Finals.

Yes, same teams as last year. Amazingly, that hasn’t happened since 1984, when the Edmonton Oilers stopped the New York Islanders from winning a fifth consecutive Cup after the Isles swept them the year before. In fact, the Isles lost more games in that one Cup Finals than in the four they won, in which they lost three total. Just shows you don’t win four of these things by accident, folks.

To go back even further, the last time a team won consecutive Cups by beating the same team twice was in 1978, when the Montreal Canadiens beat the Boston Bruins. Yes, two teams that are now in the same division met for the Cup two straight years. The NHL also thought it was a good idea to have Los Angeles and Pittsburgh in the same division for eight years. And people say Gary Bettman has caused the league problems.

But anyway, we’ve got some kind of history happening here, and things are set up perfectly for it. The San Jose Sharks aren’t here, and the Wings have already flown by the Anaheim Ducks. The Chicago Blackhawks are very inexperienced, don’t have a stud goaltender like Vancouver, don’t hit as much as Anaheim and aren’t as skilled with the puck as San Jose.

In the East, the Penguins don’t have to face the Boston Bruins or the New Jersey Devils, and they’ve already defeated the Washington Capitals and Alex Ovechkin. Instead, Crosby, Malkin and Friends get the Carolina Hurricanes, the East’s sixth-best team.

So let’s plan the parade in Detroit or Pittsburgh, right? Not exactly.

The Blackhawks might be young, but youth didn’t stop the Penguins from reaching the Stanley Cup Finals last year. They’ve got some experience in Martin Havlat, Brian Campbell and Nikolai Khabibulin, so they aren’t completely a group of wide-eyed kids. But the wide-eyed kids will have to be the difference. Put simply, the Blackhawks aren’t beating the Red Wings without Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane playing great. No goals and few shots aren’t going to cut it.

As for the Hurricanes, they’ve got a great weapon in their arsenal: Cam Ward. Nobody has beaten him in a playoff series so far, and the guy is a perfect 4-for-4 in Game 7s. Ward might be the best clutch performer there is today, and I’m not limiting that to just hockey.

But as good as Ward is, the Canes can’t win if they can’t outscore the Penguins. Crosby and Malkin have carried Pittsburgh all year long, and Carolina has no scorer to match them, even counting Eric Staal. They’ve got to win this series on the blue line, or Ward’s streak will be over.

So after all of that analysis, what’s my prediction for these conference finals?

Let’s plan the parade in either the Motor City or the Steel City. Nothing’s stopping history.