'Tis the Season

The Christmas season is upon us, the season of love, giving and sharing. In honor of this wonderful time of year, I decided that I would share the pictures my roommate Marianna and I took on our first visit to Consol Energy Center on Novemeber 12th against the Lightning.

Consol Energy Center in all its shining glory

The Mario Mosaic!!!!!

Giant scoreboard

The view from our seats. There is not a bad seat in the house at CEC

Marianna and I (it was her first ever Penguins game)

National Anthem

Flower

Geno chilling on the bench

Marianna wearing her brand new Malkin t-shirt (he's her favorite)

My new Brooks Orpik t-shirt

Iceburgh

An Oilers jersey at a Pens-Bolts game? Wtf?

You can't really tell from this picture, but her jersey actually said "Icebitch". I kid you not

Penguins win 5-1!

Victory

Announcing the three stars of the game

Max Talbot was the second star

I hope you all enjoyed the pictures. Consol is every bit as beautiful and amazing as advertised. It was a little strange at first, because CEC is very different from good ol' Mellon Arena. But it was absolutely incredible, as was the atmosphere. Flower had been struggling up until to that point (that seems so long ago doesn't it?) but the crowd had his back right from the start. At the beginning of the game, before the puck dropped, everyone was chanting "Fleury, Fleury, Fleury!" And that night he played what was his best game of the year up to that point. He made some incredible clutch saves. The only goal he let in was a Steven Stamkos shot that Patrick Roy himself couldn't have stopped. Stamkos has a nasty shot. Engelland also scored his first NHL goal in that game. I was thrilled that Marianna got to see such a dominant performance from Pittsburgh in her first ever Penguins game and she had the time of her life. We're already planning a return trip. I hope you all get a chance to attend a game at CEC sooner rather than later!

Everyone enjoy your holiday season!