Faceoff Factor

Twas' The Night Before Faceoff...

Jesse Marshall | Pittsburgh Penguins

Oct 2, 12:48 AM | Hype this story!

I woke up this morning and walked out the door on my way to work to a bone chilling 39 degree October morning.

Hockey was in the air.

After a summer filled with Stanley Cup celebrations and reflections on a fantastic season, the Pittsburgh Penguins will begin their title defense at home tomorrow night against the New York Rangers.

New banners will be raised, new faces will be in uniform, and the fans will be euphoric.

The summer didn’t seem long. The cup run was long and draining. Even as a fan, we went on several emotional roller-coasters, beginning almost a year ago when our team was going on scavenger hunts in Sweden.

Friday night the Penguins will be far away from there, at home, for the final opening night in the history of Mellon Arena.

I hope you’re ready to do this all over again.

If you missed Mario Lemieux do his thing in the 1990’s, please take a moment to savor tomorrow night. They might not be Mario himself, but Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are the closest thing we may ever get again.

But beyond the intrigue and excitement of watching Crosby and Malkin play, there is so much more to look for this season.

We discussed Jordan Staal earlier this week. Can he continue to grow and mature? Can he get near the 30 goal plateau again?

What about the toughness of the Penguins? Guerin, Kunitz, Rupp and Godard are just a few of the names that dot a roster full of players willing to stick up for each other.

Speaking of those young scrappers, what about Tyler Kennedy? How many goals can we expect from this ever-maturing firecracker?

Is this the year that Sergei Gonchar wins a Norris trophy?

Is this the year that Marc-Andre Fleury smashes his wins record?

Buckle up. We’re in for a long ride. Cherish the banner raising tomorrow night. Blow a kiss at the Stanley Cup.

Last year has ended. Who knows how long it will be before we can get back to the top again.

However long it takes, enjoy the hockey. And Lets Go Pens!