"Nothing was going to stop me from playing tonight."
After fighting a season-long injury that sidelined him for the last two months, Penguins prospect Taylor Gauthier would not be denied the net in a must-win game
My feature on his year from Wheeling ⬇️
.
Per NHL rules: 'A match penalty shall be imposed on any player who deliberately attempts to injure or who deliberately injures an opponent in any manner.'
Not a minor or major. A match penalty. It's actually DEFINED by INTENT, not outcome.
And nothing.
Sidney Crosby said his parents have been “living out of a suitcase” for a couple of weeks, traveling around with him so they could be there whenever 500 comes.
Penguins' postgame meal was a build-your-own taco station. We walk out of the locker room and a bunch of guys are doing their postgame workouts, stretching, etc. and Geno is standing in the middle of them eating a taco.
That was Sidney Crosby's 500th NHL goal, 50th career goal against the Flyers, in the Penguins' 50th game of the season, on Jaromir Jagr's 50th birthday.
Evgeni Malkin when the locker room opens to media: “No media here! No media! Zuck is going outside, talk to him. I’m not talking, I need to go home.”
Then he asked an equipment guy to order him an uber 💀
They put a girl in a Malkin jersey on the videoboard and she got booed. She immediately whips out a Terrible Towel from her back pocket and starts waving it while yelling "five Stanley Cups," lol.
I asked Brandon Tanev about his headshot:
"I did actually see a ghost,it was walking behind the gentleman that was taking our pictures. It kind of caught me off guard, I haven't seen one of those things yet, it was pretty rare to see that.That's why I had that facial expression"
Finland WJC coach Antti Pennanen: "I am angry because this was not a COVID problem, but the problem was that this was a poorly run tournament. ... This says a lot about the state of the IIHF."
👏👏
Me: “Kris Letang, with his 1,000th game coming up-“
Bryan Rust, interrupting: “There’s ANOTHER big game coming up Sunday, too. It’s somebody’s 500th game too.”
Me: “… is it yours?”
Rust: “Yeah 😃”
I asked Sidney Crosby about the All-Star Game and if he’s actually going to attend this one.
“Why, did I not attend a few times?” with the biggest smile 😂
He says he’d love for Geno to come too.
The Nakama concession stand at PPG Paints Arena is now selling spicy pork and broccoli with your choice of lo mein or fried rice because of Louis Domingue. Incredible.
Alex Ovechkin said he and Sidney Crosby talked about teaming up for the breakaway challenge tomorrow. I asked whose idea it was, he grinned and said he couldn’t say.
Sidney Crosby: "That terrible rule ends up probably being the difference in the game."
Talking about Marcus Pettersson's helmet being ripped off and Pettersson leaving the ice before the Rangers goal that forced OT.
The moment Dustin Tokarski celebrated a shootout win last week by hitting the griddy was the moment I thought he deserved another shot up in Pittsburgh.
Their mom said she has this memory of a 27-month old Mathieu with two mini-sticks in his hand next to a 3-day old P.O, disappointed when he realized he'll have to wait a bit longer for P.O to play with him. 🥹
Jagr is currently in China. He's an ambassador for the 2022 Beijing Olympics, and will help to prepare the Chinese national team.
He posted on IG about how Lemieux "totally changed his life" by coming to Prague in 1985, and that he's hoping to do something similar in China.
Asked Kasperi Kapanen on being adopted by a cat, by the way.
“I’ve taken her in. It’s the neighborhood cat. I didn’t *get* one, the cat chose me. She’s been hanging out at my house. I don’t mind it, she’s awesome.”
"It's unfortunate. Those nights are good opportunities to show our support for different initiatives and organizations."
Sidney Crosby and other Penguins shared disappointment today over the NHL's ban of Pride Tape and other special initiatives.
Story⬇️
Kris Letang is a little scared about what his teammates might do to copy him in warmups for his 1,000th game Sunday.
For Crosby’s they copied his routine where he stops and reties his skates midway through. Earlier this season they copied Malkin’s stretching routine.
Kasperi Kapanen says he still talks to Brandon Tanev on almost a daily basis.
“I miss him a lot.”
As he’s walking away, he adds, “Almost made me tear up there.”
Jaromir Jagr missed the last six weeks with an injury. He returned on Sunday and scored two goals (including the game-winner) and two assists.
He turns 48 next month.
He joins Gordie Howe as the only players to play pro hockey in five different decades.
This is how Jagr slipped to Penguins at
#5
in 1990
Jagr idolized Lemieux ever since seeing him in the 1985 Worlds in Prague. Kept pic of Lemieux in his wallet
Jagr told Nordiques, Canucks, Red Wings, Flyers he wasn't coming to U.S. anytime soon
Told Penguins he'd come next day
At some point recently John Marino and Chad Ruhwedel added this to their warmup routine. They do it every game, same spot, Marino waits at the McDonalds logo for Chad. Then they always do the low five after, haha.
I asked Sidney Crosby how he feels about the “vintage Crosby” label for things he does on a regular basis it seems.
“As long as it goes in, people can call it whatever they want,” with a big grin.
Mike Sullivan says they might have to bring the dads along the rest of the way 😂 he said Sidney Crosby will probably have a comment about it, given how superstitious he is.
The Penguins and Fenway Sports Group are having "ongoing conversations" with the NHL over bringing a Penguins-backed, professional women's hockey team to Pittsburgh.
More: