Thank you, Pens

I realize this isn’t exactly the correct forum for hockey, but last night’s game was both heartbreaking and inspiring. The Pittsburgh Penguins nearly overcame a two-goal deficit late in the third period to send the game into overtime. With less than two minutes left, the Pens scored a shorthanded goal with their goaltender pulled. Then, with six seconds remaining, Sidney Crosby and Marian Hossa nearly pulled off a miracle goal.

But it wasn’t to be. Still, the way the Pens battled this entire season and especially in the Stanley Cup finals is something this city won’t forget. Game 5 will be talked about for a long time, and Game 6 nearly had the same distinction. Most of the 17,000-plus fans at Mellon Arena stayed to watch the Red Wings skate with the Cup – something I rarely see an opponent’s fans do. But I think they really stuck around to salute the Pens for the remarkable season. And maybe they hoped the season wasn’t over.

If anything, it gave people from Western Pennsylvania a worthy distraction to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Maybe the saddest news of all is that we’ll have to watch that sorry bunch of baseball players for the next couple months until training camp in Latrobe, Pa. And at least we still have racing, right?

Thank you, Pens.