Shaving Cream, the Flu, and Hosers:

The Deadly Flu bug has laid me low for a couple of days, but as my health is rallying so is my tendency to babble.

Most of my fingernails have also grown back from nearly biting them off during the Islander game. Marc Andre Fleury had the night off so Dany Sabourin and the Pens survived (appropriate word) bad ice, fluke goals and mysterious disappearing pucks to beat the Isles 4-3 Saturday in a shootout. Tyler (Turbo) Kennedy scored two goals and was anointed with the shaving cream after the game in some obscure hockey ritual.

To get everyone ready to Boo at their TV's every time Hose-a gets the puck Tuesday night, I've been searching the Waste Spaces for snippets of news. It seems that unlike most of the rest of the Pens, Max Talbot is less than thrilled with the Hoser. "The way he left was kind of a blow to the heart," Talbot said, "but you have to live with that. You have to respect his decision, but for us, it's not the best thing that could have happened." Hossa, on the other hand, considers the whole thing a personal decision and doesn't understand why the Pensaddicts are so angry. "You can see the passion in that town. (Pittsburgh) But, on the other hand, when a person has a chance to make his own decision, I was looking for my own decision, and had to make a choice. There was nothing against the fans in Pittsburgh. Hopefully, they'll understand." (I'm thinking mostly they don't.)

Other Stuff: Mario Lemieux is an icon in Pittsburgh and a legend for a couple of generations of hockey players. He's an NHL team executive and owner, when he talks millionaires hang on his every word. But he gets no props from his daughter and her team when it comes to giving hockey advice. " They don't think I know anything." He said after coaching a tournament his daughter Stephanie was playing in. I know it'll come as no surprise, but that Mario is one heck of a guy, signing autographs, talking and giving pointers to the kids, and, even though he kept his name out of the program to keep a low profile, boosting attendance for the whole tournament. (he's kind of popular, I guess)

Pens executive Ken Sawyer loves the view in the Jobing.com arena so much he's having elements of it incorporated into the new Igloo. Seth, over at Empty Netters, thinks that Viking defensive end Jared Allen and Maxime Talbot are twins separated at birth. I have to admit there is a strong resemblance there. TSN has a small gallery of movie inspired Goalie Masks, that's pretty cool.

You've got to love Evgeni (Geno) Malkin. He may look like a Russian version of Jethro Bodine, but he's putting numbers up that bring speculations that he'll have his name on the Penguin's Scoring Champ banner soon. He's also a team guy who slipped Staal a pass for his first goal instead of filling the empty net himself. His scoring and responsibilities have increased every season, he's top of the League in scoring so far this year and he does it all with that engaging, goofy grin. He seems to genuinely enjoy the team and the town. How could you not like the guy?