Bruins - 5, Penguins - 1

The Penguins stunk tonight... but I don't care. What I care about is that WE LOST MARIAN HOSSA!!! What the @*^$%^*&@&#@!!! Oh come on! He didn't even play more than 10 minutes for us and he went down to an injury. He suffered an injury from a knee-on-knee hit from Glen Murray. In the blink of an eye, every Penguins fan in the world exclaimed in unison, "NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" Luckily, early word is that it's not serious and he should miss only about a week or so. But an MRI is needed tomorrow to be sure. Come on, Hossa. We gave up a lot for you. We need you!

Penguins - 4, Islanders - 2

This would be a tough game for the Penguins but they pulled through. I don't know how they did but they won. With the emotional hangover from the trade deadline and going into the game missing teammates, no one would have blamed them for losing. They were outshot 52-21, yet they seemed in control for some reason. Ty Conklin was unbelievable. It's hard to see how Fleury can take his No. 1 spot away. Good job, Pens! Next game, you're getting three new teammates.

HOLY $#*%!!!

The NHL trade deadline has passed and for the majority of the day, the Penguins were quiet... that is, until the final 10 minutes. Going into this day, the two needs they had were a big, strong defensive defenseman and a scoring winger. The defenseman need was filled first with the acquisition of Hal Gill from Toronto in exchange for a 2nd and 5th round pick. While his speed and maneuverability may be subject to concern, he brings exactly what the Penguins need. He's someone who can deliver hits, log a lot of ice time, and penalty kill. Teams will have a harder time pushing around the Penguins' D in front of the net now. The need for a scoring winger came shortly after and left jaws dropped all over the hockey world.

Atlanta Thrashers get:
Colby Armstrong, Erik Christensen, Angelo Esposito, and a 1st round pick.

Pittsburgh Penguins get:
Pascal Dupuis and MARIAN HOSSA!!!

OMG... Marian FREAK'N Hossa! The Penguins didn't just get a scoring winger to play with Sidney Crosby, they got one of the elite snipers in the game! At first glance, this trade seemed like serious overpayment by the Penguins, but it may not be. Letting go of Christensen was ok. He just was never able to live up to his scoring potential here. Colby is a heartbreaker. He was a fan-favorite here and a great locker room presence. But as much as we loved him, he was just a 3rd line role player. Pascal Dupuis can pretty much do what Colby does. The biggest parts of the trade were Esposito and the 1st rounder. Esposito is a huge question mark. He has the potential to become a bona fide superstar or a complete bust. He had an amazing year as a 16 year old but has not played back to those levels. He was basically a high risk, high reward prospect. The first rounder is another question mark. This year's draft is supposed to be a deep one and the Penguins have given up many of their picks. But if they do well, all those picks will be late ones. For years, the Penguins have been about building for the future. Today, they sent a different message, "The future is now!" They paid a high price for this. Their farm system is dry and they don't have picks to replenish it. Marian Hossa is an unrestricted free agent after this season. He could leave for nothing. And if the Penguins manage to resign him, it will be very costly. But the statement for this year has been made. We've seen the core of that future grow up before our very eyes. Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal, Marc-Andre Fleury, Ryan Whitney, Kris Letang... the core is intact. With the addition of Hossa, this team has become very... VERY LETHAL. It is now one of, if not the best team in the Eastern Conference. The expectations are set and the message is clear...

WE WANT THE STANLEY CUP NOW!

Original Cast Recording

I came home today and found a wonderful surprise in my mailbox. It was The Little Mermaid Original Cast Recording, sent straight from the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre! The CD was officially released this week, but I got the special version you can only get from the actual theatre... cause I'm a nerd like that! Anyways, I have to say this is the greatest CD I have ever heard! It's just so amazing!!! We've had the leaked Broadway workshop to listen to for the last two years but now the final version is out and it is so worth the wait! It's really funny to hear how some of the workshop songs have changed. But I think they've changed for the better. This CD is so beautiful, it literally had me in tears listening to it. OMG, this is pretty much the soundtrack of my life.

Thoughts on some of the songs.

"The World Above" - This was not in the workshop so it was a complete surprise. This is Ariel singing about how much she feel she belongs in the human world. It is so pretty and it feels like the lyrics were written just for me. It may just be my favorite of all the new songs.

This is where I belong
Beneath the clear wide blue here!
I feel completely new here in the world above!
It's like my life was wrong
And somehow, now, at last I'm in
My own skin
Up here in the world above!

There's so much light here
Light and space!
The sun's so bright here
Upon my face!
It feels so right here
Warm as love...
Life seems to be
Almost calling to me
From this strange new world above!

"I Want the Good Times Back" - I really like this song because it tells the backstory of King Triton and Ursula. They're apparently brother and sister! Wow!

"She's in Love" - This is a very silly, catchy, and almost out of place song sung my Ariel's sisters and Flounder. Some of the lines are hilarious!

"Her Voice" - This pretty much stayed the same from the workshop. Eric sings about the voice that haunts him.

"Beyond My Wildest Dreams" - My favorite from the workshop, it's been changed a bit. It's no longer just Ariel singing in her head. There are other people singing about her, which makes it resemble "Belle" somewhat. I love the change. It really conveys the scene of this wide-eyed yet confusing girl seeing this new world for the first time.

"One Step Closer" - This is another song that wasn't in the workshop. It's awesome! Eric teaches Ariel to dance. The song makes you want to dance yourself!

"If Only" - This has undergone a serious makeover since the workshop. No longer just a duet between Eric and Ariel, they mixed in Sebastian's reprise and a new section for King Triton. This is such a beautiful, yet heartbreaking song. If you don't feel something during this song, you have no heart.

"The Contest" - This wasn't in the workshop either but it's so funny. It's a bunch of women butchering "Part of Your World" trying to impress Eric.

"Part of Your World" - "Part of Your World" is the soul of the story and the anthem of dreamers everywhere. It's a difficult song to sing because to do it right, you have to feel it. Sierra Boggess did the song justice. I don't know how Disney found her, but they found the perfect Ariel!

These aren't all the songs. There are 29 total, but these wee the ones that really jumped out at me. I love them all though. I love this CD!

An Outrage!!!

Enchanted lost?! How is that possible?! It had three of the five songs! No way it deserved to lose. You know the only reason it lost was because the Academy is tired of handing Alan Menken Oscars. This is an outrage. #@$% YOU ACADEMY!!!

As for the performances, Amy Adams was wonderful in "Happy Work Song." It was very clear that she was scared up there but she pulled it off. Unfortunately, it was a horrible idea to have her sing there absolutely alone. Why is she alone? She sings that song to others in the film. Singing it alone, it makes her look like a crazy woman! As for "That's How You Know", Kristin Chenoweth totally butchered that song! I was looking forward to that one the most and it was the worst of the three. Chenoweth sang it all opera-like. What the hell! It's supposed to be a sweet and silly song. I don't understand why Amy couldn't do this. Well, at least Amy didn't get shown up by Chenoweth. Amy was the better singer tonight. "So Close" was awesome! They completely recreated the scene and did it right. Watching it on stage was almost as magical as seeing it in the theater. I loved it!

Once again... @$% YOU ACADEMY!!!

Sharks - 2, Penguins - 1 (SO)

OMG, dullest game ever! The Sharks make the Devils look exciting. Didn't they used to be known for offense? I didn't even notice Joe Thornton on the ice! What the heck was that? I was hoping for the game to go into the shootout when it was obvious that it was going into overtime. I figured everything in the shootout favored the Penguins. I was wrong. What happened to Conks? He was stellar in regular gameplay and just didn't even try in the shootout, letting all 3 Shark shooters score on him. How about that sick move by Ruutu? Going in ridiculously slow and then backhanding it with one hand. How does this guy not score more?! On the bright side, the Penguins got 4 points out of 6 against 3 very tough and different opponents.

Senators - 4, Penguins - 3 (OT)

I wasn't able to catch this game. I was at the Adventurers Club learning what a Ding Dong Daddy was. Don't ask. It was Part II of the Battle for the East and while the Penguins made it out with one point, it was a disappointing result. That's because they gave up a 3-goal lead and an opportunity to take the lead in the Eastern Conference. But there isn't much time to dwell on this game. The Sharks come to town today!

Penguins - 5, Canadiens - 4

It was Part I of the Battle for the East and while they came out of it bruised and scarred, the Penguins were victorious. What a game this was! The Pens faced a very tough opponent, high off the energy of an amazing comeback victory against the Rangers. It was in their building, in front of their intimidating crowd. Two great offenses. Two deadly powerplays. It was a great night for hockey. The Penguins also showed their character tonight. They lost a 2-goal lead against a team known for their comeback and stayed on course and took the win in regulation. Congrats to Sergei Gonchar on his 8th consecutive 50-point season and 600th career point. Evgeni Malkin now has a 4-point lead in the scoring race and is making his case for MVP. Jordan Staal with 6 shots on goal! Ryan Malone and Ryan Whitney continuing their stellar play. This is a team that has come together nicely! The upcoming returns of Crosby and Fleury will only make this team better. Part II of this battle is next and the conference is up for grabs against the Senators on Saturday.

Addressing Rumors

The trade deadline is approaching. In fact, it's this upcoming Tuesday. And with that comes a lot of trade rumors, the majority of which are completely false. But that brings us to this spicy little rumor that seems to be making its rounds around the net.

Penguins get: Martin Havlat, Tuomo Ruutu
Blackhawks get: Jordan Staal

That rumor is coming from thefourthperiod.com so I doubt it has much credence. Still, it scares me. Ray Shero, if you trade Jordan Staal, I and a great many Penguins fans will hunt you down and beat you mercilessly.

Penguins - 3, Panthers - 2

So when did Ryan Malone become a game breaker? 2 goals tonight including an amazing game winner. That wasn't a move you would associate with Malone but he managed to dance around 3 defenders and go 5-hole on Vokoun. The Pens went into the 3rd trialing 0-2 and pulled out 3 goals for the win in regulation, just barely! They always seem to make it exciting, don't they? Well, it was good to get this win because the Pens face a tough set of games ahead, with the Canadiens, Senators, and Sharks coming up.

Oh yeah... Evgeni Malkin is now the scoring leader! Who would have thunk it?

Penguins - 4, Sabres - 1

Forget the last two games, it was back to business for the Penguins. Malkin, again dominant. Conklin, impenetrable. Sykora, showing he's at last a dependable scorer. And the big news this weekend was that Crosby has resumed full contact practices, way ahead of schedule. Now, he either has the healing powers of Terrell Owens or he's still hurt but really good at hiding it. I really hope it's the first!

Hurricanes - 4, Penguins - 2

In some ways, this game was like the previous night's. In others, it was the complete opposite. Just like against the Bruins, the Pens fell to a hungrier team. Dunno what it is about their lack of intensity to start the last two games. Hopefully, it will be addressed. But unlike the Bruins game, which was a boring trap-fest, this was a high-flying offensive show. We proved that if you don't have the drive, you can lose multiple ways. These were the first back-to-back Penguins regulation losses in 2 months. That's pretty good! Also, The Penguins injured Rod Brind'Amour for the season with a torn ACL. You know, the Penguins are developing a habit of hurting Carolina players. First, there was Erik Cole, then Trevor Letowski, and now Brind'Amour. They really must not like us.

Bruins - 2, Penguins - 1

I was only able to catch the final period of this game. Until Malkin finally scored late in the third, what was up with the Penguins' powerplay? For what's supposed to be our strength, it was dreadful! Still, we managed to keep it close. You can't win them all. And how about those amazing stops Ty Conklin had on Boston's two-man breakway and the follow-up by Phil Kessel? Wow! The Pens have another game up tomorrow, so not too much time to dwell on this.

American Idol Comes to Disney

Once one of my favorite parks, Disney's Hollywood Studios keeps doing more things to make me stay away. Sigh... see for yourself.

Studios gets "American Idol" show



If they didn't have Voyage of the Little Mermaid...

Downie says "No Mas!"

Here's video of Steve Downie skating away from a fight with Jarkko Ruutu on Sunday. What a gutless punk!

Prayers for Zednik

If you didn't see tonight's Sabres-Panthers game, Richard Zednik suffered a horrific injury. He accidentally got his throat cut by teammate Olli Jokinen's skate. It was a terrible scene to see, with so much blood on the ice. Zednik was taken to the hospital and is in surgery now. Let's keep him in our thoughts and prayers.

Geno Domination

I was away for the weekend so I didn't catch any of the game. But boy, do I wish I could have seen them.

2/9: Penguins - 4, Kings - 2
2/10: Penguins - 4, Flyers - 3

Look at this team! Just look at them! When Sid went down, people said they would be lucky to go .500. They are now 6-2-2 without Crosby. They are showing they are much more than one player. Everyone is stepping it up. Ryan Malone, Jordan Staal, Petr Sykora, Sergei Gonchar, Kris Letang, they'll all elevated their games. But no one has done it more than Evgeni Malkin. He has emerged out of Crosby's shadow and shown that he is without a doubt, one of the greatest players in the world. 21 points in 10 games without Sid. 7 points this weekend alone! He's taken this team on his shoulders and is running at full speed. We knew he was good, but this good? Amazing! You know what they say, adversity doesn't build character, it reveals it. The Penguins are showing who they really are. They are a good hockey team. And can you imagine when Crosby, Roberts, and Fleury return? They will be a great team!

Oh yeah... suck it, Flyers. Suck it!

Penguins - 4, Islanders - 3

"Dear Coach,

#@&% you!

Sincerely,
Ryan Whitney"

That was the message sent tonight. After getting chewed out in public by Michel Therrien, Ryan Whitney answered tonight with 2 goals and an assist. Kris Letang got the game-winner late in the 3rd period. There were some things to be concerned about though. Ty Conklin did not play well. He gave up a horrible empty net goal in the 1st and made mistakes throughout the night. I hope this isn't the end of his stellar play. Also, it's becoming more and more evident that the Penguins defensemen can't handle physical forwards. This has to be addressed. It was nice to get the win. We have a big weekend coming up with 2 games, including the Flyers. Since Crosby went down, we haven't been able to string together a winning streak. Let's start one now!

Noooooooooo!!!

This is indeed a sad day for hockey...

Marc-Andre Fleury has switched his gear from yellow to white. Who knows the reason for the change, but those yellow pads were awesome and distinctive. Farewell, yellow flower! :(

Belle & Ariel Sing Together

I just found this amazing clip on YouTube of Paige O'Hara (Belle) and Jodi Benson (Ariel) singing "When You Wish Upon A Star." It's beautiful!

Devils - 4, Penguins - 3 (OT)

What was that? The Penguins should have won this game. They outplayed the Devils for most of the game. The score should not have even been close. Did the Penguins become too confident? A complete breakdown at the end of the game. Although we got a point out of this, this result is very disappointing.

Penguins - 4, Hurricanes - 1

Although they trailed through the first two periods, this was the Penguins' game. Four different Penguins scored in this game. That is a testament to this team's depth. Ryan Malone has finally begun to show his potential... much later than expected. But hey, at least it's here. Nice to see Petr Skyora still plays on this team. And how awesome was that goal by Malkin? The Pens got Colby Armstrong back and expect Adam Hall and Kris Beech soon. Marc-Andre Fleury and Gary Roberts await down the line. This team is coming back together. Let's keep it up, guys!

Giselle!!!

Look what I found on Main Street today! The first Enchanted art piece I've ever seen! It looks awesome. $450... ouch.