After 320 days and 61 games, Crosby returns

Sidney Crosby returned to action last night for the Pens as they smoke the New York Islanders 5-0, and Crosby dazzles with a goal on his first shot/third shift of the night.  By the end of the evening, Crosby had piled up 4 points, with 2 goals and 2 assists, delighting the crowd who had come to revel in the thought of this team actually playing a game or two with a full line up.  The highlights of the evening were many.  Obviously the fact that Crosby not only came back, but made it look like Kessel was merely keeping his seat at the top of the scoring race warm topped the list, but there were others.  How about Marc Andre Fleury posting a shutout, and looking sharp between the pipes?  What about unsung hero Pascal Dupuis piling up 3 assists to give him 17 points, tied for second on the team with Letang, behind team leader James Neal?  How about Z-man making his return after missing 10 games, and playing a very solid game on the blue line?  What about the balanced attack with 2 goals by Crosby, and goals by Malkin, Sullivan, and Orpik?  Or the fact that Chris Kunitz again showed his value even when he does not hit the scoresheet with his speed, puck retrieval skills and tenacious forecheck?  It was a great night for the city, the team, and of course for 87!  On a personal note, the night was great for us too.......it has taken a season and a quarter, but the Consol Energy Center is starting to feel quite a bit more like home, as Old Lady Mellon used to.  We had our own little party last night, and the Consol Energy Center now has an evening that will stand out in my spank bank of hockey nights, like some of our Mellon Arena nights.  Some of our favorite nights prior to last night included the Lemieux 5 points, 5 ways game, the opening game in the 1991-92 Finals where 66 buried it late to cap a furious comeback win, Games 4 and 6 of the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals, the come back game to open the second round of the 2007-08 semi-Finals against the Rangers, and various other playoff games in the four seasons that the Pens have gone to the Finals.  I consider last night to be the first "signature" night for our family in the new building, and I am sure we will experience many more!  I hope that tomorrow night is one of them.  Go Pens!