The Phoenix Coyotes were not able to spoil Sidney Crosby's debut in Glendale Saturday night as the Pittsburgh Penguins pummeled them into submission 7-2.

The Penguins are clearly on a roll winning against the Dallas Stars on Friday night in a shootout, and then winning the game on Saturday night against the Coyotes.

The game was competitive for the first 35 minutes. The Penguins scored within the first 30 seconds, but the Coyotes hung tough.

Until a defensive breakdown that led to the soft goal allowed by goaltender Mikael Tellqvist, the Coyotes could have come back to win the game. However, the goal deflated the team and the Penguins took over.

Of course, I can't see how a charging penalty was called on Dave Scatchard in the first period instead of boarding as two Penguin players hit a Coyote player from behind into the bench, or how Georges Laraque was also called for charging when he hit a Penguins forward cleanly when he had the puck, but that's not the point. The Coyotes had their opportunities, but they were not able to capitalize on them.

Even though Josh Gratton has been a sparkplug for the team when he is in the lineup, Saturday night he took a very selfish penalty where he committed the dreaded Rule 56 (Instigator, Fighting Major, and Game Misconduct); however in that case, the officials were completely justified in sending him away.

If Ronald Petrovicky was yapping and squawking, his team has earned the right. The game was clearly out of hand at that point, and the Coyotes had to kill of a five minute major. The Penguins were able to score their final goal of the evening.

Gratton should take rest for a game or two.

It has to be diffciult trying to play teams without home ice advantage, even when the team is at home. It was clear from the broadcast that the only reason the stadium was sold out because it was filled with transplanted Pittsburgh Penguins fans.

I wonder if those fans remember the 1980s, pre-Mario Lemieux, when the Penguins were a bad team and the Igloo was filled with fans from the opposing side. I wonder if they liked it much? I'm sure they remember three years ago pre-Crosby-Malkin-Staal, when the team couldn't buy a win. I guess then it must be justified to come in to run down the home team even though they live in the Phoenix Valley.

Because it was sold out, I tuned in to my local broadcast and even though my channel guide said "FSN Arizona", I swore that I thought I was watching the channel "FSN Pittsburgh." I don't mind when the broadcast features a "meet the player" segment during the second period – they have been doing that all year. However, last night's broadcast was everything Penguins and everything Crosby.

I know that Sid is a special player and I do like him. The goal where he finished the play while falling on his backside was really incredible. It just has to sting a little bit when the star players of the NHL have an amazing game (Ovechkin comes to mind from last year), and the home town fans can't generate support.

Winning is a cure for that, I guess, but the Green Bay Packers had terrible teams in the 1980s, but they still sold out the stadium. The Toronto Maple Leafs have not won a Stanley Cup in 40 years, but tickets are difficult to come by.

The St. Louis Blues missed the playoffs for the first time in 25 years last year, and now they can't entice fans to come see a game. It might be a cultural phenomenon where people want to be associated with winners instead of losers.

It was just hard to stomach having Sidney Crosby shoved down my throat on the local broadcast.

I get it already – the kid is good. I couldn't agree more.

However, if I played on the Coyotes right now, I'd be enraged at the lack of media support and would find a way to cope with it – by taking it out on the next team(s) I face.

Original post by PB and software by Elliott Back

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