Great day today.  The day started perfectly - I slept in.  Got to enjoy some leisure time with a book for a while this morning, then, I got a phone call from my friend Paul Magee.  I had not seen Paul since he was the best man in my wedding over 5 years ago.  I lost his contact info, but I recently reconnected with Paul through Facebook.  I was planning on calling him at some point in the day, but he beat me to the punch.  We started talking about getting together sometime soon, and he suggested today - I love this kind of spontaneity!  Sooooo, Paul made the drive from Cary, and Lisa & I went to dinner with him at Elizabeth's Pizza, and then we had coffee back at our place.  I couldn't have asked for a better Saturday :) 

(pic posted on my Facebook page)

"Fall Update" - LOL... Funny how I haven't posted anything since May.  Well, Lisa is now 25 weeks along, so only 2 weeks away from entering her third trimester.  Since the last post, we've found out that we're having a girl, and we're going to name her Kaylee Marie Ziarnik.  It's finally setting in for me that I am going to be a father.  Its exciting and scary at the same time.  Fortunately, a lot of the big items we'll need are taken care of - my folks bought a crib & dresser for us this summer.  Also, we were able to find an affordable glider/ottoman combo @ Target.  One of Lisa's co-workers sold us her Graco stroller for $50.  We've picked up some other great stuff at consignment sales & through Craigslist. 

Due to Lisa being so far along in the pregnancy, I've had to pitch in on more of the housework than normal, so I've had less time to be involved in the 360Voice forum community.  Less time to game as well, but I actually haven't missed gaming as much as I thought that I might.  However, I have been reading a bit more lately.  I'm not in much of a writing mood at the moment, so this is all you get for now. 

More to follow...

Just going to post some of my thoughts as I watch the game tonight.  I notice that Pittsburgh has replaced Kris Letang with Darryl Sydor on the blueline tonight.  Sydor brings the experience of having won 2 Stanley Cups, and can provide some great outlet passes from the back end, but somehow I don't see this lineup change as having a huge impact on the team right now.  What the Penguins really need right now is a stellar performance from Marc-Andre Fleury.  He needs to steal a game for them if they are to have any chance at getting back into this series.  Times posted are according to time remaining in each period.

1st Period:

(12:05, 1st period) No goals yet but this is looking exciting so far.  Pittsburgh really is showing some desperation,  as well they should be.  Ozzie has already had to make 1 decent save.  Shots are 4-1 Detroit. 

(8:25, 1st period) Mike Emrick (NBC announcer) states that Detroit's defenseman Brad Stuart is currently the leading scorer in the series with 3 points (1G, 2A).  There's a shocker.  Who would have thought that in a series featuring Crosby, Malkin, Staal, Datsyuk, Zetterberg & Lidstrom, that a stay at home defenseman like Stuart would be the leading scorer after 2 games? 

(7:15, 1st period) Shots are now 7-1 Detroit.  More of the same?

(6:35, 1st period) Dan Cleary one-times a shot after some tic-tac-toe style puck movement during a Detroit powerplay.  Fleury makes a timely save.  This is starting to look like another clinic on puck possession by Detroit.

(2:35, 1st period) Sidney Crosby scores the first goal of the game after Brad Stuart turns the puck over to Marian Hossa in his own end.  Hossa moves the puck to Crosby, who's initial shot is blocked, but he scores on the rebound.  The shutout streak has ended.  This is an important goal for Pittsburgh not just because they scored a goal, but because it was Crosby, their captain, who scored. 

(:40, 1st period) Brian Rafalski trips Evgeni Malkin & gets sent to the sin bin.  Pittsburgh powerplay.  Detroit must kill off this penalty in order to regain control of the game.  If Pittsburgh scores here it will be a HUGE shift of momentum.

End of the 1st period: Malkin fans on a shot in the final seconds of the first period.  Had he connected, it would surely have resulted in a powerplay goal, and more importantly, a 2-goal lead for the Pens.  Right now, if I'm Mike Babcock, I'm glad that its the end of the period.  There is a lot of energy in Mellon Arena tonight, and the Pens are starting to look like they are in this one.  I'm sure there's talk going on in the Detroit locker room about how its only 1 goal, and how there's still another 40 minutes of hockey left to play.  Detroit dominated for the majority of the period, and if the Pens think that this one is in the bag after 20, then they've got another thing coming.  As a side note, Niklas Kronwall leads all players in ice time having played 9:17 in the period, and Henrik Zetterberg leads all forwards with 8:47.

Start of the 2nd period:

Pittsburgh still has over a minute of powerplay time.  20 seconds into the period Crosby rings one off the crossbar & out of play. (Whew!)

(17:58, 2nd period) Even though the Rafalski penalty has expired, it still looks like a Pittsburgh powerplay.  Kronwall gets called for hauling down Ryan Malone, so another powerplay for Pittsburgh.

(17:26, 2nd period)  Sidney Crosby scores on the ensuing powerplay, picking up a rebound & stuffing it in from the left side of Osgood.  Assists go to Hossa & Malone.  Great news if you're a Pittsburgh fan. 

(15:08, 2nd period)  Crosby is playing with such heart right now and it really is paying off for him - not just on the scoreboard either.  The rest of the team is rallying around his inspiring play, and in the first 5 minutes of the period its been all Pittsburgh.  This does not look at all like the same team that just went scoreless through 2 games in Detroit.

(13:33, 2nd period) Pittsburgh has matched Detroit's shot total for the game now.  The teams are tied with 12 each. 

(12:10, 2nd period) Tyler Kennedy throws a late check on Brent Lebda after an icing whistle.  No penalty is called. 

(11:00, 2nd period) Hal Gill is called for cross checking Tomas Holmstrom, so Detroit gets a powerplay.  Also, Pavel Datsyuk, of all people just layed out Ryan Malone at the blue line.  Malone is slow to get up.  Why is Pavel Datsyuk leading the Red Wings in hits???  This is just as bizarre as Brad Stuart leading both teams in scoring after 2 games. 

(10:34, 2nd period) Brooks Orpik pushes Jiri Hudler into the Pittsburgh goalcage, dislodging it a moment before the puck went in.  No goal.

(8:55, 2nd period) Detroit manages a total of 1 shot on their powerplay.  TV timeout.  I'm realizing that one of the biggest differences I'm seeing in the Penguin's play tonight is that they are pursuing the puck much more aggressively than they did in games 1 & 2.  Michel Therrien has his forwards forechecking with a fervor unseen in the series thus far.

(7:02, 2nd period)  Hal Gill just can't get enough of Tomas Holmstrom tonight.  He just took another crosschecking penalty, so Detroit gets their 4th powerplay.

(5:12, 2nd period) Johan Franzen scores his league leading 13th goal of the playoffs on the powerplay, making an inside-outside move on Rob Scuderi before stuffing the puck past Fleury. 

The final 5 minutes of the 2nd period sees a lot of back & forth play - the teams are pretty much trading shots at this point in the game.  This is still anybody's game.  Pittsburgh leads in shots at the end of the period 19-18. 

Third Period:

(16:18, 3rd period) SAVE OF THE GAME! A sprawling Chris Osgood reaches back to stop the puck from trickling across the line for what would have been a third goal for the Pens.  This particluar play aside, Detroit has been much more active offensively this period.  They're getting back to playing their puck-possession style that has been their trademark.  This is still anybody's game.

(12:39, 3rd period)  Adam Hall scores a goal from behind the net, banking the puck off of Osgood as there is a scramble in front.  What bugs me about this goal is that only seconds prior Andreas Lilja could have touched the puck up for an icing call.  At the last moment, instead of touching the puck, he turns & looks over his shoulder at the Penguin persuing him.  This results in Lilja getting slammed into the glass, and a turnover, and eventually a Pittsburgh goal. 

(8:45, 3rd period)  I don't think there's been a whistle since the Hall goal.  The action is happening faster than I can type it.  Constant back & forth play.  One of the Wings hit a post (it looked like a goal to me).  Constant end-to-end action.  We finally have the finals series that NHL fans were hoping for.

(6:39, 3rd period) First whistle since the Hall goal.  Bodies are flying everywhere.  The coaches are screaming at their players in order to be heard above the roar of the crowd. 

(6:23, 3rd period) Mikael Samuelsson scores on a snap shot from the boards near the top of the circle.  I don't know if Fleury saw it or not, but suddenly its a 1-goal game again. 

(5:50, 3rd period) Holmstrom goes down on the ice after Hal Gill takes him down (yes, again) away from the play & sends him sliding into the Pittsburgh net.  Somehow, there is no penalty called on the play (???)

(4:16, 3rd period) Pittsburgh penalty to Evgeni Malkin  - 2 minutes for hooking.  Trailing 3-2, Detroit gets another powerplay.  This is clutch time. 

(2:46, 3rd period) Filpula redirects a shot on net for a decent scoring chance, but no goal.

(2:17, 3rd period) Malkin's penalty is over.

End of game.  3-2 Pittsburgh.  Detroit still leads 2 games to 1 in the series.  We've officially got ourselves a series.  The last 5 minutes of this game made for a real nail-biter.  Though I'm disappointed that the Wings lost the game, I can honestly say that this was a great hockey game to watch.  Next game is in Pittsburgh on Saturday night, but I'll probably not be blogging that one.  I'm probably going to be watching that one from a bar somewhere, downing some cold beers with my buddy Jason. 

That's it from me for tonight ;)

Time to try to stay on top of the blog (again).

Lisa is now about 8 weeks into her first trimester! Yep! We're pregnant!!! We found out about 3 weeks ago, and had been trying to get pregnant since January. Her estimated due date is January 2nd, but I'm sort of hoping that the kid comes in late December, that way we can claim it on our 2008 taxes  . The first ultrasound is scheduled for this upcoming Friday. I'm still somewhat in shock. Not because Lisa's pregnant, but because I am going to be a father. Its sometimes a bit overwhelming. Anyhow...

Today we went to Babies-R-Us, as well as Target, and started working on the baby registry. What a mind-boggling experience - Babies R Us makes my head spin. There's just so much stuff there!