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Last night I attended the Pittsburgh Penguin game at CONSOL Energy Center against the New York Rangers and the Pens were victorious against their divisional rivals 2-0.  The game saw goalie Marc Andre Fleury tie Tom Barrasso for the shutout mark for the Pittsburgh Penguins as well as Evgeni Malkin score two more points to extend his league leading total.  Other than the game though, the story was the deconstruction of the old home of the Pens, the Civic Arena, or the Igloo as it is affectionately known in the ‘Burgh.  Last night another huge step was made in its demolition, as one of the metal leafs of the roof was brought down shortly before game time.  So my wife and I ventured up to the Brew House in CONSOL to get a view from the upper level, which you can see above.

This one was taken with my Canon S95 P&S.  Unfortunately I left the ISO at 1250 so it is a little grainier than I would like, but I do like the wide angle look.

It is kind of an eerie sight.  Looking inside the shell of the old building, still filled with some seats and one lone banner on the roof, you think back to all the games that were played there.  There was even a Stanley Cup won in that building, though that year it was the Detroit Red Wings who lifted Lord Stanley’s Cup and not the Penguins.  It was also there that the Penguins celebrated their own Cup victory just one year later and where I had the opportunity to see the Cup as well.  Concerts, shows, events, parties all were held in the iconic building.  Now, little is left but steel, concrete and hanging wires.

This is the same view from the Brew House, just a couple of hours after the first one when it was dark out.  Thought I would give B&W a try on this one.

It really is the end to an era.  The iconic dome was instantly recognizable to any Pittsburgher or hockey fan, with its retractable roof sealed shut for the last couple of decades of its life.  CONSOL Energy Center is certainly an upgrade in terms of amenities, space and features, but there is something about the charm of the old Igloo that can never be replaced.

Like I said, there was a hockey game last night too!  As usual, I made my way down to the ice for some shots during pregame warm ups.  Above is a shot of Evgeni Malkin, or Geno as he is often called in the ‘Burgh, skating by.

And another one of him cleaning off his stick.  You can see the ice flying off around his gloves.

James Neal is consistently lighting the lamp for the Pens and they rewarded him with a 6 year contract the other day.

Jordan Staal, just about a week back from a knee injury, has been on fire since his return.

Pens defenseman Deryk Engelland takes a breather along the wall.

One of the top penalty killers and hardest working players in the league, Craig Adams makes the turn along the boards.

That’s all for today folks.  Thanks for stopping by and see you tomorrow!