The NHL decided to open their season abroad, which is a fine idea. The only problem is the season opening games were almost impossible to see as they weren't on national TV. Luckily, Kramer was actually able to see the Eastern Conference favorite Pittsburgh Penguins open the season in Stockholm.

The Pittsburgh Penguins are favorites to not only win the Atlantic Division, but also the Eastern Conference.  However, injuries have made an impact already.  I watched the opener in Stockholm, which was broadcast sporadically this afternoon in the US, 9:00 PM local time in Stockholm.  The Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh was also open for fans to watch on the jumbotron as they did during last year's playoffs.  After listening to 3 national anthems, the season got underway.  Petr Sykora is one of those sidelined for the start of the season, so in his place is Tyler Kennedy.  Kennedy made his presence known immediately, scoring the Pens' first regular season goal just 40 seconds into the 08-09 season.  The Senators tied it up roughly 9 minutes later on a redirect shot that Fleury couldn't stop.

During the first period, the Pens had FIVE power play chances, including a 5-on-3.  They got a big fat goose egg!  So onto the second period we go when the Senators had a power play, but Malkin and Crosby were out there for the penalty kill.  Malkin took advantage of some mishandling of the puck by Ottawa and notched his first career shorthanded goal, sending Ottawa goalie Martin Gerber into the net and nearly crashing feet-first into the net himself.  Ottawa tied it up once again when they WERE able to score on a power play, scored by arguably the biggest goal scorer on the Senators, Dany Heatley.  Ottawa then took the lead on a shorthanded goal by Jason Spezza, and held the lead for the remainder of the period.  The Pens came up empty on two more power plays in the second period.  If you're keeping track, that's 0-7, YIKES!  It was only 2 periods into the new NHL regular season, and it was already blatantly obvious that the Pens were missing Sergei Gonchar at the point, who scored 48 of his 67 points last season on the power play (Gonchar is out 4 to 6 months after shoulder surgery). Yeah, without him, they looked awful with a man advantage.

How do you handle the loss of one of someone who is quite possibly the best offensive defenseman in the NHL?  You let Sidney Crosby pass it to newcomer Miroslav Satan and set up...Rob Scuderi for a goal.  Yeah I know, it shocked the hell out of me too!  Scuderi's goal brings his NHL career total all the way to 3.  That tied the game at 3 a piece, and we would go to OT.  Just as it looked like the game was heading for a shootout, Tyler Kennedy took the puck away from the Senators and was the hero of the day, scoring the game winning goal with 25 seconds left in OT.  The Pens squeaked by with a win despite having several chances to put the game away in the first period.

It's only one game, and they won, but good lord does this team miss Sergei Gonchar.  They had seven power play chances in this game, five coming in the first period, and they didn't score once when Ottawa took the trip to the penalty box.  I'm sure an argument could be made that Ottawa has a good penalty kill, but watching this game, I saw a Penguins power play that lacked that key man at the point to keep the puck in the opposing team's zone.  Those who are on defense while Gonchar and Ryan Whitney recover from their surgeries are going to have to step up.  It only took one game, but Gonchar's absence is already having a noticeable impact on the defending Eastern Conference champs.

BK over and out