2009-2010 Schedule is Out (Nice options for NHL-NFL weekend)

[RuthlessBurgher]

There are FOUR opportunities to see a Pens game on a Saturday night at 7:30 at the Igloo, then see a Steelers game on Sunday afternoon at 1:00 at Heinz Field.

Saturday 10-17-09 Lightning @ Penguins 7:30
Sunday 10-18-09 Browns @ Steelers 1:00

Saturday 10-24-09 Devils @ Penguins 7:30
Sunday 10-25-09 Vikings @ Steelers 1:00

Saturday 11-14-09 Bruins @ Penguins 7:30
Sunday 11-15-09 Bengals @ Steelers 1:00

Saturday 12-5-09 Blackhawks @ Penguins 7:30
Sunday 12-6-09 Raiders @ Steelers 1:00

Plus, there is one day where you can see the Penguins and Steelers play on the exact same day with an awesome doubleheader:

Sunday 12-27-09 Ravens @ Steelers 1:00 and Maple Leafs @ Penguins 7:00

However, you always have to beware of a potential of that Ravens game being a "flex" game (even though Baltimore whined about not wanting to play in Pittsburgh in prime time again). If that game has playoff implications in the 2nd to last week of the season, it could be moved (but then again, if they move the Steelers from the afternoon to prime time, they could then move the Penguins from prime time to the afternoon...the Penguins moving their game to an earlier time because of the Steelers has happened before when the Steelers were given prime time playoff dates).

There is also one other time when there are Steelers and Penguins home games on back-to-back days, but in this case it would be a Sunday afternoon followed by a Monday night, which is not as convenience as the Saturday night followed by Sunday afternoon setup:

Sunday 12-20-09 Packers @ Steelers 1:00
Monday 12-21-09 Devils @ Penguins 7:30


Here is the full Penguins schedule:

Date Opponent Time
Fri Oct. 2 NY Rangers 7:30 PM
Sat Oct. 3 @ NY Islanders 7:00 PM
Wed Oct. 7 Phoenix 7:30 PM
Thurs Oct. 8 @ Philadelphia 7:00 PM
Sat Oct. 10 @ Toronto 7:00 PM
Mon Oct. 12 @ Ottawa 7:30 PM
Thurs Oct. 15 @ Carolina 7:00 PM
Sat Oct. 17 Tampa Bay 7:30 PM
Tues Oct. 20 St Louis 7:00 PM
Fri Oct. 23 Florida 7:30 PM
Sat Oct. 24 New Jersey 7:30 PM
Wed Oct. 28 Montreal 7:30 PM
Fri Oct. 30 @ Columbus 7:00 PM
Sat Oct. 31 Minnesota 7:30 PM
Tues Nov. 3 @ Anaheim 10:00 PM
Thurs Nov. 5 @ Los Angeles 10:30 PM
Sat Nov. 7 @ San Jose 10:30 PM
Tues Nov. 10 @ Boston 7:00 PM
Thurs Nov. 12 New Jersey 7:30 PM
Sat Nov. 14 Boston 7:30 PM
Mon Nov. 16 Anaheim 7:30 PM
Thurs Nov. 19 @ Ottawa 7:30 PM
Sat Nov. 21 @ Atlanta 7:00 PM
Mon Nov. 23 @ Florida 7:30 PM
Wed Nov. 25 Montreal 7:30 PM
Fri Nov. 27 @ NY Islanders 2:00 PM
Sat Nov. 28 NY Rangers 7:30 PM
Mon Nov. 30 @ NY Rangers 7:00 PM
Thurs Dec. 3 Colorado 7:30 PM
Sat Dec. 5 Chicago 7:30 PM
Mon Dec. 7 Carolina 7:30 PM
Thurs Dec. 10 @ Montreal 7:30 PM
Sat Dec. 12 Florida 7:30 PM
Tues Dec. 15 Philadelphia 7:00 PM
Thurs Dec. 17 @ Philadelphia 7:00 PM
Sat Dec. 19 @ Buffalo 7:00 PM
Mon Dec. 21 New Jersey 7:30 PM
Wed Dec. 23 Ottawa 7:00 PM
Sun Dec. 27 Toronto 7:00 PM
Tues Dec. 29 @ Buffalo 7:00 PM
Wed Dec. 30 @ New Jersey 7:00 PM
Sat Jan. 2 @ Tampa Bay 3:00 PM
Sun Jan. 3 @ Florida 7:00 PM
Tues Jan. 5 Atlanta 7:30 PM
Thurs Jan. 7 Philadelphia 7:30 PM
Sat Jan. 9 @ Toronto 7:00 PM
Mon Jan. 11 @ Minnesota 8:00 PM
Wed Jan. 13 @ Calgary 9:30 PM
Thurs Jan. 14 @ Edmonton 9:30 PM
Sat Jan. 16 @ Vancouver 10:00 PM
Tues Jan. 19 NY Islanders 7:30 PM
Thurs Jan. 21 Washington 7:30 PM
Sun Jan. 24 @ Philadelphia 3:00 PM
Mon Jan. 25 @ NY Rangers 7:00 PM
Thurs Jan. 28 Ottawa 7:00 PM
Sun Jan. 31 Detroit 3:00 PM
Mon Feb. 1 Buffalo 7:00 PM
Sat Feb. 6 @ Montreal 2:00 PM
Sun Feb. 7 @ Washington 3:00 PM
Wed Feb. 10 NY Islanders 7:30 PM
Fri Feb. 12 NY Rangers 7:30 PM
Sun Feb. 14 Nashville 1:00 PM
Tues Mar. 2 Buffalo 7:30 PM
Thurs Mar. 4 @ NY Rangers 7:00 PM
Sat Mar. 6 Dallas 1:00 PM
Sun Mar. 7 Boston 3:00 PM
Thurs Mar. 11 @ Carolina 7:00 PM
Fri Mar. 12 @ New Jersey 7:00 PM
Sun Mar. 14 @ Tampa Bay 5:00 PM
Wed Mar. 17 @ New Jersey 7:00 PM
Thurs Mar. 18 @ Boston 7:00 PM
Sat Mar. 20 Carolina 1:00 PM
Mon Mar. 22 @ Detroit 7:00 PM
Wed Mar. 24 @ Washington 7:00 PM
Sat Mar. 27 Philadelphia 1:00 PM
Sun Mar. 28 Toronto 5:00 PM
Wed Mar. 31 Tampa Bay 7:30 PM
Sat Apr. 3 Atlanta 1:00 PM
Tues Apr. 6 Washington 7:30 PM
Thurs Apr. 8 NY Islanders 7:30 PM
Sat Apr. 10 @ Atlanta 7:00 PM
Sun Apr. 11 @ NY Islanders 6:00 PM

[Jigawatts]

Well, Mrs. Jigawatts and I already have tickets for the Raiders game. If we could talk
the mother-in-law into watching the Jigawatt girls for the weekend we'd be all set.

Those Saturday games are hard to get tickets to when ticketmaster releases
them in the 10:00 A.M. Saturday morning madness.

[RuthlessBurgher]

Well, Mrs. Jigawatts and I already have tickets for the Raiders game. If we could talk
the mother-in-law into watching the Jigawatt girls for the weekend we'd be all set.

Those Saturday games are hard to get tickets to when ticketmaster releases
them in the 10:00 A.M. Saturday morning madness.

Last year, we had two options...a Sabres game and a Canadiens game...and we were on the phone with Ticketmaster that Saturday morning. Got tix for the game against Buffalo (which happened to be the first time they wore the old blue jerseys at home since the 70's...we did not know that at the time we were buying the tickets, so when it happened like that, it was pretty cool), but we were not able to get tix for the game against Montreal. If we don't get them that Saturday morning, we would have to pay more than usual, since I suspect that scalpers will be charging a premium price since we are defending Stanley Cup champions now.

[RuthlessBurgher]

Think back to last season and how important the stretch run was toward playoff seeding. We were strong down the stretch, and clinched a 4th seed, giving us home ice in the first round (and ultimately in the Eastern Conference Finals as well, since we faced off against the 6th seeded Canes).

Now look at the last few games of this upcoming schedule. Other than that one game against the Caps, 6 out of the last 7 games of the season are against non-playoff teams (Islanders twice, Thrashers twice, plus the Lightning and the Leafs).

The season also starts off pretty nicely. After opening with the Rangers, 4 out of the next 5 games are against non-playoff teams (Islanders, Coyotes, Leafs, and Senators) with the Flyers being the only playoff team in the middle of that opening stretch.

[buckeyehoppy]

Dayum! The stretch run on this sked looks like a cake walk at this point. We shall see.

Blackhawks v. Pens on 12.5 = Stanley Cup Finals preview? We shall see!

[RuthlessBurgher]

Dayum! The stretch run on this sked looks like a cake walk at this point. We shall see.

Blackhawks v. Pens on 12.5 = Stanley Cup Finals preview? We shall see!

You want Hossa to lose for the 3rd consecutive year in the Stanley Cup finals? That's cruel and unusual punishment. Jim Kelly and the other Bills player of the 90's will have to talk him off the ledge.

[buckeyehoppy]

Dayum! The stretch run on this sked looks like a cake walk at this point. We shall see.

Blackhawks v. Pens on 12.5 = Stanley Cup Finals preview? We shall see!

You want Hossa to lose for the 3rd consecutive year in the Stanley Cup finals? That's cruel and unusual punishment. Jim Kelly and the other Bills player of the 90's will have to talk him off the ledge.

Throw in Billy Buckner for good measure.

Have nothing personally against Hossa. The Hawks are going to be good for many years to come. So what if Hossa loses again? I think it would boil down to the Pens being just that much better than a still young team.

Can't say that a DH is in my cards this year. But this is the final year in the Igloo and I plan on attending a game anyway.