Shea-ved Ice: Stanley Cup Title Sweeter This Time
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – "No more tacos!"
Those were the words I uttered as the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrated their fourth Stanley Cup title Sunday night.
It's not that I dislike tacos - far from it. I'm just ready to expand my culinary horizons after eating them every other day for the past two months.
I'm not sure if my wife was happier about the Penguins winning the Stanley Cup, or not having to consume tacos anymore. It's probably a wash.
You're probably wondering, why tacos?
The answer is simple. We ate them on a game night early in the playoffs and the Penguins won. Hence, the game day meal was born.
Word quickly spread around the news room, too. On game days, it was common for several co-workers to come up to either of us just to make sure tacos were on the menu.
It's just one of the quirks many fans have this time of year. Me? My game day routine consumes me from the moment I wake up until the moment I go to sleep.
I'm not kidding. I'm incredibly excited to have my life return to normal.
So is my wife. I've said it before and I'll say it again, she is a saint for putting up with this.
Photo Gallery: Penguins Win The Stanley Cup!
For the record, I'm well aware that all the little things I do throughout the day have absolutely no bearing on the outcome of the game. However, that's still not going to stop me. If anything, it helps pass the time until puck drop.
It's just what this time of year does to you.
It makes you believe that certain articles of clothing are lucky, too. I even refuse to wear a shirt on game day after it has previously lost.
That's why a special load of laundry needed to be done before Game 6.
All that remained in the win pile were a polo and a Phil Kessel shersey. Both had been worn in tandem for five straight wins in the playoffs. That combo ended the playoffs with a 6-0 record. Yes, I keep track of these things.
The Kessel shirt got an extra bath after the game when I jumped in the backyard pool with a miniature Stanley Cup. Hopefully, this becomes a more frequent tradition.
Swimming with Stanley! #Pens #MyPlayoffsMoment @penguins pic.twitter.com/pjh1KwzSrH
— Casey Shea (@SheaVedIce) June 13, 2016
For me, this win feels a whole lot better than the one in 2009. Back then, I was in the middle of picking up and unexpectedly moving to Pittsburgh. Let's just say, life happened out of nowhere.
My wife and I were planning our wedding as well. That was one of the most hectic years of my life.
The prospect of moving happened so fast. I knew next to no one out here and had only visited the area a couple of times for Penguins games. I will say, the move has been great for our family. For those unfamiliar, Pittsburghers are special people.
Anyway, I couldn't get as emotionally invested in the 2009 playoffs as I would have liked. I still watched the games and did my routines, but my mind was always elsewhere.
Eventually, I made my way to the Pittsburgh area...a couple of weeks after the parade.
This time around, there were opportunities to attend games and chat with many of you on social media. The best part about it was getting to come into this great city every day and feel the excitement building. I don't know, it just felt different this time. Maybe "different" isn't the right word. Maybe "special" is more appropriate.
There were countless times I'd be out running errands and end up talking to people about the Pens. It's been awesome.
As the Penguins advanced, you saw more people wearing Penguins gear. The most impressive display was before Game 5 when roughly 20,000 people gathered outside Consol Energy Center to watch on a big screen. San Jose rained on the party, but what a night for Penguins fans and this city.
The ultimate moment of glory finally came Sunday night.
It still didn't feel real in the third period of Game 6. Time seemed to stand still. There were several times where I'd look at the clock and think, "All that only took 10 seconds?"
It wasn't until Patric Hornqvist launched a puck into the empty net that I allowed myself to get excited.
When the clock expired, I jumped off the couch yelling and cheering with my wife. It was an awesome moment. We celebrated the last Stanley Cup over the phone, several hours away. Now, we were together and could celebrate together.
Again, this one was more special.
And yes, we had tacos before the game.
The winning recipe? Beef tacos with peppers, onions and corn.
We did try variations along the way to break up the monotony - all failed.
Now that the playoffs are over, we may not make them again…until it all begins next year.
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