Evgeni Malkin (28) and Matt Cooke (9) scored a goal each and Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 28 of 29 shots to secure a 2-1 victory over the second seeded Bruins this after noon.  Orpik added punctuation to a physical game by sending Bruin Daniel Paille flying some 20 feet across center ice with a crushing check late in the second period.  The Penguins simply out physicalled a strugling Boston squad which coming into the game was just 5-4-1 in their last 10 matches.

Pittsburgh did not register the kinds of shot totals they have been, putting just 28 shots on net for the game and Fleury was strong down the stretch with several key saves on scoring chances with the Briuns looking to tie the game late.  James Neal led the way for the Penguins with six shots.  Newcommer Cal O’Reilly had just one shot and a prime scoring chance that he failed to convert on.  Pittsburgh has to do a quick turnaround and face off against New Jersey at 1:00 PM tomorrow.

Now I know!  The Pittsburgh Penguins today released ticket prices for season ticket holders for the upcoming 2011-12 season.  And once again we are going up, up and away faster than Superman!

My tickets in section 201 behind the cut point where the price jumps even higher for center ice tickets are going to be $4,257.00 for a full season of 41 games plus two preseason games.  Last year was $4,042.00 and the year before that was $3,848.50.

After a 5.03% raise this year we get another 5.32% this year and a per game price of $49.50 per ticket.

Come on Mario!  Can’t you at least buy me dinner first?

Ok, so it took me a week but here are the pics of the lower bowl area at the new Consol Energy Center. Hey, sometimes life happens in between posts!

The view from rink level at Consol Energy Center

Here is my 10 month old son Magnus working the glass.

Here’s a view of the lower bowl looking up from the glass.

My daughter got a good look at the new player’s benches:

Here is a look at how the players will enter the ice from behind the benches at the new Consol Energy Center:

And lastly, center ice from ice level:

Center Ice from Ice level at Consol Energy Center

Now for some pics of the ice. Here is the view from the upper concourse.

Center Ice from second level of Consol Energy Center

As for the second concourse, people with these tickets are definitely further back than at the old arena respectively.  Our seats are a good two to four rows back further which is, I suspect, a result of the placement of the boxes between the first and second levels and the decision to not overhang the second level completely over these boxes.

We are in section 201, Row H seats 3 & 4:

Section 201 Row H

Here is the view of the ice from our seats which are tucked closer to the red line where as at the Igloo we were closer to the blue line:

View from Sect 201, Row H, Seats 3 & 4

Here is my son Magnus (age 10 months) testing out a seat:

Magus checks out a Consol Energy Center Seat

Here is my daughter Charlotte (age 3 years) chilling in another:

Charlotte relaxing in one of the Consol Energy Center's seats

A couple comments on the seats if I might.  First, THANK YOU for the wider seats!  This is a definite improvement that I could feel immediately upon sitting down.  Secondly, but really, couldn’t you give us a little more leg room to the row in front of us?  At the old Igloo I could put my feet flat on the floor and not have my toes hit the back of the seat in front of me.  But at the Consol Energy Center with my feet flat on the ground my toes are right up against the seat in front of me.  In fact I have to pull my feet back just to fit.  This means it will be harder for people to get in and out of the row if you ask me.

Also, really?  No cup holders?  Haven’t we all had enough bad experiences with spilled drinks on the ground due to tight quarters at the Igloo to understand how important these are?  The Penguins dropped the ball on this one.  Sorry.

Up next, Part III including views from the lower bowl …