The Crosby Life

My lucky brother got Wednesday’s practice off, but it was actually a good practice. I noticed that Billy seemed a little uncomfortable, but I made no note of it.
We found out that Martin Skoula would be heading to Toronto along with our top prospect, Luca Caputi, in exchange for a new winger by the name of Alexei Ponikarovsky. I don’t know a whole lot about the guy. I never really got to see him, but Geno and Ruslan were excited; especially Ruslan since they grew up together.
I had to keep Marc from playing any pranks on our new defenseman, Jordan Leopold. Plus, Max already got to him first. Poor guy.
The plane ride to New York was fairly fast, just like how I like them. The game against the Rangers, well, let’s just say that wasn’t so fast. The whistled seemed to blow constantly, and it was Marc’s first start in twenty days… and the Rangers made it difficult. Not to mention, Billy was a last minute scratch do to back spasms.
On top of it all, Sidney was a major target, and the Big Apple didn’t give him a warm welcome. Even their goaltender tried to have a word with my brother. The chant “Crosby Sucks” set me off and I high-sticked a Ranger in the face. Hey, it wasn’t my fault, he got in the way.
I skated around the net after a fourth goal slid past Marc-Andre, and tried to talk to him since I knew he was being pulled. “It’s fine.” I said softly, gliding next to him as he headed to the bench. “You haven’t played in so long. You just need to get back in the swing of things.”
As he took off his mask and sat down on the corner spot of the bench, he looked at me, a weary smile on his lips. “Thanks, Sierra.” He said, and the whistle blew for the lineup.
Have I ever said to never count us out? I hope I did, because this was the night that it shown.
After Marc-Andre was pulled, we got angry and we were ready to fight. The goals just went flying at the Rangers goaltender, and they kept going in. We tied it up in the end to take it to overtime, but not without a few injuries.
Brent only faced about four to five shots from the moment he made a huge save against the Rangers after he took Marc’s spot. He is definitely a guy that you want as a backup like that, because he made it possible to tie up the game.
At the end of the third period, though, I was at the Rangers end playing the puck. I spotted Jordan skated up to a free side and I made a play to get it to him.
What I didn’t see until it was too late, was Marc Staal furiously skating up to me. I jumped up in the air to take some of the impact of getting checked since I didn’t want to get nailed in the face. Marc nailed me in my side and the puck went loose as I fell to the ice. I groaned and spat out my mouth guard and tried to stand up, only to slip on my slid once again. My left hand went to my ribs and I cringed and rolled onto my left side.
The Rangers’ goaltender, Henrik Lundqvist, raised his arm for a whistle and skated over to me while the other guys skated around, confused. Even though he tried to get into it with my brother, at that moment, I didn’t care who it was.
Lundqvist dropped his stick and put his hand on my arm as I hugged close to my ribs. I spotted Jordan shoving his brother while one ref tried to break them up, and the other ref was breaking up a few other of the guys.
“Are you alright?” Lundqvist asked, and I shook my head and grinded my teeth.
“My ribs.” I managed to choke out.
Jordan came over to me and knelt down. “I gave Marc a bit of a fist to teach him from messing with our girl.” He said with a smirk.
I rolled my eyes. “Brothers.” Was all I could say, along with a cringe.
The ref skated up to me and the two guys. “Can you stand?” He asked.
I shrugged and Jordan and Lundqvist carefully helped me to a sitting position. I gasped at the sharp pain in my side and squeezed Jordan’s hand. “Sorry.” I breathed, trying not to cringe.
“Take your time.” The ref said as the other ref was talking to the bench.
I nodded my head. Jordan got the picture and started to help me to my feet. Lundqvist stabled my other side, and grabbed my stick, gloves, and Jordan’s gloves and the crowd clapped for me. I thought about how ironic it was that they hate us, but clapped anyways. That’s just sportsmanship though.
Jordan and Lundvist guided me to the bench and the Rangers’ goaltender gave my things to Dan as Jordan helped me onto the bench. Marc-Andre took my hand and took my weight as I left Jordan’s side, and collapsed against him. He helped take off some of my under armor as I leaned heavily against him and the team doctor checked out my side.
“They aren’t broken, and they don’t seem to be sprained.” He reported. “Just a hard hit that will leave some bruises. You’ll be fine in a few days.” He grinned at me and I nodded, taking the painkillers he offered.
I leaned in Marc’s arm through the rest of the game.
We won, and won with a brilliance. Sadly, our newest guy couldn’t be here for our win because of visa issues; it would have been a great game to participate for a new teammate.
We flew back to Pittsburgh that night, and I slept through the whole flight. The painkillers knocked me out. Marc-Andre actually carried me on his back through the airport and as we waited to the Penguins’ bus to pick us up and take us to the arena where our cars await to go home.
Dan stood next to us. “Will you be at practice tomorrow?” He asked.
I rested my cheek on Marc’s neck. “I’ll be there. I don’t know if I can participate though.” I said, half coherently, half not.
Coach Bylsma chuckled. “I should have known not to ask. You never miss a practice, on purpose that is. You came to the rink with a fever once.”
I grunted. “Don’t remind me.” I mumbled. “That was a bad day.” Marc-Andre chuckled and I nudged him.
The bus finally came and the ride from the airport to the rink was fairly quick, and I was in the backseat of Marc-Andre’s car before I knew it. Jordan was on the phone with one of his brothers, and judging by the voice on the other side, it was Eric scolding him for fighting Marc. “He deserved it.” Jordan grumbled to his eldest brother. “No one hurts our Sierra. It’s always been like that.”
I smiled to myself as I picture Eric on the other side of the line.

As it turned out, I did participate in the warm-ups of practice on Friday, but that was all I could do. My ribs ached and you could actually see the bruise on my skin as well. Max poked the side when I was changing; he got an elbow in the face.
I sat on the wall as I watched the rest of the guys practice. Ponikarovsky finally made it to Pittsburgh, and I talked with him a bit to get to know him more. We evidently gave him the nickname Poni, and he doesn’t seem to mind.
I noted that Marc-Andre looked good in the net, more confident than he had been the last few days. I had a feeling that tomorrow’s game, and the game on Sunday as well, would go just as planned.
During practice, I dodged a puck to the face and shot a very dirty look at Cooke. “Woops.” He said and I threw the puck at him, that he ducked to avoid.
Billy didn’t practice, but I wasn’t surprised. He was having bad back spasms, and I felt bad for him. I thought about making him and his family cookies and taking them over later; Marc said it was a good idea.
After practice, I called Jenna to ask if she wanted to help bake cookies with me, and she said she did. I went to Mario’s house with Sidney and Marc-Andre went back to our place to take a nap. He really enjoys his naps.
Jenna and I baked a dozen and two cookies to take over to Billy’s place, but we ate the two extras, which were really good if I may add.
“You drive.” I said to Jenna. I was not in the best place of mind to drive, and I was wearing my wrist brace since I fell awkwardly at the game the night before.
“I don’t know where he lives.” She said, turning on the car and backing out.
I laughed. “I’ll direct you, no worries.”
Jenna grinned and took a big whiff of the cookies. “We will definitely have to make more sometime.” She said with a grin.
I nodded my head. “Turn left here.” I instructed, and then went on. “Yeah. Maybe we can make some for the team if we win the two games this weekend.” I said, pondering.
“That would be cool!” She exclaimed, then she blinked and her brow furrowed. “That would be a lot of cookies to feed all those men.
I busted out laughing. “Left again. That would be a lot of cookies. There is no way that they will want only one; they’d give us grief!”
“Men.” Jenna said, and I shook my head while we both laughed.
“Right here, and then the quick left.” I said, pointing. “Their house is the third on the left.”
Jenna pulled into the driveway and we got out of the car as I took the cookies.
We walked up the stairs and rang the doorbell. I could hear one of the kids on the inside, and I peeked through the side window next to the door. Kara, his wife, made her way to the door, and opened it with a pleasantly surprised look on her face.
“Sierra, Jenna, it’s good to see you!” She said happily. “What brings you here?”
I smiled and held out the cookies, and Billy rounded the corner and an eyebrow shot up as he saw us. “We baked cookies to hopefully help Billy feel better, and just to make the kids happy.” I said to her.
Liam ran around the corner and was hugging me before I could say hi. “Hi, Erra!” He said happily, and I laughed and ruffled his hair as his mother took the tin and Jenna walked through the door.
Billy walked up, and Kayla and a friend of hers looked over the stairs. “Hi Sierra and Jenna.” Kayla greeted.
“Hey, Kay.” Jenna replied as I tried to pry Liam off of me. He always latched onto me whenever he saw me. Billy just says it’s because he loves me. The eight year old always makes me laugh. Especially when he is with us at the practices.
“Kids!” Kara called from the kitchen. “Sierra and Jenna brought cookies!” The children all made their way into the kitchen as fast as they could go.
I laughed and Jenna said hi to all of them. Billy rested against the wall and watched his children, and Jenna, eat the cookies. “Thank you, Sierra, for bringing those over.” He said quietly, and I could see the love for his children in his eyes.
I smiled at him and shrugged. “It was no big deal. I needed to do something anyways. I didn’t get to practice so I felt restless.”
Billy looked at me, a grin spreading on his face. “Are your ribs hurting you that much?” He asked in a teasing voice.
“Are your back spasms bothering you that much?” I retorted, and he laughed.
“Touché, Erra.” He said as Kara handed him a cookie.
“You better be nice to her.” His wife warned him.
Billy took on an innocent look. “Like I would ever be mean to my precious little Sierra!” He pulled me into a hug, but my face ended up by his armpit.
“Eww, gross.” I said, pushing against him as Kara laughed and my phone rang. “Excuse me.” I mumbled, able to get away from Billy. “Hello?”
“Your cat ruined my shirt.” Jordan’s voice replied on the other end.
“That’s great.” I mumbled. “Why are you calling on Marc’s phone?” I asked.
“Because your cat ruined my shirt!” I could picture Jordan scowling. “And my phone is being stupid. Flower is asleep.”
“Jordan, your phone was dropped in the sink; of course it is screwed up!” I rolled my eyes. “What did Aislinn do?”
“She puked on it.”
I twitched. “Stick it in the wash.”
“It’s disgusting though.”
I twitched again. “Jordan, its puke. Are you going to throw out every shirt you have when you have children and they puke on it?” I asked him. “You are 21. You know how to do a wash.”
Jordan sighed on the other line. “Why do you always have to be right?”
“Because I’m me.” I grinned and Jenna caught my eye from the kitchen. “I’ll be home in a bit. Ask Marc what he wants to eat.”
“But~”
I cut Jordan off. “I know he is asleep, but I don’t want to cook. Just tell him it’s me.”
Lexi yelled at Grace and Kayla for making her drop her cookie in the kitchen, and Liam sat in his daddy’s lap. Kayla’s friend was talking to Kara. I heard voices in the background on the line, and Marc-Andre finally took the phone.
“Bon?” He asked in his shortened version of bonjour that he used when he was half asleep.
“It’s me, dear.” I said as Lexi and Liam dashed past me. “I just brought the cookies off with Jenna. I was thinking about picking something up on the way home. What would you like?”
I heard the love of my life yawn. “Chinese?” He asked, in English this time.
“Ok, I’ll be home soon. Love you.” I replied and I shut the phone.
“Hey Jens, we better get going. I have to pick up some food.” I said, and Jenna reluctantly left the table from speaking with Billy and his eldest daughter. “Bye everyone!” I said, waving as Billy and Liam led us to the door.
I hugged Liam goodbye and Jenna waved and took out the keys. “I need to pick up some Chinese before you drop me off.” I said.
Jenna smiled and pulled out of the Guerin’s driveway. “Ok, I’ll pick some up too. Sidney will want it.”
We both laughed and I shook my head. “Nothing is better than good old Chinese food.” I said with a smile, and we grinned at each other.