He's BAAAAAAAACK!

or excuse my hockey fangirl gush 

After 10 1/2 months of recuperation, speculation and anticipation, one of hockey's greats, Sidney Crosby hit the ice to a deafening roar from a capacity crowd.

And boy, did he bring it.

At 5:24 into his first game after a double concussion almost put an early end to his brilliant career, he stuffed the net with his first shot on goal after speeding down ice on a magnificent breakaway. 

You can watch this beautiful moment over and over and over to your heart's content right here

"I'm back, bitches!
How do you like me now?"

His face, the notable face of hockey, exploded with an ear-to-ear, self-satisfied grin, punctuated with an emphatic "FUCK YEAH!!" as the fans in the stands leapt to their feet in celebration. (Seriously. He clearly says the f-bomb. Go back and look at the clip. LOVE!)

a sea of Welcome Back SID signs
(Mario's idea)

He's back, BABY and making up for lost time.

Later in the first period, we all held our breath when he took his first crushing hit against the boards from the Islanders' Travis Hamonic, and we all exhaled in unison when he popped right back up to resume play as though he was never injured.

WHEW!!

Sid promised us he wouldn't return until he was 100 percent. Surviving that first leveling, racking up two goals and logging two assists proves he's a man of his word. The Pens performed remarkably well in Sid's absence, keeping the team on top. It seemed each night marked a new leader. They made it damn difficult to pick my extra attacker for every game.

The boys were outstanding without him, but they are spectacular with him. His presence on the ice last night elevated every single teammate's level of play. For the first time in a long while, all of our big guns are healthy and skating together. Now we have three amazing lines jam packed with talent to die for. Unbelievable fun to witness.

As anxious as we all were to see our hero return to the lineup, imagine how frustrated Crosby felt. Being a hockey player isn't just what he does, it's who he is. And he's the best. He IS a Ferrari. He's in a class unto himself. His talent is a thing of beauty. It must have just killed him not to be able to perform at full tilt. We haven't seen a comeback of this magnitude since Mario's triumphant return. When asked about his return, the kid with the luscious red lips said, "I've been waiting a long time to have the chance to go out there. I wanted to make sure I gave it my best effort."

His best effort is the stuff of hockey legend.

It was one HELL of a contest. An emotional evening that galvanized a community and defied description. As Coach Bylsma stated after the game, "I don't really have good words for it. That was special in a lot of ways."

Indeed.

i'm too sexy for my stache...

Not only is Crosby perhaps the most awesome player in the NHL, he's incredibly sweet, grounded and the consummate team player. When asked before the game if he expects to be where he was in January of last year (66 points in 41 games), the superstar humbly replied "Probably not, but I expect to, hopefully, contribute."

Mission accomplished, Boy Wonder.

Welcome back, Sid. We've missed your magic.

Now if you can only get rid of that sorry excuse for a mustache, we'll be golden. Besides, you're too pretty for facial hair.