It's a hockey night in Pittsburgh

Once again Mario Lemieux has saved the Pittsburgh Penguins, http://www.pittsburghpenguins.com , with a little help of phenom Sidney Crosby, and the recent play of the team. And finally, the city of Pittsburgh, and it's fans can finally breathe a sigh of relief in knowing that it will have its hockey team stay right where it belongs.

Last Tuesday, the Penguins and government officials said they had ended months of difficult negotiations and agreed on a $290 million plan to build a new arena. Under the deal, the government agreed to waive upfront money from the team, while the Penguins will receive $10.5 million in compensation for delays.

The sides also agreed to share responsibility for some cost overruns, and according to the deal, the Penguins will pay $4.2 million a year for the building, including $2.2 million a year for a 29 1/2 -year lease. The rest could be funded by naming rights or covered by the Penguins. The city will provide a 500-space parking lot next to the new arena, or the Penguins may elect to contribute an additional $500,000 annually for a new parking garage.

The Penguins will continue to play at 46-year-old Mellon Arena, http://www.mellonarena.com/ , until the new arena is completed sometime during the 2009-10 season, even though it might not be ready at the start of that season. Mellon Arena will be demolished when the new arena is completed.

That same night Lemieux, skated onto the ice to tell the sold out crowd at Pittsburgh's Mellon Arena that, "Tonight, I'm proud to announce that your Pittsburgh Penguins will remain right here in Pittsburgh, where they belong." The Penguins also enjoyed a victorious night as well with Crosby having a goal and two assists and scored the deciding goal in the shootout as the Penguins beat the Buffalo Sabres 5-4 on Tuesday night.