How Do You Position Yourself To Succeed

Final tally: One goal, two assists and the game’s first star in a 5-0 rout of the Maple Leafs.

Mercy.”

“The Second Coming occurred here last night, at the Igloo, on Mario Lemieux Place - HE’S BACK! projected on the domed roof of the old arena - before a giddy, pinch-me, standing-room only capacity audience of 17,148 fans, and untold millions more who watched on ESPN in the U.S., CBC in Canada.

This is what they witnessed: Lemieux’s retired No. 66 sweater retracted from the rafters over centre ice - an unprecedented spectacle; even Michael Jordan declined to reactivate his No. 23 jersey upon his comeback in Chicago - as 4-year-old Austin Lemieux gazed upwards, wide-eyed, from the edge of the ice.

It was a reverential and understated ceremony, tasteful, as was the black-and-white montage of film clips from Lemieux’s career - a chronology of 13 years, now To Be Continued - that flashed on the scoreboard.

For the expectant crowd, the first glimpse of Lemieux came during the pre-game warm-up, bounding on to the ice, helmetless, with all the jump of a scrubeenie. That alone merited a standing ovation.

Then, another roar of approval as the public address announcer mentioned a certain addition to the lineup. And, again, when Lemieux reappeared to start the game, 18th Penguin out of the chute.

Lining up at centre ice against Toronto Maple Leaf captain Mats Sundin, Jaromir Jagr on one wing, Jan Hrdina on the other.

Lemieux actually lost that faceoff to the big Swede. But - good golly, just try to make this stuff up - there he was behind the Leaf net on that first shift, head ducking one way and the other, looking for Jagr in the slot, soft-tapping the puck out front.

A crash of bodies, the puck behind Curtis Joseph, Jagr catapulting into the net. The referee went to video replay, but no way on earth this goal was going to be called back.

Thirty-three seconds.

That’s all it took for Lemieux to record his first NHL point in 3* years.

In the second period - as if just like yesterday - Jagr pivoting away from Dmitry Yushkevich, tape-to-tape pass, a wrist shot from the high slot, 3-0 Pittsburgh.

And he said he’d never be back.”

This was description given by Tor Star sports journalist re: return of the Magnificient One to ice arena, to hockey.

What caught me was that word “never.” Does it not seem like that word “never” is non-existent when it is found on human lips. I know I have told God on not a few occasions, I will never sin again. Of course, you all know very well, that never happened.

On the night when Jesus Christ was betrayed, we heard the words “never” uttered by a human. This one said “ ‘Even if I have to die with I will never disown you.’ Can u guess who said it? Interestingly in the next sentence, in the very same verse, which is found in Matthew 26:35 it is written, “And all the other disciples said the same.” In other words, all these humans used the word “Never”. And of course they NEVER followed through. They all deserted Jesus when the bad guys came and took Him away.