I'm going to talk about something other than hockey for a minute because I feel like it. I'm reading about the media's reaction to the Watergate scandal in the 70's and it got me thinking...does it bother anybody else that ESPN named this whole Patriot's cheating thing "Spygate," which is a knockoff of one of the biggest government scandals in American history??? FOOTBALL IS NOT THAT IMPORTANT!!!!!! NEVER should something from a sport be named after something of such magnitude in this country's history.
Back to hockey...Montreal goalie Carey Price is showing that he really is 20 years old instead of the near-immortal he looked like during the season and Boston series. The Flyers won 3-2 last night to take a 2-1 series lead. Price was pulled from the game after giving up 3 goals on 12 shots. Two of the goals were weak and should have been stopped. This is deflating for a team. If Montreal is going to win, he's going to have to show some serious mettle and rebound in game four, or else the fat lady will sing in Montreal.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
Some say he's in the wrong sport...
Sidney Crosby is a great player. One of the biggest complaints about him is that he dives to draw penalties. Diving is not something that great players do...honestly, I don't understand why anybody would be that cowardly, but maybe that's just me. I have to admit, he does go down rather easily sometimes. The Rangers have brought this complaint back to the surface after what they call a questionable penalty that was sparked by a Crosby "dive" (I did not see the play) in Game 1 lead to the game winning goal, and another incident in yesterday's game (he did appear to go down pretty easily here). His first year in the league, I think Sid dove a lot. Now, he still draws a lot of penalties, but I think because of his speed and talent level, he forces other players, especially big, slow defenseman, to clutch and grab and take penalties. This is an example of first impressions lasting a lifetime, and I don't think it's fair. Yes, there are times where he draws a penalty becuase of going down that probably wouldn't be called if a lesser known player had the same thing happen to them. That's not his fault, though, is it? There are players in the league who do dive, and the NHL needs to implement an automatic fine and suspension for a diving penalty to eliminate this problem. I don't think Sid is a problem diver anymore, though.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
April 25 Recap
Hershey's season ended on a sour note last night, as they gave up four third period goals en route to a 7-3 shellacking in Wilkes Barre. The Bears actually scored the first goal of the game and had a 2-1 lead at one point, and were down 3-2 after two periods before the Baby Pens exploded for a four goal third to put the game out of question. After winning the Calder Cup two years ago and losing in the finals last year, a first round exit is a bit of a disappointment for the guys in Chocolate and White, but oh well, you can't make it that far every year. Just making the playoffs is a respectable season.
One of the bad things about the AHL is that there are a lot of roster changes from one year to the next as guys either move up to the NHL or switch teams because of either being involved in a trade or signed as a free agent to a minor league contract by another NHL club. My guess is Chris Bourque, Alexandre Giroux, and probably Sami Lepisto will be in Washington instead of Hershey next year, although Giroux and Lepisto could go elsewhere. Hopefully Hershey doesn't lose too many key players, or they are able to make good offseason signings.
In the NHL, the Penguins erased a 3-0 deficit early in the second period by scoring four unanswered goals, including the first two in a 14 second span, to open their series against the Rangers with a 5-4 win. Per usual, Sidney Crosby created controversy amongst the opposition, who claims that he took a dive to embellish the penalty that lead to the game winning goal. I think Sid does draw some BS penalties, but in this case, I'm not complaning as I want the Penguins to win the series.
Dallas beat San Jose 3-2 in OT to take a 1-0 lead in that series. Look for OT to be a constant theme there...if not OT, definitely tight, one goal games. I didn't watch the end of this game because of being exhausted from getting up at 5:30 to go to Penn Relays for the day, but the first two periods weren't terrible...not a lot of shots, since both teams are strong on D, but there wasn't a lack of opportunites or action.
One of the bad things about the AHL is that there are a lot of roster changes from one year to the next as guys either move up to the NHL or switch teams because of either being involved in a trade or signed as a free agent to a minor league contract by another NHL club. My guess is Chris Bourque, Alexandre Giroux, and probably Sami Lepisto will be in Washington instead of Hershey next year, although Giroux and Lepisto could go elsewhere. Hopefully Hershey doesn't lose too many key players, or they are able to make good offseason signings.
In the NHL, the Penguins erased a 3-0 deficit early in the second period by scoring four unanswered goals, including the first two in a 14 second span, to open their series against the Rangers with a 5-4 win. Per usual, Sidney Crosby created controversy amongst the opposition, who claims that he took a dive to embellish the penalty that lead to the game winning goal. I think Sid does draw some BS penalties, but in this case, I'm not complaning as I want the Penguins to win the series.
Dallas beat San Jose 3-2 in OT to take a 1-0 lead in that series. Look for OT to be a constant theme there...if not OT, definitely tight, one goal games. I didn't watch the end of this game because of being exhausted from getting up at 5:30 to go to Penn Relays for the day, but the first two periods weren't terrible...not a lot of shots, since both teams are strong on D, but there wasn't a lack of opportunites or action.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Stayin Alive
Hershey staved off elimination last night with a 3-2 OT win at home against the Baby Pens. WB/S scored with 19 seconds left to tie the game, but Hershey ended the agony and avoided the sweep just 20 seconds into OT. Game 5 is tomorrow night (April 25) in Wilkes Barre, as Hershey looks to live another day. Eric Fehr's return from Washington should be a big offensive boost for the Bears, as well as a leadership boost. LET's GO BEARS!
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Round Two
The Flyers (shit) and Sharks both won their decisive game seven's last night, officially ending an exciting first round. Here are the match-ups for round two.
Montreal vs Philadelphia
Pittsburgh vs New York Rangers
Detroit vs Colorado
San Jose vs Dallas
I'm really excited for these match-ups. Montreal and Philadelphia usually play entertaining games and they have a history of action packed playoff series. They both had seven game first round series, so neither team will be more well-rested than the other. They each have potent offenses and block a lot of shots on defense. I'd give Carey Price the edge over Marty Biron in goal based on his resume in playoffs in lower levels, and the fact that the last two Montreal rookies to start in the playoffs were these guys named Ken Dryedn (1971) and Patrick Roy (1986). Guess what? The Habs won the Stanley Cup both times, and both goaltenders went on to Hall of Fame careers. I hope history repeats itself here.
The Rangers and Penguins are Atlantic Division rivals, and it features a high powered Pens offense against a stingy Rangers defense; however, the Pens defense is the most underrated part of their game, and the Rangers offense came alive in the first round against New Jersey. This one could go either way.
Colorado and Detroit used to be THE rivalry in hockey, but it has gradually died down over the years as players have moved on from the clubs or retired from hockey all together. I don't like the odds for my boys from the Mile High City, as they only scored two or three goals against the Wings in four regular season games. Hopefully these games are more entertaining than they were during the season, as they were very one sided in Detroit's favor everywhere but the scoreboard, which had very low scores on it. Keep in mind, the Avs did not have Peter Forsberg, Ryan Smyth, Joe Sakic, and Paul Stastny for much of the regular season. They will be keys on offense if the Avs are going to put up a fight.
I don't have too many thoughts about the San Jose and Dallas series. Dallas looked very strong in their first round demolition of defending champs Anaheim, and San Jose was pushed to the brink against a Calgary squad who they were supposed to dispatch of easily. Many experts picked San Jose to win it all, but I think they will be lucky to make it out of this round alive.
The first games of the second round are Thursday night...not sure of the start times yet.
Montreal vs Philadelphia
Pittsburgh vs New York Rangers
Detroit vs Colorado
San Jose vs Dallas
I'm really excited for these match-ups. Montreal and Philadelphia usually play entertaining games and they have a history of action packed playoff series. They both had seven game first round series, so neither team will be more well-rested than the other. They each have potent offenses and block a lot of shots on defense. I'd give Carey Price the edge over Marty Biron in goal based on his resume in playoffs in lower levels, and the fact that the last two Montreal rookies to start in the playoffs were these guys named Ken Dryedn (1971) and Patrick Roy (1986). Guess what? The Habs won the Stanley Cup both times, and both goaltenders went on to Hall of Fame careers. I hope history repeats itself here.
The Rangers and Penguins are Atlantic Division rivals, and it features a high powered Pens offense against a stingy Rangers defense; however, the Pens defense is the most underrated part of their game, and the Rangers offense came alive in the first round against New Jersey. This one could go either way.
Colorado and Detroit used to be THE rivalry in hockey, but it has gradually died down over the years as players have moved on from the clubs or retired from hockey all together. I don't like the odds for my boys from the Mile High City, as they only scored two or three goals against the Wings in four regular season games. Hopefully these games are more entertaining than they were during the season, as they were very one sided in Detroit's favor everywhere but the scoreboard, which had very low scores on it. Keep in mind, the Avs did not have Peter Forsberg, Ryan Smyth, Joe Sakic, and Paul Stastny for much of the regular season. They will be keys on offense if the Avs are going to put up a fight.
I don't have too many thoughts about the San Jose and Dallas series. Dallas looked very strong in their first round demolition of defending champs Anaheim, and San Jose was pushed to the brink against a Calgary squad who they were supposed to dispatch of easily. Many experts picked San Jose to win it all, but I think they will be lucky to make it out of this round alive.
The first games of the second round are Thursday night...not sure of the start times yet.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
No creative title today
The Bears lost Sunday night. They're down 3-0 now. Hopefully they can salvage one Wednesday night and start working their way back into the series.
The Caps won in Philly last night, coming back from a 2-0 second period deficit to win 4-2 and force game seven tonight in DC. I have night class...out last one before the final. DAMN IT! Maybe I'll "have to write a paper" or something... The San Jose-Calgary series is also going to be decided by a game seven tonight. I'm gonna be up until all hours of the night and be a zombie for 8a.m. class tomorrow. It will be worth it though hopefully.
The Caps won in Philly last night, coming back from a 2-0 second period deficit to win 4-2 and force game seven tonight in DC. I have night class...out last one before the final. DAMN IT! Maybe I'll "have to write a paper" or something... The San Jose-Calgary series is also going to be decided by a game seven tonight. I'm gonna be up until all hours of the night and be a zombie for 8a.m. class tomorrow. It will be worth it though hopefully.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Trouble in Chocolatetown
Things aren't looking good for the Bears...they lost 6-2 in Wilkes Barre tonight to go down 2-0 in the best of seven first round. A pivotal game three is tomorrow afternoon in Wilkes Barre. It's pretty much a must-win for Hershey. A win would give them some momentum coming home and would make it easier to even up the series. If they go down 3-0, however, that's pretty much an automatic lights out. The game tonight was 3-2 going into the 3rd period, and then WB/S exploded for three goals in a span of a couple minutes to put the game well out of reach. Cassivi has been the goaltender for the first two games, which is understandable because of his playoff experience and two Calder Cup championships...I wonder if Bob Woods will look to rookie Darren Machesney, a fan favorite, before the end of the series if Hershey doesn't win tomorrow?
On a completely random aside, I forgot just how good of a song Summer of 69 is.
On a completely random aside, I forgot just how good of a song Summer of 69 is.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Insert Nelson Muntz laugh here
The Devils bailed out in the first round for the third time in the last four seasons, and the only time they made it past the first round, in 2006, they lost in the second round. Marty Brodeur, arguably the greatest goalie of all time, has looked mortal in every single playoff series the past four years becuase he plays anywhere from 70-77 out of the 82 games each year. The average starting goalie plays maybe 55-65 games. So, come playoffs, Marty is burned out. The Devils put so much emphesis on playing defense that they never load up a good offense and can't score. They brought in Kevin Weekes, an experienced goaltender, to be Brodeur's backup this year and ease his workload. He got at most two starts in the last three months of the season. Brent Sutter was brought in as the new coach and said he was going to implement a more offensive system. Two weeks into the season they were playing their same old boring, responsible hockey that GM Lou Lamouriello forces his coaches to play or else...Sweet Lou...in my eyes, you are the reason for your club's playoff demises. Let the coaches you hire run the team. You've tried your hand at coaching twice and failed twice. The Devils' Stanley Cup days where Brodeur could shoulder such a work load are well in the past.
I love seeing the Devils lose. HA HA!
I love seeing the Devils lose. HA HA!
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
For your entertainment...
Here's a quote from ESPN hockey analyst John Buccigross about the first round series between Nashville and Detroit...
I picked the Red Wings in seven because Nashville's fans just go bonkers when the Red Wings come to town. It's like they are at a Toby Keith concert with free Milwaukee's Best.
The part about the Toby Keith concert with free Beast made me laugh out loud.
I picked the Red Wings in seven because Nashville's fans just go bonkers when the Red Wings come to town. It's like they are at a Toby Keith concert with free Milwaukee's Best.
The part about the Toby Keith concert with free Beast made me laugh out loud.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Bitter
I hate the Flyers. I really do. Okay, maybe I don't hate the team itself. It's (most) Flyers fans that make me dislike them. They're ignorant and classless - I've heard them boo or jeer injured players from the opposing team. A referee makes a legitimate call and they start an ASSHOLE chant. No, douchebags, you aren't funny. Their announcers are extremely unprofessional. Sure, you should have a bias for your team if you work for a regional network. These guys take it to a new level. Any time something goes against the Flyers it's because there's a conspiracy against them. That leads to five minutes of complaining about how incompetent the officials are. They commit and obvious penalty and the refs don't know what they're talking about. The other team gets away with something and the refs have it in for them. They never acknolwedge something good that the other team does. If you watch Penguins games, their announcers will acknowledge things such as milestones players from the other team achieve, commend a good play, and if an unfavorable call goes against them, they may disagree, but instead of griping about it for five minutes they say "Well, they call it like they see it, and the Pens have to deal with it and move on" or something to that extent and continue on. Flyers games are so bad I frequently have to watch the game on mute. The sad thing about this is...they're better this year than they were in the past. Maybe I should stop complaining and just take it for what it is. I'm mostly bitter because they just won.
Listen up, Buddy
Every game of the Colorado-Minnesota series has gone to overtime. Every game of the series has seen the Avs blow a third period lead, being outscored 6-2 in the process...that's EVERY REGULATION GOAL MINNESOTA HAS SCORED IN THE SERIES. The Avs pulled it out in game one, but Minnesota has taken the past two. I've got enough grey hairs for a 21 year old. Joel Quenneville, stop insisting that your team can sit on a 1-0 or 2-0 lead. They can't. They haven't been able to for about seven years. Please, let's work on winning a game in regulation...or winning a game for that matter.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Bring on the Baby Pens
The Bears clinched a playoff spot last night with a 5-2 win over the Phantoms. Bridgeport needed to win out and have the Bears lose to clinch a playoff spot, but fortnuately they lost last night, so the Bears are in. Their first round matchup is Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. This is a divisional rivalry between two pretty evenly matched teams. The Bears easily disposed of the Baby Pens in the playoffs last year, so hopefully this year is a repeat. After a skid that almost put their season in jeopardy, Hershey seems to be back on track, going 6-2-1-1 in their last ten games. They conclude the regular season tonight with a game against Binghampton, and then the playoffs begin on Wednesday the 16th. Hopefully everyone is healthy and well rested by then. I'd love to see a third consecutive trip to the finals for the boys in Chocolate and White.
In other news, Boston College beat surprising Notre Dame last night 4-1 to win the NCAA Men's Hockey championship, their first since 2001 and third in program history. I kind of wanted Notre Dame to win because they were the underdog and it would have been their first national championship. They scored what I think was a legit goal that would have made it 3-2 midway through the third period, but the goal review team declared that it was kicked in. The instant replay showed the puck deflect off of the guy's skate and in. This is legal as long as there is no distinct kicking motion. There was a kicking motion AFTER the puck had hit his skate and was on its way into the net, but he did not make a kicking motion when he actually hit the puck into the net. I think it was a bullshit no goal. Thirty seconds later BC went down and scored to make it 4-1 and that was that. That's just how the puck bounces some days.
In other news, Boston College beat surprising Notre Dame last night 4-1 to win the NCAA Men's Hockey championship, their first since 2001 and third in program history. I kind of wanted Notre Dame to win because they were the underdog and it would have been their first national championship. They scored what I think was a legit goal that would have made it 3-2 midway through the third period, but the goal review team declared that it was kicked in. The instant replay showed the puck deflect off of the guy's skate and in. This is legal as long as there is no distinct kicking motion. There was a kicking motion AFTER the puck had hit his skate and was on its way into the net, but he did not make a kicking motion when he actually hit the puck into the net. I think it was a bullshit no goal. Thirty seconds later BC went down and scored to make it 4-1 and that was that. That's just how the puck bounces some days.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
I wish...
I'm watching the Boston at Montreal playoff game and wow, I wish I could be there. 21,000 phenatical fans must be deafening. I also wish I could have been at the Flyers at Capitals game last night. It was a great game.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Damnit, Nate
I hate fantasy sports. I really do. They cause people to root for players who are on their favorite team's rival team becuase they "help their fantasy team." Not only that, but it gives ESPN an extra excuse to talk about football year round by predicting which players will have a big fantasy impact next year for 3 months after they do their 3 months of mock drafts. So someone please answer me this: WHY THE HELL DID I JOIN A FANTASY HOCKEY LEAGUE???? It's only for the playoffs and it's with a group of friends, but it still violates my principals. Hopefully this doesn't kickstart an addiction.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Sunday, April 6, 2008
We're Goin to the Playoffs!!!!
The playoff's are set in the NHL. Here's the first round...
Eastern Conference
Montreal vs Boston
Pittsburgh vs Ottawa
Washington vs Philadelphia
New Jersey vs New York Rangers
Western Conference
Detroit vs Nashville
San Jose vs Calgary
Minnesota vs Colorado
Anaheim vs Dallas
I'm really excited for the Eastern battles. Montreal vs Boston is a rivalry that dates back to the 1920s and the atmosphere at those games will be electric. Pittsburgh and Ottawa have a past playoff history as do Washington and Philadelphia (as well as exciting regular season games), and New York and New Jersey are rivals separated only by a river...bring extra security to these games.
In the West, I'm not too sure about the first series, although with strong goaltending Nashville could upset Detroit. Minnesota and Colorado are divisional rivals, and Anaheim and Dallas have had heated, closely contested games all season. Look for some black eyes in that series. No predictions for Calgary and San Jose...S.J. is the hottest team in the league right now, but Calgary has the West's only 50 goal scorer in Jarome Iginla.
If you're looking for a prediction...sorry...I can't make an unbiased prediction. Most experts are picking Detroit, Anaheim (the defending champs) or San Jose, although I hope to hell it's a team from the East who doesn't have New in their name.
The playoffs start this Wednesday, April 9th. Early round coverage can be seen on Versus (channel 62 here in Annville) if you're interested in tuning in.
Eastern Conference
Montreal vs Boston
Pittsburgh vs Ottawa
Washington vs Philadelphia
New Jersey vs New York Rangers
Western Conference
Detroit vs Nashville
San Jose vs Calgary
Minnesota vs Colorado
Anaheim vs Dallas
I'm really excited for the Eastern battles. Montreal vs Boston is a rivalry that dates back to the 1920s and the atmosphere at those games will be electric. Pittsburgh and Ottawa have a past playoff history as do Washington and Philadelphia (as well as exciting regular season games), and New York and New Jersey are rivals separated only by a river...bring extra security to these games.
In the West, I'm not too sure about the first series, although with strong goaltending Nashville could upset Detroit. Minnesota and Colorado are divisional rivals, and Anaheim and Dallas have had heated, closely contested games all season. Look for some black eyes in that series. No predictions for Calgary and San Jose...S.J. is the hottest team in the league right now, but Calgary has the West's only 50 goal scorer in Jarome Iginla.
If you're looking for a prediction...sorry...I can't make an unbiased prediction. Most experts are picking Detroit, Anaheim (the defending champs) or San Jose, although I hope to hell it's a team from the East who doesn't have New in their name.
The playoffs start this Wednesday, April 9th. Early round coverage can be seen on Versus (channel 62 here in Annville) if you're interested in tuning in.
Friday, April 4, 2008
Down to the wire
The Flyers were indeed out of the playoffs when we woke up this morning, but a 3-0 win over the Devils combined with Carolina losing their final game of the season to Florida clinched a playoff spot for the Flyers. They play Pittsburgh on Sunday in a game that will mostly be for seeding rather than fighting for their playoff lives. Washington needs a point tomorrow night to make the playoffs. Their opponent? Florida. Hopefully the Panthers don't play spoiler two nights in a row.
With seven games left in their season, Hershey currently sits in either 7th or 8th in their conference, I'm not sure exactly which. Either way, every point is important down the stretch, as the 9th place team in the conference is only 2 points behind them.
With seven games left in their season, Hershey currently sits in either 7th or 8th in their conference, I'm not sure exactly which. Either way, every point is important down the stretch, as the 9th place team in the conference is only 2 points behind them.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Uh-oh
The Flyers are in trouble. They could be out of the playoffs by the time we go to bed tonight if Washington wins. Let's go Caps!!!
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Because I feel like it
Writing about the nostalgia of the outdoor rink earlier made me feel like posting this. It's our 2004-05 Hill hockey seniors. I'm the first one on the left in the front row, sporting longer hair than now. Hey, it was hockey hair.
Nostalgia
Have you ever skated on an outdoor rink? Odds are no, since they are a dying breed. I did, however. Our rink at The Hill School was a covered outdoor rink. The rink was built in 1953 as a completely outdoor rink; a roof was added in 1965, and this continued to be the home rink until a new indoor one was built in 2006.
The rink at Hill was my favorite rink ever. The arch supports for the roof were wooden, and the rink was situated right next to the gym, which was built in the Depression, and at the far end of the rink there was an old brick wall that was also built during the Depression. It had a really old feel to it, which was awesome.
Playing on an outdoor rink is a unique experience. Unlike an indoor rink, where the temperature is conrolled, an outdoor rink goes with the weather. Our ice making equipment could maintain ice up to 70 degrees, so there were a couple of times where we walked to the rink in shorts and a tee shirt and then had to get in all that gear and go play. Talk about sweating your ass off. Conversely, there were times we played where the temperature was single digits. The water bottles froze in about five minutes, and the front of your jerseys would also freeze from any sweat you managed to produce. If it rained, the glass and ice fogged up and you could not see the other end. If it snowed, it felt like you were playing in the snow, which is unreal, becuase when people think about hockey in its purest form, it is playing on a pond in the snow.
My favorite exerience was playing at night. Walking to the rink, you suddenly saw a big bubble of light in the middle of the darkness, and a fresh sheet of ice begging to be skated on. Our locker rooms were about 75 feet from the rink, and we had to walk thru an open pathway to get there. For games, we would come out of the locker room into "the gauntlet," surrounded by darkness, heading towards the light at the end of the tunnel. Raucous students lined the walkway screaming their support. When we got to the ice, we would run through the door onto the rink to another rousing cheer that, if there were enough peoople at the game, could be heard all over campus. The fans standing on the metal bleachers were playing drums or banging hockey sticks onto the metal and shouting chants reminiscant to a European soccer match. There wasn't enough body to contain all the adreneline pumping through you. Words can't describe the experience; it is something you had to experience for yourself.
I really miss playing on that rink. The structure is still there to be used as a pavilion, but the boards have been taken down. It just isn't the same. Because of the global warming bullshit, many rinks that were once outdoor have been converted to indoor rinks in the past 15 or so years. It's a shame, playing outside was an experience.
The rink at Hill was my favorite rink ever. The arch supports for the roof were wooden, and the rink was situated right next to the gym, which was built in the Depression, and at the far end of the rink there was an old brick wall that was also built during the Depression. It had a really old feel to it, which was awesome.
Playing on an outdoor rink is a unique experience. Unlike an indoor rink, where the temperature is conrolled, an outdoor rink goes with the weather. Our ice making equipment could maintain ice up to 70 degrees, so there were a couple of times where we walked to the rink in shorts and a tee shirt and then had to get in all that gear and go play. Talk about sweating your ass off. Conversely, there were times we played where the temperature was single digits. The water bottles froze in about five minutes, and the front of your jerseys would also freeze from any sweat you managed to produce. If it rained, the glass and ice fogged up and you could not see the other end. If it snowed, it felt like you were playing in the snow, which is unreal, becuase when people think about hockey in its purest form, it is playing on a pond in the snow.
My favorite exerience was playing at night. Walking to the rink, you suddenly saw a big bubble of light in the middle of the darkness, and a fresh sheet of ice begging to be skated on. Our locker rooms were about 75 feet from the rink, and we had to walk thru an open pathway to get there. For games, we would come out of the locker room into "the gauntlet," surrounded by darkness, heading towards the light at the end of the tunnel. Raucous students lined the walkway screaming their support. When we got to the ice, we would run through the door onto the rink to another rousing cheer that, if there were enough peoople at the game, could be heard all over campus. The fans standing on the metal bleachers were playing drums or banging hockey sticks onto the metal and shouting chants reminiscant to a European soccer match. There wasn't enough body to contain all the adreneline pumping through you. Words can't describe the experience; it is something you had to experience for yourself.
I really miss playing on that rink. The structure is still there to be used as a pavilion, but the boards have been taken down. It just isn't the same. Because of the global warming bullshit, many rinks that were once outdoor have been converted to indoor rinks in the past 15 or so years. It's a shame, playing outside was an experience.
Happy Birthday, Mr. Hockey
Yesterday was Gordie Howe's 80th birthday, and a true hockey blog would not be complete without mentioning his birthday...my appologies for it being a day late.
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