Sunday, December 30, 2007

Me: disgusted

Well, we won, but we sure didn't deserve to.

Sloppy play, not getting the puck out of our own zone, and six shots on goal in the first period and seven in the third? Not a great game by any stretch of the imagination. Not sure how they pulled it off, but a win is a win I guess.

Next up, a sure loss against my nemesis Olli Jokinen. God I hate that guy and his forehead.

Fun Fact: I own a game worn Joel Kwiatkowski Florida Panthers Jersey. Why? Why not? I mean, if I ever move to South Florida, I will have the coolest jersey around. It ain't easy fitting the name Kwiatkowski on the back of one of those jerseys! And I have a decoy jersey if I ever want to attend a Rangers/Flyers game at MSG...the Rags fans will be so confused they won't know how to heckle me!

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Farewell, Oscar Peterson


I know jazz and hockey don't really go together, but I'd like to take a minute to acknowledge the passing of great jazz pianist Oscar Peterson.

I wish I could point you to one definitive recording to check out, so you could see how amazingly talented this man was. Truthfully, he was so prolific and so talented that any recording you hear is likely to be amazing.

So please, take a minute to pop on over to iTunes or wherever it is that you get your music, and check him out.

I regret that I don't travel well, for I would have liked to see the man in concert before he left us...

Gatorsmile!


Hey All,

Sorry for the noticeable lack of posting lately, but work has been, er, challenging. Oh, who am I kidding, it has been insane there and even hockey has hardly been able to keep me sane!

I went to the Sabres game on Saturday. A crushing loss...maybe the most crushing one (yet) this season. When the Sabres tied it up late in the third, that was it, the Flyers were mentally out of the game from that point on.

Anyhow, I won't bore you with too much info, but here are some things you should know from the Sabres game:

The new guy, Jim Vandermeer, looks similar Ben Eager. Similar enough that you might not notice Eager is gone. In addition, Vandermeer's play is similar to Ben Eager's. He looked slow and confused out on the ice. Not looking like a great trade so far. Seems like we may have picked up another Rory Fitzpatrick....

Paul Gaustad is, um....wow. I guess I have a type, and apparently he is it. It is weird that he is not a defenseman, because he is built like one. I know this is not relevant, but I thought y'all needed to know.

My seats were awesome....second row and across from the locker room. Watching the boys walk down the hallway at the beginning of the game gave me chills. If I ever get season tickets for real, I would try to get those.

WHY oh WHY did Stevens put Briere in for the shootout? Did he not see Danny blow it against the Canes the previous Saturday? Cmon John, you and I are usually on the same page here, but this time you disappointed me. Plus, I bet a guy 5 bucks that you wouldn't put Briere in. I feel like you owe me 5 dollars, sir!

Um, I think that is all for now. Hope everyone had a great holiday!

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Wow. Eager is gone...

Now I guess I have to change the name of the blog. Maybe Roberts to go Psycho?

Bye bye Eager...

And what the heck do we need another defenseman for if we keep scratching Kooky every night?

Monday, December 17, 2007

Me: delusional


For some reason, I really thought the Flyers were going to beat the Devils yesterday. I had to catch the game on Tivo, and when I was at work, someone nearly told me what the outcome was. Luckily, she is a sports fan who tivos and stopped as soon as she saw my hands fly up to cover my ears.

So as I was watching the game, I kept thinking, "well, we must have won, because she was talking about how the eagles won, and then she said 'and the Flyers are...' "

It was kind of nice to watch the game through rose colored glasses. I thought to myself, "Yeah, Nitty is looking good! Look, he's in position. Wow, the puck seems to be finding him." Even Coatesy and Jim Jackson commented on Nitty's fine form. That should have been my first clue that we didn't stand a chance, because the announcers are an even bigger jinx than I am!

Even when we were down 2-1 and 3-1, I kept thinking, "well, this must be about the time we stage the comeback." It was so blissful to think we were gonna win. I mean, after all, why would my friend even mention the Flyers game to me unless they had won? Of course we were gonna win.

I decided to fast forward through the third period, because frankly I was tired and it was late. Oooh...looks like we're staging the comeback, as I see the score 3-2 flash by. And then I see the Devils players all hugging. Hmm, that's weird, I guess they must be happy we won. Oh, wait. I better go back and check that out. Oh, they are hugging because they won. Hmm. I feel surprised, yet not. All is right with the world, as we continue to suck against the Devils.

I hate you Devils and I hate Broduer.

And...WTF happened, Gator? I have been waiting all season for you to put that little pansy Clarkson into the ground. You did not fare well, and I implore you to take that bitch out on Friday January 4th. I have been waiting for this rematch since you two went in preseason at Trenton, but so far, I am underwhelmed. It'd be great if you could take him out and get a 3 game suspension doing it. That'd make up for last night!

Awww yeah!

Okay, so if you go to google and type in crybaby crosby my blog is the first hit! Yes!!!

Mwaah hah hah!!!

Thursday, December 13, 2007

By popular demand...


You can see more pictures of gator here. There are also some pics of Army and Cindy...

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Hell Yeah: They put Conks in, I fall in love with Gary Roberts, and two hat tricks!

Really what else is there to know?

Poor Teka. It's tough being a Pens fan during an 8-2 loss to the Flyers. I tried to apologize for winning, and for the atrocious Flyers fans surrounding her, but I don't think it helped.

Our "stalking" was hampered by the fact that the Wach is a freaking fortress. Sheesh. What's a girl gotta do to get an opposing team's autograph?!?

The pregame videos FINALLY changed. They showed the one of Gary Roberts shopping at Whole Foods in Pittsburgh. Dude, that guy is totally ripped. I must have said that about 200 times during the 2 minutes the piece ran. Yeah, I think Roberts is getting added to the collection. Dude, that guy is totally ripped!

They showed a Charlie Brown Christmas in its entirety during the pregame. Weird. Very weird, although somewhat soothing for me. (I love Vince Guaraldi...)

The game of course, was great, with gator and Malone dropping the gloves about 20 seconds in. I believe this was a rematch from last game, and Malone did not fare any better this time.

The third period was out of control. I think Eager got in a fight and then, on his way to the box, got into another fight. Is that even possible? (And he got his ass handed to him. Might be time to change the blog name...)

Sadly, even though I have two Tivos set up to capture every game possible, they both somehow missed this one. Dagnabbit! Well, at least SportsNite was about 50 percent game highlights.
Richie likes to make funny faces for me!


I'll post some gator pics later....

Roberts owns Eager

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

I finally make it to practice again!

And then I remember how badly the lighting in there sucks!

It was good to see the boys today, they were having a lot of fun. Unfortunately, whenever I see them having fun at practice, it is after a win or before a loss. Um, they haven't won recently, so my prediction is for a loss tonight. No matter, the fun of this game for me will be booing Crybaby Crosby. That, and testing my stalker skills with Teka. I figure Teka can use me as a homing device...if I start hyperventilating, she will know that we are getting closer to the hockey boys.

Anyhow, for a recap of practice, and some awesome pics, check out ladyneat's blog or Flyers Center where she posts as well. It was great to meet her today and we even switched cameras a couple of times! Of course, when I got home, the only decent pics on my card were the ones she took. Dang! At least she got some good ones of gator!

Sunday, December 9, 2007

The return of Crybaby Crosby

Only 2 days til we get to chant "crozzzzzzzzz-beeeeeeeeeeee" again...

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Dear Riley,

You got lucky. I watched the hit last night, and if that dude had embellished that at all, you'd be out for 20 games.

Of course, to me, it looked like you didn't even make contact, but I guess the dude's helmet flying off indicated otherwise.

Look, I know I'm just a silly girl, but if the first two suspensions of the season never happened, that dude just puts his helmet back on and skates off. End of story. No match, no review, and you just keep on trucking.

Anyhow, enjoy your days off. My prediction for the next suspension: Briere or Upshall.

Oh, and for those of you who may not have seen the "hit"...

Monday, December 3, 2007

Saturday, December 1, 2007



Friday, November 30, 2007

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

again?

Can't someone find me an example of another hit like this from this season? This is getting to be a bit much...

Hartnell suspended for two games...

hell yeah and oof...


So yesterday around noon I decided to get tickets for the Bruins game. Rod kinda wanted to get a Briere bobblehead, and I felt kinda guilty for never taking him to any games. I went online to see what tickets they had, and lo and behold, ended up in the second row of section 115. I love when that happens.

The rain and fog made my drive their particularly slow, so by the time we got there, it was 6:20! My precious gameday routine of get there early and get drunk was in jeopardy of being ruined! Only 10 minutes until they come out for warmups! Luckily for me, section 115 is right outside the bar. Really, you walk out of the bar, and there is 115. This would prove to be bad for me.

We head down to the seats for warmups. Section 115 is where most of the kids congregate with their "briere give me a puck please pretty please" signs and since we got there so late, the first row is pretty packed. Rod takes out his camera, and realizes he has left his long lens at home. So he is now at the Flyers game in the second row with a fisheye lens and a 17-35. Great. I take a few shots with my camera, and then give him my lens to use. I say, "You can use it, but you have to take lots of pictures of Gator." Now that I have his tiny lens on my camera, I pretty much give up on shooting, and can focus on drinking. This would prove to be bad for me.

By 7:15, I have 4 margaritas. And sadly, because the barkeeps at the bar are starting to recognize me, they are not your standard fare margaritas. I end up having 6, which is probably the equivalent of 8, and man am I feeling it today. One good thing about not bringing Rod to the games is that I know I have to pace myself and cut myself off. With him there, I can just keep drinking and hand him the keys. (This time and time again proves to be bad for me and my liver).

So that's it. I guess there was a game, although sadly I was either in the bar or the ladies room for most of the time.

I gotta stop drinking so many margaritas. It is really interfering with my hockey!

Oh and Nadine, they listened to you....they gave us the bobbleheads on the way out!!!

(and then I went to fangear and did some drunk shopping. there is a funny picture of me accosting the Smith jersey. If Rod ever lets me have it, I will post it here...)

Monday, November 26, 2007

Sunday, November 25, 2007

Hell Yeah, and consistently inconsistent

Well, I decided to watch the game. I really only half watched it, as I was making dinner for the first period, and shopping online for another new lens for the Stalkercam 80000000. All I can say is that I wish the team that played tonight would show up more often. They are, to use one of my favorite phrases, consistently inconsistent.

Notes from the game:

  • During the pregame, we learn that the Sens had an optional skate today...and nobody skated!!! See, I told you they don't take (perceived) basement dwellers seriously! I also learn that Gerber is in goal. Oh well, I guess we don't stand a chance now, even if nobody skated today.

  • Also, Nitty is in goal, which doesn't even scare me. Hmm. Weird.

  • Ack! I see that Gator shaved! I hate when he does that. Luckily, he has so much testosterone that by the end of the first period he has a five o'clock shadow, and by the end of the game he is sufficiently scruffed up again. Honest, I am not exaggerating here, check the tape!

  • Heatley takes revenge on me for all the trash talking I do about him by scoring a crazy sick goal...

  • Holy shit! The shot count at the end of period one is 16-9 in favor of the Flyers. Whoa. Something is wrong here, since 16 is usually our total for the entire game. What happened to get the goalie cold guys?

  • Wait, they're pulling Gerber? Aw, cmon. This guy has been outstanding. Actually, goaltending from both teams was amazing.

  • Umberger has a weird goal celebration technique.

Um, that's pretty much it. A pretty great, fast paced game. Stevens must have really chewed these guys out on Friday!!!

Saturday, November 24, 2007

To watch or not to watch...

Yikes. As Katebits over at The Willful Caboose pointed out last week, the Sens are scary. I'm not so sure I want to watch the game tonight. Truthfully, I have "watched" the last two games while sleeping.

On Wednesday, in celebration of Thanksgiving being over (trust me, it was over on Wednesday for me) I cracked open a 30 dollar bottle of wine to chug while watching the Canes game. Well, a glass and a half in, I felt "sleepy" and decided to lay down to watch the rest of the game. I woke up just in time to hear lil Briere getting the hat trick.

On Saturday, I rushed home from work to watch the Caps game. Knowing that I might be headed to a Phantoms game that night, and trying to recover from drinking the rest of that 30 dollar bottle of wine on Thursday night, I decided the best way to watch the game would be by laying down on the couch again. With a blanket. I woke up just in time to hear the guys tie it up and give it away to Ovechkin in OT. (Ovie, I love you but for this I might be angry at you for a while. Okay, I am over it, I love you again...)

So then there is tonight's game vs. the scary Senators. It's possible the Flyers could win it/put up a good fight for a couple of reasons:

1) The Sens don't seem to put any effort in when they know they are playing a basement dweller (see Caps, Sabres, Maple Leafs). (And yes, I know we are not basement dwellers, but I feel that the Sens will still look down on us and not prepare for the game. I mean, all they have to do is pull tape from our first Rangers game or any of our Devils games and I bet they don't even come out for warmups!)

2) The Flyers tend to do okay after a loss/getting their asses reamed by Stevens after a loss.

So we'll see. Maybe I'll take a nap and see what happens...

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Dear Hockey,

Thanks for being there for me these past few weeks. You're the only reason I made it through the craziness. Whenever I am feeling overwhelmed, you are there to pick me up. Also, thanks to your friends alcohol, caffiene and sometimes nicotine. Keep up the good work!

Love,

Kristin

xoxo

Sunday, November 18, 2007

*sigh*


I'm gonna be honest here...the only thing that got me through this game was watching Gator. (even if he was a -2)

Friday, November 16, 2007

Hell yeah I'll take the point!

So I don't want to say the reason the Flyers lost tonight was because Nadine wasn't there, but...it was the first home game she didn't attend! Coincidence? We'll see on Saturday. We'll also see if Nadine's non jinx powers can overcome my severe Devils game jinxing powers. Keep your fingers crossed.

Other than the suckfest which was the first half of the second period, last night's game was pretty great. These guys stayed in the game, and didn't give up like they sometimes do. Shot count through the second period was a little disturbing, but they made up for it a little in the third. I also love that scoring continues to come from unexpected guys...

Congrats to Tolpeko on his first NHL goal. I got to see Denis a lot last year during my stint in the minors, and he is a fantastic player, and funny too. Those crazy Russians!

I don't have much more to say...I'm in the thick of things at work and that is consuming most of my brainpower.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

I gotta stop drinking so many margaritas!

Carts: Dude, Richie is totally going to lead the team in points after tonight.
Lupes: OMG, be quiet...tiny!briere is right there!


Great game yesterday. Nadine was entertaining and informative as usual. I am worried about Thursday's game vs. the Rangers, since this will be the first home game Nadine is going to miss. Hopefully she will save all of her lucky energy to combat my Devils jinx for Saturday night. We will be in row 1 right behind the net, so be sure to look for us. I will be the one heckling Broduer. (Just kidding!) (Well, not really...)


For me, the best part of the game was during the warmups when a puck got stuck in the net and was unable to be dislodged. Pure gold. Poor Kooky on netbitch duty...


That's all I got, the rita haze has clouded everything else! Check out Nadine's blog if you want an actual recap...

Sunday, November 11, 2007

Hell yeah, and the funniest blog you're not reading

Okay, good game tonight (I think...it is hard to tell with 3 margaritas in you and Teka sitting next to you). The Cingular Wireless Pavillion at the Wachovia Center has the greatest, most efficient bartenders. I didn't miss a minute of the action tonight thanks to them.

Teka got some great pictures. Me, not so much. I got a lot of pictures, but only about 5 of them are decent. So my percentage is increasing...by the end of the season I may get 10 pictures out of 200. The worst part was when I was going through them tonight with Rod as my critic...my obvious *ahem* attention to Jason Smith was a tad uncomfortable. I would say 60 percent of the pictures include him in some way. Including the ones of Gator stretching, which were supposed to be for my eyes only. Oops! Oh well.

Some other highlights:

  • "Crozzzzzzzzzzz-beeeeeee, Crozzzzzzzzzzzzzz-beeeeee, Crozzzzzzzzzzzzz-beeee" after number 87 embellished a bit while looking to (unsuccessfully) draw a penalty. We decided that in Sid's RBK commercial, he should say, "In this jersey, I pledge: to whine and cry every chance I get." Man, I knew he had a rep as an embellisher/whiner, but sheesh, tonight was bad. He should get an academy award.

  • A big eff you to the guy in front of me who lost his camera and then commandeered Teka's camera to take pics of his kid on the ice during the anthem. Really? Get yer damn paws off her camera! Also, get yer head out of all my damn pictures!

  • Teka almost dropping the gloves with a girl who checked her in the ladies room. Yikes!

On a non-game related note: please check out the funniest blog out there...Flyers Goal Scored By... Ryan is either really funny or really sick (or I am really dense...I am a Flyers fan, so it sorta goes without saying...)

Also, this is an open invitation to Ryan...Nadine and I will be at Saturday's game vs. the Diablos. Get yourself a ticket and come on down...we'll even let you sit in row 1 right behind the net...you can heckle Brodeur!!!
Look, you could be this close to the net!!!

Saturday, November 10, 2007

The big day!

Are you ready?

Thursday, November 8, 2007

Are you kidding me?

14 Shots on Goal?!!???

See Steph, he's totally fine!

And looking right at me! (Which made me and my camera unable to catch a non-blurry picture of him.) Click on it to enlarge and you will see his eye is fine! Really!

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

Yikes...

Next four days are gonna kill me. I can handle a loss in PGH as long as we win at home. And the Devils? Yeah, we need to win that one too.

My brain is not working right now, as work is completely taking over my body and brain for the next 6 weeks..or is it 8 weeks? Anyhow, I won't be right again until after the New Year.

I'm off for a nap so I can be ready for the game...

For your enjoyment, a picture from Sunday's practice...

all in a row (minus jones)

Saturday, November 3, 2007

got it....

Friday, November 2, 2007

Four down, four to go....

(or, Briere, you made the right choice)

Well this road trip so far has proved to be quite a test for the boys. They have been outshot 3571 to 122 and have lost Hatcher for 4 weeks and Jones for two games.

Last night's game was shades of the Panthers game, except instead of the panther roaring sound effect, we got the booing Briere sound effect. Really Montreal? He was a free agent who didn't sign with you. That's it. There was no offer sheet, no contract...just talk that you were one of his potential teams. Every single time he touches the puck he gets booed? Wow. You really are a bunch of douchebags. I have to give you points for sticking with it for the entire game...

During the first period, the guys tried using the "get him cold" strategy by getting two shots on goal in the first 11 minutes. Hey, it worked against Brodeur, why not try it on this Huet guy? They were able to maintain this strategy with a total of 19 SOG to Montreal's 541. I am sure Marty was trilled about that.

Some other observations:

  • When Hartnell breaks his Flyers scoring cherry, he is going to be a force to be reckoned with. You heard it here first.

  • Nice tripping call on Briere! Get some glasses ref!

  • The Flyers looked sooooooooo sloooooooow tonight. Lead skates again.

  • My new in game rallying cry is "What this game needs is a dirty hit." This replaces the ever popular, "score, bitches!"

Oooh, I almost forgot about Smith and the stick to his face. First, yikes....not fun to see him laid out on the ice hyperventilating and trying not to cry. Second, thank goodness it wasn't his eye (although it was close enough to cause his eye to look scary). Third, cmon, that dude is amazing...he didn't even miss a shift! He deserves extra bacon for breakfast this week!

Not hopeful for tonight's game...

Happy Birthday, Gator!

(bruce bennett getty images)

I should have known you were a Scorpio!


After I find the picture of you covered in blood from last night's game (that doesn't have the NHL logo plastered over it), I will post it here.

Friday, October 26, 2007

Ouch please



During my stint in the minors last year, my favorite games to see were those against the Norfolk Admirals. The Ads had David Koci, and chances were I could see a good fight (but not a win, since I think we lost every game to the Ads last year).

I can't believe poor Koci and his already broken nose fought Chara.

Nadine, you might wanna skip this one...lots of blood (even I squirmed a bit seeing the highlight on SportsCenter).

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

let the downward spiral begin

Okay, okay, it's not that bad. Except that I totally remember last October's game against the Panthers. For me, that game marked the beginning of the end for last season. Sure, we already sucked by that point (we had only won one of our first seven games) but this was the turning point of the season...the one game that summed up how the rest of the season would go.

And it was all Jokinen's fault. Him and that stupid forehead of his.

Anyhow, enough about the season that shall not be named. I took a page out of Nadine's book (almost literally) and made a few notes. Well, at least for the first period and part of the second. After that, I gave up and started reading photography books. Gah!

First Period
  • The roaring Panther sound effect. Really?
  • Lupul is up on the first line again. Cmon Stevens, I thought we were on the same page about Knuble here. Well...moving Mike to the 2nd line got him a +2 for the night, which helps with my fantasy team, but still...don't even think about making this permanent.
  • First period...guys have their lead skates on again. And apparently, blindfolds now too.
  • What on earth is up with this broadcast....there is an eerie fluorescent blue cast to the entire screen. It is making my eyes annoyed. Maybe that is why the Flyers are blindfolded.
  • I hate Jokinen. He really is the one person in the NHL that I would punch.
  • They should have pulled Marty 10 minutes in...

2nd period...
  • insane PK work by Richards, Smith and Kapenen to kill off the four minute Eager penalty.
  • The pass from Richards to Lupul was incredible...Lupul positioned himself perfectly
  • The Carter/Umberger goal was totally insane too...
  • What the heck is Bernie Parent doing in the crowd?

Third period:
  • The photographic triangle is fascinating...is that where all my good pictures go?
  • I wonder how my fantasy team is doing....oh good, Brind'Amour is having a good night
  • If Jim Jackson says "here come the Panthers" one more time, I am going to punch someone.

I think maybe Marty lost this one on purpose, in order to build Nitty's confidence for tomorrow. Whaddya think?

i forgot

how much i hate jokinen

Monday, October 22, 2007

First Star of the week...



Gosh, this is turning into martyblog

Sunday, October 21, 2007

oh, the things you'll learn! (and hell yeah)

Oh readers, Saturday's game was a wonderful one. A few margaritas always make the game more enjoyable.

I met up with Nadine before the game...by the time she found me in the AT&T wireless pavilion, I was halfway through my first margarita. I encouraged her to catch up (good luck) and we each grabbed a margarita and headed down for warmups.

I decided to break out the StalkerCam 800000000 (totally copied Teka on this) so I could get some pictures for the blog that don't involve me giving credit to Bruce Bennett/Getty Images, but alas, buying the StalkerCam does not make me a better photographer. I guess I will have to go to practice on Monday to get some practice with the StalkerCam. *sigh*

Luckily, while I was "taking pictures" Nadine was schooling me on the last 85 years of hockey. I have a lot of catching up to do.

I don't have much to report on the actual game, since I was so busy switching seats and getting margaritas. I do know that it ended with a great OT goal which resulted in high fiving, jumping up and down and hugging. The entire third period was great, with me actually on the edge of my seat like one of those annoying people who gets ready to jump up at every shot on net. Look, there were a ton of scoring chances...just watch the replay!

Here are some other highlights of the night:
  • Nadine has an interesting way of "watching" warmups at the glass
  • Various texts and calls to Teka about dustbunnies and that lame ass Cocoa
  • I sprained my ankle poaching some seats. (karma is a bitch, and I love saying poaching some seats. That might be the new name of this blog...)
  • I was right to think that Brodeur is a douche.
  • Nadine is a saint for putting up with me...how many times did I say "these seats are great!"? You would have thought I had never sat so close before!

Also, I learned post game that Stevens tweaked the lines a bit, putting Lupul up with Briere and Gagne. Interesting.

That's all for now, maybe I will post some of the sad sorry pictures later...

oh stalkercam, you have failed me


It's great...if I change all my pics to black and white, they don't look half bad!

Saturday, October 20, 2007

head case

I am the worst fan ever. I am not a fairweather fan, because that would be worse, but I am a bad fan nonetheless.

I am a head case.

I am a sports jinx.

These two things do not go well together. I am the blogger equivalent of Niitymaki. On game day, I wake up with butterflies in my stomach. Not good butterflies, bad ones flying all around and saying this is going to be the game where they lose and then they lose for the rest of the season.

Watching a game, either in person or on my couch, involves me hunched over tensely, grinding my teeth and hardly remembering to breathe.

I am not fun to be around.

Don't even think about talking to me about how great the boys are doing this year. I will shut you down immediately. No mention before the game of what you think the score will be. No mention during the game about how many goals we are up. No mention after the game about how good it was.

A strange thing happened though during Thursday's game. It had to have been during the second, because the first was god-awful.

I was smiling.

It was a weird feeling, one I barely allowed myself to enjoy, but it felt good and I might even try it again.

But probably not until we have 45 wins under our belts in mid March!

Friday, October 19, 2007

Wow

From yahoo sports:

The Flyers shut out New Jersey for the first time in the 11-year history of the Wachovia Center. It was the first home shutout against the Devils since they played at the Spectrum in 1987.


Thank you, Marty!

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

I really did go to practice today...

I swear I did, I just don't have any pictures to prove it. The boys seemed to be wrapping things up about 15 minutes after I got there, barely enough time for me to even think about getting my camera out. (I was going just to practice using my big new camera, so that I can actually get one or two non-blurry pictures the next time I go to a game. I know, I know, it will never happen!)

Anyhow, the guys looked good, and I swear I may have seen Rory Fitzpatrick. There was one d-man I didn't recognize, so I am assuming it was him.

Knuble, Briere and Fitzpatrick were the last to leave the ice. Watching them practice was good for me, as they were practicing things I didn't even know they practiced. It sucks that I am so damn green that it never even occurred to me that hockey players practice deflections. It was a lot of fun to watch Fitzpatrick taking slapshots and watching Knuble and Briere stand there and "catch" them and redirect the puck into the net.

Nadine, if you ever wanna play hooky let me know and I'll come get ya!

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Not....at...game....in...person....

Ack! I am so nervous for tonight's game. For one, I have to go to work at 8:45 and will not get to see the end of the game til I get home around 11. Don't you dare screw up, Tivo!

Since I can't be there in person, I don't get to go through the usual gameday rituals, and though I know it jinxes nothing, if we lose it will bug me nonetheless. It will because I wasn't wearing my lucky shirt/socks/jersey etc.

I also don't feel good about this Thrashers team. They are going to be hungry for a win...and is this Hossa's first game back or something?

Oh crap, Hedberg is in.


Okay, see you in the comments....

Monday, October 15, 2007

Fantasy Hockey Update: Week Two and already I am a junkie!!

Wow, what a week. I was head to head with Kirsten (damn, it is hard to type Kirsten when your name is Kristin) and we had a great week of trash talking.

My team started off strong with about a thousand assists from Brian Campbell, and aided by the total drubbing of Vesa Toskala. At one point, I was killing her 8-1, but she had a strong finish on Sunday while Beauchemin and Preissing killed me with their combined minus 8000 for Sunday.

I would really like to thank Vesa for such a crappy week (game, actually)...Kirsten's team actually had two shutouts this week, and my lame ass goalies still came up with a better GAA and SV% thanks to Vesa.

Now, a confession. Yahoo updates their stats every night at 2:30 am EST. I know this because I wait up to see if I kicked any ass. This is gonna be a problem.

Up next....Tracy. Get yer trash talk ready!

Saturday, October 13, 2007

Home opener recap

Whew, what a game. The opener was great and I love the new graphics for the team. Reminiscent of something, but I can't put my finger on it. I want to say an early 80s pop band album cover, but I don't know why. If anyone saw the graphics and knows what I am thinking, please feel free to help me out here.

I will skip the introductions, since they were long and overdone and everyone was just waiting to cheer for Briere.

The first few minutes of the first period were eerily quiet. It's like the crowd was afraid of what could happen. After last season, I can totally understand. Turns out, not much would happen, except for the Flyers turning it over like 5000 times. The period ended scoreless, which was good enough for me with how poorly they played. They were lucky to escape with no score.

The second period started, and it seemed like the players had laced up concrete skates. They were sooooooo slooooooow. I will have to watch the replay to see if they were as slow as I think they were, but damn. Again, the crowd was eerily quiet. (Except of course for the seven boneheads sitting in front of me who ALL got up to get beer every five minutes.)

Things get fuzzy for me when the scoring starts. Even though I was looking at the net, I didn't see either goal go in and both times I could have sworn they didn't. My vantage point was pretty bad, as I was nosebleed and also had the up/down people in front of me. The rest of the second period is a blur to me, since I was happy again to just get out of it without the Isles scoring.

What I remember from the third period (at least the last 10 minutes or so) is the amazing defensive play by pretty much the whole team, but especially Kapanen. This team was fighting to hang onto this lead, and did a pretty good job as a team of doing so.

The last minute and a half were so intense that I nearly passed out. First off, the crowd started clapping like we had won. Gah! Don't do that unless you are up 8-2, people! A little hockey etiquette please! The Isles had the extra attacker and both teams were passing, giving it away, and basically skating around like crazy. It was really insane!!!! And when Gator cleared the puck (was he down on the ice?) and got the empty netter, I really did almost pass out! I'm not trying to speak in hyperbole here folks, I had some physiological problems!

That's pretty much it, I will add more after I watch the replay if I see anything that bears mentioning.

A few other notes:

I don't really know how many times I can say it, but Smith is truly amazing. He blocked some key shots in the first period. His skate, stick, leg, arm or whatever always seems to be in position to stop the puck. He is so subtle about it that you don't even realize he is doing it (unless of course you are me and you are mesmerized by his every move). It looks like the puck is magnetically drawn to him just so he can deflect it. It is weird.

Biron was magical again. The best part about him is how he doesn't get rattled.

Gagne and Witt...what was going on there? Nice to see Simon getting scrappy.

Hope Eager is okay. At first I was scared when he was laying there, then I was scared he was going to get called for diving. We'll see what happens.

Cote and Simon....really, that's all ya got? Lame, and looks like Cote didn't even land a punch.

Somebody should have kicked Bootland's ass, but I can't remember why.

I hate going to games with people, next time I am going alone (except next time I will meet up with Nadine first....sorry it didn't work out this time).

Game on!

Home Opener!!!

OMG!!!!! I am so excited! It feels like a holiday! I made sure to get the day off from work so I don't have to rush around after work to get ready. Also, I got to sleep in so I won't be tired. It is a beautiful day and I hope to get to the Wachovia Center early and maybe meet up with Nadine before the game...

If you're looking for previews, here are a few:

THN tale of the tape
yahoo
flyers
Flyers Goal Scored By... (This isn't really a preview but a funny blog you should be sure to check out..)

I guess that is all for now!

Have a great day everyone, and I will still be happy win or lose...just happy to see the boys back at home and excited to be a part of the opening night crowd!!!!

Friday, October 12, 2007

I am going to barf...

I can't listen to people talk about the "miscreants" anymore. I just can't take it!!!

I understand the suspensions, blahblahblah, but I am sick of hearing about these two players like they are criminals.

I would love to post link after link of videos that show similar hits this season and NO SUSPENSION, but honestly, I really don't have the time or energy and I don't want to make myself barf.

Thursday, October 11, 2007

Hell yeah and Jesse why did you do that?

Weird game. Weird because they won and scored a LOT of goals. A weird feeling for a Flyers fan.

And why oh why Jesse did you cross check that dude in the face? We already have a big enough PR problem on our hands with the Downie thing. Sheeesh!

Tuesday, October 9, 2007

baby faced bullies and rory fitzpatrick. WTF?

Yeah, so the latest issue of The Hockey News arrived today. The headline? Baby Faced Bullies: So Cute, So Dangerous. And a big picture of Tiny!Briere looking twelve. I haven't actually read the article yet, because I have been busy trying to scan it in so you can see it with your own eyes!

While scanning and getting frustrated with scanning, I hopped over to THN.com to see if they just had a picture of it instead, but no, they still have last week's cover up. Sheesh. While I was there, I saw this little gem: NO VOTE NECESSARY, PHILADEPHIA FLYERS
SIGN FITZPATRICK.
Um, what?

Looks like the -ookies may have spoken too soon about the crazy....

Saturday, October 6, 2007

Hell Yeah, part 2

Yeah, we lost, but it was seriously a great game. Pardon the typos, as I have had an entire bottle of Malbec during tonight's tivo'd broadcast.

A few things:

1) Smith is so amazing that it brings tears to my eyes. Fer real.

2) Briere is seriously gifted, keep it up lil fella!

3) This team has a good D

4) Biron is freaking sick. Really!



That is all for now...more after I sober up!

Friday, October 5, 2007

Hell yeah!

First off, let me just say how weird it feels to watch a Flyers game where they have the lead for the entire game. Secondly, it is weird to feel that they deserved to win due to the way the played.

Last season was really so terrible that it has programmed me to not get comfortable with any sort of lead/positive play/good goaltending. I know this was just the first game, but it was truly a pleasure to watch the guys play. I would have been disappointed if they lost, because they played better and deserved to win, but even a loss would have been okay because of the potential they showed.

Way to go boys!

Monday, October 1, 2007

Told you so!

Not to be annoying or anything, but he was my prediction and also my choice for captain.

Bruce Bennet Getty Images

Saturday, September 29, 2007

Dear Everyone who thinks they are a psychologist over Steve Downie,

You aren't. And even if you are, he is not your patient. So please put a sock in it for now and pray none of your guys make any questionable hits this season.

Love,
Kristin

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Oh Briere, you make it so easy!

Mike Stobe Getty Images

This photo is just screaming for a caption...it practically writes itself...have at it y'all.

Monday, September 24, 2007

Semi live game blogging from the game

At this point, I don't even need a goal, just some puck possession
would be nice!!!

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Look we lost to the Sens, but it was preseason...

And it's not like we played any of our big guns. AND, we started Nitty. (Hence the previous letter to Nitty.) So stop hating on the Flyers because they lost to the Sens (I'm looking at you, Teka!)

Dear Antero,

Please stop sucking. Soon I will start calling you Esche.
Thank you.

Sincerely yours,

Kristin

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

OMG! Another flyers blogger! And she is a girl!!!

Okay, so I am totally ripping off Margee's SportSquee Featured Fangirl feature. But come on, this is big news...another female Flyers blogger. It is a momentous occasion! (No offense to Danny, Mike, or Enjoying the Heat).

After I came to (I had passed out upon hearing that there was another Flyers chick blogger), I decided I needed to ask her some totally random questions, HLOG style. So without further ado, let me introduce flyers.femme!!!

1. You like the Flyers. WHA?!? How the heck did that happen?

It's all my family's fault. My brother started playing and the whole family was sucked into it. But there was no going back afterward.

As for the Flyers, I like them because they've always seemed to do well, they had some really funny guys on the roster, and they had ron hextall in the crease.


2. You've got a thing for goalies. You can't have Michael Leighton. Who is your current favorite goalie?

I'm going with our new starting goalie, Martin Biron. I think it's his turn to shine (finally!) after having to shadow Hasek and Miller in Buffalo. Plus, have you heard that guy? He's hilarious. Marty's a talker and I really wish I could get a live feed during games!

(BTW, after we acquired him late last season, Stevens just about killed me every time he put Nittymaki in the crease against the Pens. Antero is stung by them every time, so what was the deal? Ugh!)

3. Why do the ladies have such a thing for goalies?

I can't speak for others, but I like them because I lived with one for so long...my brother. I have an insider's perspective on how nuts that job is on the ice.

I mean, game-in and game-out, those guys put themselves on the line to make their team succeed. Also, they're part of the team but separate from everyone else.

And on a squee-note, have seen them doing their stretches? (I don't have to say anything else about that, do I? I mean, it's completely obvious!) (Editor's note: When I took my friend to her first hockey game, she saw the goalie doing his stretches and said "I bet goalies get all the girls..")

4. How do you get through the off season?

Barely. Thank god for youtube.com.

5. Howard Stern or Opie and Anthony?

With this choice, I'm taking O & A. I can't stand Stern anymore.

6. Favorite place to be for Flyers games?

Wachovia Center. I like the nose-bleed seats because you can see the whole ice and catch any "additional" play away from the puck.

7. Why do you hate the Eagles?

I don't hate the Eagles, I just don't like American football. In addition to being a hockey family, we all played soccer. Plus, sorry to tattle, but they did lose some of my respect when they booted Trotter - he's a hockey fan. (Editors' note: this was a trick question, I was just trying to get you to say you hated the Eagles. God, how I hate the Eagles!)


8. Most squeeworthy players in the NHL? (The players that bring out your inner puck bunny, no matter how hard you try to push said puck bunny back in!)

Ooooh, the Holy Grail question! (Shamelessly being coy here...) I'm actually writing a post about this, so be watching flyers.femme for details and pics over the weekend. It will include current players, but also some classics as well.

9. Anything else we need to know about you?

I'm going to crack that pink merchandise thing yet! I have a message into one of the NHL team's PR directors to see what I can find out and share with all of the annoyed/ pissed/offended non-puck bunny fans.

So there you have it: a smart, articulate, female hockey fan! Be sure to check out her blog!

Monday, September 17, 2007

Devils 3, Flyers 2....in a shootout!

Just kidding! That would have been the title of this post last season, since every Devils/Flyers game I attended ended in a shootout. Argh!

I made the trek to Sovereign Bank Arena to catch some preseason action. Here is my recap (which as usual, contains little or no actual game info!):

  • I forgot my ticket and had to turn around to get it 10 minutes into my trip. Nice start!
  • Traffic at the Valley Forge tolls was pretty ridiculous...if this was anything other than a hockey game, I would have packed it in at this point. Actually, I would have packed it in after the forgotten ticket, figuring it was a sign to stay home. But this is hockey dammit!
  • I saw more fights in the first period then I saw all last year. Really. I like a good fight every now and then, but this actually got in the way of the game a bit. I think at one point, there was a fight and two guys sent to the box, and then another fight at the next faceoff. Sheesh!
  • The fights did seem to give the Flyers some good momentum and a chance to work on "gelling" and "team chemistry".
  • I would mention who looked good and who looked bad, but as a sports jinx, I don't want to say. Let's just say Nitty did not look good. And Briere did not look good.
  • I got to meet Schnookie and Pookie, who are even funnier in person (if that is possible) and so smart and so hockey smart. If only I had been able to find some margaritas, I could have been funny and smart too! But I still wouldn't have understood their fancy New Jersey phrases like "he got a summer slower..."
Thank god hockey is back!!

Saturday, September 15, 2007

What on earth?

Okay, thanks to Teka for this one.

Click here to see the weirdest commercial ever.

I am worried for Briere in this commercial...he looks like he is lost in a bad part of town. And what is up with the dog? And why is he calling his shots like Vincent in The Color of Money? And really, he should never try to make a mean face, it just makes me laugh.

But it does get me pumped for the start of the season (after I stop laughing of course).

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Do you like blurry pictures?

I hope so, because I suck at taking pictures of hockey boys. I took about 155 pictures and got 3 that are worth posting. No Lie. We'll get to the pictures later. First things first.

I went to the scrimmage between the Flyers and Capitals rookies today (essentially a Phantoms/Bears game). A few quick notes about that:

1. If you want a spot on the glass, get there early, bitches! Look, I drive about an hour to get there and I got there at 3:20. The scrimmage starts at 4. Therefore, I get a spot on the glass. If you get there at 4:20, you do not get a spot on the glass. If you get there at 4:20, just turn around and go home.

2. If you do get there late, don't try to squeeze in. I will step on your feet.

3. I am in love with Karl Alzner.

4. Downie was nearly unrecognizable, as he has grown a mountain man mustache and beard.

5. Patrick Maroon is so klutzy and so talented at the same time. How can it be?

6. There appears to be a new Flyers blog written by a chick. Whoa. Stop the presses. This event deserves a post of its very own!!!

That's all for now, I will post the pictures later...

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Fakeout!

I wish I could say this was from training camp, but alas, it is from the July rookie camp. Work is preventing me from getting to much preseason action. Grrrrrrrrr!


Friday, August 31, 2007

Cmon September!!!


Well, September is almost here. And after September comes good old October. Ladies and gentleman, the season is upon us!

Okay, okay, I know I am getting ahead of myself here. I can't help it. Rookie camp starts in one week, training camp the week after that, and then lame ass preseason games. I shouldn't make fun of preseason games, since last year's first preseason game brought tears of joy to my eyes (I really missed hockey).

Opening night is in 33 days. Can that be right? So close I can almost taste it.

Monday, August 27, 2007

OMG! I forgot it was Jordi's birthday!

Happy Belated Birthday to HLOG head bitch Jordi! She is now the ripe old age of [young enough to be my daughter].

Please head over to her blog and spam her with Birthday wishes!!!! Of course you'll need a vox account and all that but hey, it's Jordi!!!

Sunday, August 26, 2007

Noooooooooooooo! Please, no!

See that seat, right next to the guy in blue with the bald spot? That is where I sometimes sit for Flyers games. Right next to the goal judge, who depending on the night is either a really nice guy who likes to talk trash or an old dude who steps on your feet when getting in and out of his booth.

Now, the Flyers (and everyone else) have removed the goal judges and banished them to the press box (poor guys, they had the best seat in the house)! In removing the goal judge seat, they freed up room for luxury seats. According to Tim Pannaccio of the Philadelphia Inquirer:

The new leather seats are deeper than other seats and have waiter or waitress service.

But there's a hitch. The seats are packaged with the lease of a suite for both Flyers and Sixers games. A midlevel suite and six goal-judge seats would cost $225,000, according to Shawn Tilger, vice president of marketing and communications for the Flyers.

Among the several changes this fall offered to season-ticket holders, this one affects the fewest but will be the most noticeable.

"The majority of our suites are sold," Tilger said. "What was intriguing to us was you could entertain clients in your suite, then rotate back and forth to the goal-judge seats."


Great, so now these seats are going to be owned by suits and used to entertain clients. I just loooooooove sitting next to those assholes. For a playoff game last year, the only ticket I could score was in a suite/box/whatever you call it. I wanted to kill myself. People there were not even aware that there was a playoff game going on. They were on the phone, or they were up and down 5 million times, or they sat with their seatmate and talked about TPS reports and sales figures and real estate. Hello! You are at a freaking hockey game! Watch some hockey! When I am at a game, I don't want any discussion. Even if I am there with you, I need you to shut up and watch. 9 times out of 10, if you engage me in conversation, I miss a goal being scored. Honestly! Talking is for intermission!

And with these seats, the up and down factor is going to be even worse: "you could entertain clients in your suite, then rotate back and forth to the goal-judge seats," according to the Flyers spokesman in the article. Ack! Please don't encourage these assholes to be up and down. Or at least make sure they wait until a stop in play.

*sigh*

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Hockey weather!


Oh man, this cold rainy dreary weather is killing me because it seems like October but it's not!!! But it does give me a good excuse to throw on my favorite jersey and take a nap.

Zzzzzzzzzzzz...wake me for the home opener.....

Friday, August 17, 2007

Love this post...

Melt your face off...

Not a fan of the blog name for some reason (it reminds me of an Andrew Dice Clay joke) but this post is good...and not just because it's about the Flyers. Okay, it is because it's about the Flyers. And about pushing Antero Niittymaki down a ski slope.

Behold...Sidney Crosby...the Brand!

Okay so I am totally stealing this from Jodie at The Sidney Crosby Show, but it was worth posting here as well...Sidney360.

Thursday, August 16, 2007

Crickets and mums


Well, the crickets in my yard have started their incessant/annoying chirping. They are so loud that it sometimes sounds like they are in the house. And sometimes, they actually are in the house!

Yesterday, on my way in to work, I saw the mums that we sell every year. At this time of year. Mid to late August.

The crickets and the mums are a sure sign that summer is winding down and fall is fast approaching.

In 30 days, I can watch the Flyers play the Devils in preseason action. In 29 days, I can buy single game tickets. In 24 days I can watch the rookies at another training camp. In 29 days I can watch the big boys take the ice for camp.

I've never been so happy to hear those crickets and see those mums!

Thursday, August 9, 2007

Putting asses in the seats

So there has been a lot of talk about how the Briere deal is not an especially smart one for Philly.

Well duh.

I totally agree that Briere is overpaid and will likely lose value over the course of the 275 years he has signed for. But I don't care. At all.

Briere is gonna put asses in the seats, and after last year's *ahem* dismal season, the Flyers need that. Also, the fans (okay, me) should be rewarded for sticking with the team through last season. And I don't care that we broke the bank to do it. Briere is an exciting player and his signing has already generated more interest in the team.

So there.

Monday, August 6, 2007

There's no place like home...

The view from my hotel room. Yeah, it sucked...

Phew. I'm back. I knew the internet connection would be rough in Maine, but I didn't realize I wouldn't even get a cell phone signal! It wasn't that bad, it's just that my hotel was at the top of a cliff overlooking the North Atlantic, and on that side of the building there was no cell phone reception whatsoever.

Anyhow, I am going to get all caught up on the blogs and hockey news, and hopefully I will get some fresh posts up later in the week.

The good news is, I got a tan!

Wednesday, August 1, 2007

Ugh...vacation


Okay all, I am headed to a place where my internet connection will be sketchy at best...Maine! My sister's wedding is this weekend and I will be MIA for a few days. I will miss you all, but hopefully with the help of my friend Sauza, I will get by somehow.
I will try to post from my iPhone, but for some reason, iPhone and blogger don't get along. Sheesh! Wish me luck, as I will be wearing a bridesmaid's dress that makes me look like a blueberry!

Sunday, July 29, 2007

28 Days Later


Still basking in the glow of le petit Briere...

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Why are there no other Flyers blogs?

I know I am really opening the door for a lot of jokes to be made about the Flyers and their fans, but really, why can't I find any Flyers blogs? Sure there are a few, but none that post with any regularity. There aren't even any Flyers-centric blogs on Flyers Fan Central, a psuedo blog that seems mildly corporate/propaganda-ish and for the months of March April and May had a combined 11 posts. Wow.

I mean, there are a ton of Caps blogs, Pens blogs and even Ducks blogs. But no Flyers blogs? What is up with that?

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Michael Leighton...home at last?


Some of you may recall that I love Michael Leighton. He was a bright spot during our very dark season, and gave me a glimmer of hope that things might be okay. Of course, that glimmer of hope was smashed into a fine powder and mixed into a sludge that was the remainder of the season, but I love him nonetheless.

So I was pleasantly surprised to read last week that he was picked up by yet another team. Last year, he was sent to four different teams. My question to y'all is how many teams will Michael Leighton be assigned to this year? Or will this be the year he finally finds a home? I will gladly take him back anytime!

Sunday, July 22, 2007

Slow news week...

I got nothing guys, absolutely nothing!

A few weeks back, Adam Proteau of THN wrote a piece about the Flyers rebuilding during the offseason. He wrote "one presumes the Philadelphia Flyers have been pre-approved to hoist the Stanley Cup next spring."

Um, I don't recall anyone from the Flyers organization using the words "Stanley Cup", "playoffs" or even "contender". Every press conference I watched showed guarded words and cautious optimism about next season. Nobody was getting ahead of themselves.

Until le petit Briere spoke.

Let me digress here for one second. I watched the Hartnell, Smith and Briere press conferences. Hartnell was very articulate. Smith was very boring. Briere was very skittish. Of the three, if I were a GM, I would only want Hartnell talking to the press.

I think the press was a little harder on Briere since he is the "prized free agent acquisition". Some of the questions seemed a bit critical. And Briere's answers, and the faces his made when answering, were a little disheartening. He needs to polish up his skills in this area. But the worst part was the answer he gave to this question:

Q: As a player is there any concerns, questions as to how all these new faces are going to fit together?

Briere
: “There are going to be a lot of new players next year. You never know how long it is going to take to mesh. We have a lot of good young players that are still going to have a lot of room for improvement. How it’s going to mesh I don’t know. What I expect from this team looking at our roster is to definitely make the playoffs. That is what I expect us to do at least get to.”

Oh no! He used the "p" word! And this was the question where he made the worst face and hesitated a lot when talking about the new players next year. I will try to upload the video later, but if you feel like watching it, you can look here...

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Hating on Briere...special investigation


Now you all know I love le petit Briere (in a non-squee way). However, it is kinda fun to hate on him. When I saw this picture of him posted by Caps Chick, it made me laugh. A lot. And sparked much Briere hating with Jordi. But Jordi decided there was no way he would ever drive this car (even though it does match his outfit, which he is all about). So I decided to do some investigating, and I was able to find his real mode of transportation:


Hate away, haters!

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Avert your eyes! Puckbunny moment ahead...

Well I didn't get to check out the Trial on the Isle, but I did get to check out the slideshow! Who knew Lars had all that going on underneath his sweater? He also had an interview on SportsNite that I wanted to post, but my video editing skillz are a bit lacking. So you will just have to settle for this picture for now...


Sunday, July 15, 2007

No more hockey in July....

Well, having spent 3 days watching the prospects this week, here are more of my observations:

1) I am still addicted to hockey. I got up early on both my days off to sit in rush hour traffic to go watch our damn rookies do speed drills. Not much gets me out of bed early on my day off!

2) New Jersey is weird (sorry Schnookie and Pookie). I guess I have lived in PA so long now that the way other states are set up just seems wrong somehow. I am not going to make fun of the whole jughandle/u-turn thing, because I am sure it is a great system once you get used to it. Seeing strip mall after strip mall is more disturbing. Sure we have strip malls here in PA, but not nearly as many as NJ. Lastly, I used my GPS to try and find a Starbucks and a Barnes and Noble (I am soooooo suburban, I know) and both times it led me to a place that was not my destination. For the Starbucks, my GPS was yelling "your destination is on the left" but what was on my left was a huge field . No coffee beans in sight! Oh well. And there has to be something wrong about a state that won't let its residents pump their own gas...49 other states get by just fine!

3) You should know that I am very shy and I hate crowds...concerts annoy me, movies that aren't a matinee are too crowded. I hate to be around people, and I would never start a conversation with anyone anywhere anytime. However, that all goes out the window at the rink. I start conversations with strangers, get email addresses and make new friends. It is a very shocking thing for me, but I love it. I love being at the rink around hockey people.

Oh, I guess I should tell you about the boys as well. And yes, many of these guys were boys, barely legal. I even saw one prospect's mom there keeping a watchful eye on her son.

First of all, I mostly saw group B and their drills. I only got to see group A for about an hour. Based on that hour however, group A seemed slightly more developed. Not sure if that was random or not, but group A did in fact win the Friday scrimmage.

Secondly, performance in the drills wasn't necessarily an indicator of how well they played in the scrimmage (I do realize that contradicts what I just said above). Excellent personal performance in the drills did not mean they rocked it in the scrimmage. For example, Patrick Maroon seemed okay in the drills, his speed was decent but he seemed a bit awkward on his skates. In the scrimmage however, he was fantastic. Stayed with the puck and had some decent plays, in spite of the fact that every time I looked, he was falling down (okay, just twice). So yes, he was a little awkward but it didn't affect him ultimately.

I am not going to give you a rundown on everyone (I will save that for the Flyers boards) but here are a few more notes:

  • I hope Triston Grant was hungover, because he played like it. I wouldn't let him make the Phantoms with the way he played!
  • Jordan Hart displayed some leadership qualities during the drills, and looked like he was having a good time...kept it fun for those around him.
  • Parent, Ruzicka, and Potulny stood out overall from this camp.
Hmm...I guess that's all I've got for now!