Yesterday afternoon I went skating with the three Lizard Kids, by popular demand. They'd been up pretty late, and I'd been up ridiculously late watching the F.A. Cup Final (ended at 3.30am our time), so it took a bit of finessing to keep every one moving (except for B, who was keen as mustard to get out on his new skates) and it didn't help that I forgot my skates and we had to go back and get them. Be that as it may, we got there about 1:30pm, leaving us one and a half hours before an early closing of the rink to allow for preparation for the Adrenaline game an hour later.
J seems to have relaxed and isn't trying to prove himself outwardly, and hence looks much more confident and natural. B continues to push himself and try out new techniques, not afraid to drill on the boards in his stationary moments and getting a buzz out of life on the edge (quite literally, as he is discovering the importance of his edges on the ice also). E just looks cool, and had worked her way onto the big ice by the time the session had ended.
Me, I didn't do anything too much in particular and just basically went through a lot of my various 'moves' and 'projects' but in a non dogmatic and playful manner. Always looking for a gap in the crowd to give me a few seconds of freedom I continued to work on my exit from transition from rearward to forward skating with a left leading foot. It's becoming a bit more natural to take an inside line with my right foot rather than crossing over as I had unconsciously been training myself to do.
Quite a crowd had gathered for the game by the time we were leaving. As cool as it would have been to stay we were all buggered and needed to get back to our respective homes before sunday evening.
Fridge
Tuesday, 20 May 2014
Monday, 19 May 2014
Game Day - Wheelers (7) d Rockers (3)
On Saturday, May 17, we played the Rockers in the second round of the North Vikings Inline Hockey Club's Division 2 Winter League. We were the second last game of the day, starting at 8pm. I brought up Lizard King with me from Adelaide, he brought his ipad for a bit of video action. We got there about 7pm. The Rockers were our opponents in the Grand Final last season. They'd lost four of that team to First Division teams, we lost two to Division One (the Dylans) and one (Mal) to another Div 2 team. It was going to be interesting to see how the teams had panned out. It turned out to be a reasonably comfortable win for us, though it got a bit stressful at times.
We opened the scoring with two quick goals off of Alex's stick (he ended up with four on the night). Then, they struck back with two fairly quick replies, both off of errors in our (my) game. In the first, I was screwing around in offence for way too long making my mind up what to do. When I finally tracked behind their goal I was still uncertain in my moves. Unsurprisingly, their largest player had time to track and dispossess me before skating it up to our zone where he slotted a nice shot. Not long after, I was involved in their second goal when I went down in front of our net and ended up blocking shots (3 by my count) while on the floor before letting through the fourth. I had managed to screen our goalie, so it went in. Not to be put off, we blitzed a number of shots, before I ended up scavenging a loose puck during a scramble in the slot and snapping it into the exposed far corner of the net. We went in to half time with a 3-2 lead.
The second half was more lop sided, with their only goal coming off a goalie brainfade on Matt's part, and we slamming home four more. I got the last goal of the night from an unassisted skate up the right wing (chipping it off the boards to get me started out of defence) and a slow cruise across the goal front until the goalie had lost his balance tracking me.
No penalties against either side. We generally kept a defence in place and played a passing game for probably three quarters of the match. Our line management was pretty good, everyone having roughly equal time and no one totally blown at the end. I got two goals, no assists. I had about four unsuccessful shots, none from close in. Was on the rink for one other of our goals in addition to those I put in the net. We were quite pleased with the effort and look forward to playing the Shufflers next week in a top of the table clash.
GP 2 - G 3 - A 3 - TP 5 - 2/0/0 - +3
We opened the scoring with two quick goals off of Alex's stick (he ended up with four on the night). Then, they struck back with two fairly quick replies, both off of errors in our (my) game. In the first, I was screwing around in offence for way too long making my mind up what to do. When I finally tracked behind their goal I was still uncertain in my moves. Unsurprisingly, their largest player had time to track and dispossess me before skating it up to our zone where he slotted a nice shot. Not long after, I was involved in their second goal when I went down in front of our net and ended up blocking shots (3 by my count) while on the floor before letting through the fourth. I had managed to screen our goalie, so it went in. Not to be put off, we blitzed a number of shots, before I ended up scavenging a loose puck during a scramble in the slot and snapping it into the exposed far corner of the net. We went in to half time with a 3-2 lead.
First Half Highlights
The second half was more lop sided, with their only goal coming off a goalie brainfade on Matt's part, and we slamming home four more. I got the last goal of the night from an unassisted skate up the right wing (chipping it off the boards to get me started out of defence) and a slow cruise across the goal front until the goalie had lost his balance tracking me.
No penalties against either side. We generally kept a defence in place and played a passing game for probably three quarters of the match. Our line management was pretty good, everyone having roughly equal time and no one totally blown at the end. I got two goals, no assists. I had about four unsuccessful shots, none from close in. Was on the rink for one other of our goals in addition to those I put in the net. We were quite pleased with the effort and look forward to playing the Shufflers next week in a top of the table clash.
GP 2 - G 3 - A 3 - TP 5 - 2/0/0 - +3
Friday, 16 May 2014
Vikings Training
On Wednesday night I had opportunity to grab the car and get to inline training at Gawler. So I did, managing to wolf down a bit of food before I left on the cruisy 45min trip with the tail of the rush hour.
On a last minute whim I ended up bringing my new Blue Jackets sweater with me to 'break it in'. It has elastic around the cuff at the wrist which makes it even harder than it should be to put on over elbow pads, but apart from that it was a good jersey.
Fashion commentary over, I got out to the rink as the session completed the evening's first drill - carrying a puck around the witch's hats in a deep slalom, with the cornering turns using the tightest turns the skaters could manage before accelerating to the next. Straightline skating with braking turns (for those that could, the others of us making do with as tight a 'regular' turn as possible) followed, skating from the wall to the far blue line, back to the close blue line, on to the opposite wall, turn, return to the start point, repeat five times. Thirty second breather. Do it three more times. Heavy, but doable. One other drill. Then basically a thirty minute four a side shinny, with bench's of four and whistled line changes (excellent fun).
The shinny was great fun, and had enough of a smattering of player skills that there was heaps to learn from the experience, both in the doing and in retrospect.
An hour after I started it was time to change down with everyone else (we all generally use one of the building's large meeting rooms for this) and then hop in the car for the 40 min trip home.
There were a couple members from each of the Div 1 and 2 teams ('lower grade' players from Div 1 share the session with Div 2, their better skaters mixing it with the Premium grade players on Monday nights) at the session and two Div 2 goalies. The higher proportion of Div 1 players meant it was a higher skilled session than had been the case most of last season.
On a last minute whim I ended up bringing my new Blue Jackets sweater with me to 'break it in'. It has elastic around the cuff at the wrist which makes it even harder than it should be to put on over elbow pads, but apart from that it was a good jersey.
Fashion commentary over, I got out to the rink as the session completed the evening's first drill - carrying a puck around the witch's hats in a deep slalom, with the cornering turns using the tightest turns the skaters could manage before accelerating to the next. Straightline skating with braking turns (for those that could, the others of us making do with as tight a 'regular' turn as possible) followed, skating from the wall to the far blue line, back to the close blue line, on to the opposite wall, turn, return to the start point, repeat five times. Thirty second breather. Do it three more times. Heavy, but doable. One other drill. Then basically a thirty minute four a side shinny, with bench's of four and whistled line changes (excellent fun).
The shinny was great fun, and had enough of a smattering of player skills that there was heaps to learn from the experience, both in the doing and in retrospect.
An hour after I started it was time to change down with everyone else (we all generally use one of the building's large meeting rooms for this) and then hop in the car for the 40 min trip home.
There were a couple members from each of the Div 1 and 2 teams ('lower grade' players from Div 1 share the session with Div 2, their better skaters mixing it with the Premium grade players on Monday nights) at the session and two Div 2 goalies. The higher proportion of Div 1 players meant it was a higher skilled session than had been the case most of last season.
Tuesday, 13 May 2014
Back to the Academy
Tonight I finally made it back to the Ice Hockey Academy at the Ice Arena, after a hiatus of almost six months. It was great to return to a crowded change room and be welcomed by a bunch of familiar faces, whether from my social skating episodes of recent months or from academy or league play from summer time. It sure does one's soul a load of good to have a bunch of welcoming faces!
Cory was in his usual fine form, somehow managing to keep everyone involved at a level they'd get something out of it with. From almost rank beginners to my cohort (borderline intermediate level), he kept everyone in their place if required, and pushed us all just that bit further than we felt comfortable with. As it should be.
The format is pretty standard in its make-up, with a mix of skating and stickhandling drills, passing and shooting, puck possession and defence work, short battles, ending up with a round of penalty shots. We had one goalie only for about twenty skaters, so Anthony the goalie got a good work out. He's come a long way since term 4 last year. I felt quite proud to have got the majority of my shots in on him, including being one of only three that got a penalty goal at the end. Of interest with this last, two of us were Knights, and the third was a genius ten year old who just shines even in the adult sessions. Good company.
It took me about half the session to get used to the fact that the puck slides over the ice a lot faster than in inline. Once I'd made the adjustment I was able to start relying on the skill bank I've been working on. I heard someone calling me an 'ice dancer' so that must mean I have kept my ice legs!
And sweetness of sweetness, mine wasn't the only Oilers sweater for a change!
Cory was in his usual fine form, somehow managing to keep everyone involved at a level they'd get something out of it with. From almost rank beginners to my cohort (borderline intermediate level), he kept everyone in their place if required, and pushed us all just that bit further than we felt comfortable with. As it should be.
The format is pretty standard in its make-up, with a mix of skating and stickhandling drills, passing and shooting, puck possession and defence work, short battles, ending up with a round of penalty shots. We had one goalie only for about twenty skaters, so Anthony the goalie got a good work out. He's come a long way since term 4 last year. I felt quite proud to have got the majority of my shots in on him, including being one of only three that got a penalty goal at the end. Of interest with this last, two of us were Knights, and the third was a genius ten year old who just shines even in the adult sessions. Good company.
It took me about half the session to get used to the fact that the puck slides over the ice a lot faster than in inline. Once I'd made the adjustment I was able to start relying on the skill bank I've been working on. I heard someone calling me an 'ice dancer' so that must mean I have kept my ice legs!
And sweetness of sweetness, mine wasn't the only Oilers sweater for a change!
Monday, 12 May 2014
Extreme attitude
"I get my team to shoot at my head so I can work on my reflexes."
A recent quote from a Buffalo Sabres goal tender.
What can I say?!
A recent quote from a Buffalo Sabres goal tender.
What can I say?!
Sunday, 11 May 2014
Sunday Skate - back in the rhythm
I picked up B this afternoon and we went for our usual term time Sunday Skate. The Ice Arena was back to its more usual non-olympic-year winter self, not crowded and a moderately proficient average skating skill. Nice to see a few familiar faces, and nice to see some of them recognising B from past occasions also, and the improvements he is making from week to week.
As for me, I used the hour and a half to reasonable good effect, just enjoying the sensation of skating for much of the time. Didn't really push myself too hard, a couple sets of a couple laps at speed, a couple laps of heel to heels, some concentrated drills of transiting on mohawk from reverse to the left at speed (finally worked out that the issue I was having with this was that I was moving straight into a crossover with my right leg (presumably an artefact of having to skate in a anti clockwise direction at public sessions)), and generally speeding up the work that I do at random moments on my simple drills (backwards inside C cuts with outside edges, forward alternating crossovers onto outside edges, tight slalom, etc).
Noticed one of the coaches in the background watching at one point (the drill up the ice with left foot exit rear to forward transitions at moderate speed). Suits me fine. Hopefully my puck'n'stick work keeps evolving through inline experience and I get their attention through that as well when next it counts. What's lacking at the moment is accelerating speed, need to work on that.
B fell over and banged the bony part of the glute complex about 30 seconds before the session ended. I think it hurt him quite a bit but he wasn't about to complain. He's a tough wee bugga. Hopefully he doesn't bruise to the black stage like I did a few months ago.
As for me, I used the hour and a half to reasonable good effect, just enjoying the sensation of skating for much of the time. Didn't really push myself too hard, a couple sets of a couple laps at speed, a couple laps of heel to heels, some concentrated drills of transiting on mohawk from reverse to the left at speed (finally worked out that the issue I was having with this was that I was moving straight into a crossover with my right leg (presumably an artefact of having to skate in a anti clockwise direction at public sessions)), and generally speeding up the work that I do at random moments on my simple drills (backwards inside C cuts with outside edges, forward alternating crossovers onto outside edges, tight slalom, etc).
Noticed one of the coaches in the background watching at one point (the drill up the ice with left foot exit rear to forward transitions at moderate speed). Suits me fine. Hopefully my puck'n'stick work keeps evolving through inline experience and I get their attention through that as well when next it counts. What's lacking at the moment is accelerating speed, need to work on that.
B fell over and banged the bony part of the glute complex about 30 seconds before the session ended. I think it hurt him quite a bit but he wasn't about to complain. He's a tough wee bugga. Hopefully he doesn't bruise to the black stage like I did a few months ago.
Saturday, 10 May 2014
Game Day - Wheelers 7 d Bumpers 4
Winter Season started for Vikings inline hockey at Gawler today. My team (Wheelers) played against last season's fourth place getters, the Bumpers. Our team had changed a bit, with the loss of the two Dylans to Division 1 and the addition of Alex (from the Shufflers) and a newbie, Matt. Matt Vickery remains our goal tender. Me, Merrilyn and Brenton remained the old 'core' from last season.
Bumpers opened the scoring with a blitz goal at 40s, followed by another about a minute later. This seemed familiar (two goals in a minute against us at start of grand final). I was on for this goal, it came off of a face-off where I won the draw but didn't skate on to support Alex who was wrong footed. They stole it off him and broke in. It became 3-0 half way through the period.
I played in a role in our both our goals in the first period. With six minutes remaining, I backhanded the puck from right point to Alex who in the left slot who made sure of it. Five minutes later, similar play except this time I did I forehand pass after skating it up from our defence, to Merrilyn who dropped it in. Half time, 3-2 their way.
In the second period we were having lots of shots and crushes on the net without a score for about five minutes, before they scored one against the run of play. We scored two more and it was tied at 4-4. By this point I had taken about four shots and tried to jam it through the goalie's legs, to no avail. She'd made one very good high glove save on the nicest shot I did all game.
This changed when I received a nice pass from Merrilyn behind the red line, I was backing across goal with stick on ice and just held my wrist shot until I had some space. This turned out to be the game winning goal. We scored two more (with the last less than a second before the final siren).
Our team gelled really nicely. Merrilyn and I fed each other goals, and it was nice to know Alex is lurking their with his strong shot. Our rookie scored two goals, he'll be pleased. I think we'll be a pretty cool unit this season (no superstars, lots of teamwork, good triangle work).
My game was pretty good. I didn't run out of puff despite my recent head cold and double shifting it several times (once even triple shifting mid way through the second as I was only one with any puff left). A lot of things I drilled a few weeks ago were of use, from backhands and gliding in for rebounds, to keeping the head up and assessing a situation, heel to heel protected pickups of the puck, backhand pickups off the boards. I even chipped the puck up the boards on one occasion, chasing it down and carrying the puck into the offence zone.
I could benefit from remembering to skate the extra stride to the puck rather than reaching early with the stick and to watch the torso not the puck with someone coming in on me.
Great opening to the season, tremendous fun and both and actual and a moral victory at the same time!
I'm now #34. Is good.
GP 1 G 1 A 2 +2 1-0-0
Bumpers opened the scoring with a blitz goal at 40s, followed by another about a minute later. This seemed familiar (two goals in a minute against us at start of grand final). I was on for this goal, it came off of a face-off where I won the draw but didn't skate on to support Alex who was wrong footed. They stole it off him and broke in. It became 3-0 half way through the period.
I played in a role in our both our goals in the first period. With six minutes remaining, I backhanded the puck from right point to Alex who in the left slot who made sure of it. Five minutes later, similar play except this time I did I forehand pass after skating it up from our defence, to Merrilyn who dropped it in. Half time, 3-2 their way.
In the second period we were having lots of shots and crushes on the net without a score for about five minutes, before they scored one against the run of play. We scored two more and it was tied at 4-4. By this point I had taken about four shots and tried to jam it through the goalie's legs, to no avail. She'd made one very good high glove save on the nicest shot I did all game.
This changed when I received a nice pass from Merrilyn behind the red line, I was backing across goal with stick on ice and just held my wrist shot until I had some space. This turned out to be the game winning goal. We scored two more (with the last less than a second before the final siren).
Our team gelled really nicely. Merrilyn and I fed each other goals, and it was nice to know Alex is lurking their with his strong shot. Our rookie scored two goals, he'll be pleased. I think we'll be a pretty cool unit this season (no superstars, lots of teamwork, good triangle work).
My game was pretty good. I didn't run out of puff despite my recent head cold and double shifting it several times (once even triple shifting mid way through the second as I was only one with any puff left). A lot of things I drilled a few weeks ago were of use, from backhands and gliding in for rebounds, to keeping the head up and assessing a situation, heel to heel protected pickups of the puck, backhand pickups off the boards. I even chipped the puck up the boards on one occasion, chasing it down and carrying the puck into the offence zone.
I could benefit from remembering to skate the extra stride to the puck rather than reaching early with the stick and to watch the torso not the puck with someone coming in on me.
Great opening to the season, tremendous fun and both and actual and a moral victory at the same time!
I'm now #34. Is good.
GP 1 G 1 A 2 +2 1-0-0
Tuesday, 6 May 2014
Excuses Decisions Excuses Decisions
I didn't go skating over the weekend at all because I was in Sydney or on a plane. I didn't go to Hockey Academy because I am fighting off a nasty head cold and don't want to stress my body out too much. I won't be going skating tomorrow night because we have a family event (one of the reasons I want to shake the head cold, or at least stop it getting too much worse). Which means I'll be going into the first game of the season with the Wheelers (the other reason I need to shake the cold) having only skated once in the previous fortnight. And that was on ice, at that.
And with only five skaters plus a goalie on our roster, that's scary - if I don't shift this cold significantly and get my energy levels back. If I do, it's a challenge. Such a fine line...
And with only five skaters plus a goalie on our roster, that's scary - if I don't shift this cold significantly and get my energy levels back. If I do, it's a challenge. Such a fine line...
Sunday, 4 May 2014
Sweaters Pt 1
If you play hockey you probably have learnt that you can never have too many hockey sweaters. Team sweaters should only be worn for game days, leaving a lot of practices to wear something else. Odds are they'll get pretty grubby and smelly unless they get washed frequently, so you shouldn't just wear the same one again and again. Add to that the occasional need for someone to change into red/white/blue/black colours to even up the sides in a small rink game or a shinny, and there's need for a few different sweaters.
That's my excuse, anyway, for beginning a bit of a collection of the things. Add to that the fact that they tend to have interesting designs / bright colours /an emotional 'tone' and it then becomes somewhat easy to take them up as a type of regular clothing in their own right.
I started my collection with an Edmonton Oilers sweater I saw at the markets in Sydney a bit over a year ago. To that was added a Canadian (away (white) colours) from the International exhibition game in June last year. I got a Vancouver blue top on my next Sydney trip. Then, gave the missus a shopping list for her next trip to the markets and she came back with Colorado, Montreal (with 2009 centenary epulettes and #11 - Koivu on the back (then time captain before being traded to Anaheim where he remains)) and Redwings sweaters. The Redwings was her idea because she liked the red (more on this one later).
And this weekend, I was in Sydney with the wife again, and again it was a trip to the market stall to see what they had...
Came back with a St Louis Blues one (royal blues with a stylised yellow note as the front symbol, #41 - Halak on the back) and an oldschool Columbus Blue Jacket sweater (18th Century cannon logo on white roundel in front of a dark navy blue top, with lacework). Also another one which I won't describe here because it's a gift for someone...
Next weekend I'll be picking up my own Vikings sweater (Royal blue, Viking helmet with crossed sticks beneath ala jolly roger on the front), and a Wheelers sweater (maroon, no logo).
I had a chat with the stall holder this time, enquiring at the absence of 'L' sized tops (so it goes comfortably over my body armour) or of 'S' ones (for the kids) and she explained it by the fact that they're all remainders. Hence, no Winnipeg Jets, few of the other 'minority' teams, the old designs that have been supplanted in the most recent season (which is good as I wouldn't wear the stars and stripes design of the present bluejackets top, but I do like the older gun logo), etc. The numbered sweaters become remainders when the player is traded (hence, my Montreal player these day is with the Ducks, and my Blues player was traded earlier this year to Washington, making the sweaters almost worthless on the usual market).
Maybe I'll continue this in another post some time...
That's my excuse, anyway, for beginning a bit of a collection of the things. Add to that the fact that they tend to have interesting designs / bright colours /an emotional 'tone' and it then becomes somewhat easy to take them up as a type of regular clothing in their own right.
I started my collection with an Edmonton Oilers sweater I saw at the markets in Sydney a bit over a year ago. To that was added a Canadian (away (white) colours) from the International exhibition game in June last year. I got a Vancouver blue top on my next Sydney trip. Then, gave the missus a shopping list for her next trip to the markets and she came back with Colorado, Montreal (with 2009 centenary epulettes and #11 - Koivu on the back (then time captain before being traded to Anaheim where he remains)) and Redwings sweaters. The Redwings was her idea because she liked the red (more on this one later).
And this weekend, I was in Sydney with the wife again, and again it was a trip to the market stall to see what they had...
Came back with a St Louis Blues one (royal blues with a stylised yellow note as the front symbol, #41 - Halak on the back) and an oldschool Columbus Blue Jacket sweater (18th Century cannon logo on white roundel in front of a dark navy blue top, with lacework). Also another one which I won't describe here because it's a gift for someone...
Next weekend I'll be picking up my own Vikings sweater (Royal blue, Viking helmet with crossed sticks beneath ala jolly roger on the front), and a Wheelers sweater (maroon, no logo).
I had a chat with the stall holder this time, enquiring at the absence of 'L' sized tops (so it goes comfortably over my body armour) or of 'S' ones (for the kids) and she explained it by the fact that they're all remainders. Hence, no Winnipeg Jets, few of the other 'minority' teams, the old designs that have been supplanted in the most recent season (which is good as I wouldn't wear the stars and stripes design of the present bluejackets top, but I do like the older gun logo), etc. The numbered sweaters become remainders when the player is traded (hence, my Montreal player these day is with the Ducks, and my Blues player was traded earlier this year to Washington, making the sweaters almost worthless on the usual market).
Maybe I'll continue this in another post some time...
Thursday, 1 May 2014
NHL Playoffs - Round 1 done
Well, an interesting First Round of playoffs in North America. In the east, Montreal v Boston and N.Y. Rangers v Pennsylvania Penguins is the result. In the west, Chicago Blackhawks v Minnesota Wild and L.A. Kings v Anaheim Ducks. I'll be going for the Wild in the west and, in the east, the Habs.
Having followed the first round as well as I could (a game a night on Pay Murdoch TV) for my first ever real playoff season has been interesting. My joy at Montreal beating the Lightning 4-0 and going through to the next round before anyone else was great. Sadly, because their series was over so quickly I only got to see one of their games. Hope the 11 day break won't have been too long. The best game I saw was that when L.A. beat San Jose to tie their series 3 all (surprising, as I'm no fan of Kings hockey, but they played lively and crisp and were good to watch). Hats off to LA also, for coming back from being three games to nil down to win that series 4-3. Only the fourth team in NHL history to have done so in a playoff series.
The biggest surprise, though, was how my attitude to several of the teams in general shifted. You might have gathered I'm not particularly fond of Boston and their angry bear style of play. But at least they do it with style. What got me, however, was how much I didn't particularly enjoy a bunch of other teams that play the monster game with their size. Namely, the loser teams of St Louis Blues, Colorado Avalanche and Columbus Blue Jackets. So, my heart wasn't where my original wishlist predictions had originally put it going into the series. The other team that played the rough house style was the Philly Flyers, but there was enough teamwork class with them to make it entertaining (as they went down to NYR in a seventh game).
We'll see how my predictions stack up before the Conference Finals.
Paid up for Winter Vikings Inline Hockey season today. Go Wheelers!
Having followed the first round as well as I could (a game a night on Pay Murdoch TV) for my first ever real playoff season has been interesting. My joy at Montreal beating the Lightning 4-0 and going through to the next round before anyone else was great. Sadly, because their series was over so quickly I only got to see one of their games. Hope the 11 day break won't have been too long. The best game I saw was that when L.A. beat San Jose to tie their series 3 all (surprising, as I'm no fan of Kings hockey, but they played lively and crisp and were good to watch). Hats off to LA also, for coming back from being three games to nil down to win that series 4-3. Only the fourth team in NHL history to have done so in a playoff series.
The biggest surprise, though, was how my attitude to several of the teams in general shifted. You might have gathered I'm not particularly fond of Boston and their angry bear style of play. But at least they do it with style. What got me, however, was how much I didn't particularly enjoy a bunch of other teams that play the monster game with their size. Namely, the loser teams of St Louis Blues, Colorado Avalanche and Columbus Blue Jackets. So, my heart wasn't where my original wishlist predictions had originally put it going into the series. The other team that played the rough house style was the Philly Flyers, but there was enough teamwork class with them to make it entertaining (as they went down to NYR in a seventh game).
We'll see how my predictions stack up before the Conference Finals.
Paid up for Winter Vikings Inline Hockey season today. Go Wheelers!
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