Play Hockey or Watch Hockey

To play or to watch, that is the question.

Some of my Gang Green teammates participate in a Thursday night practice/scrimmage at a rink in the South Bay, and I'd like to go. Apparently the level is higher than our Gang Green's LIAHL bracket (E), and I've found it helpful in the past to skate with people who are a lot better/faster/stronger than I am. And god knows I could use the practice: I'm the only one in negative territory (-2) on the whole team. By comparison, Al is +8, and even my linemates are, well, Even.

So what's keeping me? Game 7 of the Wild-Canucks confrontation in round two of the Stanley Cup Playoffs (oops, almost typed "Keg" there!), that's what. GO WILD!!! I've been a mild Wild fan since they joined the league—an event which happened to coincide with me joining a group that was based in my company's Minnesota office. I worked from Calfornia, but I traveled to Minnesota a couple times and even got to see a game at Xcel Energy Center (where I got the Wild jersey that I happen to be wearing right now). Sadly, the group only lasted about 9 months, and the office a bit longer than that, so I have no business excuses to travel to Minnesota any longer. There's always the King and I to tempt me, though...

Anyway, as I was saying, I'm a Wild fan. I obviously can't go to as many Wild games as I can Sharks games, but I've seen them play in San Jose and LA as well as Minnesota. And now that they're in ROUND 2 of the playoffs—*and* thanks to Jacques LeMaire's twin philosophies of playing every line and making players earn their spots each game—I've gotten to know most of the players' names and specialities (not just those of Marian Gaborik and Darby Hendrickson). Andrew Brunette is my favorite du jour, especially after that sweet no-look, top-shelf backhanded goal and the tongue-out grin that followed it.

I think it's gotta be Watch Hockey, hands down. I'll go to practice on the 22nd!

Posted by Lori in Gang Green ~ Summer 2003 | May 8, 2003·06:20 PM

Comments

Lori,

Don't worry about the +/- thing. I'm only keeping track because, as a defenseman, there's no other stats that really tell how well we're doing out there. Take into consideration that your line-mates generally have a LOT more to do with your +/- than you do. Especially when your defense people screw up and let a scoring chance go through :(

I was fairly passionate about having the +/- stats known but I'm finding that it is a lot more drepressing for me because, unlike the other defense players on Gang Green, I'm a stay-at-home type and get stuck in a LOT of 2 & 3 on 1's as a result. The only thing worse than that(as I seem to stop most of them) is watching the same thing develop while I'm on the bench. I can only sit there and cry about it...

I was watching the Ducks/Wild game last night and remembered something about how teams don't officially keep track of "blocked" shots, but that they do try to keep track unofficially. I may need to try and do that for myself to console myself about being so low on the +/- list too.

If you feel that the line you are on isn't working well for you, I would recommend talking to Hoche about it. Personally, I have a lot of gripes about the way we play defense and the pairings that always seem to come up. I don't want to bore you with the hairy details, but I'm sure you've witnessed the same things I have.

Anyhow, I enjoy reading your hockey diary. It's excellent that you are planning to attend the Thursday practices and have such an upbeat approach to getting better.

See you tomorrow at the Ice Center :)

kerry

Posted by: kerry at May 17, 2003 10:32 AM

personally, I'm really liking the line I'm on with Lori and Hoche. I can't think of a line I've been on that has generated so many scoring chances. Why none of them have gone in (except hoche's 1 PPG) I can't explain. I know we've all been robbed a coupla times, but we're all just a few inches off from burying a lot of these. I try not to worry overly about it as long as the chances are there, since I've gone through streaks the other way where it seems like every chance, no matter how lame, goes in. If the chances are there and we're not getting scored on overly often, it'll even itself out by the end of the season.

Posted by: Baldwin at May 17, 2003 9:54 PM

I'm with Baldwin, actually—I think our line is working great. I was just griping about how a line that plays so well together can't seem to get a goal. :) Hoche was actually saying the same thing at dinner the other night, so I don't think he's worried, either. Scoring is inevitable, I am convinced: (cue Broadcast News) we will, we will, we *will*!

Posted by: Lori at May 19, 2003 10:53 AM