The Shock Of The Lightning!

It’s a bit of a pisser when your mom calls at 7:25 and requires your full attention so you don’t have the ability to turn the game on right away. As such, I walked right into a 1-0 Tampa lead. Fuckers. The game as a whole was pretty solid after the team woke up in the 2^nd. I get that this game was relatively meaningless for both teams, but floating, at this time of year is intolerable.

Snapping back from a 3-0 deficit to force OT is EXACTLY what I wanted to see tonight. So what if it wasn’t NJ or PIT we were playing, dealing with adversity in any form is a plus at this point, and going into Saturday against Buffalo on a very emotional night at the Salmon Can at 7-1-1 is nothing to be down about.

Overall, I was impressed with everyone last night battling back. I would like to have seen Cowen get a bit more ice time, but truth be told, he’s not a game changer yet, and we needed (and got) one. Good on Furbligno for heeding my threats, I’m sure he’s a regular reader.

Keep rolling boys, those ‘garbage’ goals will earn you the silverware!

~MFP3

Right As Rain

Not really too many better ways to celebrate 1000. A point, to inch him closer to the other 1000 mark. A big win against a lesser opponent, which this team seems to struggle with sometimes. Most importantly, a team that played great all night, rolled four solid lines, and got contribution from everyone.

You could see in the interviews leading up to the game, and the spot with Ian Mendes during intermission that 1000 wasn’t a big deal at this point for Alfie as it came on the road. You and I both realise it’ll really hit home on Saturday when the game will be delayed for the ceremony, and furthered by the longest, loudest standing ovation this team has ever seen. That being said, it was nice to see the Panthers, and all 17 fans pay homage to Alfie with a little montage on the scoreboard. They’ve always been classy.

I looked through the game stats and was surprised to find out that Kovalev was in the lineup. Then I reviewed the game log to see if he’d gone out early with injury, say around the 1:30 mark of the first, because truly, I didn’t see him after that. I saw Neiler get his Gordie, the 5^th such of his career. This lead to a little research to find that the real Gordie only ever got one. Also, five puts the Ginger Dandy into second all-time (ALL-TIME!) on the Gordie list, behind the one, the only …. Brendan Shanahan. I KNOW! That was my reaction too!

All told, it was a great effort by most, and I’m glad the guys all showed up to help the team win on a big night. From here on out, they are all big nights.

And now for something completely different….

There are a few guys who have had lots of time and money invested in their development, who have yet to show any return on that. There are spurts here and there of the potential, but overall, it’s truly disheartening to see them regress. This reminds me very much of the great Smiths track Girlfriend In A Coma. “Do you really think she’ll pull through?” I’m looking at you Furbligno and Shan-WOW! Time for a bit of a return, or perhaps time to try your hand elsewhere.

~MFP3

Oh Captain! My Captian!

I know it’s been awhile since I populated this space with anything. I’m going to try to be much more frequent, and I feel there is no better time to start than now… on the eve of Alfie’s 1000^th game. I’ve been a Sens fan for a while now. I can’t attest to being there from the beginning because I only moved to Ottawa in 1999, but I can assure you, no other team has earned my admiration more than this team, no matter how many seasons have ended in frustration.

The face of this franchise since my arrival has been Daniel Alfredsson. He has been the consummate leader, the lightning rod, the sounding board, and the deflector. He has led this team as far as one man can, through the greatest moments this franchise has experienced. He has often been the focus of criticism, been much maligned for his inability to bring a Cup back to the Capital. What we as fans need to realise is that far more dreams lay unrealised at the end of each season, than those that come true. Ask the great leaders like Ray Bourque, who waited 20 years to finally hoist a Cup, or guy like Pat LaFontaine or Dale Hawerchuk, who never won one at all, and they will all tell you about the anguish of defeat.

So as we sit here heading into a very special, and certainly very emotional night, we can’t focus on what our beloved captain has not done for us, we should count our blessings that we have a man of such fortitude, strength, willpower, and drive, that he has been our captain for a decade, and the greatest player this franchise ever has, or ever will see.

We love you Alfie. Go Sens Go!

~MFP3

"Swamp Thing" - Chameleons UK

Sens fall asleep at the Wheel - lose 3-1

Hmmm….. I guess when you are a pest, your reputation truly does follow you around. Ruutu-D2 took a guillotine shot across the face from Bryce Salvador, and was clearly spitting blood out of multiple places, while crumpled over looking for his teeth. I saw it… if you were watching the game no doubt you saw it too. So why did the ref, who was no further away from the play than we were from out TVs not see it? Or did they?

I’m not stating that they are willing to overlook the personal safety of individual players, but is it a matter of reputation here? I know Ruutu is a monster iin the ice, and no doubt plays on the very edge of the rules, but there’s a sizeable difference in running around slashing guys in areas where they are protected, like shins and asses. Flossing a guys teeth is another story. With head shots being the soup of the day, why is this not being called, even against a guy like this, who may be edgy, but is no Steve Ott, or Steve Downie…. WTF?

On a side note, the Sens lost last night. It looked for most of the night they were skating in quicksand. Outside of the good hustle from the fourth line, everyone else just looked a little out of sync. I know Giggles will eventually bust out of this funk, hell, Fishy was in one for three seasons and finally busted out, so there’s hope for Jason yet.

Alfie! I’m with you dude! Throw your stick – fuck ‘em, it’s a goal anyways! Let everyone on the ice and the bench (and us at home) know that you’re f**ked off, that this is bullsh*t, and that you’re not going to take it anymore!

Sens back at the Bank tomorrow against Squirm-ette and the Ditch Pigs.

~MFP3

New Theme - YAY!

Starting today, I will be naming each blog after a song which befits each blog I am writing. It's fun with words ! SUPER!

The RULES....

There’s rules goddammit!

As the fine gents over at 6thSens discovered, even our own home town Sens fans are not immune to making terrible decisions when it comes to their jersey customization. I thought for the longest time that as a collective, the folks coming to the Kanata Salmon Can on a nightly basis were well informed, cerebral hockey fans, who put lots of thought into every hockey-related action (hence the large walk-up crowd). But as Tim and Graeme experienced against the Caps on Monday night… this is not always the case. Enter “Apollo 69”, who is his own James Dean “rebel without a clue way” has flashed his hairy balls to the world in a big fat “f**k you!” to the clearly defined system. His jersey violates not one, not two, but all three rules in jerseydom.

RULE #1 -> Don’t put your own name, or nick name, or some clever catchword on a jersey. Just don’t. Whether it’s “Apollo 69” or “He Hate Me” or whatever, you’re causing other people to mock you quietly behind your back (and in some cases loudly to your face when you don’t shut up).

RULE #2 -> If you feel as though you MUST use your own name, or a nick name, do not use an already used number. So help me god if I see another “Awesome Dad 11” jersey, I may have to buy theose two brats “Orphan 99” jerseys…oops… hehehe….

RULE #3 -> Just because you are the captain, or assistant captain of your Wednesday beer league or your Sunday church league team does not mean you can just give yourself a “C” or and “A” on this team. Hell, Fishy had to wait 8 years for his “A”… and he actually worked for it. Screw you and your low level leadership quality… save the $4 and keep the letter to yourself.

RULE #4 -> Let’s assume that these past three rules have finally struck home, and you are NOT going to make the awful decision of making an “Apollo 69” jersey. Please please please make sure your jersey choice is not anachronistic in any way. Make sure the player you are putting on it (if not pre-made) actually wore that jersey. For example, I see people wearing vintage 1990’s style Penguins jerseys with Crosby on them. Check this out… Crosby was 4 when the Pens won that first Cup, and they haven’t really revisited it in the Sid the Kid era… so… um… awkward….

Anyhow – there you have it. The rules. Follow them, or don’t, but always know… I’ll be watching (and mocking silently from afar).

~MFP3