Quick Hits: Ms. Understood

Okay, first of all, I don't think I'm gonna make it into the NHL. At least, they are trending in the exact opposite direction of my body type for goaltenders. Damn them.

Of course, there's also the whole thing about how I suck and I'm a girl and I'm old. But still... sad to see a pretend dream die.

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I was watching Flipping Out (best reality show on TV) tonight after watching the Wild game on fast-forward (fights and goals only) and I had this sudden wave of panic that I missed a time I was supposed to play goal somewhere.

I know full well I don't play again until Sunday but I've gotten so used to playing pretty much every other day, I'm actually having to remind myself that, no, you don't have to go play. I do have another 3 in 3 lined up for Sunday-Tuesday next week. Confirmed the Monday SLICE gig this morning.

Wednesday was supposed to be gear cleaning day but I had too many other things going on so that got pushed to Thursday. I should take a picture of the water in the tub when I wash my chest protector so you can appreciate what it smells like in my garage during the summer.

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So, I shot my mouth off (well, my fingers off) twice tonight and I feel like talking about it here. The thing is, I hate to be misunderstood. So I will explain myself to really anybody, whether they want or deserve an explanation, until either they understand or they pretend to understand so I'll shut the fuck up already.

Here I go:

On my comments about the vulnerability and shakiness I saw in the first two periods of Anton Khudobin's game tonight against Lake Erie... it wasn't a criticism of his effort or his talent, but more just an observation of his body language, his steadiness in that moment.

You have to understand that I watch goalies like a hawk, often to the exclusion of other things I really should be watching as someone who writes about the team. I may not understand everything I'm seeing or why I'm seeing it, but generally, if you put a goalie in front of me that I've seen quite frequently, I feel like I can read them pretty well.

And I know what a confident, in-control Anton Khudobin looks like. I've seen it over and over. And regardless of the reasons, I thought he appeared to struggle in the first and second periods. I thought he got some really lucky breaks in the midst of his scrambling and unsteadiness, and the guys in front of him did an amazing job clearing away several really juicy rebounds.

Now, what I didn't think through before I pressed Publish Post was why he was having to scramble. Coulda been the umpteen dozen turnovers and breakaways. Duh. I know I've complained in this very space a few times about what a mind fuck it is when you don't feel like you can trust your defense. You begin to play deep and desperate and frantic. It's ugly.

So, okay, Anton may not have looked all Zen doing it, but he did a great job tonight with what he was given.

BUT, even though my analysis of the situation was somewhat flawed, I stand by my observation that he was not in charge of his net in the first and second. He held it together, but he wasn't in charge. In the third, he was In Motherfuckin' Charge. I could see it in his body language, the way he addressed saves, with more decisiveness and crispness.

I should have asked him about it after the game. If I'd realized at interview time that I was the only one who didn't think he had "the game of a lifetime" (seriously, someone said that to me afterward), I certainly would have.

I will watch the game again to see if I can maybe get more clarity about it, even just for myself. Because it's not like I want to be a blowhard, ragging on players who don't deserve it. I'd like to give credit where it's due and I'd like to give clear-headed observations about a player's game, especially when it comes to goalies.

It was so much easier for me when Brusty was in goal because everything he did was fantastical and every goal was the defense's fault. ;)

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The other thing I mouthed off about was saying on Twitter that I'm not so crazy about the Wild's new third jersey. I immediately got disbelief about that. Even a "shame on you"... for what? Having an opinion?

I stand by it 100% (even though I sarcastically backpedaled on Twitter) because I really don't love it. I'm not saying it's the worst third ever. It's not even close, and for the market, I don't think they could have done better. Minnesotans have a proud hockey tradition that I just, personally, don't relate to.

They're just. so. relentlessly. green.