Moody

You'd think I'd be steppin' on leprechauns today after the Aeros surprising win last night, but apparently even a playoff win can't quell the tide of irritation I'm feeling today.

Not one thing in particular, just a host of small stuff that I'm trying not to sweat but am failing in varying degrees. Maybe I should just take a nap and STFU, but I don't have time for that. So I'll just ramble here a bit. It's how I roll. (After the fact, I can tell you, as long as it took me to write this, I could have taken a pretty nice nap.)

Goalie Demo Day... in Dallas

So, I'm banging around Facebook and, what's this? An ad in the sidebar that actually interests me? WTF? Is this some kind of Bizarro Facebook?

Anyway, it was for the Goalie Demo day that they're doing at the Player's Bench in Grapevine (Dallas), where you can try on gear and get out on the ice and have people shoot at you in the gear you're thinking of buying.

But what gripes me is that Texas goalies ALL have to go to Big D to actually try on gear before they buy it. It sucks. I really have no need for anything. My skates are fitting nicely now, I'm working a local glove and blocker angle (and don't really mind buying them online if it comes to that).

All I really would like after that is a new chest protector that doesn't leave my biceps so vulnerable but other than that, I like my c/a just fine. Honestly, the smell of it eases me in hockey mode (whereas the smell of my glove and blocker catapults me into "AUGH, my hands smell like ASS!!" mode).

Still wouldn't it be nice to just go to a big store and wallow in a selection of goalie gear? Man. I'm so jealous.

Hockey Vacation

So, my pal Nick does this thing where he plays goal for an adult hockey camp. It's not a goalie camp but they like to have students shooting on a moving target. That sounds like a helluva a way to spend a week, but I'm not ready for several hours a day for a week on the ice. However, it is my goal to attend next year.

But I was thinking... since it's pretty unlikely we'll get a vacation this year and I've got lots of vacation saved up, maybe I'll just take 4 afternoons a week for a couple of weeks to go to stick and pucks. Sort of a hockey half-vacation. Only burn 2 vacation days a week doing it and still get a day off after novice.

I dunno. Something to ponder. I need to see if goalies tend to show up more while school is out. I don't want to show up and they've already got 2 goalies. Too much hassle to not get to play the full hour.

Kurtis Foster

I was already really pissed that Fozzie didn't get at least among the finalists for the Masterton. Then I read in Russo today that the voting process was extremely squirrely. It's bullshit.

Not to diminish the accomplishments of the guys who were named finalists, but come on. If you followed what Foster went through and his incredible work ethic and positive attitude in coming back. I just don't see another story out that rates. Not even close.

Wow

My quad muscles are getting big. Cool. They're still sore after Wednesday's game. Must have been doing something different, as that's a new place to be sore. All that up and down, I guess. Go figure.

Coach Stalin and I are getting together Saturday do some hockey things. Just banging around like old times. Should be fun, and Scott TFCG is gonna be all on my ass Sunday night so I better have my fun while I can. :)

The 'rents are traveling through Houston and will come out Sunday night, so maybe I'll equip them with the video camera so I can face the harsh reality. Ugh. Not sure I'm ready for that.

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Constantine from MN

Awesome interview with KC, especially his talking about Foster. Very cool stuff. Thanks to Kevin Falness for that.

Though I did LOL when he compared Corey Locke to Butch and Bruno. Butch, I get. Not so much Bruno.

But much love for the boys there. I have also found it interesting listening to some interviews with Foster where he seems sort of amazed by how much fun the Aeros guys have. Like maybe they don't have quite that much fun in the NHL.

I kinda like that. It should be more fun. You're making relative peanuts and still getting the crap beat out of you every night and the schedule sucks and travel sucks... hell yeah, it better be fun.

Genius idea to work the boys in MN this week. Sounds like lots of good is coming out of it.

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Aeros v. Chicago Wolves - Game 53

So, I spent Sunday morning working on my next PHN article, toiling with the notion that the team is actually WORSE in 5 on 5 scoring with the return of Kolanos and Pouliot and the trade of Hamilton for Earl. I was searching for answers (heart? skill? professionalism? what?), but what I knew for sure was that this Aeros team couldn't score if you dropped 'em in the middle of a Puck Bunny convention.

I watched the first period in real time and the boys looked pretty good by the end of it, though they struggled to get any time in Chicago's end early on. Then I had to go to dinner not long after the second started when it was still 1-1.

I came home assuming it's a loss or it went to the shootout or some annoying outcome and nearly fell out of my chair when I refreshed the Gamesheet page I'd left open on my laptop. 6-3 Aeros win. Four goals in the third period.

And then while I'm OMGing about that, I skim the list of goal scorers and see.... M. Kassian. I blink a couple of times to make sure I'm seeing right. M. Kassian.

WOO!!!

FINALLY!

So just when we're back to thinking this team is a bunch of blind squirrels, they find a giant nest of nuts in Chicago. Lammers and Rosa, both of whom needed some points, got the first two goals.

Schultz got a really pretty one against his former team at the top of the third, after a Chicago player turned the puck over to Kolanos by the net and Schultz came in to punch in Kolanos' feed across the slot. Beauty! I love it when a plan comes together.

The fourth Aeros goal was courtesy of Locke on a Kolanos rebound during a PP opportunity.

Schultz got his second of the night, on a terrific feed from Ryznar right on Pavlec's doorstep. Love got the second assist for a nifty pass up to Ryz from the high slot. Another beauty of a play. At this point, it's clear that the Chicago defense has already hit the showers. If I'm Pavlec, I've got steam coming out my ears.

And then... the real capper... a little over a minute later, Kassian strong-armed the puck away from a Chicago player along the boards, headed for the net with two more Wolves circling him, and just jammed it home five-hole on a seemingly surprised Pavlec. Man, you hate to be the goalie on which the team's enforcer gets his first goal of the season 53 games in.



But it's been coming. Matt is so big and strong and just goes to the net and shoots, and eventually that work was going to pay off. Wish it had happened at home so Aeros fans could celebrate with him, but I'm sure the boys saw to it that it was appropriately recognized.

Anyway, super exciting game, and Kurtis Foster's amazing, hard-earned return to pro hockey was really just the icing on the cake. What a great story and a stud he is! And huge kudos to his trainers and rehab folks for creating a program to get him back. It's astounding and if he doesn't win the Masterton this season, they're simply doing it wrong. I'm not all that great at hockey history, but a return from an injury this catastrophic is surely unprecedented.

And it can safely be said, the guy still has a killer slapshot. He ripped one off in the second that sent Grant Stevenson crumpling to the ice. I hate to see guys get hurt, but somehow I make an exception for booming slapshots hitting defenders. Screw you, hoser. Stop screening my goalie.

He also was hitting, being hit, generally NOT avoiding physical play, and made a really solid block on a breakaway attempt where he dropped to the ice and went careening into the boards behind the net with a Chicago player. Good, heroic stuff.

Of course, he had some rust, and some timing and decision-making issues, but good heavens, he contributed more than he didn't.

Scratches were Pouliot, Irmen, Mojzis, Madsen, and Scotty.

Oh, and BTW, this was Schaefer's third game in three nights and he played VERY well the last two nights, stopping 32 of 34 Saturday and 23 of 26 Sunday. But I'm starting to wonder if Brusty's ever going to play again. He seems to really have pissed Constantine off a couple of weeks ago. And rightly so. I'm still convinced that he plays better in "save the day" mode than as the #1 goalie.

UPDATE: Here's a link to a Chicago blogger's post about the game from their perspective, including photos! Nice!

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Quick Hits: Wild player grades; NHL screws Foster; More Aeros photos

In the spirit of giving credit where it is due, even if I'm not a fan in general, Derek Felska over at MVN.com writes a great mid-season report card for the Wild roster. Well observed, well written, very balanced, and it's always interesting to see where your own opinion lines up with something like this.

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Great article today in the Strib about how the NHL has turned down a plea from Kurtis Foster to get longer than 2 weeks in the AHL.

I appreciate that rules are rules, but I like his idea of having an exception in the rules around how long a player is out with the injury. And really, I don't think anyone would fault the league for making an exception here and now. In fact, I think it's pretty bad PR (after already creating some pretty bad PR around suspending Lidstrom and Dots for not going to the ASG) for them to not make an exception.

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Here are some more nice photos NOT by Fred from last night's Aeros game. Good stuff.

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Scotty's back and you're gonna be in trouble

I feel for him but clearly, the team wasn't going to send Reitz down when Bergeron got all better, so it shouldn't come as any surprise. I think what it does indicate is that if JL is around next year (okay, not much chance of that), the big guy probably will have a spot in Minnesota. Maybe he will anyway. Regardless, I'm just happy to have him patrolling the Aeros blue line again.

Russo was also saying that Kurtis Foster will have a 2 week conditioning stint here in Houston in the next month or so. He's a big, Falk-sized fella, so we're gonna have a pretty imposing blue line for that period of time.

As much as I'm eager to see him play here, I know I'll be jumpier than a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs until I see him take a few hits and not go crumbling to the ice. *shudder* His injury is still so visceral in my mind. What a stud he is for working so hard to come back. I really didn't think he'd be able to do it. Not for lack of trying but because the injury was so incredibly severe and the NHL is so physically demanding. If anybody deserves the Masterson Award, it's Foster, 100%.

Busy day on my little blog thanks to a link to my Dallas post below from Kukla's Korner. Thanks for that, Dirk.

As for this evening, there's lots on tap!

• First of all, I'll be live blogging the Wild/Phoenix game with my pal, Nick in New York, over at his site. Come say Hi if you're so inclined. It's the rematch of Gretzky and Clutterbuck. We'll see if Gretz has a visor-induced aneurism again.
  
• Then I'm going to be flipping over to FSN-NW to check out my pal Schultzie's Tri-City Adorables, er, Americans in a little WHL action.
• But before I do all that, I get to walk the dog and do some groin strengthening exercises. Goaltending is so glam, baby.

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