Post by Old Bucks Admin on Nov 3, 2011 5:16:26 GMT -5
“Old Bucks Resolve”. If such a thing exists, that’s what it took to get us to the rink for Week 7, so late was the game and unseasonably cold the weather. Who can resist the lure of the Cowboys-Eagles when such conditions prevail? Any excuse would have done—even having to strip paint off old furniture. But we soldiered on, hoping the thermostat of the rink’s new warming pad was set on HIGH and that if the club didn’t field a lot of players, at least we’d have two goalies.
When we got to the rink, players had just taken the ice. Saunders stood out for he was warming up with a plastic Batman mask on. It made us think less of George Clooney than whether we should be inoculated against rabies. Inside locker room 1 seats could be had for the asking and we luxuriated in the open space. We noticed Rich Devlin was back from his one-week layoff, from which we inferred he doesn’t golf in the dark and snow.
Turnout was indeed light but Marty and Kenny G. were present. The Barrett boys were absent as Mischief Night is still a family tradition, although the toilet paper they sling over wires is now of the recyclable single-ply variety and the shaving cream they spread on cars is homemade from beeswax and baking soda. We didn’t need to consult a soothsayer to know Craig Allen wouldn’t show up; we’ll lay odds he never got out of his carpet slippers the entire day. George Schott texted his apologies, saying he was planning to play but lost a filling while chewing on a milk dud. Apparently there was a whole slew of members who’d rather be snowbound with their wild-haired wives than play hockey. On the bright side Kenny showed, but looked stressed; Blue had gone over his lineup cards and objected, pleading a want of offense. Kenny, in a conciliatory gesture, gave them Bob Freiling in exchange for Jim Heffern. Apparently Bob and Blue were back on speaking terms despite their falling out in Week 4. Jim Heffern, in turn, slunk over to Red with only slight damage to his self-esteem.
Blue got off to a rousing start—or make that Bob Freiling got off to a rousing start, scoring twice on consecutive breakaways. Then during a scrum in front of the Red goal Marty came up with two big saves only to have Diaz, standing alone by one of the posts, negate his efforts by scoring on an easy rebound. Marty turned on his two defensemen, giving Kenny and Hughie his most withering look of the season. Moments later Bob Freiling scored again and the Blue bench congratulated themselves on their early 4-0 lead.
Fifteen minutes into the game Nick Swift showed up, taking a spot on the Red bench. He hadn’t slept in 48 hours due to weather-related fire calls and to top it off, had been boozing it up with fellow firemen for the past three hours. Though Red needed another defenseman Nick refused to play claiming in his condition he would have looked too much like a typical defenseman—it would have been too “on the nose”. In his place, Mike Robbins went back on defense. This seemed to change the whole chemistry of the team and thenceforward Red rallied. First Kenny forced a turnover in the neutral zone and charged. Jim Heffern recovered the puck, stickhandled to the faceoff circle, knifed a pass over to Mike Robbins, who ladled the puck to Kenny, who forked a shot past Kenny G. for Red’s first goal. Then Jonathan Millen snuck one in for Red’s second goal. The surge continued. A Mike Robbins slap shot missed wide of the mark, ricocheted off the boards behind the net, and then skittered back out front where Huck Fairman, stick at the ready, tapped it in the net. After 20 years in the club Huck has hit upon an infallible means of scoring at least one goal a game—just stand next to a post and wait for the puck to bounce his way.
Now only up 4-3 the Blue bench contrived to look unconcerned. It helped that after Jason Millen whiffed on a shot, Rich Cerbone relieved him of the puck and darted the length of the ice, weaving between players before deeking out Marty for the score. Rich probably hasn’t moved that fast since chasing Charlie through the jungles of ‘Nam, but it was effective, giving Blue the 5-3 lead. A seesaw pattern ensued where the teams traded goals with grudge-match intensity. For Red Nick Swift, Jason Millen, and Tim White were notable for lighting the lamp; while Blue saw Rich Devlin score and, in short order, Saunders bag two. Saunders’ second goal was key for he tied the game at eights. He then got a breakaway and a chance for a hat trick and the go-ahead goal all in the same play. He tried to thread Marty’s five-hole but Marty plugged the gap with his stick, and batted the puck away. The fate of the game probably pivoted on that one play, but Saunders had blown it.
With the teams tied at nines, Jim Heffern with characteristic decisiveness corralled a loose puck in the neutral zone and “took it to the house” backhanding the puck over Kenny’s shoulder for the score. Further attempts by Blue to re-tie the game faltered and failed, and by the time Jason Millen scored Red had effectively stamped out the last embers of resistance. The Blue bench, sulky and stupefied, followed Mark Herr’s lead, melting into the locker room and leaving only a small, defiant garrison to guard the goal. Red triumphed 11-9.
When we got to the rink, players had just taken the ice. Saunders stood out for he was warming up with a plastic Batman mask on. It made us think less of George Clooney than whether we should be inoculated against rabies. Inside locker room 1 seats could be had for the asking and we luxuriated in the open space. We noticed Rich Devlin was back from his one-week layoff, from which we inferred he doesn’t golf in the dark and snow.
Turnout was indeed light but Marty and Kenny G. were present. The Barrett boys were absent as Mischief Night is still a family tradition, although the toilet paper they sling over wires is now of the recyclable single-ply variety and the shaving cream they spread on cars is homemade from beeswax and baking soda. We didn’t need to consult a soothsayer to know Craig Allen wouldn’t show up; we’ll lay odds he never got out of his carpet slippers the entire day. George Schott texted his apologies, saying he was planning to play but lost a filling while chewing on a milk dud. Apparently there was a whole slew of members who’d rather be snowbound with their wild-haired wives than play hockey. On the bright side Kenny showed, but looked stressed; Blue had gone over his lineup cards and objected, pleading a want of offense. Kenny, in a conciliatory gesture, gave them Bob Freiling in exchange for Jim Heffern. Apparently Bob and Blue were back on speaking terms despite their falling out in Week 4. Jim Heffern, in turn, slunk over to Red with only slight damage to his self-esteem.
Blue got off to a rousing start—or make that Bob Freiling got off to a rousing start, scoring twice on consecutive breakaways. Then during a scrum in front of the Red goal Marty came up with two big saves only to have Diaz, standing alone by one of the posts, negate his efforts by scoring on an easy rebound. Marty turned on his two defensemen, giving Kenny and Hughie his most withering look of the season. Moments later Bob Freiling scored again and the Blue bench congratulated themselves on their early 4-0 lead.
Fifteen minutes into the game Nick Swift showed up, taking a spot on the Red bench. He hadn’t slept in 48 hours due to weather-related fire calls and to top it off, had been boozing it up with fellow firemen for the past three hours. Though Red needed another defenseman Nick refused to play claiming in his condition he would have looked too much like a typical defenseman—it would have been too “on the nose”. In his place, Mike Robbins went back on defense. This seemed to change the whole chemistry of the team and thenceforward Red rallied. First Kenny forced a turnover in the neutral zone and charged. Jim Heffern recovered the puck, stickhandled to the faceoff circle, knifed a pass over to Mike Robbins, who ladled the puck to Kenny, who forked a shot past Kenny G. for Red’s first goal. Then Jonathan Millen snuck one in for Red’s second goal. The surge continued. A Mike Robbins slap shot missed wide of the mark, ricocheted off the boards behind the net, and then skittered back out front where Huck Fairman, stick at the ready, tapped it in the net. After 20 years in the club Huck has hit upon an infallible means of scoring at least one goal a game—just stand next to a post and wait for the puck to bounce his way.
Now only up 4-3 the Blue bench contrived to look unconcerned. It helped that after Jason Millen whiffed on a shot, Rich Cerbone relieved him of the puck and darted the length of the ice, weaving between players before deeking out Marty for the score. Rich probably hasn’t moved that fast since chasing Charlie through the jungles of ‘Nam, but it was effective, giving Blue the 5-3 lead. A seesaw pattern ensued where the teams traded goals with grudge-match intensity. For Red Nick Swift, Jason Millen, and Tim White were notable for lighting the lamp; while Blue saw Rich Devlin score and, in short order, Saunders bag two. Saunders’ second goal was key for he tied the game at eights. He then got a breakaway and a chance for a hat trick and the go-ahead goal all in the same play. He tried to thread Marty’s five-hole but Marty plugged the gap with his stick, and batted the puck away. The fate of the game probably pivoted on that one play, but Saunders had blown it.
With the teams tied at nines, Jim Heffern with characteristic decisiveness corralled a loose puck in the neutral zone and “took it to the house” backhanding the puck over Kenny’s shoulder for the score. Further attempts by Blue to re-tie the game faltered and failed, and by the time Jason Millen scored Red had effectively stamped out the last embers of resistance. The Blue bench, sulky and stupefied, followed Mark Herr’s lead, melting into the locker room and leaving only a small, defiant garrison to guard the goal. Red triumphed 11-9.