Post by Old Bucks Admin on Feb 16, 2012 5:42:51 GMT -5
-Mike Robbins
No two weeks of Old Bucks Hockey are the same. Every outing of the 30 (or so) men of remnant ability and varied physical fitness adds a unique chapter to the novel that is the current Old Bucks Season. A novel, which itself sits as a unique installation among the storied library of the Old Bucks franchise. Week 18 saw a late game collapse that, if not entirely unprecedented, certainly exists among a rarified air according to resident Old Bucks historian, Jim Heffern. More on that later.
The game began with a new set of starting goaltenders as long-time Blue goalie substitute Rich Cerbone donned his goldenrod Bruins alternate jersey and saddled up between the pipes. Red would rely on Keith the Goalie, an imposing young tender with a textbook butterfly technique and a passion for shamrocks. The luck ‘o the Irish, however, belonged to Alex Cerbone as he opened the scoring with a trademark slick wrister after Kevin Saunders forced a turnover in the Red zone. Rich Devlin potted a rebound opportunity for Blue before Huey one-timed a netmouth feed from Skupe to move the score to 2-1 Blue. Brian Urban pressured newly appointed defenseman Mike Robbins at the point before poking it through his feet for a clean breakaway and a snipe over Keith’s left pad. Urban had returned to the Blue bench before Robbins stopped looking in his feet for the puck. Bill Hamill suggested he try looking on the bench.
Millen the Elder, George, and Huey would all add greasy, net-front tallies for Red, eventually moving the score to 4-4. Jim Heffern took a heady chip-pass up the right wing boards from Joe Peugeot for a classically executed breakaway and an early tiebreaker. Blue continued to keep the game in their hands with timely scoring and predictably scrappy yet stingy goaltending from Rich “Battlin’ Billy Smith” Cerbone. The headline of this game however, would be written at the halfway point with Blue about to stretch the score to 8-4. Keith the Goalie, clearly more pleased with his own game than that of his defensemen, leaned back on his crossbar as an act of protest to unsatisfactory defensive zone coverage, thus allowing Alex Cerbone to pop the twine with an uncontested wrist shot for Blue’s 8th of the night.
From this point, Red would begin a comeback for the ages with eight straight goals in rapid succession. Mike Robbins scored off a transitional rush and Tim White sniped a low corner from the left circle. 8-6. After roofing a bottle-popper from the doorstep, Millen the Younger stole the puck from a demoralized Jim Heffern and set up Robbins from behind the net. 8-8. Blue began to punch back, but Keith the Goalie had clearly found his stride at this point and Red had been roundly embarrassed into more responsible defensive play. The Flying Millens, Tim White, and the surging “Handsome” Huck Fairman built the Red lead into an improbable final score of 12-8. Blue will no doubt have an answer to this thorough emotional defeat as we move into Week 19 of 23. Unless Kenny Blankstein says otherwise.
The Sunday Night Drinking Club had a solid showing for Week 18 after a four week hiatus. Paul Egan, obviously satisfied with the success of his healthy New Year’s resolution, came back to the round table with tail betwixt legs and booze betwixt fingers. The butterfingered Jim Heffern, who prefers to season his pizza not with red pepper flakes but with '06 Medoc, also joined Mike, John Lupisella, Devlin, Huey, and Saunders. Apropos of her recent passing, Saunders regaled those in attendance with tale about a chance encounter with Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown at a tropical Tiki Bar in the early 90’s. To be fair, he didn’t mention what year he ran into the happy couple, but he did mention that Bobby Brown admired his flat-top. The night came to a triumphant close after John and Huey successfully goaded a big rig trucker to blast his horn, shattering the frigid Lawrenceville air. High fives ensued.
No two weeks of Old Bucks Hockey are the same. Every outing of the 30 (or so) men of remnant ability and varied physical fitness adds a unique chapter to the novel that is the current Old Bucks Season. A novel, which itself sits as a unique installation among the storied library of the Old Bucks franchise. Week 18 saw a late game collapse that, if not entirely unprecedented, certainly exists among a rarified air according to resident Old Bucks historian, Jim Heffern. More on that later.
The game began with a new set of starting goaltenders as long-time Blue goalie substitute Rich Cerbone donned his goldenrod Bruins alternate jersey and saddled up between the pipes. Red would rely on Keith the Goalie, an imposing young tender with a textbook butterfly technique and a passion for shamrocks. The luck ‘o the Irish, however, belonged to Alex Cerbone as he opened the scoring with a trademark slick wrister after Kevin Saunders forced a turnover in the Red zone. Rich Devlin potted a rebound opportunity for Blue before Huey one-timed a netmouth feed from Skupe to move the score to 2-1 Blue. Brian Urban pressured newly appointed defenseman Mike Robbins at the point before poking it through his feet for a clean breakaway and a snipe over Keith’s left pad. Urban had returned to the Blue bench before Robbins stopped looking in his feet for the puck. Bill Hamill suggested he try looking on the bench.
Millen the Elder, George, and Huey would all add greasy, net-front tallies for Red, eventually moving the score to 4-4. Jim Heffern took a heady chip-pass up the right wing boards from Joe Peugeot for a classically executed breakaway and an early tiebreaker. Blue continued to keep the game in their hands with timely scoring and predictably scrappy yet stingy goaltending from Rich “Battlin’ Billy Smith” Cerbone. The headline of this game however, would be written at the halfway point with Blue about to stretch the score to 8-4. Keith the Goalie, clearly more pleased with his own game than that of his defensemen, leaned back on his crossbar as an act of protest to unsatisfactory defensive zone coverage, thus allowing Alex Cerbone to pop the twine with an uncontested wrist shot for Blue’s 8th of the night.
From this point, Red would begin a comeback for the ages with eight straight goals in rapid succession. Mike Robbins scored off a transitional rush and Tim White sniped a low corner from the left circle. 8-6. After roofing a bottle-popper from the doorstep, Millen the Younger stole the puck from a demoralized Jim Heffern and set up Robbins from behind the net. 8-8. Blue began to punch back, but Keith the Goalie had clearly found his stride at this point and Red had been roundly embarrassed into more responsible defensive play. The Flying Millens, Tim White, and the surging “Handsome” Huck Fairman built the Red lead into an improbable final score of 12-8. Blue will no doubt have an answer to this thorough emotional defeat as we move into Week 19 of 23. Unless Kenny Blankstein says otherwise.
The Sunday Night Drinking Club had a solid showing for Week 18 after a four week hiatus. Paul Egan, obviously satisfied with the success of his healthy New Year’s resolution, came back to the round table with tail betwixt legs and booze betwixt fingers. The butterfingered Jim Heffern, who prefers to season his pizza not with red pepper flakes but with '06 Medoc, also joined Mike, John Lupisella, Devlin, Huey, and Saunders. Apropos of her recent passing, Saunders regaled those in attendance with tale about a chance encounter with Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown at a tropical Tiki Bar in the early 90’s. To be fair, he didn’t mention what year he ran into the happy couple, but he did mention that Bobby Brown admired his flat-top. The night came to a triumphant close after John and Huey successfully goaded a big rig trucker to blast his horn, shattering the frigid Lawrenceville air. High fives ensued.