bunnyman666

The wonderful management did not notify anyone who called about stick and puck yesterday that it was cancelled in favour of a rental. I drove 40 minutes to find that out. I was not amused.

@badger_14 Yes- Boston tends to be quite angry from every visit I have ever had! Still a charming city, nonetheless... STFU will be the next sweater; thanks for the idea!!!!!

@badger_14 Glad you're feeling better! Keep up the good work! Yes, #20 is a very, very unique goalie number, as is #33. As far as doing the number and name justice, none of us who are posting in this thread (for the most part) can do that. I have an England national jersey on order, with #27 (Hextall) and the last name "Collander" (yes, a statement on my goal tending prowess). Since there isn't a known English national hockey goalie, some schmuck is going to think that Collander plays for England. And compared to the rest of the world hockey scene, Collander would be an accurate last name for their goaler. Of course someone asked I knew any other Dovers once (as I have that on a jersey). "Yeah, if my first name was Ben". It's funny what opposing shooters get motivated to shoot towards. When I used to wear my "Screw U" jersey, most people would laugh when they saw it. Of course I would snap my stick on the ice and point at my "crest" for one particular player (one whom I have had a few confrontations with when I skated out) and he would whiff the shot, then swear like a sailor ('cos he's just *that* good, lol). I always would figure that if they are purposely shooting at the body, then I am more than likely going to save the goal. I also have "Supwit U" and am debuting "Forget U" today. I guess I am crazy enough to wear a Tretiak olympic national sweater, complete with "CCCP" livery. I do have a red shell for my breezers, after all...

@badger_14 That's the spirit! Put your boot in it and you'll be fine!!!!!

@badger_14 Keep your pecker up. You know that in most pick up situations, we get shelled, right? This is still better a scenario than the one you had first imagined, right?

@magnets No doubt you love your team and the game. I'm just saying how easy it is to get caught up in the competitive aspect. Sometimes, the competitive aspect can KILL the enjoyment of the game is all I'm saying.

@magnets It is very easy to get caught up in it, especially when you're competitive. I backstop people who take pick up WAAAAAAAAAY too seriously. If I took every goal too seriously, I would have burnt my equipment in a fire. My first few sessions I WAS taking it too seriously and was miserable. Then I remembered that I have the heart of a lion and balls of iron as I am standing in front of a bunch of wannabee MacInnises and Shea Webbers. Not everybody has the steel to stand in front of these shots and HOPE we get a piece of them, not matter how much they hurt. I have one particular thorn in my side that glares at me with every shot I let in. I just give him the "go back to the bench and cry" look 'cos I have the BALLS to try to stop the shot; he needs to strap on the pads, but he won't 'cos he's a whiny wimp, despite being 6'2" and over 100 kilograms. Always remember at the end of the day that it is just a game.

Couldn't have said it better, myself. Letting in that goal is not going to render you homeless, nor are you going to get shipped to a town 150 miles away from a major airport. Your health and well-being is MUCH more important than a goal.

Monday Stick and Puck Report: Knee is getting better, can butterfly on both knees. Play was unremarkable. The most remarkable part today? I was warmed up by none other than the San Jose Sharks' Tommy Wingels. Nice bloke, he was.

Think positive!

@badger_14 How did you pay? You may have a few avenues of recourse if you paid by credit card. Good luck and kick up a STINK if you don't get to play.

I would hope they make good; after all- a few displaced players and/or goalies could DESTROY the reputation of this tournament. The internet can KILL an otherwise sterling reputation, otherwise...

My knee is still stiff after falling on it Saturday night. I probably shouldn't have played on it Sunday. I think I would just make it worse if I played today. Moral of the story? Old flesh doesn't bounce back like young flesh does.

Sunday Stick and Puck: I sucked like a fackin' Dyson!!!! Of course I tripped in my back garden, landed on my left knee (skinning it), scraped my blocker side palm and my back hurt like a motha! I also scraped my nose. So I could not butterfly on my left knee. Ugh. One would argue that I should've stayed home. But I told someone I would be there and I ain't no punk. My FroPro isn't bad. Still can't figure out how to load these movies onto my iPad. Video looks pretty good for a $75 action cam. It comes with the waterproof case. The weirdest part? Somebody got bloody fackin' LAZY with dressing room assignments. I go back to strip off and half of the dressing room was filled with MOTHERS helping their kids get dressed, as a "learn to play" was going on after the stick and puck. There was a mum that I would have been happy to strip off in front of, but I am MARRIED, and the other mums were not ladies I would have stripped off in front of. It was actually uncomfortable, even with the hot MILF.

@badger_14 Ask your PT BEFORE getting a session with the goalie coach. That is my advice. They may even try to help you get the most. I searched high and low for a PT who actually knew the demands of a pro cyclist.

Had a meh drop in. Lack of defense was making me let in a LOT of stupid goals. So, what does a hygiene obsessed rabbit do after a meh drop in? I start to clean every single bit of my gear. CA went in the washer on wool cycle with no spin. I hosed down my breezers with a bit of Dawn dishwashing liquid. Knee guards, neck protector and everything else? In the washer with my underclothes and sweater. I use a foaming motorcycle helmet cleaner in my goalie helmet after every time I play. I think I smell better than the average goalie. Also- clean gear lasts longer, as it doesn't have sweat build up that starts to rot nylons and foams. Over-washing does the same, especially when you don't do it gently. I am considering Beek's Reek Out detergent and the accompanying spray. Ever since I had to replace damned near EVERYTHING back in the old days from a pesky rash, I am OBSESSED with odour reduction. If there is a stick and puck Sunday, I will debut my royal blue Tackla breezers. I have a funny sweater to go with my new royal breezers, look for it on Instagram in the next week or so. But I will not debut them in a high energy drop in, no FREAKIN' way. My Warrior Ritual Pro pads are starting to break in or down in the table top boot area. I hope this ultimately doesn't affect rotation, as they rotate very well at the moment. I freaking LOVE these pads. And the Step steel on the Vaughn skates? MAGIC.

@magnets @badger_14 Good news for badger, and magnets has proven to me that you only get really bad when you STOP moving. Sure, starting in goal at age 42 may sound extremely foolish, but I would hate to see how crappy life would have been had I stopped doing anything athletic after an MCL strain in 1989. Had I not been doing something atheletically over the last twenty years, I would have never been able to play goal. Playing goal, whilst not helping me shave my waistline, has helped me in so many other ways, and the enhancements are carrying over into other areas of life. I am more confident as a 44 year old than I was a 42 year old, for certain. badger- listen to your docs, therapists, and your body. I can tell you're motivated. Just don't overdo it! I think you're going to be fine. magnets- obviously, your "keep on keepin' on" attitude has paid off in spades!

@badger_14 Gotta watch them Itis brothers, especially Arthur. He's a bloody fackin' bastard!!!!

@ktang ALWAYS do a new hollow at a time where you can get used to it. Stick and puck (i.e. no scrimmages) and public sessions are when I try a new hollow. If the game isn't too important, then you could just try it then. But if it were me- I wouldn't do a new hollow in a game until you have a public session and a pickup or two under your belt.

Tuesday Drop-In Report: It makes a HUGE difference in how many goals you let in by how good/bad your Defence is. Bloody fackin' hell- the two teams we NOWHERE NEAR balanced. The first five minutes I was in against the 'good' team, I let in THREE goals. ZERO defense. Fuck me!!!! That was miserable. But I was told how much I had improved over the LAST time I had played. I thought this was the ABSOLUTE WORST I had played in about a six week period. One bloke pointed out that I was playing both Goaler AND D. He said that a Defenseman was supposed to be my "backdoor man" (Never heard of it quite like that). I am hoping to get picked up for league play. I may wait 'til next year. Oh well.

Stick and Puck Report: Seriously? Nobody bloody well knows about this one? It was just Dewayne and I at the Blues Practise Facility. NHL-quality rink with nice, roomy benches. You get nice facilities. Of course when the Blues get their new facility (with three sheets of ice), this one will shut down as it is in an economically depressed mall in an economically depressed area. Dewayne ran some one-on-one drills. The fact that he is not a great shooter actually makes it MUCH harder for me. He hasn't played in about 30 years, so I give him a break. But the fact that his shot is EXTREMELY unpredictable helps me a bit. His knuckle ball shots are always hard to read, and I almost always miss those. I can now read some weird, random shots better. I don't trip on too many cage shots when I go down in the butterfly, I only trip when it is the only place the shots seem to go. But then again- as a beginning goalie, you MUST get used to those shots and NOT flinch or blink. Dewayne cage shot me several times, and it kinda got old. But I give Dewayne a pass on that, as his shot literally goes everywhere and I didn't trip. He skated in a lot of penalty shots, but also would try to bang in the rebounds. He kept six pucks on the ice between the red line and blue line. Five shots in a row works you out, for certain. He wanted to work on my rebounds. It's nice to have a trainer. I could not stand Dewayne's Rollerblade hockey gloves OR his STX lacrosse gloves, so I gifted him my old Reebok Canadiens Centennial gloves (tan nylon). They look better on him, for certain. I hope he leaves the Rollerblade gloves home PERMANENTLY. Breaking in a new meat smoker as we speak. Have a good holiday weekend.

@badger_14 You need to go for the MRI instead of playing hockey, as the ability to play future hockey depends on what is found. Yes, it seems you're already doing that, which is good. I know- it is very tempting to just go play at the first opportunity. Here are good thoughts your way for it to ONLY need rehab.

@Hills This is EXACTLY what us pukes need!!!!! Seriously, your input is BEYOND welcome. We NEED the insights from a veteran like YOURSELF!!!!

Drop-In Report: Last day of hockey this week, so make it count, right? At first, it seemed like another waste of time with super-slow breakaways and Shea Weber wannabes. Then the three-on-three started. Two guys wearing shorts, t-shirts, and only gloves and helmets as protection showed up. Every once in awhile, I would have to remind the ones fully suited up to keep the shots low. It wasn't a terrible scrimmage, except I had ZERO defense. I was lit up like an airport runway. Two young ladies were in the rink. I was sad that neither one shot against me ☹️

All Age Drop-In Report: Just my best mate Dewayne and I. I got more action than a hooker at a convention. Lots of shots, lots of rebounds, lots of different things to work on. Hot as hell in the rink. Got very tired. The next session was a private rink rental. A few very cute women were watching us play. That was the bonus.