bunnyman666

The part of me that loves an underdog wants Vegas to win. No- they have not been an underdog for the entire Cup run, but the fact that the entire team, save for Reaves (I sure miss him from when he was a Blue) and Tatar, are cast-offs makes them an underdog. The unwritten rule about expansion teams having to suck their first year in also, for me, makes them an underdog. If I were pulling for a team in this Finals, it would be the Golden Knights. Again- I am just rooting for good hockey, and thus far, it has been good hockey.

Actually- I have TWO more surgeries: 1) remove rectum and make pouch in August 2) stoma reversal/ pouch hook up in 3-6 months after pouch is made So, I have a bit of time to wait. I am going to skate with no hockey for awhile, it seems.

The great thing about watching the Cup finals without your team in it? The ability to watch great hockey with your guts intact and all of your fingernails! I really dug last night’s game.

Doing a Sprung on a goalie skate; just need smaller wheels as the gang at Sprung said it can be used on a goal skate.

Vegas in 4, ‘cos it could happen.

Thanks for the perspective. I am just wanting to be certain I do this right.

Heh heh I can’t play the puck! When it flies harmlessly into the neutral zone, it is the fact we both clashed sticks at the same time! That is actually what I hope for when I go to the blue line to play the puck! Occasionally (and I mean very occasionally)- I get a few stick taps from that play LOL

LOL My poke cheques end in one of three ways: 1) puck flies harmlessly into the neutral zone (least likely) 2) I end up on my arse from a collision 3) The attacker moves around me for an open net (2&3 most likely in a tie)

Wow- anyone on your team heard of defense? You stayed pretty square to the puck. None of your D men were close to the forwards swarming you like ants on a dead animal. Not many soft goals there. I have found myself trying to be my own D-man like you when trying for the aggressie poke cheque. Yes- it’s pick up, but D needs to be played.

If I knew that I was done at the ileostomy bag, I would just buy the $350 “law enforcement rated” ostomy guard and be done with it. If it weren’t for returning to surgery a bit later (I hope!), I would probably just start my return in a few weeks. I am an instruction follower. If the doctor told me to brush my teeth with a pink toothbrush in order to heal faster, I would. I am going by what others have advised me (and have been through major abdominal surgery) to do as far as major abdominal surgeries go for the time table. David Backes went back in a few weeks, but he is in SUPER shape and would have an abnormally brief healing time. Also- he did not end up with a bag, just some colon resectioned and reattached. I would say potential of damage for the barrier. As long as I have an ostomy, I have potential of hernia. That scares me. As far as the long time table for return goes, my aerobic system is shot. I also need to rebuild the strength to shoulder my bag. Even wheeling will be hard at first. Stamina will also be something I lack. But I am determined to return.

Greetings- Has anyone here had an ileostomy? I did on May 3 after complete colon removal. Hopefully, in 2 months and 2 weeks, I will have my J-pouch reversal operation. The hope is that I will not have a bag after that time. Then a minimum of 6 weeks recovery from surgery, then the slow road to goal tending. I do not see my return to a full 1.5 hour drop-in or game happening until January, going on the slow road to recovery. If there is anyone here who has experienced anything like this, your input would be most welcome. Thanks for reading.

They will do a no graphic graphic for no additional charge. I am seriously considering them for a pair of pads, as with exchange, they are under a grand USD.

Thank you!

Hey hey!!!! I am here!!! Woooo!!!! And yes- I want to play goalie!!!!!

That would be the K-Strap :)

On another forum, it was suggested to strap in with the pads rotated to see where you hang up in the carpet fly. I had never tried that, but it makes total sense to me. You would see what is hanging up on your pads. Wear what you wear on ice to do this accurately, and YES- I would wear your skates with regular guards taped onto your cowlings to prevent them cutting your rug or the hard floor blunting your edges. Myself- I wear socks over my bulky Factory Mad knee guards and don't use the knee cradle strap on my pad. I rotate easily. Of course I am totally Monsterised (Monster Hals, leg straps, and K strap), so my leg is still held to the pad despite not being strapped in at the knee cradle. I am actually using Supreme One.9 pads these days. I don't think there is all that much difference in the leg channel of your pads and my pads with the major difference being the straps. Plenty of other difference, mind, with the Myflex bars and the like, but I am certain the leg channel is not all that much different. With the Monsterisation of my pads, I would think the difference is now even smaller. As much as I poopooed the Od1n series, I like the aestheitcs of the lower end stuff more than the upper end. Good looking stuff you have.

+1 on the socks!

Sunday Drop In Report: Redemption. Yes. After a less than lacklustre session last week, I had a much better time. Yes, there were a few stupid goals. If I don't get a good warm up, I let in one stinker and it's usually on my first shot against (especially if it's three goalies switching). I would stupidly try playing the puck against excellent puck handlers, though they would whiff the shot. I goaded a few into taking bad shots by looking straight at them and whacking my stick onto the ice. I got one to shoot right onto my blocker and the puck deflected right onto his visor! Yes- I swear I did NOT intend for that to happen. One reckless player hit my head whilst I was in the butterfly and he was my defenseman. Same guy took a bad edge on a break away and thankfully, I got out of the way as he went straight into the net. He's actually a nice kid. I just wish I could play once more per week; my schedule simply prohibits it.

My SK2000 clone has a crack in the corner of the sideburn and forehead. I had discovered this yesterday. I do not call it a flaw in the design or build but a sign that the helmet has done it's job. I have taken a LOT of head shots in this helmet. Fun sized goalies who play butterfly should expect to take a few head shots because of their lack of height. I am fun sized. I should probably play stand up like most fun sized goalies, but I have become a competent butterfly goalie. Guess I am in that silly Mage until one of my helmets comes back. My favourite SK2000 clone was to get a wax mould so that I could get a Kevlar version of it made. My current one was a bit small, but I learnt to really like it as I padded it to fit my head. It is more form-fitting (think small CCM HT2 with "pro" padding) than the spare that I am having cast in wax. Stay tuned...

Yesterday was a SHIT SHOW. I played the WORST I have played in a long time. Horrible defense. The dark team felt sorry for me and asked if I wanted to switch ends and I took them up on it. But the damage was done- I played like shit the entire session. I registered my first hit as a goalie on a break away, but I ended up on the worse side of it, as I was trying for a poke check and his head was down. We collided, AND he scored, anyway. Frustrating, frustrating day, and I let it get inside my head. Of course it was just two goalies AND I was skating in new skates. I was in hell.

Will a pending bank holiday and slightly cooler weather net a better turnout at my late Sunday afternoon skate? I hope so. But I really, really like this group. It's mostly ex-Junior, ex-college and maybe a few ex-pros. I have improved IMMENSELY with these guys. Noobies are actually treated well here. I just hope the ones staying away and eventually coming out to this skate will be the same quality of players both with skill AND character. With my insane work schedule, I have not gotten to skate in my new skates. Hopefully, four goalies show up so that these skates won't hurt too badly and I can sit for ten minutes. New, new skates plain SUCK!!!!

Drop In Hockey Report: Great group of fellows I play with. They keep me razor sharp. High level, tough players. Another lesson from Uncle bunnyman: Do not, DO NOT play in new skates!!! I of course broke this rule today thinking that two bakes and sitting in front of the tele with these one was going to be sufficient to break them in; I was DEAD wrong. But I played well. I stopped the best player a few times tonight. Hot damn! My ankle was killing me!!!! But playing in new skates is NOTHING compared to THIS STORY: Here is a real distraction: a bloke had SUPER old equipment. Red Cooper pads with NO knee flaps, an old Vaughn blocker, an even older Ferland glove, minimalistic chest/arm armour, and a STREET HOCKEY MASQUE!!!! He took a few shots to the arm pit and was clearly wincing. I winced every time I saw a puck going ANYWHERE near his head!!!!! He is either BRAVE or STUPID with a HUGE pair!!!! I was AFRAID for him. He definitely knew how to play the old style with this crazy gear, but head shots could have killed him!!!! He definitely knew the position. But I could not wrap me head around what he wore on HIS head!!!

Only six years younger than I when I first strapped on the pads. It is a rewarding AND frustrating position. But I have a funny feeling that you will become ADDICTED. Welcome to the brotherhood.

Lesson #666- Make Certain You Have a GREAT Dangler: I have learnt a LOT whilst being a goalie- get out in front of the crease, try to get in line with the shot, keep your stick on the ice, etc., etc. Well, I learnt something the HARD way: Get a GREAT dangler, and highly padded neck protection. I took a wrister from an ex-Junior player. I thought he hit my throat, but it was the deflection. My clavicle ended up taking most of the brunt. But it was scary, and I started playing again WAAAAAAAAAAAY too soon. The tip of my clavicle was raspberried (which must be bad as my swarthy skin tone usually hides bruises). I got a headache like crazy for the first twenty minutes AFTER getting hit there; of course I also was dinged in the cage not ten minutes BEFORE this shot. I used a repro Itech duck bill. That is NOT a good choice. I am using a repro of a Cooper TP dangler from now on. My neck guard will have a gel-like foam, as well. Learn from Uncle Bunnyman this: broken wind pipes are a scary, scary deal. Proceed with caution, as that freak accident can occur ANY time it feels like happening.

Sunday Drop-in: Four goalies showed up. Fack me!!!! I let in some clunkers. My poke check could have led to a couple of penalties, as I got three people flying with my poke check. My intention was to not trip, but the basketball-style layups got old really, really fast. One poke check was outside of the crease. One tried skating through and he ended up pushing me into the net from my stick hitting his Tuuk when he tried sliding the puck around. The other one was negligible. Again- I just wanted to get the puck away from the shooter. I think I may have gotten four minutes at worst. I did apologise, as I am not trying to be Billy or Ron (even though my sweater number is 27). The worst part was that no Zamboni driver was available to clean from the skate before. I tripped in a rut and ended up giving up a goal. But I was also challenging a shooter WAAAAAAAAY out of my crease. It sucks only playing once per week these days, but I am at least not wasting my time in a skill-free stick and puck with fifteen people shooting at once.