It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Hockey

I've finally managed to get myself back into hockey mode as a result of my new schedule. I've still got good feelings about the Columbus Blue Jackets. I'm always going to love the Detroit Red Wings. I'm not particularly impressed with the Pittsburgh Penguins, nor have I really been interested in their games this season. That's not really by design though. Aside from dramatic barriers at work before my recent transfer, my days off weren't going to do me any good unless I went out to watch the game which has seemed financially unsound. But really, it's the Penguins. Then again, it's hockey...and I like hockey. With any luck I will be able to make it to a game again. Last season I hit up a pre-season game as part of my "grab Pittsburgh by the balls....or pucks..." campaign. It was short lived, but pretty fun. It was the year I completed the Pittsburgh "trifecta" so to speak.. Saw the Pirates, Pens, and Steelers in 2013.

Anyways, the game going on right now is what's provoking this post tonight. The Boston Bruins are looking like they need to hit the panic button. Tuukka Rask NEEDS some time off if he's gonna be the top dog there. The last two times I saw them play and start a backup, Rask has come into the game to try and put a cork in a leaky tank. He can't win the game for them though, the offense needs to give the defense something to fight for.

I was just saying the same thing to my cousin not that long ago regarding the Detroit football Lions. Currently (unless I missed the conclusion) the Lions are debating the contract signing for N. Suh. He'll forever be "the guy that stomped on that dude on Thanksgiving" but he's pretty good for keeping pressure on opposing QBs. He's not the whole team though. It's hard to say "build your team around ____" cause there's not really a right answer. It's easy to say build around your QB, but as we saw in Pittsburgh the past couple years you can surround your QB with the greatest receivers but if your Offensive Coordinator isn't calling the plays that accentuate your QB's talents everybody is on a different page and nobody is happy and nobody is scoring points. (Except Jason Hanson...who always kicks a field goal. He's by far the only retired football player other than Brett Favre that I can remember seeing the press conference for the retirement announcement.) Or you could say "Build your team around the Defense" and run the risk of losing a pretty talented TE or WR that can run some trick routes in a pinch because you put your extra dollars into somebody who steps on people when their temper flares up. I say just build a cohesive team. It's like an article I read about the Steelers at the end of their season. After all was said and done and the players were asked about the positives of the season the answer was a resounding "we all had a connection." They were cohesive. They may not have won it all, but they came out winners.

Wow, hello tangential football stuff. What am I trying to get at here? Anything? Yes, probably. ...Maybe. It's beginning to look a lot like hockey. And hockey season gets me all kinds of amp'd up once I get going. Off to the third period of the Bruins game here. But since I am a baseball fan and a Bruins fan, I will leave the Boston fans with the most famous line in sports movies (Angels in the Outfield):

"It could happen!"

Yes Penguins, I suppose, you too.