Category: Hockey

UML at UVM

Tomorrow afternoon my step son and I are going to a hockey game. It’s my first hockey game in person since… 2016? 2018? I can’t remember. It’s my first NCAA hockey game since 2004.

I graduated from UMass Lowell. My step son currently attends the University of Vermont. Both teams are in the Hockey East conference and… well… both teams kinda suck. UVM is in 8th place (out of 11 teams) with a 3-3-1 record in conference and a 4-5-1 record overall. UML is in 10th place with a 2-6-1 record in conference and a 5-9-1 record overall.

I expect the game is going to be evenly-ish matched but also kinda crappy. I don’t care. I’m looking forward to spending an afternoon with Harry, probably trash talking each other into oblivion. I tried to get myself a UML hockey t-shirt to wear but I failed. Oh well. The Vermont fans in the building will know that they have a foreigner in their rink by me being obnoxious. I used to be a pretty obnoxious fan back in my minor league season ticket days.

It’s going to be fun.

November’s End

I can’t believe it’s here, but we’re just over three hours away from December. Another year, another winter, another season of me wishing it were summer again. Ugh. It was cold enough in the cellar today during the work day that I turned on the little space heater for the first time. Again… ugh.

My Star Trek Deep Space 9 rewatch has reached the first mirror universe episode. The first one is a classic. All of the 10000 that followed, including the ones in Discovery demonstrate the law of diminishing returns. They just get dumber and more boring as they go. Again, again… ugh.

Side note, I am watching DS9 on the Paramount app on my AppleTV. It’s an ad-supported plan. It’s been so long since I’ve watched commercial television that I forgot the wonder of the mute button. Thankfully the AppleTV remote has one. Every time a commercial starts, I hit mute and… sigh of relief.

Change of subject, the Bruins have lost three straight games. Tonight they look to end the losing streak in a match up with the San Jose Sharks. The Sharks are pitiful this season. This is just what we need. We are up 2-0 after two periods. Again, just what we needed.

I have had two crappy nights sleep in a row. Here’s hoping that a good DS9 episode and a Bruins win will be followed by a rare good nights sleep. Fingers crossed.

Time to Panic

The Bruins lost two games over the weekend, including getting trounced by the Rangers on Saturday. Right now they are losing 3-0 to Columbus. I mean… Columbus.

Sure, they have the second best record in the NHL, but to lose the way they did and then to be down three to a meh team like Columbus?

Is it time for the epically pessimistic Boston sports fan in me to start panicking?

I think it might be!

Oh no!

Post Covid Hockey

A couple of nights ago I went to a concert for the first time since Covid came around. I knew I was missing live music after four years or so, but I wasn’t really aware of how much I was missing it.

So now what?

How about hockey? I’m watching the Bruins play Tampa Bay right now (tied at one in the first period). When was the last time I went to a hockey game? My Flickr account tells me I went to a Bruins game in February 2016. Was that the last time? It might be, I am not sure.

We are going to a game next month at my step kids’ school. Should I try to go to a UMass Lowell game before then? I hope I will be feeling the same sort of I-can’t-believe-how-much-I-missed-this feeling that I got on Saturday at the Letters to Cleo show.

I miss our pre-Covid world.

Bruins vs Ducks Highlights

The Bruins beat the Ducks 3-1 last night to extend their season opening winning streak to five games. Sweet.

I am sharing this video for three reasons. First, I didn’t watch any of the game. Second Matt Poitras scores his first and second career goals. Excellent. The second goal was both a sick snipe and the game winner. He’s sure making it hard to send him back to Juniors. Only four games left before they have to decide on that. I’m hoping he stays in Boston.

The third reason is who the hell is this Mason McTavish guy and why isn’t he a Bruin? Don Sweeny, I think you need to get on this. Just his name alone screams Bruins, never mind that he’s all over the highlights. Granted, he could be crap the other 81 games this year. I haven’t a clue who he is, but he’s on my meager little NHL radar now.

Okay… McTavish was the third pick overall in the 2021 draft. So maybe Don Sweeny snagging him away from the Duckies might be a tall order. Hey, a fan can dream, right?

Opening Night Cats

The cats are super excited that tonight is opening night for the Boston Bruins. They are losing 1-0 to the Blackhawks in the first period. Connor Bedard just scored his first NHL goal.

UML Hockey

Last year I made an attempt to follow my old college’s hockey team. UMass Lowell is a Division 1 team playing in the Hockey East division. After years of boycotting I finally let myself be a fan again. It didn’t really work out. I listened to a few games on the radio here and there but I never made it to the Tsongas Arena to see a game in person.

I will try again this year.

The first game is tomorrow. If I have the links right, this should be the radio broadcast. If that link isn’t working I will try to get it off of the team’s schedule page, which is here.

As always, the Boston Bruins will get most of my hockey focus, but they don’t start their regular season until the middle of next week. UMass Lowell is playing in Anchorage tomorrow and Sunday nights. We’ll see if I can tune in.