Category: Hockey

Random Sunday Night Thoughts

This week’s episode of The Penguin doesn’t launch for another 40 minutes so I am going to write a blog post to kill some of that time.

You ready?

Iron Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith posted a picture on instagram today (at least I think it was today) that was taken backstage at a Maiden show in Toronto. In the photograph is one Mr Alex Lifeson who apparently is an Iron Maiden fan? Larry and Mike and I are going to see Maiden in less than two weeks. Do you think there’s a chance that Alex Lifeson will be at that show too? I hope so! I think it would be the best thing ever to watch Big Al air guitar to The Trooper. That would freakin’ rule.

Tomorrow is Monday. Back to work for everyone. Sad, painful, depressing. All that stuff. I have a small mountain of paperwork to do this week. I need to find a way to not be distracted by other work responsibilities so that I can get it all done as soon as humanly possible. I have the day off on Thursday because I wanted to be home and off the clock in time to run our house’s Trick or Treating.

I have one very important non-work responsibility that I have to take care of tomorrow. Well, two actually. I need to pick something up at the drug store for Jen tomorrow before work. That’s not what I am writing about, though it is important. The thing that I am writing about will also hopefully happen before work. I need to buy five tickets to an NCAA hockey game. UMass Lowell (my and my wife’s old school) at University of Vermont (my step daughter’s old and my step son’s current school). Harry and I went to a game last year. This year Jen and Bellana and Harry’s girlfriend are going to go too. I need to get the tickets in advance because I am crazy and don’t want to wait.

Hockey… as a family… how cool is that?

While on our day trip to Burlington, Vermont today, I took a camera with me. A film camera. Dad’s Pentax K1000 with a roll of Kentmere 400 (black and white) film. I shot about two thirds of the roll. I know for sure that I completely and utterly mangled a few of the photos, but one or two might come out okay. If the weather is okay on Thursday (Halloween) I might use the morning portion of my day off as a photo morning. I keep talking about Boston…. maybe I could go to Boston for a little while?

Okay, we’re now 25 minutes away form a new episode of The Penguin. I think I am going to post this literary masterpiece now and listen to some music until the show is released on the MAX app.

Happy Sunday, everyone. Have a good night.

World Series Blues

It’s bad enough that the Bruins have lost three games in a row and can’t play defense and can’t play offense, but we’re a few minutes away from the start of the World Series and no matter how it turns out a team that I royally hate is going to win. The question is, will it be a team that a hate with a burning passion, or will it be the team that I hate more than all other teams I hate combined?

Some times I just think that pro sports can just bite me, you know?

On the upside, we’re going to Vermont tomorrow and we’re going to see the kids. That’s some first class, grade A good news right there. It’s the weekend and it is a kids weekend. Just like the old days, right?

Happy Friday, oh my brothers and sisters and only friends.

New Stuff

So many software updates this week. I updated my MacOS and now I can run my iPhone from my MacBook. I am doing it right now. the Bruins are going to start about 10 minutes from now and I am listening to the pregame via the NHL iOS app but I am running it from my laptop. Cool. I can’t see myself doing this often… I mean, my iPhone is right next to me. I could be listening straight from the phone, easy enough. Whatever, new stuff is fun.

I am typing this on the Vivaldi browser. Vivaldi took an update this morning and the whole UI has been tweaked. Everything looks different. Does it look better? Eh. Who can say. Different but the same, I guess. It took about 20 seconds for me to get 100% used to the changes and more or less stop noticing them.

I took an update on my iPhone the other day too and now I have a dark mode that can change the app icons. Different, yes… better? Maybe. I like it. It doesn’t really amount to anything, but it’s fun. New stuff is fun.

Now if we could just get the Bruins to win an effing game. They are finally back home tonight but they are playing Dallas and The Stars are off to a good start. How about we get our shit together, eh Bruins? Tonight seems like a good night to start.

Sometimes Sports Make Me Sad

Last night was a crappy night for me being a sports fan.

The Bruins played their first ever game against the Utah Hockey Club. The team formerly known as the Phoenix Coyotes. They lost 2-1 in overtime. That made me sad.

Worse, the fucking Yankees won the American League pennant last night. Thanks for nothing, Cleveland. Now, with the National League pennant still undecided, we are left with a choice for the World Series. Yankees vs Mets or Yankees vs Dodgers… again. Could there be a worse scenario?

Yippee.

Wins

The Bruins beat the Avalanche last night. The effin’ Mets lost to the Dodgers last night. Both good things.

This is one of my two favorite times of year as far as sports go. Hockey is starting and baseball is in the playoffs. The other favorite time of year is the opposite. Hockey in the playoffs and baseball getting up to speed. Good times.

I should also mention, while I am on the topic of good things, I got an email around 2am this morning. My film has arrived at the lab. Sweet.

Stressing Out

Work is stressing me out like mad today. I don’t know why. I have half a mind to crawl under my desk and hide until 5:30. I won’t, obviously, but… damn.

The upside is that the Bruins have a 1:00pm game which is about to start. Good! Unfortunately they are playing Florida… again… ugh. I hate the Florida Panthers. I hate that we can’t seem to beat them anymore. I am also just really tired of playing them all the time. Can we get someone else in here for a game instead?

Hopefully the Bruins will win big and it will calm my stressed out brain a little bit. We’ll see.

Bruins Beat the Kings in OT

I promise I won’t post highlights from every Bruins game. It’s just that the season is brand new and I am kinda psyched to have hockey back.

I watched a chunk of the second period yesterday, but somehow missed both goals. I didn’t see the third or the overtime at all.

Could Be Worse

So the Bruins season has begun. How’s game one going?

The first period could have been worse, I guess. I mean, no one in the building was struck by lightning or spontaneously combusted or anything.

We’re down 4-1 in the second period.

Oh, pardon me. After I typed the previous sentence I double checked the score and now we’re down 5-1 in the second.

Crud.

Oh, and to make matters worse… as expected, Jeremy Swayman did not start in goal for the Bruins. Joonas Korpisalo did. Prior to the game I picked him up for my free yahoo fantasy hockey team. I didn’t have any Bruins on my (auto-drafted) team and I wanted one, and I knew he was starting tonight, and I didn’t have any other goalies playing, so I picked him up… and he’s let in five goals in 1.5 periods.

Double crud.

Game Day

Today is a big day.

The Royals beat the Yankees last night. How cool is that? The Padres beat the Dodgers the night before last. Also cool. All four MLB Division round series are tied at one game apiece. That is excellent. More games for everyone! Fantastic!

All of those things are good, but none of them are the reason for his little post. Nope.

This post is about hockey, my friends. The NHL season kicks off tonight! Huzzah! It’s opening night for the Boston Bruins! The Bruins are saying that Jeremy Swayman might actually start tonight. That seems unlikely to me given that he’s missed all of training camp and has had all of one practice with the team. The article mentions that he’s been training with Boston University… which is nice… but that hardly equates to an NHL camp. I think maybe we should give him a few days, don’t you?

Now there is also the possibility that the game won’t be played. Big chunks of Florida are still digging out from Hurricane Helene, and they are about to receive the second half of what could be a catastrophic one-two-punch when Hurricane Milton (category 5) hits. Last I heard the expected landfall was tomorrow and that the Miami area would be mostly missed. Is that true? I know the Tampa Bay Lightning canceled a pre-season game last night due to the impending storm, but that was pre-season on the other end of the state. We’ll have to see how things unfold today. I would be surprised if they play the game tonight, but Florida is kind of a fascist nightmare so they (meaning the government and the people who voted for the government) really don’t seem to give a shit about things like human life and public safety so maybe they will play. I don’t know. I love going to Disney World in Florida, but outside of that little chunk of the state I am pretty much grossed out by the place.

Whatever happens down in the Miami area (stay safe, everyone. Hang in there), today is NHL opening day. Let’s celebrate! Happy Game Day! Bring on the 2024/25 season!

Go Bruins!