live hockey = HAPPINESS
I feel super freaking lucky to have an AHL team so nearby. Went to see the Texas Stars host the Houston Aeros tonight and had a really really ridiculously good time, even though the Stars lost. Damn you Mikael Granlund! *shakes tiny fist* The kid had 2G & 2A tonight (to go with his 2A against the Stars last night in Houston) and looked dangerous every time he was on the ice. Which is super promising for the Wild, if the #$*%$&^ NHL season ever starts, but between him and Nick Palmieri (rocking the mountain man look) and Scandella (who I really like! just... not when they're playing the Stars!), among others, the Stars just didn't seem to have the skill level to catch the Aeros. They had some bad luck, too, and definitely spent too much tie in the penalty box, but the chemistry overall just felt kind of off for the Stars tonight. Alas. Though the Eakin line got a couple of goals, including one very nice passing play w/ Dillon on the PK in the 3rd period, so it wasn't all bad.
But oh, just watching hockey again made me so happy. I've missed it so much. And we got seats in row D, close enough to the glass that every time a puck or body hit it, it elicited an almost visceral reaction, and close enough to the ice that it felt like the players could actually hear us shouting. Our section was pretty loud and into it, too, which was pleasing. Even the lone loud guy at the end of our row who was cheering for the Aeros was entertaining.
I'm seeing them again tomorrow (there was a Living Social deal, so tickets were cheap!), maybe they'll have better luck against the bb Avs (Lake Erie Monsters).
Sidenote: I might be shipping Brett Bulmer and Brenden Dillon just a little bit. They had an extended taunting session across center ice in the 2nd period, as the game got progressively chippier (more chippy?). Bulmer cocked his head to the side and had this little smirk on his face, and just kept talking, looking right at Dillon the whole time. It was... intriguing. Because what I really needed was yet another obscure prospect ship. I was already having a lot of thoughts about Nathan MacKinnon and Seth Jones because of the extensive article about them in The Hockey News, and I am hoping that more evidence of Jamie Oleksiak and Jack Campbell's bromance will surface now that they're both rookies with the Texas Stars this year. And there's always Nick Bjugstad & Kyle Rau tearing it up for the Gophers again at the U of M. Minnesota boys! ♥
... I've lived in too many places and like too many teams. It gets confusing. I'll always be a Minnesota girl at heart, and the Blackhawks will always been my first hockey love, but I have to say that I can't be sad that I accidentally Stockholmed myself into following the Stars. It almost makes me feel like a normal sports fan. Novel!
And now back to staring at the Yuletide tagset and trying to figure out what I'm going to request and offer. AHHHHHHHHHHHHH. Two of my requests are set, but the other two... I just don't know. (Also I promise I have not forgotten about sixteenwins! /o\ Hopefully actually getting to watch hockey again, despite the lockout (GRRRRRRRRR), will inspire me!)
But oh, just watching hockey again made me so happy. I've missed it so much. And we got seats in row D, close enough to the glass that every time a puck or body hit it, it elicited an almost visceral reaction, and close enough to the ice that it felt like the players could actually hear us shouting. Our section was pretty loud and into it, too, which was pleasing. Even the lone loud guy at the end of our row who was cheering for the Aeros was entertaining.
I'm seeing them again tomorrow (there was a Living Social deal, so tickets were cheap!), maybe they'll have better luck against the bb Avs (Lake Erie Monsters).
Sidenote: I might be shipping Brett Bulmer and Brenden Dillon just a little bit. They had an extended taunting session across center ice in the 2nd period, as the game got progressively chippier (more chippy?). Bulmer cocked his head to the side and had this little smirk on his face, and just kept talking, looking right at Dillon the whole time. It was... intriguing. Because what I really needed was yet another obscure prospect ship. I was already having a lot of thoughts about Nathan MacKinnon and Seth Jones because of the extensive article about them in The Hockey News, and I am hoping that more evidence of Jamie Oleksiak and Jack Campbell's bromance will surface now that they're both rookies with the Texas Stars this year. And there's always Nick Bjugstad & Kyle Rau tearing it up for the Gophers again at the U of M. Minnesota boys! ♥
... I've lived in too many places and like too many teams. It gets confusing. I'll always be a Minnesota girl at heart, and the Blackhawks will always been my first hockey love, but I have to say that I can't be sad that I accidentally Stockholmed myself into following the Stars. It almost makes me feel like a normal sports fan. Novel!
And now back to staring at the Yuletide tagset and trying to figure out what I'm going to request and offer. AHHHHHHHHHHHHH. Two of my requests are set, but the other two... I just don't know. (Also I promise I have not forgotten about sixteenwins! /o\ Hopefully actually getting to watch hockey again, despite the lockout (GRRRRRRRRR), will inspire me!)