Love Hurts: Victims Of My Adoration

Why are the Islanders having a losing season? Because Boofy and me abandoned all most some of our gameday rituals.

Hockey fans are superstitious. We may joke about not saying 'shutout' but really we're dead serious. We can always find a reason why something went wrong or right. We can find superstitions about injuries, scoring, winning and losing...anything. No one can explain why we'll be chillin' at a game, talking about the team, then...boom...the last guy we were talking about scores a goal. Happens all the time. Swear.

I'm a jinx. I am the black widow of professional hockey careers. It seems to be specifically, but not exclusively, linked to owning a particular player's jersey.

Victim #1: Miro Satan

Boofy Gave me his jersey for Christmas in 2006.

05-06 --- 35g 31a 66pts
06-07 --- 27g 32a 59pts

07-08 --- 16g 25a 41pts

08-09 --- 13g 17a 30pts

Not huge, but a noticeable downtrend. Looks like going to Pittsburgh may have saved his career...oops. I probably just did it again.

Dear Pens Fans,

Sorry.

XOXO,

Shoogah

Victim #2: Danny Briere

I bought a cheap Sabres practice jersey just after he signed with Philly in 2007.

06-07 --- 32g 63a 95pts
07-08 --- 31g 41a 72pts
08-09 --- 5g 4a 9pts

He's been on IR after playing only 9 games this season. At least he's still a point a game.

Dear Danny,
I never even wore it. Swear. Love you.
XOXO,
Shoogah

Victim #3: Peter Forsberg

I loved Peter hardcore in the 90's. I had it bad for the 96 Avs and I watched every game team Sweden played in Nagano in 98. In all fairness, Peter was in pretty tough shape before I bought a cheap Flyers jersey in October of 07.

06-07 --- 13g 42a 65pts
07-08 --- 1g 13a 14pts

He's taking this season off to continue to solve his foot issues.

For the record:

95-96 --- 30g 86a 116pts

What a man.

Dear Peter,
I still love you. Always will.
XOXO,
Shoogah

Victim #4: Blake Comeau

I made shirts for Boofy and me to wear to our season ticket holder section party in July of 08. One with Comeau's name and the other with one of Kyle Okposo's many nicknames. Comeau showed flashes of brilliance as a call up in the second half of the 07-08 season. We all thought he was a lock for 08-09. No dice. He played in Bridgeport while Mitch Fritz rode the pine for the Islanders .(Once for an entire game. Seriously. Not one shift.) Boofy has the Comeau shirt and Blakey C seems to be turning it around playing with Josh Bailey and Okposo. Damn. I think I did it again.

Dear Blakey C,

Take a lesson from KO. He survived.

XOXO,

Shoogah

Victim #5: Rick DiPietro

I bought his jersey when the new RBK Edge style was released in September of 08.

06-07 --- .919sv% 2.58gaa
07-08 --- .902sv% 2.82gaa
08-09 --- .892sv% 3.52gaa

A concussion, 2 hip surgeries, and 1 knee surgery ( I think. I can't keep up.) later, he's shutdown for the season in hopes that he'll fully recover without needing yet another surgery. He played only 5 games this season.

Dear Ricky,
I stopped wearing the jersey. Should I burn it?
XOXO,
Shoogah

So with fingers, toes and eyes crossed, I drove to the team store to pick up my next victim. A brand new Frans Nielsen throwback third.

Dear Frans,

You've been warned. Stay strong.

XOXO,

Shoogah

There is only one man who completely survived the jinx of the jersey.

In Hindsight: Five Questions for Rico

The Islanders opened a second team store in the Sunrise Mall yesterday. Rick Dipietro took his hip, his knees, his head and the parts of his body that aren't injured to the grand opening. I could have waited on line for four hours to get a signature and a canned interaction but I chose to skip the festivities. Had I gone, I would have never asked him these five questions:

1. Considering your injuries and Mac's capable play, will you consider less starts within a season?

2. Being a spectator for the first quarter of the season, what is your assessment of the team to which you'll be returning?

3. What do you think of John Tavares and Victor Hedman?

4. If I clone you a la Multiplicity, would the second or third version of you consider marrying a not-so-Ford-model hockey fan?

5. Do you like Pizza?

Ricky was probably assaulted by questions that rank higher than mine on the absurd scale. I present the top five questions likely asked by adults and children alike:

1. How do you feel?

2. When will you be back?

3. What do you think of Joey Mac?

4. Are you considering playing a few games in Bridgeport before coming back to the Islanders?

5. Will you go to prom with me?

What makes these questions more absurd than mine? Ricky actually had to answer them 300 times. Over and over. One after the other. Same questions, same answers. In fact, I present Ricky's likely answers to the top five questions likely asked by adults and children alike:

1. Good.

2. Soon. A few weeks.

3. He's doing a great job.

4. Maybe. We'll see.

5. Sure. No, not really.

Fun. Like watching the Tampa Bay Lightning play in their new third jerseys.

What I Learned Today:

Unable to appreciate DP for his stellar stopping this season, I've come to terms with his value to the team in other areas. It's never a bad thing when the face of the franchise is pretty. Ricky is hot. It's simply stating the obvious. Like Barry Melrose will never coach in the NHL again.

We Dream, We Cry, We Live, We Die: A Statless Preview of the 08-09 New York Islanders

The Islanders first pre-season home game is October 1st. I'm amped. Garth could ice the kids from the first Mighty Ducks movie and I'd still be amped.

The good thing about this season is last season sucked. It's all relative. Could the Isles do worse this year? Yeah but the odds are in our favor.

Last season Garth took what he could get out of free agency and hoped for the best. I won't miss Tank or Joey Vas but for some reason I'm happy with Mike - The Ballerina - Comrie and Captain Billy G.

Comrie is done with the toe drag...I promise. I think he used it so he didn't have to extend his injured shoulder as much. Just a theory.

Garth went out and fetched free agent Doug Weight to help Guerin regain some of his lost offense. If they combine for 90 points, I'll name my first born Billdoug.

Garth signed only one other free agent in amphibious power play specialist, Mark Streit. Will he solve all of last seasons power play woes? Anything is better than Bryan Berard and Marc-Andre Bergeron.

Dubie and Miro each stole a piece of my heart. Wade - Dub Rock - Dubielewicz lead his team on a magical run to the 07 playoffs. Say pokecheck to an Islanders fan and wait for the smile. He's gone to play in Russia but I hope he returns to the NHL...on a west coast team. Good luck, Dubs.

Miro - Evil Eye - Satan may be in the process of passing his prime but I was happy to have him here. Getting older means playing through injuries can get difficult (unless you pickle yourself like Chris Chelios). Miro had back to back to back game winners last season but lost his worth when Coach Ted misused him as a power play point man. The Pensblog said he was working well with Bing at camp. I hope he scores 30 goals this season. Just not against us.

So who will back up Ricky - The Franchise - DiPietro?

Joey - Ears - MacDonald. Seriously. I sit in 304. I can see his ears on the bench. We don't have to worry about the top corners when Mac plays.

A Haiku for Joey MacDonald

He takes the ferry

A half an hour before his ears

Arrive together

The hockey gods ( and Boofy) have forbidden me from making any comments whatsoever regarding Ricky D. so

I'll say this...

Dear Ricky,

I love you. Now please skip the All-Star Game.

XOXO,

Shoogah

Last year we were left wondering where the rest of the roster was going to come from. Half the team walked on July 1st. This year, Garth picked up the Sound Tigers, turned them upside down, and shook them over Uniondale.

Sean Bergenheim, Blake Comeau, Frans Nielsen, Kyle Okposo, Chris Campoli and Bruno Gervais were all 'born in Bridgeport'. KO and Blakey C still have two-way contracts but they'll never skate at Harbour Yard again.

Silly isn't ready to come back. Can Frans fill his shoes on the face-off?

KO left college early. Was it the right decision?

It's make or break for Tamby. Will more ice time bring his skills to NHL level?

I say yes, yes and yes. But I sugar coat everything and I drink the Kool-Aid. My glasses have orange and blue lenses and Bruno Gervais will be an All-Star.

Mine

The final open house at the Coli featured reigning AHL Coach of the Year turned coach of my boys in orange and blue, Scott Gordon, and one of said boys, Frans Nielsen.

Frans has a one way contract this year so eventually I'll be a nervous wreck around him but for now...

...we're buds.

It's my duty as an Isles fan to put undue pressure on him so...

Dear Frans,

I love you. Now score 20 goals.

XOXO,

Shoogah

I asked Coach Scott to be good to my boys. He smacked his hand on the table and said, "Men." I'm not just a hockey fan. I'm a woman. A woman with motherly instincts. They are my boys even if they are men.

Dear Coach Scott,

You are one of my boys now, too. Deal with it.

XOXO,

Shoogah

Just Saying...

...if they awarded gold medals for hotness, Aaron Peirsol owns Michael Phelps. Then again, is there really a loser here?

Hamlet, Macbeth, MVP.

Canst thou not minister to a mind diseased?...Therein the patient must minister to himself.

MVP is what happens when Shakespeare is translated by Soapnet. Ten episodes of not so epic battles between good and evil.

Boofy tried to tell me this show is probably a product of Canada but I didn't listen. Hockey is a religion in Canada. How can this mockery be Canadian?

Before I go on, I need to admit that I watch this show. I DVR it. Guilty. I don't know why. For the hotties and the humor, I suppose. Oh by the way, MVP is a drama.

MVP debuted on CBC in January 2008 and on Soapnet the following June. I've watched nine episodes and tried, throughout every one of them, to find the problem; to figure out what went wrong.

There are good story lines buried beneath the debauchery that is, apparently, the lives of professional hockey players and their women. Gabe has one, Trevor has two and Damon has, well, three-ish. (One of them is the team doctor. Where was this job on the aptitude list? If pro hockey teams have lady docs, I'm signing into med school.)

The acting is fair. There isn't as much Melrose Place-esque overacting as I expected.Well, maybe Molly could use a few pointers. She has a permanent pouty lipped, squinty look. Then again, maybe that's how she looks in real life . Megan and Damon are gems if you respect the opinion of someone with zero acting credentials.

Last week's episode ("Sudden Death") attempted real drama. I'm not going to lie. I got caught up in the suspense. But the most entertaining part of the show wasn't dramatic at all:

Some crazy neighbor kid kidnapped the dead captain's daughter. He used a photo of her and a gun to force the Mustangs to let him play in that night's game.

Psycho kid is sitting in a locker room stall holding a gun in full Mustangs gear when the new Russian goalie, dripping with nonchalance, says, "So, you deliver mail today?"

Psycho kid is confused. "What?"
"You work for post office, no? Was it like this," he snaps his fingers, "or was it slow fall into..." the coach cuts him off before Psycho shoots him.

Psycho shrugs and laughs, "Goalies."

Right there, I knew. Between fits of hysterical laughter, I realized there is nothing wrong with this show. It has no genre. It is it's own entity. MVP is perfect the way it is.

There's one episode left. The season finale airs Thursday August 21st. If by some crazy chance season two airs in the states, I'll watch. If only to find out if good ever prevails over evil.

Will Gabe and Connie marry or will the cruel world keep the perfect couple from bliss?

Will the McBride Girls overcome Adam's death or will the Mustangs bury them for good?

Will Damon's troubled past be his final undoing or will the doc be his saviour?

Will Trevor be seduced by the glamorous lifestyle of a pro athlete or will Tabbi bring him back to his roots?

Intrigued? I hear it's available on DVD.

Do You Believe In Miracles?

Open house at NVMC is an excuse for Islanders fans to pull out their orange and blue in the middle of summer and congregate with other people who have nothing better to do on a July night...like my best friend (Boofy) and me (Shoogah).When I heard they were showing 'Miracle' - only my favorite movie ever - on the jumbotron, I knew I couldn't miss it. The only thing that would have kept me away is if Chris Campoli invited us to his house for movie night. That's probably the only way I could get Boofy to even consider watching 'Miracle'. He hates it.

Our invitation to Campy's house must have gotten lost in the mail so we went to the Coli and got in line by the RV so we could ask him for directions to his house...and get stuff signed. (Actually we went right to the locker room because that's where the evening's host usually is. Not this time. Good. It's hot as heck in there. On our way out of the locker room, down the maze of hallways and back to the Coli floor, Boofy looked side to side and peered around corners while asking Ice Girls, "Where's Campy hiding?") While we waited for our turn, my heart raced and I couldn't breathe. Hockey players do this to me. Boofy reminded me that I was burning calories just standing there. Awesome. Put me in front of a hockey player 3-5 days a week and I'll be a size 6 in no time.












Campy needed to do a few hand stretches before we got to the table; Boofy asked him to sign everything he owns. I had nothing for him to sign so he signed one of those cool action shot cards. I snapped a pic and told him we miss him and can't wait to see him play again. He assured me he'd be back. Thanks, Arnold. See you in October.


I convinced Boofy to stay for a bit so I could watch the movie. We grabbed seats in the the front row of the 200's and talked while we waited for the movie to start. I read about Islanders Day at Iceworks in 7th Woman's Blog and it sounded like fun so I told Boofy about it. For over two years, I've been trying to get him on skates. I sit him in front of a movie he hates and BOOM...let's go get skates. So what tore me away from my favorite movie and my favorite place? A trip to Modell's and the idea of finally seeing my Boofy skate.

Modell's was a fail. We went to Dick's sports. We learned a lot.













Lesson 1:
We accept that it's not hockey season but people don't play all year round? Seems that sporting goods stores don't stock ice skates all year round.

Lesson 2:
If you ask Hot Dave at Dick's in Melville, he'll find ice skates for you. However he won't sharpen them. He wants to keep all of his fingers.

Lesson 3:
Never buy hockey skates in the winter. They are really cheap in the summer. Woo Hoo!

Boofy got a shiny new pair of CCMs for forty bucks and I finally got a jerky maker (well, not really but I could have for $70.) Score.

In the parking lot, I witnessed a miracle of my own. Practically skipping and grinning like a kid, my best friend finally said to me, "I can't wait to go ice skating!"












Later that night, Boofy called me with some lie about leaving his sunglasses at Dick's Sports. He had to go back to get them and Hot Dave was waiting for him, sunglasses in hand. He just needed an excuse to see Hot Dave one more time.

Dear Dick's Sporting Goods,

We love you. Especially Hot Dave. Miss you already.

XOXO,
Boofy and Shoogah