So, in the last week, I have seen the Bruins take a 2-0 lead into the last 4 minutes of the 3rd Period and lose, and I have seen them trail 2-0 going into the last 4 minutes of the 3rd Period and win. On Saturday night in Montreal, I saw the Bruins choke away a win in heartbreaking fashion, making me as angry over a regular season loss as I can remember. I vowed not to watch another freaking game all season, I swore to myself that I wouldn't let them do this to me again, and then on Monday, they roared back against the Penguins of all teams, and I'm stuck here wondering what the hell is going on.
Really, this boils down to me living and dying too much with whether the Bruins win or lose. This isn't really a healthy course of action for many reasons, not the least of which is the fact that the Bruins have not won anything of consequence since the late 80s and early 90s, when they at least *made* the Stanley Cup Finals, and they have not won a cup since 1972, when my father was younger than I am now. So, yeah.
I think I need to do some yoga or something, to try and get me to a place where I can enjoy the Bruins when they win, and I can fell bad when they lose, but not to the point where I'm on top of the world one night and giving myself an ulcer the next. I'm not really sure how to accomplish this, especially give that I've been obsessively reading everything Bruins related for years now, and that's not going to change any time soon. I love hockey, finally admitting a couple of years ago to myself and to baseball that hockey is my favorite sport. I've been going out more to a pickup league near my brother's house recently, and on a fundamental level, the sport itself, without any team affiliations, is a thing of beauty that I will always treasure.
This lead me to the idea that I'm in the middle of implementing, the New England Hockey Road Trip. See, there are a number of AHL minor league teams throughout New England, and I thought it'd be a fun and attainable goal to see all of them play a home game this season. I actually had the idea last year at a Portland Pirates game, but that was in March and there wasn't enough time to see the thing through. But this year, having seen another Pirates game and a Worcester Sharks game, I'm on my way to seeing them all, only having 5 teams left to seal the deal.
The thing that struck me at these games was the liberating sensation of not really caring who won. I treat the Bruins with such solemnity and nervous energy that it's really hard for me to enjoy the hockey games I watch as hockey games first and foremost. With these minor league teams, apart from the default hope that the home team wins, I can sit back and watch it for what it is. Which is great, since the last two games I've seen came right down to the wire, with one home win and one home loss, both by only one goal. If I really had a stake in who won, I'd have been a wreak, but without that burden I can appreciate the game of hockey itself.
So, upcoming, I'm hoping to see The Providence Bruins, Manchester Monarchs, Connecticut Whale, Springfield Falcons, and Bridgeport Sound Tigers before April. I'll probably end up seeing another Sharks or Pirates game in there to be honest, but I want to hit all other teams before I do. I've taken to buying a souvenir puck at each game, and writing the date, opponent, and final score on each one. It was my girlfriend's idea, actually, and they've made a nice addition to my desk here. The plan, for now, is to have some friends tag along to each one, and who knows? Maybe I'll take some notes and blog about the games afterward. Not like you'd necessarily want to hear my thoughts about the Springfield Falcons or the Binghamton Senators, but it could be a neat idea if I can do it right.
But for now, I'm gonna sign off. Lots to do tonight and tomorrow, and then the big Patriots-Jets game on Sunday, for the right to play in the AFC Championship Game. You know I'll be back after that one.
-M
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