Volume I, No. 13
March 10, 2010
The Ducks were competing with the Ravens on the ice today.
I mean the real ducks and blackbirds, doing their thing on a pond still ice covered in parts. The ravens stood on the ice, feeding on whatever it is that they eat. The ducks paddled in the open water at the edge of the ice, dabbling below the surface for their food too. A month ago, humans occupied the same place, skating and shooting pucks into the evening hours.
So where have the humans migrated? Driveways are starting to become shooting galleries. The nets are out. The kids are fooling around, shooting balls at garage doors. My garage doors still show the nicks and dents from years of target practice.
It's an annual ritual. As the weather warms, the natural ice disappears and hockey players seek the next best thing. A street or driveway will do. The ice rinks are fine, except that you need an organized team and reserved ice time. Sometimes at 2am. And you need all the equipment. Unlike pond hockey, you don't just go out in a rink with blue jeans and a jacket. So, street hockey is the natural escape.
Meanwhile, at the upper end of the hockey world, the NHL season is in full swing again. A battle of the Hudson is raging in Newark right now. Hockey is a game of chances and breaks. Henrik Lundqvist of the NY Rangers had stopped 86 of 87 shots on net by the Devils in the past two games. Tonight, a couple of bad bounces and Ranger sticks made him give up 5 goals in 2 periods. Henrik has retired for the evening.
In two more nights, the Atlantic Conference leaders will visit Newark. Sid the Kid gets to face off against Zach Parise. It will be their first meeting since Sunday February 28th, on the opposite coast of North America. The game that 50 million North Americans watched. Zach scored the last regular time goal. Sid scored the game-winner in OT and goes down in history as the youngest ice hockey Gold Medalist game-winning goal scorer.
Hockey Rules!
P.S Devils 6. Blue Shirts 3. Next up Pittsburgh.
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