deejaid

Maybe Bernie Nichols?

And I am going Luc Robitaille and Marcel Dionne for the trivia.

1st period might have been the worst period they’ve played this year….followed by perhaps their best. This team is so frustrating.

I try to keep up with you guys but I can’t post during games as I only get home at 8pm from work here on the west coast so I watch all my games after the fact and don’t want to see any spoilers. My first hockey love was the Hershey Bears. My dad and I went to games every Saturday night at the old Hershey Park Arena. Hell, I thought that was the same as the NHL when I was really little. Dad had a Miracle on Ice team program/commemorative magazine and I’d love looking at the pictures, I was barely old enough to remember the actual game against the Soviets. Was 4 in 1980. My Rangers fandom started because the Flyers wore those ridiculous Cooper-Alls in the early 1980’s. My dad and I would watch Flyers games on Philly29 with Gene Hart doing the play-by-play. The Flyers skate out onto the ice wearing those ugly Cooper-Alls and their opponent skated out looking just like Team USA. I told my dad right there, the “team that looks like USA” (Rangers) are my team. Been my team ever since.

Oh, I’ll keep it and remember how much my mom saved to buy that for me. It was expensive and I asked for years before I got that jersey. I grew up in Central PA, so following the Rangers in the 1980’s meant a highlight or two during a Flyers broadcast game intermission , a 15 second highlight on Headline News in the morning after a game, a small highlight on ESPN (before they got NHL rights in the 1990’s there wasn’t much coverage), and Hockey News and Hockey Digest print subscriptions. In other words, it was difficult to be a fan. As for what Beezer said, yes it was one slip up over 15 years ago, but to even have the capacity to say that means those feelings were deep inside him and they came to the surface. Growing up in low income housing where I, the white kid was the minority, it hurts to know an athlete I looked up to could have those thoughts inside him. I guess it’s the dark side of fandom. Kids see the polished media characters and don’t really know what a player is like in their private life, especially 30 or 40 years ago before social media. But here I am still a Rangers fan after 40 years, still watching every game.

One thing that has stuck with me since the Gallant hiring is the lack of communication between Gallant and his players when he was first hired. I can’t remember if it was Mollie Walker or Brooksie or Vince that reported that when Gallant was hired he didn’t contact any of his new players and said something along the lines of “I’ll meet them at camp”. I mean I get that he is different than Quinn in his approach, but does Gallant expect too much autonomy within the locker and this team just isn’t capable of holding each other accountable and Gallant is too hands off?

I quite like those Mitchell & Ness or Stall & Dean jerseys that use the vintage style material for the 1940-60’s style jerseys. Those are pretty sweet.

I mentioned in the Sharks game day thread the other night, I only own two Rangers jerseys. One is a 25 year old Pat Lafontaine jersey as I was always a fan of his and was excited he joined the Rangers. That obviously didn’t last long. The other is a white home Beezer jersey I got in the 80’s. Don’t know where that one is actually and would never wear it again. For me, the idea of a having a favorite player and showing my fandom by wearing their jersey was cool when I was a kid, but now I’d feel silly having a favorite player jersey as many of the players are half my age. I did look at the NHL Shop recently and saw they have some hoodies which look jersey-like with the striping which are kind of cool. I’d feel more comfortable wearing a team hoodie than a jersey. Now, how about some funny custom jerseys? Maybe a Graves 9 with the “G” and “S” removed ala “Big Daddy”? Or celebrate our beloved Sam Rosen with a Rosen 1 jersey.

Jesus!

Of course we lose the shutout

There we go!

That we had the insurance

Wow what a save!

Goat I believe

Trocheck just missed that

Good crowd. Looks like a sellout. Damn concourse was packed that’s for sure.

I hope so. I live up near Napa, about an 1:15 drive home from SJ. A win will make the drive better.

Thank good these tickets were through my work and I didn’t pay for this.

Yeah, a lot of people were unhappy about him being named GM of the USA Olympic team last year.

Racial slur about a junior player when he was GM of Soo Greyhounds

As a 46 year old man I find it hard to have a favorite player, if I updated I’d probably go blank. My kid loves Mika though, so maybe a new Mika jersey for her and I’ll keep wearing the Lafontaine. Can’t bring myself to pull out the 30 year old Beezer jersey after his comments.

My daughter’s first live NHL game and she’s getting to see a 0-0 game.

Actually still fits, a little bit tighter in the mid section but not bad. But my daughter wanted to wear it so she’s got it on.

I’ll be there tonight with my daughter. If anyone else is there and you see a middle age guy in a 25 year old Pat Lafontaine Rangers jersey, say hi.

5 points. I plan on going to the San Jose game so of course they will lose that one, and Ryan Strome will score the game winner in OT for Anaheim.