We Won!!!!

Wow. What a game!

Whew. Only 3 games into the season and we pull off the very first AK Bars C2 victory, a 5-3 win over the Maroons C2 club, captained by the man everyone knows and loves, M Bustad.

Actually he's not such a bad guy :)

It's always fun to play the Maroons, as like us, and what used to be the Spiders, and a few other teams all consist of people who all started off in adult hockey around the same time, and many of them through Barb Garn's growing like a tumor organization, JMS. (See jmshockey.org for more). A great gal by the name of Ann Mortenson plays for them, as well as her brother. So I knew it should be a pretty fun game.

The Maroon's are also taking a beating this season up in C2 and this was a battle for last place, which, congrats to the Maroons, they now have!

The team came out skating hard and well. If we hadn't faded a tad in the third, it would have been a near perfect game I think. Anton "Crazy Legs" Petsan made the observation after a shift or two that we were going at a good, fast pace out there, which I think he meant himself and the Ah-Nye-Hilator. I actually felt pretty good too tho. But holy crap it's fun being out there with those guys. Petsan is everywhere out there--I describe his skating style as "wiggly"--and the Ah-Nye-Hilator, well that guy is as smooth as a gravy sandwich on his skates, thats for sure. I guess my job is to stay in the play and absorb abuse! But if the season ended today we'd already have had a great season (and only 1 game below .500).

The AK Bars scoring started out with the return of Jeren "Sweet Hands" Anderson, and a nifty little deke that confused everyone, including himself! But the puck was on a nice angle and coasted happily to the left side of the net. The AK Bars had it's first lead of the 2008-2009 season. One we held onto the whole damn game I might add. It's always nice to see Jeren shoot at all, so hey, may as well make it a goal, yeah?

After an interference penalty, geez, Crazy Legs and the Ah-Nye-Hilator basicly just sort of yawn and go, "Ok. Power play. How about an AK Bars goal? Yeah? Yeah? That okay with you? Okay then..."

Nye wins the face off, gets it over to Crazy Legs, he skates 'er in on the left, I'm trailing behind (gotta make the Triangle!), passes back to the Ah-Nye-Hilator, who's like, "Yeah..I'm gonna score now...okay? Hows the right upper corner? Yep. right THERE"

Total time on power play for the AK Bars? Six seconds. That's a lot more like it lads.

The third goal was total vintage Trevor Tjelmeland. He's in the high slot, gets a hold of it, and sends in his money making shot....hard and low, mostly on the ice. It really is more of a super hard pass..on the goal...than anything else, but dang it if he doesn't score ALL the time that way!

Then for me, taking a page from that playbook, well, I got me my first goal of the young season. Basicly, Nye either took a shot or sent it into the slot, where I was suprisingly being left unmauled, and I got a hold of it on my right side opposite the goal. I put the thing on my forehand and took FOREVER to get that puck around about 90 degrees before getting a good Trevor style shot away and before I know it the Ah-Nye-Hilator and Petsan are going crazy and I'm feeling the best fucking feeling the whole world. A Goal Scored.

It only lasts about 17 seconds but all you all know EXACTLY what I'm talking about yeah?

The guys were cool, "Dude...way to take your time and pick your shot man!" But truth is...I just didn't want to send the thing wide of the net, you know! It did feel like that moment, which in real life probably was about 2-3 seconds tops, seemed like it took about 10 times that long! Oh man I didn't think I'd score all season, so this was a big big accomplishment for me, and this is my blog, so we shall all revel and partake in my total and complete awesomeness!

I forgot to go celebrate with Trey again tho. Sorry about that Trey.

The final goal tho, is a real doozy, and I didn't see it very well from where I was at the bench. From what I could tell, Chris "Backhand" Boyko came charging out of the defense (something I love it when they do and we cycle to cover...very tricky) Boyko makes it down the left side, battles thru thier slot, gets into the right hand corner BEHIND the red line, turns around, fires a shot (probably off his backhand) and scores. Somehow. I mean, he's behind the freaking goal? How did he do that? Geez!

Canadian Magic I guess. It was seriously Awesome.

We (meaning I) also missed (hit the post? goalie made a save?) on a three on zero after Petsan totally got around their pinching defense guy. But I don't want to talk about it. I'll just score it next time I promise.

And interestingly, Pavel the (fill in name here) didn't get a penalty...the big pussy! :)

This week's game was a shining example of why we play this game, and why--I think--this team is such a special one. Which in turn makes us all want to play more and more and keep getting better. I mean, it always feels good to win, that's true. But, to win ones like this, in a new and harder division, with a bunch of guys--to quote Herb Brooks "of such differing backgrounds"--Is so fantastic. To win it clean and have so many of us contribute. It's really pretty awesome.

On top of that most of us have been playing together as AK Bars for 4 plus years now which for me is my whole hockey career! And the new guys have fitted in and added to it as if they'd been here the whole damn time. Again...totally freaking awesome. To paraphrase Chris "Bear" Schultz....it's not only about what goes on on the ice. Well said Schutlzie.

And that--all 5 of my readers out there who don't play hockey--is why we play this game, pay the huge sums of cash, and when we are not playing, we're thinking about playing. And Game Day is...well, it's Game Day. From the minute we wake up, it's going to be a great day because it's Game Day. And it sure as hell seems like it's the gift that keeps on giving 'eh?

Am I right? Who's with me? Is anybody fuckin' tired? Because the Piranhas are breathing though their mouths guys. Do not give these guys too much respect! :)

(points will go to anyone who can name the movie and the scene)

Okay i'm outta here. See you at the rink

-Kai #10

Ok now, where are those nickname suggestions? Come on people!

Before hockey, lets give a shout out to the new president, even if he is a basketball guy (nobody's perfect). Like him or no, it will be an improvement over the last few years I say. Although I'm not sure it matters because like, what...half maybe?....the AK Bars are not native born citizens, so between the Canadians and Russians I'm not sure we need to be on the lookout for Immigration before and after games! I'm sure they are all legal...don't worry. Besides, Ah-Nye-Hilator just married a US gal (I think) so he should be okay. He never told anyone he was getting married of course, so Nye, you're not gonna get a toaster oven or a dining set from me now!

But it was historic and I think it will be good for the country overall.

As far as here in Minnesota, we're gettin' a recount, being that Norm and Al are separated by something like 500 votes, and that triggers an automatic one when it's that close. So national media will descend on us and what they'll see is; nothing much. Minnesota has probably the squeakiest of the squeaky when comes to clean elections, so the rest of the county will see it done right (for once). We're not a bunch of corrupt morons up here like you see down in places like Florida. But then again...I hate Florida. They certainly are no place for TWO pro HOCKEY teams, that's for damn sure.

As far as hockey, well we did lose again, but only by the relatively not so bad score of 1-6. According to Kirk (who in his role as a scorekeeper for the AHA is in a great position to be our head scout) the Rack Attack are a vastly superior team than the Spartans are, who beat us by a lot more (see below).

The team actually really played well. As did Trey who whilst giving up 6 goals, still was subjected to 53 shots to our 16 (if I recall correctly). Pavel got a penalty for well, pretty much for just being Pavel, from what I could tell. And Libby put in a nifty goal off a nice rebound from a low shot by Larry. Everyone seems to be getting used to--as I like to put it--a smaller rink. Our pace was quicker and everything just seemed a lot better. And all this without Sweet Hands. We still ned a bunch of work on our shift changes, but that will fall into place soon enough I think. All in all; a good game.

This weekend should be great also. We're playing the Maroons C2, who we've played in some form for a few years now, and even scrimmaged a bit this summer. They've actually scored less this season than us (2 vs 3) so it wil likely be a pretty good game! I may aven get a shot on goal, but lets not mortgage the farm just yet. I cannot wait

So that's the latest AK Bars fans, and lets keep those nicknames coming in!

-Kai #10