The Hockey Odyssey Continues

Well, didn’t I pick the right game to watch last night? The Ottawa-Buffalo game was moving along swimmingly until Chris Neil blindsided Chris Drury with an open-ice hit, splitting open Drury’s forehead. I guess it was a clean hit, but should you really be able to deck a guy when he can’t see you coming? This incited a line brawl which saw the two goalies square off, followed by a bout between Sens goalie Ray Emery and Sabres meathead Andrew Peters. Like everyone else, I give Biron full credit for standing in against Emery, a guy who fights with a smile on his face. It was an interesting incident, to say the least.

Tonight I am going to watch the Edmonton Oilers take on the Detroit Red Wings. I am such a hockey geek – I am watching these games with The Hockey News in front of me, a print out of the NHL stats, and the line combinations, which I write neatly. A former boss of mine claimed you had to write down the line combos in order to fully appreciate a game. He insisted on writing them in pencil, as they could change at any time. This is a man, keep in mind, whose idea of relaxing was curling up in bed with The Hockey News and a glass of red wine.

I have finished reading “Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures” by Dr. Vincent Lam. It was a fantastic read. I regret the fact that I read it about 5-10 pages at a time, over a span of six-weeks. I was unable to build up any momentum until the last couple of days, when I read the final hundred or so pages. Next, I am going to read Frank McCourt’s memoir “Teacher Man.” If all goes well, I will polish it off by the end of the weekend.