Rob, Al, and Chris warm up before the game

20 November 2002
Played Center again this week, though I only lasted one period this time. Either it was colder in the rink (felt like it), or I was more tired, because my asthma started acting up after a couple shifts. I really needed two shifts rest for every one on the ice, but since there were only two of us at Center, that wasn't an option. I ended up switching with Chris at Left Wing for the remaining two periods.

The good news is that while I *was* at Center, I played hard. Al said he could see on my face that I'd made up my mind to score, and I did try my darndest. I didn't get the puck in the net, but I did have several decent shots. The first was on a pass to the slot from Al, I think, but it went about a foot wide of the net, right. The next two were good shots on goal, but they didn't go in. (The one I and Eric were most proud of was a one-timer that hit Mike high on the shoulder as he dropped.)

There was one time where I'd fallen against the boards in the offensive zone when I'd tried to get to the puck first (the defenseman and I both reached the puck at the same time, and when our sticks collided, mine acted like a vaulter's pole, and I flew over the top of it head and shoulders first into the boards), and I was just coming up to the blue line when the puck came flying back down the ice from our end. Since I'd been so slow to get up, no one was near me, so I quickly touched up and then chased the puck. The question wasn't so much whether someone would catch me from behind, in my mind, but whether I could get to the puck before it got to the goalie.

As it turned out, I got to the puck just before it got to the goalie *and* got caught from behind at the same time. I got a shot off, but it was weaker than it should have been because of the stick check. It was on target, though, so that's something.

I think the only other notable action I was involved in was a collision with Randy. I was still bound and determined to get a goal, and the puck had popped out of our defensive zone, so I went for it. I could see Randy approaching to try to knock it back in, but I drove hard and tried to whack the puck to the right-side boards and go that way. That was the plan, anyway. Apparently I did get to the puck a split second before Randy and made the move to the right, but I didn't get down low enough to go under his arm, and he clotheslined me.

I remember flipping over in midair and hitting the boards with my back, but that's about it. All I know is I ended up on top of Randy's stick but under Randy's body. We were down for several seconds without a whistle; I thought it was odd that there was no whistle for a second, and then I realized that they were just waiting for a possession change so they could call a penalty. The whistle finally came, and Randy said, "are you OK?" Me: "Yes, I'm fine. I'm going to get up now. Don't move your stick." When I got up, Randy was escorted to the box for roughing. "Sorry, Randy!" I said. He came over to the bench after the second period to apologize to *me* and see if I was OK. I was, and I wasn't offended by the hit. I am a bit sore today, though. (I find that muscle aches tend to manifest 48 hours after a collision.)

I'm definitely having more fun this season than I did last season, and I'm trying to figure out the difference. I think some of it is that with all the off-season trading, the team dynamic has changed a bit; some of it comes from an attitude adjustment on my part; and some of it comes from writing here in my hockey journal. It's easier to get excited about the things I did well and not beat myself up too much about the things I didn't do well when I write about it. It's all about gaining perspective, and as I've often said, journaling gives me that.

Rob changes back into his civvies
(right now he's in his skivvies)