San Jose at Calgary: Game 4 preview

Very Superstitious

This is a common thing in sports, especially in the playoffs, and most especially in the Stanley Cup playoffs...

 

I'm a little bit superstitious myself, as I stopped shaving after the series began last Wednesday night, and I don't plan on shaving my beard off until the Flames are out (of course, I'm not sure how that will go over at the weddings I'm to attend in late May and early June, but I'll take that risk)...

 

Of course, I can't let it run roughshod, as a beard should be maintained on occassion, so I figure that everytime the Flames lose a game, I'll give it a little trim so as not to turn into Jake Plummer. Yes, I realize that a number of hockey fans won't recognize this reference because he is the former quarterback of the Denver Broncos but he was reknowned for bringing the neckbeard back in vogue. Actually, that's not true, as a neck beard hasn't been considered stylish since the Dark Ages (probably because they couldn't see them?)...

 

Which brought to mind a number of other things that Flames bloggers have done over the last year or two that have absolutely no effect on the actual game itself (but somehow give us a little piece of mind). From me recording all of last years games on my PVR and watching them later, to WIs various jersey issues, to HGs pizza, and so on and so on, we just can't seem to stop...

 

But then it stops working (not that it really worked in the first place), so do we stop? No, we just start doing something else, which is the funny part. Since I watched the first game and have absolutely no recollection of the second game (I was really drunk downtown and didn't get home until after 3:00, so I assume that I watched the game, but I don't remember the game even starting, let alone finishing), I figure that I need to watch the game live for the boys to win (which is ironic when you think of last year), so I watched the third game and we won. Looking for a repeat tonight...

 

I was actually reading an article about player superstitions earlier, but you can't compare a fan's superstition to that of a player, as the player's might actually do something to affect the game. If talking to his goalposts calmed Patrick Roy down, and relacing his skates before every game helped Ray Bourque clear his head, then who am I to argue...

 

And I don't expect to stop doing it anytime soon, especially since I need to keep my beard in case I get called up for game 5...

My not so evil twin

10-0!!!

Okay, so I got home last night in time to have caught the last half of the game, but decided to just let the PVR handle it and watched a couple other shows instead (along with bits of the other games until my brother pointed out that they might flash the Flames - Red Wings score at some point). Couldn't chance that...


When I was watching the Ottawa- Pittsburgh game with a buddy of mine after our own game, a thing came up on the screen mentioning that the national broadcast would be the Vancouver game (since it was a 3-1 series), I had to make a quick call home. I hadn't actually set the PVR myself, but I had planned on calling my brother before the puck was supposed to drop and get him to do it. Apparently I didn't have to. Not only had he already set it, but he saw the announcement for the regional broadcast as well, and had set it for one of the few stations we get that was showing it (god bless time-shifting)...


Of course, when I did get home he spent the next hour and a half asking me if I wanted to know what the score was...


But that's alright, as he's a good enough brother to not actually spoil it for me. I'm kind of stunned that he would record it for me in the first place, given that he is frequently complaining about the Flames games I already have saved on it. But he's cool like that, I guess...


Since I couldn't use my Ritchie PVR picture (as he wasn't playing lst night), I had to create a new one with Langkow...


Of course, most of my PVR's record can be attributable to home games, so the real test will be Saturday afternoon in Detroit. I have a potential finals game in my one tournament at 3:00 and a round robin game in my other tournament at 4:30, so I will be missing the Flames game regardless. Let's just hope the record can carry through...


Go Flames!!!

Taking one for the team

What did I miss?

So last night I decided to take one for the team and skip the Flames game. I set my PVR and was supposed to play an exhibition game at 9:30, but I have been so exhausted lately I just decided to stay in... and go to bed at 10:30...

I was tossing and turning for the better part of the night wondering if I did the right thing by not staying up for the game. I worried for my PVR's record (for no reason apparently) getting tarnished, which I'm sure happens to all records when they have grown a life of their own and defied the odds. Like my brother finally winning on his 41st cup of coffee in this year's Tim Hortons 'Roll up the rim to play again' contest, I know it will eventually come to an end...

But not last night! 9-0! Booya!

I'm not sure when I'll actually get a chance to watch the game (as I'm in two ice hockey tournaments this weekend starting tomorrow night, and I have a playoff floor hockey game tonight), but I've already gotten a feel for what I missed from various sources around the Flames blogosphere...

Gio played and scored a goal, Phaneuf was cheapshotted by Dan Cleary (really starting to not like that guy), Amonte played the final minutes of the game AGAIN, Iggy scored the game winner, and the Saddledome was apparently rocking...

It appears as though our collective superstitiousness (is that a word) may have payed off last night...