Well, I went to my first game of the season. Avalanche visiting the kings. I have to thank the Good Ticket Fairy at work for setting me up right on the redline, six rows up from the ice. Five, if you count the announcer. One thing that amazed me were the number of people taking pictures of guys sitting in the penalty box. We're talking fourth line guys you think were walking the red carpet the way the flashes were going off.
This was my first chance seeing the new style sweaters. Definitely a Robocop/Stormtrooper look. May take some getting used to.
Price of a large, premium beer $10.50. Large soda in souvenir cup $5. No not going to do a MC commercial, just wondering how it compares to other arenas?
Biggest disappoint, well besides thinking it was going to be a first date w/someone but ended up going w/a buddy (which was cool, dgmw), was that my favorite player of all time, Joe Sakic did not play.
Apparently hurt in last night's game against the Sharks. Speaking of which, a little weird seeing Scott Hannum in a Avs jersey.
I think both teams played the previous night, which can often trip the warning light to a possible snoozer of a game. Not so. Energy was up the whole time. Holy crap are the kings a team w/out an identity. They scored the first two on a couple of pretty good plays but man they suck. They were reasonably healthy. I thought they had some young players set to break out but by midway through the first, the ice started to be tipped in Colorado's direction. Kinda surprising since it was basically the Erie Bears or whatever their minor league team is, out on the ice.
One literally just called up. TJ Hensick scored his first NHL goal. He was still at Michigan when drafted but had a pretty stellar collegiate career. I saw Marion Gaborik's first career hat trick. At one time I thought he might end up in the HOF but now...prolly not. Of course he's still pretty young.
Ryan Smyth was by far the best player on the ice. He wasn't the quickest but he gets around the net all he needs is a smidgen of separation and he can move the puck. All three of his points were no look behind the back. It looked like the first two were assts from behind the net but one actually deflected in off a King so he got credited w/the goal. His final was a thing of beauty. He got hit coming off the bench and lost his helmet. He looked like Craig MacTavish out there for a moment. Play goes into the King's zone. I know he's a superstar but still wondering if one of the king's would get his stick up just for the opp but it doesn't happen. He circles in front, there a mild scrum, puck bounces off toward the right corner, there's no defender coming in to pinch and right as I'm thinking he should try to shoot behind his back because there's a thin angle, he does! Just outside the goalie's leg and just inside the far post. Video game/trick pool shot.
The rafters seemed to be full but there were quite a few empty seats in the lower level. They didn't announce it as a sell out. That's not so good for a Saturday night. Most of the empties were prolly season seats. Colorado's not the elite team it was but there were a large number of fans. Which makes me wonder what the place is like when Minn or Dallas is rumbling through.
Nashville's a rumored move. Not even five months removed from winning the Cup, no one's mentioning the ducks. A lot of people blame Bettman but the overall health of the league has to be spread out from just one guy.
Be sure to get decent seats -- bad seats ruin the fun. No "nose-bleeds"!!
