Four Games in Four Nights, Game Four


As NHL training camps kick into gear, my own beer league season is under way as well. This weekend, I have a gruelling four games in a row Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Gruelling, if only for the fact that I am personally feeling older and slower pretty much every time I step on the ice.

Well, that was easy. My weekend of hockey was salvaged with a convincing 7-3 win by the Flying Vees last night. Jumping out to a 3-0 lead five minutes into the game usually helps to snap a losing streak. Amazingly, after four games in four nights my body has survived. There was just a small amount of leg "heaviness", especially after one of the couple excessively long shifts I had last night.

We had three lines, which is ideal for beer league hockey. When my fellow centreman, Doc Rowan (pictured above savouring the victory) came off, it was my line's turn to spring into action. Unfortunately (for the line following us) we had a couple shifts in which  the opponents could literally not get the puck out of their end. Myself, Bidzy and capable sub John (whose goal I assisted) along with either of our defence pairs kept the bad guys hemmed in their own end for almost two minutes a few times. Sure, that's a long shift, but my thinking is; as long as you are in the opponents end it's not time to change.

Incidentally, new line mate John is singer/songwriter in the terrific Vancouver band, Portage and Main and fits in nicely with the rest of the music/artist types on the Vees. Also he's a nice skater, Bidzy and I will have him on our line anytime.

So the weekend ends with one win and three losses for my two teams. Honestly, going into the weekend I thought it was too much hockey in too short a time. I assumed that by Sunday, I'd be "hockeyed out" and in need of a break. Truth is, nothing could be further from the truth. Even with the team and personal struggles, I was itching to go Sunday night. I suppose that's a good sign that I still love this great game .

I could play another game tonight if I had to, anybody have some ice?


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