Two a days...?

So I managed to get to the rink yesterday afternoon to give those suspenders a try.  I like them.  They didn't take nearly as long to get used to as I thought that they would, HOWEVER, there was some, uh, chaffing.  You have to understand that I am one of the few players out there (that up until yesterday afternoon)  don't wear an undershirt beneath my gear.  I tried it once, but I get too hot, it makes me crazy.  Here's the thing about the suspenders, I like them enough to actually start wearing something under my gear, because like I said before, I can do without the chaffing.

So I picked up an Under Armor sleeveless compression shirt, which I promptly tried out at a 9:50 NESMHL game at Bavis in Rockland.  

I didn't expect to play a second time yesterday, but when I got off the ice in Orleans at a little after 4 p.m. I had a text message asking me (begging really) if I could skate at 9:50 that night.  Normally, I would have said no thanks, especially considering that I knew that I would be working  today (something that almost never happens on a Saturday).  However, me being me, it's almost impossible for me to say no to a request which involves me playing hockey, especially for this particular team in that particular league.  

Now, the team that asked me to skate for them is a solid team, it has a few grizzled veterans, a couple of young guys, and a few guys right in the middle, age wise anyhow, but all of them can play, and play smart.  They made the game easy for me last night, I swear I only saw five shots in the first period.  There is a funny thing that happens when a team skates with a goaltender that they don't normally skate with and aren't used to having behind them.  They play with a lot more defensive tenacity.  I would say that it takes about a period and a half for that to wear off, for both the goaltender, and the players to get comfortable with each other.  Hell, trust takes time, they need to trust me, and I need to trust them.  Over the long term, I'd say it takes roughly three to five full games to really understand how to play with each other.  There is without question a learning curve.  Anyhow, we were able to score in the first 15 seconds of that period, giving us a 1-0 lead heading into the second.

The second period saw the pace pick up quite a bit.  Both teams started pouring it on.  My opposition managed to get one past me about halfway through the second on a very nice bang-bang play.  The right winger was able to move the puck into the zone and set up down low just below the goal line, my left defenseman moved in, but the winger was able to swiftly pass the puck into the slot were the center was waiting (and more than likely drooling) to fire the puck into a (almost) wide open net.  I still feel that I should have been able to better anticipate the pass out of the corner and make the save, but just the same, it was a nice shot.  We managed to score again about a minute and a half later, and then again with less than ten seconds left in the period, giving us a 3-1 lead headed into the third.

The third period saw a big role reversal, because as far as I could see, the first two periods we carried the play.  In the third, those bastards on the other team came out looking for blood.  They spent the vast majority of the period "hanging" guys on our blue line, trying to, and in some cases, accomplishing the "home run pass" sending the cherry picking douche bag unfettered into our zone.  It only happened twice before we started putting someone on the hanger, which made it difficult for them to connect with those home run passes...  Fortunately, having a two goal cushion in the third period allowed us to sit back a little and play defense.  The opposition did manage to score a second goal with about seven minutes left in the third off what I would consider a TERRIBLE rebound on my part.  Jesus, I fucking hate giving up bad rebounds.  I also hate getting scored on.  Anyway, we scored again about a minute later, and then one more time with about three and a half to go in the final period.  

Add it up, and we won 5-2.  I like winning, actually, I fucking love winning, but I am never thrilled with an hour and ten minute ride home at 11:30 at night when I have to work the next morning.  Was it worth it?  Fuck, of course it was worth it, it was a chance for me to get on the ice, and it was the sixth time in as many days.