Luck, Shmuck

It’s difficult to write about superstitions when you don’t really have them. And luck is coincidence, so I tell myself. Although the better hockey team tends to get the lucky bounce off the boards, right? Maybe there is more to luck than I want to admit.

I’ll tell you about unlucky, though. I haven’t seen the Blueshirts win at the Garden since before the lockout. I’ve seen it in the Meadowlands and Nassau, but never in New York. It’s a shame; their victory song as a nice ring to it, plus some ironic lyrics. (" Just keep your stick on that puck
And don't lay down on your luck, that's the Rangers victory song...")

The most unlucky I’ve ever been? I went to Madison Square Garden to see the Rangers play a few years back. I was really hoping my favorite player would get the start. Ritcher was getting older and full of knee injuries, and took some nights off more than usual that season. Of course we were almost late to the game because the Long Island Rail Road was jammed up. Of course there was a huge flood in Penn Station, causing huge amounts of traffic while we ran up the stairs (now late) to get to MSG. I bought a Mike Ritcher bobble head doll on the way in, with two seconds to spare. Of course Ritcher’s own head got bobbled by a puck two minutes into the game. Of course the Rangers lost. Of course it was a skull fracture. Of course his career was over.

Hey. I’m a New York Ranger fan. Doesn’t that say enough about my luck?