Christmas for the Sens

Weirdly, I'd already decided to do a series of posts about gifts for the Sens before I saw this month's Creative Challenge (really, I swear), so I've got a bit of a head start.

I've begun with Alex Auld: the last line of defense, and man who has been something of an unexpected gift to Sens fans himself.



When Alex Auld signed with Ottawa, I figured we were getting a nice backup goalie. Someone who maybe wasn’t going to make a huge impact, but who at least wouldn’t drive us all insane. He’s turned out to be so much more than that. Sure, we’re only a quarter of the way through the season or so and we have no idea if he can keep this up, but to this point I think Auld can be described fairly and without hyperbole as amazingly brilliantly wonderfully fantastically awesometacular. He has surpassed anyone’s wildest expectations, probably including his own. And he has brought hope to an entire generation of Sens fans, who thought they would be stuck with crappy goaltending forever. Today, during the Sens-Pens game, he made a big save to prevent the Penguins from tying it up during the last two minutes of play. I can’t remember the last time I saw a Sens goalie do something like that. It looks like — I’m sorry, I’m getting a little emotional. But it looks like we might actually have … a good goalie. I’m going to pause here while you let that feeling wash over you.

And we’re back. Really, the only person other than Auld who can bring on these kind of warm, fuzzy, despair-free feelings is that other great icon of hope, Barack Obama. So, I thought: what could be a more appropriate gift for Auld than this lovely Barack Obama “Hope” poster? Nothing. But I’m also throwing in this snazzy Ottawa Senators logo necktie I made, which symbolizes the fact that, thanks to him, the Sens no longer have to resort to playing a tie in goal because one of their goalies is such a prima donna that he doesn’t show up for practice. Have a great Christmas, Auldinator. You deserve it.

Also posted (with a little extra) to my blog.