Working For It

After last season's misery, this Flyers season has been (infinitely) more tolerable.

I'm sure many fans like me weren't sure what to expect for this season at this point in the last one. I knew that Paul Holmgren would bargain for everything he could over the summer, he landed a hugely improved line-up and I've had fun watching them.


With just a few weeks left in the regular season, the guys are actually battling it out for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. (At the time I'm writing this, NHL.com has them listed seventh.)

Currently, here are a few of the not-so-stupid random facts that have made this season fun:

• Only NHL team with six players having scored over 20 goals. (Lups, please get two more and make it seven!)
• Number two power play and a surging penalty kill.
• Multiple scoring lines and someone always capable of picking up the slack when a player (or two or three) are out of the line-up.
• A fair number of players who own hat-tricks (and at least two with two).

I really do believe that had we not had the concussions, injuries, 10-game losing streak, win-one-lose-one streak and - yes - the suspensions, we'd be a lot higher in the rankings than we are now. Likewise, there have been plenty of points in the season where I've seen room for key improvements on seemingly small things that would have made all the difference.

But you know, I wouldn't trade it for anything. Should the worst happen and we don't make it into the playoffs - or worse, we do and have to face the Devils in the first round! - I'll still be a happy Flyers fangirl eagerly looking forward to the 2008-09 season and trying to figure out who I'll be cheering for in the post-season.

Putting aside all the happy, sappy, feel-good stuff:

Dear Guys,

Still love yas but keep moving out there. Work for it - the playoffs and the cheers of your faithful fans!

Yours truly,
Nadine

(P.S.: Really, could it be a just a little more mathematically tighter to determine which Eastern Conference teams will start their vacations in early April? It's crazy, yo!)

Read More......

Someone did an entire report on my superstitions

And got an A, thank you very much. In college no less.

On gameday I always do the same thing to prepare for the game, whether watching or competing. During the playoffs when the Wild won that game, I did absolutely everything the same way that I had done before. I insisted that my family should also. They were less than thrilled about me hounding them about this. I took careful note each game of everything I did so it could be replicated in case of a win. If the Wild go on a winning streak, I will wear the same sweater, eat the same things, use the same stall in the washroom, everything.

When playing a sport I am very superstitious. I always listen to the same thing, warm up the same way, wear the same layers, take them off at the same time. Put my gear on the same way, always hit home plate, hit my batting helmet twice...the list goes on and on. My coaches have said it's just routine, but how do routines form?

In my junior year pre-calc class, I had to borrow a pencil for an exam. I ended up doing extremely well, so I gave the person another pencil, and kept the one with the cow spots. This pencil was dubbed "the lucky cow pencil", and there after used on all exams. The Lucky Cow Pencil may not be used for anything other than exams, and these days to conserve the LCP, I only trot it out for difficult exams.

Basically, yes, I am very supestitious, mostly when it comes to sports, but there are other random times that it crops up in my life. Oddly enough I am usually a highly rational and scientific person, so a lot of people are very surprised to find out that I'm this bad. "Like goalie bad" according to my close friends. I do realize that often times routine is good for you, feeling lucky gives extra confidence which is beneficial, and the "luck" should not replace preparation. Blah, blah, blah. These things have gotten me this far in life, I'm not about to quit now.

Read More......