Wake me up

My apologies to anyone who actually reads this for pulling a disappearing act over the last month or so. Factors combined that left me less than inspired to write about goaltending. But, here I am again, lucky you. Even luckier for you, during my period of radio silence (web silence?), our team made it to the championship game against the hated rival team with 4 ringers.... and lost in overtime. It was a bitter, bitter pill to swallow and it took me a few days to get over it, as I felt at the time that it was entirely my fault. But I won't rehash it here, and for any team mates who are about to drop an anvil on my head, yes, I now recognize that it wasn't ALL my fault. Just mostly.

Regardless, not much has changed in terms of the rhythm of league games, open hockey, and lessons, except that all have slowed down slightly. We have had a long break between spring and summer league, since we start the summer season this week with a bye. Open hockey has been sporadic due to rink issues and lessons have been even more so. However- I did attend a goalie skating clinic a few weeks ago that was the hardest thing I've ever done in terms of physical exertion. I was in a little bit over my head- one of the drills was beyond my physical capability, and another one was too advanced for me but I muddled my way through it, determined not to quit on it. All the other drills I could handle, I just did them slightly slower than everyone else. At the end they took pity on us and gave us some shots- breakaway practice. Sweet. My coach ran the clinic, so I hope to talk to him about the one drill that was just above my level, because it was something I've been wanting to work on anyway. That might give me a good starting point... something like "so I'm sure you saw how horrendous my butterfly slides were at that clinic.... can we work on that?".

I did play open hockey twice this holiday weekend though. On Friday, when I got on the ice I wasn't really in my zone, and it was a very fast, very aggressive game. The kind I thrive on. Unfortunately I didn't really have much of a good showing in my first 20-minute shift. I was starting to get a little down about it when suddenly I took a high speed slapper square in the middle of my mask. Guys on the ice later described the sound as "a puck hitting a canteloupe". Fortunately, it hit me right at the bottom of the grill, and while it stunned me momentarily, the impact was dispersed throughout the helmet. Players crowded around to make sure I was ok, which I was, and after a moment or two to get my bearings we started playing again.

And I ruled. That shot snapped me out of my vague fog and I just felt so on for the rest of the time. I stoned a few guys on breakaways. I even managed a poke check and I successfully went after and corralled a puck against the boards and fed it back to my defenseman. My focus was so sharp after that, and my adrenaline was pumping. I told a friend who was there that the team would have to wing a few at my head in warmups. He scolded me and said "You don't have to be Henrik all the time"... alluding to a story I'd told him a while back about Henrik Lundqvist and his twin brother Joel.

I wish I could remember where I read it, because I'd give the site or magazine due credit. But I remember reading an interview with Joel where he said he always thought his brother played better when he was angry. And Joel knew Henrik just hated to be hit in the mask with the puck... so in typical brother fashion, when warming up before games (back in Sweden when they were on the same team), Joel would purposely fire a puck at his head to get him riled up. Awww, brotherly love, hockey style.