The Hockey Life: Week 26

Just when I think the 2010-11 hockey-hounding campaign is coming to an end, the Tampa Bay Lightning shakes off the goal-scoring cobwebs Saturday and lights up the Pittsburgh Penguins to force a Game 6 back here in Hockey Bay.

At the least, it means another opportunity, schedule permitting, to have Gilles Meloche sign a pair of pucks. I missed him by five minutes last Wednesday morning.

Getting caught up in the spirit of the playoffs, I couldn't help myself from commenting on Saturday's game on Facebook. Among them:

~ Shhhh! Listen. It's Pittsburgh.

~ Scoring a power play goal is the best way to deter dumb penalties. Except, of course, if you're Kris Letang. Bolts 8-2.

~ Uh-oh. The Pens care coming back. The multitalented Michael Rupp scores from his butt. You gotta like players who don't give up.

~ I love the grumpy look on the blonde's face behind the Penguins bench. I've yet to see her smile all game long. She must be thinking "I paid how much for this?"

~ Lightning 5, Penguins 0. Steven Stamkos wakes up with his second goal. The rout is on. Let's go Bolts!

~ The Consol Center's lacking a little energy right now, isn't it?

Now, I don't have anything against Pittsburgh folks. I work with a few people from there. There's even a soft spot in my heart for the Pirates. It was just good to see the Lightning, a team that we've followed over our five-plus years here, respond to a challenge.

The next big test comes Monday, when we'll see if the Lightning can maintain the momentum and force a Game 7 back in Pittsburgh. If not, I'll man up and take any heat that comes my way.

What would you do?

Colin turns 10 Thursday, making it his first double-digit birthday, which, for that reason alone, makes it a pretty big deal. Though he'll get to open his birthday presents and head out to Cody's Roadhouse for his meal, we're waiting a week or so for his party.

The problem, however, is that he has a practice that night with the Pinellas P.A.L. Stars, his recreational league team. The Stars don't have any games left, but the rink owes them one more hour of ice time -- hence, the practice.

Compounding the situation, he has a two-hour travel-team practice Monday, a 90-minute skating session with me Wednesday before another hourlong travel-team practice at another rink and two travel-team games on Saturday. That's a pretty busy week, if you ask me, even without the birthday factored in.

I'm thinking, given everything else that's going on, there's no need for him to take part in the P.A.L. practice. He says he wants to attend the practice, as it's likely the last time he'll be a part of that team, one that he's served as an alternate captain this season. That appeals to the hockey dad in me. As a parent, though, I'm not so sure.

Quote of the week

"Hey, when's the last time the Sabres won a Stanley Cup?"
Colin, to me, after giving him some ribbing about the Boston Bruins falling behind early in their series against the Montreal Canadiens.