Long Island
With another mapquest clutched tightly in our hands, it was off to Long Island. Up and down and around the one way streets in Manhattan, and we made our way across to Long Island via the Queens-Midtown Tunnel. The directions were easy to follow (much better than the GPS) and we were at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum before we knew it. It was a 12:00 noon game and there were a large number of kids in attendance. It was Martin Luther King Day which is a National Holiday and the children had a school holiday. The upper bowl was jammed full and there were only a few empty seats left in the lower bowl. The Nassau Coliseum is the second oldest facility in the NHL and although it is showing its age, it has lots of character and I really liked the "feel" of it. The concourse level is at ground level with the parking lot and you can look outside through tall windows as you walk around. The seats have seen better days, but were made of material (in most sections) and were very comfortable. There weren't the number of luxury boxes that you see in the newer facilities, it was a blue collar crowd in a blue collar facility. The crowd was loud, boisterous, and enjoying every minute of the game. It was also the first arena that we have been to that didn't have a large stand alone team gear store. There were kiosks all around the concourse and each one had a little different offering of team merchandise. And lottery tickets. It was also the first time I saw lottery tickets for sale at the team gear locations. The Islanders didn't come out on top of this one and Tampa Bay left with the two points. Graham did a few media interviews during the intermissions and after the game we went downstairs to meet a couple of the players. While waiting, we met the owner Mr. Wang, the GM Garth Snow, and the coach Ted Nolan. All very nice men. They all chatted and visited with us for a bit. Jason Blake came out and signed our poster for the Islander's team player and Alexi Yashin then came out and signed the captain's poster. They both were still in their underwear but took the time to chat and offered their assistance for anything we needed. They both were very nice. I'm always amazed how gracious and kind a hockey player can be standing in his underwear out in the hallway after a hockey game, talking to complete strangers, and sweating like crazy. They are truly one of a kind. I think their mother's taught them all good manners! We also had the pleasure to visit with Chris Campoli after the game. Chris was the first recipient of the Dan Snyder Humanitarian Award for the OHL (the Ontario Hockey League). The OHL Board of Governors renamed the award in Dan's honour and we were present to award it for the first time to Chris. A player's name is submitted from each team in the league and then there is a vote to decide who will receive the award at the annual awards presentation at the Hockey Hall of Fame in June. As many people know, Dan worked hard in every community he called home for a number of different causes. It was very important to him and our family was very touched and honoured when the OHL renamed the humanitarian award in his name
This is stop number 21 and our win record now stands at 13 and 8. We are also whittling down the list. We have nine more stops to make. It's another quick trip in the morning over to New Jersey to see the Devils in the evening.
Graham's Game Report
Jan 15, 2007
Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. New York Islanders
These two teams went into today's game tied for the last playoff spot in the conference and the contest reflected that closeness. Both teams had their opportunities but the Lightning came out on top 4-3 despite being outshot by a 36-24 margin. The Isles struck first when captain Alexi Yashin batted home a rebound on the powerplay. The Bolts bounced back with the next three goals to take a 3-1 margin into the third period. The Isles pushed hard in the third but couldn't get the equalizer despite outshooting the opposition 16-5. The well traveled veteran Mike Sillinger had a pair of assists in the third on goals by Victor Kozlov and Trent Hunter and the Isles pressed valiantly for the equalizer with the goalie out but couldn't send the game to extra time.
It was interesting to see the championship banners from those powerful Islander teams of the past and hopefully they will be able to recapture some of that pride after some tough years. They look like they could be turning the corner this season with some good young players and a solid work ethic.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
New York
New York
We left Boston after the game and drove as far Mystic Connecticut. In the morning we made our way to the Ranger's practice facility in Tarrytown. And what a practice facility. We were given a tour of the building by Miles and then watched the practice. The Rangers share the facility with the NBA New York Knicks and the Ladies Professional Basketball League New York Liberty. There is a large arena and then two regulation practice basketball courts side by side. In the middle are their offices and a large cafeteria used by the players from all the teams. We were treated to a delicious lunch and afterwards met Jaromir Jagr and Brendan Shanahan who visited with us for a bit and then both graciously signed our posters. With a mapquest sheet in our hands, we made our way to New York via the Henry Hudson Parkway. We were booked at a hotel directly across from Madison Square Garden which was convenient for walking to the game the next day. That evening we walked down to the Time Square area for a brief look. The Rangers had an afternoon game on Saturday. I had never been to New York and it was a thrill to walk in and finally see MSG. There was a good crowd for an afternoon game and they were boisterous. Graham was hoping for an obnoxious New York fan to be sitting in the vicinity of our seats and I was fortunate to have him sitting behind me. Free entertainment. MSG was also the place where Dan scored his first NHL goal. The Thrashers had the puck and a copy of the game sheet framed for him. It is now a treasured keepsake for our family. After the game we once again walked to Time Square. It was a beehive of activity. Lots and lots of people were bustling around shopping at the many stores that were open late. Everywhere there were lights and huge billboards and eateries. We had a late supper at a diner in Time Square and made our way back to the hotel. On Sunday we did a New York Mesa Grill run. Graham is a huge fan of Bobby Flay and we had a meal at his restaurant in Las Vegas last year. We booked a reservation at his restaurant in New York for brunch and once again weren't disappointed in our meals. I had the most amazing blue corn waffle with blackberry syrup and blackberries served on top. It was yummy and light. My sister Susan, and her son Scott and his girlfriend Karen were in town the same time as us, so we met up with them and did a little more touring later in the afternoon. We went through Macy's and a bunch of other stores and then went to the Empire State Building. It was up and up and up. We were informed (several times) that there was little to no visibility on the observation deck, but we went up anyway. The observation area is on the 86th floor of the building and I was just as glad that the visibility wasn't going to be that great at that height. It really wasn't too bad when we got outside though. There was a good night view and the lights all over the city were beautiful. We could see MSG, Macy's, Time Square, the skaters at the Rockefeller Center and lots and lots of lights. One more night in Manhattan and it would be off to Long Island to see the Islanders. The Rangers increased our home team win record to 13-7 against the Bruins. This is hockey stop number 20. Ten more stops to go.
Graham's Game Report
Jan 13, 2007
Madison Square Gardens
Boston Bruins vs. New York Rangers
It was my first trip to the home of so many great sporting events over the years. It was interesting to see the old boxing pictures and posters from years gone by as well as some original six pictures with these two old rivals facing off. The Rangers were much the stronger team today, outshooting the Bruins by a wide margin. It wasn't until late in the game however before they secured the win on Jed Ortmeyer's first goal of the season on of all things a penalty shot. He looked like he knew what he was doing as he deked Thomas and slid the puck calmly inside the post for a 3-1 lead. Michael Nylander gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead halfway through the first but Savard responded less than a minute later to knot the score. Martin Straka regained the Ranger lead putting home a rebound at 5:52 of the second period and that was all the scoring for this Saturday afternoon until the Big O excited the crowd with his nifty moves. These two teams look to be battling along with half a dozen other teams for a spot in he top eight of this tight Eastern Conference.
We left Boston after the game and drove as far Mystic Connecticut. In the morning we made our way to the Ranger's practice facility in Tarrytown. And what a practice facility. We were given a tour of the building by Miles and then watched the practice. The Rangers share the facility with the NBA New York Knicks and the Ladies Professional Basketball League New York Liberty. There is a large arena and then two regulation practice basketball courts side by side. In the middle are their offices and a large cafeteria used by the players from all the teams. We were treated to a delicious lunch and afterwards met Jaromir Jagr and Brendan Shanahan who visited with us for a bit and then both graciously signed our posters. With a mapquest sheet in our hands, we made our way to New York via the Henry Hudson Parkway. We were booked at a hotel directly across from Madison Square Garden which was convenient for walking to the game the next day. That evening we walked down to the Time Square area for a brief look. The Rangers had an afternoon game on Saturday. I had never been to New York and it was a thrill to walk in and finally see MSG. There was a good crowd for an afternoon game and they were boisterous. Graham was hoping for an obnoxious New York fan to be sitting in the vicinity of our seats and I was fortunate to have him sitting behind me. Free entertainment. MSG was also the place where Dan scored his first NHL goal. The Thrashers had the puck and a copy of the game sheet framed for him. It is now a treasured keepsake for our family. After the game we once again walked to Time Square. It was a beehive of activity. Lots and lots of people were bustling around shopping at the many stores that were open late. Everywhere there were lights and huge billboards and eateries. We had a late supper at a diner in Time Square and made our way back to the hotel. On Sunday we did a New York Mesa Grill run. Graham is a huge fan of Bobby Flay and we had a meal at his restaurant in Las Vegas last year. We booked a reservation at his restaurant in New York for brunch and once again weren't disappointed in our meals. I had the most amazing blue corn waffle with blackberry syrup and blackberries served on top. It was yummy and light. My sister Susan, and her son Scott and his girlfriend Karen were in town the same time as us, so we met up with them and did a little more touring later in the afternoon. We went through Macy's and a bunch of other stores and then went to the Empire State Building. It was up and up and up. We were informed (several times) that there was little to no visibility on the observation deck, but we went up anyway. The observation area is on the 86th floor of the building and I was just as glad that the visibility wasn't going to be that great at that height. It really wasn't too bad when we got outside though. There was a good night view and the lights all over the city were beautiful. We could see MSG, Macy's, Time Square, the skaters at the Rockefeller Center and lots and lots of lights. One more night in Manhattan and it would be off to Long Island to see the Islanders. The Rangers increased our home team win record to 13-7 against the Bruins. This is hockey stop number 20. Ten more stops to go.
Graham's Game Report
Jan 13, 2007
Madison Square Gardens
Boston Bruins vs. New York Rangers
It was my first trip to the home of so many great sporting events over the years. It was interesting to see the old boxing pictures and posters from years gone by as well as some original six pictures with these two old rivals facing off. The Rangers were much the stronger team today, outshooting the Bruins by a wide margin. It wasn't until late in the game however before they secured the win on Jed Ortmeyer's first goal of the season on of all things a penalty shot. He looked like he knew what he was doing as he deked Thomas and slid the puck calmly inside the post for a 3-1 lead. Michael Nylander gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead halfway through the first but Savard responded less than a minute later to knot the score. Martin Straka regained the Ranger lead putting home a rebound at 5:52 of the second period and that was all the scoring for this Saturday afternoon until the Big O excited the crowd with his nifty moves. These two teams look to be battling along with half a dozen other teams for a spot in he top eight of this tight Eastern Conference.
Boston
Boston
Well, it was up and at 'em early this morning. And it was a good thing too. Winter decided to make an appearance overnight in Burlington Vermont. It snowed quite heavily during the night and the conditions were blizzard-like. We had encountered some snow and ice in southern Oklahoma back in December, but this was our first taste of "real" winter in our travels so far. The snow was coming down very hard and was real wet and heavy. As fast as I could clean off the car, it was covered again. We wanted to be in the Boston area by mid morning, so we got moving as soon as we got up. I once again can't comment much on the surrounding scenery, since visibility wasn't the best. And not because it was dark, it was snowing pretty hard. Travellers on the highway were driving with caution and the plows and sanders were out in full force. As we moved along through Vermont, the snow started to fall more slowly and soon it wasn't snowing at all. As we neared the border of New Hampshire it had stopped snowing altogether and the sun was shining and the sky was bluer than blue. Go figure. One of the things I have enjoyed while travelling in all the different States, is the many unusual signs along the roadside. While driving through the snow in Vermont, it was disconcerting to see signs that said - Moose crossing for the next 15 miles. There were also the usual deer crossing signs and then one very different one. It was the first time I saw a sign that said Bear crossing. I was really hoping that we didn't see a moose, deer, or a bear crossing the road in that blizzard. As we drove closer to the New Hampshire border, there was a sign for the next rest stop. Then a sign that said you could buy your liquor at the State Liquor Store - at the rest stop. An unusual spot indeed to be selling booze. My all time favourite though is the one I saw near Baton Rouge that said - no swimming or crossing this canal, alligator infested waters! No further instruction needed. Anyway, we did arrive at the Bruin's practice facility just north of Boston and on time. Graham attended the practice and their public relations director, Kerry made sure our posters got signed and made all the arrangements for us for the game the next day. We left the practice facility and made our way to Marblehead by way of Salem. I wish we had more time to explore. I would have liked to tour around Salem. Buildings in the area date back to the early 1600's and people are still living in them. Now that is an old house. We were staying with the McEachern family for the night (in a newer house). Sean was the captain of the Thrashers when Dan was there and was a big part of guiding the team through a very difficult time. His wife Andrea and the kids Allie, Maddie, and Mike made us feel welcome and then after supper out settled us in their guest room. The next day, we drove into the city and found the TD Bank Gardens. The arena was right near the water nestled in the heart of downtown. We did a small tour in the afternoon and saw the site where Paul Revere started out on his midnight ride many, many years ago at what is now Charleston Square. The foundation of the original house at that location is still nestled in the ground in the middle of the square. Paul Revere started his famous midnight ride on April 18, 1775. Then we drove over to Fenway Park to check out the team store. Graham had misplaced his Carl Yazstremski t-shirt and wanted to replace it. As luck would have it, they had the "Yaz" t-shirts in stock and Graham was a happy camper. Back to the rink, we enjoyed a delicious supper at the Legends Restaurant. The local fresh cod fish and chips were very tasty. A very nice surprise was in store at the beginning of the game. Marc Savard had been named the NHL player of the week recently and the Bruins organization gives a $1,000.00 donation to the charity of the winning player's choice. Marc asked that the donation go to the Dan Snyder Memorial Foundation. We were presented with a cheque by Dan Zimmer, VP of Business Operations and Marc before the game started in a small ceremony on the ice. We were very grateful to the Bruins and of course to Marc Savard for their generous donation. The hockey community continues to support us in so many ways. We are truly grateful. The Bruins couldn't pull out a win and were defeated in the shootout. Our record now moves to 12-7 This is stop number 19. A mere 11 more to go.
Graham's Game Report
Jan 11, 2007
TD Banknorth Garden
New York Islanders vs. Boston Bruins
Three times the Bruins grabbed the lead tonight only to have the Isles come back and even things up. Eventually New York prevailed on the fourth round of the shootout. The first period was all Boston as they dominated play and opened up a 2-0 lead on goals by Patrice Bergeron and Marc Savard. It was 2-1 after two periods and early in the 3rd the Isles scored to tie the game. A couple of defencemen, Chara and Mara, gave the B's leads in the third but both times the Isles responded to knot the game with the final blow coming with under two minutes remaining in regulation time. Boston outshot the Isles 9-1 in overtime but could not put one by DiPietro. The best chance fell to Glen Murray who had the tender down and out but somehow couldn't find the strength to lift the puck over his outstretched stick. Toivonen was spectacular in the first two periods for Boston but faltered down the stretched and I'm sure he'd love to have the final goal back as it just trickled between his pads and across the goal line. Marc Savard was the first star on the night with a goal and two helpers as he seems to be responding well to the pressures of being the offensive leader in Beantown. The Bruins look close to becoming a contender again but need to really tighten up the defensive game if they are to gain the playoffs in a very tight Eastern Conference. It was good to catch up with Dan's former teamates Savard and Shean Donovan (Thrashers) and Wayne Primeau ( Owen Sound) at the practice on Wednesday. Their generosity was very much appreciated.
Well, it was up and at 'em early this morning. And it was a good thing too. Winter decided to make an appearance overnight in Burlington Vermont. It snowed quite heavily during the night and the conditions were blizzard-like. We had encountered some snow and ice in southern Oklahoma back in December, but this was our first taste of "real" winter in our travels so far. The snow was coming down very hard and was real wet and heavy. As fast as I could clean off the car, it was covered again. We wanted to be in the Boston area by mid morning, so we got moving as soon as we got up. I once again can't comment much on the surrounding scenery, since visibility wasn't the best. And not because it was dark, it was snowing pretty hard. Travellers on the highway were driving with caution and the plows and sanders were out in full force. As we moved along through Vermont, the snow started to fall more slowly and soon it wasn't snowing at all. As we neared the border of New Hampshire it had stopped snowing altogether and the sun was shining and the sky was bluer than blue. Go figure. One of the things I have enjoyed while travelling in all the different States, is the many unusual signs along the roadside. While driving through the snow in Vermont, it was disconcerting to see signs that said - Moose crossing for the next 15 miles. There were also the usual deer crossing signs and then one very different one. It was the first time I saw a sign that said Bear crossing. I was really hoping that we didn't see a moose, deer, or a bear crossing the road in that blizzard. As we drove closer to the New Hampshire border, there was a sign for the next rest stop. Then a sign that said you could buy your liquor at the State Liquor Store - at the rest stop. An unusual spot indeed to be selling booze. My all time favourite though is the one I saw near Baton Rouge that said - no swimming or crossing this canal, alligator infested waters! No further instruction needed. Anyway, we did arrive at the Bruin's practice facility just north of Boston and on time. Graham attended the practice and their public relations director, Kerry made sure our posters got signed and made all the arrangements for us for the game the next day. We left the practice facility and made our way to Marblehead by way of Salem. I wish we had more time to explore. I would have liked to tour around Salem. Buildings in the area date back to the early 1600's and people are still living in them. Now that is an old house. We were staying with the McEachern family for the night (in a newer house). Sean was the captain of the Thrashers when Dan was there and was a big part of guiding the team through a very difficult time. His wife Andrea and the kids Allie, Maddie, and Mike made us feel welcome and then after supper out settled us in their guest room. The next day, we drove into the city and found the TD Bank Gardens. The arena was right near the water nestled in the heart of downtown. We did a small tour in the afternoon and saw the site where Paul Revere started out on his midnight ride many, many years ago at what is now Charleston Square. The foundation of the original house at that location is still nestled in the ground in the middle of the square. Paul Revere started his famous midnight ride on April 18, 1775. Then we drove over to Fenway Park to check out the team store. Graham had misplaced his Carl Yazstremski t-shirt and wanted to replace it. As luck would have it, they had the "Yaz" t-shirts in stock and Graham was a happy camper. Back to the rink, we enjoyed a delicious supper at the Legends Restaurant. The local fresh cod fish and chips were very tasty. A very nice surprise was in store at the beginning of the game. Marc Savard had been named the NHL player of the week recently and the Bruins organization gives a $1,000.00 donation to the charity of the winning player's choice. Marc asked that the donation go to the Dan Snyder Memorial Foundation. We were presented with a cheque by Dan Zimmer, VP of Business Operations and Marc before the game started in a small ceremony on the ice. We were very grateful to the Bruins and of course to Marc Savard for their generous donation. The hockey community continues to support us in so many ways. We are truly grateful. The Bruins couldn't pull out a win and were defeated in the shootout. Our record now moves to 12-7 This is stop number 19. A mere 11 more to go.
Graham's Game Report
Jan 11, 2007
TD Banknorth Garden
New York Islanders vs. Boston Bruins
Three times the Bruins grabbed the lead tonight only to have the Isles come back and even things up. Eventually New York prevailed on the fourth round of the shootout. The first period was all Boston as they dominated play and opened up a 2-0 lead on goals by Patrice Bergeron and Marc Savard. It was 2-1 after two periods and early in the 3rd the Isles scored to tie the game. A couple of defencemen, Chara and Mara, gave the B's leads in the third but both times the Isles responded to knot the game with the final blow coming with under two minutes remaining in regulation time. Boston outshot the Isles 9-1 in overtime but could not put one by DiPietro. The best chance fell to Glen Murray who had the tender down and out but somehow couldn't find the strength to lift the puck over his outstretched stick. Toivonen was spectacular in the first two periods for Boston but faltered down the stretched and I'm sure he'd love to have the final goal back as it just trickled between his pads and across the goal line. Marc Savard was the first star on the night with a goal and two helpers as he seems to be responding well to the pressures of being the offensive leader in Beantown. The Bruins look close to becoming a contender again but need to really tighten up the defensive game if they are to gain the playoffs in a very tight Eastern Conference. It was good to catch up with Dan's former teamates Savard and Shean Donovan (Thrashers) and Wayne Primeau ( Owen Sound) at the practice on Wednesday. Their generosity was very much appreciated.
Montreal
Montreal
Well, the pace is fast and furious and we are now in Montreal. There wasn't much to see on the way here, because we drove straight from the afternoon game in Ottawa, and it was dark by the time we left. After a few turns in the wrong direction, we finally found our way downtown and secured a hotel room for the night. We were three blocks from the Bell Centre where the Habs play. I had been to the old Forum years ago, but this is my first time to see the new arena. Sunday was a long day and it was late, so it was nice to crawl into bed. Monday was a catch up day. Catch up with reading, paperwork, and computer work. We didn't venture too far from the hotel room. Graham isn't feeling well today. Must have picked up the flu the Canadiens have going through their team. On Tuesday, Graham attended the game day skate and visited with a number of players. Saku Koivu and Sergei Samsonov graciously signed our two posters. They are filling up with signatures and hopefully should be a collectors item for someone. We then made our way (slowly - the highways are terrible in Montreal) to visit Don Liesemer with Hockey Ministries. Running of the office is a family affair with his son, daughter and wife helping out. Hockey Ministries runs hockey camps all over for approximately 1600 boys and girls during the course of a year. It was good to visit again with Don and meet some of his family. He spoke at Dan's funeral and we haven't had a chance to see him since then. After finding our way back to the Bell Centre (once again, it was slow - the roads were still terrible to navigate) Graham went in to do some media stuff and I did some typing on the laptop. We had some supper and then it was back into the rink to watch the game. The Canadiens organization has preserved some of the glorious history of their team in many of the displays and pictures around the arena. It was fun to walk around and view everything. The Habs were playing the Thrashers and it was hard to decide which team to cheer for. We've never had any Habs fans at our house and the Thrashers are of course always near and dear to our hearts. But, we have cheered for the home team at each stop, so we had to stick with the plan and cheer for the Habs. Graham even bought (gaaaasp) a Montreal t-shirt. It has a number 4 and Belliveau's name on the back, so that made it OK for him. Montreal came out on top over the Thrashers and brought our record to 12 wins and 6 losses when we are there. This is also our 18th stop giving us 12 more to go. We left about an hour after the game and drove for the border. After crossing into Vermont, we drove to the town of Burlington and stopped for the night. It will be up early in the morning and on to Boston.
Graham's Game Report
Jan 9, 2007
Bell Centre
Atlanta Thrashers vs. Montreal Canadiens
I have always enjoyed taking in a game in Montreal even though I have not been (ahem!) a big Habs fans. The atmosphere is always exciting and tonight was no exception. The Habs have been slowed by a flu bug the last few games and tonight they fell behind 2-0 to the Thrashers despite an overall edge in play. They scored late in the second to cut the lead to 2-1 and came out firing in the third for a 4-2 victory in this important conference game. Michael Ryder was the scoring hero tallying the winning and insurance markers for the home side. The Thrashers battled hard late in the game to come back but had zero luck around the net despite some outstanding opportunities. The home side were deserving winners tonight and showed how important perseverance and teamwork is. Thanks to our gracious hosts we were able to check out some behind the scenes areas of the new arena which has done a fine job of preserving the rich history of Les Canadiens. You can check out my picture in front of the wall depicting all of the Habs Stanley Cup triumphs. Yahoo!
Well, the pace is fast and furious and we are now in Montreal. There wasn't much to see on the way here, because we drove straight from the afternoon game in Ottawa, and it was dark by the time we left. After a few turns in the wrong direction, we finally found our way downtown and secured a hotel room for the night. We were three blocks from the Bell Centre where the Habs play. I had been to the old Forum years ago, but this is my first time to see the new arena. Sunday was a long day and it was late, so it was nice to crawl into bed. Monday was a catch up day. Catch up with reading, paperwork, and computer work. We didn't venture too far from the hotel room. Graham isn't feeling well today. Must have picked up the flu the Canadiens have going through their team. On Tuesday, Graham attended the game day skate and visited with a number of players. Saku Koivu and Sergei Samsonov graciously signed our two posters. They are filling up with signatures and hopefully should be a collectors item for someone. We then made our way (slowly - the highways are terrible in Montreal) to visit Don Liesemer with Hockey Ministries. Running of the office is a family affair with his son, daughter and wife helping out. Hockey Ministries runs hockey camps all over for approximately 1600 boys and girls during the course of a year. It was good to visit again with Don and meet some of his family. He spoke at Dan's funeral and we haven't had a chance to see him since then. After finding our way back to the Bell Centre (once again, it was slow - the roads were still terrible to navigate) Graham went in to do some media stuff and I did some typing on the laptop. We had some supper and then it was back into the rink to watch the game. The Canadiens organization has preserved some of the glorious history of their team in many of the displays and pictures around the arena. It was fun to walk around and view everything. The Habs were playing the Thrashers and it was hard to decide which team to cheer for. We've never had any Habs fans at our house and the Thrashers are of course always near and dear to our hearts. But, we have cheered for the home team at each stop, so we had to stick with the plan and cheer for the Habs. Graham even bought (gaaaasp) a Montreal t-shirt. It has a number 4 and Belliveau's name on the back, so that made it OK for him. Montreal came out on top over the Thrashers and brought our record to 12 wins and 6 losses when we are there. This is also our 18th stop giving us 12 more to go. We left about an hour after the game and drove for the border. After crossing into Vermont, we drove to the town of Burlington and stopped for the night. It will be up early in the morning and on to Boston.
Graham's Game Report
Jan 9, 2007
Bell Centre
Atlanta Thrashers vs. Montreal Canadiens
I have always enjoyed taking in a game in Montreal even though I have not been (ahem!) a big Habs fans. The atmosphere is always exciting and tonight was no exception. The Habs have been slowed by a flu bug the last few games and tonight they fell behind 2-0 to the Thrashers despite an overall edge in play. They scored late in the second to cut the lead to 2-1 and came out firing in the third for a 4-2 victory in this important conference game. Michael Ryder was the scoring hero tallying the winning and insurance markers for the home side. The Thrashers battled hard late in the game to come back but had zero luck around the net despite some outstanding opportunities. The home side were deserving winners tonight and showed how important perseverance and teamwork is. Thanks to our gracious hosts we were able to check out some behind the scenes areas of the new arena which has done a fine job of preserving the rich history of Les Canadiens. You can check out my picture in front of the wall depicting all of the Habs Stanley Cup triumphs. Yahoo!
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Ottawa
Ottawa
After crossing the border yet again to get back to Canada, we had a good night's rest at the Comfort Inn. It was a long day in Buffalo. We were lazy and slept in a bit and drove towards Toronto for a quick meeting at lunchtime and then made our way on to Ottawa. The drive through the Spadina area and up through Chinatown was actually quite interesting on a Saturday morning. Everyone was out shopping at the local produce stands that spilled out onto the streets from the front of their shops. It was a dull cloudy day and all the fruits and vegetables were so colourful and bright. The quick meeting wasn't quick, but that was OK. We arrived finally in Ottawa at 8:00PM and settled in our hotel that the team had booked for us right near the arena. It is quite a change from staying in the RV at campsites. We usually payed on an average of 20-30 dollars per night's stay. And we stayed at some really nice places for that price. For some reason, the hotels charge more than that. Go figure. We were of course looking forward to visiting with Dany sometime during our stop in Ottawa. As is usual, we played telephone tag with him all week, but finally decided that we could meet after the game on Sunday afternoon. We had also arranged to visit some our fellow fans from the paralympic games in Torino, Italy. We attended the games in February of 2006 to watch the Canadian National Men's Sledge Hockey Team. Graham's brother Jeff is the head coach and it was a huge thrill to be at all the games, but especially for the gold medal game which the guys won. Todd Nicholson was the captain of the team and we were meeting with him and his very enthusiastic family members for breakfast on Sunday morning. Well, morning arrived and we were off to breakfast. There was a smaller representation of the Nicholson clan. There were only eight of them. A small group by their standards I'm sure. Mom, Carol and Dad Stuart were along though and it was good to catch up and visit with everyone present. Talked of course veered to the Vancouver games and were we all going to be there for the team to defend their gold medal. We said our good-byes to the Nicholsons and made our way over to the Scotiabank Center. I had only been there once before when it was the Corel Center. A few of us family members drove through a terrible snow storm to watch Dan play with the Thrashers. Dan seemed to have this knack of sitting in the penalty box for most of the game, or getting kicked out of the game when we would travel a long distance to see him play. That particular time was no different. He got kicked out of the game at the beginning of the second period. He managed to find out where our seats were though and we got to sit and visit with him for the rest of the game. He was very contrite and apologetic. Sorry mom, I can't believe that happened again, he said. Oh well, what can you do. I was just happy to see him. Ottawa made a rout of the game and defeated the Flyers soundly. Dany had two goal and an assist and had a good game. We were happy to see him after the game and enjoyed a nice long visit with him and Sara. No media, no fans hovering around, just the four of us. This is stop number 17 and our record for the home team now stands at 11 and 6. On to Montreal.
Graham's Game Report
Jan 7, 2007
ScotiaBank Place
Philadelphia Flyers vs. Ottawa Senators
We saw the Flyers for the third time on the road this trip and unlike the previous two upsets in California this one was an easy 6-1 rout for the home side. The Flyers stayed in the game for most of the first period but the Sens had their own way the rest of the day. Dany Heatley and Daniel Alfredsson led the scoring parade and Martin Gerber recorded his first win at home this season for the Sens. Ottawa looks like they are back on track after a shaky start this year and are slowly climbing back towards the top of the standings in the Eastern Conference. We had a chance to chat with Dany Heatley after the game and hardly recognized the smile with the new front tooth. I'm sure we'll see the Senators back in the playoffs this season.
After crossing the border yet again to get back to Canada, we had a good night's rest at the Comfort Inn. It was a long day in Buffalo. We were lazy and slept in a bit and drove towards Toronto for a quick meeting at lunchtime and then made our way on to Ottawa. The drive through the Spadina area and up through Chinatown was actually quite interesting on a Saturday morning. Everyone was out shopping at the local produce stands that spilled out onto the streets from the front of their shops. It was a dull cloudy day and all the fruits and vegetables were so colourful and bright. The quick meeting wasn't quick, but that was OK. We arrived finally in Ottawa at 8:00PM and settled in our hotel that the team had booked for us right near the arena. It is quite a change from staying in the RV at campsites. We usually payed on an average of 20-30 dollars per night's stay. And we stayed at some really nice places for that price. For some reason, the hotels charge more than that. Go figure. We were of course looking forward to visiting with Dany sometime during our stop in Ottawa. As is usual, we played telephone tag with him all week, but finally decided that we could meet after the game on Sunday afternoon. We had also arranged to visit some our fellow fans from the paralympic games in Torino, Italy. We attended the games in February of 2006 to watch the Canadian National Men's Sledge Hockey Team. Graham's brother Jeff is the head coach and it was a huge thrill to be at all the games, but especially for the gold medal game which the guys won. Todd Nicholson was the captain of the team and we were meeting with him and his very enthusiastic family members for breakfast on Sunday morning. Well, morning arrived and we were off to breakfast. There was a smaller representation of the Nicholson clan. There were only eight of them. A small group by their standards I'm sure. Mom, Carol and Dad Stuart were along though and it was good to catch up and visit with everyone present. Talked of course veered to the Vancouver games and were we all going to be there for the team to defend their gold medal. We said our good-byes to the Nicholsons and made our way over to the Scotiabank Center. I had only been there once before when it was the Corel Center. A few of us family members drove through a terrible snow storm to watch Dan play with the Thrashers. Dan seemed to have this knack of sitting in the penalty box for most of the game, or getting kicked out of the game when we would travel a long distance to see him play. That particular time was no different. He got kicked out of the game at the beginning of the second period. He managed to find out where our seats were though and we got to sit and visit with him for the rest of the game. He was very contrite and apologetic. Sorry mom, I can't believe that happened again, he said. Oh well, what can you do. I was just happy to see him. Ottawa made a rout of the game and defeated the Flyers soundly. Dany had two goal and an assist and had a good game. We were happy to see him after the game and enjoyed a nice long visit with him and Sara. No media, no fans hovering around, just the four of us. This is stop number 17 and our record for the home team now stands at 11 and 6. On to Montreal.
Graham's Game Report
Jan 7, 2007
ScotiaBank Place
Philadelphia Flyers vs. Ottawa Senators
We saw the Flyers for the third time on the road this trip and unlike the previous two upsets in California this one was an easy 6-1 rout for the home side. The Flyers stayed in the game for most of the first period but the Sens had their own way the rest of the day. Dany Heatley and Daniel Alfredsson led the scoring parade and Martin Gerber recorded his first win at home this season for the Sens. Ottawa looks like they are back on track after a shaky start this year and are slowly climbing back towards the top of the standings in the Eastern Conference. We had a chance to chat with Dany Heatley after the game and hardly recognized the smile with the new front tooth. I'm sure we'll see the Senators back in the playoffs this season.
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