Finally I have a good start to the season! It's been a long time, but I need to remember not to get to full of myself. As I may have said earlier, at the start of this season, I started with 395 career goals. Now, I never guarantee myself anything as I have had a few off seasons, but I knew within the next 2 seasons I would hit that mark. Well 3 games in and I've already hit the 400 mark!!!
Game # 1
Here we go, start of the season, all fans in attendance as it was a Thursday game. I start on the 2nd line. When I got out there the score was 0-0. This was great as I would get a good chance to score the first goal of the season. I get a nice break after stealing the puck in the offensive zone. I take the first shot and it hits the goalie. Shot #2 on the rebound a backhand....and...it hits the goalie. Look what I found, rebound # 3 a backhand right over the goalie's shoulder. Yet another season where I started off the scoring. Period 2 rolls around and I was sitting there with 1 goal. The puck was sent to me in the corner. We were playing exceptional defense that day and we were holding the points. I switched spots with our Left Defensemen. Came down the middle, and a slapper. Top Shelf! Career Goal # 397! Shortly after, we won the faceoff and got the same set up going again. A pass from me off the boards to the left D, who passes it to the right D. By this time I was in front of the net screening the goalie. A shot by the right D and Assist #1 of the season for me.
Game #1 Final 8-3. Points for me 2 Goals and 1 assist
Game #2:
I've had a problem the past season breaking 3 sticks in games. I have never done that before now. We start the game out and I do my usual slap shot taking. I shot one that was tipped and it almost went into the street. It landed on the side walk. So I start to get a little cocky with my hard shot. The next chance I get I rip a shot of that went wide. I go in the corner to get the puck and I hear the sound of a broken stick. Keep in mind this is the shaft that I won in the raffle at closing ceremonies last season. So I dropped the stick in the corner and looked up in disbelief. I went to the bench and after the whistle one of my teammates goes to pick it up thinking that the blade was broken, which is what I suspected. He picks it up by the top and the bottom falls off. There goes my $ 50 shaft right in half. I need to stop shooting softer...........well maybe not. So I get my backup stick and we planned to do a corner celebration, which is what they do in the NHL every time they score, if I scored. So....I scored and peeled off. We did the corner celebration! All I got was a ton of sticks in my face.
Game #2 Final 6-3 W My point totals Goals:1 Assists: 0. My point totals for the season Goals: 3 Assists:1. So I was starting to feel selfish. Career goals for me was at 298.
Game #3
I haven't had a penalty in 4 years. That's 11 seasons. So I was bragging about it before the game. My first shift I cruised into the offensive zone and...look what I found! A puck right there in the slot with no one around. I know what I'll do, I'll take a slap shot...whiffffff. I tipped the top of the puck and it hit the goalie in the stick. The play goes the other way and I go back on the backcheck. I lift the stick of the attacking forward. He turns and I end up pulling his arm back. I knew it would be a penalty, so I turn around and sure enough, there's the ref with his arm up. #14 2 minutes for hooking. Come on, if I would've known I was going to take a penalty I would have made it boarding or roughing, something that's worth the two minutes. I'm not suggesting that the penalty was un-merited, but I wish I would've known. So I do my hard time in the box. I came back out very frustrated after that last play. So look what I found again! The puck...I know, I'll take a slap shot (I guess you know where this is going and if you don't read above when I took my last slapshot again). The puck goes behind the net and I was able to take the puck off of the guy's stick. I come around and zing, top shelf. Career goal #399!!!. By now I was starting to feel selfish so I started telling my teammates. I was at 4 goals and 1 assist on the season. Here comes my team mate down the side. The defenseman was way out of position. He winds up... and right on his tape comes the pass for zinger #2. I was at 1 goal and 1 assist for the game. Period 2 comes around and I get to start on the bench. My 1st shift back out there I stole the puck in the corner. Stick handled around 3 guys on there team. Came in on the goalie acted like I was going to go one way and back handed it on the other side for goal #2 of the game. Career goal #400!!!. Okay, so I was starting to feel selfish again. I had 2 goals and 1 assist in the game. No more points for me in period #2. Period #3 comes around and they had their goalie pulled as the score was 6-1 and their goalie wasn't exactly doing well. I passed the puck to one of my teammates who I told to start training at faceoffs. An empty net goal and my 2nd assist of the game!!!. Later on in the game I would pass it to one of the defenseman on my line and he would do the same for my 3 assist of the game. So I finished the game with 2 goals and 3 assists.
Game #3 11-2 Final. My points for the game: Goals: 2 Assists: 3. My points for the season: Goals: 5 Assists: 4 Points: 9.
There you have it, career goal #400 was scored finally!
Thanks for the read. I really need to try not to get full of myself and start seeing only the scoring title. I need to remember to play for my team and my team alone. I already have a scoring title, not that I wouldn't like another one, but I really need to keep my focus on my team and not be to selfish. We are 3-0. Undefeated. And on a 3 game winning streak! I would like to keep that going and not ruin it by being selfish.
-AJ
Friday, April 18, 2008
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