The Song Remains The Same

tUMD 4, UML 4/tUMD 1, UML 1

I hope you appreciate that I provide mood music for many of my posts. Press play on the vid and enjoy the hallucinogenic sounds of Led Zeppelin and the obscenely tight pants of Robert Plant.

Comrades, do you remember how last season started out with a sweep of an inferior opponent followed by two unsatisfying ties? I remember. (Well technically it started with a literal and figurative power outage.) I can’t do that again. While last season ended better than expected, it was a slog for all of us. Fans, broadcasters, coaches, players, I don’t think anyone was like “Hey, this is really fun and enjoyable! I love outshooting our opponents by an average of 9 shots/game and only out scoring them by 0.6 goals/game!”

Gah, I can’t even think about it. It’s just too frustrating.

Admittedly, I did not have to struggle through Friday’s game, since I was at a live hockey game (which will be discussed in its own post, fear not, people! I just haven’t thought of a musical reference yet), but it was not the best game, and the team escaped with a tie by the skin of their teeth. My uncle was at the game (the RWD Army is EVERYWHERE) and said that he (and my aunt and cousins and their kids, all Bulldogs fans, even the ones who have never even set foot in the Midwest!) headed out after the overtime goal that was overturned, but they fortunately did not make it out of the building and were there to see the game to its bitter end. Well, maybe not bitter for us.

Nick Deery relieved Hunter Miska on Friday night, and got the start on Saturday. I missed the first goal (scored on a PP after the Jade Monkey took a hooking penalty) because I was at another live hockey game. So we fans spent most of the game wondering if our fellas were ever going to score. Fortunately, Hermantown’s Neal Pionk, our leading scorer, put the puck in the net with just under four minutes left in the 3rd period, when we thought all hope was lost.

Now, I know. Injuries. TUFTE. Etc. But there are a couple things that are stressing me out. Like special teams. Ok, 3 PPGs on Friday… but also 3 PPGs against us AND essentially a shorthanded goal for UML’s lone even strength goal. And then zero PPGs on Saturday in 6 opportunities, including one that came shortly after the game-tying goal, when tDogs had all the momentum.

The other thing that is stressing me out is penalties. So the powers that be decided to change things up and call a bunch of different stuff. They made a video. Watch the video again, maybe. I saw there’s a nice television in the locker room. (The women have a projector, which I think is cooler!) Queue that ish up, Sandy. Make the adjustment, guys. This is basic quality assurance! “This is the way we’ve always done it” is anathema to quality hockey. Try to be early adopters of these new rules, as puzzling as they may be.

tDogs are at home against the potato farmers this weekend, who were recently whaled on by Katie McGovern’s brother. They enjoyed 19 power plays in one game. They only scored on 6 which is kind of pathetic. I think a power play famine is in order for the Shiny Helmets, no?