Friday, October 8, 2010

There is no offseason...

Well, apparently there is an offseason, but the last two years it's started after a painful Game 7 loss right in front of our faces. This one courtesy of the Philadelphia Flyers after blowing a 3-0 lead. Don't get me wrong, the boys were lucky to be there. After the 08-09 campaign, the expectations were high despite a painful Game 7 loss courtesy of the Former Hartford Whalers.

Injuries piled up it seemed daily, heck even #46 came down with Swine Flu.The team just seemed unlucky. The highlight of the season was the Winter Classic. Imagine getting to see your favorite team play in your favorite place. A 10 game losing streak midseason had a lot of people riled up. Perhaps we noticed it more with an actual outlet to discuss all things Black & Gold on the radio (thanks Sports Hub!) or maybe people expected more. All I know is, I was no longer walking around in shame being a Bruins fan. The vicious hit by Cooke looked as though it might be the nail in the coffin for playoff hopes. Savard's concussion hurt an already ailing team. But somehow they pulled it together and we all hoped the seeding would work out in a way that we'd get the #6 seed.

Buffalo would be a worthy opponent, but I (like many other Bruins fans) thought if we could get past Buffalo we might be able to make a dent in the playoffs. I went into The Fours to watch the first game of the series and was chatting with a Buffalo fan, he agreed that was the match up he was least hoping for. We wished each other a good playoff series and got down to the business of watching the games.

Buffalo proved a worthy opponent, and for the first time I watched from way up high what it was like to be on the right side of the handshake. I can't lie - being on the right side of the handshake is awesome. It's so much better than being on the wrong, hockeys over handshake. Being on the right side of the handshake means there are at least four more games. Being on the wrong side means it's time to think about hanging up your sweater and watching the Sox. Not that I don't love the Sox, I absolutely do...but in this girls opinion it doesn't get better than playoff hockey.

In a strange twist of fate, all of New England found themselves rooting for the Bleu, Blanc et Rouge...no really - it was crazy. But to get another opponent that we thought would be a worthy but winnable opponent, we all did. Except for me. See, I'm married to a Caps fan. My team has been up 3-1 and lost a series - to the Hated Habs. I sat on the couch and watched my husband writhe in the pain that is the pain of watching your team ultimately blow it. I couldn't even enjoy the fact that it looked good for getting a match up for the Bruins, because I know how it feels to pin your hopes on team and feel good about their chances because their chances are legitimately good to win and see it slip away. Watching Pete...there was no way I could take a side.

The Bruin went up 3-0 fast as hell - and my partner in crime Jon and I were faced with a difficult decision...Friday Night - Sox/Yanks bleacher seats while the Bruins would hopefully sweep the Flyers. Even though Krecji was out for the season, Savard was back...so that had to sway in our favor, right? We went to Fenway in our Winter Classic jerseys. When we couldn't take it anymore, we did two things we never do: We left Fenway early and we took a cab. We headed to the Fours. The Celtics were losing bad in their playoff game, so a lot of people had abandoned ship and headed to the bar, the Sox were tanking at Fenway. Here's your chance guys, salvage the night. Send us to the Eastern Conference finals.

No such luck.

Oh well, it was meant to be...need to play Game 5 on the 40th anniversary of "The Goal"

No such luck.

Uh...put it away in Philly for Game 6?

Uh...no.

Ok, Game 7, on the one year anniversary of seeing Scott Walker put it past Tim Thomas in Game 7 to end the season, retribution...right?

Uh, no.

Losing a 3-0 sucks, but losing a 3-0 lead and be in the same category as the New York Yankees..well that's just rude. Not only had they made me a target for ridicule, but I could no longer take same joy in the epic 2004 ALCS comeback.

You would think I would be bitter and hoping for a long summer.

By May 21st I wanted back in seat nine to start all over again.

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