Saturday, October 15, 2011

Just By Being You: Toronto and Winnipeg

I was watching the Senators-Leafs game last week and I strangely found myself silently (read: very, very silently) rooting for the Leafs. They were playing great. Phil Kessel was doing his thing where he puts the puck in the back of the night and those goals were worthy of applause. So I did (but silently). Toronto was up 4-0 after the second period. It helped that the celebration goal song is the same as the Canucks ("The Whip" by Locksley), but tangent, I find it annoying that Columbus uses it too.

Twenty minutes from a shut out win? Ok, Toronto, you are worthy of my approval tonight. You played well so maybe I'll make an effort to cheer for you more often instead of booing for no reason whenever I hear someone mention the Leafs. If I sound obnoxious, its because its just center-of-the-universe Toronto. Taranna! pffft.

Anyways, third period commences and poof, the Senators make some changes, Alfredsson finally shows up to play, and all of a sudden its a close game. The Leafs end up winning 6-5. After nearly blowing a 4-0 lead.

I applauded your victory, Toronto, but just barely. After seeing the Senators score a few unanswered goals, I jumped ship and deep down I wanted Ottawa to tie it up and win the game in OT so that I could sneer and say, "No finish! That's why you're Toronto!" followed by sarcastic applause. My, my, I would have showed you.

Eeesh, Toronto....

*shakes head*

The next day after church, I was watching a recording of the Jets' home opener against the Canadiens and suffering succotash that was a good game. Aesthetically, it's too bad Winnipeg's MTS Centre isn't up to par with other NHL arenas (they have the smallest seating capacity in the league) and the steep seats made for some weird angles at brief moments while watching the game on CBC. But it almost made it intimate and intimidating at the same time, if thats possible (at least, that's what I was trying to imagine from a player's standpoint). Or maybe I just had the volume on too loud and I was just too excited.

It's great to have a seventh NHL team in Canada. I was excited at the announcement of the purchase and move of the Atlanta Thrashers back to Winnipeg and I watched so much live news coverage of super happy Manitobans that day. I was too young too care about the old Jets, but being able to see a Canadian city and it's people coming together around their team today was just very beautiful. I also found it cool that Stephen Harper was at the opening game. Very classy of him (and I'm not being sarcastic).

Too bad Montreal beat them. And too bad the Jets are losing against the Coyotes right now as I write this (Edit: they lost), but I know I'm going to enjoy more of this Winnipeg-Phoenix rivalry in the future (because it's old Jets-new Jets).

Great sign by a fan in the stands after Winnipeg's first goal tonight:
C ouldn't
B uy
C oyotes

Got Jets!
Hockey, weeee!

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