Tripping Down a Slippery Memory Lane

It’s been a while since I dedicated an entry to the boys in copper and blue.

This afternoon, while the kids are learning how to use a mouse and the wife is out….ugh, shopping…I’m reading back over blog posts from the run-up in 2006. I usually read a couple of blogs. Today it’s “Black Dog Hates Skunks”. Pat’s a bit blue (not work safe), but he’s incredibly funny, heart-warming in an odd way, and he’s an Oiler glass-half-full guy. That makes him refreshing to read.

Reading back over his posts for the run-up is bringing a bit of a tear to my eye. I remember those last ten games as well. I remember how every game it appeared that the Oil were on the bubble, never doing what they needed to get ahead, but doing what they had to to stay alive. They would win to stay in contention, and then completely blow themselves up the next game. In many ways the run-up was worth watching even more than the actual playoffs, except for the last series of course.

Contrast that with this year where illness, management, and God knows what else have contrived to give us a team that might as well dive the remainder of the season to get a good draft pick. Word out just last Friday that Hemsky will be out for months, the biggest pickup of the offseason with a hurt back, and our dark horse candidate down with asthma of all things! Sorry folks, but they don’t even let you in the dance for Lord Stanley if you ice a team of wannabe NHL’ers.

With that all said, crying for then and crying for now all done, I’m ready for the next game. Fortunately it’s in 22 minutes and there is plenty of cold beer in the fridge. Now, who do we play…The Redw...Oh God help us!