Nobody Puts Baby On The Last Row

The Game: Avs vs. Flames

If remaining fanatical after last weekend's losses was comparable to staying in a marriage (see last post), last Tuesday's game was the hockey equivalent to vacation sex.

I sat behind the Avs' attack twice goal, in the very top row of the arena. Hearing "Livin' On A Prayer" on the organ was a little disconcerting, but whatever. A nearby father began teaching his 7 or 8 year old son the Art of the (PG) Heckle.

Dad: "Kiprusoff, you bum!"

Son: "I don't know if you have 20/20 vision!"

Wolski and Leopold are announced as scratches. Damn. Wolski suffered a mild concussion at the last Avs/Flames matchup, when he took an unpenalized hit while not in posession of the puck. I don't particularly care about Leopold, since he's only been healthy enough to play three games since I began following the team. First, it was hernia surgery. Then, and groin injury. Now his wrist is broken and he'll be out another month.

Interestingly, Brad May gets a bigger BOO than Theodore when the starters are announced.

Stastny gets two goals and an assist in the 1st, breaking Tanguay's 51 point record as a rookie with the Avs in 1999-2000, and making him the third player to reach 20 goals as a rookie since the team came to Colorado. When asked at the first Intermission why Avs/Flames games are consistently high-scoring, Stastny flashes his toothless grin and says, "Aw, we're just trying to make it interesting for the fans." Gotta love him.

At a TV time-out, Sakic is honored for his 600th goal. He humbly rose to acknowledge the standing ovation, and the stick-banging support from his teammates. The Flames didn't bother to participate. I mean the Lames. Yeah, I said it. The Lames.

I have to wonder if Canadian teams feel like they're playing golf instead of hockey when they come here. Even though we won, the applause was spotty and cautious. I guess nobody wants to be the guy who got his hopes up. But me. I left hoarse.

FINAL

Flames 3
Avs 4

Best Friends Forever!

--Satanella