Sunday morning homily XXI

When it comes right down to it, it's no surprise that 30-plus years of playing and watching hockey has taken a bit of the thrill out of attending games. It's possible, I suppose, that I'm used to the ebb and flow, the body-crunching hits and music that's way too loud for my liking.

For someone attending their first NHL game, though, it's a new experience. The sights, the sounds and, yes, even the taste of a pretzel filled with sweet cream cheese are fresh. To the newbie, and I say that in a positive manner, it's a brave and brash new world.

Last night, I witnessed a new fan's first few steps toward hockey. Gus, a buddy from the newspaper, joined us, as well as his fiancee, Jackie, who was attending just her second NHL game, to watch the Lightning play, and lose, to the Washington Capitals.

I'd spent the past two days talking about Washington's Alexander Ovechkin. Given that he was parked at 48 goals, I was hoping that he'd hit 50 against the Bolts, giving all of us something to remember. Unfortunately, the Lightning held Ovie in check.

You know what? It didn't matter.

What drew Gus into the game was its speed and the action. Like most fans, he got into the physicality, to the point of giggling and groaning when players collided heavily along the boards. He asked good questions, ranging from rules to delayed penalties to even about the thickness of a goalie's chest protector. He says, too, that he wants to catch a puck.

His most telling question, though, was about rivalries. He wanted to know what teams didn't like each other and would play a physical game. I suggested the Lightning vs. Flyers, Sabres vs. Leafs, Bruins vs. Canadiens, Red Wings vs. Avalanche. On Tuesday, when we get back to the copy desk, I'll add Rangers vs. Islanders.

How do I know he'll be interested? That's simple.

"Definitely," he offered, without a prompt, "I could do this again."

Get your motor running

Down here in Florida, today's big sporting event is the granddaddy of all stock car races, the 50th running of the Daytona 500. As much as I'd like to be there to witness it, I'll have to settle for chilling out and watching from my well-worn recliner.

What does racing have to do with hockey? Well, if you've been watching the recent exploits between top-tier drivers Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch, a couple of gearheads with an intense dislike of one another, there's a solid chance that a hockey scrum might break out should these two tangle during the race.

Hopefully, the two teams will be far apart on pit road. If not, any dust-up could spark a pit-clearing brawl that, in my opinion, might restore some energy into the increasingly moribund sport that's NASCAR.

For the record, we'll be rooting for Dale Earnhardt Jr.

5 Big Sigs

Sooner or later, I'm going to get back out there hounding. Between health issues and weather, I've missed more hounding opportunities in the past month than I've actually participated in. With the Boston Bruins, and hopefully Patrice Bergeron, coming to Tampa later this week, it will be a good time to get back into the groove.

With that in mind, we're hoping to add these to the collection:

~ goalie Alex Auld on Bruins, Canucks and Panthers pucks;
~ an updated picture of Colin and his pal, Patrice;
~ defenseman Andrew Ference on a practice puck he gave to Colin after pregame warm-ups last season;
~ forward Phil Kessel on a Team USA puck; and
~ goalie Tim Thomas on a 2008 NHL All Star Game puck.