first hockey game of the year...

So there was a Stanley cup game last night, Detroit Redwings and Pittsburgh Penguins. Sadly, it was the only hockey game I watched this entire season. It was not as fun to watch a single game, not knowing the history of the teams, the players to watch. Luckily we had picked up some of that information from people who had been following the seasons as well as from the ever-present announcers.

As a kid I really liked the Penguins. But who didn't when Mario Lemieux was playing? Apparently since he stopped playing the team has been really weak and bottom of the pack. Which is actually not a terrible place to be, as it meant they got a lot of first round draft picks over the last several years. They now have a very young, but very strong team. Their goalie is only 22, and in game 5 he blocked 55 shots. They also had a 19-year-old playing.

Detroit on the other hand had 7 guys over 35. And their experience showed. The ice was pretty bad due to the humidity in Pittsburgh, and the Penguins looked tired after the triple overtime game on Monday.

The biggest problem with watching hockey for me is that it really makes me miss playing it. And the thing that makes me happiest about watching hockey is when all the players shake hands at the end. For being such a violent and emotional game (there are no fist fights in football...), it's amazing and wonderful to me that at the end they all line up, shake hands, and say good game. I wish all our sports teams did this. It shows respect and sportsmanship, which is something every sports fan of all ages could benefit from seeing demonstrated.