(vol.
25W, no. 1; newsletter by k.r.)
Well the Olympics are over, the NHL is back, the Academy Awards are here, and the Pirates' ship has embarked on another fun-filled season. And, in true Hollywood fashion, it began with a crash instead of a bang. The Men In Black boasted a full line-up including Harris between the pipes with Keith, Nick, Dave and “Chachi” (filling-in for Gucci) on the blueline; up front was Wildman with the Bros. Miller and Russ, Chris, and “Cinderella Man” Sudol who was returning from an season off because of a new arrival to his family.
The game started off — literally in the opening :02 seconds — with Russ getting a high-sticking penalty on the opening face-off, but he was able to “walk the line” and not parlay the questionable Minerva call into a 4:00-minute rest. The 1st period would end scoreless, but the Tile Cutters would set the tone for the evening. In their own rendition of “Brokeback Mountain” they were drilling the Pirates into the boards every chance they got.
The final 22:00 minutes would see the Pirates eventually break down even though they played a decent game. Craig would score the only goal of the game for good guys (assist to Dave Matthews). The biggest problem for the Pirates was pointed-out by the man who should know — our goalie. Harris mentioned that all the Tile Cutters' goals came on breakaways — even the emptynetter with :02 remaining. Sometimes it must have seemed to Harris that the line-up in front of him were not Pirates but the Best Actress nominees: Judi Dench, Felicity Huffman, Keira Knightley, Charlize Theron, and Reese Witherspoon. Although this would be a great line-up in the locker room, it was not so great on the rink.
And the nominees for the Norris Trophy are ...
The Pirates are off to a slow start for the new season but over all it was still a good effort. Don't forget that the Sunday Pirates are in the Playoffs — in direct competition with the Oscars. Some of you may have some hard choices to make, but let's keep our eyes on the prize. Till next time ...
date of game: 3.01.06
