Kariya had 402 goals and 989 points in 989 career games and played for 15 years.

He probably could have played longer…were it not for that pesky little villain all hockey fans HATE…the concussion.

Kariya didn’t play at all last season as he attempted to recover and his announcement yesterday got me thinking – Is Marc Savard next?

Got to get you into my life.

I perish the thought but the harsh reality is that it could happen.  But I don’t wants it to happen!  

With every fiber of my body I want Savvy to come back in October refresh, ready, and symptom-free to take his place with the Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins.

But I just don’t know if that is going to happen.  And that makes me one sad panda.

Pants knows how I’m feeling about all this.  She’s patiently waiting for Sidney to recover, leave the comfy confines of Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia and make his way back to da ‘Burgh and the love fest that is the Pittsburgh Penguins organization.

"And this trophy was from when I won scored 3,629 goals for my Midget AAA team..."

Until then, we’ll just wait all night…by this hedge…

Just like Baby in “Dirty Dancing.”  Except instead of Johnny Castle, I had Tim Thomas.

Thanks to a one very awesome friend, I was at Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals at TD Garden.

Bruins shutout the Canucks, 4-0  to even the series 2-2.  Series returns to Vancouver for Game 5 on Friday.

Attending the Stanley Cup Finals is a dream for any hockey fan, including me.  It was very high on my bucket list, right up there with seeing the pyramids and making out with Ben Affleck.

But I never thought that it would ACTUALLY happen.

That was until last night.

So how did I get there?  How did I come to check this off my bucket list? And what did it feel like when I did?

See below...

[ It’s sort long but bear with me.  Get it?  Bear.   ]

===============================

I have a friend from high school.  His name is Smitty.  It’s really Kevin, but pretty sure that his mom and his wife are the only ones who call him Kevin (but of that I can’t really be sure).  Smitty is a high school teacher and hockey coach and like me, a life long Bruin fan, and fan of the sport in general.

The man had a Stanley Cup groom’s cake at his wedding. Clearly, this man is our hero.

Through sickness, health, and hockey season...

Smitty emails me Monday morning.

Cue me, freaking out.

I message him back immediately.

My response reads something like: “COUNT ME IN!  Holy #@%*.  I love you!  How much are the tickets?  Oh really?  That much?  Whatever.  That’s cool.  I’ll just eat ramen for a month.”

I get all light-headed.  Have to sit down.  *deep breath*

Wednesdays are grad school days for me, but fortunately my professor is a sports psychologist and hockey fan, so he was very understanding when I told him I had to leave early because I was going to Game 4.

As I make my way down Canal Street to the Garden, I am engulfed in a sea of black and gold…with bit of white and blue mixed in.

Brave orcas.

The closer I get to the Garden, the more my heart starts to flutter.

I’m really here.

This is really happening.

Before heading to our seats (in Club Section 145, no less), quick stop is made at the Bruins Pro Shop.  One must mark this occasion with SCF accoutrements, including a t-shirt and banner.

Now, my office looks even better.

Finally we make to our seats and the significance of the moment finally hits me.

I made it. I’m at the Stanley Cup Finals.

Stanley Cup Finals. I went to there.

The Stanley Cup Finals are a special sporting event, but it takes on a whole new meaning and significance when your team are the ones playing for it.

From warm-ups to the announcement of the Three Stars, the atmosphere in the Garden was super-charged, like a summer thunderstorm.

Every single person in that arena was sending out the most positive beautiful energy that it is hard to believe how the players couldn’t feel it seeping through the walls into the locker room.

Every time Nathan Horton’s name was mentioned or they showed a fan wearing his jersey, the crowd erupted in cheers and applause.  In only his first season as a Bruin, NH18 has made his mark as a fan favorite and the outpouring of love from the Black and Gold faithful has to help speed up his recover.

Bruins legend Bobby Orr (#4) was the honorary flag bearer for the start of the game.  Fittingly, he waved Horton’s flag, as a salute to the injured Bruins forward.

Genius move, Bruins.  Way to lift the crowd to an whole other level of controlled frenzy.

(Sidenote: Bobby Orr is like 65, but he is still WAY hot.)

Silver Fox.

Do it for Horty.

The game itself was everything that one could hope for in a SCF game…unless you are a Canucks fan.  The Green Men were very sad.

The Bruins were dominant, controlled, quick to the puck.

Their penalty kill continues to shine (21 for 22 in this series).

Bruins D-fence remains dominant in shutting down Vancouver’s offensive threats. I think it is because of Adam McQuaid’s mullet.  That thing is glorious and magical.

Tim Thomas’s Vezina stock continues to rise with every acrobatic, heart-stopping save that he makes.  The man is a beast, albeit a fluffy, smiley beast.   I just want to hug him so tight.

"Hey there! What's up? Nothing too much here. Just playing goal like I'm out of my gourd."

They showed Marc Savard on the jumbotron.  The place went nuts.  Please come back soon.  I miss you.

They showed Rachel McAdams on the jumbotron.  A lot.  Couldn’t tell if she was rooting for the Bruins or the Canucks, but she looked like she was having fun, so that’s cool.

Going to a Stanley Cup Finals game is a once in a lifetime experience but to be able to experience it with your hometown team, on home ice, is something entirely transcendental.

It leaves you with a feeling of elation.  Of glee.  Of passion. Of adoration.  Of worship.  

And most of all, of pride.  

Also awesome is the fight at the 2:08 mark, featuring former Bruin PJ Stock. He straight messes that guy up!

(Thanks to Chocolate Iced, for sending it to me.  He is a true friend.)

First off, it snowed this morning just in time for my morning commute to work.  (Me + slippery snow – no morning caffeine = grumpy) We are supposed to get 8-12″ more tomorrow night and the Bruins got shut out by the LA Kings last night. Then I get to work and read on www.boston.com that Marc Savard has been diagnosed with his second concussion in 10 months and will not play.

Thanks, Hockey Gods.  Way to add more rock salt to my wounds.

OW!...quit it...

Savard took a hit from former teammate Matt Hunwick on Saturday in the Bruins’ 6-2 win over the Avalanche.  While this latest concussion is deemed “moderate”, this news still leaves me feeling sad and frankly worried for Savvy’s future. I worry that this is the beginning of the slow, downward spiral of yet another talented player’s hockey career.

One very sad Canadian Panda. It breaks my heart.

Many an NHL superstar has been felled by this dreaded injury (i.e. the Lindros Brothers, Pat Lafontaine, Matthew Barnaby, Keith Primeau, Adam Deadmarsh, Steve Moore, etc, etc.) and while the league has taking measure to lessen these injuries and punish those who intent to injure, the fact remains that concussions will always be a part of the game.

Until they encase everyone in bubble wrap and staple fluffy pillows to the boards.

"Mommmmmmmmm, can I play hockey NOW?"

Not likely, folks.  Hockey is a contact sport – a rough, physically demanding game where 200 lb men skate at top speed straight into each other, sometimes with enough force to shatter glass.  Insane, right?  But we love it all the same.

I hope that Marc can recover soon.  I hope he can rejoin his team (who have been playing amazingly well as of late.  Last night’s hiccup excluded, of course.) and help them as they push toward the playoff.  I sincerely, with all my heard, hope that his career as one of the preeminent NHL centermen is not over.

Because that would also make me one very sad panda.

We want less “sad” and more of this please…

Happy PANDA!

*thankyouandgoodnight*

In every interview for what seems like the past two weeks, Savard declares that he is fit and ready to play.  You can just tell that he is chomping at the bit to get out there and bury some pucks but I greatly admire the Bruins for their patience at not rushing Marc’s return.  Seems like Peter Chiarelli, Cam Neely, B’s Coach Claude Julien, and the Bruins organization have their player’s best interests at heart.  Marc’s health far out weights the need for him to rush back to playing, risking another setback or worse, a hit that could potentially end his career forever.

Plus, as much as I hate to say it (because of my love of Savvy), they don’t really need him right now.  *gasp* Of course they could use him, because who doesn’t want one of their best forwards on the ice running the power play, but the B’s have been winning games without him.  Tim “The Tank” Thomas has been carrying the team on his shoulders and Horton, Seguin, Bergeron, and LOOOOOCH have been scoring so it isn’t like they are in dire straits. But it will be great to have Savard back on the ice with the spoked “B” on his chest mearly so we can see more of this…

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!

And this….

Like House of Pain said...Jump around, jump around, jump up, jump up and get down..."

He’s like a little kid.  And I love it.

~~Chuck