Capital letter so you know it’s important.

That’s MY name. On the FRONT ROW of the WHITE HOUSE event with the PENGUINS and the CUP and POTUS.  Yesterday was amazing!

The Moore Sisters (no relation) pretending we are calm.

First, we got to the White House, where I apparently did not set off any security alerts. Good thing they don’t read this blog. After having our IDs checked, bags x-rayed and bodies metal detected by extremely friendly Secret Service agents, we were sniffed by a bomb dog who I didn’t even get to see! I bet he was cute. I got over that when we entered the fancy State Floor antechamber and spent 45 minutes pretending not to edge ever closer to the main door. Mario walked by. I acted cool. No sense in getting tossed out before the show.

The door to somewhere Presidential

When doors opened, there was the Cup, shining like a diamond on the stage.  We walked past seats reserved to Members of Congress, and there was my name on practically the closest seat in the entire event to the Cup. Don’t ask how I got it – my Fairy Godsister made it happen and now I owe her. I don’t know what could repay this. Organ donation? And not an organ that humans have two of and can spare one.

Always bring a redheaded friend so you can find yourself on TV.

We marveled at this fact for a good long while, taking pictures of/with Stan (that’s what I call him now that we’re friends who’ve spent time together.) Several active duty servicemen were on hand to ensure that we people didn’t hug touch the cup, since it was just sitting on a table like it wanted to validate your parking ticket.

Who are these really important people in the front row?

After the band played “Fields of Gold” by Sting 26 times, the team was announced. The audience stood and they guys streamed in, dark-suited and not a one of them looking like they could punch your lights out. Every woman in the room moved her wedding ring to the opposite hand. On either side of me, friends asked, “Who’s the one with the hair?” only they meant different guys – Hagelin and Letang. No Sid yet.

When the applause and brief “Let’s Go Pens” chant died out, we all stood awkwardly in silence. For a long time. It was like a Catholic wedding full of non-Catholics who are unsure when it’s okay to sit back down. Then the band finished the only other song they know and the President, Bettman, Burkle, Mario and Sid were announced.

No zoom was used in the making of this photo.

Obama went to the podium. Mario and Burkle took his left, and Bettman and Sid took the right. Right by the Cup. RIGHT BY ME. The Queen of England’s didn’t have this good a seat at Will & Kate’s wedding.

What does he do with all these jerseys?

Obama’s speech was great. Of course he has the best speechwriters in the world, but they hit the nail on the head with the hockey jokes and Pens’ inside references, and POTUS delivered it like he spent last season watching ROOT Sports and reading WUYS. We could not have written it better ourselves! And every time he looked toward the Cup or Sid, he was looking right at us.

POTUS making sure we behave.

After the speech, the Pens did the jersey presentation, then brought the Cup back to the group for a photo. Which meant I got to see this in more scope and detail than an IMAX 3D movie:

The Trophy. And also the Stanley Cup.

When time machines are invented, you know where to find me.

Obama’s first and last Stanley Cup Champs.

The President shook some politicians’ hands, waved to us as if we’d catch up at happy hour, and headed out… leaving us all standing awkwardly again, waiting for permission to leave. Or confirmation that no one would be tackled for moving. I kept my seat for fear that Secret Service had, during the event, Googled the people in the front row. The team was eventually released to exit, walking past us and the Cup one by one like the eveningwear portion of the Miss America pageant. And then, briefly before we left, it was just us at the Cup again, like old times.

Here’s the full video:

This was quite the kickoff to the 2016-2017 season. I blindly insist my team will win the Cup every season, but this year, I say it with confidence. With hope. And because I would really like to attend this event in October 2017, and watch Hilary stand in front of Letang, Crosby and Co., look right into the camera, and ask Bill if she should hire any interns.

Make it look heavy, they’re taking photos.

PS: If you read this before 2:03PM, I made some edits. Remember on Sex and the City, when Carrie knew she really liked the guy because she couldn’t remember what he looked like? Well I was that excited.

But unfortunately it is not.

Game 6 really did happen.

The Bruins really did lose.

That stupid totem fell over.

What happened on Monday night was like a punch to the solar plexus.  All your air expelled from your body so rapidly, leaving you desperate to catch your breath while your lungs burn and struggle.

Since that night, I’ve taken the time to reflect on it all and I’m now at a point where I can talk about it without getting all teary-eyed.   The melancholy has faded and been replaced by an overwhelming sense of pride in my hockey club.

Despite the horrible way that it all ended, I still love this Bruins team.  In fact, I love them even more than I did at the start of the season.  They showed a grit, determination, and unity of which they, their fans, and the city of Boston should be exceptionally proud.  They bared their heart and souls and laid everything out there on the line.  They got their chance at the Cup.  But it just wasn’t meant to be.

Thank you, Patrice Bergeron, for just being amazing and perfect.  Seriously.  Even Pants (who hates the Bruins with the fire of a thousand suns) will admit that she respects #37.   His man is without a doubt the heart and soul of this Bruins team.   Patrice Bergeron is the sun, the rest of the Bruins, the planets which orbit in his golden glow.

Bergeron is not the flashiest player, nor is his visage is not posted in the windows of the NHL store.

But there is no denying that he is one of the fiercest competitor in the NHL.  He played Game 6 with a separated shoulder, a broken rib, AND torn rib cartilage.

Do you know what a broken rib feels like?  Imagine that every time you take a deep breathe in or out, it feels like you are being stabbed with a knife.

So, ya…that’s fun.

In countless post game interviews, the Bruins players talked about how much they loved each other and what it was to play together.  We joke about the Seguin/Marchand bromance, but it seems as though the whole Bruins team was just one big collective bromance.

This is a team that was virtually unchanged since their 2011 Stanley Cup win.  That run a mere two years ago solidified this unbreakable bond.  I imagine that the Bruins are much like a band of brothers who in war time would give their heart, soul, and lay down their lives for each other. Just look at Gregory Campbell.

I can’t take anything away from what the Hawks did in this lockout shortened season.  From the get-go, the Hawks were the best team in the league.  If anyone deserved to win, it was them.

Their history making win streak to start the season set a pace and expectation that the Hawks ultimately lived up to.  They stumbled a bit, had some hard-fought playoff series wins, and while it wasn’t perfect, the shiny fruit of their labor is all that really matters.

As much as I want to hate the Hawks, I can’t.  They are an exceptional hockey club and it would be foolish of me as a hockey fan to deride them and their obvious talent simply because they beat my beloved Bruins.

I think what makes it all so heart-wrenching is how it all went down.  With so little time left and the Bruins within reach of forcing a game 7, the Hawks came in like some magicians and swiped that tablecloth from right underneath my good china.  It all went crashing to the floor, shattering into a million little pieces.

I’m starting to glue the pieces back together, but it is  going to take me some time.  Like all summer.

The post-game interviews…I still can’t watch.  The thought of teary-eyed Tyler Seguin and sad panda face Patrice Bergeron is all too much.   I just want to reach through the screen and pull them in for a great big hug.

If only game 6 had been 58 minutes instead of 60 – what would have happened then?

Maybe game 7 would led the Bruins to the Cup or maybe the outcome would have been exactly the same.  It is impossible to know.

What I do know is that this is a Bruins team that is something truly special.  We’ll have to see what the off-season has in store for us.  Who will come and who will go?

But come October, you know where to find me.  Decked out in my Black and Gold, ready for another run at the Cup.

Lord of the Rings.  Star Wars.  The Goonies.

Tonight at 8pm in the Madhouse on Madison, another quest will begin.

Warriors will unite and embark on a journey.  The goal – the most coveted prize in professional hockey.

I guess you could say that this quest began back at the start of the regular season.

The Hawks got the jump on everyone.  They got to the dock first, jumped on that speed boat, and never looked back.

See ya.

Left standing on the dock, the Bruins had to figure out another way to get the treasure.

They hopped in their black and yellow jeep with the racing stripe and took off along the winding, unpaved road toward the ancient temple and its treasure.

Luckily for them, they knew the way…and they had the map.

Along the way, their jeep broke down.  Luckily for them, one of the villagers has a donkey.  Their journey continued, albeit slowly.  The donkey kept stopping so Chara and Seidenberg had to hop off and give him a shove.

As they trudged along the road, they came upon a air field.  On that air field was a curmudgeon old timer with a helicopter.   They ditched the donkey and hopped in the helicopter, Tuukka Rask behind the control.

At last, the Bruins had reached the ancient temple deep in the heart of the Jungle.

But so had the Blackhawks.

Through the thicket of the jungle, they saw each other.

They looked at the temple with its shiny silver treasure hidden within.

They looked at each other.

They looked back at the temple.

Cue the John Williams score.

So that’s where we are in this story – both teams so close, the ultimate treasure within reach.

Bigger question now is…Who will get there first?

So I’ve scoured the internet and there is like a BLIP one DD’s day with destiny. If it were, er, um, other hockey players day with Lord Stanley’s cup we’d get a minute by minute count down on what he did while out saving babies and evidently puppies.

So I’ve decided to give the only real account of Drew’s day with the cup and it went as follows because I was there – TRUE STORY – to blog ‘boot it.

First he took me on a romantic tracker drive, just us and the cup after we picked it from the local airport. Love the rolled up jeans and tennies. Totes dreamy!

 Then we took in a showing of an interpretive dance, “How Oxmusk bay in mid-day in yonder meadow”. It was fabulous but honestly, I spent most of the time glaring at the cup because it was starting to seriously come between Drew and I. I mean really! Who does that whore think she is? I… I .. ah. Oh. Yeah. It’s THE CUP.

Well, I did get jealous because bitch pulled this move at dinner and the gloves came off!

 So my drunk ugly crying face came out like the girls on Bachelor pad because a girl just can’t complete between THE CUP and Stanley Cup winning hockey players attention on his big day. So I wished Drew the best and left him with his shiny toy.

BEST. DAY. EVER! F-YEAH!

GO KINGS! And congrats again on your Stanley Cup winning, record-breaking season! Loved ya in Vancouver!

<3  Dawn~

Yea. I said it.

The Boston Bruins are the best team in the NHL.

Now before you start heckling me and throwing rotten tomatoes and heads of iceberg lettuce,  just hear me out for second.

I know that I may be slightly biased here when it comes to the Bruins but as a “hockey writer”, I do have the ability to look at this with some measure of objectivity.

So how do I dare make such a bold statement?  Let’s look at the facts…

• They have the best goaltending tandem in the NHL.
• I DEFY to name another goalie super duo better that Tim Thomas and Tuukka Rask.  They are straight up domination.  Rask is #2 in GAA (1.82). Thomas is #3 (1.84).  Thomas is #2 in Save % (.943). Rask is #3 (.939).  Thomas is #2 in wins (16) and in a 3-way tie for 1st in shutouts (4).   By having two stellar goalies, the Bruins have a distinct advantage through the regular season because you can rest Thomas and give him a night off while still preserving your chance to win even with Rask in the net.  There is not that ‘Oh crap” moment with the backup comes in.  With the B’s, even the backup is pretty outstanding.  Also, Rask is only 24 years old so just think about what he’ll be like in three years.  Thomas is the present.  Rask is the future.
• They are as deep as the ocean is wide.
• Although Chris Kelly does look like he reads “The Economist” and you know Andrew Ference watches documentaries on the National Geographic Channel, I’m not talking about an intellectual depth. I’m talking about the We-Have-Four-Lines-That-Can-Light-It-Up sort of depth.  Every single line of the Bruins offense can score goals. Yes, even the Mucking & Grinding 4th line led by Shawn Thornton.  Hell, even the much maligned Benoit Pouliot is scoring goals (he’s got 6). 1st line not producing?  It’s cool.  We’ll come at you with the 2nd and 3rd lines. Coach Claude has a plethora of talent from which he can craft his lines.  He has young talent like Jordan Caron and Zach Hamill that he can call up from Providence at a moment’s notice who can slip into the Bruins’ lineup without missing a beat.
  

  I score goals. I feel love. My hockey powers are renewed.

  

  Woo hoo Carey Price. How'd ya like that one? Pretty sweet, right?

• They are low-profile.
• While the Bruins are an upper echelon NHL team, no one really cares about them. They aren’t the object of rampant fan-girling (or boying). They’ll leave that to Jonathan Toews and Sidney Crosby.  They aren’t gracing the pages of GQ (although they certainly could).  They don’t have a flashy coach or super star face-of-the-NHL type player (Chara might come close but if you ask me, Patrice Bergeron deserves to be up there). They are just a straight up, solid hockey club who win hockey games with skill, speed, and quiet tenacity. And an occasional pugilistic endeavor.

I know that we are only a little over a third of the way through the season, but I don’t think that I’m alone in my thinking that the Bruins have the potential to repeat as Stanley Cup Champions.  Now I know it is nigh impossible to repeat and maybe I just jinxed myself and I know it hasn’t been done since the Red Wings did it in the 1997-98 season, but I’m holding out this little sliver of hope that it could happen.

And why shouldn’t it?  If you get a chance, just watch them play a few games.  Instead of turning on the Pens, or the Caps, or the Hawks game, turn on the Bruins.

I guarantee you’ll like the hockey you see.

Giving new definition to the term "ice"

Check that out! 

That ring = boss.

300 diamonds total.  66 on the ring crest with the iconic spoked “B” over the image of the Stanley Cup.  6 diamonds around the logo signifying the Bruins’ six Cup championships.  One side has the player’s name and number, other side has the Cup with the years the B’s have won it – 2011, 1972, 1970, 1941, 1939, and 1929.

Not only can it be worn as a ring, it can also be used as a paperweight, a meat tenderizer, and help you to signal rescue planes should you ever become lost in the Canadian wilderness.

It’s shiny.

And there are 505 of these pretty baubles to go around.

Players got their rings last night at the Boston Harbor Hotel.  Even players no longer with the team, like Mark Recchi and Michael Ryder, came in for the event.  Ryder had to get special permission from his new team, the Dallas Stars, to come.  Sadly, Marc Savard was not able to join the team, as he is still recovering from concussion.

But you know who was there…WUYS fave Tyler Seguin.  Looking very dapper in a pink shirt, btdubs.

Wonder if his mom picked that out for him?

Motoscooter & Teen Wolf go to prom!

Looch and the Professor show of their bling.

Ice, Ice Baby.

Gentleman, go ahead and “frost yourself”.  

Stanley is a little banged up, thanks to former Bruin Michael “Cool” Ryder and a flimsy Nova Scotian card table.

To which my friend Fatty J exclaimed, “Jesus Michael!”

Dios mios indeed!

What is that table made out of anyway?  Paper mache and matchsticks?

You’d think that they’d be able to find a sturdier table to hold the Cup, you know, to prevent that from happening.

Luckily, the Cup is okay.  Just a little dent.

Can’t say the same for Ryder’s pride though.

Welcome to infamy, my friend.

Man Down.

Hi-res/readable version at washingtoncapitals.tumblr.com.

I admit this wouldn’t make me as sad as it used to.  Once clear of whatever round involves the Penguins, I would cheer for the Caps.  Dawn would visit, and make signs.  Gator and I would cut work for the parade, buy scooters and honk at everyone.  (Unless they faced the Blackhawks.  Then I’d get pelted with debris in the Verizon Center because my red #19 shirt doesn’t say “Backstrom.”  Sorry Nicky.)

What do you think?  Is this the future of the coming season?

Note: This article does not even mention Mike Green’s name.  I am offended.

Teen Wolf had his day with the Cup in Ontario last week.  You can watch the video [link].  I really wish I’d ridden to my wedding on a zamboni!

Tyler brought the Cup to a hospital, a field then a club.  And filled the thing with vodka we hope was strong enough to kill the germs off 100 people all drinking out of it.  Werewolves have super immune systems though, so no worries.

And thus the Seguinistas retire to a summer of waiting and wishing, like the rest of us.  Chuck, are you out there?

At my wedding, Boston Bruins fan extraordinaire Tom and his genius girlfriend Michelle gave our party the one thing it was missing.  This tin foil beauty sits in my office and whenever I do something great, I lift it over my head.

Somewhere in the box marked “Bad Hair/Flannel Shirt Years” is a photo of me at age 14 with the real Stanley Cup.  If I ever find it, I might even show it to you.

Also, can I get an NHL table cloth please?

Obviously she knew the B’s would win.  These should don’t do bad days.

Chuck, when you pick up Seguin for the wedding ask to borrow these too.

Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Bruins vs. Canucks.

East vs. West.

Bear vs. Orca.

For fans of both teams, tonight will be a special game.  History will be made.

Bruins have the opportunity to win their first Cup in 39 years.  Canucks have the chance to win their first Cup ever.

Through 82 regular season games and 3 rounds of intense playoff action, both teams have battled and bled for hockey glory.  They felled hated foes, only to create new ones with a single bite.

They’ve been concussed, cut, punched, slashed, some within an inch of their lives, only to emerge a roaring beast full of fire and determination and sheer will.

Tonight….someone wins the Cup.

We all know where my loyalties lie.  My blood runs Black and Gold.  For those that know me, they know that my love for this great sport and for the Bruins is not fairweather.  It is a deep, pure love, one that has sustained itself season after season, through every victory and every heart-wrenching defeat.

At 8pm EST, I’ll be sitting on my couch with my fingers and my toes and my hair crossed.  My roommate has graciously agreed to have a defibrilator ready.  I’ve already warned her that I may cry.

Oh and a fun fact about tonight…tonight, there will be a lunar eclipse.

Last time there was a lunar eclipse…it was Oct. 27, 2004…the day the Red Sox broke the curse and won the World Series.

Just saying…

Is this really happening?  Is the team that I’ve rooted for and cheered for all season really in the Stanley Cup Finals?

Hell ya, they are!

Bruins and Canucks will face off at 8pm EST in Game 1 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals.  I’m supposed to have grad class until 8pm but I’m totally planning on having to “go to the bathroom” and racing home (as much as one can race on public transportation) to watch the game.  I was invited to a meetup of Canadian ex-pats in Boston to watch the game, but they’ll all be cheering for the Canucks and I don’t know if I can handle that…

There has been a lot of media coverage of the SCF here in Boston (natch) and with that comes some awesome photos and screen caps of our most favorite Bruins players.  I only felt is was far to share them with our loyal readers because regardless of your personal hockey affiliation,  you understand the magnitude of the Stanley Cup Finals and what it means to the Canucks and Bruins hockey fans everywhere.

Plus their beards and faces are awesome.  See evidence below.

You’re welcome.

GO BRUINS!

Hi-fives for everyone!

Click, Click, Click...BOOM!

"I once caught a Canuck aboot this...big..."

Learning about the elusive creature known as the...Power Play Goal.

Still pondering just how in the world he made that save on Steve Downie...

Krecji looking all kinds of Euro

.:love:.

I already got my name on the Stanley Cup...what about you?

Teen Wolf like shiny cup.

Notice who's on the wall behind him. *good omen*

"I am Darth Quaider. You will fear me...and my mullet"

Czech me out, ladies.

Why hello there, Boych. Don't you look foxy. P.S. Your profile is *swoon*

The Professor has tenure with the Bruins. 7 years. He's only 25.

Thank you all at WUYS for voting me Disney Prince! I accept the award.

Captain Serious – aka Jonathan Toews does an interview SHIRTLESS:

Yes, Dawn, I know, but I asked you to stop calling me here. Jordan gave you my number? That ...

And Scooter MaGoo …

Honestly, does he have a contract with them?  Malkin did a commercial, they should clearly hire PK.

Toews is watching Kane.

Nobody told Tazer or PK to wear black.  Their bromance is so strong they have to dress alike to stick out.

The President does this every year, but Obama was the Senator from Chicago so this is extra-special for him.  Awkward Jon and his giant ring even gave Obama a mini Stanley Cup! I want one of those!  You know Obama would be great in the locker room and everyone would call him B-Rock.  In fact, I’m calling him that from now on.

bbStanley

The whole thing goes on too long – Tazer starts yawning around 4:30, well after I did.  B-Rock is busy, kids.  I wouldn’t be though – I might run for President just so I can do these ceremonies and turn them into all day events with theme park rides and funnel cake.

We like this.  We like this alot.

6 wins on the road including a huge win over the best team in the NHL, the Vancouver Canucks and the Sedin Wonder Twins.

Last time the B’s won 6 straight on the road was waaaay back in 1972.  They won the Cup that year and they had some guy named Bobby Orr on the team.

Hockey God.

Yesterday’s 2-1 win over Tampa Bay, made it 7 Ws in a row for the Killer Bs.  It wasn’t a pretty win by any means, as the team struggled offensively and turned prime scoring chances in to jack squat.  A missed net here, a clanger off the post there.  Sometimes they didn’t even take a shot at all.  (I’m talking to you Nathan Horton.)

I’m a cautiously optimistic sports fan.  I don’t like saying too much or hoping too much on the off-chance that it all comes crashing down around me.

Maybe it is because I’m a Red Sox fan and we are all too familiar with disappointment.  It took us a long time to get over Buckner.  (18 years)

*facepalm*

But I really really love this Bruins team.  Really.  Almost as much as I love my Prada backpack. (TTIHAY reference!)

The Bruins feel like a team that can stay in games even if they are trailing, execute their coach’s game plan, and remain calm, cool and collected.  They do more good things than bad things and that’ll win you games very time.

Winning is awesome. Just ask Charlie Sheen.

This Bruins team has an attitude.  A swagger.  A blue-collar bravado.

Maybe it has something to do with this…

Orr, Lucic, and Thornton featured in Dropkick Murphys’ new video.  Irish wake + shots of whiskey + hockey players = winning.

What ever the reason, I want more of it.  Much MORE!  Enough to fill the top of that pretty silver bowl…

From NHL.com: President Barack Obama will honor the 2010 Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks during a ceremony at The White House on Friday, March 11, at 3:00 p.m. ET.

Look who's back there - MAX TALBOT.

Following the ceremony, First Lady Michelle Obama, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and USA Hockey Executive Director Dave Ogrean will preside over a street hockey workout and clinic on a rink set up on the South Lawn of the White House. The clinic for local youngsters, which will be conducted by members of the Blackhawks and Washington Capitals.

The Eagle has landed.

Capitals @ Rangers – How much does Mike Green really love us?  Enough to get his 5th goal in 5 games AND punch Sean Avery in the face? If that happens, we’re changing the name of this blog to ‘What’s Up, Mike Green?’  Dawn says something about Ovechkin having 10 points in 6 games but I can’t hear her over the sound of these pants:

I shall call him Patches.

Flames @ Avalanche – Alex Tanguay and I care that he’s playing in Colorado, no one else does.  The Avs will have two rookie defensemen from BU on the ice – Kevin Shattenkirk and Colby Cohen.

Oilers @ Hurricanes – Remember when these two played to 7 games for the Cup in ‘o6?  I had been living on the beach in Thailand for 5 months and was like, “Who the hell are the Hurricanes?”  Gratuitous video of EStaaaaaaaaaaaal talking about his butt.

We're all thinking about it.

Maple Leafs @ Tampa Bay – Game canceled in favor of field trip to the Yuengling brewery and nearby Busch Gardens theme park.  Way more fun.  Steven Stamkos gets to drive the safari truck because he’s got the required 2.75 million goals.

Canucks @ Canadiens – Vancouver’s won 6 in a row and we hate the Habs.  We’d only watch this game if Justin Bieber repeated his World Series performance during every TV timeout.  Maybe not even then.

Actual size.

Thrashers @ Senators – Why no good Carrie Underwood sightings yet?  She can sing at the Super Bowl, but maybe she doesn’t know the words to the Canadien anthem?

Ducks @ Sharks – Anaheim is especially embarrassed to the the Ducks in a match up like this.  Thornton serves the 2nd game of his supsension for Thursday’s hit to STL’s David Perron.  You make the call – clean hit? Is it Thornton’s fault he’s 4″ taller?