Ode to the Penalty Kill

Someone asked me for my predictions for the week a few hours before the game and, immediately, I said, "Tonight? CRUSHED." Hamilton is a very good team on a major hot streak, the Aeros lost their #1 goalie and a couple of important players. It seemed like the sure thing.

But, that's why they play the games, and why I don't like to make predictions (but I was SO SURE about this one, I didn't even mind!)

But have a confession to make: I loved the second period. I know, I know... it was riddled with penalties and only 3 shots on goal, and I understand that in the grand scheme of things, it's actually not good strategy to spend entire periods on the penalty kill.

But my dirty little secret, among others, is that I love watching the boys on the PK so much that, as long as the Aeros ultimately get the win, I could watch that all night.

It may not be the stuff coaches like, or even the stuff players like, but as a fan of the game and moreover, a fan of gut busting defense, it's the kind of effort that makes me fall in love with a team. When that group of guys, this early in the season, can work that hard for each other, it makes my toes curl.

The PK is the heartbeat of hockey to me. It's why I love the game and write about it just about any place someone will let me; it's why I'm a goalie. It embodies everything really beautiful about the game. Goals, pretty and dirty, are nice and essential, but the soul of hockey is in these warriors who scrap and sacrifice their bodies on the PK.

Dubielewicz, whom I've been pretty hard on since the season started, was magnificent in that period. Everything and more you'd hope to get from your veteran goaltender when under fire. I agree with Andrew on some of the less desirable goals against, but he was a wall when it really could have gotten brutally ugly. And it wasn't luck out there, folks. That was just straight up good, clear-headed, hard-working goaltending. My mask is off to the guy.

And then to get beat twice in the shootout and come back to stop the rest, that's really fantastic mental discipline on Dubie's part. Pad taps.

No stick figures tonight. After three nights in a row of playing goal and being sick two of those days, I'm sweaty and beat and don't even have any ideas. If you want to throw some suggestions my way in the comments, if one speaks to the artist in me, I'll do it up tomorrow.