A FEEL GOOD MOMENT.

The last time we played they beat us 4-2. It was considered some kind of an upset. We had been unbeaten up to that point. They out-hit us, out-shot us, out-hustled us and generally out-played us. Our goaltender, me, had what would be considered an "off night." After getting beat this way, we lost one more game in the next 4 and were now considered beatable and not as good as people thought we were. Maybe not as good as we thought we were.

As the playoffs approached we read the doubting comments in the local papers. We were over rated. Our coach was too old to be competing with younger coaches. He didn't instill any sense of urgency in his players. We were going through the motions.  Gcoach was not as good as he had been the past two years. This was fine in the regular season, not so fine in regional play of the playoffs. We finished the year 23-2 but those two losses at the end of the year spelled doom for us. Certainly we would never get out of our region.

We were almost guilty of looking past our first regional opponent. Down 2-1 going into the third period our captain gave us a pep talk duing the second intermission. He finished his talk by quoting from the hot song of the day, "Let's go out there and, take it, to the limit, one more time." After throwing tape and water bottles at him we settled down and dismantled our opponent and skated away with a 6-2 victory. We could always score like that.

Our second round opponent had the league leading scorer on their roster. He was quick and speedy and as sly a player as we had seen. He put up huge numbers during the regular season and had 7 points in the first game of their playoffs this year. He was looking to take us out. He ended up with 4 shots, two on breakaways, and left the building that night with 0 points. We beat them 4-1 and they were actually never really in the game.

The semi-final game was against a team we had never lost to.  When the night was over, we still hadn't lost to them. We cruised to a 4-0 victory. We were playing like our old selves again. Methodically picking teams apart with a goaltender who didn't need to be spectacular, just solid, and he was doing that. Our forwards were working well together and our defensemen were moving the puck up and keeping the front of the net clear. Our confidence was back and we were getting primed. And we were getting primed for good reason. Our next opponent, for a regional championship, was the team that started our "downfall."

I arrived at the arena early and put my equipment in our assigned locker room. Goalies are said to be strange individuals. I left the locker room and walked for what seemed like an eternity around the arena. Imagery! I used imagery for the first time that I could recall to get up for this game. Since we had both qualified for this game my thoughts had been on nothing else. School. No way! My girlfriend! Definately, no way! Her brother played for our opponents! As a matter of fact, her dad told me my neck would be bright red at the end of the night from all the goals they were going to score on me. I don't even remember what my dad said to me on the way out of the house. I envisioned every part of this game. Upon my return to the locker room I began to dress.

Some goalies have weird habits. We call these habits superstitions. One professional goalie used to throw up before every game. One would completely undress and then get dressed again during the intermissions. Tonight I just wanted to make sure I got my cup on first. That done I took my time getting dressed. Garter belt. Socks. Breezers (hockey pants). Left skate then right skate. To this day I put my left shoe on before I put my right shoe on. Left pad then right pad. Leather pads. Shoulder and arm protectors. Then chest protector. Jersey with the bold #1 on the back of it. Sticks were ready. I walked around a little bit but said nothing to my teammates. The butterflies were churning. The nerves were high and my breathing was slow and shallow. Coach came in and told us to get up and at that time the buzzer sounded us to come out for warm-ups. I put on my mask, the Bernie Parent style mask that my dad got me to start the season. Looked just like Bernie's and I kept it white with a small school logo on it. His was white with a Flyers logo on his. As the starting goaltender I led the team out for the warm up. Before you knew it we were back in the locker room.

After the pre-game talks by coaches and captains I just wanted to play. The buzzer sounded and it was time to lead the guys out for the first period. As I bolted out of the locker room door I realized that the cheerleaders (and this began my questioning of the need for cheerleders at a hockey game) had put up some paper thing with our names and numbers on it right in front of the door to the ice. I went rambling full speed through this thing and the toe of my right skate hit the bottom part of the door opening and I became airborne. Head first and flat on my chest through the entrance to the ice. I slid to the middle of the faceoff circles and as I got up I noticed my teammates laughing as they began their skate around before the start of the first period. I don't know exactly what happened after that. I think that kind of put me in a zone.

I only remember one save from that night. It was a pad save, left pad, on a point blank shot. The rebound went off into a soft zone (corner) as we call it. I was in a zone. The kind of zone when you can't hear anyone in the crowd. The kind of zone where the puck looks like a huge saucer. The kind of zone where the other team takes pot shots at you but you don't realize it. You don't retaliate to them. The kind of zone where no matter how many people the other team gets in front of you, you can still find the puck. When it was over I had made 26 saves and we had absolutely throttled our nemesis scoring in double digits. And we didn't allow them on the board.

I never went out with my girlfriend again after that. I think her dad and her brother might have had something to do with that. Perhaps it was my remark to her dad after the game to go and check their goalie's neck for redness. My teammates and I were BMOC for a few days after that and, although we had been before, this was special. It was special for several reasons.

 It was special because for the first time I realized that our, and my abilities, had been called into question. We were in high school for crying out loud. People were writing things in the local papers about us, and they weren't good things. Writing that we were over rated and not very good. It was special because for at least one night, as no other team I have ever been a part of, as player or coach, worked together like we did on that night. Collectively we had something to prove. Third and fourth liners, when given their opportunity, played like first liners. My defensemen hit and moved people all night. One of them scored two goals. We scored in double digits and got goals from 6 different players. We were motivated.

I learned a few things that night about me and about people. I learned that people with a common goal working together are harder to beat than a minimal few working alone. I learned that humor can help us to overcome adversity if we let it. I learned that proper preparation can do wonders for success. I learned that you can take the negative and make it a positive. I learned that you can take what people say about you and enjoy it if positive and work hard to change it to a positive. And if you worked hard and they still didn't think much of you, move on. I also learned that it may not get any better than a certain moment.

We didn't win a state championship that year. Didn't come close, other than getting there. And even though there was disappointment with that, I will always fondly remember that team from 1976. I will always remember the guys who made up that team. I will always remember what we accomplished on one night together. They are part of the reason I went into coaching. They are a part of the stories I tell my hockey players today. This is why I am a hockey guy. I played junior hockey. I've won local championships playing ball, finished high at state tournaments playing ball and been on some extremely poor teams. But never, ever, did I enjoy one team as much as I enjoyed this one from my senior year in high school. I have been to the Minnesota State Tournament as a coach and have had great teams and great kids but nothing compares to that team and the lessons I learned in one night so many years ago.

DOES ANYONE ELSE REMEMBER ANYTHING LIKE THIS? I'M SURE THERE ARE MANY. IF YOU WANT TO SHARE THEM FEEL FREE. I AM IN FEEL GOOD MODE TODAY.