HLD Making his Comeback

There is only one thing that gives a man more pleasure than a blowout win for his favorite tem, and I can’t begin to talk about it here since it’s a family forum. Stay tuned for the X-rated blurbs of HLD for details on man’s greatest pleasure (catch it on HBO @ 25:00pm)

Games such as the one we were blessed with last night are remembered throughout the season. The whole team produced, the whole team scored, and Mr. Kovalev put on a show that will be in high light reels for 2007/2008 season. I mean, you deke the guy, get held, loose a glove, still beat him to the puck, deke him again, pick up your glove, deke him again, travel around the slot, and circulate the puck for what seemed like an eternity in the Boston zone getting quality chances after quality chances. When Kovalev’s line was on the ice last night, it was more reminiscent of the Harlem Globe Trotters playing the New York Nationals, than two NHL caliber teams facing off against each other.

With that said let me bring you all back down to earth. After a superb performance like last night by the local team, it’s more than easy for the fans to get overzealous and be overwhelmed by a blinding optimism. This overwhelming emotion is wonderful, and necessary. We should all indulge for at least 24 hours in imagining our team holding Lord Stanley’s cup a few months from now. However come tonight, it’s time to get our game faces on and a heavy dose of a reality check. As much as Canadiens have had the Bruin’s number in recent year, the New Jersey Devils have had our number. You see Martin Brodeur is actually a transformer (he’s one of the Autobots mind you…those are the good guys right?) and when he plays the Montreal Canadiens he transforms into “Mega Uber Goaltender Man). If the teams goes into tomorrows game over confident, we risk being on the receiving end of a thrashing similar to the one from last night.

So you’re wondering, does a blowout game like last night have any long term effects on the team? Well games like last night are as important to a team’s long term success, as the stock market is draining my portfolio like a blood sucking, money eating merciless machine. In case you’re not following me that means “yes”.

In the short long term the team can try and build off of the momentum of this total domination to get a winning streak going.

In the mid-long term, when the team is going through a rough patch, they can look back to the not so distant past and build off of the positive vibes of a game where everybody was gelling and playing like a well oiled machine.

In the long long term, games like this are a major boost of confidence in ones ability as an individual, and as a team. This confidence cannot be bought, trained into obtaining, nor can it be easily lost once achieved. This is the fourth dimension, the sixth sens, the karma, the force…whatever you want to call it, the extra edge a player needs to be an NHL commodity, rather than just an NHL caliber player.