Aeros hit early, ice Mighty Ducks
SMITH’S RETURN A WINNING ONE; BACKED BY EARLY GOALS, GOALIE MAKES 35 SAVES IN 3-1 WIN
While most of Houston was caught up in Astros fever, Opening Day snuck in under the radar. OK, so it was the American Hockey League home opener for the Houston Aeros, but it was hockey, and I wasn’t about to miss it.
Yes, it was minor-league hockey, but the AHL is probably as close as we’re going to get to the “real thing” this year. With the NHL lockout proceeding apace and with no apparent possibility of a settlement (or even negotiations), hockey fans are going to be left to get their fix in whatever ways they can.
Heading to the game last night, I was well aware that it wasn’t the hockey that I wanted to be seeing this time of year. I did, however, decide that I was going to take advantage of what was available. If the greedhead NHL owners and players are going to take their pissing contest well into the season, so be it. Who knows? Perhaps by December or January I won’t even miss the NHL…ah, hell; who am I kidding? Of course, I’m going to miss the NHL, but no one is going to be listening to my sage words of counsel.
Last night’s game was pretty typical AHL stuff. Houston played in San Antonio the night before, and Cincinnati looked pretty travel-weary as well. After a furious first period, both teams spent the last 40 minutes looking as if they were skating in a sand trap. The was 3-1 Houston after the first period. They could have saved all of us some time and ended it right there, because neither team so much as sniffed a goal over the final 40 minutes.
Even with the brutality of the AHL schedule, it was still hockey, and a good time was still had by all. No, it wasn’t Pavel Bure or Mario Lemieux, but Cincinnati did have a player whose last name is Pecker and another whose last name is Kuntz. Now THAT’S entertainment, eh?
GAME ON, Y’ALL!!
