Time off is a glorious thing... And there's something else, too...

So after the craziness of the past few weeks, especially at work, I'm excited to be taking a week off for myself this coming week. I'm going to be taking quite a road trip the last half of the week, including attending 2 Edmonton Oilers games. Not to exaggerate anything, but this is going to be a life-changing, monumental experience. I've always touted myself as "the biggest Oilers fan to have never seen them play in person." This is a claim I will no longer be able to make. Though it's a small price to pay for the chance to finally see them live. My wonderful sister bought me one of the tickets as a Christmas gift. I can't tell you how great this is going to be. I'm also going to spend a day up in Grande Prairie, visiting my friend up there. I've only been there once before, and it was the middle of the summer then. I'm a little unsure how I feel about going that far north in the middle of winter, but they tell me it's supposed to be fairly mild this week. The highways should be clear, anyway.

This should be a great, and much needed, break from the daily grind. I even just love the feeling of knowing that I don't have to go to work on Monday, and yet I'll still get paid as if I were. It's a great feeling.

But with all this, there's something else that makes this a great time. I'm currently sitting on my couch watching Hockey Day in Canada!!! This is one of the best days of the year. Hockey all day long. Ottawa is currently beating up on Montreal something fierce. In a couple hours Toronto will play host to the Vancouver Canucks, and then we'll see the Oilers slide into Calgary to extinguish the Flames. If I remember I'll update this post later on with a bit of commentary. (I was told by my uncle, after emailing a review of his son's basketball game, that I should consider a career in sportswriting, so let's see how this goes.)

Montreal at Ottawa

Ottawa came out firing on all cylinders to score early and often in this bout. By the end of the first period it was 4-0 for the Senators. As the Canadiens took to the ice for the second period, I was surprised to see Huet return between the pipes after his disastrous showing in the opening inning. It wouldn't be long, however, until he took his spot on the bench due to two more quick goals, giving the Sens a 6-0 lead. So as the Habs make a goaltending change, they also find an offensive spark, as they come back with two quick goals of their own. All this, and it's only halfway through the game. The remainder if the period has some good hitting and a few good saves, but no more scoring until the final minute when the Sens score twice again, including a really strange bounce, to take a 8-2 lead into the second intermission. The third starts with Montreal coming out hard, but Emery seemed up to the task in net for the Sens. Finally, about halfway into the final period he lets one by again. Of course this was far too little, far too late, for the Habs as they go on to lose the game by a margin of 8-3.

Vancouver at Toronto

I actually didn't watch much of this game. I went out grocery shopping and running errands. But it ended up another one-sided game, due to a big third period by then 'Nucks. Even at 1's after one, Vancouver scored a go-ahead in the second, and then they followed it up with 4 in the third for a 6-1 toppling over the host TML's.

Edmonton at Calgary

Good fast pace to start off the first, with the puck going up and down the ice, and a few good chances at both ends. The first 10 minutes went by very quickly with just a couple whistles. And while there were a few more whistles to round off the opening act, none of them where due to goals. (I was disappointed in the non-call on the high-sticking with about a minute to go, though I understand how the ref could've missed seeing the stick, as it looked like he was hit with the puck.) As the second period begins, we see the first penalty of the game against Edmonton, but the excellent PK of the Oilers are easily able to kill that one off. A few minutes later, as the Flames get caught for high-sticking (and Phaneuf gets away with a cheap shot after the whistle), Horcoff nets one for the guest Oilers to put the first goal on the scoreboard. Just a few minutes later Calgary was able to answer back on a power play of their own to tie things up, and that's the was the second period ended. A little over halfway through the third, the ref made a very questionable call giving Sykora a holding penalty. The Flames were able to score on the ensuing power play. Another Calgary goal, this time on the transition, gives the Flames a two goal lead to finish the game at 3-1. While I'm sure I'm biased, I have to say that I think the officiating was quite skewed in Calgary's favour. Very disappointing indeed.