Bruinaura
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NHL 2023-2024 Out of Town: THE SUNRISE KITTENS HAVE WON THE STANLEY CUP
- Thread starter Gee Wally
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Ludwig Fell Down
Registered User
Follow-up question. Which is ranked higher, assistant coach or assistant to the associate coach?
Former Bruins Head Coach Claude Julien Lands New Job On NHL Staff
Claude Julien is back behind an NHL bench. After being out of the league for the last three seasons, the former Boston Bruins head coach was hired by the St. Louis Blues as an assistant coach on Thursday, joining a staff led by new head coach Drew Bannister. Steve Ott has been promoted to...
bostonhockeynow.com
Great for Claude, if that's what he wants.
Assistant coach?
He could teach a master class.
LouJersey
Registered User
this was our last exchange... I know his wife was very sick but feeling better
ME: I think things are going to get alot better for you.... people here LOVE you dude, and I mean that. We all bust balls, but you are special to all of us, and make this league great.
So happy to hear about your wife, hopefully if it is covid, it's mild...my wife had it and it was not too bad.
AOF: m glad you all get the mild version... nothing makes life better than a good wife... treasure all the joys you got in your life and never take for granted the future. its good to have you here in the league... you are truely one of the good ones
He passed not too shortly after that.
Aeroforce
Registered User
I think the difference between an assistant coach and and associate coach is one is waiting in the wings if and when the head coach faulters. 
Hope Claude and Ott have a beverage and revisit the infamous Dallas game.
Hope Claude and Ott have a beverage and revisit the infamous Dallas game.
FrankerC
Registered User
I hear Claude is gonna be their powerplay specialist 
Bruinaura
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Ludwig Fell Down
Registered User
Finally getting around to posting my recap of game 7. Loooonnnng post coming, feel free to scroll past. Here is an overview of our 21 hours in South Florida:
Morning:
Left the house at 3:40 am to pick up my daughter in Brighton and head to Logan. Security went fine and flight was on schedule. Got to the hotel at 9:55 am, got a few leftovers from continental breakfast, and were lucky enough to be able to check in. A few folks had oilers jerseys on at breakfast, everyone was in great spirits. Daughter and I went up to the room, logged in on our respective laptops and started working, as it was a workday for each of us.
Lunch:
No photos (sorry Kevin). We went to a seafood joint about 1/2 mile walk from the hotel. On the way, chatting with two guys who commented on my daughter's Oilers hat. Turns out one of the guys was a Bruins fan from Alberta. Definitely a sign that it would be a great day. Lunch place had a covered patio facing the beach. Tons of Oilers fans. We finally spotted our first Panthers jersey (old school Scott Mellanby), on one of four guys who sat down in the restaurant. They got some good-natured ribbing. As we finished lunch, I went over to say I was a Bruins fan, and if they wanted to give someone sh-- they could give it to me. Turns out they were Leafs fans, which gave us a good laugh.
The big debate at lunch was how the arena would be split among fans. Guesses were anywhere from 25% - 50% Oilers fans. We also got a tip that the Yard House was going to be the Oilers bar before the game.
Afternoon:
Honestly, the longest afternoon I've had for a long time. The clock was crawling. Daughter and I took turns taking a brief nap in the room, and taking our laptop down to the pool to change the scenery and break up the monotony. I had a light schedule on my calendar, which I regretted because a few client calls would have been a good distraction.
Pregame:
At 4:45 we hit our wits end and decided to get to the arena earlier than we had planned. Ubered to Sunrise. The arena area is like GIllette -- tons of shops and restaurants. Our plan was to hit the four sporting goods stores or find a cart to find some Oilers gear. None of the stores had Oilers gear and there was very little Panthers merchandise. One store had the old navy blue Capitals jerseys that were all Ovechkins. Pretty lame. And no street vendors.
Daugher had an Oilers cap from our 2019 Canada trip; I went with my Jets Dale Hawerchuk shersey, which was the best option that I had. At least 25 people stopped me to compliment me on my choice. Hawerchuk is saintlike in Canada.
Went to the Yard House. That bar and the bar across the alley (a margarita joint) were PACKED with Oilers fans, a few Panthers fans were interspersed. The atmosphere was festive. Daughter had made dinner reservations at another restaurant, but we ditched them to join the crowd. We had 3 rounds - the third round was served in plastic cups so we can take them outside ("we're in Florida" was a regular refrain). We were hungry, so went to Shake Shack to grab dinner. Daughter asked if we could bring our beers in, and we agreed "we're in Florida". It was fine and half the customers had a drink in front of them.
Arena
I liked the rink. We were in my favorite spot, balcony behind the net that FLA defended twice. The pitch in the balcony was steep, it would remind you of the old garden. Sightlines were great, concourses were wide.
Crowd:
The crowd in my estimation was 30% Oilers fans. It was hard to distinguish orange jerseys from red jerseys. In our section, our entire row and the row ahead of us and the two rows behind us were all Oilers fans. I'm not sure how the noise was on TV, but when the arena started the drumbeat to get a "let's go Panthers" cheer, all we could hear was "Lets go Oilers!"
The crowd was very good natured. Everyone was friendly with one another. Very different atmosphere from the Garden where it often feels like a fight is going to break out.
The best moment was in the 2nd period. A Panthers fan 2 rows ahead of us on the aisle was yelling something to an Oilers fan 2 rows behind us on the aisle. A couple of other people stood up and got involved in the discussion. I said to my daughter that we should switch seats because a brawl was about to go down. She said no. So what happened was, Florida fan asked Oilers fan how hot it gets in the summer. Oilers fan replies, "28 degrees." Panthers fan is very confused because he is thinking fareinheit. A couple of other Canadians got involved to help him understands the conversion to Celsius. That cracked me up, it was a very funny moment in an otherwise tense evening.
The game:
I cannot emphasize enough how tense the game was. I can't imagine having a serious rooting interest in either team. Florida scores, the air goes out of the Oilers fans. Oilers equalize quickly, euphoria ensues. Then the chances are few and far between. After the first period, I thought Edmonton had survived Florida's best period and was poised to take the lead.
I've never been to a game where everyone was laser focused on the ice for all 60 minutes. The best moments were when the zamboni doors opened to make way for the people clearing the ice. It meant a TV time out, which meant we could all exhale and talk about the last few minutes of action. Then they would line up for the draw and the conversations ended.
About 5 minutes left when Bob was out of net and McDavid then Hyman had shot attempts blocked, I turned to my daughter and said "that was their chance."
The only disappointing part was the last dozen seconds when the puck was pinned along the boards. I so wanted to see the Oilers get one more shot.
Trophy presentation and celebration
No one left their seats until the cup was awarded. Props to the Edmonton fans who stayed and watched and clapped. It was worth the experience to see that live.
As the cup started being passed around, Oilers fans started leaving and we went to the lower bowl. It was truly heartwarming to see the players up close and interacting with one another, and team employees doing the same.
Eventually we worked our way over the zamboni entrance. We were chatting up security and enjoying a front row view. I had a thought that we would eventually sweet-talk our way on the ice. But there were too many obnoxous people around yelling that they knew so-and-so and should get on the ice, so we figured it wouldnt' happen.
Finally, Matthew Tkachuk
I still can't stand him as a player, and always root for someone to cold-cock him on the ice. But I was watching him, and he honestly seems like a first-class human being. Every player's kids who got onto the ice made a beeline for him, and he hugged them all and seemed to know all their names. He took tons of pictures with staffers. He went over to different groups of fans so they could take selfies with him from behind the glass. He was incredibly generous with his time and gracious to everyone who interacted with him. I was impressed.
Back to the hotel
Got back at 1:30 am. Set the alarm for 4:15 so we could get to the airport. My daughter was going to uber home because I had an early call. But I cancelled it and gave her a ride home, as I wasn't quite ready for the trip to end.
Anyway, it was cathartic to write all this, as over time I'm afraid I'll forget some of these memories. Hope some of you enjoyed this.
LFD
Morning:
Left the house at 3:40 am to pick up my daughter in Brighton and head to Logan. Security went fine and flight was on schedule. Got to the hotel at 9:55 am, got a few leftovers from continental breakfast, and were lucky enough to be able to check in. A few folks had oilers jerseys on at breakfast, everyone was in great spirits. Daughter and I went up to the room, logged in on our respective laptops and started working, as it was a workday for each of us.
Lunch:
No photos (sorry Kevin). We went to a seafood joint about 1/2 mile walk from the hotel. On the way, chatting with two guys who commented on my daughter's Oilers hat. Turns out one of the guys was a Bruins fan from Alberta. Definitely a sign that it would be a great day. Lunch place had a covered patio facing the beach. Tons of Oilers fans. We finally spotted our first Panthers jersey (old school Scott Mellanby), on one of four guys who sat down in the restaurant. They got some good-natured ribbing. As we finished lunch, I went over to say I was a Bruins fan, and if they wanted to give someone sh-- they could give it to me. Turns out they were Leafs fans, which gave us a good laugh.
The big debate at lunch was how the arena would be split among fans. Guesses were anywhere from 25% - 50% Oilers fans. We also got a tip that the Yard House was going to be the Oilers bar before the game.
Afternoon:
Honestly, the longest afternoon I've had for a long time. The clock was crawling. Daughter and I took turns taking a brief nap in the room, and taking our laptop down to the pool to change the scenery and break up the monotony. I had a light schedule on my calendar, which I regretted because a few client calls would have been a good distraction.
Pregame:
At 4:45 we hit our wits end and decided to get to the arena earlier than we had planned. Ubered to Sunrise. The arena area is like GIllette -- tons of shops and restaurants. Our plan was to hit the four sporting goods stores or find a cart to find some Oilers gear. None of the stores had Oilers gear and there was very little Panthers merchandise. One store had the old navy blue Capitals jerseys that were all Ovechkins. Pretty lame. And no street vendors.
Daugher had an Oilers cap from our 2019 Canada trip; I went with my Jets Dale Hawerchuk shersey, which was the best option that I had. At least 25 people stopped me to compliment me on my choice. Hawerchuk is saintlike in Canada.
Went to the Yard House. That bar and the bar across the alley (a margarita joint) were PACKED with Oilers fans, a few Panthers fans were interspersed. The atmosphere was festive. Daughter had made dinner reservations at another restaurant, but we ditched them to join the crowd. We had 3 rounds - the third round was served in plastic cups so we can take them outside ("we're in Florida" was a regular refrain). We were hungry, so went to Shake Shack to grab dinner. Daughter asked if we could bring our beers in, and we agreed "we're in Florida". It was fine and half the customers had a drink in front of them.
Arena
I liked the rink. We were in my favorite spot, balcony behind the net that FLA defended twice. The pitch in the balcony was steep, it would remind you of the old garden. Sightlines were great, concourses were wide.
Crowd:
The crowd in my estimation was 30% Oilers fans. It was hard to distinguish orange jerseys from red jerseys. In our section, our entire row and the row ahead of us and the two rows behind us were all Oilers fans. I'm not sure how the noise was on TV, but when the arena started the drumbeat to get a "let's go Panthers" cheer, all we could hear was "Lets go Oilers!"
The crowd was very good natured. Everyone was friendly with one another. Very different atmosphere from the Garden where it often feels like a fight is going to break out.
The best moment was in the 2nd period. A Panthers fan 2 rows ahead of us on the aisle was yelling something to an Oilers fan 2 rows behind us on the aisle. A couple of other people stood up and got involved in the discussion. I said to my daughter that we should switch seats because a brawl was about to go down. She said no. So what happened was, Florida fan asked Oilers fan how hot it gets in the summer. Oilers fan replies, "28 degrees." Panthers fan is very confused because he is thinking fareinheit. A couple of other Canadians got involved to help him understands the conversion to Celsius. That cracked me up, it was a very funny moment in an otherwise tense evening.
The game:
I cannot emphasize enough how tense the game was. I can't imagine having a serious rooting interest in either team. Florida scores, the air goes out of the Oilers fans. Oilers equalize quickly, euphoria ensues. Then the chances are few and far between. After the first period, I thought Edmonton had survived Florida's best period and was poised to take the lead.
I've never been to a game where everyone was laser focused on the ice for all 60 minutes. The best moments were when the zamboni doors opened to make way for the people clearing the ice. It meant a TV time out, which meant we could all exhale and talk about the last few minutes of action. Then they would line up for the draw and the conversations ended.
About 5 minutes left when Bob was out of net and McDavid then Hyman had shot attempts blocked, I turned to my daughter and said "that was their chance."
The only disappointing part was the last dozen seconds when the puck was pinned along the boards. I so wanted to see the Oilers get one more shot.
Trophy presentation and celebration
No one left their seats until the cup was awarded. Props to the Edmonton fans who stayed and watched and clapped. It was worth the experience to see that live.
As the cup started being passed around, Oilers fans started leaving and we went to the lower bowl. It was truly heartwarming to see the players up close and interacting with one another, and team employees doing the same.
Eventually we worked our way over the zamboni entrance. We were chatting up security and enjoying a front row view. I had a thought that we would eventually sweet-talk our way on the ice. But there were too many obnoxous people around yelling that they knew so-and-so and should get on the ice, so we figured it wouldnt' happen.
Finally, Matthew Tkachuk
I still can't stand him as a player, and always root for someone to cold-cock him on the ice. But I was watching him, and he honestly seems like a first-class human being. Every player's kids who got onto the ice made a beeline for him, and he hugged them all and seemed to know all their names. He took tons of pictures with staffers. He went over to different groups of fans so they could take selfies with him from behind the glass. He was incredibly generous with his time and gracious to everyone who interacted with him. I was impressed.
Back to the hotel
Got back at 1:30 am. Set the alarm for 4:15 so we could get to the airport. My daughter was going to uber home because I had an early call. But I cancelled it and gave her a ride home, as I wasn't quite ready for the trip to end.
Anyway, it was cathartic to write all this, as over time I'm afraid I'll forget some of these memories. Hope some of you enjoyed this.
LFD
Sounds amazing - I'm a bit jealous! Thanks for sharing.
Tkachuk strikes me as one of those 'red mist' kind of guys - really decent dude off the ice, but when it's game time the competitive urge fully takes over and he'll do whatever it takes to win. He crosses a line sometimes but at the same time he genuinely plays a hard, full-commitment game and is a guy other players want to go to war with. His arrival instantly made Florida better. If he and Marchand were teammates they'd be best buddies.
@Ludwig Fell Down Thank you so much for posting this
That is an amazing account of your trip - thank you for posting. Do you write for a living because that was very well done!
Ludwig Fell Down
Registered User
Thanks Caz. I am not a writer, but am an avid reader and have picked up a few things along the way. I appreciate your kind words.
Chevalier du Clavier
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Chevalier du Clavier
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AngryMilkcrates
End of an Era
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TCB
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Bruinaura
Resident Cookie Monster
- Mar 29, 2014
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They own CapFriendly, they'll figure it out
I think Oshie is done.
I'm telling you.
As you get older, you turn around and a guy who was a goofy rook @ 21 is a grizzled vet at 33.
Life.
Chevalier du Clavier
Écrivain de ferrage
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