First Round of Play-Offs: Game One

This is the third year for the Saint John Sea Dogs and the third year that Hubby and I have held season tickets for the seats next to the Visitors penalty box.

I'll be honest. The first two seasons weren't easy. As a new team, they really had their work cut out for them. The first two years, they were dead-last in the division and so when the regular season ended, we all went home. No play-off hockey in Saint John those first two years.

We all figured that next year would be "our" year. Who ever would have guessed that the team Coach Beaulieu was putting together would gel ahead of schedule. We spent a good chunk of the regular season sitting at the top of the division standings and finished second only to the Halifax Mooseheads (my sister's team, of course).

Tonight was the Sea Dogs' first ever play-off game, and although it wasn't a sold-out crowd, the place was pretty much packed. Our goalie, Fullerton, had things well in hand, and the crowd was hopping.

I felt bad for the PEI goalies, though, as well as their fans who were also in attendance. Since we were second in the division, and they were second from the bottom, the odds were definitely in our favour. It takes a lot of heart to keep on going, but they didn't give up. Not even when we hit double-digits and it was pretty clear that they weren't going to win.

I'm sending out personal kudos to Francois Gauthier, #14, who got a hat trick tonight, scoring three of our first five goals. That's pretty darn impressive, and it surprised no one that he was named the First Star of the Game.

I was also really excited to see that one of my favourite players, Mike Thomas, #17, got a goal and an assist! Well done, Mike!

The next game in the best-of-seven series is tomorrow night, and while I'm looking forward to it, it won't have all of the excitement of being the First Play-Off Game Ever.

As funny as it was to see the boys with their bleached hair sticking out from under their helmets, by tomorrow night, the shock value will have worn off a bit. And I suspect the team's winning euphoria tonight was a little more pronounced than it will be tomorrow night.

After all, you know what they say. It's never as good as the first time.