The Defense NEVER Rests!

Last night, Linda and I went to what we expect to be our last Bucs game of the season. The Sioux City Musketeers were in town. On one hand, it was not as entertaining as some we've been to but, with the benefit of a few hours to let it sort out, I'd have to say that it was actually a pretty good game. During the introduction of the starting lineups, I thought we were going to get off to a good start; lots of excellent players were going to be on the ice immediately. The Bucs took the puck from the faceoff, drove toward the Musketeers goal. Some nifty stick work by their defense sent the puck the other way and, a few seconds later, we were down 0-1. Hmmm...

The first period ended with the Bucs trailing 0-2. By the end of the second, it was 0-3 and the home team was fighting VERY hard or it would likely have been worse. Things weren't looking good.

Half way through the third, the Bucs finally got a break and, in ESPN terminology, "put the biscuit in the basket" to avoid the shutout. A few minutes later, they did it again! We had a game! The crowd rose up and, for the last five minutes, it was a madhouse. The Bucs pulled their goalie with nearly two minutes left and mounted a serious and sustained attack. As the seconds were winding down, the tempo on the ice (and in the stands) was nearing a frenzie. As time ran out, the puck was rolling in front of the Musketeers goal but never crossed the line to bring on overtime. The 2-3 loss was one of few we'd witnessed.

Both teams played well and, as usual, when the defenses are strong, the entertainment value is not as high. We like to see the goals, the home runs, the touchdowns. Defense is not as easy to appreciate. Preventing the big plays is hard work and, as I learned playing football in high school, the defense cannot rest. You never know when you're going to be the last man. Last night, two teams hammered on each other for an hour and, in my opinion, played good hockey. Sioux City did it just enough better to get the win. Congrats to them.

Let's go Bucs!