Pressure is off

This season we have enjoyed many great times, we have had a few 8-10 game winning streaks, 6 shut-outs, great goals, full arena's, and the teams first Series Championship in 23 years. In playoffs we had a lot of pressure to perform at the level we had all season. We responded well and opened the playoffs with a 8-1 record in route to the finals.....

The finals came after a 10 day wait, and the almighty Valerenga was ready for us at the end of the wait. We started in their rink and they were up 2-0 on us before we knew it. I felt very rusty, a little tired, and a little anxious early in the game and I think I was not alone. After a bad first we regrouped and played better. However the damage was done when they scored early in the 2nd to go up 3-0. We played them 2-2 through the last 28 minutes but it still was a rude wake up call as game 1 ended 5-2. In the first round we lost 5-2 and responded well in the next game and went on to win 7 in a row. We hoped for the same type of turn-a-round. Unfortunately, we didn't get it. We played game 2 at home and we were flat. Our fans began to turn on us for the first time this year as boo's filled the arena after a couple bad powerplays and we were shut-out 2-0 in game 2. Game 3 we needed a big game. Their rink was full, 6,000 fans all but 1000 cheering for the home team. It would prove to be our best game of the series. We had chances early and killed off a couple powerplays. Then late in the first they scored with the man advantage to make it 1-0. Between periods we were optimistic because we knew we were playing our game. We were able to tie the game at 1 on a 5-3 half way through the game. We then had a goal called off which would have put us up 2-1. Within minutes they found themselves on a 5-3 and they took the lead 2-1 as the 2nd period came to an end. In the third our leading goal scorer during the season had a penalty shot and missed, we hit the post a couple times, they had some chances but didn't score. So not our night..... In the national paper today, there was a picture of the called off goal, with the puck obviously over the line....That is how the cookie crumbles...

We now have no pressure, Toronto came back from down 3-0 in the 1940's against our Red Wings, I think the Boston Red Sox did it a couple years ago against the Yankees..the bloody sock series..so WHEN we turn this around, we will be in great company.