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Amidst
another vicious Cartel attack, it’s tempting to write about something
somber.
I have
been told I am a tad fatalistic, at times turning readers
off. However, I have never taken “literary license,” as a
student, sell-side analyst, or blogger. What makes my work popular is my
frank language and no-nonsense approach, which I cannot sacrifice if I am to
remain true to myself. Believe me, I’ll be the first to report
“good news” when I see it. However, as pertains to economic
matters, I have seen NOTHING positive for a decade, and sadly, do not
anticipate the “return” of good news in this generation. I
believe the ENTIRE GLOBAL FINANCIAL SYSTEM will COLLAPSE – starting
with Europe – and when it does, only those that PROTECTED themselves
with PHYSICAL GOLD and SILVER, FOOD, ENERGY, and other ITEMS OF REAL VALUE
will survive – and not just financially.
That said,
today’s RANT does not relate to the “SUDDEN DEATH” of
markets, the economy, or any of my usual “doom and gloom” topics,
but Ice Hockey.
From
recent writings, you probably realize I’m a diehard New York Rangers
fan, although why I’ll never know, given that I grew up 10 miles from
Nassau Coliseum, home of the rival New York Islanders. Not only that, the
upstart Islanders won the Stanley Cup four years a row when I was ages 9-12,
my most formidable hockey-rooting years. Consequently, I took A LOT of
ribbing for rooting for the Rangers – who hadn’t won a Cup since
1940 – and put my heart and soul into them, experiencing
the same frustration Chicago Cubs fans have endured for decades.
Thankfully,
the Rangers won the Stanley Cup in 1994, taking a load off my back that made
my life much easier. The glow of victory lasted a few years, but in time
burnt out, as the team hasn’t been close to winning since. That
is, until this year, when it had the top record in the Eastern Conference.
For the first time in years, they were actually a favorite to
advance in the playoffs!
In their
first round matchup with the gritty Ottawa Senators, it took a one-goal win
in the seventh game to finish them off. Throughout the series, I felt the old
passions resurface, and by Game 7, the old “RANTING RANGER FAN”
was back, scrutinizing each possession, cheering the players, and booing the
refs – although frankly, there was little to boo, as the refs were fantastic,
“letting the players play.”
In the
second round, the Rangers are playing one of their oldest rivals, the
Washington Capitals – quite ironic, as the series pits the twin
capitals of American evil. Still, I have watched these teams fight many an
epic battle, and with the Cup getting closer, no doubt this match-up would be
great, too. The first two games were split – both by tight margins
– setting up yesterday’s all-important Game 3, in Washington. It
started the same as the others, a tightly defended game featuring great
goaltending and precious few scoring opportunities. Both teams scored in the
second period, but who would believe 85 minutes would pass before the next
– and final – goal?
Per the
article below, the hand of fate always plays some part in Overtime games
– where pucks make strange bounces, goalies tragic mistakes, and
“sure goals” find ways of missing the net. However, the Capitals
were working harder than the Rangers during the first Overtime period, which
I viewed as an omen not only for this game, but the entire series. The
Rangers had lost seven straight playoff Overtime games – including two
more this year – so the stigma of another such loss could be fatal.
Caps
fall to the fickle finger of fate
But then
something strange happened, starting in the second Overtime period. The
Rangers picked up their game, summoning an inner strength more common in fiction
than the real world. Their defenseman started blocking every shot, and their
forwards pushed harder and harder into the offensive zone. Both teams had
fluky attempts to win – per the hand of fate described above –
but the Rangers were clearly the better team, throughout the second Overtime
and the third, which went nearly the whole 20 minutes before ending.
One Ranger
took a stick to the face early in the second Overtime, drenching the ice with
blood. Amazingly, he was in and out of the locker room with sutures within
ten minutes – just in time for a Capital to accidentally be cut, also
requiring in-game stitching. Better yet, a Ranger that had missed the past
three games with a concussion – suffered by a head-jarring check
– blocked a shot with the side of his face, again covering the ice with
blood. Incredibly, he returned for his next shift, with nothing but a bandage
on his chin.
I watched
each possession hungrily, like delving into the human soul. Hockey is one of
the most physically grueling sports, and to see such grit and determination
for the equivalent of two games – in a “do-or-die”
situation, to boot – was quite inspiring. Given how hard I pursue my
own interests – be they blog-writing, bike riding, or soccer – I
am drawn to human drama, when people find inner strength to face daunting
tasks. Fighting the Cartel for ten years may not be the same physical
experience as playing hockey for six periods, but it certainly is an
equivalent mental war, which also describes much of what the players
fought last night.
Finally,
with just five minutes left in the third Overtime period – they’d
have played all night if need be – the Rangers scored, a highly
emotional moment after five hours of watching, aided by an equal or
greater number of glasses of wine.
The
Rangers had won in “SUDDEN DEATH,” a rare moment of pure adrenalin
and ecstasy, a tribute to the human spirit!
Watch:
Kenny Albert Call and Hear Dave Maloney Scream During Marian Gaborik’s Game Winner
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