St. Martin Calling...

The beautiful, sun-kissed beaches; the clear-blue waters lapping at your toes as you gaze at an amber sunset; the rich aromas of French cuisine and fresh seafood... It's easy to put all the stresses of the daily grind behind you and just let yourself go...

Just imagine the soothing sounds of the Carribean surf, and it's easy to understand how difficult it would be to take care of the little details before you head out on the vacation of a lifetime.

Little details like arranging for a replacement goalie for a game against the top-rated team in the B/C league while you're gone.

Nah - no biggie! Don't worry, Greg! Your co-captain can handle that around 6:55 when he shows up for the 7:30 game. You can count on a fistful of goalies, just sitting around, itching for a chance to play for the world-renowned Ringers. Particularly on the same night as Game 6 of the NHL Eastern Finals. Why, you couldn't swing a dead cat without hitting an eager and qualified goalie at the Factory under such conditions.

Well, it is my sad duty to report that this co-captain was unable to get either of the two goalies in the building to help us tonight. (One had finals to prepare for, and the other had to take his girlfriend home before his 9pm game). Richard made calls to around 5 or 6 names on the goalie list before it all began to feel like a desperate plea for company on a 2am bender whilst in college in 1987... 10 minutes had elapsed in the first period, and we had to face the fact that we were going to do this one with no goalie.

To the credit of the family, brother-in-law Rob Todd stepped up and played the 6th man covering the goal, and he did a fine job as long as the Eye Care Center team avoided slapshots. First period ended at a 2-2 tie, reflecting some fine work on D and some great teamwork moving the puck through the neutral zone.

But the Eye Care Center couldn't allow this to be an even game and began playing like we had a netminder, and the second period marked 6 more goals for them, and none for us. (But we did get 2 penalties!)

Third period was more evenly matched, with a hatrick-in-a-period by Marc Lavergne to give him a total of 5 points, counting two assists in period 1.

Final score 10 for Eye Care, 5 for us. Not bad, considering, and MVP went to #25 (Rob).

Thanks to Brian Wilson for the beer, and he thanks the bastard that fragged him with a slapper to his ass. Phil, keep those brats in the fridge for next week when we play O'Dwyers at 7:30pm.

IR Report: Center Craig Williamson took a poke and is dealing with 2 fractured ribs... doctors say he's day-to-day - we'll provide an update later in the week.

On another note, take a look at your calendards for Saturday, June 10 - Game 3 of the Stanley Cup finals, Rob Todd's 40th birthday, and a potential team golf-inebriation extravaganza. Clear your calendars of any unimportant conflicts, including kids birthdays, anniversaries, or back-waxing appointments, and be prepared for some Scottish hockeys.

Next game: June 6 at 7:30 against O'Dwyers
Beer: Patrick
Brats: Phil (carryover)