The netminder plays a conn-smythe-trophy like game, but the players manage to blow a 3-0 lead and just can’t hold it together long enough to eake out even a single point. Sound familiar? Of course it does but we’re not talking Luongo and the Canucks, we’re talking Hogan and the Grinders. (Hogan’s Heroes perhaps? It was sit-com-ish)

Peter plays a text-book game, making glove-hand saves, pad saves, sprawling saves and saves off his own defensemen. Grinders get 2 short-handed goals and a power-play goal to go up 3-0. Peter continues to play a text-book game, making glove-hand saves, pad saves, sprawling saves and saves off his own defensemen. Grinders take him for granted and think they have the game wound up…. uh uh. Following a ridiculously bad call by the ref, they count a goal for the other team (unmentionable bastards) and thats when it all fell apart. Afore you knew it it was 3-3 and heading into overtime. Overtime lasted mere seconds before the other team (unmentionable bastards) took the puck from the red-line un-accosted all the way for a break-away goal.

Pete we owe you one. But in honour of a stellar performance, by special request, here is Peter’s own Grinder Girl!

Wow, this is really Pete’s girl ? Nicely done!

Are we pumped for friday yet?

Very pumped for Friday’s game! Pasta lunch boys! Let’s do it!

I’m ready for a win! We owe Peter AND OURSELVES a victory. Troy you got the keg ready?

Who’s on beer? Can’t have a slip up like in the past!!! Not for a friday tilt!

For the three of us who actually use the site, I have gone back to my original nom de plume. How tough is it to get a little banter from the team here? Lack of enthusiasm, apathy…just like our games it seems. Maybe we do so poorly after Christmas because many guys on the team lose interest over the long season?…not for me, every game day is like Christmas morning.

You have a point shaun (re: your e-mail)….maybe we need to see if the season is too long for some guys and thus commitment (or lack thereof) is something in need of addressing? what do you two think?

Yah….. what he said!

Hey, Guy’s here too! That’s the spirit Guy!

Games missed is a good measure of commitment. Maybe we keep loosing because we never have 3 full lines of forwards.

yuppers….we expect 13 skaters and get only 9. Last minute no-shows…how many times were the pucks (and locks!) not brought to the game, and one time, even the beer -sacrilegious!

Are guys getting bored with the team or not motivated enough?? I don’t know…are we just getting too busy with our lives, kids and families to commit fully for a season? Is that even a concern? I think the commitment we expect is pretty minimal and attainable…let us know if you are not making a game with plenty of time to find a replacement, and if you are not making it and you have the pucks/water/jerseys/beer, then you have to make sure it gets there somehow. Not too much to ask.

I think, if you are at a point in your life where you just don’t know if you can make a game until last minute due to work/family/drug dealing/national security commitments, then maybe you should be on the spare list and re-join full time when your life eases up a bit…I know it is difficult and frustrating for Glen trying to get three guys a few hours before game time or we think we have a full roster and two guys just don’t even bother to show up.

As an aside, Gordie, we (www.burnabyburn.ca) don’t have a single iron man on our team. I love this game and I have 28 out of 30 regular season games played, the only reason I missed two was because I was on my honeymoon. I’m tied with Fish, who only missed two games as well because he took his family to Disneyland.

We’ve got three guys with 27, two with 25, two with 24, two with 21, one with 19, one with 18, two with 16 and one full-timer with 14 (who has decided not to come back next season). Our lowest regular player is a guy who has only been with us since the Holiday break at 13 games played. The rest are subs with a couple here and there.

In short, we have the opposite problem - often we have one or two guys too many and don’t know how to put the lines together.

I would say we’ve got a pretty good commitment out of our guys, on average. I can’t tell you what the solution is… maybe your guys have lost interest in the game.

For guys like you and I, there is never really a loss of interest. There’s frustration, malaise, disappointment, but at the end of the day I can’t wait to get back on the ice. But we’re not everyone.

I treat hockey like a part-time job - if I don’t show up, I don’t get the experience I need to live a balanced life.

Ya, true enough. Its not a “dire” problem, but maybe just one of the symptoms of our late season play. We are all very busy these days, so it is understandable that games will be missed from time to time for work and family commitments, and as long as there is plenty of notice given, so there is time to get spares and put a lineup together, losses and effort aren’t an issue. But it seems we have had so many instances where guys don’t show last minute which is often compounded by something else missing like pucks, locks or such, and we have to juggle lines to double shift, the frustration level seems to rise during the game and after, especially after a loss. And we tend to lose a lot towards the end of the season….

Its refreshing to get spares out like Rob and PSP who kind of breathe new life into the teams and the game. They seem pumped to play and we feed off it and tend to play better I think.
It’s an interesting dynamic to our team that seems to repeat year after year. The only thing I can relate it to is the length of the season. for the first 3months of the season, we play our best hockey. down the stretch we falter big time. That’s our M.O. it seems…

I think Peter’s Girl is a good (lookin’) luck charm, either that or people actually read what you put here, because only 1 person is not making this game to a prior, well notified, commitment. We may have too many!

Actually if you look at our stats we’re not all that diff from the Burn. The only realy low number of GP is Frank and he had a broken heel so he’s excused he has 13 games. Next is Bob and he’s a transient living the life of a gypsy with 16 games. Tiday and Jason with 17. Tidy dont do late games and Jason has missed the last 4 with health conditions. Nickason is p/t and has 18, Triggs is a nerve ending and has 18. The rest of us have 20 - 24 games played and most of the games missed are because of family or work commitment or broken thumb. I think what happened is that we had two or three games where numerous guys decided to no show at once. Unfortunate but its not a huge season long problem at least.

Winning an early game on a Friday night will make the beer taste so much better. Let’s end the regular season on a high note and win our last two. You too, Nucks.

very true Guy….beer will taste sweet!…Beer still tastes good even after a loss though…who the hell are we kiddin’, beer tastes sweet all the time!

Goats, I’m pumped for hockey in the summertime too with the Big Bad Burn!…

for those interested, (Grinders, Stace, Goats, Rob, PSP etc… I may try and rent some ice time like twice a month over the summer. Let me know if you are interested. I have had three people asking me to do it this year after not having any last summer. Who wants to play a few times this summer? If I get enough interest i’ll book something soon.

I am in on the summer ice! Gord I am glad you understand my e-mail. I love playing and would hope that I am surrounded by guys that do to.Let’s show these want to be Grinders what time it is…..time for a beating!

Sure as sure I’ll be there in the summer!

Hockey crew for the summer: I may collect deposits to reserve spots then fill with spares as needed. If anyone has friends that would like to come as well, its first come first serve.

Mike McAndrew
Les Schmidt
John McAndrew
Goats McTrapper
Gord Schmidt
Shaun Ashworth

Hey Gordie,
I”ll grab some summer ice with the Grinders if it’s still available.
Let me know if your numbers don’t add to make it worthwhile, I have a list of guys who may be interested.

sorry, Radom guy already took your spot…

I’m out, give my spot to that Random chap.

Aw-right….if you insist…

Mike, Les, John, Goats, Shaun, Gord, Random guy, Peter
Tidy if not on weekends, Mark, Brad

Any other Grinders? PSP?

I could probably do some summer ice, not all, but some.

I love it when a plan comes together!

Anyway, Gordie, you guys have playoffs coming up, so don’t get all ahead yourselves with summer hockey - grow your beards and get in front of the net! You’ve got teams to beat! Go deep baby!

I’ll do whatever it takes to build some excitement and chatter on the site…league hockey wasn’t enough, so had to start on summer hockey to generate interest…

I’d love to have some basic, basic playing tips or links on the site, like for positioning in both ends of the ice, where to go and be on draws etc. to help us play a little smarter and make the game a little easier. We listen well after our one practice, but seem to forget as the season wears on. It would be nice to get reminders throughout the year. For that to work though, we need to get the guys visiting the site on a regular basis. ….maybe we need to entice with more babes??….oh yaaaa….

HEY GORD, WAYNE HAS THE BIG ICE (TO US 3-ON-3 GUYS) AT LANGLEY (88TH & FREEWAY) MAYBE YOU GUYS COULD COME OUT WITH US. SOME ARE ON SAT. NIGHTS THEN THEY SWITCH TO FRI. NIGHTS…CALL ME FOR HIS NUMBER IF YOU ARE INTERESTED….

For those of you that haven’t checked yet, playof times are up. Monday at 6:30 and saturday at 7:00 against the cougars.
as Dave Pratt would probably say, lets go cougar huntin boys.

Thanks stache, I’ll let you know. Are you interested in playing a couple times a month with us?

Well said Troy! We’re going cougar hunting!

What are the chances of a Grinder girl?…Are we only good enough for one every three to four games now?

At least a pic of Troy mounting a couger……uh did I just say that???

how’s your mom doin shaun?

uh did i just type that ooops, that was inappropriate, I am very sorry mrs. ashworth, that ’s not like me to say that.

Too funny T!

Wow, this latest Grinders Girl is Hot, Hot, Hot.
Where can I meet this one?
:)

She’ll be heading to Troy’s this weekend apparently…

Oooooooh Mom jokes……Well Troy my Mom is doin about as good as yours was last night….can you say spit roast? Ooooops did I just type that? Of course I did, that is exactly what I meant! Now back to more important things like WINNING tonight!!!!Let’s do it Fellas!!!