A sweet start to the New Year...

thanks to  Jason Zucker, who scored two goals (one unassisted) and assisted with the empty netter at the end to a 4 - 2 victory over the Oklahoma City Barons.
It was a good game, this first in 2013.
The guys.. a bit sluggish during the first period, found their "ice legs" and gave a good, not superb, but good performance.
Saw several new names (Couture for one) and some familiar ones from last season, too. Replacements for the injured or penalized scratches, I assume. Short of interviewing coach in the locker room, I  could not say yeah or nay who is truly injured, other than Brodin, Kampfer, and Scandella.
Somehow, this game, while rather interesting AND satisfying (they won!) it lacked a bit ... what? Compared to the Checkers vs Aeros game, at least I thought so, especially during the first period.
Ah well, a win is a win! GO AEROS!

While I am inspired to post this short BUT OH SO SWEET report on the victorious lead in ti 2013 by Aeros, my ears are  listening to .. what else...

The Neujahrskonzert der Wiener Philharmoniker, without which no new year can start properly.
So while Welser Moest conducts polkas, waltzes and marches and - sorta like the teddy bear toss at hockey games - passes out toys to the individual soloists during
 "Mei Huat der hat Drei Ecken" song
 to great acclaim of the spell bound audience in the gilded salon in Vienna,
 I am skipping through the photos taken with a new Nikon.

Hmmm, must practice a bit more.

But without further ado a few snapshots below:

Save by Hackett

Cuma alertly defends

Another save by a flexible Hackett

Nr. 12 (Couture) starts his own fashion of play...entanglement with Danis-net minder OKC :-)

Happy New Year for Aeros - a win is a win

Arcobello on defense ;-)?

The number 3 Star- a competent Hackett stops 28 in (fortunately) descending order from a barrage of 13 in the first ( no goal Aeros), then 11 and finally 6 sogs. However, the guys kept up the pace and scored 1. Zucker (Nr.1 *), Granlund, Connelly on a PP,  and 2. Coyle, Petersen and Granlund (Nr. 2 *).
OKC got on the board first with a PP by Hall, Eberle and (that pesky - remember from last year) Arcobello. And evened the score to 2 in the second with another PP by Eberle, Hartikainen and ... yes... Arcobello.

The 'sugar icing on the New Year's cake' (so to speak) was the empty netter by Larsson with - yes, again Zucker, and Bagnall.
Seems to me, that the team is jelling, and the system by Torchetti, who has been rather patient, is finally coming together. Well, we ought to look forward to more of the same.. or ought not?

Now the Concert is past with its usual flourish and sweetness... a bit of Chat Polka By Josef Strauss, the ubiquitous, albeit conducted somewhat slower than I am used to, Blue Danube, and the culmination a rousing presentation of the Radetzky March with audience participation..

CLAP CLAP CLAP.. and now repeat softly ... clap, clap, clap.. 
and like a tribute to the game tonight!

And so 2013 has officially started (at least to thisViennese)