Need Hockey Fans feel slighted?

Well,  wouldn't you ?
 When today's WSJ devotes 7, count'em, seven pages to Soccer, but NOT even one small paragraph to the epic battle for the Stanley Cup that is currently playing between EAST and WEST (USA) as the NY Rangers face off to LA Kings.

Hockey, the fastest sport on feet - ahem, skates.

Sure car-racing or horse-racing maybe faster, but IMO the swift and yet elegant way those skaters race after that little black puck is gripping! And colorful. And exciting!

And speaking of hockey, you may know that Houston is one of the few large cities without a hockey team, since the Houston Aeros were moved to DesMoines, Iowa and re-named Iowa Wild. I remember some games here, when the edge of the seat was were we all hung out if not on our feet clapping and yelling! And after the move, Better Half and I drove to San Antonio several times to get our hockey fix...even though the Rampage are not that good.
BUT... One of BH 's faves Jed Ortmeyer

went to play for the Rampage - and so .. there we were!
Meanwhile at home now, we watch the Stanley Cup Play off Games.. and how!!!

Me, I am rooting for the Kings.
But before that, I did for the Habs, especially after their goalie was badly injured and the youngster D. Tokarski, came in 'cold' so to speak, and acquitted himself very well, IMO.  And an Austrian skater was there as well.. ThomasVanek, whom we remembered from 2013 European play offs.

But, the best team won that round and so, here I am now rooting for the Kings.

But am pleased, too, that a former Aeros, Benoit Pouliot, skates for the Rangers, and skates well and fast! And how about Martin St. Louis? We saw him in Tampa, so are happy he is doing this well with the Rangers.
Anyway, more exciting play off Hockey to come
I have a feeling that this will be an epic battle.
Both teams are truly good.
And fast.
And have alert goalies.
Their offense is good, their defense is as well.
Lady Luck will have her work cut out!

Puzzling Out "Headgames"--- and other subjects

"Headgames"  is the newest novel published by Erika Rummel, Author of "Playing Naomi"(reviewed in artandhockey 12/17/2011) and other publications

And it IS a puzzler with pieces, at times, neatly slotted together, a times splintered.

Gossamer threats are spun with impeccable and literate prose;
drawing into their web a multitude of psychological, even supernatural issues.

Yes, I could go on and give my chers readers a synopsis of the story. 
And that IS the problem. 
A plot so multifaceted while covering that many different aspects may just take almost as much time to explain as reading the novel itself. 

SO go ahead, dive into it. 
You will not be disappointed. 
Although the connecting knots are not so easily unraveled on a first read through.
This slim volume with its ambitious goals truly asks for a second,
maybe even a third read.

The author touches on familiar, and less so, social, psychological, even economic issues.
How they are related only become clearer as the novel approaches the end of this almost surreal description of a young 'modern' woman's search of ...what exactly?

Definitely NOT light summer reading.
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While I have you spellbound (tee hee) let me tell you about Le Grand Macabre. 
Yes, THAT opera by Gyoergy Ligeti (1923-2006) which Better Half and I saw, nay, experienced at the Komische Opera Berlin last month.

Komische Oper Facade

And - believe me - that is the right word -experienced!
It delivered visceral punch after visceral punch... manically, visually, musically, 
and ah, well, even disgustingly. 
Did I really have to see an overflowing toilet? 
Just one example of ...what?? 
The dissolution and degradation of the world?  
Well, ok, most of us think  the world IS going down the drain .... in an overflowing toilet?
So, ok, the director went wayyyy over the top with an, oh, so apropos "interpretation" :-), right!

Right?  Ok, I think I got it. 
Ligeti wanted to critique rotten politics, wanted to protest against the shallowness of modern life? Maybe even the trend to 'modern life' operas... did he anticipate: "Anna Nicole" and "Jerry Springer", 
or twitter operas?
Ligeti was born in Transylvania (yes, that Transylvania - home to Vlad ,The Impaler- did this influence his sense of death and the macabre ;-)?), later moved to Hungary to end in Austria, that imperial melting pot of  old).
Well, whatever he wanted, this piece most certainly delivered. 
Final scene a stunning end to a 2hrs-without-intermission opera:

I found it rather interesting, albeit a bit hard on ears more attuned to Mozart and Verdi and Puccini and Rossini :-). But certainly worth the visit.. at least ONE visit. 
Now I truly never need nor want to  again.  

On the other hand the early Verdi Opera "Oberto",
seen at la Scala before that, was more to my taste.
The plot has its limitations, but then what opera plot doesn't?
The voices were quiet impressive, staging a mix of sumptuous (sets) and contemporary (costumes), which IMO did not work that well. 
 BUT  La Scala's

acoustics deserve all the kudos heaped on it. 

The cast inlcuded :Ganassi (very good), Sartori (good), Pertusi as Oberto (excellent), Lo Monaco (not too impressed), with Frizza conducting.

 

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And a last bit about Hockey for the season. 
.As most know the Chicago Blackhawks triumphed over the Boston Bruins with a 3-2 score within the last 17 seconds of game 6. And so carried off the venerated Stanley Cup
Better Half and I kinda rooted for Bruins. But sadly it was not to be. The series in the fight for the cup was overall rather nail biting. 
So many wins in overtime, so many injuries we only NOW hear about in detail. So many players battling through game after game with injuries. Props to Bergeron - more here. Until fall... playing hockey is "on ice" LOL
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Crystal Balls are busy..

as the quest for a spot in the Play Offs for Stanley, Calder, Kelly, Miron, Chynoweth, Clark Cups and other awards in the world of Ice Hockey is heating up. Just a few tit bits FYI!

WHL season has ended, their Play Offs start March 25, 2011.
CHL season will end March 27, 2011
ECHL season will end April 2, 2011
NHL Season will end April 10, 2011, Play Offs on April 13, 2011
AHL Season ends April 10/11.
11 games are scheduled on that last day of the regular season.
As of now WB/Scranton Penguins is first team clinching a spot.
If the Play Offs were to begin today:
Aeros would be facing the Texas Stars.
Admirals the Oklahoma City Barons.

Only one team in 74 years has been able to win the Calder Cup in three consecutive seasons.  The Springfield Indians, under the leadership of Hockey & AHL Hall of Famers Shore and Butterfield, did it in 1960, 1961 and 1962. Can Hershey Bears do it in 2011?

F.Y.I:
Here is a compilation (odds) of possible Stanley Cup 2011 Winners.
Just perhaps, some educated guesses by expert hockey followers!
The see-saw will continue until the season is truly over.
Anaheim Ducks 40/1
Atlanta Thrashers 50/1
Boston Bruins 20/1
Buffalo Sabres 18/1Calgary Flames 25/1
Carolina Hurricanes 50/1
Chicago Blackhawks 11/2
Colorado Avalanche 30/1
Columbus Blue Jackets 40/1
Dallas Stars 40/1
Detroit Red Wings 12/1
Edmonton Oilers 75/1
Florida Panthers 50/1
Los Angeles Kings 25/1
Minnesota Wild 40/1
Montreal Canadiens 30/1
Nashville Predators 28/1
New Jersey Devils 20/1
New York Islanders 75/1
New York Rangers 28/1
Ottawa Senators 22/1
Philadelphia Flyers 15/1
Phoenix Coyotes 25/1
Pittsburgh Penguins 6/1
San Jose Sharks 9/1
St. Louis Blues 45/1
Tampa Bay Lightning 60/1
Toronto Maple Leafs 75/1
Vancouver Canucks 15/1
Washington Capitals 13/2

Both Penguins and Sharks look favorably poised .
But all is conjecture at this stage!

Spent the afternoon...

switching back and forth between
Stars vs. Bulldogs game (photo Chris Jerina)
in the race for the

Calder Cup (second oldest cup establ.1936)
ALAS: Bulldogs beat Stars 3-1.
Now Stars head back to Cedar Park for 3 games there starting Wednesday May 19, 21 and 22 and if needed 2 more at Hamilton ;-).

And Sharks vs. Blackhawks in the race for the

Stanley Cup (1893)
Nabokov in goal-photo-artandhockey

Alas, Sharks : 1 loose to Blackhawks : 2 in regulation at the "Sharktank"

(Video shows the OTHER goalie - ;-) - not Niemi) despite the pulling of Nabokov, and a last minute powerplay of 6 vs 4 due to a penalty on the Hawks.

In all, Niemi with 45 saves of 46 held the Sharks at bay. Nabokov had 38 saves of 40. Blackhawks seemed to start slow, warmed up in 2. which was the best period for the Sharks re shots on goal, but then really outskated and outshot the Sharks in the 3. Their speed was greater and their defense (say Niemi) rather effective. Byfuglien and Sharp the scorers for Hawks and Demers for the Sharks on a PP.

Today am not betting 100%.

Stars lost their 2. game vs Bulldogs.

Sharks their 1. vs Blackhawks.

Tonight it's Flyers vs. Canadiens. GO HABS for me!