Trying To Get Past It, Moving Into The Light Of Day

I've been in such a funk, an actual depression, since the passing of Derek Boogaard.  I'm finding out that a few others have been feeling the same way.  I think we're acknowledging the loss of a good soul, not so much the sports figure.  Not that Derek didn't fight tooth and nail, pun kinda intended, to get to the NHL.  He did everything his coaches and GM's ever asked him to do in order to gain entry level and then earn that permanent roster spot.  But what's been eating at me, and others I've talked with this week, is the loss of a truly good human being.  I finally figured out what was the saddest realization for me in processing Derek's untimely passing due to his addictions.  It took some digging around the Strib web site and help from Michael Russo but he found an article from the Pioneer Press that contained the quote I've had running through my brain since last week. 

Excerpt from the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Minnesota), March 2, 2007 Friday

Boogaard makes big impact; Enforcer hits hard, turns other cheek
BYLINE: JOHN SHIPLEY, Pioneer PressEDMONTON, Alberta — Derek Boogaard played only 5 minutes, 40 seconds Thursday night. But, oh, what an effective few shifts. The Wild'shandedly took the Edmonton Oilers out of the game.

Because the Oilers were so intent on taking him out.

"Boogey was disciplined," teammate Branko Radivojevic said. "We profited from that."

Boogaard was the center of two melees that netted the Oilers 20 minutes of penalties in Minnesota's 5-0 victory at Rexall Place. The first gave Minnesota a two-man advantage for five minutes, which the Wild turned into a goal for a 2-0 lead at 16:13 of the first period.

After Boogaard leveled center Marty Reasoner with a wicked check behind the Oilers' goal, wing Raffi Torres charged at him hard, but Boogaard held his ground and knocked Torres backward.

When he regained his balance, Torres got in Boogaard's face and was soon joined by defenseman Steve Staios, who threw a punch at Boogaard and started a melee. Boogaard was jumped by those two, then Zack Stortini. Boogaard received a 10-minute misconduct but never threw a punch.

"You just bite your lip as hard as you can and try to find a happy place," he explained.

Torres and Staios later wound up in the box after roughing Boogaard up in the third period.

"It means I'm doing my job," he said. "It's never a bad thing when everyone's screaming and yelling at you."

Find a happy place - that's been bubbling up into my thoughts all week.

  

Yes, Derek did his job on the ice, brutally well.  Obvioulsy, at some point his injuries started to mount and his body was screaming at him to recognize he needed to be done serving the NHL's best interests.  I think it's safe to say that Derek was battling with this thought long before he left the Wild to join the Rangers.  Bless that privacy policy of the NHLPA/NHL for substance/mental health treatment - which we can discuss at a later date.  I'm sure having to face the reality that his body wasn't going to serve him for more than a few good years was crushing.  He had worked so hard to get there.  But what Derek failed to realize is that his best years were still ahead of him - being one of the greatest ambassadors of the game in our time.  His loyalty and dedication to the sport and it's charities would have been a legacy in the making.  He lost sight of that trying to blindly battle through the physical pain with substances that numbed his brain as well.       

Instead, we're left with that empty crater where Derek used to be.  I just keep thinking:     

All that strength of character and soul, yet no happy place for Derek to find what he needed to overcome his demons.

And The Hockey Gods Said "Let There Be Hockey, Dee"

For the first time since Friday, May 13th I found myself revved up for a hockey game.  Boy, those Bruins and Lightning did not disappoint!  I was on the edge of my seat for the whole game and I'm pretty sure I peed myself a couple of times.  Fast, fast, fast hockey at both ends of the rink with big drives and mind blowing saves.  I was a little peeved about not having Roli in net tonight but heck, I'm used to the tandem goalie routine so I get that you ride your hot netminder and that's Smith for now.  It's not his fault the Bruins won this one and we're going to game six.  This was a battle-every-shift kind of game and Boston just got lucky.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it.  

The Sharks are pissing my off and just plain old falling apart in their series with the Canucks.  Stupid Canucks are ahead 3-1 in this series and they were supposed to be golfing by now, according my picks.  Not that the Sharks can't come back to win the next 3 games, but I saw the replay of game 4 and it wasn't pretty for San Jose.  They'd better find more than Nemo if they want to get this series back and move on to the cup final.  Tuesday night's game will be interesting. 

Houston, We Have A Problem

After having jumped out to a 3-0 series lead our Houston Aeros find themselves having to play in a game seven.  Can you say "pissing it all away"?  Very frustrating to see the guys going through this but something tells me Tuesday night is their night.  Be sure you're following along with all of the great coverage at T3I cuz these folks really tell it like it is and write the way I love to hear (read) it.  Also, make sure you keep up with the witty MsConduct and her tales of goaltending.  She's worth following on Twitter...except that she's a Blue Jays fan...but we've all got our quirks, don't we?

Hey - let's talk some baseball this week, huh?  I've had a couple of thoughts rattling around on our Twins so let's see if I can get Connie riled up ;)  Talk to ya later, peeps!!  

In honor of my main man, Big Jim!  Hell of a return to the lineup Monday night!