Sometimes Anything Seems Possible: Hockey, Memories, and the Tampa Bay Lightning

I didn't intend to like hockey.  A friend of mine was diagnosed with cancer quite a few years ago and wanted to go to the Tampa Bay Lightning games to get her mind off of things.  That first season, well, our team stunk and I don't think her cancer let her make a single game.  But I fell in love with the sport.  I started out looking for the big name players on other teams~ oh how excited I was to see Mario play the first time!  And then it happened.... the Tampa Bay Lightning started winning.  No one could believe it, not the ESPN analysts, not even the fans necessarily.  I remember the game when I knew, KNEW that we would one day win it all...  it was a game we were hopelessly behind in and then suddenly we were scoring and we won!  My friend who has cancer was there and it was one of those magical moments, a moment when anything seemed and was possible.

Last night we went to a game.  We haven't been in awhile; we went for a few games after we won the Stanley Cup (had to see the banner being raised!) but somehow the magic was gone.  Nothing compared to that Stanley Cup run...  we went to almost, if not all, the home games that year.  Cheered, screamed, chanted, and prayed for wins.  We were there for each playoff game, each moment leading up to that final game 7 when yes, we won it all!  We were Stanley Cup Champions, each and every one of us!  We watched Kuby, Richie, Vinny, Marty and the rest as they raised the Cup in victory.  I hardly slept that night but I made it into work the next day... much to the surprise of my coworkers.  But heck, I wanted to talk about it, to continue celebrating that the championship was OURS.  My friend with cancer couldn't make that game but you bet she was watching and yes, we were on the phone and at work celebrating our victory.  Anything seemed possible on that magical night and during that entire magical season.

But back to last night...our team is minus Kuby and a few others.  No Bulin Wall.  Richie, Vinny, and Marty are still there but there is talk of trading one of them.  We're in last place in our division and barely out of last place in the whole league.  We only went because the tickets were free~ and we went with my friend who started it all.  Yes, she still has cancer but she is still kicking.  We cheered, screamed and prayed again last night as just for one night, yes, that magic was there again. 

The D2K Paranormal Junkies 2008 Challenge