Writing Update: The Bad News: I'm not going to make 50,000 words. I've barely broken 10,000 words. Unless I get snowed in over Thanksgiving, it is not going to happen.
Writing Update: The Good News: I'm going to keep going anyway after the end of the month. Even if nothing comes of it, I'm pleased with what I have created so far and want to keep going.
J and I attended the Penguins/Rangers game on Saturday night. It was a frustrating experience. One period of near brilliant play followed by two periods in which they allowed the Rangers to run the rink, five minutes in which they morphed back into an amazing team followed by an abrupt overtime ending, as the Rangers scored, winning 4-3.
Fans are becoming anxious about Marc-Andre Fleury and are beginning to pile on criticism that he is not the franchise player the Penguins think he is. He is in a significant slump and having some trouble breaking out of it. Watching him play last night it was obvious that his heart (and head) was not in the game. But neither was the heads and hearts of the other 22 members of the team. It is patently unfair to demand that single player pay for the sins of an entire team. The relationship between a goalie and his defense is symbiotic. A breakdown on the part of one will lead to a breakdown on the part the other.
Goalies take longer to develop then players in other positions. Fleury is 23 years old and this is only his second FULL season in the NHL. He has publicly acknowledged that some of his trouble is a direct result of not developing some of the fundamentals of his position (such as controlling rebounds) earlier, and relying too much on talent and instinct. He has also publicly stated that he is committed to breaking some of his bad habits. And when he is on his game, his playing has improved. He is calmer, more in control and less likely to allow easy goals. He also spend more time out of the net.
But he is not on his game right now. His confidence is lacking, he drops into position too early, his movements are slow and he double checks himself too often. The bad news is that in the short term it is going to get worse as he starts applying some of the fundamentals and questions his instincts. The good news is that if he can get through this bad period he is going to be fucking brilliant to watch.
Tuesday night we will be packing up to spend Thanksgiving on Cape Cod in a little rental property. Rumor has it that the house is wired for the inter-tubes, but I shall be making a best effort to stay off line, work on my book, go for bike rides in the freezing weather and read Philip's Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy in anticipation of antagonizing J's extended family at Christmas Eve dinner.
In conclusion, I offer up the most interesting moment in Saturday night's game.
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