Once i thought i saw you

 in a crowded hazy bar,

dancing on the light from star to star (N. Young)

we have been saying it for years, but here we go again.....Hockey is different.

The Carolina Hurricanes and coach Brin'Damor have been flirting with the cup and building to this moment for the last 8 years......many of times the press and most fans have said they will NOT win the Cup without a legit goalie.........Freddie Andersen just wasn't the Goalie to get it done...

This year again they entered the playoffs with Andersen between the pipes....and i said in private that they are good enough to get to the Conf Finals, and may the Cup Finals; but they won't win with Freddie in net.

This year through the first 3 rounds he was unbeatable.....came up huge in the clutch and help carry the team through the first 3 rounds with a 12-1 record........BUT......suddenly in the finals he was human....the Golden Knights put 5 on the board in the opener and seemed to have his number....in a wild period of game 3 they put 6 pucks in the net (2 were disallowed ) in the 2nd period and Freddie was lifted.

In stepped Brandon Bussi......a 26 year old journeymen minor leaguer with 0 post season career wins...a kid from Long Island that had bounced around the minors after college and was picked up off waivers back in October.........and he shut the Knights down in the 3rd period and first OT before giving up a fluke goal in double overtime........so he earned the right to start game 4 and was brilliant......same in game 5.....and last night earned the shutout in the Cup clinching game.

a strange turn of fortune for Andersen who was an incredible 13-2 before being yanked......but he didn't sulk, hang his head, bitch to the media or complain.....he was part of a team and so was Bussi.......like Taylor Hall he wanted to win a cup by any means, whatever role was asked.

Last Night after Winning on the strip....the Stanley Cup was handed to Captain Jordan Staal.....after skating around triumphantly with the Chalice raised high for all of Nevada to see, it was time for Staal to pass it off to a teamate........guess who ?      Yes, of course....Freddie Andersen.......and nobody was more pleased that Brandon Bussi ......yep....Hockey is different.

You are like a hurricane
There's calm in your eye
And I'm getting blown away
To somewhere safer where the feeling stays
I want to love you but I'm getting blown away