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Jhet posted:Take your chains. If it’s blizzard in the pass it’s going to be slow driving up through the Methow valley especially once you’re on 20. . 100% The only time they leave my 4runner is in the summer. I'll be bringing my recovery gear and jump box as well as I always do on long drives through empty areas. Thankfully I'm able to get some new tires tomorrow because I was just up in the mountains on Sunday and my tires are getting slick. I love the drive to Winthrop. A year or two before covid, we did a December tournament and highway 20 was still open which was great. It's quicker and so beautiful to drive through but it was pucker inducing. One year, I made it through 90 and my friends 5 minutes behind me got stuck for 4 hours at Snoqualmie pass. When we went through, a semi truck was going around a bend when it's trailer started sliding down towards the inside. It was maybe going 5mph. We snuck past but I think it caused the closure for everybody. The passenger in that car was hammered when they arrived for our game because he drank the whole time they were stopped. I'm all for cold temps and hockey but this might be brutal Friday evening.  I've played outdoors in Chicago in single digits and it hurt. My nose, chin, ears, toes and lungs hurt. My eyes would water and my eye lashes would freeze. My breath was building up ice on my cage.
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Jan 10, 2024 04:58
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Henrik Zetterberg posted:Anyone tried Hoapa sticks? A dude on one of my teams turned me onto them and you can customize the poo poo out of most of their sticks. I got a 2-pack of these completely custom sticks for $170 shipped using a coupon code that unfortunately expired Jan 1. Well, it took about 5 business days (8 total) to make the sticks and 2 days to get from Taiwan to my doorstep in CA via FedEx with the $10 expedited shipping. I saw on Reddit how they break easily, so we’ll see. At $170 for 2, I can’t be too mad. His and hers sticks. My stick is short (53”) and she prefers a longer one (54”). Such is life. 
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Jan 10, 2024 05:49
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Would love to have his and her sticks but my wife isn't too athletic. Fun times to drive through a nor'easter for a 10:05 game and 6 skaters. I'm very tired and will be worthless at work tomorrow.
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Jan 10, 2024 07:12
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I picked up some stuff from HockeyStickMan shortly after xmas and finally had a chance to use it this week. Got the blackout prostock stick which was like $109 USD. It is much lighter than my old stick which is weird because I have a Warrior something or other that has 400grams printed right on the shaft but the blackout prostock is listed at 420grams and feels considerably lighter. Very strange. Maybe my old stick just managed to soak in a bunch of moisture over time and got heavier? The blackout pro is also the same flex as my old stick, 85, but it feels way whippier. I had a harder time catching passes without slingshotting them off my stick a few feet. Took a few tries to get the soft hands back that I needed to control hard passes at least. Overall though I suppose I would buy another one as long as it doesn't break in like 4 skates or something. The prostocks from HSM do not have a warranty. It's tough finding a decent stick for right around $100 so I call it a win for now. I also went for the blackout pro gloves for $119 USD. They are not quite as nice as the CCM 4roll pro gloves that I had but they seem like they should be pretty durable. The palms have like an extra strip across them so hopefully they won't wear through too quickly. They were not nearly as soft and ready to wear as my old gloves when they were new and other gloves I have tried on. These are definitely going to have to be broken in over time. Jury is still out on them. The new gloves that are still kind of stiff combined with a lighter feeling stick didn't give me a ton of feel for the puck when it was on my stick, including a super sick complete whiff of a pass after I looked up and unknowingly had the puck roll off my blade. That will get better over time I suppose.
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Jan 11, 2024 00:32
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Jealous of those going to Winthrop this weekend. Bunch of my team suggesting just going for the hell of it - go without actually playing hockey, weird take. I also skated the WC ice last week on Wednesday at 1pm timeslot. Is this thread mostly Seattle peeps now?! cool to see (and know some of yous already).
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Jan 11, 2024 23:27
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Henrik Zetterberg posted:Well, it took about 5 business days (8 total) to make the sticks and 2 days to get from Taiwan to my doorstep in CA via FedEx with the $10 expedited shipping. I saw on Reddit how they break easily, so we’ll see. At $170 for 2, I can’t be too mad. Used this last night and drat, it’s like the lightest stick I’ve ever used. Feels great, but it’s about 3/4” shorter than my previous stick. I might actually order another 2-pack just to mess around with a few things. Flex, blade, their sharkskin grip (because I hate standard grip) and whatnot. It was in my upper division team, so I didn’t get many shooting chances (because I suck), so I’ll get a better barometer on it Friday when my actual skill level league is. Henrik Zetterberg fucked around with this message at 03:24 on Jan 12, 2024 |
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Jan 12, 2024 01:12
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Henrik Zetterberg posted:Used this last night and drat, it’s like the lightest stick I’ve ever used. Feels great, but it’s about 3/4” than my previous stick. I might actually order another 2-pack just to mess around with a few things. Flex, blade, their sharkskin grip (because I hate standard grip) and whatnot. This guy I played with a few weeks ago had some and liked them a lot. He said it's tough because they make the flex true to your stick length so a lot of people get their sticks and it feels different or whippier than they're used to. He said they last a little longer than the all black sticks but not quite as long as most big brand sticks. The idea of getting sticks delivered in your exact pattern, flex, lie, and length without any cutting is very enticing though. Also the last time I went to the store, how the gently caress are like all hockey sticks $300+ now? That used to be the top level sticks. I struggled to find anything in the $150 range. Absolutely nothing for $100. I've been coasting on my bro in laws pro stock sticks and Amazon miracle deal Fischer's for the better part of a decade and they're dwindling. C'mon Amazon, accidentally mark hockey sticks back down to $7.50.
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Jan 12, 2024 02:33
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lol this week I lost 0-6, 3-4, and 0-8. Having fun still and playing well. I can finally consistently do clappers on net from the point. I just love hockey ya'll
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Jan 12, 2024 02:39
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Verman posted:This guy I played with a few weeks ago had some and liked them a lot. He said it's tough because they make the flex true to your stick length so a lot of people get their sticks and it feels different or whippier than they're used to. He said they last a little longer than the all black sticks but not quite as long as most big brand sticks. Yeah the fully custom aspect is what drew me in. Not to mention I paid $170 for 2 sticks. That coupon code is gone but they have a 15 or 20% off 2 stick code now. And yeah sticks are stupid expensive nowadays. My price limit used to be $110 for big brand sticks but it’s hard as hell to find anything near that that doesn’t suck and weigh 4lbs.
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Jan 12, 2024 03:28
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Henrik Zetterberg posted:Yeah the fully custom aspect is what drew me in. Not to mention I paid $170 for 2 sticks. That coupon code is gone but they have a 15 or 20% off 2 stick code now. Yeah I might do that going forward. $100/stick or less is totally acceptable to me as long as they don't shatter in a week and feel awful.
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Jan 12, 2024 03:54
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Verman posted:Also the last time I went to the store, how the gently caress are like all hockey sticks $300+ now? Everytime I go into my local place for a sharpening I'm like blown away at the stick prices. I play the game, if I had to buy a stick right now what stick would I actually buy and it almost always ends up being the wooden Sherwood with the Coffee curve for $40. I don't think it's called the Coffee curve anymore but that is how I will always refer to them.
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Jan 12, 2024 23:11
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How many sticks are you going through? I don’t think I’m particularly easy on my sticks, but I’ve only retired one in 2 years. Maybe you’re just leaning into it harder than I am, a very probable option. I do tend to take a number of slashes on my stick too, but I play in a lower ability Div, so that’s definitely part of my stick longevity.
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Jan 12, 2024 23:26
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I wish they still made 2-piece sticks.
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Jan 12, 2024 23:53
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I’ve had three sticks in the last year and a half, one of which is going strong, one has lost some pop, and one is dangerous to use because the toe is broken and I don’t want to slash someone up with carbon fiber on accident. Top of the line 2018 Warrior QR Edge I bought on deep discount middle of 2022 has the broken toe, I think it was 50% off $130ish. Two hockeystickman Pro Blackout Extra Lights I got on a two pack sale for $130, one made it through about 30 games before losing its pop the other is doing fine. I miss cheap sticks.
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Jan 12, 2024 23:57
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My sticks last a while as a wing. As center they always get chopped up where the blade meets the shaft. On defense, shot blocks and stick lifts kill it low on the shaft. Generally I'll get a few years out of a good stick. It's rare they break catastrophically unless a college kids takes a shot at it. I don't have a crazy shot and I'm not super aggressive so that might help. First game in the bag in Winthrop. Goalie didn't make it in time. A player dressed for the first time as goalie. We lost 0-7. It was 0° and sunny. Wore several layers and felt good but it's cold. It hurt my nose hair. I didn't drink any water. I didn't sweat. The ice is so hard and brittle it makes your skates squeak. With freshly sharpened skates I feel like they're dull. Just went to ace hardware to buy stick-on warmers because if it's going to be 20° cooler then it is now ... That's evil. Verman fucked around with this message at 00:59 on Jan 13, 2024 |
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Jan 13, 2024 00:55
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Verman posted:. C'mon Amazon, accidentally mark hockey sticks back down to $7.50. Hahah man I forgot about this, I absolutely loved every stick I got from that sale
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Jan 13, 2024 02:50
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I'm still using those sticks. I bought a lot of them.
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Jan 13, 2024 03:06
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Jhet posted:How many sticks are you going through? I don’t think I’m particularly easy on my sticks, but I’ve only retired one in 2 years. Maybe you’re just leaning into it harder than I am, a very probable option. I do tend to take a number of slashes on my stick too, but I play in a lower ability Div, so that’s definitely part of my stick longevity. Sticks get soft after like half a season if they don’t break. I switched from top of the line sticks (have a Sync, Hyperlite, Trigger 8 Pro and an FT5 Pro here) to those Instagram Pro Stock Hockey sticks and I’m not going back. I wanted something that shot like a 2N Pro and their mid kick nails it. I’m gonna order some custom ones soon.
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Jan 13, 2024 04:48
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   First day is done. Game 1 this afternoon was 0°f. Second game was at 10:40pm and it was -17°f with a windchill of -20-30. You wouldn't think there would be much difference between 0 and -17° but there definitely is. Eyes water and then form ice crystals and freeze shut. Nose hairs freeze instantly in a vicious drip-freeze cycle. Breathing hurts. My lungs hurt from breathing through a face mask but without it was impossible to breathe that air in directly. I wore three layers of long underwear, 2 synthetic, 1 wool. Wool calf height ski socks. Stick on toe warmers which were a godsend. Stick on warmers that I put on my stomach. I wore a pair of thin snowboarding pipe gloves inside my gloves. I wore a balaclava/ski mask over my head and mouth. I put Vaseline on my nose and cheeks which made a huge difference. I was pretty comfortable but it was tough to play normally. The ice was so bizarre. It was so cold it made the ice overly brittle. The zam went and the water wouldn't even fill in the cracks before it froze. I don't think the auger could even cut it. It was deeply rutted and hard to skate on. It made a really loud squeaking sound that was like nails on a chalkboard. Standing in place, if you leaned forward you just broke deeper into the ice, and same if you leaned back. Glide was gone. It made freshly sharpened skates feel like they had no edge. The puck was so hard and bouncy. Just strange. I scored a beauty of a goal, top glove. On the same shift my line mate scored a nice goal as well. We lost 8-3 or something but it was a fun game even with all the pain. I'll remember that game forever. I just wish I had a hot tub.
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Jan 13, 2024 10:16
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Hell yeah that rules Breathing normally in negative temps hurts like hell. I can't imagine playing hockey in it.
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Jan 13, 2024 14:53
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Jhet posted:How many sticks are you going through? I don’t think I’m particularly easy on my sticks, but I’ve only retired one in 2 years. Maybe you’re just leaning into it harder than I am, a very probable option. I do tend to take a number of slashes on my stick too, but I play in a lower ability Div, so that’s definitely part of my stick longevity. Chemmy posted:Sticks get soft after like half a season if they don’t break.
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Jan 13, 2024 17:23
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Yep I notice as well. A crisp, new stick feels so right but I’m with you. Gotta use it until it breaks.
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Jan 13, 2024 17:43
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That does explain why my primary stick feels soft in the flex now. Here I thought I was just finally using it properly. Maybe some of each. I have Warrior Alphas too, but the timing was good for me to be near Vancouver BC for Boxing Day and I got another for 150CA$ in their sale. Bought my kid an extra stick too for just as cheap. With the exchange rate it came out nice and cheapish. I’ll probably keep using the primary for a bit, but the new one needs tape and then I’ll see how it goes. Didn’t notice it was an 85 instead of 75 flex, but I probably won’t notice the difference. I’d hate to be buying these normal price there, some are normally priced around 400CA$ and that’s just stupid expensive. I do notice different contact to my shaft playing D this year, and I load up for shots and passes with more strength too. I’m near the top of the list on assists, but I put one in off the face off last weekend. That felt really nice.
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Jan 13, 2024 18:33
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loading up for passes lmao come on man
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Jan 13, 2024 19:22
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Verman posted:First day is done. Game 1 this afternoon was 0°f. Second game was at 10:40pm and it was -17°f with a windchill of -20-30. You wouldn't think there would be much difference between 0 and -17° but there definitely is. Eyes water and then form ice crystals and freeze shut. Nose hairs freeze instantly in a vicious drip-freeze cycle. Breathing hurts. My lungs hurt from breathing through a face mask but without it was impossible to breathe that air in directly. We've been staying at River's Edge Resort https://riversedgewinthrop.com/ . Each cabin has their own hot tub. We get 3 of the 3 BR cabins to house most of the team. I do not recall if you came by our cabin 1 year but I know your teammates came and used our hot tub.
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Jan 13, 2024 22:00
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Oh I recall that year. I think we had 10 people in a 5 person hot tub and it was half full when we left.
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Jan 14, 2024 00:02
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Holy gently caress. Returned from Winthrop. Seattle is freezing. The arboretum pond is ready. Should still be good tomorrow as well.     gently caress my body though. I didn't need 4 hours of additional skating today but how do you say no. Verman fucked around with this message at 02:22 on Jan 16, 2024 |
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Jan 16, 2024 00:51
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Anyone else in a Seattle area league get charged sales tax on league fees? Starting with this spring season Bremerton is changing to charge it, which seems sketchy because either they were supposed to be charging it all along and weren’t, or are looking for a way to make more money and are charging when they shouldn’t. Tax code isn’t super clear though so I have no idea if it’s right.
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Jan 17, 2024 05:28
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Just drove half way to KVIC to find out 40 minutes before puck drop that the other team was forfeiting. I'm giving the league the benefit of the doubt and it was the other team's captain dragging their feet but holy hell. Trying to contact everyone on the team while sitting in an AM/PM parking lot sure is fun.JUST MAKING CHILI posted:Anyone else in a Seattle area league get charged sales tax on league fees? Starting with this spring season Bremerton is changing to charge it, which seems sketchy because either they were supposed to be charging it all along and weren’t, or are looking for a way to make more money and are charging when they shouldn’t. Tax code isn’t super clear though so I have no idea if it’s right. I just did a quick scrub of my KHL payment emails and they didn't charge sales tax.
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Jan 17, 2024 07:55
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JUST MAKING CHILI posted:Anyone else in a Seattle area league get charged sales tax on league fees? Starting with this spring season Bremerton is changing to charge it, which seems sketchy because either they were supposed to be charging it all along and weren’t, or are looking for a way to make more money and are charging when they shouldn’t. Tax code isn’t super clear though so I have no idea if it’s right. lol no Skahl in Renton/Kirkland/Snowqualmie does not. But they did just goose prices before fall/winter a bit in response to gshl/KHL boosting theirs
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Jan 20, 2024 00:43
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Got another 2-pack of sticks from Hoapa. I was boring and put my # and name on the other one. 
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Jan 23, 2024 03:58
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I'm a little disappointed no one has labeled it "Dear Richard," but ASCII dicks are good too.
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Jan 23, 2024 05:01
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How are you liking the Hoapa? A friend who is 6'5" has a hard time finding sticks that aren't stupidly expensive and where he gets a different blade pattern each time. Might have to recommend this to him. I ordered a pair of sticks from Custom Hockey Sticks around black Friday when there were running a deal. Still waiting for them to ship, so I'm interested to see how they feel.
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Jan 23, 2024 11:06
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calandryll posted:How are you liking the Hoapa? A friend who is 6'5" has a hard time finding sticks that aren't stupidly expensive and where he gets a different blade pattern each time. Might have to recommend this to him. Pretty good! I've played like 4-5 games since I got my first and it's the lightest stick I've ever played with. I got a no grip stick the first 2-pack I ordered and it felt way too slippery, so my second 2-pack I opted for their sharkskin shaft grip, which is between no grip and the sticky stuff. I like it much better.
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Jan 23, 2024 17:37
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Eagle River pond hockey got cancelled due to warm weather. We only did that tournament once and there’s not a lot of backup options for that area. Sucks for those were planning on going. Edit: reading the comments looks like USA Hockey hosed up getting the alternative site reserved and now there’s a snowmobile race. Also sounds like it was getting worse every year which makes sense. sellouts fucked around with this message at 17:30 on Jan 24, 2024 |
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Jan 24, 2024 17:26
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I had friends go there every year when I was still in Illinois, it was mostly hope that kept them going. The registration sucked, the games sucked (due to sandbaggers) and the weather increasingly sucks. The only upside was a weekend away from home getting piss drunk with the boys. But they kept signing up hoping the coming year would be different. Obviously the solution is to move it to lake winnipeg.
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Jan 24, 2024 18:42
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tag yourself https://i.imgur.com/L61zT1W.mp4
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Jan 26, 2024 00:13
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xzzy posted:tag yourself defense takes themselves out, 3-0 and can't even get a shot off, and then turns over to what seems like a breakway in the opposite direction. beerleague.mov
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Jan 26, 2024 01:29
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New beer league experience! 3rd period, and a guy scores his second goal of the game to make it 4-4. In our division it's a 2-goal max, so he can't score again (it won't count and the faceoff goes to center ice). Little bit later, someone on his line gets an open chance in front after a scramble, the puck hits a defenseman, and goes 5-hole. The goal is called a goal, everyone congratulates the guy on his first goal of the game, and play resumes at center ice. Unbeknownst to us, the ref gave the goal to 2-goal guy (the goalie and a defenseman yelled that it went in off him, we told the ref it did not, and since it counted we assumed he had it down correctly). 4 min left in the period, other team ties it up at 5-5. They are continuing to complain about the previous goal, and the ref calls the team captains over. They talk, then the puck drops at center ice with no announcement. But our goal is now no longer on the board, we're down 5-4, half our team doesn't notice, and we end up losing 5-4. Hooray!
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Jan 27, 2024 08:37
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^^ 2 goal max is a weird freakin rule. Anyone can have a game and just be told NOPE. My ASCII dick stick had its debut tonight on D. I scored off a give-and-go one-timer with someone at the goal line. Passed it to him, streaked in past the defender toward the net, and he gave it back to me. One-timer top corner through traffic. Ended up being the game winner in a 4-1 win. Hell yeah.
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Jan 27, 2024 11:24
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