Hockey Chat:  I watched a Chicago Wolves game on a Friday night, and saw a team in disarray.  They did not play like the first place team they were.  Instead they were walked on through the entire game, giving a whopping 50 shots to Peoria and 7 of those went in.  After the game, their goalie who was one of the team leaders, Fred Brathwaite, gave the guys an earful on what went wrong.  He told them what they needed to hear.  The very next night they turned the tables and put up 47 shots and got 8 goals against Rockford.  Back to the kind of hockey those guys were known for.

Hockey Chat:  On November 2 of 2002, Tie Domi took a penalty and then let his emotions take his whole team out of the game.  His mouthing off and cursing at referee Brad Watson landed Domi a gross misconduct penalty and an accompanying fine of $200.  The Maple Leafs were scored on during the penalty and stayed back on their heels to lose the game 5-2.  His words cost him and the team a loss.

Hockey Chat:  Brain Buckets.  The 79-80 season was when the NHL made new comers wear the head gear.  Prior to that it wasn’t thought of to be a need.  But ask anyone whose taken a wack without it how much it is needed.  It’s one of those things that we don’t really use in the game (head-butting a puck into the goal is not very effective).  But when a stick comes up to high, or our skate slips out from under us, those hockey helmets are what saves us from a potentially deadly injury. 

Hockey Chat:  The chest protectors that goalies wear are nothing short of phenomenal.  They allow for 100+ miles per hour vulcanized rubber biscuits to bounce off them with no pain to the goaltender.  That keeps him confidently in the game.