This is a crude Photoshop of Pantera's sixth album, Vulgar Display of Power. These guys have been a staple of my musical rotation since I was in middle school. At the risk of sounding old, I remember the original Headbangers Ball which always went to commercial with a bumper from the fourth track on this album, "Fucking Hostile". If ever there was a song you'd want to listen to after a bad day at work, school or with the significant other, this would be it. In less then three minutes, you'd either feel better by listening to these four guys rage or burn your building down.
The gentleman getting punched here, as the rumors go, was a fan of the band who allowed himself to be clocked in the face as many as 30 times for $10 bucks a shot. Now THAT is a musical enthusiast. Hell he'd make a fine hockey player.
I think the name of the album, the song and the guy getting plugged are all fairly relevant to this evening's game in St. Louis. In fact, if you have a friend out there who doesn't like/understand hockey, preferring to spending their time watching baseball or cars roll around a track over and over again, sit them in front of a television for the opening ten minutes of this game. Voila! A new hockey fan will be born.
Yes, it's going to be rough one. If you watched the Flyers/Pens game today, that opening has nothing on what tonight will bring. In front of their home crowd, the Blues have no other option but to bring their absolute best. Being down 2-0 isn't insurmountable, but being down 3-0 essentially is. They'll be pissed, they'll be motivated, they'll have the home town edge and, as luck would have it, they have history on their side: St. Louis was 4-1-1 this season in the game after being shutout, averaging 3.17 goals per game.
However, as was said in the aftermath of game two's open thread, Vancouver is going as far as Luongo wants to bring them. We shouldn't expect Luongo to be as lights out as he was the last game, but we should expect his defense to be. Mitchell and crew have been spectacular at removing the lanes, forcing the Blues to the outside and clearing rebounds and the humanity in front of their netminder. The offense, too, has been great but they get an entirely different test tonight.
The motto tonight should be "one goal lead". The Sedins will have less room, so the pressure is on the RPM and Unemployment Lines to get that timely goal. The pressure is on their PP to strike when given the chance. If the forwards are clamped down on, the pressure is on for Salo, Ohlund or Bieksa to ripple the twine. And above all else, they have to keep their emotions in control and their sticks down. Tonight is not the time to let the Blues' special teams find a pulse. Vancouver just needs a one goal lead, then let their style of play take it from there.
Look no further then shift to shift, minute to minute. Canucks are in the drivers seat, no time to let up on that lead foot now. But there's still plenty of hockey left; we'll know by the end of the night what kind of series this really is.
Here's your thread for game three. Do your thing.