My Vacation Time in Niagara Falls, Ontario In May 2017 - by Anne Shier

My Vacation Time in Niagara Falls in May 2017

From Sunday May 7 to Friday May 12, 2017

Very early on Sunday morning, May 7^th, I woke up and started getting ready for the busy day ahead.  This is the day of my departure by bus for Niagara Falls – a trip I have done many times before.  This time is different though - I’m doing it as a retiree.  That means having to plan ahead and watch what I’m spending.  In fact, I have always made it a practice to plan my trips ahead of time.  So, I’ve  booked my hotel room at the Days Inn, Clifton Hill, and then booked my bus ticket via Greyhound.  Since I am now a senior (62+) as far as Greyhound is concerned, I can take advantage of their seniors’ discount, which amounts to about 20%, I think.  I also got a good rate on my hotel room, mainly because I didn’t book any weekend days, which tend to be more expensive.  The only thing I didn’t plan well at all was the route I was going to take to get to the bus station at Bay and Dundas in time to get my ticket.

For example, I decided to go to Union station on the subway and take a taxi to Bay and Dundas from Union.  That did not work, however; there was a marathon race going on downtown and many of the streets were closed off at Union.  So, I had to instruct my taxi driver to drop me off, finally, at Front and John Streets, which was nowhere near the bus terminal.  I now had to walk with my suitcase, a big bag, a smaller bag, and my purse several blocks north and east until I finally arrived at the bus station.  As it happened, I was just in time to obtain my bus ticket.  It was already paid for though.  I just had to get the person at the Greyhound counter to print it off after she saw my identification and a reference number corresponding to my ticket.

After that, I had a quick lunch in the terminal, visited the bathroom, and boarded my bus without any further problems.  Although the bus left a little bit late, we were soon on the Gardiner Expressway and onto the Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW) westbound.  We were to arrive at the bus terminal in Niagara Falls by 1:50 pm, and I would then take another taxi to my hotel.  Once I did that, I got settled into my hotel room.  It was a nice room – not with a king-sized bed that I’d asked for initially – but, with two queen-sized beds, however, I only needed one.  There was a fridge and microwave included and so, I ended up paying a bit of a premium for those items.  And, of course, there was a coffee-maker – standard operating equipment for vacations as far as I am concerned.

I asked at the front desk when I registered as a hotel guest about the available TV channels, but they didn’t have HLN or the Discovery Channel or any of the sports channels that I was used to watching these days.  Oh well, no problem.  I knew then that I’d have to do some other things instead of watching my regular TV shows and, hopefully, fit the sports channels in by going to the bar at Boston Pizza around the corner from my hotel.  You see, the Stanley Cup playoffs are halfway done and I wanted to see most, if not all, of the games, specifically, the Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Washington Capitals in Round 2.  If things go the way I expect, the Penguins will prevail and the Capitals will soon be out of the running.  That was Sunday.  Hopefully, Monday will be a better day for me.

But, before Monday could arrive, I decided to go for dinner at Boston Pizza on Sunday so that I could watch at least part of a hockey game.  There was going to be two games – one in the afternoon, which I wanted to see, and one at night.   The afternoon game was between the Nashville Predators and the St. Louis Blues.  I didn’t stay for the whole game, but apparently the Predators ousted the Blues from Round 2 and will advance to Round 3.  Now, the remaining three series have yet to be wagered this week, and the length of those series depends on whether there are six or seven games per series.  It should be very interesting.

On Monday morning, May 8^th, I woke up by about 8:20 am and made myself a pot of coffee.  I was going to watch a movie for the second time that I had already seen last night.  I had seen two movies for the first time last night:  “A Dog’s Purpose”, and “The Girl on the Train”.  Although they are both very good movies, I wanted to watch “The Girl on the Train” again.  It’s a deeply suspenseful psychological thriller, just the kind of movie I love.  I’d been reading the book, but still haven’t finished it yet.  The ending is what I wanted to find out about in the movie.  And, still, it surprised me.  That’s what all good movies do, right?  They surprise you.

After drinking two cups of coffee and watching the movie again, I finally decided to get up, get washed and dressed, and go down to the restaurant, Applebee’s, which is attached to the hotel, and have a good breakfast.  While I was eating, I started writing a short story, an original one that I got an idea for yesterday.  It’s going to be dedicated to Sidney Crosby, No. 87, the captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins hockey team.  After that, the waitress, Lauren, and I started talking and I told her some stuff about my authoring career and activities.  We had a very interesting conversation about drug addiction, something I like to write about.  I promised to give her an autographed book whenever I see her next, which I am able to do since I brought only one book with me on this trip.

I plan on going to do some fun things today:  go to Louis Tussaud’s Wax Works, a museum just down the street; and to Ripley’s Moving Theater (the American spelling of theatre) – two three-dimensional movies that you need those special glasses to view.  These are really fun activities that I’ve done before here – nothing new.  After that, I decided to walk down to the falls.  It’s a rather lengthy walk along the escarpment, but it’s very beautiful and picturesque in the spring and I love to take pictures with my camera phone. 

When I got tired of walking almost to the Canadian Falls, I turned back and on the way, picked up a chocolate sundae at Dairy Queen, took it back to my hotel room and ate it while watching a third new movie, “Sully”, which is also very good, a fictional movie based on a factual account of an airplane accident that ended up with everyone, crew and passengers, staying alive.

Now, after journalizing my way through the last two days, I plan on going back to Boston Pizza tonight for dinner, this time to watch the Pittsburgh Penguins win Round 2 over the Washington Capitals; that’s what I hope for tonight.  Then, I’ll come back to my hotel, maybe watch another movie, and get ready for bed.  Tomorrow, I’ll do some more creative writing and journalizing and, of course, watch movies.  It’s really easy and enjoyable watching them on my brand new portable DVD player, which I just bought before this trip began.  And, in the afternoon when it’s nice and sunny out, I will do some more fun things on Clifton Hill.  That’s the thing about Niagara Falls – there are literally hundreds of activities to do here, so I will never get bored during my Niagara Falls holidays.

Well, after watching Game six between the Penguins and the Capitals, I could see very clearly that Pittsburgh was outclassed by Washington until the closing minutes of period three.  Then, the Penguins scored twice, but Washington had already scored five times, so the outcome was obvious tonight.  Too bad for the Penguins.  I felt especially bad for Sidney Crosby who was targeted throughout the game.  On Wednesday night, game seven will determine who advances into Round 3.  I only hope that the Penguins will prevail as I know they can.

On Tuesday morning, May 9^th, I got up fairly early again.  These things are never predetermined for me.  I made my customary pot of coffee and drank two cups before considering breakfast.  Then, I got washed and dressed and was going to go to Applebee’s downstairs again, but I found out it’s closed till Wednesday afternoon.  Why, I do not know.  Anyway, I had my usual substantial breakfast at Perkins restaurant nearby, and then left to go back to my hotel room, put on my makeup, and got ready to go out.  Today, I plan to do some fun things again on Clifton Hill.  I am going to go to Ripley’s Believe it or Not Odditorium (a museum with various oddities displayed in it), and then to Movieland (another museum with movie stars and famous musicians in it). 

After doing these things, I returned to my hotel and on the way, picked up another chocolate sundae at Dairy Queen, took it back to my hotel room and ate it while starting to watch “Law and Order: LA”, which I have never seen before.  I am trying to pick movies and shows to watch this week that I’ve never seen so that I am doing something different from my daily activities at home, and this is different enough for me.  There are six discs so it’ll take me a few days to get through them all.  For now, I’ll stick with discs one and two. 

Tonight, after journalizing my way through the last two days, I plan on going back to Boston Pizza tonight for dinner for the second time, this time to watch the Ottawa Senators win Round 2 over the New York Rangers.  That’s what I hope for tonight.  And, I was not disappointed.  Against all odds, the Senators vanquished the Rangers in Game six and have now earned the right to advance to Round 3.  Hurray!!!  At least one Canadian team is in Round 3 this year.

Now, it’s Wednesday May 10^th.  I did pretty much the same thing as yesterday, except that, in the afternoon, I went to the Imax Theatre to see the “Niagara” movie, and then visited the observation deck at the Skylon Tower, and finally, saw a relatively new movie:  “The Falls:  3D/4D Movie”, which was very well made; I’ve only seen it once before, so that experience was also different for me this week.  And, I’m also onto “Law and Order: LA” discs three and four at my hotel.

Well, Game six on Tuesday night was a wash for the Penguins, as we all know, but tonight, in Game seven, one of these teams must advance to Round 3 and I hope it’s the Penguins that prevail this time.  So, tonight, after journalizing my way through the last two days, I plan on going back to Boston Pizza tonight for dinner for the third, and maybe the last time this week, this time to watch the Pittsburgh Penguins finally and decisively win Round 2 over the Washington Capitals.  Sidney Crosby must play a pivotal role in this game, as well as other hot players, like Jake Guentzel and Evgeni Malkin, who can each score a lot of goals.  But, the Penguins will also need good, solid defensemen who don’t back down from a fight if that’s what it comes down to.  I am positive that it will not be an easy task to win this series – it will be a fight right to the bitter end.  Do the Penguins want the Stanley Cup badly enough?  We’ll see.

As it happened, the Pittsburgh Penguins pulled out all the stops in Game 7 and managed to score twice vs. the Washington Capitals who could only score once.  So, now Pittsburgh will advance to Round 3 vs. the Ottawa Senators.  This is going to create a kind of conundrum for me though.  I like Sidney Crosby very much (and not just his ability on the ice), but I am a true blue Canadian hockey fan, so my allegiances will have to lie with Ottawa in Round 3.  However, I will be keeping my eye on Sidney for the duration to see how his abilities stack up against the best of the Ottawa Senators, No. 65, defenseman and captain, Erik Karlsson.  Again, we’ll see.  Round 3 will start this Friday night and it should be very interesting indeed.  I’ll be back home in Toronto by early Friday afternoon.

Meanwhile, in the late game last night, the Edmonton Oilers were ousted in Round 2 by the Anaheim Ducks, which means that only one Canadian team made to Round 3, and it wasn’t the Oilers, although I had hoped it would be.

On Thursday morning, May 11^th, I woke up at a more reasonable time, but I hadn’t gotten to sleep until the early hours, so I’m still kind of tired today.  During breakfast at Perkins restaurant, I am contemplating going on the Maid of the Mist boat ride under the Canadian Falls, but still haven’t made up my mind on that yet.  By 2:00 pm, if I’m not too tired, I may decide to go.  If not now, I will try to do it during the summer when I’m here with Brent and James.  But, we haven’t decided to come to Niagara Falls then either.  Today, Applebee’s re-opens at 4:00 pm.  That’s when I will drop off a copy of my book to Lauren, the waitress I met on Monday morning when I was there for breakfast.  Also, I’ve been invited for a drink by one of the managers at Boston Pizza and I may go there once more tonight, this time to see the Toronto Blue Jays play and maybe I’ll stay for an hour or two.

I didn’t end up going on the Maid of the Mist boat ride this afternoon after all.  Instead, I watched a few of my old standby favourite movies:  “Overboard”, “Obsessed”, “Pacific Heights”, and “Fatal Attraction”.  All I really wanted to do today was to relax on my last full day in Niagara Falls.

Brent just called me at my hotel this afternoon to invite me to dinner this Saturday night for Mother’s Day.  Dinner would be with James and Dave and Brent.  These guys are my core family members even though Dave isn’t related to us.  He’s just been around for the last twenty-five years or more, so that makes him family.  I think we’re going to eat dinner at East Side Mario’s like we normally do.  Brent, James and Dave will pick me up at Yonge and York Mills and, after dinner, drop me off at a bus stop on Eglinton near Victoria Park (at my request).  I’m looking forward to spending Saturday evening with them.

Tonight, I went to Remington’s of Niagara to have dinner.  That was a treat for me.  I had two lobster tails, with wild rice and cooked vegetables, a glass of Wayne Gretzy’s Pino Grigio white wine, and dessert, which was crème brule and a hot chocolate drink called Peppermint Patty.  It was a pricey meal at $81.96 before tip was added, but since I don’t go there very often, I didn’t mind.  As it happened, I went to Boston Pizza after dinner to get that promised drink and ended up staying for a couple of hours.  And, I also chatted for a while with Jamie, the manager who’d bought me my drink.  He’s very nice, young, and attractive.

On Friday morning, May 12^th, I will be checking out of the Days Inn, Clifton Hill and boarding my Greyhound bus at 11:30 am to return to Toronto.  I only hope that my trip home will be much better than my trip to the Greyhound bus terminal in Toronto and then to Niagara Falls was six days ago.

That trip home turned out to be unlike my usual trips home from Niagara Falls.  For one thing, our bus driver seemed to be confused about where St. Catherines was located.  I guess he doesn’t do this route very often, if at all, because it seemed like he got lost.  There were two very full buses, so maybe Greyhound ran short of drivers for these two Toronto-bound buses.  Also, I met a very nice young man named Anthony from Switzerland who was doing a tour of Ontario.  He is a university student who had done a semester of study here in Ontario, then decided to tour around for a week or so before returning home.  We talked all the way to the bus terminal in Toronto, so it was a very pleasant trip for me.  He said he enjoyed our chatting too.

When I arrived back in Toronto, I decided to take the most direct route home – on the subway from Dundas and Yonge to Davisville and Yonge.  Fortunately, this time it was a smooth trip and I arrived home in good time.  I guess I should take this route to the Greyhound station next time I want to go to Niagara Falls on the bus.

ADDENDUM:  The Stanley Cup playoffs will continue in Round 3, beginning Friday May 12, 2017 with the Nashville Predators playing the best of seven games with the Anaheim Ducks.  That will be their Game 1.  On Saturday May 13, 2017, the Ottawa Senators will begin playing their best of seven games with the Pittsburgh Penguins.  I’m looking forward to watching all these games in May. 

copyright 2017 - Anne Shier

My Vacation Time in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.--Sept./Oct. 2017--by Anne Shier

My Vacation Time in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario

September 28 – October 4, 2017

DAY 1 – Thursday September 28, 2017:

A brand new experience I had today was taking the “Union Pearson Express” train to Toronto Pearson Airport.  I had never taken this train before and I wanted to find out what it was like.  It’s a nice, smooth ride that takes 25 minutes from Union Station and drops its passengers off at Terminal 1 of the airport.  Only problem was that I left home too late and it took me an hour just to get to the train at Union Station.  I will have to plan my interim travelling time better next time.

As planned, I had booked and paid for my air fare on Air Canada online one month previously.  I wanted to find out if I liked travelling by air to Sault Ste. Marie this year even though I’d already been taking the Greyhound bus up here for years.  Turns out it was a great idea!  Only problem was that I’d completely forgot what my departure time was and, because of that, I was too late to take the 12:30 pm flight I’d booked.  That meant I had to change my air fare ticket so that I could take the next flight out – and that change cost me an extra $150.00!  Also, since I’d booked my air fare through Expedia, I did not automatically get a “free” bag to check in.  And that cost me an extra $75.00!  So, the flight that I thought I was getting so cheaply (at $234.18) was actually going to cost me over $400.00!  Still, it was a learning experience for me and you can never put a price on that!

The flight itself was on a turbo-prop (propeller) airplane, a commuter plane I’m told.  I’d never been on such a small plane.  It held maybe 40-50 people maximum and was a powerful machine.  The takeoff was smooth with very little runway needed.  And, when we landed at the Sault Ste. Marie Airport an hour and a half later, the landing was very smooth but short, as well.  I’d been used to jumbo jets that take a relatively long time to get off the ground during takeoff and take an equally long time to bring to a stop after landing.  This plane was clearly not a jumbo jet.  Besides, jumbo jets hold hundreds of people instead just a few dozen, so this plane was a relative lightweight in that respect.

As a result of flying to Sault Ste. Marie versus suffering that arduous 10-hour bus ride (one way) on Greyhound, I landed in the “The Soo” at about 3:50 pm.  We’d left Toronto at 2:20 pm.  After collecting my bag from the plane, which I was able to do right away, I took a taxi with another couple and we were dropped off at our respective hotels.  It only cost me $35.00 for the taxi ride into the city.  The plan to fly here gave me an extra 8 hours of vacation time, which I would not have had if I’d been on the bus.  That was a terrific bonus for me all by itself.

I unpacked at my favourite hotel, the Holiday Inn Express on Bay Street, after which I plugged in my Notebook computer and my brand new DVD player so that I could play some movies later on.  The hotel room I’d reserved was pricey at $230.00 / night, but for that price, I got a very nice king-bed suite, not just a room.  Then, I went across the street to the Station Mall, bought myself a dinner of KFC chicken and ate it in the food court,  After that, I took a walk over to the other side of the mall and took a brief look at the water – the St. Mary’s River, which connects Lake Huron to Lake Superior.  It looked really beautiful in the afternoon sunshine.  I only stayed a few minutes though.  I wanted to come back and watch some TV and a DVD movie or two.

This evening, I watched an A&E TV show called “The Murder of Laci Peterson”, about the trial of Scott Peterson, Laci’s husband, who was accused of murdering her.  Before that show was finished, the DVD player was charged up and ready to use, so I first watched “The Zookeeper’s Wife”, a brand new DVD movie I’d just bought at Amazon.  Then, I watched an old favourite of mine, “Obsessed”.  During that movie run, I got ready for bed, took my meds and then got into bed and tried to get some sleep.  After a couple of hours of pure restlessness, I got up and put on the first disk of “Planet Earth II” and played that till it was time to get up for breakfast.  The hotel offers its guests breakfast from 6:30 am till 9:30 am weekdays and 7:00 am till 10:00 am weekends.

DAY 2 – Friday September 29, 2017:

Today, my plan is to have breakfast downstairs early and then go over to the Agawa Canyon Tour box office to see if I can get a ticket for a ride on the train tomorrow.  This tour is definitely worth doing!  I did it a few years ago and it was breathtaking.  So, I decided that if it wasn’t overly busy, and they could fit me in, I would buy myself a ticket.  It happens to be very busy this time of year.  It’s a day-long excursion on a Canadian National Railway train, the kind previously used as passenger trains in Canada.  There’s a dining car and snacks and beverages available on the train throughout the day.  I am really looking forward to this trip. 

Other than that, I am planning on watching more DVD movies today and, when I go for dinner later on, taking another short walk over to the water.  It’s not as nice out today as it was yesterday, so I’ll have to see how I feel then.  I hope to do some reading this week or listen to some music DVDs I also brought with me.

So, after breakfast and having booked my ticket on the Agawa Canyon Tour for tomorrow, I put on another DVD, a brand new movie called “The Judge” and, while I was watching the early part of it, fell asleep.  I’m not surprised that I fell asleep though because this is something that happens to me fairly often after a night of sleeplessness.  However, I did manage to see a major part of the movie, enough to convince myself to see it again. 

Later on, after eating dinner and then having a much-needed bath, I settled down once again to watch an HD movie on TV called “Liar, Liar”, one of my old favourites.  Then, I watched two thriller DVD movies, also favourites of mine – “The Hand that Rocks the Cradle” and “Consenting Adults”.  I was feeling tired and was somewhat cranky due to an upset stomach, but it was still too early to go to bed for the night, so I just lounged around in my pajamas, did my meds as usual, and then got as comfortable as possible for the evening.

Tomorrow morning, I have to get up at 6:00 am so I can get some breakfast downstairs, take some food with me for the train, and then spend the entire day on the Agawa Canyon Tour.  I am really looking forward to it because the scenery throughout the trip is spectacular.  It’ll be an all-day trip and we won’t return back to “The Soo” until close to 7:00 pm.  Some people my age think it’s a long day, but I like it.  You don’t get to go on a tour like this very often, if at all.  I went on this tour once already a few years ago and it is definitely worth repeating.

DAY 3 – Saturday September 30. 2017:

The Agawa Canyon Train Tour was outstanding, as I knew it would be.  The leaves on the trees are just starting to turn colour and the scenery is wonderful.  The whole trip is 114 miles long due north one way, winding through some pretty mountainous and bushy terrain, sometimes climbing and sometimes descending.  At the end, we stopped for an hour and half, got off the train and spent time in the Agawa Canyon, walking around, taking pictures, and eating food we’d brought with us.  Then, at about 2:00 pm, we started back on the return leg.  The tour, altogether, was 10 hours.  We’d left “The Soo” at 8:00 am and returned at 6:00 pm, making for a long day, but a day well worth spending.  Today’s trip was my second time round, and I may even do a third time down the road in a few years.

On Saturday evenings, there aren’t many places open from which to select food for dinner (because the mall closes at 6:00 pm), so I stopped at the movie theatre in the mall for a hotdog, fries and soft drink.  It wasn’t very satisfying, but it was better than eating nothing.  I wasn’t really hungry anyway.  I just wanted to go back to my hotel and watch some TV and DVD movies.  I started out watching a bit of the TV movie called “Die Hard with a Vengeance”, but soon decided I’d rather watch one of my favourite DVD movies “Shall We Dance?” followed by another favourite “Point of No Return”.  Both are excellent movies, but by the time I’d watched them both, I was pooped enough to sleep for the night.  I’d done my meds earlier, but didn’t need to bother with my usual sleep meds tonight. 

DAY 4 – Sunday October 1, 2017:

I think I’m going to take it easy today.  I went for an early breakfast because I didn’t want to miss it by sleeping in.  Then, I came back up to my room to update my journal blog during the day, watch a DVD movie or two, do some reading, or maybe listen to some music DVDs of mine.  I also thought I might go swimming this afternoon since there’s an indoor pool in this hotel and it probably won’t be full of kids at this time of year.

I only have three full days left before I have to go home.  I have an early flight on Wednesday morning (10:10 am) and I have to be at the airport by 8:30 am latest to make sure I get checked in and get through security on time.  That should not be a problem here.  It’s a small airport; still, it could be busy then with outgoing flights.  As of today, I plan on making the most of the time I have left here.

After breakfast, I came back up to my room and lay in bed watching a brand new DVD movie called “Passengers”, and, of course, fell asleep for part of it.  When I woke up, I realized I had to make a couple of phone calls home – one to my Shoppers Drug Mart home store to request a renewal of my Tylenol # 3 prescription from Dr. Ching, and one to Amazon Visa card services to find out whether and when I’ll get my new Visa card since the old one has expired.  Well, as it happened today, I wasn’t able to talk to Amazon Visa’s credit department to find what happened to my new card, so I was asked to call back Monday during the day because, on Sunday, the credit department is closed.

After making these two calls, I finished watching my movie and then decided to go out to the water’s edge on the boardwalk and continue reading my book “A Stranger in the Mirror”, which I’d read before, but wanted to read again.  I started it a couple of days ago and made it to Chapter 5 today.  It’s a beautiful day out today – warm and sunny – and I really enjoyed sitting by the water’s edge reading and sipping my cup of coffee from Timmy’s.

When I came back to the hotel, I wasn’t sure where I was going for dinner tonight, so I asked Penny at the front desk if she could suggest a nice family restaurant for me.  She suggested Muio’s, which I could access by cutting in between this hotel and the Days Inn & Suites next door and then walking along Queen Street behind these hotels a block or two.  She also suggested that tomorrow (Monday) night, I could also go to another place for dinner called Solo’s, which isn’t open today. Going to the food court for dinner is just something I’m not keen on right now.  These two restaurants will help make my dining experiences in “The Soo” much more pleasant this time round and in the future.

For the rest of the afternoon, I lay in bed watching two of my most recently purchased DVD shows:  “Amazing Caves” and “Planet Earth II (Disk Two)”.  I’d only seen these DVDs once before so they were still new to me.

So, at just after 5:00 pm, I left to walk over to Muio’s.  I thought it was a restaurant I’d been to already a few years ago, but I wasn’t sure.  As it happened, it was the same place.  I ordered a New York striploin steak (medium), with sautéed onions and mushrooms, a baked potato with butter and sour cream, cooked-from-frozen vegetables, and a side-Caesar salad.  The waitress also provided me with some white bread, but I didn’t eat it then – I took it with me after I’d finished eating.  That was a terrific meal!  I also had a 6 oz. glass of white wine.  This meal was definitely out of the ordinary for me, so it was an ideal meal to have on my vacation here.  I like to eat food that I don’t normally eat except on vacation.

After dinner, I watched “Planet Earth II (Disk Two)” again and then watched “Miss Congeniality II” before going to sleep for the night. 

DAY 5 – Monday October 2, 2017:

Today, I’m taking it easy again.  After a hearty breakfast of pancakes at the hotel, I went back to my room and watched one of my favourite DVD movies “Green Card” while trying to snooze.  Then, I remembered that I had to call Amazon Visa card services again today because I still don’t have a new card renewal and have no idea why.  After my call was completed and they’d gotten their questions answered and done a quick credit check on me, they were still satisfied that I deserve a new card without changes to be made to my credit and cash limits, so everything is okay again.  I will be receiving a new card in the next 7 to 10 days in the mail.

I don’t have much motivation to do anything right now except maybe read my book or do some swimming this afternoon.  It hasn’t been very sunny today.  I’m still planning to go to dinner at Solo’s tonight because it’s different and new to me.  I only have two full days left in my vacation, but I’ve been enjoying it a lot, doing some new things and watching some new DVD movies that I haven’t seen before.  After all, that’s what vacations are supposed to be all about – doing new and different things that I don’t normally do.  Otherwise, what would be the point in going anywhere on vacation?

The sun finally seems to be coming out and now, I’m contemplating going over to the boardwalk to do some reading again this afternoon.  So, that’s what I did, and I got almost to the end of Chapter 8 while I sat at the boardwalk with my coffee from Timmy’s.

For dinner, I went to Solo’s (a.k.a. Solo’s Trattoria) and ordered an entrée called Wild Mushroom Chicken, which is cooked in a marsala mushroom sauce.  This meal came with mashed potatoes, cooked-from-fresh vegetables, and a side-Caesar salad.  I also ordered a glass of white Pino Grigio wine with dinner.  It was a really terrific dinner, which I enjoyed enormously.  There was also bread provided, but I took that back with me to the hotel.

After dinner, I came back to my room and continued watching a brand new DVD TV series called “Ice Road Truckers (Season 7)” that I’d started to watch this afternoon.  Before dinner, I’d gotten most of the way through Disk 1 and now, I am into Disk 2.  I’ll probably end up watching Disk 3 tomorrow or back at home next week.

I had another restless night tonight.  So, instead of trying to sleep, which was not working, I played my 3 music CDs:  Enya, Dirty Dancing, and Adele, and tried to relax.  It was one of my first times listening to Adele.  She is a mesmerizing singer to hear and I will probably be buying some more of her music.

DAY 6 – Tuesday October 3, 2017:

Today is my last full day of vacation here in “The Soo”.  It’s been great fun, as always.  Hopefully, I can come back again next year.  I’ve learned my lesson about the best time of day at which to book my departure air fare (late in the day) and how much time to give myself to get to the airport, get checked in, and go through security (at least two hours, depending on whether I’m travelling in Canada or abroad).  I had to do everything myself this year, including getting myself to the airport.  Maybe next year, I can get a ride from someone instead, or take a taxi, or maybe I could stay at a hotel close to Pearson Airport the night before leaving.

This morning, after breakfast, I went back to my room, lay in bed, and started to watch one of my favourite DVD movies “Employee of the Month”, but, again, fell asleep during the movie.  I may end up watching this one again, since all I did was listen to it.

After a while, I got up and got myself ready to go out to the mall and the water’s edge.  This time, I wanted to get some photos of myself done at the photo booth in the mall, then get a coffee from Timmy’s, and go out to the boardwalk one last time to do some reading.  I am now up to Chapter 10.  Then, I got a slice of pizza for lunch and ate it at the mall.  Finally, I came back to my room.  I still might go swimming this afternoon even though I haven’t been swimming in the hotel pool yet this week.  I guess I’ll make it up at home instead.  After all, by this time tomorrow (1:45 pm), I’ll be back at home in Toronto again.

I’ve phoned the taxi cab company, SYC, to please pick me at 7:30 am tomorrow morning so that I will make it to the airport in “The Soo” with time to spare this time.  I’ve also asked the front desk for a wakeup call at 6:00 am so that I can get myself dressed, packed up completely, and then have a light breakfast before being picked up by my taxi.

DAY 7 – Wednesday October 4, 2017:

Just as I’d planned, I woke up at the appointed time, 6:00am, got washed and dressed and packed up the last of my stuff.  Then, I went downstairs for breakfast for the last time at about 6:30 am and then waited for my taxi to appear at 7:30 am. 

The trip home was smooth and seamless.  I checked in at the Sault Ste. Marie Airport’s Air Canada counter at around 8:30 am since no one was manning the counter until then.  I then put my checked bag onto the conveyer belt that would take it to my plane, and I only had to pay $25.00 plus tax this time to check one bag in.  We boarded the plane at 9:40 am, after going through security smoothly, and took off on time at 10:10 am.  This time, my check-in and security checks were both seamless with no problems.  The trip took an hour and a half and was very pleasant.

When my plane arrived at Pearson International Airport in Toronto at 11:40 am, I was easily able to locate and obtain my checked bag again, then to locate and board the Union Pearson Express train that I’d taken previously to the airport.  Now, it would return me back to Union Station.  After that, I took the subway from Union Station to my home at Yonge and Davisville.  Now, I know that I love flying to “The Soo” because it’s so much nicer than riding a bus for 10 hours one way.  So, I’ll probably be doing my trip to “The Soo” this way from now on.

The only difference from my first trip was that my plane was bigger.  This plane was similar to the first one (it was turbo-prop), except that it was big enough to hold up to 80 people instead of just 40, and, today it was a full flight.  Other than that, it was pretty much the same.   I enjoyed every moment of my trip up to “The Soo”, the time I spent there, and my trip back home.  This vacation has always been enjoyable for me, which is the primary reason I keep returning to this part of Northern Ontario.  “The Soo” is truly My Heavenly Place, and always will be.  The next time I hope to go up there will be any time between August and October 2018.

Thanksgiving 2017 – October 8 & 9:

This year, we did not have our usual extended family get-together.  So, Brent suggested that only he, James and I spend it together at his place in Janetville.  On Sunday October 8, with my weekend bag in hand, I took the subway down to Union Station and then boarded the GO Train bound for Oshawa, only I would get off at Whitby GO Station and wait for Brent to come down, pick me up there, and take me to his place.

On the way, we went to do some much-needed grocery shopping, which Brent did while I stayed in the car and wrote down the Proline football games scheduled for later today and the spreads (point differential for each game).  I got this football data from the Proline web site on Brent’s cell phone.  Brent and James were going to place their bets (James would place his bet via Brent) and Brent would then have to submit their Proline cards at the store before the games could begin.

After doing the grocery shopping in Port Perry, we went to pick up James at his mom’s place.  Brent does this every other week – picking James up on Sunday and dropping him off the next Sunday.  We would all spend today and tomorrow together having Brent’s Thanksgiving dinner, watching football all afternoon, and then watching a PPV (pay-per-view) WWF event on TV.  While I’m not crazy about either football or WWF, I watched these shows with my two boys because the idea was to spend time together.

On Sunday night, I went to bed at about midnight, hoping I would sleep through the night, but unfortunately, that did not happen.  In fact, I didn’t fall asleep until almost 5:00 am and then slept till maybe 10:00 am (not counting the 3 times I got up to go to the bathroom!).  Anyway, I finally got up at about 10:30 am on the Holiday Monday, got washed and dressed and went downstairs to see what Brent and James were doing.  They were playing Fantasy Baseball on the TV (on Playstation) and they were in the playoffs.  I watched them play for a while, had cereal for my breakfast, and then went outside to sit by the lakeshore and continue to read my book “A Stranger in the Mirror”, which I’d started last week in “The Soo”.  I am now into Book Two of that novel.

I spent a pretty lazy day on my own until we decided that we were going to go out for the birthday dinner that we had promised ourselves in August.  James had his 13^th birthday on September 2^nd and we have been determined to celebrate it among ourselves.  So, Brent called Dave because I’d been unable to reach him on his cell phone and we arranged to pick him up in Whitby at his home.  We would then go to Eastside Mario’s for dinner in North Whitby.

After dinner, Brent would drop me off at the Whitby GO Station, then drop Dave off at his home nearby in South Whitby, and finally, return home with James to Janetville.  It was a really nice dinner (my treat this time).  Dave gave me my cell phone back that I’d accidently left at his house just before my holidays in “The Soo”.  Fortunately, I had another cell phone that I could use in the meantime.  Finally, I got back on the GO Train at 8:17 pm, 20 minutes after being dropped off at the Whitby GO Station, and arrived back at my home at Yonge and Davisville just before 10:00 pm.

All in all, it certainly wasn’t the usual way we spend our Thanksgiving Day together, but it was outstanding, nevertheless.  Brent and James are my core family members and Dave has been part of my family for at least 26 years.  I’ve known Dave and his kids that long.  If that doesn’t make him and his family part of my own family, I don’t know what does.  Happy Thanksgiving Day!

copyright 2017 - Anne Shier

The Penguins versus the Predators: The Stanley Cup Final 2017 - by Anne Shier

(inspired by Tim Wharnsby, CBC Sports)

On May 29^th, the Pittsburgh Penguins played their first game of the Stanley Cup Final series of 2017 against the Nashville Predators.  The Penguins who are the defending champions are up against the playoff team that placed last during the regular season – sixteenth.  It’s a miracle that the Predators have made it this far.  Now, the true test begins.  How far will this series go?  What are the odds that the Penguins will prevail?  How will these two teams interact?  No one knows what to expect.  I guess that’s what makes it exciting.  After all, the Stanley Cup Final is a kind of season unto itself.  It’s impossible to predict what will happen because anything can and does happen.

Game 1 took place in Pittsburgh.  Early in Period 1, the Penguins scored three quick goals.  It seemed like a foregone conclusion about the outcome.  Then, the Penguins did not get even a shot on goal for the next thirty-seven minutes – more than a period and a half!  In Period 3, Nashville came back and scored three goals!  The game seemed destined for overtime when Nashville pulled their No. 1 goalie, Pekka Rinne, to get the extra attacker and Pittsburgh suddenly came back with two additional empty-net goals!  However, most sportscasters seemed to agree that the Pittsburgh Penguins did not do much of anything in Game 1.  It was a fluke that the Penguins even won it 5-3.  It was obvious that they would have to be much more offensive in Game 2.  Pittsburgh now leads the series 1-0.

Game 2, on May 31^st, was also in Pittsburgh.  During Game 2, the Penguins came back with a vengeance this time, scoring four goals versus the Predators’ single goal.  What a dramatic reversal!  This time, the Penguins were much more offensive, as they knew they needed to be, with many more shots on goal than in Game 1.  The Penguins attacked much harder than the Predators.  The final score:  4-1 for Pittsburgh.  No point in letting the Predators think they could come back in this series.  Now, Pittsburgh has increased their series lead to 2-0.

After Game 2:  [as quoted by Tim Wharnsby, CBC Sports]:  “…But, more attention was paid [by the Predators] to Subban’s guarantee because of his outspoken, confident personality and because he’s one of the most polarizing figures in the game.  Good for Subban to ‘step up and profess the faith he has in his club’, that the team would come through at home.  Why not?  The Predators fans are among the best in the hockey business.  They exhibited this to a worldwide television audience on Saturday with their chants, standing up for almost the entire game to support their club.” 

Game 3, on June 3^rd, took place in Nashville.  During Game 3, Nashville came back with a vengeance this time, scoring five goals versus Pittsburgh’s single goal.  If the Penguins thought that conquering Nashville in this series was going to be a cake walk, how wrong they were!  P.K. Subban, one of the Predators leading defencemen, “made good on [his] bold guarantee that the upstart Predators would bounce back to win Game 3 in the Stanley Cup Final”.   Subban said this right after Game 2 was over.  And, the Predators did just that. In addition, by Game 3, Predators goalie, Pekka Rinne, had regained his stride.  Again, neither Sidney Crosby nor Evgeni Malkin of the Penguins got a single shot on goal!  The Predators were determined not to let the series get out of hand with a 3-0 series standing against them.  Their terrific home-ice advantage was definitely working to help them win against the Penguins.  Now, the series stands at 2-1 for the Penguins.

Game 4, on June 5^th, was also in Nashville.  Both the Predators and the Penguins went on the attack.  By the end of Period 1, the score was tied at 1-1.  This time, Sidney Crosby scored a goal for Pittsburgh, his first Stanley Cup Final goal since 2009.  However, by the end of Period 2, Nashville had scored two more goals, making the score 3-1 for Nashville.  By the end of the game, the score stood at 4-1 for the Predators due to a late empty-net goal against the Penguins.  Now, the series is tied at 2-2.  The next three games will alternate:  Pittsburgh – Nashville – Pittsburgh (if the series goes all seven games).

Game 5, on June 8^th (my birthday), took place in Pittsburgh.  The scoring got started early with Pittsburgh scoring twice in Period 1.  I was expecting Pittsburgh to come out strong tonight since the series is now tied 2-2 and Pittsburgh is determined to win this series and ultimately, the Stanley Cup.  It would be a great accomplishment for the Penguins to win the Cup twice in a row because that feat has not been accomplished by any team for at least twenty-seven years.  Although tonight’s game will not be the series winner for either team, it will definitely put heavy pressure on the loser.  Game 6 could be the game that wins the series for the Penguins, but, if not this one, Game 7 will do it, for sure.  However, never say die.  The Predators are not going to go down easily and the Penguins will have to fight fiercely for every goal.  So will the Predators.

Well, what do you know?  Sidney Crosby got into a scuffle with P.K. Subban, and just got turfed out of the game, hopefully only for the rest of Period 1.  Since when does Crosby ever get thrown out of a game?  Anyway, right after that, Evgeni Malkin scored the third goal of Period 1 for Pittsburgh, so I guess Crosby doesn’t have to worry so much since the score is now 3-0 for Pittsburgh.  I can’t wait to see what happens in Period 2.

As it happened, Sidney Crosby was back in Period 2.  I’m still not sure why he left the game late in Period 1 though.  Apparently, he’d thrown an empty water bottle out onto the ice surface late in Period 1.  I think he was pissed off at the Predators for being so aggressive even though they were losing 3-0.  Then, Pittsburgh scored early in Period 2, making the score 4-0 for the Penguins.  While it is not impossible for Nashville to come back from a three-goal deficit, after that, it becomes extremely difficult. 

Nashville has their work cut out for them tonight.  Then, Phil Kessel scored in Period 2, making the score 5-0 for the Penguins.  Now, unless Pittsburgh screws up royally, Nashville will probably lose this game.  And, we’re only halfway through the game.  Anything can still happen to change what we think the outcome will be.   Finally, Pittsburgh scored for the third time in Period 2, making the score 6-0 for the Penguins. 

I wonder what the Predators are going to do about their goalie, Pekka Rinne, who is not having a very good night.  We’ll see what happens in Period 3.  The thing about Rinne, he is doing his part and, mostly, doing it well.  It would not be fair for Nashville to blame only him for the score of this game.  Rinne has kept Nashville in the series so far!  In fact, it’s doubtful that Nashville would ever have made it into the Stanley Cup Final without him.  It’s quite the accomplishment that Nashville made it for the very first time to the Stanley Cup Final this year.  So, it will be interesting to see what happens in Period 3 tonight and then in Game 6 in Nashville.

As it happened, the Predators coach, Peter Laviolette, took Pekka Rinne out for the rest of Game 5 to help him relax, while Juuse Saros, the backup goalie, took over for Period 3.  I think this was a good move.  I hope Rinne can relax over the next two days until Game 6.  According to sportscasters, he may be able to relax physically more easily than mentally.  Rinne must prepare himself for Game 6 mentally, which may not be a very easy thing to do, but is necessary if the Predators are to have any chance at all in the remaining games.  In fact, every single team member of the Predators will have to prepare himself, especially mentally, for Game 6.  This is the game in which the Penguins could win the Stanley Cup, so they will come out fighting with everything they have.

In Period 3, there was no further scoring, so the final score was 6-0.  Pittsburgh is happy.  Matt Murray, the Penguins goalie, got a shutout tonight, his second of the playoffs and his third of his young career.  He is only twenty-three.  But, the Predators will probably try to put this game behind them as soon as possible and make themselves as ready as possible for Game 6 on June 11^th.  So, Pittsburgh is going to have to do the same and get themselves ready for Game 6.  This is a pivotal game because the Penguins could win the Stanley Cup after Game 6 is over.  Meanwhile, the series stands at 3-2 for Pittsburgh until Game 6 is played.

Game 6, on June 11^th, took place in Nashville.  This will be the last game of the post-season if Pittsburgh wins tonight.  If the Predators win, there will be a Game 7 on June 14^th.  For Nashville, this game is a “must win” game; they face elimination if they lose.  One of the Predators’ top defencemen, Ryan Ellis, was injured and not initially on the list to play tonight, but then changed his mind and is playing.   The Predators No. 1 goalie, Pekka Rinne, is back in goal tonight.  Hopefully, he’s been able to prepare himself mentally for this game.  Nashville has the home-ice advantage and this is a huge factor in the Predators’ favour.  There are tens of thousands watching this game tonight.  Many of them are standing-room-only just outside Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.

There was no scoring at all in Period 1 although Sidney Crosby came close near the end.  Then, in Period 2, there was more frantic shooting when the Predators actually scored, but the goal was disallowed.  I think it had something to do with the Penguins goalie, Matt Murray, not being able to get back in place in the crease before the shot was taken.  Too bad for the Predators.  So, the score is still 0-0 going into the second half of Period 2.  Both teams are strong defensively and offensively.  Both goalies are “on” tonight, so it’s hard to get anything past either one of them.  If this trend continues into Period 3, it looks like overtime will be required.  Imagine winning the Stanley Cup in overtime! 

In Period 3, the trend continues.  The score stands at 0-0 for most of the period.  Pittsburgh would love to win tonight since the Stanley Cup is the prize to be won!  However, Nashville is not making it easy for Pittsburgh and the Predators have to win tonight in order to go to Game 7.  But, at about 1:35 of Period 3, just as everyone is wondering what’s going to happen, Pittsburgh scores!  At first, Nashville’s coach challenged it, but was unsuccessful.  Then, Nashville pulled their goalie to get the extra attacker, but Pittsburgh scored shorthanded on the empty net!  Thus, the final score ends up being 2-0 for Pittsburgh!

The Penguins have won the Stanley Cup in six games, as predicted, and I’m real happy for them and for Sidney Crosby, their captain.  No doubt, Sidney will win many more personal awards as well, but the one he really wants is his tonight!  To begin with, the first personal award Sidney wins is the “Stanley Cup playoffs MVP” award, which he graciously accepts.

Then, as he is presented with the Stanley Cup for the Penguins, he joyfully yells out loud, holds the Cup overhead, and kisses it.  Afterward, he passes it on to the other Penguins who do the same.  They are all ecstatically happy and they should be.  They have all worked very hard and suffered continually with injuries and lost sleep and now, they are finally the winners of the top prize in pro sports:  the Stanley Cup.

As for the Predators, they gave the Penguins a real run for their money.  They were excellent defensively and almost as good offensively.  They fought hard and held back the Penguins as well as they could.  And, since it was their very first Stanley Cup Final, that alone is a really special achievement.  Hopefully, there will be more future Stanley Cup Finals for this up-and-coming hockey team.

copyright 2017 - Anne Shier

The Stanley Cup Finals 2017 - by Anne Shier

(inspired by Tim Wharnsby, CBC Sports)

When the Stanley Cup playoffs start in the spring each year, they’re very exciting to watch.  Admittedly, though I hadn’t watched the playoffs for several years, this year, I found myself watching them with great anticipation.  It all started with the Toronto Maple Leafs qualifying in eighth place in the Eastern Conference.  Although I guessed they probably wouldn’t make it past Round 1, nevertheless, I was rooting for them, hoping that, at the very least, they would not be totally humiliated by their opponent, the dreaded Washington Capitals.

The Washington Capitals had achieved first place during the regular season in the Eastern Conference.  If there was a team to avoid, this team would be it.  But, true to form, the Toronto Maple Leafs gave Round 1 their best effort knowing that the odds did not favour them advancing to the next round.  To the hockey world’s amazement, including my own of course, the Toronto Maple Leafs gave the Washington Capitals a real run for their money.  They managed to take the series to six games instead of just the minimum of four, and five of those games were decided in overtime.  I don’t think that the Capitals believed that the Leafs were capable of such battle and were, thus, taken by surprise.  However, eventually, the Capitals did prevail and advanced to Round 2 against the Pittsburgh Penguins, the defending champions.  But, the odds were against Washington advancing to the next round.

Now that I was hooked into watching the playoffs, I found myself watching all the playoff games, especially in Round 2, and being particularly interested in those that involved the two Canadian-based teams left:  the Ottawa Senators and the Edmonton Oilers.  When I realized that the Pittsburgh Penguins were the defending champions and were the most likely to win the Cup again, I also got involved with watching them in Round 2 against the Washington Capitals.  When I look back at the results of that particular series now, I can see the scores for each game were close, within one or two goals, except for Game 2 where the score was Pittsburgh 6, Washington 2, and Game 6 where the score was Washington 5, Pittsburgh 2.  In this seven game series, only Game 2 was decided in overtime.  These two teams were very closely matched in talent and perseverance.  But, the Pittsburgh Penguins finally prevailed and advanced to Round 3 against the Ottawa Senators.

I also found myself watching the Edmonton Oilers playing the Anaheim Ducks in Round 2.  Both teams, part of the Western Conference, were considered strong.  In this series, Games 3 and 6 were “blowout” games with a goal differential of three in Game 3, and six in Game 6.  Games 4 and 5 were decided in overtime:  Game 4 in the first overtime period, and Game 5 in double overtime.  It was a nail-biter of a series that went the full seven games.  These two teams were also closely matched in talent and perseverance.  However, the Anaheim Ducks finally prevailed and advanced to Round 3 against the Nashville Predators.

At the same time, I was watching the Ottawa Senators in their Round 2 series against the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference.  In this series, Games 3 and 4 had a three goal differential, and Games 2 and 5 ended in overtime:  Game 2 in double overtime and Game 5 in the first overtime period.  This series went six games with Ottawa winning the series four games to two.  Ottawa would now advance to Round 3 versus the Pittsburgh Penguins.  This round would be a real challenge for Ottawa.

Meanwhile, in the Western Conference, in Round 2, the St. Louis Blues and the Nashville Predators were battling it out.  This series went six games.  There was no great goal differential in any game and none of these games went into overtime.  In the end, however, the Nashville Predators prevailed and advanced to Round 3 against the Anaheim Ducks.  It was obvious during Round 2 that the St. Louis Blues were not going to go down without a fight.

Now, in Round 3, there were four teams left, two series.  The winners of the Eastern and Western Conferences would advance to the Stanley Cup final.   These two series were going to be very interesting, indeed.  In the Eastern Conference, the Ottawa Senators would face the Pittsburgh Penguins, and, in the Western Conference, the Nashville Predators would face the Anaheim Ducks.  No team was expected to go down without a fight.

For Ottawa, their major asset is a defenseman named Erik Karlsson, the captain of the Ottawa Senators and their best player.  Erik is an excellent penalty killer for Ottawa and probably the best defenseman in the world.  And, they have a very strong goalie, Craig Anderson, whose record is 2.44 GAA during the playoffs and 2.28 GAA during the regular season.  When Anderson is “on” and in his best form, the Ottawa Senators are a team to be reckoned with.  Anderson’s backup goalie, Mike Condon, has a record of 3.92 GAA during the playoffs and 2.50 GAA during the regular season.  The Senators would be facing the defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins.  Still, Ottawa cannot be discounted from Round 3 and a possible Cup final.  Ottawa is a very determined and talented team.

For Pittsburgh, their major assets are Sidney Crosby, the captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins and the best hockey player in the world according to his reputation, and Evgeni Malkin whose goal scoring abilities closely match those of Sydney, particularly in the playoffs since Sidney couldn’t play in every playoff game due to concussion issues.  Pittsburgh also has another strong goal scorer:  Phil Kessel whose total playoff goals exceed those of all the other players in the other Round 3 teams except for Ryan Getzlaf of the Anaheim Ducks whose goals total only one more than Phil’s. 

Pittsburgh also has two strong goalies:  Matt Murray and Marc-Andre Fleury.  Both have good records.  Matt Murray has a 2.41 GAA in the regular season, but was on the disabled list for part of the playoffs due to an injury.  And, Marc-Andre Fleury has a 2.56 GAA during the playoffs up to and including Round 3, during which Matt Murray took over again.  Given the fact that they have very strong offensive lines and strong goalies, Pittsburgh cannot be discounted from Round 3 and ultimately the Cup final.  Pittsburgh is not only a determined team, but very talented, especially in the offensive area.

For Anaheim, their major asset is a center named Ryan Getzlaf, the captain of the Anaheim Ducks and their best player.  And, they have a very strong goalie, John Gibson, whose record is 2.59 GAA during the playoffs and 2.22 GAA during the regular season.  When Gibson is “on” and in his best form, the Anaheim Ducks are a team to be reckoned with. Gibson’s backup goalie, Jonathan Bernier, has a record of 3.29 GAA during the playoffs and 2.50 GAA during the regular season.  The Ducks would be facing the awesome Nashville Predators and were a team not to be discounted in Round 3.

And, for Nashville, their major asset is their goalie:  Pekka Rinne whose record is a remarkable 1.70 GAA during the playoffs and 2.42 GAA during the regular season.  Pekka Rinne has achieved several shutouts against the other playoff teams and is a force to be reckoned with as a goalie.  However, the Nashville Predators’ defensive and offensive lines are also fearsome.  The top seven players in the playoffs are:  Filip Forsberg, Ryan Johanson, Ryan Ellis, Viktor Arvidsson, Roman Josi, Colton Sissons (who notched a hat-trick in Game 6), and P.K. Subban.  Other players that have also contributed significantly are:  Mattias Ekholm, Pontus Aberg, Austin Watson, and Cody McLeod.  During the regular season, Mike Fisher, the captain of the Nashville Predators, and James Neal were two big factors in Nashville’s success.  Still, the Nashville Predators placed last of the sixteen teams that qualified for the playoffs at the end of the regular season.  I’m sure no one in the hockey world ever expected them to make it this far in the playoffs.

Still, Nashville has proven they are indeed a team to be reckoned with.  Amazingly enough, as of last Monday, the Nashville Predators finally vanquished the Anaheim Ducks in seven games and will advance to the Stanley Cup final.  Who would’ve ever thought they could do that?

The thing is – Nashville has something, or a combination of things, that the other playoff teams don’t necessarily have.  This team plays like a team should – the players all contribute to play-making, defense, goal-scoring, puck possession, and anything else that needs to be done during a game.  If a team member is hurt and cannot play, the other team members automatically fill in for him.  I guess you could say that Nashville’s depth comes from the fact that the players that usually fulfill the defensive role have frequently, without being asked, become more offensive players and engage in scoring goals for the team.  The evidence is there:  several defensive players have scored goals in these playoffs making the Nashville Predators competitive in a way that they have never been before.  This fact has made the team stronger and much more successful than previously expected.

Now, we only have to wait till this coming Thursday to find out who prevails in the Eastern Conference:  the Ottawa Senators or the Pittsburgh Penguins.  The odds were in the favour of the Penguins advancing, but the Senators have since proven that they have what it takes to stick it out and fight to the bitter end.  The Senators have the required ability to put a past bad game behind them and look forward to the next game. 

As it happens, the Pittsburgh Penguins finally managed to dispatch the Ottawa Senators in seven games, with Game 7 finishing in double overtime.  I’m sure that the Penguins didn’t anticipate that the battle with the Senators would be so long and fierce.  So, now the Pittsburgh Penguins will face the Nashville Predators in the Cup final, beginning on May 29^th.  It should be a very interesting battle indeed. 

The Predators had swept first the Chicago Blackhawks (in four straight) in Round 1, and then ousted the St. Louis Blues and Anaheim Ducks in the second and third rounds, respectively.  And, they did it in six-game series each, thanks to their stingy defensive unit of Roman Josi, Ryan Ellis, Mattias Ekholm and P.K. Subban.

This may be the best top-four defensive unit since the Ducks won the Stanley Cup a decade ago with Scott Niedermayer, Chris Pronger, Francois Beauchemin, and Sean O’Donnell.

But, the Predators also will endure their toughest test yet against the Pittsburgh Penguins with their one-two punch down the middle of Crosby and Malkin.  Which team will prevail and ultimately win the top prize in ice hockey:  the Stanley Cup, which is considered the top prize in pro sports?  That is a prize truly worth fighting for. 

When the final buzzer went to end Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, the Pittsburgh Penguins had won the series 4-3 and the Stanley Cup for the second consecutive season.  The Nashville Predators were left looking stunned and extremely disappointed though they had fought hard and long and, like the Ottawa Senators, did not capitulate easily.  The Predators are to be praised for their perseverance and determination.  Hopefully, they would learn from their very first Stanley Cup Final series what it takes to win the Cup and take that knowledge with them into the future.\

In the excited aftermath of Game 7, while the Penguins were getting ready to receive the Cup, both teams shook hands and/or hugged each other and the congratulations were exchanged.  Reporters interviewed as many players as they could while the team was still on the ice.  Meanwhile, the rest of the Penguins club:  coaches, trainers, managers, owners, medical staff, etc. were also milling around on the ice, excited and exchanging congratulations among themselves and the players.

The players, without missing a beat, gave each other the credit for the success of the series and the post-season, stating that they relied upon each other each and every night to fulfill the tasks that needed to be done to get the job done:  to win the Cup.  They did not give the credit to any one player, but to the ability of the team to collaborate together in order to win.  Every one of the players knew that they could never have accomplished this feat without having the full support of each other and the wonderful, positive environment in which they operate.  It’s a truly remarkable team and they deserve to win the top prize.  The Pittsburgh Penguins are very strong both defensively and offensively, and that, paired with having Matt Murray as their fantastically talented goalie, makes them a virtually unbeatable team in men’s pro ice hockey.  This will be their legacy in the future.

copyright 2017 - Anne Shier