9 times . . .

That's how often I looked dejectedly behind me to see a puck within the confines of my net. You know, it does look kind of cozy and safe in there. Maybe I'll just curl up in there until everyone goes away . . .

Being a goalie is a weird gig. Everybody loves you BECAUSE you're a goalie and inherently a rare commodity. They need you. But, when you suck, you can feel the hate - the smiling, judging, watching. No one (well, no one that I know of) will say, "Hey, you really sucked out there." Because they don't want that bridge burned and I think they fancy that if they were to criticize they would irreparably harm the goalie's psyche.

So, when you give up 9, even if the team doesn't play well, you feel kind of dirty when a teammate will say, "We had a terrible game, but YOU did great!" I feel like one of those kids that plays in a community where they don't keep score. "Thanks for showing up and dressing yourself! You're always a winner in my eyes Roger!" Yah, well, maybe, but I just let those guys score 9 times and I'm pretty sure they were hammered.