This is the time of year I like to put on "Christmas Vacation" starring Chevy Chase every chance I get. A Real Classic... Exterior illumination, sledding, hunting for the perfect tree in the front wheel drive sleigh and a family meltdown... It is a Holiday tradition for me. Not the meltdown... The movie.

Other than sitting on the couch watching the Griswold family I have been Christmas shopping and trying to enjoy friends and family. My mom, sis and two cousins from Saskatchewan came out for Thanksgiving and I will see some family after Christmas. It is a little tough being just far enough away from home and very busy because it doesn't feel like I get caught up in the holiday like I used to.

I miss all the good holiday parties where everyone gets a little too much egg nog in them and make some poor life decisions and most years I don't get to go home because of our schedule. Like this year. I don't think I will have time to get to Michigan. Usually I hop in the car and drive home 5 hours and hang out for a day and a half, but since we are on the road the day after Christmas I think it is best to stay in Buffalo and get some rest. It's alright though, I have had my tree up for 3 weeks now and will get to have a little break from the rink on the 24th and 25th.

I have enough friends here that I can count on so it makes it a little easier.

Our team rebounded from that rut... Lasted a little too long for me, but sometimes that feeling of frustration is good. It reminded me that I need a little more edge to my game.

I had a really strange goal scored against me in the Toronto game last week. The puck hit the ice in front of me on edge and jumped much higher than I expected. It actually hit the back bar, top shelf. I was pretty surprised.
That goal ended up being the game winner and that was a tough way to lose, especially since I felt like I was playing more the way I want to play than any game all season and I go and let in a fluke. Brutal... If I can learn anything from 20 years as a goalie it is that hockey is a strange game.

I have had shutouts where I didn't deserve to make some of the saves. I have had really tough nights where I have done everything technically and tactically right...only to be scored on. I have even scored on myself (in Minnesota... Thank god we won). I guess what I am getting at is in response to questions I got from the media and some fans about goals against in general... Trust me… people ask. I even get advice from random people at Wegmans sometimes. Haha... Gotta love it.

So here it goes. If you play long enough - S*** Happens and sometimes you just get beat. Where I draw my energy from is that I try to learn and adapt as quickly as I can from a goal against. Didn't really know where to go with this but I have enough people ask that I wanted to lay something out there. Kind of just a run on paragraph with no real thesis... But it is a blog so I am allow some random,
nonsensical thoughts here and there.

I will try to be better about blogging in a more timely fashion... But just in case...Happy Holidays, no matter how you celebrate be safe and enjoy your loved ones.