Much better...

I'm still exhausted, but at least the day started out better than the last one.

Want to see what made me feel better? I got to watch the pregame show from Monday's Kings game and guess what I saw? My jersey! On Fox Sports Warmup Show. Haha!!

See that slightly blurry '35' held up to the glass? That's my Jason Labarbera jersey. He was sent down to Manchester this season because Kings Brass decided to bring in a proven goaltender to be out #1. Well, that 'proven' goaltender was none other than Dan Cloutier from Vancouver.

Anyone who knows me, knows how I feel about Labarbera. He had some personal issues last year to deal with and let his game slip. He was still the best goalie we had and you could see that when he played. (My friend Brian will argue that Garon was the better goalie......).

So now we're stuck with the promise from Management and the coaching staff that Dan Cloutier is a 'proven' #1 goalie and that he is an upgrade from the Garon/Labarbera tandem we had last season. Whatever. Every once in a while, management does something that makes me seriously question them - this would be one of those things. Cloutier sucks. He just stands there. Never moves. I've even seen him duck. Yes, he actually ducked out of the way of a shot during the Dallas games. Sad.

So, Jason sits in Manchester now. I haven't given up. I wear his jersey to every game Cloutier starts. During warmups before the game on Monday, I had an idea. I should have made a sign (although there might be one at the game tonight......) to attach to my jersey that says "Someone in Manchester wants your job" and hang it right below the name on the back. For now, it was just a jersey hanging against the glass for the moron to see. It was all over the jumbotron during warmups but that is closed captioned video. I had no idea it would actually make it to the pre-game show, but there it was. A quick shot of it as Blake whizzed by. Thank God for Tivo and that awesome pause feature. I paused that puppy and took a picture for posterity. I think I might send it to him. My husband thought I was nuts as I danced around the room trying to think of the people I had to email this picture too.

What to know the funniest thing? I think the lard ass goalie saw it. He played better than I've seen him play all season during the first two periods. Of course, once Detroit scored their first goal, he suddenly froze up again and sucked. And he'll probably get the start in goal again tonight so it looks as if the Labarbera jersey is going to this game too. Normally I switch out between my many jerseys and give them all a chance, but I might have to stick with this one for a while.

Speaking of jerseys, I've got my eye on a cool replica Road jersey for Anze Kopitar. I need one. I have to have one. I can't live without one. A nice, clean, shiny #11 jersey. Mine, mine, mine. (If you couldn't hear the Smiegel (Lord of the Rings) tone in my typing, it was there. My preciousssssssss.) I've got my eye on it. And I think I might want an O'Sullivan one too, but I might wait. I have a feeling they're going to be sending him to Manchester for 'conditioning'. I'll wait till next year to get the O'Sullivan jersey.

I have to include this picture. Its the full shot of the Labarbera jersey - won in a silent auction straight off his back. That was a good day. Autographed and everything. And here's a picture of my boy! I have to try and find the good one of us together at Tip a King last year.