Yup. On the train to NYC. Will likely take a taxi to the Port Authority so I don't freeze walking, but I need to save cash too, so we'll see on that one. Hopefully today goes better than yesterday did, but I don't see how it couldn't. As for the game, it should be amazing. Getting to see Cam Neely's number get retired should be quite an experience. As for the goalies I want to see, Noronen and Potvin would be just fine. Plus, I get to see Sandy McCarthy as a Bruin. Sweet!
Roughly 1 PM
The next leg of the dog begins, we're just leaving NYC now. Should get to Boston around 5:30. Should be a solid cab ride.
1:25 PM
Can't even begin to tell you how badly I want to get out of Harlem. Really.
6:07 PM
As I write this, I am right behind the Fleetcenter glass. So incredible here, all the stops pulled out for Neely Night, no question.
11 PM
Until I go to Richter Night, this will be the coolest game I've been to. Being able to see a jersey number get retired, and an original six one, no less, is really quite a site to see. During pregames, all the Bruins skated around wearing jerseys with their names on the back, but with the #8 and an "A" on them, just like Neely's jersey. There was a roughly 35 minute ceremony for Cam, involving Ray Bourque, Johnny Bucyk, Michael J. Fox and others. Then Cam and his family raised his number to the rafters, with his number being the 10th the Bruins have retired. As for the game, I didn't get either half of the goaltending matchup I wanted, but did manage to slap hands (hand/blocker?) with Noronen before the game, along with many other Sabres players. Most of them were more than willing to slap the fans hands as they skated on and off the ice. I even had a quick chat with Mika Noronen. But anyway, it would be Martin Biron and Andrew Raycroft in the nets. The Bruins got goals from Joe Thornton, 2 from Patrice Bergeron and the game winner from Sergei Samsonov. Briere, Hecht and Botterill got the goals for Buffalo. The arena was very nice as were the fans, very willing to talk with you. I'm bringing back all sorts of Cam Neely stuff, including a mini-banner, memories of my cool cab ride with the guy who wasn't going to buy any more lottery tickets and who wanted to "memorize my face" after I gave him a pretty solid tip, losing my weiner and getting to see a number get retired. Very, very well done and classy effort by the Bruins organization, can't stress that enough. Next stop...Tampa? NYC? Philly? We'll see.