Greetings! Welcome to another experience in liveblogging! Eventually, if I keep this up, I'm going to be able to touch-type whether I like it or not. I want to extend a special welcome to my fellow Hlogger Shmee of Capital Addiction, up from DC to visit the family and in Hershey to take in the game. never fear, she'll also be back with the Pink Fiery Death on the 8th of December as well, when the Flyers and the Caps fans of Hlog descend on Casa Du Teka and take in the next Phantoms/Bears game.

And let us not forget that the Bears DID in fact spank the Phantoms last night 4-3 in Philly. (I was NOT in fact present, as rumor will have you believe, but asleep in front of an 11 PM showing of 'Center Stage')

Tonight, then is going to be the Bears' second game without Coach Boudreau, and second against Philly. Here's hoping that they can come out angry and keep the pressure on for another 60 minutes.

In idle thoughts, I want to know how the radio-controlled photo flash systems work, and where they're located in the rafters!

With that, let the games begin!


Warmups
I sure hope our shooting practice in warmups isn't indicative of the type of shooting we're going to see tonight. Oh please, oh please.
Still also wondering how teams decide who's going to be in charge of clearing out the nets-the Pens seem to use Malone, and here it's Robitaille's job. There must be a pecking order somewhere. Or a bet that gets consistently lost.
There should be a kitchy-catchy name for the Bears/Pens/Phantoms games as they happen so damn much. I'm thinking it has to have something to do with the turnpike in it... (if Anaheim and LA can use the Freeway Faceoff, dammit, I can use roads too.)
Cheezer has decided he wants to be a regular player when he grows up- his puck handling and shooting aren't actually too bad, either.
They're interviewing Woods behind-the-scenes, and I wish for the life of me that someone would straighten-out their little Bears backdrop, as the Capital Blue Cross man and the Bears logo are hanging at one heck of a precarious angle, and it's a little distracting. Obviously, if I'm blogging it rather than watching the interview.

Game Time
Starting Lineup, Bears:
Klepis, Bourque, Wilson, Sloan, P. McNeill, Cassivi

19:42: P. McNeill out of position. Why do I think this is going to be a long long game watching him?

18:35 The Phantoms seem to be playing less hockey and more "slam them into the boards at all chances"

17:19 Sami Lepisto dingles and easy one that Freddy picks back up for him. Thanks, yo. The Phantoms are fighting a lot, but don't seem to be getting much done. Regardless, it's a holding penalty on Joudrey. Keep your hands to yourself, Andrew. Come on. Basic kindergarten skill.

16:34 Nice mess in front of the goal, in which the entire crowd thinks the Phantoms have scored at least one. Freddy tells them otherwise, and finally throws his body on the damn puck to stop the play.

15:41 Sami Lepisto proves he doesn't know his won strength and knocks the goal of it's moorings attempting to guard Freddy. Nice move, inopportune time. I do have to say, I like it when our penalty kill takes place mostly on the Phantoms side of neutral ice.

14:30 Wilson dingles a point blanker, and on the rebound Jared Ross of the Phantoms picks it up and Crosbys it past Freddy, the little showboater. 1-0 Phantoms.

13:20 A Beagle/Laing fumble gives Clymer a chance at a nice shot, which goes directly into Boucher's midsection. Damn, Clymer. Come on. Caps Chick will not be amused if you keep that up.

13:12 Timonen rather blatantly holds Clymer's stick with his armpit. Refs don't see it. What's new.

12:29 Guys next to me are thinking out loud " Clymer won't be here by the end of the year." Whatever, Lepisto elbows a Phantom and sends him down, and the crowd loves him for it. Refs are still blind, and there's no call.
Where these dudes think Clymer is going I'm not sure... back up to the NHL or what? They're just saying that whenever the bears run ends, he's not going to be here. I'm going to put in a word of doubt for that. Not that they'd ask my opinion, up here in Testosteroneville.

10:05 Phantoms score again, even after one of the Bears throws himself at the feet of the Phantom with the puck. We're now playing Glass Repair Time. Here's hoping this glass repair time out reverses fortunes as violently as the last one halfway through the first did.

8:24 Motzko on a breakaway, chips it into the crowd-protection netting. Well, right idea, wrong net.

7:06 Lepisto almost has one , but somehow puts it into the hind end of a Phantom instead. Another hell-bent run towards Bearsville to cover, and hen were back to our neutral-zone game.

6:10 Pokulok into the boards, comes off holding his arm, with his glove off.

4:57 The crowd loves Lepisto tonight, as he's out there throwing himself at phantoms left and right. Louie was jawing at someone earlier, so my guess is there' gonna be at least one rumble at some point

3:30 Louie takes a bitch OUT. Dropping the guy to the ice and snickering at him on the way back.

3:15 Beagle looks to be attempting to get into it with Darren Reid of the Phantoms. There's some shoving and some male posturing, but not much else. Typical.

2:23 Laing gets taken out after Clymer's already been shoved around and into him. Fns in the front row get some good mileage out of their what the hell faces.

:10 Parent of the Phantoms pulls their patented little stick holding move. Front row is still not amused.
Bourque decides that he needs some exercise, and shoves one of the Phantoms around. No dropped gloves, but a loving little shoving circle behind the net.

Second Period

19:07 A lovely showing of the Beagle/Guenin ballet behind the Phantoms net. Come on, enough chasey games, I didn't come to see the Ice Capades.

18:40 Jussi Timonen out for interference. Looks like the refs might have replaced their contacts at intermissions.

16:31 A perfect Bourque setup and Clymer whiffs a perfect chance for the goal. Damn, guys, let's get a change.
Boyd Kane in the box for delay of game, and throwing a fit for having a broken stick and needing a new one. Whiner.

15:20 the numbers ending in 7 aren't doing well at stopping hte puck from going by them tonight, really.

12:54 Joe Motzko into the box for roughing with his bestst friend Jared Ross. All they were doing was hugging, yo.


12:00 Hunt decides he misses Motzko and hooks a Phantom so he can go join him. Well done boys. Or not.

11:30 Laing gets a nice run towards the phantom end.... and does nothing with it. This follow through we talked about, boys, where is this?

10:30 Puck bounces in and then out of the Phantoms net. I could sworn it crossed the line, but obviously I'm just a blogger, so who knows.

10:06 Phantoms score again. Dammit, all, where's the justice?

10:00 OMG COLBY ARMSTRONG SCORED IN THE PENS/THRASHERS GAME. (now back to your regularly scheduled Bears game. Sorry. Much love to all the Hloggers who texted me to tell me that. Happy Birthday, Army. How's 25?)

9:01 No matter how many times we do this, there's always a Phantom in the way of the Bear shooting. We need to send someone in specifically on a "get the Phantom out of the way in the middle" mission, and then we'd stand a chance. Louie, get on that, willya?

7:17 Joudrey inadvertently face-sticks Downie of the Phantoms, who does his best "Hey, Ref! Hey!" thing. Shut up, Downie. Downie also then proceeds to shove Boumedienne as the change happens. What a schmoe.

5:50 A lovely Freddy stop... pity we couldn't have had three more of those earlier. Hmph. Grumpy blogger.

5:17 Hunt out got being dumb, aka interference.

4:36 Phantoms score again off a rebound from Freddy's foot. In my head, I called that one, and wanted to know where the heck the Bears were defending that. Dammit, my head-coach should be hired somewhere, I swear.

3:58 A screen on Cassivi, another rebound, and the Phantoms are now up by 5. I can has Cheezer, plz? Plz?

BTW, head-coach wins again. Cheezer is now in goal.

2:30 Ruzicka checks himself into the boards. that's what I like to see in an opposing team.

2:13 Oh look, another Phantoms goal. What the heck, Bears? I thought you were playing hockey. This is because the Penguins are winning, isn't it?

1:35 Throwdown! Gauthier of the Phantoms and Louie. Robitaille was on the ice taking punches for a good long while, but seems none the worse for wear. We even get Tunnel-Cam of him disappearing into the locker room, as there's only about a minute left.

1:00 Cheezer saves! not by using coupons, but with his glove. Well, there's one, at least.

:40 P. McNeill seems to be the Last Season Armstrong of the Bears. He's got some decent moves, but pulls them out at the wrong time, and never seems completely sure where his teammates are.

:04 Laing throws his body down for his team, and stops one in the ribs. Ow, but thank you.

End second, Phantoms 6, Bears 0. Ow.

Third Period
19:11 A nice footsy move by Beagle as he yoinks the puck from one of the Phantoms

18:16 Phantoms like our crease... so much, even that he'll take Cheezer out to get there. Oh, and a delayed penalty on Lepisto, for standing next to a Phantom who fell down, aka tripping.

16:39 Laing drives in a little harder than he needs to, and gets grabbed around the neck by Reid to pull him off the goalie. A little uncalled for, there. He was getting up.

16:05 Cheezer, please, you are NOT a field player, you should NOT be getting sandwiched next to the glass, I do NOT need the adrenaline in my system. Stay in the crease.

13:40 A Phantom run towards Cheezer that NOBODY GETS TO, until it's in front of him and gets poked off to the side. Again with the adrenaline, boys. Quit.

12:57 Lepisto gets scrappy again and starts shoving. Drops the stick but not the gloves, and the ref gets to the Phantom who started it first. No penalties after that.

9:05 Boys, even if you're going back to the bench, you don' get to waltz off the ice. Finish what you're doing. Don't KNOW you're going off shift and go off, play right up until that moment. Just like you should be doing.. well.. a lot of other stuff too. And now we're on the PK as well. Enough holding, keep your body pieces and sticks to yourselves, dammit.

7:16 Another almost-goal by the Bears gets the crowd going. But it's another almost-goal, and not a goal. Bears fans are getting discouraged.

5:54 Another glover for Cheezer, who gets out of the way as his team swoops in for another go at the shoving.

4:45 Beagle is a monster at keeping the puck when he's got it against the wall. Still. Pity that doesn't score tonight, but at least he's good at it.


(Goin' dead to pack up so i can attempt to find the press conference. Back in a little... at some point)

Press conference was sort of stunningly unexciting, but I do now know where I'm going the next time I want to play that game. I also followed the press masses in to get the Phantoms coach on tape as well, and there have been some interesting experiences in being a young female blogger this go round. However, the show must go on, and I'm going to keep being a presence in the box until they honestly kick me out.

I'm also hoping that the Bears have the good ol' fighting spirit again tonight, when they play the Baby Pens for the first time. I'm still debating going to the game-that would be something like 6 games in a week, which is a little ridiculous, but also sort of wonderful.