Like a Damaged Nerve

“Da da da da,” our little girl babbled as she stomped her little feet out to meet her daddy.

“Look at you,” Jonny beamed once his eyes caught sight of his daughter. He bent down and let her walk straight into his out reached arms. The number 19 on her back ruffled beneath his hands.

“Doesn’t she look cute?” I cooed just as he picked her up off the ground.

“So cute,” he smiled at her before planting kisses all over her face. “And where’s yours?” he went on to ask, shifting his eyes over to me.

“In the closet,” was my answer, knowing he was referring to my Toews jersey.

“Go put it on!” he chuckled, nudging me in the direction of our bedroom.

“But!” I tried to protest… as my legs got me moving in that direction. My jersey doesn’t get much use… It never really has. Since Jonathan suggested it, and I would match our daughter, I took mine from the hanger. I walked out as I pulled it over my frame. Once Aubrey’s eyes saw, she let out a loud squeal.

“Look at my girls,” he beamed, bringing his free arm around me.

“This means you have to win. I don’t break the jersey out much,” I taunted.

“I’ll try,” he chuckled and then pressed a kiss to both Aubrey and I’s forehead… and I brought my phone out to take a family selfie. It was so precious. Aubrey even smiled along with her daddy.

Once he put her down though, I had to take even more pictures of her. And I maybe… sent one to Katie. It was her first night back with the Blackhawks tonight, so it seemed fitting to make it Aubrey’s first game. To say Jonny was excited was such an understatement.

He took off for the arena before Aubrey and I. I didn’t think having her browse around for an extra hour would be too entertaining for her. Once we were there though, she seemed to have this excited energy to her.

And then I took her down to the glass for warm ups…

I placed her little feet on the ledge of the boards so that she could see. Her eyes quickly found Jonny and squealed loudly while she clapped her hands. Jonny even pushed against the glass a few times to get her attention or flick his stick at her. Each time she erupted in a fit of laughter.

When the game got started, she seemed really fascinated by everything that was going on. Since we were behind the bench, Jonny was in front of us a few times. He’d glance over his shoulder between whistles to make faces at her. But once Ovechkin left the ice, things quickly became rather… intense and no more acknowledgement from the bench came.

Kaner seemed to be at the center of it. If he wasn’t agitating someone, then members of the apposing team appeared to be in his face.

Seconds after a face off, Mike Green and Patrick seemed to get a little too touchy with each other’s sticks. Words were exchanged and a few whacks were sent from both sides. During all of this, the sticks hit the ice and the gloves came off. I groaned to myself, unable to watch.

When I chanced it and glanced up, both of the players were being escorted to their penalty box. Jonny was the one to take Patrick’s stick, helmet, and gloves back over to him. He stayed a few extra moments, obviously saying something to him. Patrick just seemed to be fuming, so that didn’t work very well…

The rest of the game just flew by. Still with the loss of their captain, the Capitals managed to hold off the Blackhawks for a 2-1 victory. Frustration was written all over the faces of each of the Hawks’ players as they left the bench. Looks like Aubrey and I are in for a long night with our unhappy Cappy.