Game 57: Hawks 2, Blues 1 - Mel sees red (the extended version with all new ER footage!)

My only question is, since I missed the third period, does this count toward my Hawks viewing in person winning streak?

So, after spending a couple of hours enjoying drinks with the SCH folks (mostly being anti-social - not because I'm an asshole, I'm just extremely neurotic until I know people well. Then good luck shutting me up), we hopped on the $2 shuttle to the Scottrade Center. Before I get into the specifics of the game, a few general thoughts:

- The arena was smallish - at least compared to the UC. I think it was similar to the Rosemont Horizon Allstate Arena in size.
- Security was really a little over the top when we came in. Amy had my camera(s) and was asked what size lens it was. Amy didn't know and the rent a cop didn't either, so they let her through. Good thing he didn't see my zoom lens in the bag. I was going to use it in the third period in case they noticed it. Um yeah, no close up pictures for you.
- Seats were similar to my brother's season tickets - at the side of the net where the Hawks shoot twice. Much closer though, as my brother's seats are the second from the last row.
- I much prefer the Blues' fuzzy mascot over Tommy Hawk. Have I ever told you how I am afraid of birds? Terrified. Guess who's head got nomm-nommed by Tommy Hawk the last game she went to? I have a picture of it, but the look on my face doesn't need to be seen by the general public.
- Much was made about the $9 beers - it was 24oz at least. I drank my $5 bottle of water since I had enough to drink at the bar beforehand.
- The power play dance. Where do I start? Every time the Blues have a power play, everyone is supposed to get up and dance waving their arms while bad 90s dance music plays. I'm not kidding - I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Therefore, when the Hawks went on the PP, we mockingly did the dance to spite everyone.
- The crowd was at least a 50/50 split between Blues & Hawks fans. My brother said you would have thought it was a game at the UC watching it on the TV. The crowd reminded me of the UC during the early to mid 00s when we played the Scum and the stadium would be mostly Red Wings fans.
- They had a RC blimp dropping Dairy Queen coupons in between the first and second periods. Amy was really sad that she didn't get one.

Onto the game...

Again, an excellent start for the Hawks. A really energetic period for both teams - the last sedate game on Wednesday seemed to have been forgotten with two first period scraps - one between Barker and Jackman (Jackman is a total douche) and one between Ladd and Brewer. The Hawks tallied two, the first by Sharp and the second by Toews. Niemi was sharp through two as the Blues outshot the Hawks 25-18. Not without a little help from the Zebras as an apparent goal by Boyes was waived off citing that Niemi had frozen the puck. The Blues got hosed on that call, but I'm not going to cry about it. At the end of two, it was still 2-0 Hawks. This is where the hockey discussion ends and the fun begins.

I had planned to make a pit stop and get some refreshments during the break. Being the polite person that I am, I decided rather than make everyone in my row get up, I would step over to the row ahead of us which had been vacated. I apparently forgot that I am no longer young and nimble (then again, have I ever been nimble?) and on my way down I banged my right shin really hard on what I think was a cupholder. It really stung and as I walked to the washroom, I thought to myself that I was probably going to have to ice it down when I got back to the hotel because surely that was going to leave a big bruise. In line for the john, I looked down. And there was blood on my shoes. And blood soaking through my jeans (my good ones of course). Upon getting in the stall, I pulled up my pant leg to see more blood and a large gaping hole. I pulled my sock up to cover it, stuffed toilet paper in there, and ran to get Amy. Apparently she thought someone had died due to the look of panic on my face and my frantic waving.

I was apparently babbling, because Amy just thought I needed a band-aid, but I kept repeating, "first aid, take me to the first aid station." We made our way down there and the nice folks there pulled up my pant leg, gasped and calmly stated I needed stitches and really should go to the ER as soon as possible. At this point I nearly barfed/fainted as I don't do well with blood, I was overheated and sweating in a panic, and the look on Amy's face pretty much summed up how gross it all was. They offered an ambulance, but since I am not rich, we opted for a taxi to the car which was parked at the bar. Did you know that the asshole "guards" made us walk all the way around to the farthest door to exit even though I was basically on one leg? Amy almost punched them. Anyway got in the car, and the GPS directed us to the nearest hospital. And of course I was ecstatic that WGN faintly came in on the car radio so I could listen to the game I was now missing even as I was bleeding.

The ER was an oh so fun experience. Got there a little after 9 - the nurses checking me in jokingly told me that they couldn't admit a Hawks fan - one of the other nurses told me later she was from Chicago and was happy they were winning when I left. Waited about an hour before I saw a nurse who took my vitals then sent me out to the waiting room again. About another hour went by before I actually got into the treatment center where I had to put on a gown and promptly froze like I was lying on the ice at the Scottrade Center. About another half hour came and went before the doctor came in and started stitching me up. That took probably at least 45 minutes as I needed a ton of Novocaine or whatever it's called to numb my leg up enough (I keep saying, "I can feel that! I can feel that!") Finally I was sewn back together, 5 stitches in all (the cut is about 2 inches long), given prescriptions by the nurse, and Amy and I stumbled out of there about 1am. I have to get the stitches removed in two weeks and I guess I'll have something to show off come summer when I wear shorts. In any case, I ended the night with a dinner of 1.5 donuts that we had bought earlier in the afternoon and passed out.

I would be remiss if I did not mention the cast of characters we encountered in the ER during our visit: the prisoner who ate a bag of chips - literally the chips and the bag (a nurse commented they must have been Lays, since "he couldn't eat just one"). The random homeless folks shuffling around and sleeping. The aspiring "rapper" whom broke into rhyme randomly and tried to con the homeless woman out of change so he could get chips from the vending machine. The drunk chippy who between her and her three friends could barely fill out the admittance form. Apparently she had fallen and hit her head and when her parents arrived later, she swore she only had one drink. Maybe that's why all of the staff was nice to me because I was a) coherent b) polite and c) not drunk.

So, I leave you fine readers with two images. The first being the two pucks I collected prior to the game. They had all pucks on sale for $4 apiece. That was about as lucky as I got that night.
Secondly, weep for my jeans that gave their life for me on this fateful night. They served their owner well.