Thursday, June 10, 2010

ALL GOOD THINGS MUST COME TO AN END...

Last night the bar hosted Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals and it was one hell of a game. Going into the night, I was somewhat worried about what kind of turnout we would have for the game. I'd just canceled Pub Trivia 24 hours earlier on a hunch that we would get a large demand for the game. That left me that same amount of time to get the word out that we would be televising the game w/audio (which is a big attraction for hardcore fans). Thank god for social networks like Facebook to help spread the word because it would have been virtually impossible otherwise.

Going into the evening, my nerves started to get shot as Mother Nature tried to put a damper on things by opening up the skies and drenching the neighborhood. "Oh great", I thought. "What else could go wrong?"

By 7pm, there were maybe three people in the bar and I was thinking to myself, "Holy crap, we're screwed". I normally don't like to postpone Pub Trivia because it's been a great addition to our weeknight lineup and has helped to bolster our Wednesday nights. So to cancel it for a game is a risky maneuver. I've only done it a couple of times, either for a really big hockey game or because of a holiday. Up to this point, the games that I've canceled Trivia for turned out to be a good call as we ended up with very good nights. However, even with this game being a possible season-ending game, I still found myself worrying about the turnout.

Needless to say, everything worked out great as the place filled up quickly and by the time the puck dropped a little after 8pm, the place was jammed with fans of both the Flyers and the Blackhawks. The game itself was great with both teams trading goals throughout the game. After each intermission, there was a sense of angst among the fans as the game could have easily gone either way. That's how close to the vest this game was going. Chicago took a 3-2 lead going into the 3rd period and there was a sense of urgency among Flyers fans. However, instead of going for the jugular, it seemed as if the Blackhawks decided to play it safe and play prevent hockey, which is always a bad idea. Sure enough, the Flyers scored the tying goal late into the period, sending the game into overtime, much to the dismay of Blackhawks fans and the delight of Flyers fans in the bar.






Overtime started out with both teams playing somewhat tentative cat and mouse, when all of a sudden, four minutes into overtime, the Blackhawks' Patrick Kane somehow snuck the puck past an unsuspecting Flyers goalie (and everyone else that was watching the game for that matter) and next thing you know, the Blackhawks are celebrating amid a stunned Philadelphia Flyers home crowd. The network had to replay the goal a number of times so that everyone watching at home (and at the game) could see the actual goal taking place. And with that, the 2009-2010 NHL hockey season was over. Somewhat anti-climatic but a great win for the Chicago Blackhawks nevertheless.





So to the fans and the players of the Stanley Cup winning Chicago Blackhawks, a job well done. Congrats on getting that monkey off of your back after 49 long years. And to the Philadelphia Flyers, you have nothing to be ashamed of. Being a #7 seed and given practically no shot of even making it out of the first round, to being one game away from winning it all, you and your fans should be proud of your accomplishments. Job well done.

As for us, the end of a long hockey season is always difficult to deal with. This year in particular because I think as a bar, we experienced a lot of growth as a "hockey bar". More fans discovered us and what we have to offer than ever before. I personally met so many new people and great hockey fans, thanks to what took place this season. Between the regular season games, the Winter Classic, great games during the Vancouver Olympics, and of course, this year's Stanley Cup playoffs, I think it's safe to say that Third and Long finally made its mark as a true hockey bar. I look forward to next season and meeting more fans of the great sport of hockey. And for those of you who spent any time at our establishment this season, thank you for supporting us and the great sport of hockey!

Make sure to check out the rest of the night in pictures on our FACEBOOK page!


That's It. That's All I Got.