The 2020 Winter Classic foes faced off on Thursday evening with the Stars emerging as the victors, just like New Years Day in 2020. A simpler time. The Stars were healthy, vibrant, and like us, unknowing of what the year would bring. Simpler times I tell you. Simpler times indeed.
Fast forward to Thursday night and the Stars found themselves in an unfamiliar place. Skating off the ice after 60 minutes with two points. Jamie Benn tallied a goal, even if he didn’t mean to, off a shot from Denis Gurianov to seal the victory. Anton Khudobin played like a goalie trying to earn another contract. Oh, and Jason Robertson along with Roope Hintz looked like the best of friends on a new top line that includes veteran Joe Pavelski. All around a full team effort with a welcome result. Stars over Predators, 4-1.
That was the story on the ice. The story off the ice and on Twitter was that of a “Hot Take.” One that apparently had ruffled a few more feathers than I realized it would.
You see, growing up in the south, you assume that country music is in ones DNA. It is. It was. It is no longer. Having the same genre of music plugged into your earholes through most of your early years either pushed one to the brink of obsession or distain. My ears have chosen the ladder. For me, hockey doesn’t share the same sentiment as Brooks and Dunn or Tim McGraw. (Or whatever people listen to these days.)
The Dallas Stars have been in my life one way or another since the day the landed in Texas. Along with it came a new appreciation for loud noises of the rock variety. Then, in 1999, Vinnie Paul and Pantera wrote a song for the soon to be Stanley Cup Champions called “Puck Off.” Clever. I know.
That was the beginning of what is now a life long obsession and appreciation for all things metal. Metal just fits with hockey in the most elegant and aggressive way. Hockey has always taken a backseat to the mainstream sports but has maintained a stronger community than most other sports. Much like metal music. It’s fast. It’s loud. It’s angry. It’s beautiful. Poetic even.
Now, before you stomp your boots and kick the dust off the tires and write me a sad song involving your truck, whiskey, and dogs, relax my yee-haw people. It’s an opinion. You may think it’s wrong, but I also think country music sounds like fresh ice skates on concrete. To each their own. That being said, it got more responses than anything else I have tweeted in a month. Maybe I need to stir the pot more often. Cheers!
“Alexa! Play Metallica radio!”
The Morning Skate 