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Our Stalock



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34 Reviews



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Points: 1600
Reviews: 34
Fri Oct 21, 2011 3:44 am
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remember20 says...



Spoiler! :
Background info from Wikipedia:

"Alexander Joseph Stalock (born July 28, 1987) is an American professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League. He attended college at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, where he played college hockey for 3 years before starting his professional career.

On February 1, 2011, he made his NHL debut in relief of Antti Niemi. Playing 29 minutes and 47 seconds, Stalock allowed no goals on nine shots to record his first NHL win in a 5-3 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes.[1] Shortly after his debut he was reassigned to the Sharks minor league affiliate. In a game against the Manchester Monarchs on February 4th, he suffered a sliced nerve behind his knee after being stepped on by the skate of Manchester's Dwight King, sidelining him for the remainder of the 2010-11 season. Afterwards, he had surgery to repair the nerve and has since started rehabilitation, sidelining him from playing until February of 2012."

We were playing terrible hockey, until our regular goalie, Niemi, was pulled by the coach to send a message to the team. Stalock walked in and everything changed. Did we come back in the last minutes from a big deficit? Yes we did! I forgot how many goals were scored in those minutes, but I remember at least 3. In the San Jose Shark fanzone he is rumored to be "30% grizzly bear, 30% cheetah, 10% man, 30% machine and 80% god". I'm planning to get a Stalock jersey even if he's still recovering and may be traded as a rookie because I have an optimistic streak bigger than the Milky Way galaxy especially when it comes to my hockey team.

I'm far from the only person in love with this goalie. Here is a famous video done about him: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29Wm2yK3 ... r_embedded


Image
Source: http://www.fearthefin.com/2010/1/22/126 ... al-stalock

Our Stalock

As bright as the ice
Sweet saving Al
80% god, skating tight
Out of the Shark's mouth

Number 32
Like Blake Griffin
Worcester call-up kid
He didn't know he'd be sittin'
Between the pipes
Saves within minutes
When McLellan pulled Niemi
The team started retaliating
Call him Al Stalock
Call him 30% Cheetah
Four goals in the last period
And he was the hero of it
Stalock's game was
Dastardly, intuitive

But alas, it was not to last
Stalock was slated to be our backup
Goaltender in the house
Why'd he have to fly back to Worcester
And get his leg stepped on
By a skate sharper than broken glass?

At the Tank, fans' hearts broken by the news
The diagnosis was a dead season
Invasive nerve surgery was due
And even after, a long time till recovery's completion
Stalock's game was all reflexes, too
They said below the knee he felt nothing, the worst lesion
It's like a mistake, why couldn't it happen to a douche
Instead, our 80% god spent most of last year on the bleachers

But like in Digimon, the Crest of Hope is in my fate
Humans overcome the worst when they have tenacity
In a video, we saw him gingerly skate on the 8th
Stalock's out, but not gone, and we await him eagerly
I know he'll return as a Shark does, after a winner's bait
Now we have Tyson Sexsmith and Harri Sateri
But I see him coming back strong not a second late
A goalie's true weapon is his focus and his
Ability to get back up and shine leaving losses in his wake
And Stalock will win with Clowe, Couture, and Pavelski,
Our Stalock, and in particular, mine.
  





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Points: 4257
Reviews: 78
Fri Oct 21, 2011 4:04 am
davantageous says...



I like it. It is different for sure and funny; as well as very loyal to the team . I like the fact it sounds like a song, or at least when i read it. I am not in the mood to critique awesomeness. I refuse to say anything bad about this.

Good job. best stanza ever.
But like in Digimon, the Crest of Hope is in my fate
Humans overcome the worst when they have tenacity
In a video, we saw him gingerly skate on the 8th
Stalock's out, but not gone, and we await him eagerly
I know he'll return as a Shark does, after a winner's bait
Now we have Tyson Sexsmith and Harri Sateri
But I see him coming back strong not a second late
A goalie's true weapon is his focus and his
Ability to get back up and shine leaving losses in his wake
And Stalock will win with Clowe, Couture, and Pavelski,
Our Stalock, and in particular, mine.
Davantageous
  





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41 Reviews



Gender: Female
Points: 2172
Reviews: 41
Fri Oct 21, 2011 4:22 am
klotrox16 says...



I think this was very original, although not quite my taste. I loved the imagery and how you perfectly used adjectives effectively in getting your message across. This stanza especially caught my eye due to its perceptive narrative style:

Number 32
Like Blake Griffin
Worcester call-up kid
He didn't know he'd be sittin'
Between the pipes
Saves within minutes
When McLellan pulled Niemi
The team started retaliating
Call him Al Stalock
Call him 30% Cheetah
Four goals in the last period
And he was the hero of it
Stalock's game was
Dastardly, intuitive


Great poem.
Sincerely,
Klotrox
In memory of 1411
  





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Points: 28282
Reviews: 884
Fri Oct 21, 2011 4:34 am
StoryWeaver13 says...



I thought this was really good! I'm no hockey watcher but I read the Wiki information and I've got to say that I felt like rooting for him too. XD This was awesome, but I did have a couple issues with this stanza:
But alas, it was not to last
Stalock was slated to be our backup
Goaltender in the house
Why'd he have to fly back to Worcester
And get his leg stepped on
By a skate sharper than broken glass?


It just wasn't as great as the others. Which isn't to say it isn't good, it is. I just felt like it could've been a little more solid, or omitted entirely.

Overall, though, this was a really cool poem. I like when people are writing about stuff that isn't overly-emotional or typical. This was just intense and interesting, and...different. And now I think you've given Stalock a few new fans. :D
Keep writing,
StoryWeaver
  





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249 Reviews



Gender: Male
Points: 9525
Reviews: 249
Sat Nov 26, 2011 11:22 am
murtuza says...



Hey, remember!

This is a very cool piece! It's different in a sense because it's simply plain from the heart; or at least that's how I feel about it :)

It doesn't try too hard to be good and you've made some really good moments in the middle. I loved the Digimon reference. You are a wonderful fan. I'm afraid I don't follow ice hockey but I'm sure it's a great game for having such great players as this guys.

I hope Stalock is better now and back to his usual awesome self. Great stuff!

Murtuza
:)
It's not about the weight of what's spoken.
It's about being heard.
  








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