“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take”

My mother thinks she’s all knowing because she read this quote from Wayne Gretzky and loves to apply it whenever possible. Personally, I just think it’s awesome that she read a quote by Wayne Gretzky, KNOWS who Wayne Gretzky is and uses a quote that is relevant to both hockey and life.

So – maybe she is all knowing, but don’t tell her I said that, she’ll never let me forget it.

With that being said it turns out this applies too much to all that is going on in life right now, both personally and in the hockey world. I don’t want to bore you with the personal aspects (that’s a different blog all together!), so we’ll stick to hockey (although, hockey is my personal life. Anyway…).

Anaheim, are you listening? I’m talking to you. My mother is talking to you. Wayne is talking to you. There is a golden opportunity awaiting you over the course of the next two weeks. You’re going to have to shoot.

I’m sure you remember a little road trip a few months back. It was nauseating. I mean, absolutely, positively vomit worthy. I hope you remember it. I hope you can recall what it felt like and how disgusting it was to be apart of. I hope, with all of my being, that you have developed an aversion to that type of road trip. That the IDEA of repeating the foul repulsive gut wrenching act of pure and utter suckitude will cause your body to shake with fear and sweat with disgust.

There is only one way to avoid this physical and emotional pain.

Do the exact opposite of what you showed the hockey world once upon a time. Go ahead, you can do it. We’ve seen you do it, very recently.

I want you to imagine you are Ryan Getzlaf, with the mentality of Bobby Ryan and the insane skill of Corey Perry. Be those guys, all three of them, at once. Be the Getzlaf that has the power and the strength to bulldoze through the opposition and come out as if you were made of stone and steel. Act as if you’re the only unit on the ice and play the game as Ryan does, with one goal…to do it all. And when you’re in that slot, wide open with the puck at the end of your stick, take the shot because Perry has the skills to pick a corner with ease.

Take the shot Anaheim. I can’t complain if it sails wide, if it hits the post, or is blocked by the defender. Even if you come home and you’ve missed them all, you can’t say you didn’t try. You can’t say that you didn’t have a chance. Because I’ll be dammed, if I watch you pass it off like Getzlaf, act like you only have yourself to rely on like Ryan or do that stupid swing in from the far right boards like Perry in shootout, I’m going to have to hunt you down and kick your ass myself.

It’s time to go “GetzPerRy” on their asses.

A mere 10 points out of 8th place with a few games in hand. That’s not impossible, but there is no time to waste. There is a target to be reached, a goal to aspire to. A shot that is begging to be taken. Now.

You see, shooting and winning go hand in hand. Quite simply, you can’t win if you aren’t taking the shots.

In the end, it doesn’t matter where the puck ends up. If you never tried to get it to the net, then you’re guaranteed it won’t ever meet the twine.

And if you aren’t shooting at all…you’re going to miss 100% of the time.

GO DUCKS!!!

SK