Royalty sees the Soundtrack of Summer Tour at Prudential Center!‏

Near the end of March, I got an e-mail from the New Jersey Devils. Since I'm a season ticket holder, they occasionally offer me discounts & presales to upcoming events at the Prudential Center. I usually don't take them up on their offers. It just so happened that they sent me a presale to get tickets to see the Soundtrack of Summer Tour which consisted of Don Felder, former songwriter & guitarist of the Eagles, Styx & one of my favorite rock groups, Foreigner. When I saw they were playing on Thursday, June 26th, I looked at my schedule. I saw that was going to be an off night. I said to myself I want to go. Since I really didn't want to go by myself, I decided to ask my Cousin Andy who's a big music fan if he wanted to join me. He said he would. With that being said, I went ahead & I bought us a pair of tickets in the upper level. Since we both lack the financial resources, we were just happy to get in the building. It was going to be our first concert there.

After waiting a few months, that night finally arrived. After work, I took the Path train out to Newark, NJ. I wound up meeting my Cousin Andy in the Gateway Center which is the walkway attached to Newark Penn Station at 6:40PM. We then walked over to the Prudential Center for the 7PM show. We went inside & we headed upstairs to our seats. When we got up there, we were told that the upper level was going to be closed. With that being said, they gave us an upgrade to cushioned seats in section 17 which was just to right side of the stage. What a great view we had. 

Don Felder

As for the show we saw, the first act was Don Felder who performed some songs with his own band. In addition, he ‎& his band played a good number of Eagles' songs which included Already Gone, One of These Nights, Those Shoes, Witchy Woman, Heartache Tonight, Take It Easy, Life in the Fast Lane as well as the legendary Hotel California. All in all, it was a nice way to start the evening. 

Styx

Secondly, after a short break, we got to hear the band Styx who were popular back in the 70's ‎& into the early 80's. They were lead by guitarist & songwriter Tommy Shaw who wrote some of their classic hits which included Crystal Ball, Blue Collar Man, Too Much Time on my Hands, Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man) as well as Renegade. They also played some of  their other hits, The Grand Illusion, Lady & Come Sail Away. Andy & I recognized many of their songs which made for an awesome time. 

Foreigner

Last but certainly not least, we got to see Foreigner close out the show. I saw them back in the day at Madison Square Garden in 1987. In addition, I got to see them again last year at Citi Field after a Met game. As they say, three times is a charm. That saying held true on this night when I got to see them again. Having seen them last year, I had a good idea of what to expect. 

They started the set with Double Vision, they continued rocking with many of their signature songs which included Juke Box Hero, Feels Like The First Time, Head Games, Cold As Ice, Urgent, Say You Will, I Want To Know What Love Is‎ & Hot Blooded. In addition, we were also treated to a guitar solo by founding member, Mick Jones who has been experiencing health issues lately. 

Overall we got our money's worth ‎& then some. We both had a blast reliving the good old days. These performers are getting old but they still put on a neat show. I'm glad we got to see it. My Cousin couldn't thank me enough for getting him the ticket. As I say, teamwork makes the dream work.

Stay tuned for some special posts that will recap the way I spent the last weekend in June.

Thank you for reading ‎& following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty goes to Opening Day at Citi Field to see the Mets host the Nationals!

Sam Citron Outside the Rotunda at Citi Field

After shaking off the effects of jet lag, the King & I went to Citi Field Monday March 31st to see the Mets start their 2014 season against the Washington Nationals. Since I wisely took the day off from work, I got to the ballpark when the gates opened. I got to see my pal Sam Citron when I got to the Rotunda. It was great to see him again. When I entered the ballpark, I was hoping to see batting practice but since the weather wasn't ideal, they didn't have any. I was hoping to see my pal Gio Gonzalez before the game but I waited & waited but he never came out. I was able hang around until game time since I knew the usher who watches over the special seats that are located between the tarp & the Nationals dugout. 

Me waiting to see Gio

When they announced the players in the special pre game ‎introductions I saw Gio from a distance. When they went back into the dugout, I yelled out to him. He acknowledged me by giving me a thumbs up before he headed into the clubhouse. It wasn't the same as getting a handshake but he did see me wearing the personalized jersey he gave me in the same spot back on 9/11 when the Nationals were in town last September.
 

Opening Day at Citi Field

Remembering Ralph Kiner 1922-2014

It should be noted that there was a special ceremony to remember former Mets broadcaster Ralph Kiner who passed away at age 91 during the off season. Ralph played ten years for the Pittsburgh Pirates‎ during his hall of fame career. He joined the Mets as a broadcaster when the team came into existence back in 1962. Ralph was always fun to listen to. He was notorious for botching up players' names when he was on the air. For example, he referred to the Late Gary Carter as Gary Cooper when he played for the Mets back in the mid 80's into the early 90's. Ralph also was known for having own post game show called Kiner's Korner where he interviewed players from the winning team after the game. Mets baseball won't be the same without hearing Ralph's voice. Thanks for the memories. In his honor, the Mets will be wearing a special patch all season. 

1st Pitch 1:13PM delivered by Mets' starter Dillon Gee

Since ‎the game was getting ready to start, I decided to watch the top of the first inning on the field level before I headed up to the royal court in section 516. When I finally got upstairs I got to see the usual people we know that go to see baseball games on a regular basis. They included Vincent Ascanio, Rich Wolber, Michael Abrams as well as some Mets season ticket holders who were back for another season. 

View from Royal Court in Section 516

As for the game we saw, the Mets started the season with a bang right off the bat after starter Dillon Gee retired the Nationals in the top of the first after allowing a single. The Mets got a clutch two out three run homer from left fielder Andrew Brown to take an early 3-0 lead against Nationals' ace pitcher, Stephen Strasburg. The Nationals responded as first baseman Adam LaRoche hit a two run homer to slice the Mets' lead to one at 3-2 in the second inning. The Mets tacked on another run as Eric Young Jr. hit a sacrifice fly to make it 4-2 after two innings. Stephen Strasburg settled down as he didn't give up any more runs. He left after going six innings while striking ten in the process. The Nationals got him off the hook when they scored twice in the seventh inning to tie the game at four. The Mets regained the lead, 5-4 in the bottom of the eighth inning when center fielder Juan Lagares lead off with a home run off former Yankee farmhand Tyler Clippard. The Nationals showed resiliency as they tied the game again at five as Denard Span drove a run with a two out double off Mets' closer Bobby Parnell. The game went into extra innings. The Nationals got a sacrifice fly from shortstop Ian Desmond to go back ahead, 6-5 in the top of the tenth inning. They got some insurance runs thanks to a three run homer by Anthony Rendon who made it, 9-5. The Mets made a comeback in the bottom of the tenth as they got a two out walk that was followed by a two run homer by David Wright to pull the Mets within two at 9-7 but reliever Jerry Blevins got Curtis Granderson to strike out looking to end the game. The Nationals picked up where they left off the second half of last season as they fought hard to earn the 9-7 victory.

After the game, the King, Vincent Ascanio & I took the subway to the World Trade Center where we got the Path train to go out to the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. We saw the Devils take on the Florida Panthers that night.

As for the game we saw, the Devils like the Mets got off to a fast start. They score three unanswered goals in the first half of the first period. The Panthers scored late to cut the lead to 3-1. In the second period, the Panthers made it 3-2. The Devils regained their two goal cushion as they found the net to go up, 4-2 but the Panthers came back to get within one again at 4-3 after two periods. Early in the third period, the Devils got a shorthanded goal to go up 5-3. Then they finally put the game away with another goal midway through the third period as they held off the persistent Panthers by a score of 6-3.

Stay tuned for a special post that I'm going to do about my pal Gio Gonzalez who started game two of the new baseball season. 

Thank you for reading ‎& following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 1/20 in review

On Monday January 20th which was Martin Luther King Day I was off from work. The King & I returned from our North of the Border weekend getaway early in the morning. We got some sleep then I drove us to the Nassau Coliseum with the Toyota Camry I had rented Friday night after work for the weekend from Avis.

We saw the Islanders play the Philadelphia Flyers that afternoon. As for the game we saw, the Islanders who trailed the Flyers, 3-1 after two periods came back to tie the game late at three. After they played a scoreless overtime period, the Islanders won the game, 4-3 in a four round shootout. It was an exciting game.

After the game, I returned the car I rented from Avis which worked out well. I wound up driving 1,220 miles safely over the three day weekend. I then took public transportation back home. The King got a ride home from our friend Dennis Barbera who was also at the game. 

Tuesday after work I went out to Newark, NJ where I met up with my Cousin Andy who joined the King & I for the hockey game at the Prudential Center. The Devils took on the St. Louis Blues that night.

As for the game we saw, it wasn't much of a contest. The Devils scored early & often as they raced out to a 3-1 lead midway through the first period. They padded their lead with two more goals in the second & third periods as they went on to beat the Blues, 7-1. 

The highlight of the night was I got to see my Cousin Andy again. As always, it was great to see him. We enjoyed each other's company so the result of the game was secondary but since my Cousin likes the Devils I'm glad they won for him.

Wednesday night after work I went to the Transformed Madison Square Garden to see the Knicks play the Philadelphia 76ers. I was joined by the King & our pal Frank Anichiarico aka Duck who was there. Duck happens to be a 76er fan. 

As for the game we saw, the 76ers wound up beating the Knicks, 110-106 which made for a happy Duck. The 76ers have had an awful season but they looked on this night.

Thursday night after work I came home. I made myself dinner then I went out & I did my laundry.

Friday night after work I went back to Newark, NJ to see the Devils battle the Washington Capitals at the Rock. I met up with the King there.

As for the  game we saw, the Devils won the game, 2-1. They held the Capitals scoreless until midway into the third period. 

Saturday afternoon the King & I went out to Long Island for a doubleheader. We saw the Islanders host the St. Louis Blues at the Nassau Coliseum.

As for the game we saw, the Islanders blew a 2-0 lead. The Blues tied the game at two before the Islanders regained the lead shortly thereafter. It stayed that way until the Blues tied the game again with just 27 seconds to go in regulation. After a scoreless overtime session, the Blues went on to win, 4-3 in a shootout.

Due to time constraints, we raced across the street & we went to the Mack Sports Complex where we saw the Hofstra Pride play a college basketball game against the Northeastern Huskies with our buddy Michael Abrams. 

As for the game we saw, the Pride who lead, 33-30 after the first half collapsed in the second half as the Huskies pulled away as they ran the Pride off the court, 70-57. 

To cap off the day, we met up with our friend Bryan Gilligan who was out on Long Island watching some high school basketball games. He picked us up & he drove us back to Queens. We wound up going to Donovan's Pub to have dinner together.

Stay tuned for a special post that will go into detail about the Stadium Series games the King & I witnessed at Yankee Stadium.

Thank you for reading & following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 1/6 in review

Monday night January 6th after work I went to the Barclays Center in downtown Brooklyn where I saw the Nets host the Atlanta Hawks with the King. Before the game started I stopped by the press area where the radio announcers sit. I got to say a quick hello to my pal Steve Holman, the legendary broadcaster for the Hawks who has done over 2,000 consecutive Hawk games. It was nice to see him again. As for the game we saw, the Nets beat the Hawks, 91-86.

Tuesday night after work I went out to the Prudential Center in Newark as the Devils played their division rival, the Philadelphia Flyers. I met up with my Cousin Andy who joined the King & I for a rare night out. The Flyers got the game winner in overtime thanks to Brayden Schenn as they defeated the Devils, 3-2. 

Wednesday night after work I returned to the Barclays Center as the Nets entertained the Golden State Warriors. I met up with the King & our pal Sean MacDonald who decided to join us. He wanted to see Stephen Curry play. Last time he saw him in the area was last February when he came to New York on a business trip. That night Curry scorched the Knicks at the Garden as he scored a game high 54 points. This time he lead the way again with 34 points. Unfortunately for the Warriors, it wasn't enough as the Nets outlasted them, 102-98.

Thursday night after work, I returned to the Prudential Center in Newark as the Devils took on the Dallas Stars. This time I was accompanied by the King & fellow roadtripper Paul Derrick who returned to the area for the second time in a month. Paul flew into LaGuardia airport earlier in the day from Houston, Texas for the weekend. Since he missed the Devils the last time he visited, he wanted to return to cross the Rock off his to do list. As for the game we saw, the Devils blanked the Stars, 1-0 as goaltender Corey Schneider recorded the shutout.

After work Friday I came home & I relaxed as I wanted to rest up for the busy weekend I had planned. Paul Derrick wound up going to Madison Square Garden to see the Rangers play the Stars. He saw the Knicks play in December. 

Stay tuned for a special post that will go into detail regarding our getaway to New England for another three sport weekend. 

Thank you for reading & following along. 

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 10/28 in review

After work on Monday I came home to rest up from the exhausting weekend I wound up taking to the Buckeye State. 

Tuesday night after work I met up with my Cousin Andy at Newark Penn Station. We walked through the Gateway Center & we stopped off at Subway to have dinner together. After we ate, we continued walking over to the Prudential Center where we saw the Devils play the Tampa Bay Lightning. We were joined by the King when we got up to our seats in section 226 row 6.  My Cousin was so happy to see us. Unlike us, he doesn't get to go out that often so it's a real treat for him when he meets up with us. We always have a great time together.

As for the game we saw, the Devils beat the Lightning, 2-1. As a result, my Cousin was thrilled. He couldn't thank me enough for getting him the ticket for the game.

Wednesday night after work I went to the completely Transformed Madison Square Garden to see the Knicks open their new season against the Milwaukee Bucks. 

First & foremost, I want to mention all the additions in the final phase of the three year transformation process. Upon entry to the building, you'll notic the newly designed lobby & box office area which is more spacious than it was in the past. They've also added a team store so you can pick up souvenirs before and/or after the game. When you go inside I strongly suggest that you take a ride up to the tenth floor. That way you can check out the new Chase bridges that they've added which are connected to the West Balcony on the 8th avenue end of the building. The seating on the bridges is like the West Balcony. In other words, they have a few rows of seats that are protected by very thick glass as well as a row of bar stool seats behind them that have a ledge for you to put food and/or paperwork like I do when I sit at one of them. As long as you're not afraid of heights, you'll love the aerial view these seats have to offer. The Bridges are made so you feel like you're right on top of the action. They overlook the court for basketball & the ice for hockey. These seats are pricey & they're not sold on a season ticket basis. I recommend that if you have some money to burn that you try to get a seat up there. By doing so, you'll appreciate what they did to transform the building. The other change they made that stands out was they added a new massive HD scoreboard which hangs over the court and/or the ice. If you happen to be sitting on the side on the 200 level in the higher rows, the scoreboard is partially blocked. But they wisely added big screens on the side of the Bridges so you can see whatever you miss. Overall, I think they did a nice job in transforming the building. This may be a short lived process though since I've heard that in ten years they may be forced out of Penn Station which is built below the Garden. If you want to see the building as it is now, you should get there sooner than later.

As for the game I saw that night, the Knicks got off to a fast start. They lead by 25 points at halftime, 56-31. The Bucks fought back in the second half but the Knicks were able to hold them off as they went on to win their first game of the season, 90-83. Carmelo Anthony lead the way as he scored a game high 19 points & he grabbed 10 rebounds. Raymond Felton added 18 points.

Thursday night after work I spent my Halloween night doing my laundry after I made myself dinner.

Friday night after work I met up with the King at the Barclays Center where we saw the new look Brooklyn Nets open their home slate with a nationally televised game against the defending two time World Champion Miami Heat.

As for the game we saw, the Nets wound up beating the Heat in a drawn out game that took nearly three hours to play. The Nets won, 101-100. The Nets got 19 points from former Celtic Paul Pierce while Kevin Garnett aka KG who was also acquired in the same deal had just 6 points. Joe Johnson helped the Nets' cause by scoring 19 points as well. As for the Heat, LeBron James lead the way with 26 points but he didn't do anything exciting on this night as his team came up short.

Saturday afternoon the King & I took a ride via subway, Ferry & bus to see a college football game on Staten Island as the Wagner Seahawks were hosting the Blue Devils of Central Connecticut at Hameline Field. We were joined by our pal Eddie Pelle who met us there.

As for the game we saw, the Blue Devils beat the Seahawks, 52-17. The game actually was 24-17 with 13:09 to go but the Seahawks fell apart as they gave up four unanswered touchdowns as running back Rob Hollomon lead the charge for the Blue Devils. He finished the game with 147 yards rushing & he scored four touchdowns.

After the game, the King & I went out to the Prudential Center to see the Devils take on the Flyers. Eddie couldn't join us since he needed to take care of things at home. It was nice to see him again. 

As for the game we saw, the Flyers scored the only goal of the game in the first period. They held on to beat the Devils, 1-0.

Sunday the King & I went into Midtown Manhattan where we met up with our pal Larry Peim who drove us out to MetLife Stadium where we saw the Jets host the New Orleans Saints.

As for the game we saw, the Jets surprised the Saints as they beat them, 26-20. They were lead by former Saint Chris Ivory who ran for a game high 139 yards on the ground.

After the game, Larry drove us back to into Midtown. I went to see the Knicks play the Timberwolves at the Transformed Garden while the King decided to go home. 

As for the game I saw, the Timberwolves  played well & they beat the Knicks, 109-100. They got a monster performance out of Kevin Love who scored 34 points & he pulled down 15 rebounds. Kevin Martin added 30 points to help lead the charge for the Wolves. As for the Knicks, Carmelo Anthony poured in 22 points & he grabbed 17 boards while Metta World Peace finished with 17 points in the losing effort.

Stay tuned as I continue to attempt to play catch up.

Thank you for reading & following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty goes to Prudential Center to see NJ Devils' Home Opener!

When September ended so did the regular season for baseball. As for me, my baseball games were going to be few & far between if I got to see any more.

With that being said, it was time to gear up for the fall & winter sports on a regular basis.

With a limited number of sporting events in the area during the month of October, I had to find a way to keep myself busy. Luckily I was able to go out to Newark, NJ after work on Friday, October 4th as the NJ Devils played their home opener against their local area rival, the NY Islanders at the Prudential Center. The Devils lost their first game the night before in Pittsburgh as the Penguins shut them out.

I wound up meeting my pal Mike Carroll who bought the King's ticket for the game since he wound up going to Boston to see the Red Sox play the Rays in the American League Division Series at Fenway Park instead. After I got delayed due to signal problems on the Path train, I finally got to meet up with Mike outside the arena around 6:40PM. As a result, I decided to get a spinach stromboli at the Rock for dinner. It turned out to be a wise move since it was getting close to game time.

Home Opener at Prudential Center

When I finished eating, I went up to my seat in section 226 row 6 where I was joined by Mike Carroll & my other buddy Vincent Ascanio who was present & accounted for. After the first intermission, I walked around the concourse & I saw Domish, the hockey king if you will.

As for the game we saw, the Devils scored their first goal of the season 2:59 into the first period when Damien Brunner lit the lamp to give the Devils a 1-0 lead. The Islanders tied the game at one later in the period when Michael Grabner of the Islanders got the equalizer. Both teams exchanged goals in the second & third periods as Michael Grabner got two of them. As for the Devils, they tied the game at three 7:34 into the third period when Damien Brunner added his second goal of the game. After playing a scoreless five minute overtime session, the game was decided by a shootout. In the skills competition, both teams showed their incompetence. Neither team could score for the first five rounds. Finally in the sixth round, Matt Moulson of the Islanders scored the one & only goal of the shootout. As a result, the Islanders emerged victorious, 4-3.

Stay tuned for a series of special posts that will recap my memorable weekend getaway to the Southeast over the first weekend in October.

Thank you for reading & following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 4/8 in review

Monday night after work I came home I ate dinner and relaxed for a change. Thanks to the baseball schedule makers, the Mets and Yankees were both on the road this week after they both opened the season together at home during opening week. As a result, I got an early break from baseball. The King on the other hand, rented a Toyota Corolla from Avis for 15 days so he could drive around the Northeast to see as many baseball games as possible.

Tuesday night after work I went to the Barclays Center for the last time this season since I didn't get the playoff tickets because the King & I prefer to go to see baseball instead. In addition, the prices for the playoff tickets were too pricey for our liking so we passed up the opportunity to get them.

I wound up going to McDonald's at the Atlantic Center Mall for dinner before the game. I ran into my pals Harry Schwartz and Dennis Barbera who were eating there too. Once we got done, we all walked across the street and we went into the arena to see the Nets host the Philadelphia 76ers. When I got to my seat in section 230 row 13 I met up with my friend Frank Anichiarico who was using the King's ticket. Frank is a 76er observer if you will.

As for the game we saw, the Nets made fast work of the 76ers as they built a big lead early and they never looked back as they defeated the 76ers, 104-83 much to Frank's chagrin.

Reggie Evans scored 17 points and he grabbed 24 rebounds while his teammate Brook Lopez added a game high 29 points and he pulled down 11 rebounds as the Nets cruised past the 76ers who had a disappointing season.

Wednesday night after work I went out to Newark, NJ to see the Devils take on the Boston Bruins at the Prudential Center for the last time this season. I was joined by Vincent Ascanio and Frank Anichiarico who were also there. I decided to get an Angus burger that came with Nathan's fries for dinner at the arena per Vincent's recommendation. It tasted really good.

As for the game we saw, the Bruins raced out to an early 4-0 lead 3:06 into the second period. I was thinking of my pal Eric Hasseltine who happens to be a big Bruin fan. I updated him throughout the game. It appeared that it was going to be an easy win for his Bruins. It turned out not to be the case as the Devils finally awoke as they scored three unanswered goals to get within a goal 4-3 with 14:02 left in the third period. The Bruins responded right back as they added an insurance goal with 12:27 to go up 5-3. It turned out to be a huge goal because the Devils fought back and finally cut the lead to 5-4 with 37 seconds to go. Fortunately for Eric and the number of Bruin fans that were part of the sellout crowd of 17,625, the Bruins were able to hang on as they escaped the swamp land with a win. As a result, it hurt the Devils slim playoff hopes.

Thursday night after work I came home and I made myself dinner. Once I got done I went out and I did my laundry around the block.

Stay tuned as I'm going to do some special posts that we'll recap the memorable weekend I had. Please bear with me as I try to continue to find time to catch up.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty sees hockey after Mets Opening Day on April Fool's Day!

Prince at Prudential Center

After the King & I saw the Mets crush the Padres, 11-2 on Opening Day at Citi Field we went to see the Devils play. Thanks to our pal Bryan Gilligan who was kind enough to drop us off at home in Astoria after the Met game so we could make it happen. Team work makes the dream work. This is a perfect example. We had to put our luggage in the house. With his assistance we were able to do so. We then went back out and we took the subway and the Path train to Newark, NJ since he decided to go home. We arrived at the Prudential Center which is the home of the Devils with some time to spare as we got in the building to see the players warm up before the game started.

On this night, the Devils were hosting the NY Islanders. After we went to the concession stand and bought chicken tenders and fries to eat, the King & I went up to our seats in section 226 row 6 and we relaxed and watched the game.

As for the game we saw, the Islanders got on the scoreboard first just 52 seconds into the game as Josh Bailey lit the lamp to give the Islanders an early 1-0 lead. Later in the period with 12:46 to go, the Islanders went up 2-0 as Travis Hamonic scored. In the second period, the Devils finally broke the shutout as Alexei Ponikarovsky found the net with 11:59 to go to slice the Islander lead in half at 2-1. In the third period, the Islanders added an insurance goal as John Tavares scored on the power play with 10:47 to go in regulation time to make it a 3-1 game. That's how it ended as the visiting Islanders came away with a road win.

They announced another sellout crowd of 17,625 which consisted of some Islander fans who left the building happy after they saw their team win.

Stay tuned for a bunch of special posts that I'm going to do that will recap the rest of the week that we spent at Citi Field, Yankee Stadium and Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia with some very special people. Please bear with me as I continue to find the time to play catch up.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 3/18 in review

Monday night after work I came home. I made myself dinner, I relaxed and I got to catch up on things at home. It's always nice to have a night off from time to time.

Tuesday night after work I went out to the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. The Devils were hosting their cross town rivals, the NY Rangers which made for a very festive night. I was joined by my pal Vincent Ascanio who bought the King's ticket. The King decided to go out to the Nassau Coliseum to see the Islanders play the Montreal Canadiens instead.

Before the game started, I got a pastrami sandwich for dinner at the arena. I took it to my seat and I ate it just before the opening puck was dropped.

As for the game we saw, the Rangers got on the scoreboard first as defenseman Michael Del Zotto scored while the Rangers were killing a penalty with 8:11 to go in the first period. With 4:45 to go in the period, the Devils cashed in on the power play this time as Travis Zajac got the equalizer to even it at one. Shortly thereafter, the Rangers regained the lead, 2-1 when Carl Hagelin lit the lamp with 3:10 to go. The rapid fire continued as the Devils answered back just 23 seconds later when defenseman Anton Volchenkov found the net to knot the score again at two. In the second period, the Rangers went back ahead this time for good as Rick Nash buried the biscuit 7:25 into the period to make it a 3-2 game. Quite amazingly, there was no more scoring the rest of the game. The Rangers left the building with a victory much to the delight of the Ranger fans who came across the river to see the Blueshirts play. It should be noted there were a good number of them among the sellout crowd of 17,625. Regardless of the outcome, it was an exciting game to be at especially for the first half of it. It was a playoff like atmosphere.

Wednesday night after work I went to Charley's Subs in Penn Station for dinner where I had a Philly cheese steak sandwich before I went upstairs to Madison Square Garden to see the Knicks take on the Orlando Magic.

As for the game I saw, the Knicks got off to a fast start as they led, 26-15 after the first quarter. In the second quarter, the Magic made a comeback as they sliced the Knick lead down to 5, 51-46 at halftime. In the third quarter, the Knicks played like they did in the first quarter. They out scored the Magic by 13 to break it open as they led, 83-65 after three quarters. In the fourth quarter, they slacked off like they did in the second as the Magic out scored the Knicks by six again. It was too little too late as the Knicks beat the Magic, 106-94.

It should be noted that Carmelo Anthony returned after missing some games due to a knee injury. He scored 21 points and he grabbed 8 rebounds in his return.

Thursday night and Friday night I wound up coming home after work. It was nice to have more time to catch up on things at home.

Saturday morning I went out and I did my laundry. In the afternoon, I arranged to meet up with my parents who came to visit. It was nice to see them again. At night, I went with the King to Newark, NJ as the Devils were playing the Florida Panthers. We were joined by our pals Rich Wolber aka Staten Island Rich and Vincent Ascanio we were also in attendance.

As for the game we saw, the Devils and Panthers played a scoreless first period. In the second period, the Devils scored the first goal of the game as Patrik Elias broke through 1:24 into the period. The Devils went up 2-0 with 8:57 left in the period when David Clarkson scored. The Panthers finally broke the shutout with 10 seconds left in the period to slice the Devils' lead to 2-1. In the third period, neither team scored as the Devils held on to beat the Panthers before another sellout crowd at the Rock.

Sunday afternoon the King and I went to the Nassau Coliseum with our friend Frank Anichiarico to see the Islanders play the Florida Panthers. We got a visit from our buddy Joe Rossi who was there with his adorable daughter, Grace. They were there with a group from school. As always, it was a pleasure to see them again.

As for us, we wound up taking public transportation there and back. It was an like a road trip since it took us close to two hours each way. As the saying goes, you have to do what you have to do. It's always worth going there especially now that their days are numbered at that old barn since the Islanders plan to move into the Barclays Center in October 2015 if not sooner.

As for the game we saw, the Islanders drew first blood as defenseman Andrew MacDonald scored a power play goal 6:05 into the game to give the Islanders a 1-0 lead. After a scoreless second period, the Islanders got two late empty net goals in the third period as they beat the Panthers, 3-0. Evgeni Nabokov, the Islanders' goaltender recorded the shutout, the 55th of his NHL career in front of a nice crowd of 14,512 on Marvel Comics day. The young fans on hand were treated as Thor and Spiderman were there to entertain them in the stands during the game.

Thank you for reading and following.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 3/11 in review

Monday night after work I came home and I got to make dinner. When I was done I was able to relax for a change.

Tuesday night after work I went to downtown Brooklyn. I went to the Atlantic Center Mall where I went to McDonald's to have dinner before I went across the street to the Barclays Center to see the Nets host the New Orleans Hornets.

When I got up to my seat in section 230 row 13, I met up with the King who was already there.

As for the game we saw, the Nets got off to a fast start as they led the Hornets, 28-19. After playing an evenly matched second quarter the Nets still lead, 57-48 at halftime. In the third quarter, the Hornets made a comeback as they got within two after three quarters, they trailed 80-78. In the fourth quarter, the Nets came out strong as they pulled away from the Hornets who ran out of gas as the Nets went to win, 108-98.
Wednesday night after work I went out to the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. The Devils were taking their division rival, the Philadelphia Flyers.

I wound up getting a pulled pork sandwich for dinner at the Rock. I ate it at my seat in section 226 row 6 where I was joined by the King.

As for the game we saw, the Devils scored first just 2:02 into the game as Patrik Elias lit the lamp to make it 1-0. The Flyers got even when Jakub Voracek found the net 9:45 into the period on the power play to make it a 1-1 hockey game. 36 seconds later, Adam Henrique of the Devils made it 2-1. With 2:42 to go in the period, the Devils got a shorthanded goal from Ilya Kovalchuk which gave the Devils' a two goal advantage after the first period. In the second period, the Devils extended their lead to 4-1 as Andrei Loktionov scored 6:31 into the period. In the third period, the Devils continued to pile it on as Adam Henrique got his second goal of the goal on the power play 1:16 into the period to make it 5-1. The Flyers added a late goal with 3:52 left in the game as Scott Hartnell tallied to close out the scoring as the Devils beat the Flyers, 5-2 in front of a sellout crowd of 17,625 which was comprised of both Flyer and Devil fans.

Thursday night after work I came home and I made dinner. After I ate, I went out and I did my laundry.
Friday night after work didn't go as originally planned. Stay tuned for a special post that will go into detail about the unexpected surprise I got.

Saturday afternoon was another last minute decision. Stay tuned for another special post that will detail how that went.

Saturday night the King & I went back to the Prudential Center to see the Devils play the Montreal Canadiens. We were joined by our pal Vincent Ascanio. It should be noted that there were a good number of Canadien fans in attendance which is usually the case when they come to the area.

In addition, they were a group of people who were fans of the old Quebec Nordiques who moved to Denver back in 1994 and became the Colorado Avalanche. Those people hope that NHL hockey returns to Quebec City some day. For that matter, so do we.

As for the game we saw, he Canadiens got on the scoreboard first when Colby Armstrong scored to make it 1-0 with 11:52 to go in the first period. In the second period, the Devils got the equalizer as defenseman Peter Harrold got his first goal of the season 3:54 into the period. In the third period, the Canadiens broke the tie as Tomas Plekanec buried the biscuit with 13:11 to go to give the Habs as they're called a 2-1 lead. The Devils applied plenty of pressure the rest of the game but they failed to force overtime as they fell short.

Sunday the King and I spent St. Patrick's Day home catching up on the things around the house. At night we went out to the Barclays Center in downtown Brooklyn to see the Nets battle the Atlanta Hawks.

As for the game we saw, the Nets lead the Hawks, 24-21 after the first quarter. In the second quarter, the Hawks out scored the Nets by five to take a 51-49 lead as they headed into the locker room. In the third quarter, the Nets surged ahead again as they took a 73-71 lead. In the fourth quarter, the Hawks stepped it up as they blew past the Nets as they emerged victorious,105-93.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 2/11 in review

Tim Capstraw & Chris Carrino

Monday night after work I came home and I ate dinner then I went out and I did my laundry.

Tuesday night after work I went out to Newark, NJ to see the Devils play the Carolina Hurricanes at the Prudential Center. I wound up having a pulled pork sandwich at the arena for dinner. I decided to take it up to my seat in section 226 row 6 where I met up with the King and our pals Frank Anichiarico, Vincent Ascanio and Dennis Barbera who were at the game too. We were one big happy family amongst the sellout crowd.

As for the game we saw, the Devils broke through first with 4:01 left in the first period when Ilya Kovalchuk scored on the power play to make it 1-0 Devils. In the second period, the Hurricanes got even as Jussi Jokinen beat Devils' goaltender Johan Hedberg 1:36 into the period to make it a 1-1 also on the power play. Later in the period with 1:31 to go, the Hurricanes took the lead, 2-1 as Patrick Dwyer lit the lamp. In the third period, the Devils got the equalizer as Ryan Carter beat Hurricanes' netminder Cam Ward just 1:34 into the period on a giveaway in front of the net to tie the game at two. The Hurricanes broke the tie again 7:25 into the period when Jiri Tlusty scored to give the Hurricanes a 3-2 lead. He also added an empty net goal with 26 seconds left to seal the deal as the Hurricanes beat the Devils, 4-2.

Wednesday night after work I went to downtown Brooklyn to see the Nets play the Denver Nuggets. By doing so, I've now seen every NBA basketball team play at once this season.

Before I went into the Barclays Center I stopped off at McDonald's in the Atlantic Center Mall across the street to have my pre game meal.

When I was done I went into the arena. Before I went to my seat in section 230, I stopped off by the radio broadcasting booth which is located by section 110 and I said hello to the Nets radio team of Tim Capstraw and Chris Carrino. After talking to them briefly before they did the Nets' inside look, I went upstairs and I met up with the King and our pal Harry Schwartz who was in attendance. It was nice to catch up with him again.

As for the game we saw, the Nuggets led the Nets, 26-23 after the first quarter. In the second quarter, the Nets scored a season high 39 points to take a 62-57 lead at halftime. In the third quarter, the Nets continued to pull away from the Nuggets as they opened up a 14 point lead, 95-81. In the fourth quarter, the Nets got out scored 27-24 by the Nuggets who failed to come all the way back as the Nets went on to beat them, 119-108.

The Nets played without Deron Williams who was inactive due to an injured ankle. In his place, C.J. Watson scored a season high 25 points and he dished out 6 assists.

Thursday night after work I came home and I made dinner and I relaxed for a change.

Friday night after work I went back out to Newark, NJ to see the Devils play their division rival, the Philadelphia Flyers.

As for dinner, I got a spinach stromboli and a slice of pizza at the arena. I met up with the King and my friend Lloyd Ramsland who was joined by a long time buddy of his who lives out in Denver, Colorado, Dick Harding. I arranged to get them tickets for the game so they could join us. It was great to see both of them again. We see Lloyd from time to time. As for Dick, we've met him a number of times over the years either here or when we've gone to the Rocky Mountain state thanks to Lloyd.

As for the game we saw, the Devils scored first just 40 seconds into the game as Travis Zajac made it 1-0 Devils. The Flyers got even and then some midway through the period as they score three unanswered goals in a 2 minute 36 second stretch to take a 3-1 lead. In the second period, Alexei Ponikarovsky who the Devils had reacquired got the Devils back within a goal just 26 seconds into the second period. Later in the period with 4:20 left, the Devils tied the game at three as Patrik Elias scored. In the third period, the Devils took the lead, 4-3 as David Clarkson found the net with 9:17 remaining in the game. The Devils' Steve Bernier added an empty net goal to give the Devils a 5-3 victory.

Stay tuned for some special posts that I'm going to do regarding our educational and adventurous weekend in New England.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty sees a local NHL doubleheader after Nemo!

Prince at Prudential Center

Saturday morning the King and I woke up and we looked out of the window and we noticed the snow was over. Luckily for us, Nemo only left 8 inches in Central Park. With that being said, we escaped another potential disaster by mother nature.

Shortly thereafter, we got a phone call from our friend Dennis Barbera who said earlier in the week that he was going to drive and pick us up. Dennis lives out on Long Island where they got more snow. Fortunately for us, he was able to get his car out without a problem. We arranged to meet him within walking distance from our place in Astoria, Queens.

We met up with him around 11:15AM and he drove us to Newark, NJ. We went to the Prudential Center to see the Devils play the Pittsburgh Penguins in a matinee affair.

Apparently Nemo didn't stop everybody in the area from getting to the arena because majority of the announced sellout crowd of 17,625 actually showed up. It should be noted that there were a good number of Penguin fans who were present & accounted for. Public transportation was running with some delays. Thankfully we got a ride. Since there was nobody on the road it made for a very easy ride especially since the major roads were all plowed and cleared.

As for the game we saw, the Penguins got on the scoreboard first just 1:23 into the first period as Brandon Sutter lit the lamp on the power play to give the Penguins an early 1-0 lead. It stayed that way until late in the second period. That's when the Devils got even. Thanks to Stefan Matteau of the Devils who scored his first career NHL goal to make it 1-1 with 3:29 to go. In the third period, the Devils took the lead with 9:04 left in regulation to go up, 2-1 as Adam Henrique put the puck in the net. The Devils add some insurance with 6:52 to go as Bobby Butler scored his first goal as a Devil to make it 3-1. The Devils shut down the Penguins the rest of the way as they beat the Penguins who have played well thus far in the shortened season.

Prince at Nassau Coliseum

After the game, Dennis drove us out to Long Island. We stopped off at McDonald's for a pre game meal. When we were done we drove up the road to the Nassau Coliseum where we saw another NHL game as the Islanders were hosting the visiting Buffalo Sabres. Unfortunately the Buffalo Boys, Andrew Kulyk and Peter Farrell couldn't join us for the festivities. They were there with us in spirit though. The same was true for our pal Mike Carroll aka Sabre Mike who was planning to be there but he couldn't get there thanks to Nemo. However our pals Michael Abrams and Rob Pierlewski did make it. It was nice to see them again.

As for the game we saw, the Sabres broke through first when Thomas Vanek scored with 10:49 to go in the first period to give the Sabres a 1-0 lead. The Islanders got the equalizer late in the period with just 42 seconds to go. John Tavares found the net to tie the game at one. In the second period, both teams exchanged goals as Christian Ehrhoff gave the Sabres a 2-1 lead with 7:39 to go. The Islanders answered back with 2:25 to go as Colin McDonald tied it again at two. In the third period, the Sabres scored the game winning goal with 12:25 to go as Alexander Sulzer made it 3-2. The Islanders had a chance late to tie it again but John Tavares failed to score on a penalty shot he was awarded after he was pulled down on a breakaway.

The Sabres were very fortunate to escape with the victory in front of announced crowd of 12,608 which included a number of Sabre fans who were able to get there. They were out shot 43-15. In addition, the Islanders also hit the post a few times. The bottom line is we got a win for our pals. It wasn't pretty but they'll take it.

After the game, Dennis drove us back to Queens. We were very grateful for his kindness. He gave us the royal treatment on this day.

Stay tuned for another special post that will recap the local NBA doubleheader I did on Sunday.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 2/4 in review

Prince at Barclays Center 

Monday night after work I went to Charley's Subs for my pre game meal in Penn Station before I went upstairs to Madison Square Garden to see the Knicks host the Detroit Pistons.

I met up with the King and our pals Al Linderman and Alan Gimpel when I got inside the building. I wound up sitting with them in section 221 row 18 which is towards the corner on the press box side of the court. I usually sit in section 416 row 2 behind the basket below the West Balcony. I decided to see the game from a different vantage point on this night. In addition, I was able to enjoy their company too.

As for the game we saw, the Knicks got off to a fast start as they led the Pistons, 28-13 after the first quarter. They extended their lead to 21, 57-36 at halftime. They led by as many as 26 before the Pistons made a comeback to make the score look more respectable. The Pistons trailed, 76-58 after three quarters. They sliced into the lead some more in the fourth quarter but the Knicks won rather easily, 99-85. Carmelo Anthony led the way with 27 points. Tyson Chandler added 8 points and he grabbed 20 rebounds for the third consecutive game to tie a Knick record that was set back in the 1960's by Willis Reed who did it twice.

Tuesday night after work I went to downtown Brooklyn to the Barclays Center to see the Nets take on Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers who were playing in Brooklyn for the first time.

Before I went into the arena, I walked across the street and I ate dinner at McDonald's in the Atlantic Center Mall. After I ate, I went inside the arena and I stopped by where the radio announcers call the game. I got to say hello to Nets broadcaster Tim Capstraw. He's always so friendly. It was great to see him again.
When I got done, I went up to my seat in section 230 row 13 where I met up with the King who was already up there.

As for the game we saw, the Lakers were playing without Dwight Howard who was hurt and Metta World Peace formerly known as Ron Artest who played his college ball at St. John's. He was suspended by the league for a game. As a result, the Nets led, 24-18 after the first quarter. In the second quarter, the shorthanded Lakers roared back as they out scored the Nets, 31-16 to take a 49-40 lead at halftime much to the delight of the numerous Laker fans that were among those in the sellout crowd of 17,732. In the third quarter, the Nets cut into the Laker lead as they trailed by only three points after three quarters, 67-64. In the fourth quarter, the Lakers turned it up a notch late as they scored the last ten points of the game to beat the Nets, 92-83.

Kobe Bryant lead the way for the Lakers as he scored a team high 21 points including a number of clutch shots down the stretch to seal the deal. Brook Lopez of the Nets led all scorers with a game high 30 points and he grabbed 11 rebounds in the losing effort.

Wednesday night after work I came home and I got to have dinner then I caught up on the things around the house. It turned out to be a very productive night to stay home.

Thursday night after work I went out to Newark, NJ where I met up with my Cousin Andy who joined me for the Devil game at the Prudential Center. The Devils were playing the Tampa Bay Lightning. I also met up with my pals Rich Wolber aka Staten Island Rich, Frank Anichiarico and the King. We were one big happy family among the announced crowd of 14,802.

As for the game we saw, the game was scoreless after the first period. In the second period, the Devils got the game's first goal when Adam Henrique lit the lamp 3:28 into the first period. The Lightning tied it up later in the period as former Islander Nate Thompson scored to even the score at one with 6:41 to go in the period. The Devils regained the lead, 2-1 as Ilya Kovalchuk got a shorthanded goal with 2:26 left. In the third period, the Devils put the game away as they scored two power play goals 14 seconds apart just over five minutes into the period to take a 4-1 lead. The Lightning added a late goal with 2:15 to go to make it 4-2 which is how it ended.

Friday with a potential snow storm called Nemo approaching the area, I got out of work early. With being said, I was able to get a much needed haircut on my way home. In addition, I was able to catch up on some things at home before the King and I decided to take a subway ride to Upper Manhattan since the Columbia Lions college basketball game against the Big Green of Dartmouth was scheduled to be played at Levien Gymnasium. Our pal Frank Anichiarico decided to meet us there.

As for the game we saw, the Big Green lead the Lions, 29-26 at halftime. In the second half, the Big Green extended its lead to 11, 40-29 five minutes into the second half. The Lions came roaring back to make it close but the Big Green wound up holding them off as they won, 60-57 before a crowd of 1,016. There were a good number of people there considering the weather conditions.

After the game, we all got back home safely as the snow was coming down.

Stay tuned for a few special posts I'm going to do that will recap the exciting weekend I had despite the bad weather.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty sees a rare basketball tripleheader!

Prince at Prudential Center for Seton Hall Pirates

Saturday morning I went to the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ which is also the home of the Seton Hall Pirates who play their home games at the Rock. On this day they were hosting the Cincinnati Bearcats at 11AM. It was also the 20th anniversary of the Seton Hall team that won the Big East Championship during the 1992-1993 season. As a result, they had a ceremony at halftime to celebrate the reunion before an announced crowd of 6,961.

I was joined by the King and our pals Rich Wolber aka Staten Island Rich and Dennis Barbera.

As for the game we saw, the game was tied at 28 late in the first half. The Bearcats went on a 20-0 run that carried over into the second half. As a result, the Bearcats were able to hold off a late surge by the Pirates as they went on to win the game, 65-59.

Prince at WRAC - Home of LIU Blackbirds

After the game, we all took the Path train back to midtown Manhattan where we caught the Q train to downtown Brooklyn for game two of the day at LIU where the Blackbirds were hosting the Robert Morris Colonials at 3PM at the Wellness, Recreation and Athletic Center aka the WRAC.

We were also joined by our pals Larry Peim, Michael Abrams, Phil Butleman, David Sack and Vincent Ascanio.

As for the game we saw, the Colonials led the Blackbirds, 32-29 at halftime. In the second half, the Colonials held off the Blackbirds in a closely contested affair, 60-57.

Prince at Madison Square Garden 

After the game, I went to Popeye's for dinner before I went to Madison Square Garden for game three at 7:30PM as the Knicks were taking on the Sacramento Kings.

As for the game I saw, the Knicks wound up blowing out the Kings who raced out to an early 18-6 lead. It went down hill from there for the Kings as the Knicks rolled to an easy 120-81 victory.

The Knicks got monster performances from Tyson Chandler who scored 11 points and he grabbed 20 rebounds. In addition, Amar'e Stoudemire came off the bench and he shot 10 for 10 from the field as he finished with 21 points while J.R. Smith added a team high 25 points off the bench which enabled the Knicks to win the game easily.

Stay tuned for the recap of how I spent Super Bowl Sunday.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 1/28 in review

Monday night after work I went to the Barclays Center in downtown Brooklyn to see the Nets play the Orlando Magic.

Before the game I walked over to the Atlantic Center Mall which is across the street. I wound up going to McDonald's for my pre game meal.

After I finished eating, I walked back over to the Barclays Center and I went inside. I was able to go to the area where the radio broadcasters do the game by section 109. On this night, I got to say hello to Dennis Neumann, the radio voice of the Magic. I also got to say hello to the Nets radio team of Tim Capstraw and Chris Carrino. These guys are always very fan friendly when they have some spare time.

When I was done, I went up to section 230 row 13 where I met up with the King. We wound up seeing our pal Steve Tepperman who was also at the game.

As for the game we saw, the Nets made fast work of the Magic who lost center Dwight Howard in the off season. The Magic are having a miserable season thus far. As a result, the Nets made sure they took advantage. They built an early ten point lead, 30-20 after the first quarter. In the second quarter, they out scored the Magic by six to lead 56-40 at the break. In the third quarter, the Magic made a comeback attempt as they out scored the Nets by nine to pull within seven, 70-63 after three quarters. In the fourth quarter, the Nets turned it on again. They put the Magic away as they went on to win, 97-77 before a crowd of 16,480 which was just short of a sellout.

Tuesday night after work I got to come home and I caught up on things around the house after I made myself dinner. It was really nice to have a night off so I could play catch up.

Wednesday night after work instead of going to see the Knicks or the Nets play, the King and I went out to a special trophy awards dinner. During the spring and summer, the King and I play softball on Sunday mornings. Our team, the Fuzz Cougs, wound up winning the Championship back in late August. On this night, we got to see our teammates as we got rewarded for our hard work. It was a nice get together which was well worth missing a sporting event for.

Thursday night after work, I went out to Newark, NJ to see the Devils play the Islanders at the Prudential Center.

I met up with the King and our pal Mike Carroll aka Sabre Mike who joined us. I wound up getting pizza for dinner at the arena.

As for the game we saw, the Islanders took a 2-0 lead early in the second period before the Devils came back to tie the game at two. Both teams spent the rest of the game trading goals as the game was tied again at three and four. The game wound up being decided in overtime as the Islanders got the game winning goal from right winger Brad Boyes who scored with 2:59 left in the extra session to send the sellout crowd which included a number of Islander fans home with mixed emotions as the Islanders came away with an entertaining 5-4 victory.

Friday night after work I went back to the Barclays Center in downtown Brooklyn to see the Nets host the Chicago Bulls. Before the game, I arranged to meet my Cousin Andy at AppleBee's at the Atlantic Center Mall for dinner then we went to the game together. He told me he wanted to see the Barclays Center so I told him I'll make it happen and I did.

After we ate dinner, we walked over to the arena. We went inside and I showed him around the building before we met up with the King. We all watched the game together. Andy was very grateful that I got him the ticket and he enjoyed our company.

As for the game we saw, the Nets got off to a fast start as they led the Bulls, 24-14 after the first quarter. In the second quarter, the Bulls came back and they led, 42-41 at halftime. In the third quarter, the Bulls extended their lead to four, 67-63. In the fourth quarter, the Nets staged a comeback as they went on to beat the Bulls who played without a few of their key players, 93-89 much to the delight of the sellout crowd.

Stay tuned as I'm going to do a few special posts that will recap my busy weekend.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 1/21 in review

Prince at Devils Home Opener

Tuesday morning before I went to work I returned the Chevy Cruze I rented for the weekend.
After work I went out to Newark, NJ to the Prudential Center to see my first NHL game since the lockout ended. The Devils were playing their home opener against their division rival, the Philadelphia Flyers.
I wound up meeting the King and our pal Vincent Ascanio out there. I decided to get the pulled pork for dinner at the arena. By doing so, I got to say hello to the lady who works that stand which is behind the net near section 122 where the Diablos sit. It was great to see her again. She was thrilled to see us hockey fans again. I proceeded to walk over to my seat in section 226.

The sellout crowd was all pumped up as the players hit the ice. Our section in particular was extremely loud and confrontational because we had a mix of Devil and Flyer fans among us. It was mainly comprised of the younger generation so they were all full of energy. They were yelling and screaming throughout the game. It was anything but peaceful. With that being said, hockey was back.

As for the game we saw, the Devils got on the scoreboard early as Travis Zajac scored the first goal of the game just 1:07 into the match. The Devils added another goal on the power play with just 25 seconds to go in the first period as David Clarkson buried the biscuit to give the Devils a 2-0 after the first period. In the second period, while the Devils were shorthanded, Ilya Kovalchuk broke in on a breakaway and he was hooked down by Flyers' defenseman Kimmo Timonen 2:44 into the period. As a result, a penalty shot was awarded. Kovalchuk capitalized on the opportunity and he gave the Devils a commanding 3-0 lead. That's the way it ended as the Devils stifled the Flyers the rest of the game. The Flyers took out their frustration as they started a few fights late in the third period. Goaltender Martin Brodeur stopped 24 shots to earn the shutout, it was his 120th lifetime in his storied career.

Wednesday night after work I went home. I ate dinner then I did my laundry.

Thursday night after work I went to Brooklyn Heights to see college basketball. It was the 38th annual Battle of Brooklyn as the LIU Blackbirds were visiting the St. Francis Terriers. Before I went to the game I stopped off for a hearty Popeye's chicken dinner a few blocks away.

When I got to the gym for the game I was joined by my pals Manny Morales, Phil Butleman, David Sack, Frank Anichiarico and the King.

As for the game we saw, the Terriers got off to a fast start. They dominated the first half as they led 33-21 at halftime. In the second half, things changed dramatically as the Blackbirds awoke from the dead as they went on to destroy the Terriers. They out scored them 57-35 in the second half as they won the game and the Battle of Brooklyn trophy, 78-68. C.J. Garner had 22 points and Jamal Olasewere added 20 points to carry the Blackbirds to the come from behind victory.

Friday night after work I went back to Newark, NJ to see the Devils play the Washington Capitals. On this night, since the King and I are Devil full season ticket holders we got to take advantage of a perk. We were given an upgrade to watch the game from the Ice Cream Social Suite. Before we went into the suite, I bought a pepperoni stromboli for dinner.

Unlike Tuesday night, we were able to watch the game much more peacefully. It was great to see the game from a different vantage point. We wound up in suite 234 which is in the corner. They had another sellout crowd on hand.

It's hard to gauge if people are really hungry for hockey or not. Many people had already paid for their season tickets like us so we were stuck with them. We love hockey so for the King and I it's nice that it's back. Next season will tell the true story if the lockout really indeed hurt the sport when people have the choice to renew their tickets or not.

As for the game we saw, the Devils got off to a good start. They scored 13:55 into the first period when Stephen Gionta found the net to give the Devils a 1-0 lead. With a minute to go in the second period, Patrik Elias scored a power play goal to extend the Devils' lead to 2-0. In the third period, the Capitals finally got on the scoreboard as Mike Ribeiro tallied a power play goal with 7:15 left in the period to slice the lead in half at 2-1. With 2:56 left in regulation time, the Capitals got the equalizer as defenseman Mike Green lit the lamp to knot the game at two. The score remained the same as regulation time expired. In the sudden death overtime, the Devils' Ilya Kovalchuk emerged as the hero as he scored the game winning goal with just 20.5 seconds left in the extra session to give the Devils' a 3-2 victory.

Stay tuned as I'm going to do a few special posts that will recap another busy weekend of attending sporting events.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty gets a long awaited return to the Stanley Cup Finals!

Prince at Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals

Saturday night the King and I got to go to see the NJ Devils play the Los Angeles Kings in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ  with our pal Bryan Gilligan who drove us there.

The last time we saw a game in the Stanley Cup Finals was back in 2003 when the Devils beat the Anaheim Mighty Ducks in Game 7 to win their third Stanley Cup at the old Meadowlands Arena. Mike Rupp of the Devils at the time and current NY Ranger had the game of his life.

This time around the Devils lost the first game in overtime, 2-1 to the Kings.

The Devils played a similar game in Game 2. They fell behind 1-0 again when the Kings' Drew Doughty put a shot past Devils' goalie Martin Brodeur 7:49 into the first period. The score stayed that way until 2:59 into the third period when the Devils' Ryan Carter redirected a pass to tie the game at one. With the equalizer, the crowd at the Prudential Center finally woke up. They were nervous that their Devils were down a goal.

The game wound up being decided again in sudden death overtime. Unfortunately for the Devils, they came out on the wrong side of the scoreboard as late season acquisition and former Philadelphia Flyer Jeff Carter lit the lamp with 6:18 left in the first overtime. As a result, he may have ended the season for the Devils at home as the Kings won again, 2-1.

As for my personal attendance in Stanley Cup Finals games, I've been to 12 over the years including this latest one.

The others are as follows:

1989 Calgary Flames at Montreal Canadiens Game 4
1994 Vancouver Canucks at NY Rangers Game 7
1998 Detroit Red Wings at Washington Capitals Game 3
2000 Dallas Stars at NJ Devils Games 1, 2 & 5
2001 Colorado Avalanche at NJ Devils Games 3, 4 & 6
2003 Anaheim Mighty Ducks at NJ Devils Games 1 & 7

If and when you get to go one of these games, it's a great experience. I've been very fortunate to have seen what I have. For that, I'm very grateful.

Stay tuned for the recap of the baseball I saw over the weekend as well.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty meets up with roadtripper Andrew Van Cleve for Devils/Flyers Game 3 at the Prudential Center!

Legendary Devil Fan Baumann

I thought my hockey season was over once the baseball season started but thanks to my pal Andrew Van Cleve that changed.

Since I didn't buy the playoff tickets for the Devils who I have season tickets for, I planned to just skip them altogether. With all the baseball games I had planned, I had plenty on my plate already. It just so happened the Devils were playing the Philadelphia Flyers on a rare night off.

I was initially looking forward to going home after work that night to rest up and take it easy. Then I got an e-mail at work saying that I was invited to a meet and greet work related get together. So I got excited since it fit right into my busy schedule.

All of a sudden, the Devils advanced to the second round of the playoffs and they were scheduled to play that night too.

With that being said, Andrew contacted me and asked me if I was going to the game. I reluctantly said maybe, I'll wait and see.

As it got closer, I told him I'll meet him out there. I wound up going to the get together I had. I left a little early so I could meet up with Andrew at the Prudential Center in Newark.

While I was on the train he was outside the arena trying to round up a few tickets for us. It wasn't easy. He let a few go because they were too pricey for my liking. Trust me I'm not made of money just creative ideas.
I finally got out there around 7:10PM. The game was supposed to start at 7:30PM really closer to 7:40PM when they finally drop the puck.

Shortly after I met Andrew he was able to get a single ticket for a decent price on the lower level.

Unfortunately we still needed another one. We kept trying and trying. Finally after the game started we were able to luckily get another one thanks to Andrew's persistence. He's a great guy. He missed the start of the game because of me. He decided to wait until we both got a ticket before he went in. That says a lot about the kind of person he is.

I decided to go out there without a ticket because I knew he was driving up from Philadelphia to do the same.

Like I say, teamwork makes the dream work. In the last few years since we met in Chicago, we've taken turns helping each other out. I know I'm truly blessed to have responded to an e-mail he wrote me a few years ago.

As for the game we saw, we got in right as the Flyers scored the first goal of the game at the 6:08 mark of the first period on the power play. We just missed seeing it.

We decided to flop into some empty seats we saw on the lower level where we entered. Quite amazingly, I sat right across the aisle from a long time Devil fan I recognized. I don't even know his first name but his last name is Baumann. He's been coming to Devil games long before they won their first Stanley Cup back in 1995. He was notorious for originally starting the Devil chant of give me a D, give me an E, give me a V, give me an I, give me a L and give me a S. Then he would ask the crowd what's that spell. They replied DEVILS, he said what's that spell, DEVILS. Then he would lead the crowd by clapping and yelling Let's Go Devils! He used to sit in section 230 at the old Meadowlands Arena. I hadn't seen or heard him in a number of years. When I noticed him I said to myself he lives. It made me feel good to know that.

By going to the game, I got to see Andrew and a long time Devil fan, so my decision to go was a wise one indeed.

As for the rest of the game once Andrew and I got settled in, we saw a pretty exciting and entertaining game to say the least. I honestly didn't care who won but our pal Kurt Smith, author of Ballpark E-Guides is a big Flyer fan so I was rooting for him.

After the Flyers scored first, the Devils scored twice 20 seconds apart to take a 2-1 lead after the first period. In the second period, the Flyers scored early on to tied it up at two. In the third period, the Devils scored to retake the lead, 3-2. They tried to hold on but the pesky Flyers found a way to tie it up again at three with just nine minutes left in regulation time. Unlike the regular season, they play sudden death overtime. So whoever scores first wins. I honestly didn't need overtime but this is the playoffs and nothing beats that this time of year. That's what makes the hockey playoffs so exciting. An odd bounce can cost you a game and possibly a chance to hoist the sacred Stanley Cup aka the holy grail. It was looking like the game was going to go to a second overtime period but with 2:39 left, the Devils capitalized on a Flyer mistake as they got caught on a shift change in the Devil zone. As a result, the Devils' Alexei Ponikarovsky who was a mid season pick up cashed in on his own rebound which gave the Devils' a thrilling 4-3 overtime win. With the victory, they took a two games to one lead in the series. I felt bad for Kurt. That's the way it goes. Andrew wasn't too happy either. He wanted to see another hockey game close to home.

After the game, Andrew and I said our goodbyes and we went on our way home.

Barring a miracle, my hockey season for all intents and purposes should be over now.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman