The new Turetsky.com

For those of us who are fortunate enough to be called Turetsky
May 19th, 2012 by david

My Hockey Team

I love playing hockey.  It is one of the simple pleasures in life I get away from my family (wife, kids) and work.  My team, however, is suffering from a serious drought of goal scoring.  Now, the problem was that I wasn’t exactly stopping the puck (5 and 2 goals for the first two games, respectively).  Now, the problem is that we cannot score (2 and 0 goals, respectively).

One problem is that the team has had a lack of defensive players.  Now, by itself that does not cause goals not to be scored, but it does when the play is mostly in your end and the puck cannot be cleared.  So, defensemen are key in getting the puck out and allowing scoring chances in the other end.  The play, when in the other end, gets set up by defensemen helping allow the forwards to collapse on the net and provide support to pucks coming up the wings toward the blue-line.  When the puck approaches, good defensemen can “pinch-in” and get the puck deeper in the offensive end, again allowing for scoring chances down-low (near the goalie).  Lastly, good defensemen can cause good scoring opportunities by taking strong shots from the “point” or the blue-line.  These have a high degree of effectiveness due to tip-in, redirect chances, and rebounds.

So, anyone who lives in area that wants to help us out, please let me know!  We are desperate for some blue line help!

May 19th, 2012 by david

The NHL Playoff Picture

Back and forth, back and forth…  What is amazing about the Eastern Conference playoffs has been the unbelievable competitiveness of the teams at each round.  Only a couple of dominant team performances that have led to the Rangers and Devils in the Eastern conference finals.  This is playoff hockey at its best.

Looking out West might lead you to believe that the Kings have already been crowned.  I am not ready to bow to them, neither are the Rangers nor the Devils.

This best of seven may just go the distance and if it does, I will be on the edge of my seat the whole ride.  Out west, we may have the Kings sitting and waiting on their thrones until the Eastern conference finals are complete.  This may be the edge that the Eastern team needs to beat them.  The way the Kings are playing, the Easterners are going to need all the help they can get!

May 13th, 2012 by david

Strangers in 7, again

Another nail biter and more gray hair.  That’s what you expect being a Strangers fan.  I will not complain.  They live to play another round in their quest to win the Stanley Cup.  Look at the matchups again and it looks like another 7 game series…

1. Goaltender – Henrique versus Marty

2. Stars – Gaborik/Richards versus Kovalchuck/Parise

3. Defense – Stingy versus stingy

4. Rivalry that is one of the best in the NHL.  These teams hate each other and don’t be surprised if this is the chippiest that the Strangers see since Ottawa.

The NHL is looking at a great East/West series no matter who wins.  It has to be exciting to be Gary Bettman right now.  4 great stories for the NHL: Kings, Coyotes, Strangers and Devils.

It is mid-May and my team is still in the hunt for Lord Stanley’s cup.  I couldn’t be more excited for the NHL, our fans, New York and New Jersey.  Good luck to both teams, and may the best team (in the regular season) win.  :-)

May 13th, 2012 by david

Wow, I have become my parents

Drove from Massachusetts to Middletown, NY and back from Friday to Saturday.  The two kids in the back were wonderful on the way to Middletown.  The way back was something else entirely.

There were all of the classic back seat shenanigans:

  • Are we there yet?
  • He stole that from me
  • She isn’t sharing
  • I am hungry, but I don’t want what you packed
  • He hit me
  • I think I am going to be sick
  • I know we just stopped, but I have to pee
  • He hit me first
  • Are we there yet?
  • Daddy, I am tired.  Go to sleep.  I don’t want to.

My blood pressure on several occasions got into the red.  Although I maintained my composure for 95% of the ride.  That is until I had all three passengers screaming at once.  Then, I did my famous yelling at the top of my lungs.  That quieted things for a whole half an hour.  The ride from there went back to pretty much normal.

Driving is stressful, especially with such precious cargo.  Don’t allow yourself to be so distracted that you endanger your passengers, even if it is to yell at them.  That’s something I certainly learned from my Dad who loved to threaten and then deliver on the “I am going to pull this car over, if you don’t stop!”

May 7th, 2012 by david

Long lost Turetskys

If you are a Turetsky, married a Turetsky, or want to be a Turetsky, please let me know.  I will add you to the contributor list, provide you with your own email address at turetsky.com, or we can just say Hi!  Can’t wait to talk to you.

April 29th, 2012 by david

What’s with the ads

Well, websites have always been a passion for me since I first hosted turetsky.com in 1999.  So, I would say that it has been fun, but I have been paying for others to host as well as my web forays.   This is the first time I have put ads.  If they get too annoying I will remove them, but I am just looking to make back the monthly hosting costs.  Let’s see how it goes.

Not sure that the traffic I bear will generate anything near my hosting costs. Well, that remains to be seen.

April 29th, 2012 by david

Strangers up 1-0

Wow, after a thrilling Senators series in the first round with the action going all the way to the last moments of the 3rd period for excitement, I am happy about the Strangers performance in the 1st game of round 2.  The Senators and the Capitals are not the same team, but the similarities are amazing:

1. Great young goaltender who are really hot right now

2. Amazing individual players: Ovechkin, Backstrom – Spezza, Alfredsson

3. Good role players that make the team work: Neil – Beagel

 

This is a scrappy team that deserves to be in the playoffs and will come back.  I want a 4 game second round, but I cannot nor can the Strangers be complacent.  We must take them seriously and come out each and every game like it is game 7.

April 29th, 2012 by david

The Audi is gone

Well, let’s call it a failed experiment.  My journey into used car purchases is over.  No more, ever!

Friday, I traded in the Audi A4 for a Mazda3.  Not exactly a 1:1 trade from a luxury perspective, but I have to say that I am impressed with the Mazda quality from my first impressions.  I will add some pictures later.  Cute car, runs nice, great shifter (yes, I got a manual transmission).

Gone are the worries of why the oil is low, or the car not starting (from the Mercedes days), or the nail polish everywhere (Audi).  This car should just work.  It’s new.

Now, I am going to concentrate on other, more important things.

 

April 24th, 2012 by david

Ups and downs continue

Well, the Strangers pulled even with the Sens. Good news. All good on the home front. Good news.

Migraines back. Bad news.

April 13th, 2012 by david

The ebbs and flows of life

For many days, especially in the last three years, there have been many days of stress, uncertainty and worry.   In many ways, those days are still here.  The highs and lows of life ebb and flow like the tides of the ocean.  I stand on the beach wading in warm, calm waters of low tide which provide respite.  All to soon, they are replaced by strong currents that knock me over.

My friends who wade with my on the shore I counsel that the waters may be rough, and for some too much.  The current could be so bad that the undertow breaks their stance and they get drawn underwater gasping for air.  I warn them to watch the tides, prepare for the rough waters by taking the waves with the calm and maintain an even stance.

While we can celebrate the calm, be wary that the waves inevitably will come.