Timing is everything

All in all, I'm pretty happy with the results of hounding the New Jersey Devils earlier today. Granted, I only received one puck (from Brian Gionta, shown at left) and 14 cards. But I was able to add Martin Brodeur to my Team Canada goalie mask.

Can't complain about that, can I? Looks real good, too, sitting close to Patrick Roy's autograph. Here's a picture of it.

What I can complain about, though, is of my own feeble time management. I was able to take a break from work later in the day to try to add to the collection. And even though I knew the game started at 8 p.m. tonight, rather than the normal 7:30 p.m., I went out to the team's hotel a little too early.

The only players I saw before I had to return to work were Jim Dowd and Eric Rasmussen. Unfortunately, I had nothing for either player. It's my guess, too, that the rest of the Devils, particularly the ones I wanted on pucks (Patrik Elias, Scott Gomez and Paul Martin), emerged from the hotel about the time it faded in my rear-view mirror.

Thankfully, the Devils come back later this year. Hopefully, my timing will be better.