Glass seats, new LeBron kicks and a Bruins overtime thriller

BOSTON - Well, that was a pretty crazy night.

Thanks to online ticket reselling apps, I was able to score glass seats (aka, front row) for last night's tense 3-2 Bruins OT win over the Florida Panthers.

These are the same Panthers who booted the B's in last year's Round One of the NHL playoffs, so emotions were high and revenge was properly served.

I hadn't seen my buddy Danielle since COVID in 2020 when we were all masked up. She's a sports fan and always down for a spontaneous trip to TD Garden (she spotted a few college kids wearing "Titty Garden" T's and I kinda want one now, ha).

As I mentioned yesterday, the new LeBron 21s arrived just in time for the game. So, the following will be the world's first-ever mashup review of new Nikes and how to properly enjoy the NHL glass seat experience.

Preparation

Once we found out we had glass seats, Danielle raised a good point: If we are sitting at ice level does that mean it's going to be extra cold?

Because I am really good with computers, I Googled her question and quickly found an answer: It turns out the arena is about 60 degrees and ice level is between 19 - 21 degrees.

A decent pair of chunky new sneakers or boots paired with leggings/joggers and a light jacket did the job.

Of course, we had to get to the Bruins Pro Shop early to secure some required B's jerseys and scout out our seats. We knew we'd be on TV and didn't want to be like the only people in our section without hockey sweaters (no offense to the wealthy gentlemen to my left who smelled like $10,000 bills).

We snagged a pair of Charlie McAvoy's. Turns out, he scored the game's tying goal. You are welcome, sir, we bring good luck.

I'm glad that we found our seats before it got too crowded. There's no straight path to glass seats. You need to be part Indiana Jones and Barry Sanders to navigate this tough terrain. I documented the experience in a video. It's tricky. After getting to the fourth row, you kinda have to wiggle yourself through the remaining rows of seats. But everyone gets it and moves out the way (for the most part).

The Experience

These were hands down the best hockey seats I've ever had. Banging glass, pucks wizzed by and CRACKED the boards. We flinched a few times. The whole experience is like a tense rollercoaster ride. Lights, hits, smashes, vibrations. All the senses are in full Nirvana mode.

During commercial breaks, a nice man walks by and wipes up the ice and water that piles up on the glass so that we can see better. As a two-time professional hand model, I thought I'd show him my mitts and thank him at the same time. He did not seem to care.

The Shoes

I made a really big deal about the Lebron kicks arriving just in time for the game.

I felt a little uneasy wearing enemy Laker purple and gold into the Garden, but I did sport a B's Eastern Conference Championship T and, of course, the McAvoy jersey.

Coupled with a large iced coffee from Dunks, I was in full Masshole Glory. Yep, let the refs have it with a few F-Bombs. And, heckled the Panthers' goalie. Sorry, dude.

Back to the sneakers. These are fresh. They look great, easy to walk in (I swear I felt a bounce in my step) and super comfy. Like pillow top comfy throughout the tongue.

I really don't have a bad thing to say about them. The only caveat: just make sure you size up 1/2 a size because they run small. I'm a 10 and sized up to a 10.5 and they fit perfectly.

Danielle didn't share the same excitement level that I had about these new Nikes. However, she did perk up when she showed off her new boots.

Once I freaked her out about the on-ice temp, she opted for winter boots. I don't blame her.

Turns out these are pretty sweet boots for two reasons, according to Danielle:

1. They are waterproof sued, meaning you can clean them easily.

2. The top of the boot near the calf fits snug, unlike most boots.

I'm sorry, ladies, I did not catch the brand, but I might text Danielle and then edit this section later. Stay tuned.

Bobby Orr

No visit to the New Garden is complete without the obligatory photo in front of the Orr statue.

On behalf of Boston sports fans, we thank Bobby Orr for that iconic goal. He's a true winner and Boston loves its winners.

And, with last night's win, the B's remain undefeated (8-0-1) in the young season.

Finally, a special shoutout to "Ray," who helped us out of a sticky situation with a mangled traffic barrel. That story, however, is best told in a future entry.

For now, it's time to hit the hay. Good night and good morning all and, as always, thanks for reading.

- Andy