I didn’t get to watch much hockey after Friday night, but the playoffs wait for no DVR. In case anyone else (mostly) missed the weekend festivities…
The networks have all kinds of on-hiatus hockey players pitching in as commentators during these playoffs. Let us make the offer official: Alex Pietrangelo, you and your currently unemployed hair are welcome here anytime.
This look will be missed.
I think we could even use a pool man now that the Stars are available. We don’t have a pool, but…
Leave Hartnell and the socks at home.
Ducks eliminate Stars: 3-2
This one hurt. We were all falling a little in love with Dallas, or at least their Twitter account. Let’s hope that doesn’t get a summer vacation.
Like so many game in this post-season, the Stars had this one and they blew it. The Ducks scored two goals in the last 2:10 to tie the game, then won it shortly into overtime. It’s all summed by this beard and the scoreboard which I’ve helpfully left visible for anyone who likes to wallow in misery.
99% beard, 1% brows
It’s hard for me to understand the rage Corey Perry causes people without watching him in a long series against a single team. Now I really get why he’s good at it and why other fans hate him. Round 2 will be an in-state series vs. the Kings or Sharks.
We’ll never be far from an In-N-Out Burger!
Blackhawks eliminate Blues: 4-2
Sorry Blues. (I’m not, not at all.) After being up 2-0 in the series, they dropped four in a row to the defending Champs and are on their way to summer. Here’s what you need to know about Chicago going into Round 2. Patrick Kane can score in OT [video]. Jonathan Toews can score in OT on a breakaway:
gif by @cjzero
And Patrick Sharp can score on a breakaway while someone puts their stick blade in his perfect face:
gif by sportsblogging.tumblr.com
Bruins eliminate Red Wings: 4-1
Oh happy Chuck. How nice it must be to root for a team withs so few weaknesses and also the ability to fix them. In Game 1, the Bruins played with all the speed of Red Sox’s David Ortiz. (Non-baseball fans, this is sarcasm. The man cannot run.) Starting in Game 2, they went faster… and it worked. They will face the Canadiens for the 257th time in NHL playoff history. Everyone hates each other, prepare to die.
Video: Bergy has some sleepy-voiced things to say.
Thus the bracket has been bracketed three more times. For the record, so far I’ve been right 100% of the time. Chuck is currently at 75% since she didn’t pick the Canadiens. She would never pick those jerks.
For those of us with teams still battling to the pain:
Rangers lead Flyers: 3-2
The Flyers figured how to win once at MSG and they’ll need to do it again to survive this series. But first, they have to win Tuesday night at home. They held the NYR to only 22 shots Sunday, but the Rangers capitalized on what few chances their persistence and speed (and Flyer mistakes) could generate.
While I want both teams gone, is there anyway they could just leave the beard?
Sunday post-game interview: Gingertime Sadness
Penguins take series lead over Blue Jackets: 3-2
I ditched a bachelorette party mid-bar crawl to catch the end of this. Of course I refused to leave even after Letang’s EN goal just in case. Kunitz had 1G, 1A plus 7 SOG and 6 hits. Throw that body around, Sock Monkey! Fleury bounced back (See? SEEEEEE???) stopping 23 of 24, while the Pengins had a whopping 50 shots. Game 6 Monday night, I’ll be on the floor of my living room in a fort made of pizza boxes.
Dog days are over?
Kings stay alive again, still trail Sharks: 3-2
Well what do you know, the Kings have staved off elimination twice now. The first four games of the series averaged 7.75 goals per game. Jonathan Quick gave up 16G in that stretch, but found his mojo Saturday and the Kings won 3-0 in an orderly fashion. Can they do it again Monday night or will the Kings leave LA’s perpetual summer for regular old summer somewhere else?
Pelvic thrust.
Avalanche take lead over Wild, Errrrrrybody Mad: 3-2
Remember me raging about the disallowed Tampa Bay goal back a ways? Well the Wild had plenty to say about this oh-so-close, offsides-or-on moment with less than 1:30 to go in Game 5. There was no call on the play, so of course the Avs scored and forced overtime.
Image by @johncanref
Offside say the Wild media | Inconclusive say the Avs media
If the Wild had won, we wouldn’t still be talking about this. Too bad the Avs have TriWizard Tournament hopeful Nathan MacKinnon with his 2nd goal (and League-leading 10th point) of the playoffs.
Monday night Colorado will have the chance to reach Round 2 for the first time in 6 years. Guess who else they’ll very likely have?
Hey girl.
Duchene’s go/no-go will be announced after the morning skate. We say go.
What this all means is that three more bracket spots could be locked Monday night, or any of three series could need a Game 7. I could need blood pressure medication. Just another day in the playoffs. Stay ready.
That pic of the Benn brothers (and the post-game glow from beating the Flyers) is the only thing keeping me from flying into a rage. The officiating in the Wild/Avs game & the Stars/Ducks game was SO atrocious that I thought every capillary in my eye might burst.
I don’t know how you got that pic since Jordie’s Instagram is private, but I would like to buy your sources a round of drinks. I actually felt my cheeks flush when I looked at that.
I’m pretty sure my head exploded about a million times during the Stars/Ducks series. My only solace this morning is watching replay of Goligowski laying that massive hit on Perry. And pics of the boys, of course. Is it October yet?
You give me too much credit – that photo is everywhere on Tumblr (it’s kind of old) and I never even tried his Instragram!
Clearly I don’t spend enough time on Tumblr.
I had Ducks in 4 on my bracket so seriously well done Stars. And thank you for adding Texas to my hockey road trip bucket list which is already threatening to bankrupt me. And it seems Jamie Benn is of the Patrick Sharp School of Protecting Your Mystery.If he comes home for the summer, I hope he brings Tyler and I’ll use my best Six Degrees of Being From Victoria powers to find out where he hangs out and… Run in completely the other direction because that is how I roll.
Jess, I’ll definitely be headed to Dallas for a game next season (Virgin America starts flying there this fall!) and would happily host pre- &/or post-game drinks.
If you have inside info on where JB2 hang out, I could potentially be persuaded to spring for your ticket. 😉
Kings play Monday (tonight) not Tuesday.
Thanks! I had them as one of the three series that could end tonight, which is not Tuesday. Clearly knowing what day of the week it is escapes me.
To quote My Fair Lady, I’ve become accustomed to Jamie Benn’s face (and hair and beautiful, shirtless, ping-pong-playing bod), and even though I didn’t care about the Stars until about two months ago, they became my little engines that might! I just wanted better for them and what happened to them instead was just the worst.
And Chuck, I didn’t understand the Corey Perry hate before. Now I definitely get it. (Adding insult to injury, Ryan Getzlaf reminds me of my jerk-of-an-ex-boyfriend.)
Kate, was your ex’s name Charlie? Because I also have a jerky ex RG doppelganger.
Creepily enough, jerky ex was named Ryan!
There are In-N-Out Burgers in Dallas 🙂 Whole slew of them.
The game last night was such a heartbreaker, you could sense the Stars were gonna lose it at the end of the third. Couldn’t handle the Ducks pressure 🙁 Oh well, got my season tix for next year and can’t wait!! Goligoski’s hit on Perry was right in front of me, my whole section went nuts. A guy in the section next to me started the “Perry Sucks” chant, which my parents said could be heard clearly on the Stars broadcast.
Also, a gem from Razor Reaugh…he said Perry reminds him of Eddie Haskill from “Leave it to Beaver”. He’s deceptively polite. Love it! Razor’s the best!! Go Stars!!!!
P.S. Thank you for the Pietrangelo pic in the opener. I didn’t know you could find those pics on Pinterest, and I promptly lost an hour of my day looking for more! Internet for the win.