It’s not too early to nominate Jonathan Toews for the Hart Trophy.
The Blackhawks were down 3-0 to Phoenix last night, early in the second period. Tazer scored twice in seven minutes then set Kaner up a few minutes later for a game-tying goal that would hold into an eventual shootout loss. It was a BAMF performance, one of so many Toews puts on they are hard to count. And it made me look really cool for wearing my #19 shirt to the gym just hours before. Toews’ post-game interview from last night: video.
Toews leads the NHL in goals, Kane leads in assists. The Hawks are first in their division and third overall in the League.
Well hello, FLORIDA.
I swear he puts the puck in the net by will. It’s like a magical power that continues to work only because he doesn’t abuse it. When the Hawks need it, Toews rises to the occasion. Oh captain, my captain…
I really am so slow and so sorry. The lovely and extremely lucky Robin sent us this picture a whole MONTH ago and I am just now seeing it! My New Year’s Resolution is to be a million times better about checking this email!
Lucky for us it’s Monday, which means an extra serving of Mike Green. And jealousy, since he put his arm around Robin here and not around meyou us. Robin did a ton of work raising money for the Kaboom/So Kids Can playground and certainly earned this half- a-hug. I especially love that Mike is wearing a nametag. Hello, my name is Fidget.
Good work pays off.
Robin, thank you for sharing!! Please accept my apologies, 100 WUYS bonus points and my volunteer time for the next event. I promise not to embarrass you or get arrested (or have my fingers crossed while typing this sentence with one hand).
Intern Jeff Skinner here – as in the ONLY ONE here. Where is everyone today? Jeeeeeez. One Caps vs. Pens game and the whole place needs a day off to recover. Since it’s Friday and we all know what that means… well, I’m just keeping this place open by nominating myself for Foxy Friday. The WUYS girls go crazy for this photo and defy you to find something cuter:
We are having a tough start here in Raleigh, it’s true. We’re two points ahead of NYI for last place in the East. But you have to think positive! I have 11 goals and 12 assists. That’s #21 out of 738 NHL players. Things are going to turn around with our new coach and Pants will be really glad to have Eric and Cam back on her fantasy team.
So happy weekend, everyone. Hold a baby. Smile with dimples. And please, someone come back to work on Monday because I draw the line at posting about Mike Green (unless you start paying me).
The one and only @raedanda was at Caps practice this morning and took these fantastic pictures of Mike showing off his tattoo. He has not – repeat NOT – shaved now that Movember is over. We really don’t want him to.
well HELLO there
He skated for the 4th time in 5 days, but won’t play tonight vs. Pittsburgh.
What?! But I wanna play.
Bummer, eh? Gator’s mad – she so enjoys making fun of and loving him at the same time. I feel bad enough cheering against Nicky, so Mikey can take another day and it’s okay with me.
So Ovi has a new coach, a new girlfriend so let’s hope that leads to a new attitude! Right? Well if the first game was any indication, I might jump ship – WHAT?! Just kiddding. That sound you just heard was Pants and Chuck simulatenously dropping over.
but only one named Letang
I’m so excited for the battle of the hotties tonight so remember to get your half rack ready and you HAVE TO DRINK everytime they mention St. Sid. This is mandatory. Then tell us how it went – if you recover – because I’m telling you, you’ll be amazed!
The Catzipals new attitude? Let's hope so
I can’t decide if I’m going to watch the Pit feed or the Caps feed because I kind of a have a crush on Staggy. He’s a glass is- over-flowing kind of guy. But Joe B. and Locker make me laugh because they get side-tracked alot. It won’t matter which feed you watch because St. Sid will be ALL OVER it. Let’s hope they all borrowed Ovi’s razor through. SRSLY!
even i think he looks better this way
Here’s the line up and I KNOW! WHERE’S LETANG!?! *SUPER SIGH* Ovi is going to be upset that his real boy toy is not playing. How can he pull off his jersey and play slip and tickle with his favorite pengiun?
On a side note, the Anaheim Ducks scooped BB as their coach so I wish him the best of luck and since every knows that I also have a crush on that ‘other’ #8 Teemu, GO DUCKS! DD is #8, Teemu is #8 and Ovi is #8 and Letang is #58 …. go crazy 8’s!
So Max got three games for his ‘Hamlet 2’ to Letang’s face . Fair or not, I equate to getting a traffic ticket in the mail when there’s no posted signs. Letang see-saws saying he thinks the three games is fair – having been -Shanna-hammered in the past – but doesn’t think Max is a dirty player. What a diplomat.
no matter how you add this up it equals = OUCH!
On the Pen’s website they even talk about how perfect Tanger’s hair is with his broken nose. In photos, he doesn’t even have that nasty black and blue drainage to make him look like a sad panda. He probably iced that bad boy and elevated it stat after scoring the game winner. “Outta my way, Disney Prince has a bleeder!” He says he has problems breathing which is one of the reason’s he’s sidelined for tonight which makes my hockey viewing choices easier – Caps debut with new coach – might be interesting.
Intern Jeff Skinner here, writing after my day filling in as Canes head coach. A belated Thanksgiving to all you Americans. I got left in charge of the office this week, while Pants and Chuck said they were home visiting their families. Even Cassy ditched me for some some American friends just because they had pie. It’s my fault to be the token Canadian staff member in the office during an American national holiday! And they don’t even pay me for this.
Guys? Hey guys?
Anyway, I was doing my job and trolling Tumblr for photos, checking all the social media feeds and I saw that Chuck has posted photos of her, Pants and Gator at a Caps game. Seriously guys? You abandoned me for Ovi? I had to turn down Thanksgiving dinner at Eric’s for this!
Something's not right here.
Running the office was fun for a bit; I went through the candy stash and ate all Pants’ Watchamacallit bars, then drank Cassy’s Crystal Light. I drew a moustache on Gator’s secret picture of Stammer (to match his real handlebars) and finally finished all of Chuck’s bagels. A guy’s gotta live, right? Then I hacked into Cassy’s TiVO and deleted the Wings v Bruins game, since she didn’t bring me any pie.
That's it - I'm outta here!
Anyway, to get my revenge for not being invited to the game or given the day off, I’m going to get Nealer to crank call Pants at 2am all week and set Chuck’s language preference to Mandarin Chinese. Good luck Tweeting then!! I’ll just claim the panda made me do it.
Chuck here. Sorry I’ve been MIA lately. Between grad school, Thanksgiving, and my grandpa dying, it’s been a little crazy town over here.
But I’m BACK! So here it goes…
He’s might not be fancy or flashy or a household name.
But one thing Chris Kelly is – A damn good hockey player.
Like a ninja.
Picked up last season from Ottawa a few weeks before the trade deadline, CK23 is primarily seen as a defensive centerman. But this year, he has been quietly and effectively displaying his offensive prowess for the resurgent Boston Bruins.
His stats so far this season – 9 goals & 7 assists and a +15 through 22 games. Not so bad for a 3rd line center, eh?
Kelly came up seriously big in the Bs win over the Jets on Saturday, scoring the game-tying AND the game-winning goals. That first star was rightly deserved.
He’s a player of great skill, serious consistency, and hard work. Day in and day out you know what you are going to get from Kelly, which makes him in valuable role model for young players like Seguin and Marchand. Much like Patrice “The Professor” Bergeron, he does so many little things that make him an invaluable addition to any team.
With Rich Peverley and Beniot Pouliot on the wings and Kelly in the center, the Bruins’ 3rd line production has been better than I think anyone could have expected. Peverley is 4-10-14 with +7 rating. Even Pouliot’s play has been good considering his “reputation”. Maybe that has something to do with the calm, quiet leadership that Kelly provides.
His demeanor and work ethic have not gone unnoticed by Coach Claude either. Kelly has been sharing the “A” with Andrew Ference this season (Kelly wears it on the road, Ference at home), which goes to show that some times nice guys do finish first.
So of all the hockey channels I do get, I don’t get the NHL. I KNOW! So when the CBC switched over to the second coming of St. Sid and the Penns at 4:38 against Ottawa, I told Mr. Cherrie to get his half rack out because we have a new drinking game. Every time some one mentions Sidney Crosby, you have to drink. You should try it, it’s AWESOME! And since it was his return to Canada, I was bummed that we only got to see that last 4:38 – OR SO I THOUGHT!
Because about another 2 minutes in, Max Pacioretty’s smacked my beautiful Kris Letang in the face and all time stood still. It was just like in the movies, all three of my cats scattered in slow motion, I flew up from the floor, defying gravity, a silent scream let loose at decibel levels heard only by crows, cats and dogs escaped my lips, Mr. Cherrie’s beer bottle cracked, and there was blood everywhere on our 36″ TV screen. “Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Not his beautiful face. Not the nose!” I gasped in complete horror. Not that perfect, beautiful nose.
But the hockey gods would have it that way. Letang would flounder on the ice in a pool of blood. But he wasn’t done. Because he is just that perfect. I paced back and forth waiting for those idiots to give an update but evidently St. Sid is more important than an update on Letang’s perfect, beautiful face because he returned, unannounced in OT to score the winning goal. That is, after a trainer stuck a pin in it and sent him back out. OUCH!
Yes, you heard me, THE WINNING GOAL. Letang, with a broken nose, comes back and scores the game winner in OT.
But he did mention that he will make sure it gets back to perfect because he wants to model after his hockey career. A man has to have his priorities.
Mike Green skated today before the Caps practice, his first since missing 8 games with this latest injury. He also changed his Twitter picture.
These days, that is considered news. When Mike gets back he’ll have a new coach, new system and maybe a whole new outlook. Let’s hope Hunter packed his bubble wrap. Wonder if Mike might play Thursday vs. the Penguins when I’m wearing my black and yellow?
This two minute post is brought to you by all the work on my desk.
Intern Jeff Skinner is off today to stand in as acting Head Coach of the Hurricanes after they fired Paul Maurice this morning.
Hard at work.
With a record of 8-13-4 and EStaal struggling mightily, this is less shocking and more standard than Boudreau going from the Caps. Staal has only 5 goals on on 89 shots – that’s 2nd most shots in the NHL, absolutely nothing will drop for this guy. They’ve lost 10 of 14 games this month.
Wikipedia, font of all that is true, already says that Kirk Muller has been announced as the replacement. We’ll wait till the Canes actually do that before putting Skinner back on fridge-stocking duty.
The Capitals have fired Bruce Boudreau and replaced him with NHL alum and first-time head coach Dale Hunter.
It’s the same sort of surprise when you fall out of a tree hit the ground. It was probably inevitable, but you’re still a little shocked to find that this is the time. You thought it might take longer, maybe the laws of gravity would alter. Maybe someone would catch you.
Sorry, very busy.
Let me preface this with an Unpopular Hockey Opinion:
I strongly dislike Alex Ovechkin.
Obviously I have some kind of Mike Green-and-geography induced Stockholm Syndrome going on that makes me a Caps fan. And Ovi can be an electric player whose raw talent raises the game of his teammates. I can’t say I hate him. But I think his lackadaisical attitude permeates the Caps and makes his teammates salmon swimming upstream against the blahs. Except Semin, who busts out his inner tube and cruises the Lazy River.
Now, before Dawn calls in a hit on me, this is not permanent. Ovi shows flashes of greatness that have nothing to do with the way he scores – he can lead this team. Most nights he simply chooses not to. And that’s why BB had to go – he couldn’t lead Ovi. Ovi’s contract and personality make him more powerful than the head coach. Or at least they did.
So while I generally despise the firing of head coaches to shake up teams, I think GMGM made the correct and necessary move here. If Dale Hunter comes in with a take-no-shit attitude, he could zip this team into the superhero suit they should be wearing. Ovi made BB look bad. This is what happens to people who make Hunter look bad:
I am also in favor of taking the C from Ovi. If you’re making waves, might as well make ’em big. I believe the C belongs to the hardest working guy on a team – not necessarily the highest profile or most prolific scorer. I don’t recall anyone ever saying that about Ovi. (Hate on Crosby all you want, but….) Brooks Laich or Mike Knuble seem like better candidates to me. And it would send a clear message that Hunter and McPhee lead this team, not The Usually, Mostly, If He Feels Like It Great 8. Piss him off. Make Ovi earn the C back and he’d be unstoppable.
PS: I know there are more issues with the Caps that just Ovi, but I believe in trickle-down solutions.
Thanksgiving is full of awkward family moments, like 200 photos from your aunt’s trip to Boca Raton or the excruciating detail of Uncle Harold’s last doctor’s appointment.
Hockey players are just like us. From the beginning where Nealmobile is squinting at the cue card to the end when they don’t stop rolling tape for a good five seconds too long [link].
Thank you to @thisisourjamdc for reminding the zombies here at WUYS that today is the 24th birthday of our favorite Swede, Piglet Nicklas Backstrom.
We worked till 2:30 AM, were up for work at 5:30 AM. We both travel at the crack of dawn tomorrow. This is the only reason Gator and I are not going to Nicky’s Birthday Party tonight against Winnipeg. We are sad to miss this:
Nicky did send us his wish list. If you’re shopping for presents, here are Nicky’s Most Wanted:
1. Hugs
Bonus points if Mikey is involved.
Minus points if Ovi is involved.
2. Toys
White socks in the red laundry... just let us do it for you.
3. Winter Wear
Very popular in Sweden.
4. Hair Product
Only kidding, he has plenty!
… and anything else you can think of that matches his team-leading 16 assists and 22 points. The Caps finally won a game on Monday and while things still look like The Hangover (the tiger is totally in Mike’s bathroom), perhaps Nicky’s birthday magic can make it two in a row.
The next major holiday is Christmas. I’m writing a letter that specifically asks for more of this:
Since Ovi is obligated to shave with his Gillette contract – he’s out. Plus he’s in dire need of a hug.
don't worry Ovi, we all have those days
And Kris Letang has been shaving which is a total shame because I sometimes like the wolverine look – but I can wait for the playoffs because that look can get old really fast.
with or without, it don't matter
So that leaves my only other honey which is fine because he’s totally rockin’ the 70’s prono look just fine – brown-chicken-brown-cow.
oh yes, i'd ride that
or this into the sunset
yippee kiya cowboy!
But there’s still time for the rest of us to take the challenge as I pointed out last year! 😉
they all took the challenge - that's why they're smiling!
Sidney Crosby had 2 goals and 2 assists in his comeback game last night vs. NYI. He dominated like he hadn’t missed a single game.
I can’t pick my favorite part. The dazzling first goal? The obvious “F*%& YEAH!” after (which SportsCenter actually blurred out)? The smile? Or is it the way the Hockey Night in Canada announcers are silent for a good 30 seconds, letting us listen to the crowd while we all just soak it in? The Versus announcers in the US were quiet even longer, because there’s nothing anyone needs to say.
His brilliance overshadows the creeper mustache. It illuminates the barf-inducing nonsense that is Pierre Maguire. It makes Jeremy Roenick swoon in the post-game coverage, talking about his thighs.
I may have gotten a little teary-eyed when he skated all the way over to fist-bump Flower after his first goal. I definitely did watching his First Star post-game interview. And I probably will every time I see this for a while:
1) He’s not skating [link]. Boudreau hopeful Mike will be able to skate by the end of this week.
2) The Caps are kinda falling apart. Semin’s demoted to 4th line and may be a healthy scratch vs. Phoenix tonight [link]. They’ve lost 6 of 7 games, giving up 27 goals in the process. Defenseman Dmitry Orlov was called up to help stop the bleeding.
3) I’m running out of things to post, but trying to stay positive.
Oh to see this again.
The only conclusion is COME BACK, MIKE. Obviously the world needs you.
Sidney Crosby will return to the Penguins lineup Monday night vs. NYI. Disco Dan says he should play around 15 minutes. He’ll go on the Dupuis/Kunitz line, leaving the Neal/Sullivan/Geno line intact (for now).
To everyone who texted/Tweeted us with the news, while I was eating pizza after the Redskins game, THANK YOU. I had a full thirty seconds of screaming in the car when I saw it. It looked like this:
Mixed with this:
And somewhere in Pittsburgh, Sidney thinks of us all spazzing out and just:
The moral of the story is:
But let’s be honest, it’s really this:
The game is on Versus at 7 PM. I’ll be the one rockin’ #87 on the DC Metro. Somebody say something, I dare you!
