Combine the power of the most popular Foxy Friday Alexander Ovechkin and the last Foxy Friday Brooks Laich, add three newbies Jason Arnott (who knew this hottie was wasting away in New Jersey and I predict future Foxy Friday!), meiner lieblinge Herr Sturm and Dennis Wideman and you will get a goal by Brooksy with 47.2 seconds left in the game to tie, send into OT and a stellar fricken old fashion OH-NOVI-DIDN’T GOAL by OVI HIMSELF OLD SCHOOL THIS IS HOW YOU DO IT KIDS!
Whew! Now THAT is why I love the Caps! And watch out East coast! Because GM GM got it done by trade deadline. Hop Mop in Pittsburgh, Ovi just traded you in for Jason Arnott. SORRY! He’s much taller. He doesn’t have the fabulous long hair but he is a better passer and Herr Sturm will give you a run for your money on speed but I might pay to watch the two of you in a backwards skate off! 😉 I still love you though. But I love the Caps more. All much more gabillion of them! Thank you GM GM.
Toews led all scorers in February with 21 points (six goals, 15 assists) and posted a +13 rating as the Blackhawks (34-23-6) collected points in 10 of 13 games (8-3-2) and climbed to fifth place in the Western Conference. Toews tallied eight multiple-point games, beginning with a goal and two assists in a 7-4 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets Feb. 1. Three of his six goals were game-winners, Feb.1 (at Columbus), Feb. 21 (at St. Louis) and Feb. 28 (at Minnesota), and he closed the month on a season-high five-game point streak. Toews notched his 20th goal of the season in the victory at St. Louis, becoming just the fourth player in Blackhawks history to record 20-or-more goals in each of his first four NHL seasons. The reigning Conn Smythe Trophy winner ranks 11th in NHL scoring with 61 points (23 goals, 38 assists) in 61 games and is sixth among NHL centers in face-off winning percentage (57.4%). [From NHL.com]
Soupy and Kaner are impressed, also jealous. Now keep winning!
He's like woah.
We’ve posted many of the Feb highlights already, so I thought you could use this instead. Highlight: JT and PK trying to get in/out of a car with all their gear on.
Holy heavenly bodies & mullets my prayers are answered! The other Mikey is baaaaack! After what I thought might be a career ending injury our resident legendary hottie Mike Modano played Saturday against Buffalo and tonight against another Foxy Friday alumni Double D TBG and as sad as it is to say, Detroit beat the crap out of LA 7-4. TBG only got an assist – but so did our other alumni Foxy Friday Mr. Modano. It was a battle of Foxy Fridays! What an epic throw down. Another ausgezeichnet is in order, ja?! Drink everyone! It feels like Oktoberfest!
I let Dawn down, I hang my head in shame. I'll do better next time.
Das ist ausgezeichnet? Ja? The Washington Capitals picked up this German born hottie-BOOM-ba-hopefully-GOAL-A-LOTTIE from another one of my favorite teams, the LA KINGS off waivers right before the trade deadline.
A first-round draft choice (21st overall) in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft, Sturm is the NHL’s all-time leader in goals, assists, points and games by a player born and raised in Germany. Das ist wunderbar! Nein?
I'm going to Washington, D.C.!
Speed has always been Sturm’s calling card, but he is also a strong two-way player (did someone say TWO WAY) with a good shot and a high compete level. At the age of 32, he should still have some useful years ahead of him if his wheels haven’t deteriorated too much. Er ist sehr snell! Das ist sehr gut für das Capitals.
He has been out with tendonitis while with the LA Kings which might be a major concern but he seems like a serious competitor. I think he’s a good gamble for The Caps. A strong player with play off experience.
“… (LA KING) They probably didn’t think anyone was going to pick me up. One of their young prospects got hurt [Friday night] and might be out for the season so they will have to get someone. I don’t care now. I am all about the Capitals and looking forward to joining the team.”
Well, I am ALL ABOUT YOU! Guten Morgen, GutenTag und Guten Abend, meinen Schöenen Mann!
Three of our top searches yesterday? Mike Green, Capitals bromance, Washington Capitals bromance. I think this means you want Mikey Monday: Bromance Edition. We exhibited yesterday why Mikey needs a hug these days and who better to deliver than his ENTIRE team?
It must take hours to amass so many exhibits for our bromance case files, right? Wrong. Two minute search people. And the bromance isn’t picky: Ovi, Nicky, Brooks, Sasha… Mikey loves them all. Or they all love him.
Take a load off, Ovi.
We're gonna hug.
You know they watch Titanic together.
I heard you give good hugs.
So much love, it almost makes you like the Capitals. No? Perhaps one more?
One year ago today, everyone I know was on Twitter or Facebook talking about how great hockey is as the US and Canada faced off in the Olympic gold medal game. We could hear them cheering in our apartment complex, and it wasn’t the two Russian guys down the hall.
My response: I have been telling you this FOR YEARS.
And then, because truth is better than fiction, this:
Not because I wish I were Canadian. Not even because Crosby is my favorite player on my favorite team. Just because, as everyone realized for a few short days, hockey is awesome.
Maybe I’m a terrible American for how much I wanted this. The US fought their hearts out, but this was the right ending for the story. Just like our favorite Miracle on Ice story, sometimes fairy tales come true.
All the WUYS faves: Crosby, Iggy, Joey, Nash-ty, EStaal, TGB Doughty, Weber plus Old Man Neidermayer and Toews isn't even derping in the top corner.
On a not-so-side note, I feel this is also the opportunity to just put this out into the universe and hope someone is listening: come back soon. We miss you, the Pens miss you, heck I think even Dawn misses hating on you. Today TSN read a roster of 40 players currently out with concussions (40!). I held my breath hoping they weren’t going to say your name, that maybe you were surprising us all. But there you were, almost last on the list. It feels wrong to chase the Cup without you.
It turns out The Force is not strong in this one. It only works on Jonathan Toews. For all my attempted mind control, the Blackhawks won yesterday but so did all the teams I wanted to lose. Alas, two points are two points and it makes the win even more important. It certainly didn’t come easily.
Toews got one to start the game. Then sneakily redirected a shot from newly minted 5-year, $29 million contracted Brent Seabrook [video].
At the end of regulation it was still 3-3. Like he does, Toews opened the shootout. And scored the only goal [video]:
Kiss it goodbye.
The Hawks have won four in a row and are currently in 9th place, tied with the Wild, Stars and Preds at 72 points. They face the Wild tonight in Minnesota, at 7 PM ET on Versus. To get psyched for the game you should watch Jon’s mom embarrass him with home movies and old stories, then thank Heaven your parents didn’t have a video camera. Just in case you’re ever famous and/or danced on your couch in a Avs jersey (guilty).
I love the playoff race. I love teams making a last, desperate stretch, like diving headfirst into home plate for that go-ahead run (to mix my sports metaphors). Most years, the defending Cup champ makes the playoffs (last 10 years = 1 miss: Carolina ’07). In ’08 and ’09, it was the same two teams in the final both years. We’ve talked at length (too much?) about the Blackhawks this season. Well they are moving.
Chicago has won three games in a row. Today they play Phoenix, and can close within 3 points of the 4th place Coyotes with a win. Perhaps even more important are the other games in the West today. So here are my demands for the Universe this afternoon.
Oo-de-lally!
– Columbus vs. Nashville: Columbus is two points behind Nashville and Chicago. If the Hawks lose (stay at 70 points), Columbus could tie them or Nashville could pass them. The Hawks should win, Columbus should win. The Jackets and Preds can be tied at 70 while the Hawks have 72.
– St. Louis vs. Calgary: At 65 points, the Blues may not be out of the race. The Flames cling to the 8th playoff spot with 71 points. The Hawks should win, St. Louis should win. The Hawks would pass the Flames to tie the Wild and Stars for 6th place (both off today).
– Colorado vs. Anaheim: The poor Avs have only 59 points while the Ducks are just back of the Hawks with 69. The Avs snapped their epic losing streak, but they’ve dropped the last three. If they can pull one off against Anaheim today it would really help. The Hawks should win, Colorado should win. Happy Pants.
Match sucks.
Your mission today, WUYS readers, is to put all your positive mojo behind the Hawks, Jackets, Blues and Avs. If this works, there will be plenty of the Kaner Shuffle going on in the living room.
(If you haven’t seen this – my gosh. Jimmy Buffett + Stanley Cup = my personal BOOM. And I think Turco’s moves are my fave.)
When it rains it pours. First Mike Green took that slapshot to the head and sat out with inner ear trauma. Then he got the flu. He was back into the lineup a game early (vs NYR) on Friday, only to get a hit up high from Derek Stepan just 6 minutes in. He did not return to the game.
I think this is a pretty good hit, no worse than Mike cross-checking Stepan into the boards 30 seconds earlier. There’s no NHL action vs. Stepan. (I did steal Steph’s sangria at dinner, figuring she owed me one.)
On Saturday, Mike missed the Caps game vs. NYI to return to Calgary following the death of his grandmother. This poor guy! He’s scheduled to play Tuesday in the second game of that home-and-home series.Get well/back soon, Mike. Dawn needs you. Lest I remind her the Caps have lots three straight game-7s on home ice to be eliminated in the first or second round of the playoffs. There are 19 games left in the regular season and if playoffs began today, the Caps would play the Penguins first.
As a Pens fan, based on every game since 12/23, I do not want that please.
So Pants asked the other day what song you think of during fights? I had no idea but now? This is my NEW FIGHT SONG – Ke$ha’s BLOW because it’s got RAINBOW LASERS & UNICORN PEOPLE which is totes awesomeness! It’s like Leonardo DiCaprio went inside my brain and incepted it or something! And she sings ‘this place is about to blow!’ OK – many of you may think this video just plain blows, I might give you that but it is hilarious that $omeone paid $omeone MONEY to make thi$. Plus James Van der Beek pulls his underwear off from under his shirt! Guys are always in awe when we do that with our bras. Come on dudes, it’s not that hard. 😉
Is that you Mike Green under there?
Unfortunately you have to follow the link because of copy right issues. But believe me, is it totally worth it. It is a trip down the yellow brick road of acid-unicorn-sparkly-ville! Trust me, you’ll be hearing this song at a hockey arena near you soon with Brooksy and Ovi fist pumping away and Nicky and Mike bumping and grinding to the beat. (video)
So Patrick Kane likes his booze and his bunnies? What is wrong with that? I’ll wear a costume if it will get me a little bit of this and a little bit of that! Furbies rock! I don’t judge either. But if it starts interfering with your play, then maybe we need an intervention. Here is the incident:
ooopy - that's a dude - dude.
There are Alleged Photos (um above) of Patrick Kane Drunk. Some Suggested He May Have Missed Practice Because of a Hangover.
Patrick Kane needs to stay away from anyone with a camera. Last year, the internet was hit with a bunch of photos featuring Patrick Kane and some puck bunnies from Vancouver. Then there were photos of him after an alleged one-night stand. This year, a series of Patrick Kane photos have hit Deadspin and they’re not flattering.
Patrick Kane reportedly missed practice on Monday and Tuesday of this week due to a bout of the flu. Meanwhile, Deadspin has posted photos that may suggest otherwise. The Patrick Kane photos show the Blackhawks star partying in a bar. It’s been suggested that the photos may have been taken Sunday night, just before he missed practice with the flu.
There are gentlemen and there are gentlemen and then there are men named Brooks. I seriously don’t know if any other sport has as many men in it named Brooks. Seriously. Do these women get a handbook in the delivery room with a list and don’t get past the B’s in Canada?
let's hear it for Seattle!
But this is aboot OUR Mr. Brooksy. Our unsung Mr. Brooks whom I must brag that Mr. Cherrie and his Puck Bunny Posse used to watch play as a Foxy Cublet here in Seattle as a Seattle Thunderbird. What’s that you say? It’s a WHL team. He credits getting traded to Seattle as one of the best things that happened to his career. What? Here? OK. If you say so. I went to one or two games with Mr. Cherrie in that time period so I guess I can say I probably saw Brooks play but I honestly don’t remember. It wasn’t his fault, it would be mine. I didn’t care at the time. I KNOW. SACRILEGE. BURN ME AT THE STAKE. But the jokes on me now – isn’t it?
I am not laughing at that shirt?
He made it to the big time and I’m still in Seattle – watching Mr. Laich on Center Ice rather than at Key Arena or way down in Kent! Yuck! Don’t even ask. But I’m glad one of ours made it big. And made it big on a team I LIKE! That’s even hotter! That’s almost like two degrees of separation above. Me – Brooks – Ovi.
he's a bit of a neat freak so don't mess with his cupboard
He didn’t go big in the draft. He’s worked his way up. It’s been a long road. And he is still developing. He’s a blue-collar hockey man, much like the fans. He knows where he’s been. He knows where he wants to be. He knows how to get there and isn’t afraid of the hard work it takes to get there.
If you’re wondering why Brooks keeps his hair cropped, don’t. He would put Mike Green to SHAME. Seriously. And if you’re wondering why Brooks is single? He is in a bromance with the entire team. Seriously. His O.C.D. is so O.O.C. “If I asked you about your family, you would talk about them forever because it’s something you love. That’s the way I feel about this team. This team is my life, and I love playing here and I’m passionate about playing hockey. So it’s easy for me to talk about it.” Enough said.
The incident below I think best sums up our Foxy Friday Man and mind you, he was in his suit and it was pouring rain as well, which they neglect to mention in this version:
I do brakes and muffs too.
Laich received national media attention when he stopped to help two stranded Capitals fans change their flat tire after a Game 7 loss in the 2010 NHL playoffs. When he came across the woman and her teenaged daughter stranded on the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge, Laich stopped to install their spare and apologized for the club’s early loss in the playoffs. When asked about the incident, Laich responded “It’s not a big deal. It was just a tire. The lady was stranded on the side of the road, I saw that it was just a lady and her daughter, and I figured my tire expertise outweighed hers.”
Brooksy changes Hot Mop's tire too but forgets to drop the jack
As you well know, I bring Logan Couture good luck and he scores a goal every time I see the Sharks. Even when I’m rooting against them. Turns out it might not be me turning the cosmic tables in Logan’s favor: it’s The Bieber.
He means London, Ontario. Because we all know the Biebs is Canadian.
Rookie of the Year? Logan Couture, rookie of my life! We have never been afraid to express our inner-teenybopper around here. Logan is invited to wear a WUYS friendship bracelet, read our diaries and pass notes in homeroom. Follow along at @Logancouture.
So to quote many a hockey player and coach, hockey is 90% mental and 10% physical. OK – I’ll buy that for a hot second since it was regurgitated out of Kris Letang’s luscious mouth recently. (I’m paraphrasing him more intelligently.) Where I am I going with this? Is it me or are many teams suffering A LOT of injuries lately? I was perusing the IR HOT LIST for the Caps and noticed BAMM-SCOOBY DOO – there are a lot of players out. I was watching the Freeway Face-off last night (because my beautiful double D TBG was playing) and wondering where Frankenface was AKA Getzlaf. Out. Injured. I’m not going to list all the major playas who are out or have been out because if you’re a fan, you already know the who’s who of Boo-boo ville.
on the Caps most wanted now?
However, I do have a great quote from BB of the Caps about Backstrom from his EPIC showdown hair on hair scrap with Letang on Monday. See, Nicky B has not missed a game in his entire NHL career which would be 307 games! Impressed? I knew you would be. And even though the Hot Mop out of Pit fractured the Hot Mop from Sweden’s thumb, Nicky B. is still planning on playing tomorrow because according to BB, “I’m saying he’s playing tomorrow. He’s fine. He’s got a sore ouchie that’s not preventing him from playing. He’s a tough kid.”
mikey may be kissing nickys boo-boo and more if he misses a game
So all the hot hair is not just covering access to brain matter or keeping their heads warm, it evidently is covering a 90% mental desire to play hockey – I was never any good at math – whatever. Too bad all that hockey gear covers like 100% of all that hockey body hotness! 😉 If only we could get them to play the All Star Game naked! Someone get me Brendan Shanahan on the phone NOW! I have a brilliant idea for next year!
Oh boy. Alex Kovalev is back with the Penguins. Ray “I get s*** done” Shero acquired him from Ottawa for a conditional draft pick [link]. On top of James Neal and Matt Niskanen, Shero is running down the dream here. Today is Kovalev’s 38th birthday so I hope he wished for a playoff race.
The way back machine.
Kovalev played in Pittsburgh from ’98-’03, between stints with the NY Rangers. As a Pen he racked up 149 goals and 197 assists in 344 games.
Disclaimer: I hate the NY Rangers. I especially hated them growing up in Upstate NY and I probably said “1940!” a hundred thousand times. It has been many moons, but I have never really recovered. And I’ve always disliked Kovalev, even when he was a Penguin. Now I am prepared to eat my words. Come on Alex, and show me how wrong I’ve been for cough…20…cough years.
Still makes me shudder.
The Pens may be close to getting Chris Kunitz back from injury, and none too soon. They are still missing forwards Asham, Johnson, Tangradi, Letestu and Jeffrey. Defenseman Paul Martin is out, and this morning they announced Brooks Orpik has a broken finger and will miss 4 weeks. They have a few other injuries too – no one you’ve ever heard of.
Chuck, Beth and I are going to Pittsburgh for the March 25 weekend games. We may be called in to demonstrate the skills we’ve learned by repeatedly watching The Cutting Edge.
If one more sportscaster talks about Crosby and Malkin being out like they just decoded the news with their Enigma machine, I’m going to throw a shoe at my TV. WE KNOW. What you should be talking about is how freaking clutch some of our guys are coming up these days. Guys like Tyler Kennedy.
2-point conversion
If you’re not a Pens fan (shame!) you may not be familiar with the wonder that is TK. He’s one of those guys you love to have on your team – a spark plug, a spitfire: he’s a hustler, baby. TK scored both goals in the Pens 3-2 OT loss to San Jose on Wed [Goal 1 video, Goal 2 video]. He was down low, battling, getting rebounds and making them count. Kennedy has seven goals in the last 11 games and is just one shy of his career-high (14). Keep them coming!
Happy Meal!
Plus, TK is so much fun. He’ll drop the gloves with anyone. He’ll be a TV weatherman and join Twitter just to post the ugliest Christmas sweater photo in history. Would he do an interview with a face full of shaving cream? Fershure.
Meanwhile back at the ranch: Logan Couture scored, because he always scores. Jordan Staal played 29:04 of the game. Yes, that’s HALF. Apparently the hair is working. Brooks Orpik left the game with an injury in the first and did not return. Did someone run around the Pens locker room yelling “Macbeth” and stabbing a voodoo doll? Check Dawn’s purse. If this gets any worse, Chuck and I are going to bust out our 2004 Red Sox Wardrobe and reverse this curse. (Chuck, what do you think Keith Foulke is doing right now?) But we’re going to be fine. Just keep moving.
In effort to throw the other Sasha some good karma and some love, from WUYS, here is a post just for him. I guess he was on vacation? I don’t know. I don’t care. I was thinking about the trade issue and maybe he doesn’t want to stay in D.C. under the other Sasha’s shadow which is why he is only signing one year deals. Either way, Sasha Fierce, we will love you whether you stay or go, cue THE CLASH!
In baseball, players get to choose the song that plays when they come up to bat. Sometimes they have a different song for each time through the rotation. Since you can’t play a song very time someone jumps over the boards, we thought we could give them another anthem: fight songs.
My brain goes immediately to what MY fight song would be – every time I see Sean Avery I want to skate out there and punch him.
We’ll let Jordan Staal’s Meg Ryan-shag duke it out with Kris Letang for the rights to this one:
And one for Chuck when Shawn Thornton drops the gloves (13 this year):
Where are all my Pens fans? They have 63 fights on the season – Engelland has 12 of those. Is there a song about elf costumes for Mike Rupp? Re-watch this gem and tell me you don’t hear “Girlfriend” by Avril Lavigne.
You know you have one. A song that comes on and you immediately want to break something shaped like the Detroit Red Wings. Or maybe you ended up in charge of the iPod while favorite fighter is sticking up for his guys again (Tyler Kennedy). Let’s hear ’em. Tomorrow we’ll do goal-scoring songs.
The Blackhawks needed a big weekend and they got it. Sunday it took a shootout for them to beat the Pens 3-2 and claim the desperately needed extra point. It almost wasn’t enough.
Everyone cheering - except this Pens kid. WHERE ARE YOUR PARENTS?
Monday, the Hawks ended up down 2-0 in the first period to St. Louis. In the intermission, Captain Serious went all Miranda Preistly on the boys [link]. Because you know he can be scary. Well it worked. They scored 4 unanswered goals, including a goal and a point apiece for Tazer and Kane. Ten different Hawks had a point in the period.
Does this latte feel extra hot to you?
Toews has 7 multiple-point games in the Hawks’ last eleven, and the Hawks have finally joined the knot of five teams tied for 7th in the Western Conference. Still a lot of work to be done, boys. This week brings match-ups with the Preds, Coyotes and Wild – all ahead of Chicago in the standings.
Every game is a 4-point game.
If you missed the real highlight of the weekend – check out Joey the Junior Reporter on BHTV. Can we adopt this kid already? Or hire him? And what is the big deal with girls?
