Playoff Predictions: Wild Wild West

Now onto the Western Conference Playoff Predictions, where we be like… Disclaimers: Chuck: I have watched some Western Conferences games this year, but those 10pm start times are killers. My predictions are based off:  the games I HAVE watch; NHL Network, what I’ve read about the teams, and Ms. Cleo. Pants: I need to be honest […]

You love Jonathan Toews

I can’t resist hockey players and kids, and no one can resist Girl Scout cookies. Not the Blackhawks, not Andrew Shaw and not Jonathan Toews. Video: #WhatsYourGoal: Alexis wants to sell cookies to Jonathan Toews In the video, Captain CharmingPants is back, and this time, he irons. Which is the only thing on Earth he isn’t […]

Dress You Up in My Love

We were talking yesterday about Patrick Kane’s rise to All-Star domination (save for one Latvian).  Well on last week’s Wednesday Night Rivalry broadcast on NBC Sports Network, the broadcasters dropped another interesting piece of info: Patrick Kane was the best-selling NHL jersey for 2014. Surprised? I was, a little, I admit. Not Crosby, after his […]

Hey Now…

Ugh, sorry. I bet I’ve used a version of that headline for every All-Star Game post in the history of this blog! Smashmouth is not really a place I want to revisit, but it will forever associate with these events. The complete list of players selected for the All-Star Game in Columbus on Jan 25 has been […]

Hockey New Year!

Did you all enjoy the Winter Classic yesterday? Watch from the couch with one eye open and a hangover breakfast? I expect you did , even if you may have been alone in your living rooms.  The event posted the lowest ratings of any Winter Classic – as shame, since it was one of the […]

Foxy Friday: Video Power Hour

I had a whole intro written, but I got the Hawks video at the end of this post and it’s wiped my entire brain clean.  Please read all the way to the bottom.  Nothing I’ve ever promised you could be so worth it. The title of Foxy Friday has occasionally been awarded to a collection […]

PUPPIES. Really.

Happy December, everyone! As we do annually at this time (see: 2013), we enlisted the help of Alison’s mom to take pictures of the Pens & Paws Calendar. How does it always arrive first? Video from the calendar shoot is here. I am always very susceptible to puppy-related advertising, as evidenced by my love for the […]

American Dream

As you know, hockey does not often make American airwaves. I sometimes wonder what percentage of our population could identify Wayne Gretzky, forget Gordie Howe or Crosby or Intern Jeff Skinner.  It would be a killer round on “Celebrity Name Game,” after so few of my countrymen recognize Bill Gates but everybody knows Jared from […]

These are your Captains speaking

On today’s episode of Extreme Diplomacy with Sidney Crosby, Strombo sits down with Sid: Something about this video keeps breaking the link, try this if you can’t see it.  To discuss whatever they are talking about while this plays in my head: If there’s a pseudo-boyband version of a song, I prefer it. Sid does get all […]

Vanilla Ice

With no warning, as I strolled through Whole Foods, I saw this on my phone: You better believe I thought I’d shuffled off this mortal coil, right there in front of the bulk lentils.  I wondered how, in the distant future, when my husband met me in the afterlife I would explain that picture of Jonathan Toews that had […]

BHC2014: Just Dance

Every summer, the Blackhawks rub our faces in their excellence and team spirit by hosting yet another Blackhawks Convention.  Sometimes they bring the Cup for extra envy-inducing purposes, but not even the Hawks can win that thing every year.  So how do they make sure everyone gets their money’s worth? Dancing. It’s safe to say the […]

One Away

It’s days – or Conference Finals – like this when I wish the Blackhawks were my favorite team.  Wouldn’t that be fun? I like the Hawks a lot, and they bailed me out of some frustrated west coast years when I couldn’t watch Eastern Conference teams.  But it’s not the same, cheering for someone you […]

21 Days

It’s hard to believe three weeks of playoffs are in the books!  In some ways, I appreciate being down to just a few games per night.  Some nights I can even play hooky from watching.  That means catching up with NHL Network though, and there’s nothing worse than hour after hour of only 2 games […]

Happy Monday

Happy Cinco de Mayo, everyone!  I got to wear shorts and a tank top this weekend AND the Penguins won last night, so I don’t even hate Mondays.  It’s Day 20 of the playoffs, and if you spent the past few days enjoying the sun, here’s what was happening on TV: Penguins and Rangers series […]

Birthday Boy: Jonathan Toews

If I had Photoshop at work, I’d make a picture of Jonathan Toews wearing a pair of Olympic gold medals and a pair of bootyshorts, standing atop two Stanley Cups, a Conn Smythe trophy, the city of Chicago and your boyfriend’s hopes and dreams of ever being good enough.  Since I don’t, this ought to […]

Weekend Update

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 […]

Of Course It Did

Well… Last night I was very PANIC! AT THE DISCO.  I feel a little better this morning , so allow me to re-edit my thoughts. Blue Jackets: 4; Penguins: 3 [Series tied 2-2] Listen, Fleury has been the Penguins’ best player all series.  Sometimes he is their only player actually playing.  So much has been […]

Day Two (and Three, if you count OT)

One more  night in the books!  Welcome back to my way to be sure that I have noticed every playoff game around the League for three minutes.  Some of you probably called in “overtime” to work and are just waking up. Blues:4, Blackhawks: 3 Look,  overtime is one thing.  Triple overtime is two more things […]

Cute Emergency

What is life with all these PUPPIES?!  Bless the Blackhawks, every one. 2014 Calendar Shoot Teaser – Chicago Loves Pits Warning: Video guaranteed to ruin your productivity and any current search for a real-life boyfriend.  100% increase in likelihood of pet adoption. They really know how to dole it out in increments, these guys. *sigh*

Be Happy, Dammit.

I hate everything lately, but Jonathan Toews is making a real effort to turn the blog around.  First he hugs a puppy, then he and Kaner do one of the best interviews I’ve ever read: Kane and Toews Face Off – ESPN Magazine What is this? Is this dancing? The story about Kane waking Toews […]