One Year Later!

Bye Bye Go-Go :(

The Pens traded Alex Goligoski to Dallas in exchange for James Neal and Matt Niskanen. I am tres saddened by this but also find it humourous that Matt Niskanen is coming. Recall his last encounter with the Pens...?

Eff You Burke

I swear to God, I am approaching the end of my time as a Leafs fan.

WHYYYYY!!

Boston is absolutely STACKED now. Stanley Cup Finals, here they come.

Post-Valentine's Day Dates

The day after Valentines Day… you know what that means. Everything is half off. In other words, you can get twice as much for the same price. And really, sometimes it’s 75% off, so you get FOUR times as much. That is what we are going to go with. So here are the post Valentine’s Day date options!

Beach Date

This really only works if you live in one of those weird non-cold hockey markets like in California. But you know what, I would totally go for a Lake Ontario in February date if any of these guys were there waiting for me.

 Just kidding, not Dion Phaneuf, he looks like an ogre.

Themed Party

Hockey players are known to be partiers, are they not? So who wouldn't want to go to one of their parties! Maybe it’s a Bright and Tight party, maybe it’s a costume party, maybe it’s even a “One-Year-Since-Vancouver-2010” party. The options are gloriously endless!

Another Sporting Event

Well, let’s be serious, they are professional athletes so why wouldn’t they want to go see another sport?

Justin Bieber's presence is not included. 

  Dinner

There are endless options when it comes to dinner - maybe he will even cook for you!

And finally... Dancing!

Nope, no "four times as much" for dancing in terms of four different options. You get four times as much Kaner and the Kaner Shuffle.

Two Years!

Happy Two Years since Disco Dan became the head coach of the Pens!



The Pens website has a great time-line of all he has accomplished in the two years:

Feb. 15, 2009 – Penguins hire Dan Bylsma as interim head coach.

Feb. 16, 2009 – Bylsma coaches first game with Penguins, 3-2 shootout loss, at Nassau Coliseum against New York Islanders.

Feb. 19, 2009 – Bylsma records first victory as NHL head coach, 5-4, over Montreal Canadiens at Mellon Arena.

Feb. 27 to March 8, 2009 – Penguins record the best road trip in franchise history with a five-game sweep at Chicago, Dallas, Tampa Bay, Florida and Washington.

April 7, 2009 – Penguins and Bylsma clinch playoff berth with 6-4 victory at Tampa Bay.

April 11, 2009 – Penguins end season with a 3-1 win at Montreal to finish the season with an 18-3-4 run under Bylsma, and locking up the fourth seed and home-ice advantage in the opening round of the NHL postseason.

April 15, 2009 – Penguins open playoffs with a 4-1 win over cross-state rival Philadelphia, Bylsma’s first postseason win as head coach.

April 25, 2009 – Penguins eliminate Flyers and advance to second round with a 5-3 come-from-behind win at Philadelphia in Game 6 – Bylsma’s first playoff series victory.

April 28, 2009 – Penguins GM Ray Shero removes the “interim” title from Bylsma, making him the official head coach for the foreseeable future.

May 26, 2009 – Pittsburgh records 4-1 win and a four-game sweep of Carolina Hurricanes in Eastern Conference finals to advance to the franchise’s fourth Stanley Cup, and second in two seasons.

June 12, 2009 – The Penguins defeated the Red Wings, 2-1, in Game 7 at Detroit’s Joe Louis Arena to claim the organization’s third Stanley Cup title. Bylsma becomes only the third head coach to lead Pittsburgh to a Cup championship.

Bylsma also becomes the 14th rookie head coach, and just the fourth in the past 50 years, to capture the Stanley Cup. Of those 14, only Montreal’s Al MacNeil (1970-71) took over mid-season.

Sept. 12, 2009 – The Penguins open 2009 training camp, the first camp run by Bylsma as an NHL head coach.

Oct. 2, 2009 – Penguins open the season with a 3-2 victory against the New York Rangers as the team raises its 2009 Stanley Cup banner.

Nov. 3, 2009 – The Penguins beat the Ducks in Anaheim to open the season with a 7-0 road record, tying the franchise record for consecutive road wins.

Jan. 24, 2010 – Penguins defeat Philadelphia 2-1 at Mellon Arena for Bylsma’s 50th career victory behind the bench. He becomes the eighth-fastest coach in NHL history to 50 wins (78 games).

April 11, 2010 – The Penguins defeat the New York Islanders, 6-5 in overtime, to finish their first full season under Bylsma with a 47-28-7 record and 101 points – topping the 100-point barrier for the sixth time in team history.

April 24, 2010 – Pittsburgh eliminates the Ottawa Senators in Game 6 of the quarterfinals with a 4-3 overtime triumph. The series win is the fifth straight for Bylsma, and his five series victories ties him with legendary coach Scott Bowman for most in team history.

May 8, 2010 – Bylsma’s Penguins beat the Montreal Canadiens, 2-1, to record his 23rd career postseason victory – trying him with Bowman as the franchise’s winningest coach in playoff history.

Nov. 17, 2010 – Pittsburgh defeats Vancouver, 3-1, igniting a historic run in team history.

Dec. 11, 2010 – The Penguins defeat the Sabres in Buffalo, 5-2, for their 12th straight victory and stretches their unbeaten streak to 15 games (14-0-1). The 12 consecutive wins ties for the second-best streak in team history, and ties for eighth longest in NHL history.

The Penguins also win their seventh-straight road game, trying the franchise record previously done twice. Of the three times Pittsburgh has won seven consecutive road games, twice have come with Bylsma as head coach.

Jan. 25, 2011 – The Penguins blank the New York Islanders, 1-0, to record Bylsma’s 96th career win. That victory moves him into third place on the franchise’s all-time wins list, surpassing Bowman (95).

Feb. 10, 2011 – The Penguins knock off the Los Angeles Kings, 2-1 in overtime, for Bylsma’s 100th career victory. He becomes only the third Penguins coach to hit the 100-win mark. Bylsma is the fastest Penguins coach to 100 (163 games), while he ranks as the fifth-fastest in NHL history.

To be continued...

NOOOOO!!!!

The Leafs have traded Kris Versteeg. To the Flyers. Life. Ruined.

Ummm..Whaaa?

So, two games into his comeback to the NHL, Peter Forsberg is going to announce...he is retiring.

Carrie-Gate

Finally moving on to something other than my disgust in Friday night's Pens-Islanders matchup:

Mmm Ottawa = not so happy Mike Fisher got traded to Nashville. And while it may've just been a happy coincidence that he got traded to wifey's homeland, guess how many people actually believe that?

Zero.

Yep. Most Ottawa..ians... people from Ottawa are saying that Mrs. Fisher had quite the heavy hand in why this trade occurred and they are pissssssed. Cue one Ottawa radio station banning all Carrie Underwood music from their airwaves.

On the plus side, the always-classy (i.e. never belonged with the Senators actually, my hatred quota is filled with the Islanders team right now, I'll leave the Sens alone) Fisher took a full page ad out in the Ottawa Citizen saying thank you to the fans for his 11 years with them.

UPDATE: Silver Seven Sens posted the text of the goodbye letter. Fisher is a classy guy.

Dear Senators Fans and Fellow Citizens of the Ottawa Area,

For the past 11 years I have had the pleasure of calling Ottawa my home. I have matured here both as a hockey player and a person. Throughout my time in Ottawa the fans of the Senators and the entire community have been a tremendous support to my teammates and I through good times and bad. It was my honor to be able to give back in some small way by working with Roger’s House and many other worthy groups, individuals and causes in and around Ottawa.

I am extremely blessed to have had the privilege of being a member of your community. The friendships I have forged here are ones that I will truly cherish forever.

Ottawa is a tremendous city and I will miss playing in front of you every night. Though I am sad to be leaving, I am very grateful to the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club for giving me the chance to realize my dream of becoming an NHL player. In particular, I would wish to thank Mr. Eugene Melnyk and Mr. Bryan Murray for their respect, professionalism and the generosity that they have shown to me and my family through the years. It was a lot of fun playing in front of some of the greatest hockey fans in the world, and that will never be forgotten.

For everything that you have done for me and my family, I did not want to leave Ottawa without expressing my sincere gratitude and appreciation to the entire community.

On behalf of Carrie and I and our families,

Thank you Ottawa….For everything.

Mike Fisher

Super Mario is NOT Happy

So Mario Lemieux released a statement in regards to the whatever-Friday-night-was and one word: yikes.

“Hockey is a tough, physical game, and it always should be. But what happened Friday night on Long Island wasn’t hockey. It was a travesty. It was painful to watch the game I love turn into a sideshow like that.


“The NHL had a chance to send a clear and strong message that those kinds of actions are unacceptable and embarrassing to the sport. It failed.


“We, as a league, must do a better job of protecting the integrity of the game and the safety of our players. We must make it clear that those kinds of actions will not be tolerated and will be met with meaningful disciplinary action.


“If the events relating to Friday night reflect the state of the league, I need to re-think whether I want to be a part of it.”

Update

They've announced the suspensions from the game Friday night's game:

• Eric Godard (Penguins) - 10 games (for leaving the bench to join the fight)
• Trevor Gillies (Islanders slash absolute douche fuck) - 9 games
• Matt Martin (Islanders) - 4 games

The NHL announced the Islanders players' suspensions were for deliberately attempting to injure players. No fucking shit. Trevor Gillies is a piece of shit:

What a class act. Elbow someone in the head and then let's punch them when they are defenseless and continue to punch them when they are down on the ice.

The Islanders were also fined $100,000 because of the deliberate attempts to injure

Un-friggin-believable.

WTF?!

So more stuff about about last nights game wrestling match.

So like everyone knows, Eric Godard left the bench to join the fight when Haley and Johnson dropped the mitts and was in line for an automatic 10 game suspension.

Well an automatic suspension was given but it wasn't to Godard (who remains unsuspended at least for now). Nope, Byslma (head coach, obv) got an automatic suspension pending review and a $10,000 fine for him leaving the bench.

Bleacher Report has a really good article on the whole game and yeah, that is an embarrassment. Yeah, the Islanders are getting kicked around and being called doormats but they were out for blood tonight and seemed to want revenge first, with the win in the back of their minds.



Oh boy, there will probably be more suspensions to come....

Pens vs Islanders...Battle?

Okay seriously, since when do the Islanders score 9 goals in 9 games, let alone in one game... against the effing Penguins! Add in about 300+ penalty minutes and 7 billion fights and yeah, that's what I call a hockey game (hmm that makes it sound like I am happy the Islanders won. Never.)



Vitale totally won.



The ref literally shoved Tanger off the ice. Oh hellllls no.



This Michael Haley guy is baaaaaaaaallsy. Who goes after a friggin goalie? Yeah yeah, he broke your goalie's glass-boned-face but yikes. Godard jumped off the bench and came to Johnson's aid and is looking at the possibility of an automatic 10 game suspension for coming onto the ice to join in a fight but ahhh coming to the aid of a player in goalie equipment getting in a fight with a non-goalie may give some wiggle room in that rule

Basically they are saying that a crap load of suspensions may be doled out for this game. We shall see!!

Mr Carrie Underwood Heading to Nashville

Well Mike Fisher made numerous comments that he wanted to stay a Senator his entire career but he was just traded to Nashville. That is tres convenient for Mr. Carrie Underwood, no?

ANOTHER Goalie Fight!!

They're no One-Hit-Wonder-Johnny but helllllllo

Darryl Boyce's Nose Fell Off

So I saw when Darryl Boyce hit the boards when the Leafs were playing Carolina and didn't really clue in to the fact that he hit the camera hole in the glass and then when I saw him again, he had stitches and a full mask on for the game last night but I never really looked in to it futher

Well then during my creeping today I saw that he had posted a picture of the injury prior to him getting fixed up. HOLY BALLS!!! (I made the pic small just in case someone has a weak stomach but click on it to enlarge)

The National Post interviewed him about the injury:

How does it feel?
“At the time, I just went in, and it was a real hard, blunt shot. I just picked myself up and I could see blood just leaking from my face. I immediately went right off to the dressing room. I just had to keep looking forward because, if I looked down, I could see this flap of skin just hanging down.”
What was going through your head?
“I didn’t know if I had a nose left, to be quite honest. I didn’t know if it peeled right from the top of my nose, right down. As soon as I got into the doctor’s chair I just closed my eyes and just started asking them questions, instead of looking at it myself.”
The pictures were …
“I guess that’s the best use I’ve had for Twitter so far. It seemed to get a lot of sportscasters on my side. At the end of the day, it’s just a cut and a broken nose. I’ve gone through a lot of other injuries in my career that really sidelined me for good, where you really can’t strap something on and get out there and play. I thought this was a great opportunity to just throw something on and get out there.”
Can you breathe?
“I’ve just got one side sort of blocked here. I’ve got lot of stitches on the inside of the nostril. It’s a little tough, breathing out the one side, but you just deal with it. You breathe out your mouth a little bit more.”
What did your family say?
“Mum, I called her on the way to the hospital, during the third period. I was pretty shocked, the way she was acting. I talked to my aunt at the hospital. I said: ‘Mum was pretty cool about it. She didn’t seem too worried. That’s not like her.’ And then after, at 11:30, she finally told me she’d been pacing the house for the last two-and-a-half hours, not knowing what was going on. She put up a strong front.”

News News News

Geno has to get surgery to repair the MCL and ACL tear and will be out for six months. Whyyyyyyyyyy

The Leafs traded alternate captain Beachemin to the Ducks in exchange for Joffery Lupul, Jake Gardiner (a defensemen yet to play for the NHL) and a draft pick in 2013. I'm just wondering who is going to replace him as alternate captain! Army for the win!!

• I take back the "Army for the win!!" comment. I want the "A" given back to Kaberle and Komisarek's A to go to Army. If the next trade announcement is that Kabby is leaving the Leafs, my soul is going to die.

As if enough Penguins forwards weren't out already - Crosby, Malkin, Letestu, Kunitz (upper body injury, just happened yesterday), now Matt Cooke has been given a four game suspension for his hit in last night's name on Fedor Tyutin

Volchenkov also got a suspension (3 games) for elbowing poor lil' rookie Zach Boychuk in the head.

Angry "Leafs fans" (this article is from Ottawa I totally believe Sens fans are setting us up) vandalized Kris Versteeg's $150,000 car, writing stuff on it and spitting on it, but he still loves playing in Toronto he says

• Also, the stupid Ottawa Citizen likes to twist its facts. The article states "And it came one day after a survey of National Hockey League players revealed Toronto was one of the teams they would "least like to play on."....More than 300 players were involved in the survey, which was conducted by the National Hockey League Players' Association and the CBC's Hockey Night in Canada. More than a quarter of respondents listed the New York Islanders as their least desirable destination, followed by Edmonton (20%), Buffalo (8%) and Atlanta (7%), with Montreal and Toronto close behind (5%)" - Just saying, Toronto and Montreal sitting at 5% compared to 25% of players not wanting to play in the Islanders is not really "one of the teams they would least like to play on"
  
  

Hockey Player Vacay!

Sidney Crosby being sidelined with a concussion is old news but his little tropical escape may not be common knowledge. Captain Crosby headed home to Nova Scotia to visit with his parents and they apparently jetted off to an "undisclosed warm climate location" for a lil' fam vacay slash cheer up time.

This obviously makes us think of the other vacations some hockey players have taken in the past...

Olympic Break - Tropical Getaway to Set Up a Proposal

What girl wouldn't want to get whisked away to Hawaii smack dab in the middle of the frigid winter (umm she lives in California doesn't shee, strike that) anytime for your boyfriend to propose to you with a million dollar ring? Obviously Lizzie McGuire Hil Duff wasn't complaining one bit when Mike Comrie busted this move out for her. She clearly was lovin' it, based on the thank you she gave him...

All-Star Break - Blow Off Some Steam

Two words: Vegas and BizNasty. Winning combo, no more description needed.

Summertime - Head Home!

After a long season, who wouldn't want to return to their hometowns in the summer? Whether it is come the end of the regular season for the 12 teams that *just* missed the playoffs and the Oilers and Leafs who were mathematically eliminated back in November or after their playoff elimination slash Stanley Cup win, players depart their homes for 8ish months of the year and head to their hometowns. Then, come October, they head back to their team cities. Most people fly back to those cities... Some may drive... Dion Phaneuf...uh... runs...

"Gives Toronto Wings". Interesting. Not that I'm not a phan euf Phaneuf (ahahahah get it? Phan euf? Fan of? Yeah, it's clever, I know), but come on, as if a Leafs fan really needs a reminder of the last time we won the Cup. That's not going to make me believe Phaneuf is giving us wings. It's going to make me angry and wonder why Phaneuf drinks Red Bull after working out. Gross.

1967 to Toronto. Thanks Tips.

Seriously, Where Have I Been

Okay I'm clearly quite happy living under my stupid rock but I hadn't heard that this happened. Geeze, I need to get with the game!

Kessel Gets Caught With His Foot in His Mouth

So yesterday at Leafs practice, the Toronto media brought up Kessel's 10-game goal drought. Kessel obviously knows that the Toronto media isn't really into hockey and doesn't really care much so he decided to say "Maybe it’s just not working out here I guess. I can’t get anything going.... “Maybe it’s time for a change or something.”

Oh whoopsies, my bad, the Toronto media WILL jump on anything a Leaf says so obviously the GTA was abuzz with anger that Kessel wants out of Toronto apparently (blah blah, he took it back, too late). Mmm, I'm not a fan of Kessel at all, I think he's the worst thing to happen to the Leafs (and yep, you are welcome Boston) considering how much we gave up for him but you know, people flub up in interviews and on the job all the time. Let's look at some prime examples...


Captain Serious Drops a Huge F-Bomb

Who doesn't swear now and then, really. But mmm swearing in front of a camera? Well, that's a different story. Actually, its still amazing but Johnny T's face at the end says it all... his momma's gonna be mad at him...

Asking for a Trade and Not Remembering that Edmonton Has a Team...

Dany Heatley, we're lookin' at you buddy. Who can blame him for wanting to leave the Ottawa Senators? Some Swedish guy guaranteed that your team was going to win a Cup and then nothing... But make sure you remember where all the teams are located before you ask for a trade to any other team

Note: As a Leafs fan, I have nooooo grudge whatsoever towards Heatley for demanding a trade from Ottawa. This picture is just funny. Also, Ottawa needs to be the one to suck it up and get over their grudge

Making Guarantees that You Can't Follow Up On

How's that Stanley Cup doing Senators?

BONUS: Not only do you guarantee a Stanley Cup win, but you also go into the first round of the playoffs against the Little Crosby that Could and Co. and post a huge mural outside their locker room of your team beating theirs the year before. That is surely not going to piss them off and make them want to beat you that much more...right?

Anyone recall how that series went?

Being a Bit Too Much of a Superstar and Overshadowing Your Teammates

Tsk tsk Jordan Eberle...

Depression.

Well now that Malkin is out again, plus Letestu's injury from the other night, three of Pittsburgh's four top centres are injured. Thank God Staalsy is back... that being said, I totally just knocked on wood.

Anyways, suffice to say, Pens fans may be getting slightly depressed. Silver lining is that the rest of the team is hiking up their hockey pants and givin'er and still managing to win games. Still, if you are feeling a bit blue, like me, this will bring a wee smile to your face.

Nooo Genoooo!

Karma is being a mother effing bitch to Evgeni Malkin (and the Pens) who was finally back in the lineup tonight after missing numerous games and the All-Star game. His return was marred by...another injury.Whyyyyyyyyy

UPDATE: Yeah, he's like, really injured. As in, tore both his ACL and MCL. WHYYY!

Whoopsies...

Rick "Glass Bones" Dipietro is out for 4 to 6 weeks with broken facial bones from the one timer shot to the face from Johnny.

As a side note, it's a big weekend for football fans obviously. I couldn't care less about football itself but I will be cheering for the Steelers because they are besties with the Pens. And what better a way to get ready for the cheering than with a Sloppy Roethlisberger, a la my fellow Canadians

Absolutely. Amazing.

There are just too many amazing things to comment about this. Johnny sticking up for Cookie. Flower just absolutely smiling from ear to ear. One punch knock-out. Just amazing.

Staal Sticks Up for Roomie

In tonight's Pens game, Brandon Prust gave Tyler Kennedy quick the hit and TK's road roomie Jordan came to the defense. In the scrum that ensued, Staalsy gave Prust a lil' punch to the face that knocked him down immediately. He was given a match penalty, a misconduct and may face further disciplinary action



Prust is actually being pretty mature about it - he's not being a whiner about getting punched in the face, he is saying it like it is. "I think it was just all reaction. I came in and hit a guy, he kind of came in to stick up for him. He just threw a punch and happened to connect."

I don't think Staaly should get a suspension, that's for sure. It was a scrum, he happened to punch the guy in the face, there didn't seem to be any intent to injure so come on.

However, what I do find ridick humourous is the close up of the punch when you can see that Marc Staal is sitting on the bench right in front of it, watching his broskie punch his teammate in the face. And his jaw just drops. Muahahahah

UPDATE: Nope, he's not getting a suspension and will be available to play tonight's game against the Islanders. Whew. 

Wooo BizNasty!!

Paul Bissonnette got his first goal of the year! Wooo!!!!

Legit Besties

Sid and Jack Johnson are my fave hockey besties