By Megan MacDonald
If they’re being honest – every hockey fan has found themselves praying to the Hockey Gods at some point, especially during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. On the eve of Game One of the Eastern Conference Final, we had the chance to chat with the Hockey Gods. Twitter’s favourite anonymous account @HockeyGods that is – about their 13.5K followers, female hockey fans, and of course who has the Hockey Gods on their side.
The Pink Puck: What made you decide to become a God?
Hockey God: I’ve always prayed to them and seen tons of people talk/tweet about the Hockey Gods so I was really surprised to see that no one had made a twitter account about it so I went for it!
The Pink Puck: Did you expect it to blow up like it has?
Hockey God: I knew the account had tons of potential and I definitely knew I could get this far, however I didn’t expect for it to grow this quickly!
The Pink Puck: What was your reaction when you saw that first NHL team following you?
Hockey God: At first I got super excited, but then the nerves kicked in because I realized that I had guaranteed them a win that night. (They won)
The Pink Puck: Do you plan on making any other twitter accounts?
Hockey God: I actually have another twitter account already called @HockeyTumblr! However, making a third account has always been something I’ve had in mind.
The Pink Puck: Who’s side are the Hockey Gods on in the playoffs?
Hockey God: I’ve always tried to be non-biased but if I had to pick, then the teams that follow me.
The Pink Puck: Do you have any favourite Twitter accounts?
Hockey God: There are a lot of really funny accounts, so pretty much all the accounts that I follow on the account.
The Pink Puck: Does the god play hockey?
Hockey God: Of course- Played it my entire life!
The Pink Puck: If you had to have a last supper, which players past or present would you want at the meal?
Hockey God: Herb Brooks, Tim Horton, Maurice Richard and the rest of the Hockey Gods!
The Pink Puck: If you could get anyone to follow you, who would it be?
Hockey God: @BizNasty2point0 (Coyotes Paul Bissonnette)
The Pink Puck: Are you Canadian or American?
Hockey God: I’m Canadian but I travel to the States a lot as well.
The Pink Puck: What do you think of female hockey fans?
Hockey God: Awesome! Especially if they know the game better than some of the guys!
The Pink Puck: What was the best @ reply you’ve ever received?
Hockey God: There’s been way too many for me to list, but when a team replies to me, the tweet is usually really funny!
The Pink Puck: Who is your favourite follower?
Hockey God: All of them are awesome but definitely the people who have been following for a while.
The Blackhawks host the Kings for Game One of the Western Conference final at 2 PM (PT) while the Bruins take on the Penguins in Pittsburgh in Game One of the Eastern Conference Final at 5 PM (PT).
Not everyone either likes or can afford expensive team apparel and that’s okay. It’s all about being creative with what you do have and supporting any way you can. That cute Penguin pendant for $3.99 at the thrift store will look adorable with jeans and a t-shirt while showcasing your Penguins pride. A $10 tank top with a bear on the front still shows you root for the Bruins without the $150 jersey price tag. Act in a regal manner, while wearing shades of purple to show your support for the Kings. Do the Blackhawks hold the key to your heart? You can always mix in a little fringe or feathers as a shout out to Chicago.
Being creative is the name of the game, so mix and match pieces that can still relate back to your team of choice. We’ve put together a few ideas for the Eastern Conference and Western Conference Finals, but remember they are just a guideline for what you can ultimately do. Doesn’t need to be pink, but us hockey fans should still rock the rink!
Eastern Conference, Boston Bruins vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
Western Conference, LA Kings vs. Chicago Blackhawks
The temperatures are rising and sometimes you just want a sweet treat. These coconut “klondike” cups are delicious, easy to make and even easier to eat. Plus, they look like a puck resting on top of ice – win win!
Prep time: 5 minutes
Freezing time: 20 minutes
Serves: 12
Ingredients
1.5 cups shredded coconut
1 can Coconut Cream (usually found in the organic aisle, our pick is from Trader Joes)
1/2 cup Coconut Oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1 bag dark chocolate chips (our pick Ghiradelli 60% dark chocolate chips)
Instructions
1. Place all ingredients, except the chocolate chips in a bowl and blend well with an electric mixer.
2. Place 12 paper or silicone liners in a muffin tin.
3. Use a large spoon and put about 2 tablespoons of the coconut mixture per paper cup, press down so the mixture is compact in the cup.
4. Once all of your cups are filled, melt your chocolate. Easiest and fastest way is to place chocolate in a microwave safe container and microwaving at 20-30 second intervals until melted.
5. Spoon approximately 1-1.5 tablespoon chocolate per cup, covering the coconut completely.
6. Freeze cups for about 20 minutes and bon appetite!
*Store leftover cups in the freezer and grab a sweet treat whenever you fancy.
**Variation, if you don’t like chocolate, just freeze the coconut mixture for a cool frozen treat.
Calder Memorial Trophy: The National Hockey League’s most outstanding rookie
Yahoo Sports
Brendan Gallagher of the Montreal Canadiens: Gallagher helped the Canadiens with their bounce-back season going from last in the Eastern Conference the previous year to second in the East this season. Gallagher was third out of all league rookies in points and second among the ones nominated (28). He was lower down on the list in assists with 13, but he finished ahead of the other nominees in goals with 15 (second among all rookies, tied for first on the Habs, and tied with Sidney Crosby). His plus/minus rating for the season was a solid +10. Gallagher also had the most blocked shots among all rookie forwards and had 44 hits. On the other hand, he trailed the other nominees in ice time with only 13:51 per game and played in only 44 games.
NHL.com
Jonathan Huberdeau of the Florida Panthers: Despite the Panthers disappointing season, Huberdeau was very impressive. He tied with Nail Yakupov for first in points among all rookies (31). 14 of those points came from goals (second among nominees) and 17 came from assists (tied for first among nominees). Unfortunately, his plus/minus rating took a hard hit and he finished with a -15. Of course, it’s important to note the support each nominee had around him. Not only is Huberdeau the only nominee whose team didn’t make the playoffs, but they came in dead last in the NHL. So we can give him a break on that one. Huberdeau had the highest time on ice among the nominees and played all 48 games; clearly Florida relied on him a lot. Not to mention, he also set two franchise records for the Panthers: 1) first player to score on two penalty shots in one season and 2) most points by a teenager in team history.
NHL.com
Brandon Saad of the Chicago Blackhawks: Unlike Huberdeau, Saad’s team had success. The most success in the league, actually. Saad ranked fourth among all rookies in points with 27, which is last among the nominees. Saad was also last among nominees with 10 goals. On the other hand, he was tied with Huberdeau for third most assists overall (17). Another notable accomplishment was that Saad was first overall in plus/minus rating with an astonishing +17. The closest nominee to that is Gallagher with a +10. Luckily, he had a great group of guys around him to help with that stat. Another accomplishment he had in the short season was his 16:27 minutes per game (third among rookies) and played in all but two games. With a team full of so many great players, getting that much ice time is impressive.
Pink Puck Pick: Jonathan Huberdeau. Each of these rookies had their own way of standing out. Saad fit right in with the mix of high talent in Chicago, Gallagher was something of a pleasant surprise since he was considered to be second to Galchenyuk before the season started, and Huberdeau was the lone glimmer of light in Florida. Even though he trailed off in the latter half of the season, Huberdeau was still relied on heavily by his team—as a 19 year old. He is the youngest of the rookies nominated and had the most impact on his team. Despite coming in last in the league, the Panthers’ rookie had a stand-out season. Not only was he ranked in the top five of almost every rookie category, he helped the Cats with the non-statistic factors of the game like puck possession. If he could have such an impressive freshman year with the offense (or lack thereof) in Florida, imagine what he could have done on a higher caliber team.
Another Stanley Cup is beyond reach for the San Jose Sharks, who lost Game 7 of the Western Conference Semi-Finals to the reigning Champion Los Angeles Kings 2-1. All the features of an epic Game 7 were there, critical board battles, goals ringing posts, unbelievable saves and bitter defeat. The middle frame became the nail in the coffin for the Sharks who started the game strong but gave up two goals in the second to a game 7 specialist Justin Williams. Dan Boyle would give the Sharks hope in the third with his rocket from the point but a rock solid performance by Jonathan Quick kept the puck from reaching the back of the net.
The first period was a battle of wills. Every square of ice was prime real estate as both teams kept tight checking, allowing very little to get through to either Niemi or Quick. Defence played a critical role for both teams, shots that did come through were from the point with the Sharks Matt Irwin and the Kings Slava Voynov sending good looks to the net. Early game theatrics came in the form of two back to back high-sticking calls to San Jose’s Joe Thornton and LA’s Jeff Carter. Even with the extra ice created on the 4 on 4, both teams managed only a combined 8 shots on net for the first period with the Sharks ahead with 5.
Early in the second, Logan Couture came in on the backhand, but Jonathan Quick was there to snap it up and left Couture shaking his head in disbelief. A series of bad plays in the Sharks offensive zone gave LA the room they needed. Brent Burns would leave the ice for an interference call putting LA on the power play. Slava Voynov, who has been phenomenal in the playoff run for LA, drove the puck through traffic from the point where it found Justin Williams on the doorstep. A nice bounce over Niemi’s outstretched leg gave the Kings the critical first goal of the game.
The goal by Williams seemed to rattle the Sharks, as chaos ensued for the next few minutes. An ill-timed line change by San Jose left LA with a 4 on 2 rush with Kopitar and Williams flying through center. Again Voynov had the feed to Kopitar who passed it to Williams, quick off the tape and there it sat behind Niemi, 2-0. Another penalty by Bracken Kearns would give the Kings another opportunity. Justin Williams nearly walked away with a natural hat trick as the puck again found his stick, but this time Niemi was there to shut the door. The Sharks would regroup to drive Quick’s net, but nothing would find home, sending San Jose into the locker room with a large hill to climb in the 3rd period.
The third period opened with matching penalties on Adam Burish for goaltender interference and a diving call on Jonathan Quick. As Burish collided with Quick, his stick caught the netminder’s chest and chin, perhaps warranting his Oscar-worthy reaction to the play, but put the teams 4 a side for the next 2 minutes. The Sharks got to work and Dan Boyle slapped one home after good pressure from Patrick Marleau down low led to a turnover by the Kings, giving it to San Jose’s Pavelski for the assist. The Sharks kept up the pressure, racking up shots to the net. The final 90 seconds was a flurry of Shark activity in the Kings zone with Niemi pulled for the extra skater. Pavelski took a shot right on Quick’s doorstep but failed to give it enough of a flick to go up and over Quick’s glove, a bitter end to the game and the Sharks season.
Both teams brought everything they had to the series. The Sharks struck gold with the Thornton, Galiardi and Burns line. Logan Couture demonstrated his versatility and shone as a true future leader of the team. Niemi recorded his best playoff run in net and the young defensive core of Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Justin Braun and rookie Matt Irwin paired well with the wisdom of Boyle and Hannan. The Kings had the confidence of Jonathan Quick in net and a deeper pool of talent for secondary scoring, particularly from former Manchester Monarchs Slava Voynov and Tyler Toffoli stepping up when it came to the crunch. In the end, these two teams battled tooth and nail for every goal, but it would be the LA Kings that earned one more to move them past the Sharks and into the Western Conference final for a second year in a row.
Wilmington, Ma— The Boston Bruins hit the ice today in preparation for their much anticipated Eastern Conference Final series against Pittsburgh Penguins. After a busy back and forth series against the Rangers which ended in a Game 5 win and advancement for the Bruins on Saturday; the team was afforded a bit of rest over the Memorial Day weekend. Yet, Tuesday morning was back to business for the black and gold, with a well fought hard practice.
With games still being played in the Western Conference, both Boston and Pittsburgh are facing the unusual challenge of keeping in game shape both on and off the ice. Neither team will have played a game in a weeks time come Saturday.
Since the beginning of the season, hockey fans from near and far have been claiming that Pittsburgh holds the key to Stanley. The Penguins have been dubbed a “mortal lock”, the “best of the best” and so on. Despite their success during the regular season, the post-season could always hold a different fate for the Penguins than fans are anticipating. It’s a battle of the ice come Conference Finals and that mindset is exactly what the Bruins look to capitalize on heading into the series.
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It is nice to know that hockey players are humans like us. I know, they float across the ice on thin blades of steel. They make huge amounts of money and they get to wear cool uniforms! Once in awhile, it is nice to read an article about teams that help fight and support certain campaigns. I just finished reading this kind of article.
The campaign is called “Hockey Talks”, a mental health outreach program. The seven Canadian teams of the NHL are involved. This year, the Vancouver Canucks are going to be recognized for their leadership role in the program. This year, the team will receive the ‘Rona and Ken Purdy” award.
It is funny, but the U.S. based National Aliance on Mental Illness, (NAMI) selected the Canucks to receive the award. This program is to help people who have a mental illness and to decrease the usual stigma that goes with these two words.
The Canucks are committed to the cause as they are honoring one of their own. The late Rick Rypien who died by suicide on August 15, 2011. He told his teammates and others about his illness, and was granted time off for treatment and such. This is done in his honor.
The Canadian teams:
Vancouver Canucks Winnipeg Jets Toronto Maple Leafs Ottawa Senators Montreal Canadiens Edmonton Oilers Calgary Flames
The above teams all support fundraising and educational activities in the month of February.
NAMI hopes that by seeing the Canucks leadership, this will inspire more NHL teams, fans and other leagues to speak out and to encourage people to get help when they need it. Mental health is something not to laugh at, it can kill you.
So, will any U.S. National Hockey League teams be inspired?
On Saturday night, The Reading Royals captured the top ECHL honors, besting the Stockton Thunder in 5 games and taking home the Kelly Cup. This was the first time either team had made it this deep into the Kelly Cup Playoffs, so they were both looking to make history. The first two games took place at Sovereign Center in Reading, PA before moving west to Stockton, CA for two games. The Royals took a commanding 3-0 series lead and looked to sweep Stockton on Friday. The Thunder would give the Royals a physical battle and ultimately take the game 4-3, forcing another tilt Saturday night.
Photo: Carola Hamann
The Stockton Thunder are known as the “Comeback Kids” and they lived up to the name on Friday night, allowing the Royals only one goal in the first period. The Royals started out the night strong, but were soon dominated by the desperate Thunder. Minutes into the game, the Thunder were given a penalty shot, as Matt Reber was hooked coming into the Royals zone. Royals’ Riley Gill stood tall in net, stuffing the shot opportunity and staving off an early Thunder lead. The Royals would then go on to score, as T.J. Syner drove one home from the slot off a feed from their captain, Yannick Tifu.
The first period saw north-south speed from both teams and as the Royals Nikita Kashirsky drove the net, he took out Thunder goaltender Olivier Roy, leaving him down on the ice behind the goal for several minutes. Kashirsky went off on a penalty for goaltender interference and Tyler Bunz replaced Roy in the net for Stockton. The power play was just what the Thunder needed and they made quick use of it. Nathan Deck fired the puck from the point and Shawn Weller tapped it home to tie the game. The Thunder then caught the Royals on a bad change that left Eric Hunter with a nice breakaway who then fired in on the backhand past Gill. The Thunder outshot the Royals 14-7 for the period and took control of the game.
Stockton kept up the pressure into the second frame, denying Reading any space on the ice to generate offence, particularly from the Royals top line of Tifu and Kashirsky. The Thunder went on the power play and kept traffic heavy in front of Gill. Reber scored just after the Royals returned to full strength, catching a rebound giving the Thunder a 3-1 lead
The Royals came into the third period hot, stepping up the offensive pressure on Stockton’s Bunz, who remained sharp in net. Reading would get one by though, as Joel Champagne trotted into the slot and fired in a wrist shot that brought the Royals to within one.
The Thunder quickly answered back, as Eric Hunter stepped in over the blue line, catching the Royals off guard and fired a shot, clearing Gill’s glove side. The Royals would again try to rally and capitalized on a giveaway by Stockton in the neutral zone, with Ian O’Connor getting one past Bunz, the score again separated by a goal, 4-3.
As the last minutes ticked down, the Royals looked to tie the game and pulled Gill for the extra attacker. A golden opportunity would present itself as the Thunder’s Hunt would be called for an interference penalty, allowing the Royals to play 6 on 4. Stockton kept the pressure on and Bunz kept up his stellar play to give the Thunder the win and force the Royals to wait on their festivities.
photo: Carola Hamann
Saturday night would show the Royals put on a goal clinic. The floodgates opened with Mark Mitera getting one past Bunz, starting in net for the Thunder’s injured Roy. Reading goals would continue to pour in to the Thunder net, with goals by Brett Flemming and then a short handed goal by Ian O’Connor. The up and coming T.J. Syner would pot two goals. Stanislav Galiev netted a goal in his first game back after missing twelve games on the power play, receiving a feed from Yannick Tifu. That marked Tifu’s league leading 25th point of the post season.
For the final goal it seemed fitting that Joel Champagne, on a drive up the center, caught a feed from Syner and put it in past Bunz. The Royals would close the game 6-0 with the fourth shutout of the playoffs for Riley Gill, who earned the Kelly Cup’s MVP. Reading returns home with the 2013 Kelly Cup to Sovereign Center, it’s first Cup.
photo: Candice Monhollan
It’s true that many of us idolize players on the ice, calling them our “heroes” from time to time. Perhaps they are a “hero” for advancing us to the next round in a quest for Stanley, or because you simply love their style of play.
Maybe they are heroes of the ice, but the real heroes are the men and women who have given their lives to protect yours.
Don’t forget to take a moment to remember our service men and women for their sacrifices; not only today Memorial Day, but every day. While today is a day of remembrance for those who have lost their lives, be sure to take a moment to also thank those who are still fighting. After all, it’s because of them that you’re able to cheer for your favorite hockey team or strap on a pair of skates to play in your local league without worry.
So, from our Pink Puck heart, we’d like to thank all those who have lost their lives and the brave men and women who continue to fight for our freedom.
On Wednesday night, the Providence Bruins hosted the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at the Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence for game 7. It was the final game to determine that match-ups for the Conference Finals in the AHL. After a win on Tuesday night, the Grand Rapids Griffins were set to face off against the Oklahoma City Barons in the Western Conference Finals. The Syracuse Crunch, after sweeping the Springfield Falcons in the second round, were waiting to see if they would meet Providence or Wilkes-Barre in the Eastern Conference Finals.
After taking a 3-0 series lead, the Providence Bruins let the Penguins come back to tie it up 3-3 and force a game 7. This was the opposite of the first round where the Bruins had battled back to tie the series and go on to win. The Bruins started off the game looking like they were in control of a chippy game. After the first frame, they led shots 11-5. Despite that, neither team had been able to find the back of the net and they went into the first intermission scoreless.
When the teams came out for the second, it seemed that the Penguins kicked it into another gear, remembering that whoever won advanced to the Conference Finals. Wilkes-Barre did not waste any time and capitalized on the first penalty of the second period when Chris Bourque went off for slashing. Penguins forward Chad Kolarik wrapped around the net and shot the puck, which seemed to trickle by Niklas Svedberg. The first goal of the game came at 4:44, while on the power play, and the assists went to Brian Dumoulin and Trevor Smith. That set the tone for the rest of the period, where the Penguins led the shots.
The next goal of the period did not come until the 13:04 mark. Wilkes-Barre captain, Joey Mormina, took a slapshot from the blue line that Warren Peters tipped in. Adam Payerl had the other assist. After the second Penguins goal, the Bruins rang a shot off the post for the second time of the game. But it would be the Penguins that scored next. Just about two minutes later, Payerl added a goal of his own. He took a hard shot from between the face-off circles and easily beat Svedberg with an assist to Chris Collins. After another two minutes, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton added yet another goal. Zach Sill took a shot from the glove side and went over Svedberg’s left shoulder.
The teams went to the second intermission with the Penguins leading the Bruins 4-0 in the crucial 7th game of the series. When the teams came back out for the final period of the series, it was clear that Providence had lost all of their steams. They made a change of the goalies, taking Svedberg out and putting Michael Hutchinson in net. But it did not seem to make the difference. It was a last ditch desperate effort.
Although the Bruins outshot the Penguins 16-5 in the third, it would not be enough. With about five minutes to go, Wilkes-Barre scored the final goal of the game. Trevor Smith added a goal assisted by Kolarik and Derek Nesbitt. Providence unfortunately failed to notch a goal in the final game of the series. Wilkes-Barre Scranton won the final four straight games to complete a nearly unprecedented comeback.
After coming back from being down 3-0 in the series, the Penguins became just the 3rd team in the 77 year history of the AHL to advance after being down like that. It was unquestionably a full team effort as they scored 14 goals in those four wins and only allowed 2 goals, with two games ending in a Providence shutout. Making the goalie change to Brad Thiessen also unquestionably helped his team. After taking over, he recorded a goals against of .70 and a save percentage of .978.
Next, the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins will meet the Syracuse Crunch in the Eastern Conference finals. Despite the hot streak the Penguins are currently riding, it will be a hard fought series. This is the first season that Tampa Bay has had their prospects in Syracuse and the team has not lost yet this post season. Last season, Tampa’s prospects won the Calder Cup in Norfolk and won 10 straight to end last season on their quest for the Cup.
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