Hockey Goals: Horton, Bieksa, Burrows

Hockey Goals:
Horton, Bieksa, Burrows

A bit late from the Hockey Chump’s normal Thursday post, but it’s better late than never. Enjoy last week’s goals of the week:

Nathan Horton continues to earn his paycheck for the Boston Bruins, scoring the game-winning, series-clinching goal to launch the B’s into the Stanley Cup finals. Personally, I feel like I would like him more if he didn’t look like such a d-bag:



Bit of an odd goal, but I feel kind of obligated to include here since it’s a double overtime, game- and series-clincher. The Vancouver Canucks Kevin Bieksa gets the luck of the bounce with this one here:



B-e-a-utiful pass by Henrik Sedin to Alex Burrows, who could’ve been blindfolded, handcuffed and coming down the rink on one skate, and still would’ve scored this goal:

Hockey Music: The Vandals

Hockey Music:
The Vandals

Going with a throw back for this week’s hockey music of the week. The Vandals – yes, the hard-ass punk band from California – are big hockey fans and in fact did an AWESOME hockey-themed song called “Change the World with My Hockey Stick” that I did not know about until five minutes ago (shame on me).

The song is great because, well, it’s by the Vandals. That in and of itself makes it amazing. The sound is awesome and the lyrics are straight up kick-ass, especially with lines like:

I’ll practice in my yard
Or in the showers every day
Until I get so damn good
That someone really super rich will say
"Here’s a million dollars
You can spend it how you like,
You can change the fucking world
Or turn it into something nice"

/and/

I’ll change the world
I’ll make a difference man
I’ll change the world with my hockey stick
Solving all our problems…
Like crack and aids and murder, violence, syphilis…
Global warming, floods and arson, rape, and birth defects
And things affecting ever person
War on crime and racism are problems of the past you see
Thanks to the greatest hockey player
That would be me

While you can’t be the guy who walks around with the big world-changing hockey stick, you can take a few minutes to enjoy a great song by a solid, fast-paced punk band. Honestly, if you've never listened to The Vandals before, this is the perfect introduction to what you've been missing out on. 

Enjoy the Vandal’s “Change the World with My Hockey Stick” (WARNING – IF YOUR VOLUME IS ON HIGH AND YOU LIVE WITH AT LEAST ONE OTHER PERSON, MAKE SURE TO TURN IT DOWN BEFORE YOU PLAY THIS SONG):

Hockey Quote: Bob Essensa

Hockey Quote:

Bob Essensa

After 15 long years, it looks like Winnipeg will once again have its own hockey team. Rumors are swirling around the league right now that the Atlanta Thrashers move north is all but a done deal.

The Phoenix Coyotes, the original Winnipeg Jets before the team relocated a decade-and-a-half ago, were first said to be heading to the ‘Peg, however, Glendale, Arizona officials recently agreed to a $25 million subsidy for the Phoenix Coyotes’ 2011-12 season to allow the team the time necessary to finalize new ownership. When that happened, the attention turned to the league’s other cash-strapped organization, the Atlanta Thrashers.

Atlanta Spirit, the Thrashers owners, has claimed approximately $130 million in losses since 2005 and has made it pretty clear that they no longer want the team. A buyer interested in keeping the team in Atlanta has not yet stepped up, and so Winnipeg has become the next best option for the financially sinking franchise. True North Sports and Entertainment, a Winnipeg based company, is willing to buy the team for $110 million and pay $60 million to the league as a relocation fee.

While Atlanta fans are bummed, the city of Winnipeg is rejoicing at the possibility of having an NHL team represent their town once again.

One fan of the move is former Winnipeg Jets goaltender Bob Essensa, who started his career with the team. In this week’s hockey quote of the week, Essena reflects on all the possibilities that this move has to offer:

For Canada:

"I feel as a Canadian, that you felt a loss when you saw teams move from Quebec (Nordiques when they became the Colorado Avalanche) and Manitoba, areas that can support and love the game of hockey," said Essensa. "From a purely hockey standpoint, it's nice to see them get another team in that market."

On the financial struggles some Canadian teams have experienced in the past:

"Back when I was in the 'Peg, I think the exchange rate was 40 cents on the dollar. That was a long time ago," he said. "It was tough for those cities to compete and on the free agent market it was even tougher."

On the talent that the team has and who it will attract:

"I think they stand a much better chance of attracting players. I know what coach  Ramsey stands for and he'll certainly attract players as well," said Essensa. "They are already starting from the base of a nice hockey club so they shouldn't have much to worry about."

Hockey Pictures: Roloson, Heatley, Campbell and More

Hockey Pictures:

Roloson, Heatley, Campbell and More

Kevin Bieksa gets a taste of what visiting opponents at the Vancouver Canucks' Rogers Arena feel like when sitting in the penalty box as these San Jose Sharks “Green Men” impersonators give Bieksa the business while he does his time:

Quite the 5-hole-o you get there Rolo! Patrice Bergeron’s shot gets past a capsizing Dwayne Roloson:



Awesome shot of HP Pavilion as the San Jose Sharks and Vancouver Canucks warm-up prior to Game 3:



What looks like Vincent Lecavalier dodging a barrage of punches to the face, is actually the Tampa Bay Lightning captain coming out to fists of love before the start of his team’s game three against the Boston Bruins:



San Jose Sharks forward Dany Heatley prefers to do his pre-game warm-ups to a light show:



Greg Campbell practices his levitation skills during his pre-game warm-up in what is clearly the shittiest part of TD Garden:

Hockey Goals: Stamkos, Granlund, Seguin

Hockey Goals:
Stamkos, Granlund, Seguin

Steven Stamkos.

Mikael Granlund.

Tyler Seguin.

We’ll definitely be seeing these three names in the hockey highlight reels for years to come. Especially if they keep pulling out jaw-dropping goals like this three-some. Enjoy:

Check out this ridiculous snipe by Tampa Bay Lightning forward Steven Stamkos. Youch:



I don’t know what possessed Team Finland forward Mikael Granlund to give this move a shot in the semi-finals against Team Russia, but one thing’s for sure – nobody was expecting it:



Boston Bruins rookie forward Tyler Seguin undresses the Tampa Bay Lightning’s defenseman and then goes on to put goaltender Dwayne Roloson to sleep:

Hockey Music: Finnish Hockey Mafia

Hockey Music:
Finnish Hockey Mafia

Hysterical music video from the Finnish Hockey Mafia that highlights Finnish hockey announcer, Antero Mertaranta’s call on the Mikael Granlund Michigan goal against Team Russia during the recent hockey Ice Hockey World Championships.

As much as I wanted to turn this video off (not a big fan of club music), the beat is just so damn catchy, and the guy’s reaction so unbelievably funny, that I actually watched it till the end.

One bonus from watching it is that you get to see Granlund’s ridiculous goal again and again, from all different angles.

Enjoy “Finnish Hockey Mafia featuring Antero Mertaranta – Taivas Varjele”:



Sing. Dance. Play hockey!

Hockey Quote: Wes Walz on Derek Boogaard

Hockey Quote:

Wes Walz on Derek Boogaard

Obviously, the news of former New York Rangers forward Derek Boogaard’s passing was a heart wrenching headline to deal with this past week in the hockey world (unless you live in Sweden). There’s still no word yet on what exactly caused the death, but his brain was donated to medical specialists in Boston who will study it to determine if his “role” as a fighter in the NHL – and the resulting beating to his head – contributed to this untimely passing.



Boogaard was as much feared on the ice as he was respected off it. He was known to be the type of player who frequented charity events and went out of his way to spend time with fans. Being such a good guy, he developed a unique, devout fan base who cheered for him every time he was the ice. Some of these “Boogeymaniacs” staged a memorial service this past weekend at the Xcel Energy Center, home to the Minnesota Wild – Boogaard’s former team – with Boogaard’s family’s blessing to honor his memory.



Among those who attended the event was Boogaard’s former teammate, Wes Walz. While the service itself was often heartfelt and a bit sad, Walz offered some reprieve by describing his experiences with Boogaard as his teammate.



This week’s hockey quote of the week is a recap of everything Walz said. Enjoy –

Wes Walz started out by calling Boogaard “a true gentleman.” Going on, he explained that Boogaard was “soft spoken, kind hearted, and a gentle giant.” He then went on about Boogaard’s first training camp: “He was 21 years old, and there’s this guy skating around who is 6-8, 270 lbs, and a lot of us did not want to be on the ice with him. Guys were changing quicker, taking 15 second shifts and getting off the ice.”

Walz next went on to explain how Boogaard worked hard on his game, both in Houston, and during the summer, with the specific focus being on his skating, balance, and conditioning, so that if “fights went 45 seconds or a minute, he would always have the upper hand.” He explained that Boogaard was well aware of his role, and what he had to do to keep himself in the league.

Speaking about Boogaard’s fighting abilities, Walz said that there was a “stretch five or six years ago, we had seen nothing like it, we saw him knock about eight or nine guys out in a row. Usually you see one or two a year, but guys were dropping left and right.”

Walz added, “We loved having him on our bench. We were a small, quick team. We needed Derek in that lineup. I can tell you a lot guys on our bench grew an inch or two and were a lot braver when Derek was on the bench, which made our team better.”

 Here’s a great tribute video to Boogaard circulating on Youtube. Enjoy. Rest in peace, Derek.

Hockey Photos: Selanne, Boogaard, Marleau and More

Hockey Photos:
Selanne, Boogaard, Marleau and More

Enjoy some of the best hockey photos from this past week:

Teemu Selanne might not be sure if he’s coming back to the NHL next season, but one thing’s for sure, he’s done with Team Finland. The good news – he’s going out as a champion. Here he is shaking the hands of Team Sweden after his team’s 4-0 championship victory:



Vancouver Canucks forward Raffi Torres warms up – minus some essential items – prior to Game 1 of the Western Conference finals against the San Jose Sharks:
 

Touching moment as Derek Boogaard’s sister Krysten hugs their father, Len, after talking for a bit about her brother at a memorial service at the Xcel Energy Center this past Sunday. Derek passed away this past week for unknown reasons. The family has opted to donate his brain to medical researchers:



Brad Marchand of the Boston Bruins- and the reflection of Brad Marchand of the Boston Bruins – gets checked by Brett Clark of the Tampa Bay Lightning and the reflection of Brett Clark of the Tampa Bay Lightning:



Cool shot prior to Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals of San Jose Sharks forward – and eventual hero – Patrick Marleau:



Fish bowl view of San Jose Sharks forward Joe Thornton giving Detroit Red Wings Henrik Zetterberg the business in the corner while Z’s teammate Todd Bertuzzi looks on:



Nick Spaling of the Nashville Predators uses every part of his body - including his face - to pressure Christian Ehrhoff of the Vancouver Canucks:

Hockey Goals: Lidstrom, Kesler and Jagr

Hockey Goals:
Lidstrom, Kesler and Jagr

No hockey games tonight, no problem! Here’s a great trio of highlight goals from Nicklas Lidstrom, Ryan Kesler and Jaromir Jagr. Bonus video of that ridiculous backhand goal by Pavel Datsyuk from last night included, too, at the bottom.

Without further ado, do enjoy:
Detroit Red Wings Nicklas Lidstrom scores a great – and timely – goal off the hop against the San Jose Sharks:



Vancouver Canucks forward Ryan Kesler shows that there’s just no stopping in him with this great split-the-D-and-fire-a-twisted-wrister of a goal against the Nashville Predators:



Even at 39 years old, Team Czech forward Jaromir Jagr shows he still has more game than some of the best younger players in the world. This (long) video shows him going the distance for his team and country, scoring a hat trick against Team USA at the World Championships:



One day removed and I’m already missing Pavel Datsyuk highlights. At least he went out in style with yet another ridiculous goal:

Hockey Music: Patrick Kane – I’m in Chicago Trick

Hockey Music:
Patrick Kane – I’m in Chicago Trick

HockeyGods.com has struck again on the Hockey Chump. Yes, the creators of such priceless gems as . . .

Carey Price – Tik Tok

(Pittsburgh Penguins) Black and Yellow

(Maple Leafs) – Love to Hear the Boos

Highly Unlikely

and

Sidney Crosby Rap

. . . released another hilarious video this past December called “Patrick Kane – I’m in Chicago Trick” done to the tune of LMFAO's "I'm in Miami Trick".

The video features the lyrically gifted MC Five Hole and some of the best on- and off-ice Patrick Kane moments of his young career (wait for the Grand Theft Auto Clip – genius!)

My two favorite lines:

I hit like a wimp,
But I shoot like a pimp
Like a real O.G.

and

Drink all day,
Skate all night
Let’s play some hockey,
I’m in Chicago trick

Okay, so enough with all the preview, lead-in b.s. Let’s get down to it. Here’s “Patrick Kane – I’m in Chicago Trick”. If you like it, make sure to share it – these guys deserve the exposure:



Sing. Dance. Play hockey!

Hockey Quote: Sean Avery

Hockey Quote:
Sean Avery

New York Rangers forward Sean Avery became the first New York sports athlete to publicly voice his support for legalizing gay marriage in the state. Check out the PSA he did for “New Yorkers for Marriage Equality”:



Stick tap to Avery for having the guts to come out and make such a bold statement. Two-minute minor for those ridiculous fish bowl glasses.

The only unfortunate thing to come out of this otherwise positive story is what’s going on with troll hockey agent Todd Reynolds. Using Avery’s shoulders as his own personal soapbox, the otherwise hardly known Reynolds went on a tweet-spurt last night criticizing Avery for his message:

"Very sad to read Sean Avery's misguided support of same-gender 'marriage.' Legal or not, it will always be wrong."

After this first tweet, Reynolds – who represents NHL players Chris Neil, Cody McCormick and Mike Fisher – immediately went into damage control, tweeting:

"To clarify. This is not hatred or bigotry towards gays. It is not intolerance in any way shape or form. I believe we are all equal."

. . . and . . .

"But I believe in the sanctity of marriage between one man and one woman. This is my personal viewpoint. I Do not hate anyone."

. . . and finally, in a radio interview, further clarifying by saying,

"I believe in voicing your opinion and not being part of the silent majority," he said on TSN radio.  "If Sean Avery or any other player can comment on one side of the discussion then -- I work in hockey, I'm in hockey 24-7 -- why can I not comment on it as well?"

Now, everyone has the right to voice their opinion, and I agree with that last Reynolds quote – he has every right to say what’s on his mind. But dude, make something of yourself first and then stand on your own two feet to let people know what you think. Don’t use someone else’s positive publicity to mainstream your counter-message.

This whole Reynolds situations reeks of lameness. Tsk-tsk.

Hockey Pictures: Thornton, Weber, Howard and More

Hockey Pictures:
Thornton, Weber, Howard and More

There’s a cool goal-cam shot in here, and some funny fan ones, too. We’ve got players warming up behind the scenes and a cool in-the-moment still-frame shot as well. Basically, there’s something in here for everyone. It’s all from this past week in the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs.

Enjoy:

San Jose Sharks forward Joe Thornton does his best impression of a turtle while Detroit Red Wings forward Johan Franzen helps him get better into position:




Nashville Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne looks mighty afraid of Shea Weber’s ball hitting him in the face (off the subject – I tooooootally did not know that Rinne was THAT skinny – jeeze, eat something, guy):



Awesome shot of Detroit Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard making a close-range save on San Jose Shark’s forward Logan Couture with Dany Heatley looking for a non-existent rebound.



Decisions, decisions. Vancouver Canucks defenseman Alexander Edler warms up prior to the team’s game against the Nashville Predators:



Because their series against the Washington Capitals didn’t last too long, the Tampa Bay Lightning fans had to get in all of their smack talking in just two games:



More funny Lightning fan stuff: Lightning fans take turns throwing snowballs at an Alex Ovechkin statue:



Boston Bruins forward David Krejci strikes a pose after being checked by Philadelphia Flyers’ Braydon Coburn:

Hockey Goals: Vauclair, Moore and Pavelski

Hockey Goals:
Vauclair, Moore and Pavelski

Another week, another threesome of the best goals the hockey world has to offer. Check out these three gems, including Julien Vauclair of Team Switzerland, Dominic Moore of the Tampa Bay Lightning, and Joe Pavelski of the San Jose Sharks.

Enjoy:

Julien Vauclair of Team Switzerland takes it to the hole against Team France in the International Hockey World Championships. Check out the speed on this kid – made the French look like they had one too many croissants before the game:



Dominic Moore of the Tampa Bay Lightning cashes in on an empty net goal. Afterwards, he pays for it. The goal is what it is, but the highlight is the hustle he shows in getting it:



San Jose Sharks forward Joe Pavelski shows great eye-hand coordination banging in this rebound against the Detroit Red Wings:

Hockey Quote: Sidney Crosby

Hockey Quote:
Sidney Crosby

This past week, Pittsburgh Penguins All-Star center Sidney Crosby came out and admitted – shortly after his team’s first-round loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning – that he did, in fact, experience a set-back in his attempt to come back from a concussion this season.

It was the first time Crosby addressed the media in well over a month and it was his silence that led to so much speculation around the extent of his injury. The extent of his setback was not discussed, but he did admit that he was never ready to get back to competing.

On training:

"I started trying to ramp things up a bit as far as working out and skating, and I got a little bit of the symptoms," he said. "So, I had to take a step back. The progression had gone pretty well, but at the same time, I still wasn't ready."

Crosby went on to say that he and the physicians haven’t laid out plans for a summer program and that he has to wait a tad longer before he can continue developing his physical progress. His workouts are almost back to normal, but recent setbacks caused him and the staff to be a bit more cautious.

The Penguins captain closed things off by saying that he isn’t worried about being ready for the start of next season:

"I feel like, from where I was a couple months ago, things were a lot better," he said. "Just being able to skate was encouraging. Hopefully, the next step doesn't have any hurdles and I can get ready for next season as usual."

Good for the Pittsburgh faithful. While the Penguins made a valiant attempt at competing with the Lightning, it’s pretty clear that without Crosby and there other star forward, Evgeni Malkin – who was injured mid-season and ended up missing the rest of the year with a torn ACL and MCL – the team isn’t deep enough to get deep into the playoffs.

Hockey Pictures: Kronwall, Boucher, Recchi and More

Hockey Pictures:
Kronwall, Boucher, Recchi and More

The beards are getting longer, the faces are getting dirtier and the hockey is getting better – welcome to round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs folks! Here’s a compilation of some of the best photos from this past week in the playoffs – round 1 and round 2 included.

Enjoy:

Detroit Red Wings players Drew Miller, Niklas Kronwall and Jimmy Howard line up to form a Red wall to try and block San Jose Sharks Dan Boyle slapshot:



Current Vancouver Canucks player Dan Hamhuis gets bum rushed by Nashville Predators announcer Wade Belak, a former teammate of Hamhuis on the Preds:



Washington Capitals fans show that they have the highest IQ of all NHL fans, but the most time on their hands, too:



Philadelphia Flyers goaltending tandem of Sergei Bobrovsky and Brian Boucher arrive together prior to game 1 against the Boston Bruins. They look sharp in this picture, which is good, considering that they didn’t look too sharp in the crease during a 3-7 drubbing:



Well, this isn’t going to end well. Martin Erat of the Nashville Predators gets poked and prodded by Vancouver Canucks players Ryan Kesler and Kevin Bieksa:



Pandemonium in Boston – Mark Recchi celebrates his goal with teammate Brad Marchand:




Vancouver Canucks fans get their game face on prior to the team’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks:



Cool shot of Brian Boucher leaving the ice after warm-ups prior to the team’s game 7 against the Buffalo Sabres: