Separated At Birth: Anze Kopitar and The Joker

Doesn't look like he'll be needing a costume this year. (click for larger version)

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Video: Jordan Eberle's First NHL Goal

It deserves a post all on its own. It is that good.

[Photo: Faceoff]

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10 Awesome Things To Look Forward To In The Upcoming NHL Season

1. Young Guns: So. Many. Good. Youngs in the NHL. And they all has guns. In particular, we're talking about the trifecta of Edmonton Oilers talent, Jordan Eberle, Magnus Paajarvi and Taylor Hall. While the Oilers may not be close to contending this year, fans can take solace in the fact that nightly, their team will be an electrifying one to watch.

2. Washington's Year: Many pundits are predicting the Washington Capitals to win the Stanley Cup this year - and once again, their biggest question mark leading up to the season will be in net. With the departure of Jose Theodore, the Capitals turn to Semyon Varlamov and rookie Michal Neuvirth to shoulder the load between them. The Capitals are solid at every position, and their goaltending only has to be good - not great - for them to stand an excellent chance of hoisting the Cup.

3. Canada's Best Chance: After a complete defensive breakdown and out-of-character play in last year's playoffs, the Vancouver Canucks will be looking to rebound after making a couple of key acquisitions in the off-season. Gone are defencemen Willie Mitchell and Shane O'Brien, and in come prized unrestricted free agent Dan Hamhuis and the rough-and-tumble Keith Ballard. Many wonder if the two d-men will be enough to push the Canucks to the next level, and more importantly, if Roberto Luongo will be able to bounce back after some shaky post-season play. If so, the Canucks are poised for a long Stanley Cup run.

4. Will Olli Jokinen Suck? Now I'm not trying to be a Negative Nancy or anything, but once Darryl Sutter reacquired the much-maligned NHL centreman, fans went a little crazy in Cowtown. I think I've said enough about this already, so I'll just say only one thing more: if Olli's amazing, Sutter's a genius, if he tanks, Sutter's fired - but I'm thinking he'll be somewhere in between. Just mediocre. Olli okay. Besides, Flames fans will have much more to worry about if they fail to make the playoffs again. Like their collective sanity.

5. What Will Sidney Crosby Improve Next? Foot-speed? Check. Stick-handling? Check. Faceoff percentage? Check. Goals? Check. Beard growth? Desperately needing work.

6. Blackhawks Down: The off-season saw the departure of Dustin Byfuglien, Kris Versteeg, John Madden, Brent Sopel, Andrew Ladd, Antti Niemi and Adam Burish - but throughout their cap management gymnastics, Chicago still managed to maintain their core group of players. However, many are questioning if the Blackhawks have done sufficient damage control in the acquisition of new players like Marty Turco and Fernando Pisani. The loss of toughness, size and character could mean the Blackhawks will have to shape themselves a new team image. With it could come a whole new outcome.

7. Price Ou Halak: Pierre Gauthier's decision to ship out Jaroslav Halak was a choice not taken lightly by Habs fans, some who, just weeks before, had feverishly purchased Halak jerseys during Montreal's playoff run...those poor suckers. So now the inevitable question: who will have the better season? It's going to be one of the more intriguing mysteries to unravel this season. Remember Habs fans: Carey Says Relax. But actually. Relax. Christ, you guys are nuts.

8. The Saves, The Hits, The Highlight Reel Goals: It's what we live for, these moments. It's what makes this game so special. I'm ready to have my mind blown apart, reassembled, then ripped to shreds again by the awesomeness that is soon to ensue. Speaking of mind-blowing...Jordan-FREAKIN'-Eberle, anyone?

9. Winter Classics: This year's annual Winter Classic festivities will feature the Washington Capitals versus the Pittsburgh Penguins (omgsocreative), but the most awesomest part of it all is that a few weeks before, HBO will be airing their own mini-documentary on all the pre-game preparations leading up to the big day on January 1st. This is a win for hockey.

10. Hockey Players All Sweaty: And finally, the NHL marketing team always comes out with amazing advertising campaigns - that's one part of the league that never fails to impress me. Well. Except for this. This was bad.

Their latest advertising foray is called "Questions Will Become Answers", and it's fantastic. It features the likes of Alex Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby, Ryan Miller, Jonathan Toews, and Mike Cammalleri all up in the gym just working on their fitness. There's more to it than that though, I promise.

And Sid's:

[Photo: Montreal Gazette]

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Things That Are Funny: Alex Kovalev Fighting Francois Beauchemin

You think Kovalev is going all rope-a-dope on him for a while, but nope: he's just sucking.

[Photo: Kuklas Korner]

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All You Need To Know About The Penguins-Capitals HBO Series

• Similar to the NFL's "Hard Knocks" mini-documentaries, the HBO series will be called "24/7 Penguins/Capitals: Road To The NHL Winter Classic", and will feature an inside look at the players' preparations leading up the NHL's fourth Winter Classic on January 1st, 2011.
• The cameras will know no boundaries - inside the locker rooms, at team meetings, within players' homes, on plane rides - HBO touts it as "unprecedented access."
• The series will contain four episodes airing weekly at 10pm, starting on December 15th, 22nd, 29th, and then finally on January 5th, which will chronicle the events of the actual outdoor game.
• In keeping with HBO tradition, all dialogue between players and coaches will be uncensored. Which is freakin' amazing. I look forward to eavesdropping on Bruce Boudreau, because that man was born to be uncensored.

In celebration of the announcement, "DownGoesBrown" started the Twitter meme #NHLRealityShows. Some good ones:

• Queer Eye for the Straight Guy Lafleur #NHLRealityShows
• 
  
  I'm an Ottawa Senator, Get Me Out Of Here! #NHLRealityShows
• Who Wants To Marry a Multimillionaire Backup Goalie and Then Listen To Him Bitch About Money All Day? #NHLRealityShows (in reference to the Dan Ellis "incident")
• Cash Cab with Patrick Kane #NHLRealityShows
• the best one: Temptation Island feat. Kyle Wellwood #NHLRealityShows
• and again... My Big Fat Obnoxious Kyle Wellwood #NHLRealityShows
• Sorry Kyle.

Here's what the players involved had to say:

Sidney Crosby:

“I think it’s going to be pretty cool to have them follow us around a bit. I’m sure it will be something that we look back on and it will be great to see the interaction with all the guys and all the preparation leading up to games. That will be pretty neat to have all the footage of. Hopefully fans will get to know our team a little better as regular people as well.”

HBO president Ross Greenberg:

“Taking our reality series ‘24/7’ into the world of the National Hockey League is a perfect fit. The ‘24/7’ franchise is fashioned on larger-than-life personalities, engaging storylines, and unrestricted access. With Sidney Crosby leading the Penguins and Alex Ovechkin leading the Capitals, we have all the ingredients for a dynamic show that will take viewers deep inside professional hockey and set the stage for the Winter Classic.”

Max Talbot:

“Most fans just see us in our equipment playing the game. Yes, they might see us up on the scoreboard doing some different charitable things, but I really think they are going to see a different side of us, the real us. They will see what it’s like when we get dressed in the locker room and what the atmosphere is. It’s way more than just skating around.”

George McPhee:

"We've been pretty strict with access to the locker room and we've always felt that the locker room at the practice rink or the main rink is really a player sanctuary. They have to have some place where they can work and have some privacy; that's why we've been strict. But with HBO -- after watching what they did with 'Hard Knocks' and everything else and seeing some of the other programs that they've done, they're big time. We're going to give them unfettered access, because we thought 'Hard Knocks' was great."

Alexander Ovechkin:

"If I'm gonna say some bad words it's gonna be Russian words...this is gonna be probably my favorite show. It’s pretty cool experience, sick. For the team, for the guys, for the organization, it’s a big step forward. We’re gonna be on TV again, so it’s good.”

[Photo: pghpenguins]

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Duncan's Teeth - Duchene scores an absolute beauty, Hodgson is pretty much kind of ready

[Duncan's Teeth is a round-up of the seven most interesting and intriguing hockey links of the day. Named in honour of Duncan Keith and the late seven teeth he lost in the playoffs on that fateful day of Sunday, May 23rd, 2010. May the chicklets rest in peace.]

Matt Duchene scores an orgasmic, Datsyukian-like goal during the shootout of a Colorado Avalanche Intersquad game. Guuhhhamazing. (BTW, picture above = most awkward thing ever? His pants are feeling the strain...) [Puck Daddy]

The New York Islanders have signed their fifth overall pick in the 2010 Draft, Nino Niederreiter, to a three-year entry level contract. So...jealous... [NHL]
In the spirit of disclosing all things Patrick Kane, here's his latest interview with the Globe and Mail's Eric Duhatschek. It's all about money, cars, partying, and bitches. Or not. [Globe and Mail]
Is he healthy or is he injured? Beware hockey poolies - Marc Savard, still suffering from post-concussion symptoms, could be out for the entire season. [NESN]
Calm down Canucks fans...Cody Hodgson is healthy and ready to rumble! Sort of. [Vancouver Sun]
For all you video game nerdos out there who bought NHL 11 at 12:01am on the day of its release, here's a review from The Hockey News proclaiming it the "best hockey game for the series so far." Ooooo. Geek out! [THN]
Hey! For the huuuge amount of lady readers I have (at least two), here's a hilarious hockey site dedicated to all the "passionate female fans" who need to get their eye candy fix on. [HFTL]

[Photo: Faceoff]

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Sidney Crosby Homers Out Of An Actual Major League Ballpark

This man is magic.

I have nothing more to say.

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Forget Crosby and Ovechkin - Market Patrick Kane

I know it sounds bad. How could Patrick Kane - sleazy, hairless, unable-to-sacrifice-20-cents Patrick Kane -become the next emblem of the NHL? At first, there doesn’t seem to be room in the league between the Sidney Crosby-Alexander Ovechkin rivalry and the constant bombardment of Washington-Pittsburgh merchandise. At most, Kane’s role is secondary, and further reduced to background noise next to the League's more marketable stars.

But I have a proposition to make: Patrick Kane, the next new face of the NHL.

Kane, age 21, has emerged as the unlikely poster boy for Generation Y. Unlike his fellow linemate Jonathan Toews, Kane doesn't shy away from flaunting his youth and enthusiasm. He isn’t afraid to party and shuffle down a couple beers while he’s at it. And in an instant, Kane can shed the playfulness and display a fire and drive akin to that of a Stanley Cup champion. [Sidenote: What represents our generation more than Twi-hards? Patrick Kane is one of them...which is hilarious, we can all agree, but endearing, too.] Unlike Crosby, who has been more or less shackled to the league's demands of propriety, Kane is the league's most relatable – and most human – player, whose god-like talents are balanced by a down-to-earth disposition.

We all know by now the infamous cab driver incident, and by no means do I intend to suggest these actions are excusable. But as the maxim goes, no one is perfect, and I think it’s safe to dismiss his mistake as a product of youth, not as a flaw in personality. I don’t believe Kane is the “douchebag” some people let him out to be. Reading up on his recent outings with the Stanley Cup suggests his maturation is coming on quickly.

With a league that is so stilted in personality – half of the players are your typical “good Canadian boys” who say and do all the right things (although it beats players who shoot themselves in the legs at clubs), Kane represents the all-American face the league should endorse if it wants to further attract markets down South. He might not appeal to all demographics, but for young people just beginning to dig their fingers into hockey, Kane would be an excellent ambassador of the game. He represents prodigious skill, talent, and youth unfettered by regulation. Let Crosby and Ovechkin be the landmarks of this era – but give Patrick Kane and others like him the chance to shine too.

[Photo: Zimbio]

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Max Talbot Calls Alexander Ovechkin a "Douche"

105.9 The X, a local Pittsburgh radio station, had Max Talbot on to talk a little bit about the upcoming Winter Classic starring his own Pittsburgh Penguins versus the Washington Capitals. Max has never been one to pull any punches, and today was no exception - just listen to his answer when he was asked about his feelings towards one Alexander Ovechkin. Find the full interview here - the first blow comes about a minute in. Hilarious.

[Photo: Pittsburgh Magazine]

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Picture of the Day: Henrik Zetterberg's Really Weird Wedding Photos

Those wacky Swedes.

Henrik Zetterberg and television personality Emma Andersson will be tying the knot on Friday, but not before they take these zany photos of themselves and confuse the crap out of everyone.

Find the rest of the photos here, at the Swedish media website Aftonbladet. It's worth it, trust me. I translated the page and the headline reads, "Now bang it," and it just gets better and better from there.

[Photo: Aftonbladet]

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