Category Archives: Articles

Round One Thoughts

Hear the gnashing of teeth. See the flailing of arms. Feel the tension and taste the tears, because playoff hockey is here.

After game one of the Senators-Canadiens series, the front page of the Ottawa Sun featured a goretastic image of Lars Eller leaking blood all over ice at the Montreal Forum. We at Pucked in the Head would be shocked if this weren't one of the few newspapers that still publishes Sunshine Girl pics on a regular basis.
After game one of the Senators-Canadiens series, the front page of the Ottawa Sun featured a goretastic image of Lars Eller leaking blood all over ice at the Montreal Forum. We at Pucked in the Head would be shocked if this weren’t one of the few newspapers that still publishes Sunshine Girl pics on a regular basis.

Mere days into the NHL’s first round, and we’ve already seen blowouts — the Sidless Penguins handed John Tavares every ass on the New York Islander roster in game one. We’ve been treated to overtime gaffes — I’m looking at you, Jonathan Quick, you bizarre, talented bastard, you. Controversy: Eric Gryba got an unwarranted two-game suspension after Lars Eller’s nose hit the ice. Sadly, Brendan Shanahan’s ruling — see the video below — was only half as atrocious as the Ottawa Sun’s front page coverage of the incident. (Even Sun sports journalist Bruce Garrioch was embarrassed, going to lengths to explain that editors, not writers, choose the pictures and headlines.) And out west, Roberto Luongo played his face off in a surprise start for the listless Vancouver Canucks. No one seems to know what ails the goaltender regent, Corey Schneider, but who mans the crease will only be a talking point if Vancouver manages more than a goal a game against the Sharks.

Perhaps the most impressive story so far this playoff actually stretches beyond the boundaries of the NHL. On the very day that the Toronto Maple Leafs played their first playoff game in nearly a decade, the Leafs, Toronto Blue Jays and Toronto FC were collectively outscored 20-2 by the Boston Bruins, Boston Red Sox and Montreal Impact respectively. It seems nothing can go right in Hogtown these days — Rob Ford is still the mayor, for goodness’ sake.

Okay, okay: politics notwithstanding, in a city that proclaims itself the Centre of the Universe, they sure as shootin’ aren’t doing much to impress in the world of sports. Until the Argonauts take the field to defend their Grey Cup title later this summer, the only thing T-dot has to cheer for is the Marlies. The Baby Leafs swept the Rochester Americans in the AHL Calder Cup playoffs, and await the winners of the other three Western Conference quarterfinals before second round reseeding. Go (baby) Leafs go, I suppose.

Here’s ol’ Shanny’s ruling, in which he mysteriously states that Gryba made Eller’s head the principal point of contact. (Compare with PK Subban’s hit on Chris Neil earlier in the game — in which red-jerseyed shoulder indeed smucks upon white-helmeted head — as giffed by @Eyeonhockey.)

PK Subban launches his shoulder into Chris Neil's head early in game one of the Habs-Sens series, a case of no blood, no foul for the NHL. Image grabbed from @eyeonhockey.
PK Subban launches his shoulder into Chris Neil’s head early in game one of the Habs-Sens series, a case of no blood, no foul for the NHL. Image grabbed from @eyeonhockey.

Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2, FC Edmonton 0

The Vancouver Whitecaps delivered a convincing 2-nil win over FC Edmonton in the second leg of the Canadian Cup semi-final. With the win, the Caps move on to the final against the Montreal Impact, who embarrassed Toronto FC 6-0 in the other semi.

I’m sure Chris Withers will have more to say about the match, but here are a few shots I captured at the game.

Corey Hertzog scored a dramatic second half goal to lift Whitecaps FC to a 2-0 win over FC Edmonton on May 1, 2013. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.
Corey Hertzog scored a dramatic second half goal to lift Whitecaps FC to a 2-0 win over FC Edmonton on May 1, 2013. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.

More after the jump.

Continue reading Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2, FC Edmonton 0

EA Predicts a repeat

NHL13The frenzy that is the first round of the NHL playoffs is upon us — and if the first night is any indication, the theme is defense, defense, snore… I mean, defense. I mean, really. The last time we came out of a lockout, hockey was exciting and fast-moving. This lockout has punctuated the return of the dead puck era, where neutral zone traps and left wing locks are de rigeur. Out of six teams playing Tuesday night, only the Anaheim Ducks managed to score more than one goal in regulation time. All hail Teemu Selanne and his wrist shot of doom!

If tonight’s games between the Canucks & Sharks and the Pens and Isles end 2-1 in OT, can we just fast forward to the final and be done with it?

EA Sports has used NHL 13 to prognosticate the NHL playoff results, and they’ve come up with the New York Rangers as a surprise winner of Lord Stanley’s mug over Jonathan Toews and the Chicago Blackhawks in the final. Our man Jake Hall decided to sim it up as well, and he got a decidedly different result:

by Jake Hall

For fans of the Vancouver Canucks, the “official” EA Sports sim wasn’t pretty. It involved a second round sweep at the hands of the Kings — a sweep! What is this, 2012? Needless to say, I was hoping for a different outcome when I ran the 2013 playoffs through my humble PS3 in the Hall household.

Check it out after the jump.

Continue reading EA Predicts a repeat

2013 Seattle Mariners

With the Stanley Cup Playoffs getting underway tonight, you’ll be getting your fill of hockey coverage on Pucked in the Head, don’t you worry. We’ve had a smattering of baseball coverage on the site before, but it’s all focused on the Toronto Blue Jays, and screw Toronto. Today, new PitH correspondent John Stewart takes a look at some ball a little closer to Vancouver with an update from the Emerald City.

Ladies and gentlemen, your 2013 Seattle Mariners. Continue reading 2013 Seattle Mariners

Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2, FC Dallas 2

If there’s one thing I hate about soccer, it’s diving. It’s rampant at pretty much all levels of the game, and the MLS is no different. Sadly, faking injury is not only a major part of the FC Dallas game plan, it seems to frickin’ work. Saturday’s referee crew bought into FC Dallas’s every whimper, whinge and writhe, handing the visitors free kicks and set pieces galore, and allowing lengthy delays in game play.

Vancouver Whitecaps FC midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker and FC Dallas defender Jair Benitez race for a ball during the first half of a 2-2 tie at BC Place on April 27, 2013. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker and FC Dallas defender Jair Benitez race for a ball during the first half of a 2-2 tie at BC Place on April 27, 2013. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.

Dallas players went down like red-shirted ensigns on Star Trek. They stayed down like my two-year-old daughter, bawling because they fell down went boom. Come on, you wailing tart — you’re a professional freaking athlete, in prime physical condition. Are you seriously telling me your tummy wummy hurtsy wurtsies because the bad man in the brown jersey bumped into you? Get up, you whining sack of sheisse, and play the game.

More after the break.

Continue reading Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2, FC Dallas 2

Dallasing

FC Dallas, who played the Whitecaps last Saturday in Dallas, and will play them again this coming Saturday in Vancouver, put out a video yesterday introducing the world to “Vancouvering”. It’s an amusing idea, making fun of Joe Cannon’s habit of resting his head on his arms while laying on the turf after a goal against. It shows people in everyday situations reacting to disappointment in similar fashion. While I did get a laugh (before I realized the thing went on for over three minutes), the Dallas social media team really should learn not to cast stones when the team they’re employed by is renowned league-wide as the biggest bunch of diving, whining cheats in Major League Soccer. “Vancouvering,” you say? I give you Dallasing.

Whitecaps Eke Out A Semi-Final Victory

Whitecaps Wednesday
Well. That happened.

The Voyageurs’ Cup tournament kicked off on Wednesday night. Vancouver have yet to win this trophy in eleven tries. They’ve been beaten outright, they’ve secured near-certain victory only to be betrayed by another team starting a reserve side and getting pummelled, they’ve had a late lead washed out by torrential downpour, clearing the way for them to lose the replay. What they hadn’t done, since the format was changed in 2011, was lose their semi-final matchup. Oh, they’d come close. Montreal, then in division 2, forced extra time at Empire Field in 2011, and Ali Gerba was inches away from winning it for them at the death. FC Edmonton scored early at BC Place last year, making the final leg interesting until Sebastien Le Toux put the game out of reach. Tonight, the Whitecaps again struggled against a division two side, but pulled out a 3-2 win to put themselves in the driver’s seat coming home next week. Continue reading Whitecaps Eke Out A Semi-Final Victory

Anatomy of a #CapsOnTour Road Trip

Whitecaps WednesdayThis past weekend, the Whitecaps were down in San Jose to take on the Earthquakes. Not counting the California-based friends and family of several Whitecaps players, there were about forty fans (most of them Southsiders) that made the trip down for the game. Some of them flew down. I, and about twenty others, to the shock and horror of most people we told, drove. How does one pull off such a road trip in only three days? Read on.
Continue reading Anatomy of a #CapsOnTour Road Trip

Kelowna Rockets make history

The Kelowna Rockets became just the second team in WHL history to win a playoff series after going down three games to none to the Seattle Thunderbirds. It was a dramatic series, with five of the seven games going to overtime, including the seventh and deciding game.

Defenseman Madison Bowey set up the dramatic game 7 overtime winner to complete an historic comeback for the Kelowna Rockets. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.
Defenseman Madison Bowey set up the dramatic game 7 overtime winner to complete an historic comeback for the Kelowna Rockets. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.

Tyson Baillie scored his third goal of the game at 5:10 of the first overtime period, on a back door pass from Madison Bowey that left him with 3/4 of the net to shoot at. It was Baillie’s seventh goal of the series, and erased the sour taste in the mouths of Kelowna fans after Seattle had tied the game with just seven seconds remaining in regulation.

More after the jump.

Continue reading Kelowna Rockets make history

Whitecaps report card

Whitecaps WednesdayAfter four games, the Vancouver Whitecaps have given us two impressive wins and two unfortunate losses. While they still have less success with set pieces than elite teams (hello, LA Galaxy), in no situation have they looked out of place or flat out lost in the wilderness. This despite losing captain Jay DeMerit to a severe leg injury just minutes into the first game. With game five coming up against the San Jose Earthquakes, we at Pucked in the Head offer up our report card for Whitecaps Wednesday.

Continue reading Whitecaps report card