2012 Playoffs: Semi-finals Day Three

#5 Philadelphia Flyers / #6 New Jersey Devils

Flyers lead series 1-0 after a 4-3 OT win


Daniel Briere scored the game-winner. Twice. The first time, the goal was called off. But then he had a nice shot that made it through a lot of bodies and Brodeur never saw it.

Also, Travis Zajac was a dominant offensive force for the Devils. He's been having a great post-season so far.

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#3 Phoenix Coyotes / #4 Nashville Predators

Coyotes lead series 2-0 after a 5-3 win


It seems that the Predators offense showed up but their defense was out to lunch. Sure, Pekka Rinne can handle a lot of shots but not like the ones that the Coyotes were shooting at him. The Coyotes are a confident team and they're offensively dangerous.

The story of this game was the fact that the Coyotes were offensively everywhere. Any time they had the puck, they were shooting it on Rinne and causing trouble for the goaltender.

2012 Playoffs: Semi-finals Day Two

#1 New York Rangers / #7 Washington Capitals

Rangers lead series 1-0 after a 3-1 win

That Chris Kreider. He's so hot right now.

And he's all over NHL.com.

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#2 St. Louis Blues / #8 Los Angeles Kings

Kings lead series 1-0 after a 3-1 win


David Backes got the Blues on the scoreboard first but after that, it was all Kings scoring. Dustin Penner sealed the deal with an empty-netter and we can't say that we're really surprised.

The Kings came out to play and they used their physicality to beat up on the Blues. Also, when a defenseman scores a short-handed goal, you know you're screwed. Or something like that.

2012 Playoffs: Semi-finals Day One

#3 Phoenix Coyotes / #4 Nashville Predators

Coyotes lead series 1-0 after a 3-2 OT win


Shockingly, it was not Mikael Boedker who scored the game-winner for the Coyotes. We know, we were surprised as well. But if you thought that it was scored by Ray Whitney then you're right. He's normally our first choice when we see the Coyotes scoring.

The game seemed a little out of sorts, almost like every Game One, as the two teams struggled to find a rhythm and were just feeling each other out. Both teams relied heavily on the heroics of their goaltenders but Rinne had most of the work.

2012 Playoffs: Semi-Finals Preview

#1 New York Rangers / #7 Washington Capitals

Uhhhh, oh no. This is the matchup that Henrik didn't want and it's still going to happen. Of course.

It will be interesting to see who the better goaltender is: Holtby or Lundqvist? Who would you pick in this series? Everyone knows how fantastical Henrik Lundqvist is but Holtby has been playing like a man possessed. But we think smart money is on the Swedish god in goal. At least our money is on that dude.

It will also be interesting to see the matchup between Girardi/McDonagh and Alex Ovechkin. If they can shut him and his line down effectively then that's one less thing for the Rangers to worry about. It will be a key to who wins this series.


Our Pick: New York Rangers

Because: Our Henrik made us do it. But most of our predictions have been wrong recently so it doesn't matter. We think the Capitals are scary right now because they're determined, they're the underdogs and they're ready to go. But the Rangers are playing with a chip on their shoulders and in front of the best goaltender in the league.

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#5 Philadelphia Flyers / #6 New Jersey Devils

We don't know what to say about this matchup except that it's unexpected and we're not really sure what's going to happen here. It will be Zach Parise against Claude Giroux and Ilya Bryzgalov versus Martin Brodeur and Ilya Kovalchuk against Scott Hartnell.

Or something like that.

This series is going to be one of the most interesting because you just don't know how these two teams are going to react to each other. Will the Devils be able to shut the Flyers high-flying offense down? Will the Flyers beat the Devils down until there's nothing left in the tank? Those are the questions that haunt us at night.


Our Pick: Philadelphia Flyers

Because: As Penguins fans, we had to see up close and personal the machine that the Flyers have become. With the ridiculous dominance of Claude Giroux and their relenting forecheck, the Flyers are hard to beat. But maybe, just maybe the Devils can be that team. We're thinking it's unlikely but we're usually wrong.

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#2 St. Louis Blues / #8 Los Angeles Kings

The Kings shocked the hockey world by beating the Vancouver Canucks four games to one and now they have to face the Blues. This series is definitely going to be the hardest to figure out because both teams are really good defensively, have excellent goaltenders and can put the puck in the net. It's almost like they're the same team in a way.

The Blues will be leaning heavily on Elliott and their stingy defense and the Kings will be doing the same with Quick and their dedication to team defense. The Blues firepower, their scoring taken up by Berglund, McDonald and Perron, is better than the Kings and that has been like that all season.

We could definitely see this series go to seven and every game going to overtime.


Our Pick: St. Louis Blues

Because: The Blues may seem like they don't have the scoring to get the job done but they do. Most of these games will probably end as 1-0 or like 2-1 in overtime but the Blues will more than likely pull out the win because they have guys that can score on pretty much every line. They're getting contributions from every line and their defense.

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#3 Phoenix Coyotes / #4 Nashville Predators

This series is also another interesting one. The Coyotes surprised the Blackhawks and just answered the bell. This is the first time that the Coyotes have made the second round since moving to the desert and we know that their fans and their team are just super excited about it.

The Predators have made it to the second round and they are determined to make it past the semi-finals this time around. We think they have the team to do it and we wouldn't want to be the Coyotes facing this team and this goaltender.

The media is already making a big deal of the Mike Smith - Pekka Rinne matchup. It is a big deal and we are excited to watch these two goaltenders make game-saving goals and steal games for their team.


Our Pick: Nashville Predators

Because: They're ridiculously strong defensively and they have Rinne who is a game-breaker and their offense is finally kicking in. It doesn't matter if the other team shuts down their top line because the third line shows up and scores some big goals. They're a dangerous team and we would love it if they made it to the Finals. Okay, love isn't even the right word, um ECSTATIC or INSANELY EXCITED or ALKSJDKLJLKSDJKL.

2012 Playoffs: Quarterfinals Day Sixteen

#1 New York Rangers / #8 Ottawa Senators

Rangers win series 4-3 after a 2-1 win in the Garden


The Rangers came out to win and scored the first two goals. From two very unlikely sources, Marc Staal and Dan Girardi. Uh, yeah, that means they actually left the defensive zone to score. Who would have thought? But it's a good sign when your most defensive players score goals.

Of course the Senators gave it everything they got and scored a goal but after that, Henrik Lundqvist shut the door down on the Senators and kept the one goal lead safe.

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#3 Florida Panthers / #6 New Jersey Devils

Devils win series 4-3 after a 3-2 OT win


Adam Henrique. Get out of our lives. He scored his first of the playoffs and then the OT winner. Get out with your pretty face and the big game goals. Get out.

Of course the game went into overtime because they all do in the first round. And the Devils were the stronger team. They scored the first two goals and of course the Panthers battled back to tie it up.

But the Devils were victorious and will make it to the second round.

2012 Playoffs: Quarterfinals Day Fifteen

#2 Boston Bruins / #7 Washington Capitals

Capitals win series 4-3 after a 2-1 win in OT


Joel Ward scored the game-winner although we thought it was Mike Knuble because he was there and he's always scoring in front of the net like that. But it was Ward's goal that sent the Bruins home.

The Capitals beat the Bruins using defense and surprisingly good goaltending from Braden Holtby. Who would have thought this the same team that used to win games eight goals to seven.

They beat the defending Stanley Cup champions in style and are in the second round.

2012 Playoffs: Quarterfinals Day Fourteen

#3 Florida Panthers / #6 New Jersey Devils

Series tied 3-3 after a 3-2 OT win for the Devils



In yet another game, the Devils took the lead only to have the Panthers tie the game up. Kris Versteeg and Sean Bergenheim scored for the Panthers.

In the overtime period, the Devils emerged as the victors. Travis Zajac scored the game-winner just over five minutes into the extra period.

In one of the few series that no one really talks about, it's going to a Game Seven. It's been pretty low-scoring to other games but with the many lead changes and close games, it's a pretty exciting series to watch.

2012 Playoffs: Quarterfinals Day Thirteen

#1 New York Rangers / #8 Ottawa Senators

Series tied 3-3 after a 3-2 Rangers win


Chris Kreider scored the game-winner for the Rangers. It was his first NHL goal and his first playoff goal of his career. Pretty awesome game for the kid.

You know what else came to play in this game? The Rangers power play. Brad Richards and Derek Stepan scored for the power play.

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#3 Phoenix Coyotes / #6 Chicago Blackhawks

Coyotes win series 4-1 after a 4-0 win in Chicago


Mike Smith was the story of this game with the shutout and thirty-three saves. He stole the game for the Coyotes and was the real difference-maker in the series.

It's pretty neat that the Coyotes and captain Shane Doan get to dance in the second round for the first time. Good for the team, the fans and the organization.

2012 Playoffs: Quarterfinals Day Twelve

#4 Pittsburgh Penguins / #5 Philadelphia Flyers

Flyers defeat the Penguins four games to two


After the last two games, we had hope that the Penguins would pull out another miraculous win. But they didn't have it in them.

The Flyers came out ready to rock, especially Claude Giroux. He was playing like a man possessed. His hit on Crosby really was the catalyst for the Flyers.

What a player and what a game he had.

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#2 Boston Bruins / #7 Washington Capitals

Series tied 3-3 after a 4-3 OT win for the Bruins


With their backs up against the wall, the Bruins pulled out the win. They knew they had to come and play and they did.

They held the lead in the third until Alex Ovechkin scored to tie the game up at three. Then Tyler Seguin showed up to the party and scored the game-winner.

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#1 Vancouver Canucks / #8 Los Angeles Kings

Kings defeat the Canucks four games to one


The game looked to be going in the Canucks favor. They scored first and they were carrying most of the play but it just wasn't enough.

Nothing is more heartbreaking than losing in overtime. Jarret Stoll was the hero with the game-winner.

2012 Playoffs: Quarterfinals Day Eleven

#2 Boston Bruins / #7 Washington Capitals

Capitals lead series 3-2 after a 4-3 win


This series has definitely been the hardest to predict. It's like one night they have overtime with a 0-0 tie and then the next it's a 4-3 game that was back and forth hockey.

Troy Brouwer scored the game-winner under two minutes left in the third period. We were as surprised as the Bruins.

Also, who would have thought that Braden Holtby would be outplaying Tim Thomas? Yeah, you can say that it isn't just the goaltenders, it's the team but honestly which goaltender looks better than the other? Honestly.

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#3 Florida Panthers / #6 New Jersey Devils

Panthers lead series 3-2 after a 3-0 win


Only a few days after being beat 4-0, the Panthers came back with Jose Theodore in net and shutout the Devils.

Kris Versteeg scored the game-winner and his second of the series. These games are pretty low-scoring compared to other series but the games are shockingly exciting and fun to watch.

When we saw that Scott Clemmensen was in for the Panthers last game, we thought it was a mistake. Theodore has been the best for the Panthers in this series and he just had a tough period. We believe that he is the key to the Panthers success in this series.

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#1 New York Rangers / #8 Ottawa Senators

Senators lead series 3-2 after a shocking 2-0 win in New York


Jason Spezza scored both goals, the last one on an empty net, in this game. They were his first two in this year's playoffs.

The fact that the Senators have the lead in this series is surprising. Admittedly, we do not get to watch many Senators games but this is still pretty crazy.

But then you remember how the Rangers were in years before. How they always had trouble scoring goals. And how they always lost in 1-0 games with Lundqvist making a trillion saves. And then you remember that it could happen.

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#2 St. Louis Blues / #7 San Jose Sharks

Blues eliminate the Sharks this series 4-1


The second period is when the Sharks took the lead on the strength of a Joe Thornton goal.

But then the third rolled around and the Blues exploded for three goals by Jamie Langenbrunner, David Perron and Andy McDOnald. It was like they were possessed to win and just did an amazing job at keeping the Sharks at bay.

Andy McDonald had a brilliant series and made his linemates better. When the top line can't score, the Blues have depth for miles. The West has to be the toughest conference, especially during the playoffs.

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#3 Phoenix Coyotes / #6 Chicago Blackhawks

Coyotes lead series 3-2 after a stunning OT win for the Blackhawks


Jonathan Toews is a determined man. And he scored a very important and serious goal for the Blackhawks less than three minutes into the overtime.

The Coyotes were playing in front of their home crowd and they were facing a desperate team but they still played really well. They carried the majority of the play in the beginning but the Hawks were playing to win and you could tell.

It was also nice to see Gilbert Brule score the Coyotes first goal and also the first playoff goal of his career.

STATurday With Curtis: The Calder Nominees

I didn't know quite what stats to throw at you this week- but then I remembered all of the research I did on the rookies this year, and in lieu of the Calder nominations yesterday, I thought this would be appropriate. I am- using the numbers- going to argue why EACH of these players should win the award.

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The Calder Trophy nominees, as you surely know by now, are Ryan Nugent-Hopkins of the Edmonton Oilers, Gabriel Landeskog of the Colorado Avalanche, and Adam Henrique of the New Jersey Devils. All were incredible, impact players for their respective teams, and looking at the stat line, there is little you can really differentiate. Landeskog and Nugent-Hopkins were tied for first with 52 points, with Henrique bringing up the rear with 51. So how can you find any separation between the three?

Lets start with Henrique.

Henrique played a large part of the year as the Devils' first-line center due to the injury of Travis Zajac. He took about 25% of the teams faceoffs and won 48.8%- no small feat for a first year player (For comparison, look at the Oilers' first-line center Nugent-Hopkins at 37.5%). The Devils were comfortable playing Henrique in any situation, and rightfully so- they had the NHL's best penalty kill this season, thanks largely in part to the work of Henrique, who averaged 3rd amongst Devils forwards in shorthanded ice-time. Not to be overlooked- Henrique's whopping 4G, 3A while shorthanded, good for tops in the league in both goals and points. That makes him the only rookie nominated to lead the league in anything. His +/- was also third on the team at +8, and if anything this year, he solidified himself as a Selke nominee in the future. Even though he missed 8 games this year, he only finished one point back of the "favourite" for the award, Gabriel Landeskog.

And then there's that disgustingly handsome Swede himself.

What is there not to like about Landeskog? He is the big, defensively reliable physical winger with a scoring touch that every team needs. Landeskog played all 82 games this year, proving his durability and ability to adjust to the NHL level- something the other two nominees failed to do, missing 8 and 20 games. The most impressive part of his stat line, for sure, and the most oft-mentioned, is his +/-. Landeskog was a +20 on a team with -12 goal differential, and that's nothing to shake your head at. On the Avs roster it looks like some kind of mistake- he's +9 over the closest teammate, and in fact, if you added all five of the other plus-players on his team together, he still beats them. He's also known for his great skating ability and his hitting- he led all rookie forwards in hits with 219. He was also the only one of the three nominees to crack the 20 goal mark in his first year, hitting 23, which included 5 game winners. Landeskog really put himself into the Calder conversation with his play after the All-Star Break- he had only 26 points in 51 games prior to that weekend (.51p/g), and after, he doubled his point production in only 31 games (.84p/g). He's considered to be the most complete, all-around player in the rookie class this year.

But lets not forget The Nuge.

Nugent-Hopkins had to do just about everything he could this year not to be forgotten.Coming into the league, he faced a lot of adversity from critics saying he was too small and undeveloped to compete in the NHL- he responded by scoring a hattrick in only his third game. Then, after a fluke shoulder injury kept him out of the line up on two separate occasions for a combined total of 20 games, it looked like he should have been all but out of the race. But not so, as Nugent-Hopkins still finished tied for 1st in scoring, blowing his competition out of the water with his points-per-game (.84 to Landeskog's .63). Over the course of a whole season, that works out to about 69 points. Of course, he didn't play a whole season, and there is no "what if" that matters in hockey, but he didn't use it as an excuse not to finish first. Really, the only reason this is even a conversation is because of those 20 games. Regardless of time missed, Nugent-Hopkins was the far-and-away leader in Power Play Points with 23, beating his nearest competitor (Cody Hodgson) by 9. He was undoubtedly the quarterback of what finished as the third-best PP in the NHL. He dominated as an 18 year-old, and in fact, he was the youngest player in the NHL to finish the season.

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So what do you think? Who did I argue best for? I was trying my best not to show my own bias, but... #NugeForCalder.

2012 Playoffs: Quarterfinals Day Ten

#4 Pittsburgh Penguins / #5 Philadelphia Flyers

Flyers lead series 3-2 after another Penguins win


After winning Game Four in Philadelphia by seven goals, the Penguins still had not proved themselves as being back in the series.

With last night's 3-2 defensive battle, they looked one step closer to being the team that everyone thought they could be.

Marc-Andre Fleury came up huge for the Penguins and he was the main reason that they were able to hold into the lead throughout the parade to the penalty box. He was playing lights out last night.

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#4 Nashville Predators / #5 Detroit Red Wings

Predators win series 4-1 after a 2-1 win


David Legwand scored the eventual game-winner just thirteen seconds into the third period. But that was all that the Predators needed to win this game and this series.

The Predators are the first team to clinch a spot in the second round and they gotta wait around to see who they will face in the Semi-finals.



Also, watching the game on TV, Bridgestone Arena was loud. These fans were rocking the yellow and came to help their team win. It does make a difference.

2012 Playoffs: Quarterfinals Day Nine

#3 Florida Panthers / #6 New Jersey Devils

Series tied 2-2 after a 4-0 Devils win


Unlike the last game, the Devils held onto the lead this time. Martin Brodeur came up big when the team needed him and it made the difference.

The Devils power play is also coming up huge for them, scoring two goals in this game from Parise and Kovalchuk.

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#2 Boston Bruins / #7 Washington Capitals

Series tied 2-2 after a 2-1 Capitals win


The Capitals held onto the lead in the dying minutes of the game and looked to be giving the Bruins fits with their defensive prowess.

It also doesn't help that the Bruins power play is yet again doing absolutely nothing. Watching them on the power play is almost painful.

But the Capitals held onto the lead from Semin's goal in the second period and didn't look back. Next game is crucial, of course.

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#3 Phoenix Coyotes / #6 Chicago Blackhawks

Coyotes lead series 3-1 after ANOTHER overtime win


Mikael Boedker scored the game-winner again. If you picked him for your fantasy pool then we commend you on being one lucky SOB.

The Hawks are on the brink of elimination and we're not sure how Noodles is handling this. Every time someone mentions the Coyotes she starts twitching and we have to remove her from the room.


The Hawks look down but only next game will tell if they're out. Also, if it goes to overtime one more time, we're quitting.

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#2 St. Louis Blues / #7 San Jose Sharks

Blues lead series 3-1 after a 2-1 win


A 2-1 win sounds lame, it sounds like a terrible and boring game. But when it's the Blues and the Sharks, it's never lame. Ever.

Andy McDonald scored the eventual game-winner and he's been coming up huge for the Blues. He and Patrik Berglund have been the two best players for the Blues (besides Elliott of course).

Deconstructing Cosmo's 'Hottest Hockey Players' List

Like everyone else, we of course made our own list. But first, we would like to discuss some of the captions that came with the pictures.

Because they were horrifying awful.

Now, we understand that they felt the need to do a guy from every team to be fair. And we have no problem with that. What we have a problem with is the fact that they most likely picked either a big name or a captain.

Do some research, stop being lazy like us. Even we put more effort into lists.

(Warning: this post will contain gratuitous use of caps lock)

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Washington Capitals - Mike Green
Mike isn’t as flashy as his superstar teammate Alexander Ovechkin, but his talent (and pouty lips) don’t go unnoticed by us.

Isn't as flashy? Really? Because we think that's a lie.

The pouty lips is kinda true. We will give them that.

Our pick from the Capitals - Brooks Laich

HOW COULD WE NOT?! He saves women on the side of the road and pulls a Messier guarantee. And yeah, he's good-looking.


San Jose Sharks - Antti Niemi
Is it just us, or does Antti bear a crazy-strong resemblance to Twilight hottie Kellan Lutz?

Kellan Lutz?

Kellan. Lutz. No. Just no, get away from us with that. We can't even discuss that comparison it hurts so bad.

Our pick from the Sharks - Torrey Mitchell

This is because Henrik told us if we didn't pick him she would murderize us and bake us in lemon bars. No joke.


Nashville Predators - Mike Fisher
It’s easy to see why Carrie Underwood fell for this sexy Predator.

Is it? Because we don't see it. Never have though. The women in Nashville love him though so maybe we are in the minority on this.

Our pick from the Predators - Colin Wilson

It's all in the smile. Aw, he's just too precious for words. (Curtis approved pick.)


Carolina Hurricanes - Cam Ward
Goaltender Cam isn’t just hot—he’s also really active in charity work and community service.

Charity gives us hives, unless it's for the charities that we promote. He's cute but 'hot'? No.

Our pick from the Hurricanes - Brandon Sutter

BECAUSE OF REASONS. If you read our blog enough then you know why. Also, he's starting to fill out a little more since his rookie year. A little at least. We should have a Jimmy Johns installed in his house.


Philadelphia Flyers - Wayne Simmonds
This right winger's teammates call him "Simmer." Oh yeah, we can see that.

LOLZ. We're impressed they know his nickname. But we like to call him one half of the former duo, Salt n Pepper. Drew Doughty misses his bro, you know it.

Our pick from the Flyers - Brayden Schenn

BECAUSE IT'S A SCHENN. That should be reason enough. And he's a freaking beast when it matters. And Curtis had a say in this list.


Winnipeg Jets - Andrew Ladd
This hot captain is known for his stick-handling skills.

Stick-handling skills? Honestly if you saw that description without a picture you would have no idea who they were talking about and Ladd is not the first captain that would come to mind. Awful.

Our pick from the Jets - Zach Bogosian

He was on our underrated hotties list for a reason. It's like no one cares that he exists but we care, we care. We really do.


Florida Panthers - Kris Versteeg
Yup, we think that girl’s expression pretty much sums it up.

If you're gonna pick him at least say something about his winning sense of humor. Or the karaoke skills. Or anything. Just give us a reason to say 'Okay, yeah.' Also, he needs to cut his hair. Now.

Our pick from the Panthers - Erik Gudbranson.

Age is just a number. There is no debate on this.


New Jersey Devils - Zach Parise
This New Jersey Devils captain volunteers for Jersey public libraries in his spare time. Aww.

Seriously, that makes him the hottest from the Devils? Not his winning smile or the fact that he's American or that he's really good? Okay then.

Our pick from the Devils - Adam Henrique

Parise's reign as the hottest Devil is over. The crown now belongs to Henrique and his perfect cheekbones.


New York Rangers - Henrik Lundqvist
This hottie goalie is married—but he has an identical twin brother who plays pro hockey in Sweden. Yum.

Isn't his brother married too? Why do we care? Also, Joel may be identical but Henrik is definitely the hotter of the two. Sorry, but it's true.

Our pick from the Rangers - Henrik Lundqvist

Yeah, we had to agree. Honestly, find a woman who doesn't like him and we will be shocked.


Pittsburgh Penguins - Sidney Crosby
A bad concussion almost kept him out of the 2011-2012 season. We’re amped sexy Sid made it back

'Sexy Sid', lol. Listen to us laugh hysterically at him being called that. Coooooooome on. Hahahahaha, he has a nice hockey ass but that's all we will give him.

Our pick from the Penguins - Jordan Staal

The sexiest sod-farmer in all of hockey. Boom.


Phoenix Coyotes - Shane Doan
Sexy Shane once hit a puck so hard, it broke in two.

No, just no. And breaking a puck in two isn't sexy, it's scary as hell. Also, the puck was probably defective anyway. Or a trick one to impress the women.

Our pick from the Coyotes - Oliver Ekman-Larsson

When in doubt, go Swedish. He has a sweet face, plays defense and is an unsung hero on the Coyotes. And dressed as Harry Potter for Halloween.


Los Angeles Kings - Dustin Brown
Dustin fun fact: At 23, he was the youngest man to be named a Kings captain

WHY DUSTIN BROWN? WHAT IS IS WITH HIM AND BEING NAMED SEXY???? NOOOOOOOOO! We do not approve of this choice...obviously. He's not sexy, no.

Our pick from the Kings - Jonathan Bernier

Because, look at that face.


Anaheim Ducks - Bobby Ryan
No doubt he scares the hell out of his opponents, but we can’t get over the adorable dimple in his chin

That description is what made us say no to him being picked. How does Bobby 'scare the hell out of his opponents'? By being sweet to them and then smiling? He's a giant teddy bear who sometimes scores. No.

Our pick from the Ducks - Cam Fowler

Now this is a sweet face. And he couldn't scare a fly if he tried. Or something like that.


Vancouver Canucks - Ryan Kesler
Hottie Ryan loves his fans—he’s big on retweeting them.

And that makes him hot? You do not make sense.

Our pick from the Canucks - Zack Kassian

'nuff said


Minnesota Wild - Mikko Koivu
Mikko doesn’t just bring it on the ice—he donates a suite at the Minnesota Wild’s stadium to children with serious medical conditions.

We admit, we like him. It was a pretty good choice. And it is sweet that he donates a suite for sick children. We have nothing bad to say about this choice except we have a better one.

Our pick from the Wild - Marco Scandella

Dreamiest face. It belongs in the glossy pages of Tiger Beat alongside Justin Bieber.


Edmonton Oilers - Ales Hensky
Sexy Ales scored his first hat trick this year. Clearly, he knows how to use his stick.

Oh my god, 'Clearly, he knows how to use his stick.' No, we just can't stop laughing at that. Have we used that before to describe someone on this blog? If we have, we apologize profusely.

Our pick from the Oilers - Sam Gagner

He scored eight points in one game so clearly he knows how to use his stick. Or something.


Colorado Avalanche - Matt Duchene
This center has a sexy Canadian accent.

This is our son. We cannot say the word 'sexy' with our son, no way. And what even is a Canadian accent? No. Sexy. No.

Our pick from the Avalanche - Gabriel Landeskog

There should be no debate on this. He is Swedish, hates everything secretly and rants about things he hates on his Twitter. We love his face.


Calgary Flames - Mike Cammalleri
FYI, Mike has been called a “natural scorer.”

Inappropriate use of sexual innuendo and awful. Just awful. And he's not allowed to be anywhere near our fiveholes.

Our pick from the Flames - Mikael Backlund

When in doubt, pick a Swede.


St. Louis Blues - TJ Oshie
T.J. can stare at us like that all day.

TJ, you cannot stare at us like that all day. You can take us out to a nice dinner and then maybe a movie and then a nice make-out afterwards.

Our pick from the Blues - TJ Oshie, Patrik Berglund & Alex Pietrangelo



Yes, all of them. All day, every day.


Detroit Red Wings - Nicklas Lidstrom
Hottie Nicklas has won four Stanley Cups


Hottie? Why do you do this to us? We hate you. He's the perfect human and the perfect Swede but we can't see him as a hottie.

Our pick from the Red Wings - Darren Helm

We've always thought he was attractive and it just makes sense to us to have him on this list.


Columbus Blue Jackets - Rick Nash
Take it off, Rick. Take it all off

No, please, keep it on. Fat Rick Nash, keep it on forever and ever.

Our pick from the Blue Jackets - Derick Brassard

Take it off, Derick. Take it all off. That's better.


Chicago Blackhawks - Patrick Sharp
Patrick was named one of the 50 most beautiful Chicagoans last year

Yes, it's wonderful that he was voted that. But it was last year and the age is starting to show on his face. Mean, yes. True, yes.

Our pick from the Blackhawks - Niklas Hjalmarsson

He looks like a Swedish clone fabricated at IKEA. We're totally okay with that of course. Especially if he's shirtless.


Tampa Bay Lightning - Martin St. Louis
This right winger always brings the sexy to the ice.

Hahahahahahahahahaha does he? We didn't know that at all.

Our pick from the Lightning - Steven Stamkos

Gotta give some love to the blondes in the NHL. When he cuts his hair, he ain't so bad. Also, you gotta love a guy who knows how to score.


Montreal Canadiens - Max Pacioretty
We'd love to go head-to-head with this sexy left wing.

Uh, what? We would not like to go head-to-head with anyone especially if it's a 6-foot plus hockey player. He would crush us.

Our pick from the Canadiens - Yannick Weber

Because defensemen are never picked and he has a sweet face and everyone cares about Carey Price anyway so we're going in a different direction than everything else.


Toronto Maple Leafs - Mikhail Grabovski
This sexy center earns $5.5 million a year. Wow

Are we supposed to be impressed by how much he earns? We want to know his shooting percentage and how many goals he has and what his plus-minus is before we think he's sexy.

Our pick from the Maple Leafs - Luke Schenn

BECAUSE HE'S A SCHENN! Duh. And other reasons.


Ottawa Senators - Erik Karlsson
This hottie had the most points out of all defensemen in the NHL this season. He can score with us any time.

He cannot score with us any time. We would like to be warned in advanced when he would like to 'score' with us and where so we can alert our friends just in case we never make it back.

Our pick from the Senators - Peter Regin

He's Danish and pretty and even though he's injured we still have seen him play and he can definitely score on us (with advanced warning and a nice dinner beforehand).


Buffalo Sabres - Jason Pominville
We’d let this sexy Sabres captain run our team any day.

That doesn't make any sense at all. But we would let him run our team if he was the captain. He does a pretty good job in that area.

Our pick from the Sabres - Marcus Foligno

DUH! He got the pretty genes.


Boston Bruins - Milan Lucic
This handsome left wing is a fierce competitor—and a Stanley Cup winner.

They called him 'handsome' and not 'sexy'. We lol'd about that for like twenty minutes then continued on with this post. He's okay but not handsome, sorry.

Our pick from the Bruins - Gregory Campbell

Because he was on our underrated list and totally deserves to be on any hottest hockey player list ever created. He shouldn't be underrated anymore!


New York Islanders - John Tavares
This center has been called a natural leader on the ice. We like a man who knows how to call the shots.

We have absolutely no qualms about this description. But the picture they used could be better.

Our pick for the Islanders - duh John Tavares

Better. This picture makes an appearance on the blog at least once a month. No regrets.


Dallas Stars - Brendan Morrow
Brenden missed most of the season due to an injury but was back (and hotter than ever) in March.

Nope. He was not hotter than ever in March. That's a bold-faced lie.

Our pick for the Stars - Richard Bachman

Goaltender. Up-and-coming hottie. Get on this bandwagon, girls.

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We hope you enjoyed our list and our analysis.

Let us know what you think in the comments.