One-A-Day: Buffalo Sabres

Buffalo Sabres







Oh man, the Sabres. Years before we're felt, how do we say it?, uh yes, sorry for the Sabres and especially their fans.



Things seemed okay because the team always made it into the play offs. The Sabres were always good enough to make it and to make some noise, especially in 2006 when they battled the soon-to-be Stanley Cup Champions, Carolina Hurricanes, for the Eastern Conference title.





But it always seemed like the team came up just a little short. Since then, the Sabres have been coming up shorter and shorter. In 2011, the Sabres didn't make it past the first round despite having a lead in the series.



And they always had up and down seasons, relying heavily on the heroics of Ryan Miller. Things seemed stagnant in Buffalo for a while there. But with the new talent that's been signed by the new owners and the up-and-coming talent that's coming up through the system, there's hope in the organization.



Blame was always put heavily onto the owners, for not luring big players onto the Sabres. So when Terry Pegula took over, new life was breathed into the organization. The purse was opened.





And nothing was a sign of that like the deal that was given to Christian Ehrhoff. It's a huge deal for a big-name defenseman that will definitely bring change to the whole organization, not just the defense.







There's hope on the horizon for the Sabres and their fans.



-&-



General Manager - Darcy Regier



Coach - Lindy Ruff





Team Captain - no one



Player(s) everyone should love - Nathan Gerbe



BECAUSE HE'S PINT-SIZED!



Player we don’t love - Ville Leino



Who they got - Drew MacIntyre, Ville Leino, Christian Ehrhoff & Robyn Regehr





Who they lost - Tom Conboy, Mark Parrish, Tim Connolly, Mark Mancari, Patrick Lalime, Mike Grier & Rob Niedermayer



Located at - newly minted Fist Niagara Center



-&-



Hotness level - 8



Yes, they've improved. In the looks department, heck yes. It took quite a few years for them to grow into their looks but it's finally here.



Drew Stafford is a hidden gem of a stud. We should start promoting his face on the blog.





And we just tremble at the thought of Marcus Foligno and his deep voice that does not match his baby-face.





And Paul Gaustad and Tyler Myers. Oh, don't get us started on the potential for hotness on this team.

Date Night Friday: Eric Godard

Eric Godard.



Yet another instance of us being shocked by the players that we have overlooked on DNF but it does happen.







We are only human.



-&-



Hehehe hi ladies, what's up? I am Eric Godard and the Dallas Stars's newest enforcer. Don't let that fool you though, I really am just a huge teddy bear.



Instead of trying to woo you on a date, I am just going to state the (many) reasons why you should date me.



1. I love children





2. I love dogs, especially Tonka



3. Charity work is extremely important to me.





4. I will punch out a dude if he looks wrong at you or my dog





5. Loyalty is next to godliness



6. Pranks are so much fun





7. I did win the Stanley Cup





8. Did I mention that I love children?



9. I am very fashionable





And for the date, since I really like to woo girls, starts out with a fun little fishing trip on the lake by my summer house. I teach you how to bait and hook and then cast the line.



I brought the sunblock so you don't get sunburned and put on the places that you can't reach. After we're done fishing, we cook the fish we catch on the grill and eat it as the stars come out.



Yes it's an outdoorsy date but every girl loves the country. Well, girls that want to date me do.



So what do you think? Am I perfect? Would you like to date my pretty face?



If not then I will just have to beat up your favorite team's enforcer.

One-A-Day: Ottawa Senators

Ottawa Senators





It was quite a season that the Senators had. Just not a good one. They had two first round picks and one was the sixth. It was one of the highest picks in Ottawa's history.





After several consecutive seasons of making the play offs, it seemed like they were going to make it every year. But the wheels started to fall off.



The season seemed doomed from the start. First there was the incompetent goaltenders that Ottawa had and we still feel sorry for them for that. Then there was an injury to every major player on the team.



And then the straw that broke the Senator's back: the injury to Daniel Alfredsson. Without him, the team is aimless. He may have the skills of a potato but he is the heartbeat of the team.



Now that Alfredsson is healthy and Jason Spezza had his year off, the Senators are looking to right the ship. With the help of Craig Anderson, it doesn't seem like such a dream for the Senators to reach the play offs again.



-&-



General Manager - Bryan Murray



Coach - Paul MacLean





Team Captain - Daniel Alfredsson



Player(s) everyone should love - Erik Karlsson



Swedish! And he has a Who nose that's just adorable.



Player we don’t love - Nick Foligno because of his dirty mustache



Who they got - Nikita Filatov, Tim Conboy, Bill Sweatt, Mike McKenna, Mark Parrish, Zenon Konopka & Alex Auld





Who they lost - Cody Bass, Ryan Shannon, Curtis McElhinney, Ryan Potulny & Pascal Leclaire



Located at - Scotiabank Center



-&-



Hotness level - 5



We don't have the heart to give the team anything lower than a 5 just because it doesn't seem fair. We think that Jason Spezza is attractive just because his laugh is extremely ridiculous. But we can't lie about this. Erik Karlsson is the five points.



Forgive us.

One-A-Day: Boston Bruins

This write-up was sent to us by Cat and we can't thank her enough for helping us out with the Big Bad Bruins.



What a year they had.



-&-



Da Boston Bruins





Oh yea baby…



Where do I even start? This was a season like no other and not just because of the ending. We saw Tim Thomas not only regain the starter position, but set all kinds of records doing it.



Then we watched as a player who was brought in to be a 4th line grinder developed into a 2nd wing scoring threat – not to mention becoming one of the most annoying pests in the NHL right now (and we adore him for it - other teams, and their fans, like the Canadiens and Canucks may despise him, but we love our “Little Ball of Hate” – a nickname he picked up during the playoffs).



We were delighted to witness Looch break the 30 goal level, at the same time Bergeron became so vital to the team that losing him for just 2 games during the playoffs made fans break a sweat, and who can forget the mind-boggling, age-defying Recchi? I think his loss is going to really be felt very deeply this season. It seems almost impossible that he was only with the Bruins for 2 years. He arrived as a “veteran” player, but leaves an icon and hero.



While Ryder sometimes seems to sleep through parts of the regular season he turned it on in the playoffs and I don’t blame the Stars for making him an offer he couldn’t refuse (I will miss him terribly though – he was a mercurial, shy (or is it sly?), ginger with whom I played a cat & mouse game when it came to trying to get a photograph of his face [during warm-ups] – ah, good times…).



You have no idea how many pictures I had to take to get this one.

Ok, I’m sure it is obvious I could wax poetic about them for hours and hours (and pages and pages), but I will try to control myself. (not sure how long that will last, but I trust the girls to trim it back if I get completely out of control or, worse, boring)



So here is the breakdown



-&-



President – “Bam-Bam Cam” Neely



Only the Lightning can match the Bruins for having a Hall of Famer who has not only been so deeply influential in developing a team to compete at every level and at every position, but whose mere presence is intimidating.



General Manager – Peter Chiarelli



Don’t mess with Chia-pet.



Captain – The Big Z



And I do mean BIG!

(ok, maybe it was a little unfair to use a picture of him with St. Louis, but I couldn’t resist)



Players everyone should love:

While I think the answer should be “all of them” I somehow don’t think I’m going to sell you all on that so I’ll narrow it down to some of my favorites.



Gregory Campbell – 4th line center - the “throw in” for the Nathan Horton for Dennis Wideman trade. He is tough, fearless, talented and ridiculously under-rated. Plus Gregory is super sexy, single and has some seriously beautiful eyes.





Dennis Seidenberg – Top pair D-man. AKA “the guy who plays with Chara”. An insane workhorse on the blueline. While his regular season stats were very good and he matched his career highs in points and power-play points , it was in the playoffs that he took his play up several notches. In the post season alone he posted a league high 74 blocked shots and while he averaged just one second less of TOI (27:38) than Zdeno Chara he did so without any power-play time. Without him the Bruins don’t shut down the Sedins.



Did I mention he knows the art of the “Take Down” too?



Tim Thomas – Yoga junkie, Come-back King and Goalie extraordinaire. I’m not even going to take the time to recite his mind-boggling stats. I’m just going to show you my favorite reasons to love him.





Players we don’t love:

Ummmm……how about I just name a player other teams and fans don’t love (he’s one of the favorites in Boston though and has quickly developed a cult-like following) – I speak of course of Brad Marchand.



But how can’t you love a guy who will hit anyone anytime and chirps with the best of them?



Who they lost:

Mark Recchi (he who shall always be remembered only as a Bruin in Boston - I’m campaigning to get the Bs to hire him as a player developer), Michael Ryder (*sigh* I will miss his gingerness and spectacular/incredibly frustrating style of play – he will always be remembered for his glove save vs the Habs – a minor hero…of sorts), Tomas Kaberle (I know many in Boston were glad to see him go, but I didn’t think he was so bad, expectations were just set unreasonably high. Still I think he’ll fit in better with the Canes than Bs) and last, but not least, “Sheriff” Shane Hnidy (always a fan favorite and from what I’ve heard a great guy to have in the locker room, I will miss him too).



Who they gained:

Benoit Pouliot (I guess with the loss of Ryder the Bs felt they needed to fill their “former Hab” quota) and Joe Corvo (I’m tentatively excited about him. I think he could end up being a key player. Maybe.)

Keep an eye out for “farm boys” Jamie Arniel, Jordan Caron and Steven Kampfer. Kampfer in particular as he did a really good job playing D for 38 games. He may even start on the Bruins roster as the “7th” defenseman.



Where they play: TD Garden, Boston



Love the new look ;)



-&-



Hotness factor: 9.5 – there ain’t a dog among ‘em. And with guys like this I don’t want to hear any arguments.

One-A-Day: Toronto Maple Leafs

This write-up was sent to us by Ness and we can't thank her enough for doing it. The One-A-Days are always better when a fan writes them up.



And she definitely does her team justice. Enjoy!



-&-



Toronto Maple Leafs





This past season, the Leafs had an incredible second half that got them close, so, so close (damnit Buffalo!) to a playoff spot.



Thanks to some new faces, and some new contracts, along with a line overhaul and restocking of prospects and picks, the team going into the 2011/12 season is a contender. More than that, they're HUNGRY.



Getting so close only to be denied at the last minute sure leaves a sour taste in your mouth (trying really hard not to crack a joke about a certain West Coast team...)



-&-



GENERAL MANAGER - Former Hockey Junkies Silver Fox Brian "I don't give a rat's ass" Burke (if this was Tumblr, he'd be bb GM)



With the hair that is the envy of every other GM and defies known laws of physics, geriatrics...

This is the man who got us Versteeg and Armstrong aka instant cool. He marched in Toronto's Pride Parade when their own mayor could(or would) not, and visited Canadian troops in Kandahar on July 1st. Yes, that July 1st. Do we understand him? Do we always agree with him? Hell no, but in Burkie we trust. Also has his own hotdog stand at the ACC:





COACH - Ron Wilson





bb GM's teammate in the 70s at Providence College, USA Hockey colleague and fellow bigmouth. Burke made it clear that his contract extension is contingent on the Leafs not being in danger of missing the playoffs by Thanksgiving. What remains a mystery is why, over the summer, two assistant coaches were fired, but not him. Sigh, can we not have Pat Quinn and his neon gum back?



TEAM CAPTAIN - Dion Phaneuf, aka "Love of Pierre McGuire's Life", "Mr. Elisha Cuthbert" "Mr. Sloppy Seconds"(according to S.Avery) and FrankenCaptain(ok, maybe that's just me, but seriously, Dion, WHAT is going on here?)





PLAYERS EVERYONE SHOULD LOVE -

Here's where I'm going to get in trouble, but let me explain myself:

Phil Kessel (Yes, I went there. Deal with it.)



Cue boos from Baaaaaaaaaahston fans, but seriously folks, that was two seasons ago. GETOVERIT. FYI, we wanted you to win the Cup. (Whether or not this had everything to do with the fact that our beloved Kaberle was on your team is not the point.) Leave Phillip alone, the Toronto media picked up where your hatred left off. Trust me. The end of this season saw him beginning to develop into more of a complete player, and hopefully that will translate to consistency, because, lets face it, he's streaky(though you could argue that 3 straight 30 plus goal seasons is consistant). He also took being picked last at the ASG like a man. He's painfully shy and adorably awkward and is the Ernie to Tyler Bozak's Burt aka the most adorkable bromance ever. (The photo below actually appeared on an episode of Leafspace)



A regular at charity events, he also made an appearance at the Maple Leafs Hockey School:



(photo credit: @Schwabey on Twitter)

If that's not enough to convince you, he's a Harry Potter fan:



(Thats Clarke MacArthur and Jonas Gustavsson with Kess. Is it just me or does Jonas look like a suave well groomed Lupin?)



Sidenote: the cast of Harry Potter are Maple Leaf fans:







James Reimer

Look at this face, just LOOK at it:



If you don't want to hug him, you have no soul.

He is the ultimate Cinderella story goalie and perfect human. A mennonite from tiny Morweena Manitoba who didn't play organized hockey until he was 12. After letting in three goals one game, he went to Ron Wilson and APOLOGIZED. Yeah, I know. He is also the main reason the Leafs came so close to that eighth playoff spot, and has signed a three year contract making him their new starting goaltender. Called Optimus Reim, he also has the coolest nickname of anyone on the team/possibly ever.



There is so much right with the above picture.



PLAYERS WE DON'T LOVE -

Since we got rid of Francois Beauchemin and Brett Lebda, there isn't a clear cut winner in this category. Possibly Grabovski for unfortunate appearance and moments of fail à la Malkin. He's from Magnitogorsk too, what's in that water? He also seems to have some deep psychological trauma that manifests itself via tropical fruit molestation:



Just what exactly did this pineapple do to you sir?



WHO THEY LOST -

TOMAS KABERLE :( and his playoff eyebrows(they must still think its 2004). I'm just sad we never got to see the Musketeer playoff beard he had going there. The word I'm looking for, ladies and gentlemen, is bitchin':



Tim Brent: blocked shots like nobody's business, why was he not resigned?

Kris Versteeg: There will be no more rapping. Sad face :( Francois Beauchemin, John Mitchell, J.S. Giguere

Brett Lebda: don't know if this actually qualifies as a loss.



WHO THEY GOT -

Joffrey Lupul (did it just get warmer all of a sudden?), Joe Colborne, John-Michael Liles, Tim Connolly, Aaron Voros, Matt Lombardi, Cody Franson



LOCATED AT - The Air Canada Centre (ACC)



Hotness Level: 7

Quit laughing, I'm not kidding.



Luke Schenn and Joffrey Lupul for obvious reasons:







Kulemin the hockey dad:





Matt Lashoff contributes two points as he is good looking AND a musician(a good one too, hockey player AND successful singer. Love.)







Reimer for being perfect and a transformer between the pipes, and a lover of Reese:







Keith Aulie hasn't spent a full season in the NHL but during his brief stay beat the crap out of Hartnell, who knew someone that cute could be such a fighter:





A blogger on mapleleafs.com described him as having "the wingspan of a subdivision and relishes stapling players to the boards behind the net". Possibly the best description of a defenceman ever, I leave the interpretation of said statement to you. Did I mention he saved his dad from drowning at 16?