Editor’s note: With the conference finals of the NHL playoffs beginning tonight, Popblerd’s hockey writers Stephen Mapes and Jay Kumar review the second round and look ahead to the third. Jay: Well, here we are with the conference finals about to begin Saturday. What are your thoughts about the end of the second round? Stephen: It was interesting how the East had definitive champs, while the West was a total toss up. I am a bit surprised the Kings made […]
Posts tagged "Pittsburgh Penguins"
Cold As Ice: The Wonders of Round 1
Popblerd’s hockey mavens Stephen Mapes and Jay Kumar discuss the first round of the NHL playoffs.
Cold as Ice: Knowing When To Call it Quits
The current saga of Peyton Manning, the surefire Hall of Fame quarterback who’s planning to continue his playing career despite a serious neck injury, certainly resonates with fans of the NHL. Not so much the specific injury, but the situation. When is the right time for an athlete to retire? The NHL has seen several versions of this scenario play out in recent years. Most notably, the case of Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby, the league’s best player, who has been out […]
Cold as Ice: Gearing Up for the Trade Deadline
Cynics love to complain about how the NHL regular season is meaningless, but for teams battling for a playoff spot, every game from now until the end of the season is huge. Every night, teams shuffle up and down the standings fighting to finish in the top eight in their respective conferences. The season ends April 7, but a much more immediate date looms for many teams: the NHL trade deadline on Feb. 27. As a result, teams are busily […]
Cold as Ice: Bye Bye, Boudreau (and Hello Again)
Maybe I am just a bit out of touch with the political climate of the NHL, but Bruce Boudreau’s dismissal from the Washington Capitals took me wholly by surprise. I was aware things were less than rosy at the Verizon Center over the past months, as the hot 7-0 start that led many speculate this would be the year of Ovi quickly spiraled into a 5-10-1 record over the next 17 games. Furthermore, big scorers Ovechkin and Semin simply weren’t […]
Cold as Ice: Hot Starts and Cool Chaos
As if often the case, the first two weeks of the NHL season have been rife with some early surprises. Several stalwarts from last year have shown some early signs of trouble, while a few of last year’s whipping posts have been flashing some signs of hope for their fan bases. For anyone who loves good hockey, these are things to be excited about, even if you know deep down in side they probably aren’t going to last. Fans of […]
The Blerd13 with… Brett Detar!
Brett Detar has been a part of the modern music scene since 1996, including a nine year run with alternative/indie band The Juliana Theory, but after a decade in the rock and metalcore scene, Brett took a hiatus, returning in 2010 with his first solo album, Bird in the Tangle. Fans of his previous work, however, were in for a surprise. Brett’s return stems from classic country and folk roots, rather than the hard rock of before. I was able […]
