Five Alive

Oh, Foxy Friday. You never disappoint.

Well, sometimes you disappoint when you shave your goatee into a mustache that means you’re not allowed within 100 feet of a playground.

But then, you score the goal that keeps your team’s dream alive:

And somehow, magically, in the post-game your ‘stache has is approaching the border between ‘okay’ and ‘OKAY?!’

Our cries of, “WTH, who shaves in the playoffs?” were for nothing.  Shaving in the playoffs is the new black.  Henrique ditches the goatee, scores the GWG.  Clarkson removes his beautiful ruddy beard and gets an assist.  The entire Devils squad will be shorn for Game 5.

from www.aeryssports.com

As you know, Henrique scored the series-ending double OT goal vs. Florida and the series-ending single OT (boring!) goal vs. New York.  The Calder Trophy voting for Rookie of the Year is only supposed to encompass the regular season – have they already voted?  It’s completely unfair if they haven’t, since neither Nugent-Hopkins or Landeskog reached the post-season.  Still, how can this performance not count?!  There’s no impartial jury out there now.

I felt bad that so many people paid so much money to see their team win at home – I dream of this someday being me.  That was quickly outweighed by my selfish desire for hockey season to last all year.  What else can make us so deliriously happy, gut-wrenchingly sad and seat-shiftingly uncomfortable?

Mike Richards.  Chuck called him a “dark swarthy pirate of love” for this look.  I think he’s starting to resemble an Ewok in the Witness Protection Program.  Pierre, of course, is on a first date.  Watch him do the ‘casual arm-swing’ hoping to brush against Mike.  We know all your tricks, little man!!  He’s going to walk Mike right to his door and hope to be invited in.

ACK.  I just threw up in my mouth a little.

Anyway, back to work for both teams Saturday night.  It’s a chance for the Devils to really make this one interesting, or the Kings to extend their record road-game streak.  Either way, I’m glad to get one more game out of this season.

Again? High five.

Foxy Friday: Adam Henrique

Intern Jeff Skinner is pissed.

Last year, zero Calder Trophy finalists were featured as Foxy Fridays.  Not even Rookie of My Life Logan Couture, and not counting the time Jeff posted a picture of himself holding a baby.  Zero legitimate Foxy Fridays.

This year, we’re giving them out like candy.  First Landeshirtless over there in Sweden, and that was just for falling on his face.  Now, and perhaps the most deserved Foxy Friday of the year: Adam Henrique.

We could give him three separate Fridays, really – one for his face, one for his goatee and one for this sweatshirt.  Do the Devils live in a pajama factory?  Can we go to there?  Throw in a couple of heart-stopping, dream-ruining goals and Adam could get a whole month of Fridays.

As we said in our Puck Daddy Beard Watch post, we are BIG FANS of this goatee.  He looks like the devil from a movie, who talks you into all kinds of really good bad ideas.  Right?  He’s all, “Hi, I’m Adam,” and you’re like:

(Intern Jeff Skinner just threw down his notebook and stormed out.)

Henrique grew up on a farm in Ontario – not sod, but still.  What goes on up there?!  He spent last season with my hometown-ish Albany Devils.  After a rough 2011 training camp, Adam was sent back to Albany, just to be recalled a week later to replace an injured player.  He stayed put in NJ and had 16 G/35 A in the regular season.

Don’t worry, this was his September hair.

He was named to the 2012 NHL All-Star Rookie team, but missed the event due to a groin injury.  Double bummer, as his family would have been there.  NYR’s Carl Hagelin replaced him and got a Foxy Friday out of it.  Cheater.

Cheekbones aside, Henrique is having a heck of  a playoff.  He scored the double-OT, game seven winner to eliminate Florida and move the Devils to Round 2 for the first time in five years.  Then he scored the game six OT winner that ended the Rangers season.  Did we mention he’s a rookie?

On that goal, NJ advanced to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in nine years.  Does anyone know the record for most playoff series-ending OT goals in a season?  I bet it’s two.  And they both feel like:

SCF Game 1 didn’t go NJ’s way, but still needed OT to be decided.  Here are Zajac and AH talking about the loss [video].  It’s mopey – we recommend admiring his hairline instead.  It’s the most perfect example since *N Sync’s plastic helmet hair in the “It’s Gonna Be Me” video (BRB, dance break).

Instead here’s Adam failing the NJ Devils History Quiz – he’d never make it in a pageant – then contesting the results [video].  He even knocks Wikipedia.  Shall we go over there and add to his page?

Saturday Night is date night with Adam and Game 2 at 8 PM Eastern.  The Kings have won 211 nine straight playoff road games.  A win in New Jersey tomorrow would give them the NHL record for longest streak.  Remember though, the Devils lost the first games to both Philly and New York.  While those teams works on their tans, New Jersey and Los Angeles will step back into the ring.

You, feel free to wear your pajamas.

Sweatshirt appreciation, courtesy of fromtheblueline.tumblr.com.

Helpful Hint: Pronounce the “H” in Henrique.  Adam does. [video]

Stanley Cup Finals Beard Appreciation Post

At 8pm EST tonight, the puck will drop on THE greatest sports champion series in the world.

Obviously, we’re slightly biased because we pretty much eat, sleep, and breathe hockey since we’ve started this blog.  I mean, not like we didn’t follow hockey closely before WUYS but we’ve progressed to a Beautiful-Mind-writing-on-the-window level of crazy.  But I honestly believe that there is no greater trophy in the history of sport.

Yesterday was the Stanley Cup Finals Media Day, when all the players don their Tuesday best (hooded sweatshirts), trims up their playoff beards (except Dustin Penner), and face the press gauntlet.

Not only does the day allow writers to ask important (and totally ridiculous) questions of the players but it provides us with amazing photos of playoff beards.

Here are some highlights from yesterday’s Media Day at Prudential Center.

• Dustin Penner.  This beard is a fluffy mess.  And I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT IT.

Got a craving for some Penncakes.

• Just when you thought Mike Richards couldn’t get any dreamier, he goes and does this.

Dustin Brown. Fully committed to this Amish look.

*harumph* *crosses arms*

A beard like a beautiful sunset

Faustian.

Richards and I ’bout to tear this mutha up!

 

You’re welcome.  🙂

Our Post on Puck Daddy – NHL Playoff Beard Watch: Unsung Unshaven Heroes

The stage is nearly set for the ultimate NHL showdown. The Devils and Rangers battle it out at center stage while the Kings wait in the offing for their opponent to be named. It’s a long, hard fight to be among the last teams standing. Every one inch is earned.

This week, we salute the beards of some Unsung Unshaven Heroes. Marquee name or rookie sensation, it doesn’t matter what their contracts say now.

They fight on – and the proof of is all over their faces.

Read more [HERE]…

511-plus minutes worth of bruises, stitches and scrapes