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Michel Therrien on Brian Gionta: "Our captain was crying in my arms"

Written by Laura Astorian on .

I'm sure it's crushing for a captain of a playoff team to re-injure himself. It must be doubly crushing for Montreal Canadiens captain Brian Gionta, watching his team go down three games to one against the Ottawa Senators. Knowing that thanks to a surgery to repair a torn left bicep he won't be back until training camp, and then realizing that his team is on the cusp of elimination with an injury to Carey Price thrown in, it must be crushing.

Habs coach Michel Therrien, though, when asked how Gionta was taking the news, came up with probably the worst thing a coach could say about his captain:

“When he heard the news, our captain was crying in my arms.”

Metaphorically or literally, this is not something a fanbase wants to have a mental image of. Therrien could have just said "Brian's upset," or some variation of such. But no, out comes something that makes Gionta sound like he needed to be rocked back and forth while being sung a lullaby. Way to give Sens fans ammo.

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Video: Kris Letang checks an NHL linesman

Written by David Rogers on .

What should we make of the video above where Kris Letang cross-checks an NHL official? As the linesman comes in to separate two players after an icing call, he brushes past Letang and shifts him out of his way. The Pittsburgh defenseman appears to take offense and gives the official a light cross-check in the side. 

Some fans are clamoring for Letang to receive some sort of discipline for striking an official. The evidence is there and it's pretty incriminating. You have to imagine that the official would have immediately done something about the situation had he truly felt threatened. Perhaps the official wasn't aware of what actually happened which would explain his lack of a reaction. However, you have to imagine the NHL would be aware of this situation and address it. 

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Vancouver heads home, has numerous questions to address

Written by David Rogers on .

The Vancouver Canucks were swept out of the playoffs by the San Jose Sharks, earning the unfortunate distinction of being the first team sent home from the 2013 postseason. The Sharks completed the sweep with a 4-3 win in OT on Tuesday night, earning the squad a spot in the second round.

Vancouver's season ends almost exactly as it began with fans questioning the team's goaltending. Fans are also speculating that Vancouver coach Alain Vigneault has probably coached his last game for the Canucks. 

It feels oddly appropriate that the Canucks season ended with their goalie controversy still firmly intact. 

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History Will Be Made: Pierre McGuire

Written by David Rogers on .

It's about that time of the year again. What time is that, you ask? It's time for Pierre McGuire to make hockey fans uncomfortable. To be fair, McGuire successfully accomplishes that task throughout the year, but he usually brings his game to a whole new level to match the intensity of the playoffs. 

With that, we leave you this video created by a fan by back in 2010 when parodies of the "History Will Be Made" commercials were all the rage. This gem should be dug up every postseason.

History Will Be Made - Pierre McGuire

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Broadcast Blooper: ESPN thinks Steve Nash plays for the New York Rangers

Written by David Rogers on .

We've all laughed at ESPN's hockey coverage, or lack of hockey coverage, for the past several years. When the network does try to cover the game they usually fail miserably, relying on analysts that have no experience and no business offering insight on the NHL. 

Here they failed just trying to show some highlights from the New York Rangers - Washington Capitals series. The Rangers have been struggling to find any sort of offense through the first two games. According to ESPN, that might be because Los Angeles Lakers guard Steve Nash hasn't found the back of the net. Obviously, they meant Rick Nash, but the fact they placed a name from the NBA in an NHL highlight is just too rich for words. 

Thanks to TomUrtzNYR for the photo. 

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No NHL discipline for the Senators-Canadiens brawl

Written by David Rogers on .

Brendan Shanahan will not hand out any discipline for the actions that took place during Game 3 between the Senators and Canadiens. If you haven't see it yet, there was a massive brawl between the two squads which left the team benches empty and the penalty sheet overflowing. 

As if the brawl wasn't enough to warrant the NHL to hand out at least a few punishments, there were several cases where a player clearly displayed intent to injure. The most obvious came from Rene Bourque as he elbowed Ottawa's Cory Conacher in the head. SB Nation captured the moment perfectly, highlighting Bourque's dirty play. 

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70 facts and stats from the 2013 regular season

Written by David Rogers on .

The 2013 NHL regular season was a shortened one due to the lockout. Despite the fact teams were limited to just 48 games, there were tons of interesting stories and statistics from the abbreviated schedule. 

Here are 70 facts and statistics that we thought were some of the most interesting, most prominent or most noteworthy from the recently completed regular season. These are presented in no particular order. Instead, they are just a collection of tidbits which you can store away in your brain for a rainy day. 

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LA Kings show Matthew Perry on their Kiss-cam

Written by David Rogers on .

The infamous Kiss-cam is a widely disputed topic in the world of sports. Some people love it, some people hate it and wish those in charge of arena entertainment would come up with a new idea. It's always fun when a couple of elderly fans go at it while a full arena cheers them on, but there always seems to be those lengthy awkward moments when two people, either strangers or just friends, are shown and end up just staring at the screen with blank, horrified expressions. 

When it came to LA's Kiss-cam during Game 3 against the St. Louis Blues, Matthew Perry made a surprise appearance. Would he kiss the gal next to him? Nope. Instead, he had a nice smooch with Bailey, the mascot of the Kings. 

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Video: Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens have a good ol' line brawl

Written by David Rogers on .

Tempers finally boiled over between the Canadiens and Senators in Game 3. Following a horrific injury to Lars Eller and some angry comments directed toward Ottawa coach Paul MacLean, the two teams finally duked it out after Ottawa scored their fourth goal of the game to give them a commanding 4-1 lead with roughly 12 minutes left in the third period. 

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Carey Price does some dental work, hands pieces of his teeth to his trainer

Written by David Rogers on .

Carey Price: Canadian. Goaltender. Dentist. Price can officially add dentistry to his list of hobbies as the goaltender did a bit of maintenance on himself after taking a skate to the helmet during his team's 3-1 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Friday night. 

Teammate Jarred Tinordi inadvertently caught Price's helmet with his skate, causing both of the goaltender's two front teeth to chip. According to the Globe and Mail, Price's front teeth were "half missing". 

How did he respond after losing portions of two teeth? He skated over to the bench, reached in his mouth and handed the trainer the remnants/shards of his teeth. He then continued on, finishing the game with a line of 29 saves on 30 shots. 

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