Two hockey guys talking hockey.

Joe Pasquali and Eddie Theisen are two die-hard NHL fans. They both watch every hockey game, every night (almost).

The guys talk about their new nicknames, Tye McGinn thinks he’s Tyler Durden, Anders Lindback makes a pair of outstanding saves and which Dallas Stars Ice Girl they enjoy the most.

I think you will enjoy this one.

By the way, neither of these guys have a girlfriend. This is their email conversation the following morning.

Final Scores from 2/12/13
CAR 4, NJ 2
NYR 4, BRUINS 3 F/SO
OTT 2, BUF 0
MTL 4, TAM 3 F/SO
WSH 6, FLA 5 F/OT
PHI 3, WIN 2
NSH 1, SJ 0 F/OT
ANA 3, CHI 2, F/SO
DAL 4, EDM
VAN 2, MIN 1

Pasquali: Besides being Ash Wednesday (the day we celebrate Ashy Larry), it is “Get a different Name” day. Today Eddie, I am going to call you Norbert.

Norbert: Alright, I guess I’ll give you the name Daggett since we’re on the subject of the Angry Beavers.

Daggett: Why were they so angry?

Norbert: They never did collect enough Cereal Box tops for their toy.

Daggett: Ain’t that some shit. So Eddie, is a three goal lead the toughest lead to defend in hockey?

Norbert: No, Pierre Mcguire… it’s still a two goal lead.

Daggett: Then how the hell did Boston and Tampa both come back in the last 5 minutes last night to force a shootout?

Watching that weird bumblebee thing go nuts for Tampa is so heartwarming.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxgcZbfmID8

Norbert: Because they were just amazing comebacks. Neither team actually ended winning the game after coming back from being down three and the amount of two goal comeback wins is far greater than three goal comebacks… therefore, I win this argument.

Daggett: I wasn’t arguing, just bringing up that last night we saw two very improbable comebacks happen. But to help your morale, yeah Norbert, you win. Props to Henrik Lundqvist for the Rangers and Carey Price for the Habs. They give up three goals late in the game and then step up and shut the door in the shootout.

Norbert: Neither goalie is to blame for the late surges from their opposition. The Bruins vs Rangers overtime was the best five minutes of hockey we’ve seen this season. That had playoff overtime intensity. Montreal and Tampa Bay overtime wasn’t as good, but Anders Lindback probably had the best save of the night in their overtime. He also had an unreal save in the first period of that game too.

Daggett: Lindback is 6’6″ and moves with the agility of a…well, a much smaller goalie. Tampa came back to get a point, but they have still lost five straight games. What is going on with the Lightning?

Norbert: They’re simply not putting up the goals like they were. The three goals they put up last night was the most since February 1st, when they put up 8 against Winnipeg. You have to be a little worried if you’re Montreal too. They’ve blown two leads in their last three games but still managed to get the shootout win. You can’t keep blowing leads like this and keep getting wins right?

Daggett: Shootouts are essentially coin flips, so no, you can’t keep blowing leads. My brave Panthers blew a lead of their own last night (up 5-3) and ended up losing 6-5 in overtime. Huge win for the Caps. It tells you what kind of shape Washington hockey is in right now, their announcers acted like they won the Cup after beating the Florida Panthers. Let that sink in.

Norbert: Well, it couldn’t have been worse than when the Blue Jackets won their season opener against the Predators and their announcer said “This could be the year”. The Blue Jackets are 4-7-2 now.

(*editor’s note*) – It’s definitely not Scott Howson’s year. I hope the Blue Jackets hires Coach Bombay as the new GM.

Anyway, the Capitals needed a win like that last night, maybe this is where the Capitals start stringing some wins together for a run. A team that has been quietly doing that is the Canucks. They’ve now won six in a row after beating the Wild 2-1 last night. Are the Canucks President’s Trophy contenders again?

Daggett: I think so. They are one of the better teams in the West and with the shortened season they play the majority of their games against Edmonton, Minnesota, Calgary, and Colorado. Their division is full of teams in the bottom half of the Western Conference. The exact opposite of that situation is a team like San Jose. Pekka Rinne made 25 saves and Nashville beat them last night 1-0 in OT. San Jose has lost six games and are playing in maybe the toughest division in hockey. They go to Chicago on Friday, will the Sharks lose seven in a row?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONATj7LhytU

Norbert: You would think so with the current streaks by both teams. The Blackhawks have been the best team so far this season and the Sharks have been pretty terrible the last five or so games. The only team that’s played worse than them is the New York Islanders, but we’ve all come to expect losing from them. The Isles next three games are NYR, New Jersey and Philly. Do you see the Islanders going on an eight game skid?

Daggett: You kidding me? They are going to win all three! This team is just turning the corner! Actually I am just being an ass, they are pretty bad. The Islanders need Tim Thomas, like, now. They are 29th in the league in Goals Against, but 4th in Penalty Kill and 5th in Power play. The Islanders just can’t play 5-on-5 hockey, which is bad in a league where they play 5-on-5 hockey.

Norbert: I doubt Tim Thomas ever suits up with the Islanders. They are just using his contract to meet the Salary Cap floor, then next year he’ll be without a contract, unless he wants to resign with the Islanders. I think the Islanders would have a better chance at winning if they played shorthanded the entire game. Like you said, no 5-on-5 being played by this team.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic, Philadelphia got a win last night against my “Lock” Winnipeg Jets. Definitely a needed win with how they played in Toronto the night before.

Daggett: Last time you use your lock on the Jets? Philly did need the win. How about that fight by Tye McGinn? First year in the league and he is trying like hell to stay up with the Flyers. In back to back games he was on the receiving end of a major boarding penalty (Sat vs CAR and Mon @ TOR) and then he fights a veteran like Mark Stuart. Maybe the kid’s head is made of stone.

Norbert: If he keeps up this pace of NHL hitting, he’ll have to retire at 28. He has been unreal though, five points in eleven games and throwing the fists around like that. Maybe the unsung hero for the Flyers this year. Winnipeg is looking exactly like they did last year, just kind of hanging around a playoff spot and not able to put together a winning streak. What does this team have to do to make the playoffs this year?

Daggett: A little bit of everything. They really need an identity. Winnipeg doesn’t have the most talent, so they need to either toughen or tighten up. Ottawa is starting to play that style of hockey. Craig Anderson stopped 42 shots as they shutout Buffalo last night 2-0. What do you think of the Senators?

Norbert: Right now, I think they’re a team just riding a hot goalie in Craig Anderson and a struggling offense. Their offensive troubles become mainly from Jason Spezza’s injury, in which he’s expected to miss about 2-3 months. The Senators may need to trade for a rental player on offense. The loss of Spezza is an obvious hole in the lineup for the Senators and players like Kyle Turris and Milan Michalek need to step up their game. Who could the Sens possibly trade for though?

Daggett: Do you think the Ducks are sellers?

Norbert: Even if they are, do you think Corey Perry or Ryan Getzlaf would actually stay in Ottawa once they become Free Agents July 5th? I don’t think they would and I don’t think the Senators are going to give up that much for one of them to play maybe 20 games for them.

Daggett: A team that quietly won their fourth in a row last night was the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen has been one of the best goalies in this young season and they are getting goals from a lot of different players. Are they a playoff team?

Norbert: I’m not sure, but it seems like they have a great chance at making the playoffs. The additions of Jaromir Jagr and Ray Whitney seem to be paying off for the Stars. Jagr has nine points in 12 games and Whitney has 6 points in 8 games. Lehtonen continues to be one of the most underrated goalies in the league, off to a 7-2-1 start. Stars just need to find a little more consistency to their season and they should crack the top 8.

Daggett: Who is your favorite Stars Ice Girl?

I would go with Candace. She is the Alternate Ice Captain (wow, yes, they have captains) so you know she is a leader. And the quote she lives by is “If you are not willing to look stupid, nothing great is ever going to happen to you”…this is also Texas’ state motto.

Norbert: I’m gonna have to go with Katharina just because of the “Maury Show” feel to it.

Daggett: Her favorite movie is Pearl Harbor. The Stars are a classy organization. Hiring the mentally handicapped sets a great example for the community.

Norbert: I wonder if she’s seen Team America…

Daggett: Classic tune, classic film. For Montreal fans, Pearl Harbor ‘est pourri. Only three games of hockey tonight. Dallas at Calgary is of course your hipster matchup of the evening. Ottawa at Pittsburgh and St. Louis at Detroit should both be good games. Can Pittsburgh bounce back from losing two in a row? Can Ottawa tie for the Northeast division lead? Will Detroit win and give St. Louis their sixth straight loss?

So many questions, Ahhhhh!!!!

Norbert: I have to say Pittsburgh gets a win and the Blues struggles continue. What band portrays this Dallas vs Calgary game? I’m thinking “TV on the Radio” or “Wavves”

Colour Coding – “Perfect” (Hipster Hockey Song)

Daggett: Crack open the PBR’s and enjoy the Stars at Flames. And a thought just hit me, Eddie. I think those Beavers were so angry because they didn’t have a great friend. Like you.

Norbert: My Cousin Skeeter > Angry Beavers

Daggett: What? No fucking way, “My cousin Skeeter” was dumb as hell.

Norbert: What is dumb as hell about this? Skeeter…is what I want, Skeeter… is what I need.

Daggett: You are the worst person ever.

Pasquali’s Picks (season so far 45-51)

Penguins over Senators
Wings over Blues
Flames over Stars

Theisen’s Picks (season so far 44-52)

Penguins over Senators
Wings over Blues
Stars over Flames