Hit and Run: Oh, it’s hockey playoff time, is it? I hardly noticed.

If you guessed 87 as the number of minutes the Pens spent in the sin bin Sunday, you'd be terribly close. (Photo: Getty Images)

You can blame the Leafs’ freefall from playoff contention on this, but I’ve been suffering from hockey fatigue. And so, you’ve been without an NHL Playoff Preview, and for that I apologize.

It seems I haven’t missed too much actual hockey, if the Pittsburgh-Philly series is any indication. The Flyers took a commanding 3-0 lead in the quarterfinal series with an 8-4 win Sunday over the Pens, a game highlighted with more Pier 6 brawls in a single afternoon than I’ve witnessed in recent memory. Someone want to remind Crosby that he should be using his stick to score goals, not whack Bryzgalov’s glove? Ugh. Thankfully, there’s a nice cooling off period for these guys – they don’t meet again until Wednesday.

Because good things come in threes, there’s three Game 3’s happening tonight: the Rangers are in Ottawa, Boston visits Washington and San Jose hosts St. Louis. Each series is tied 1-1.

Now let’s talk baseball…after the jump.

The NHL Playoffs of Hotness: Round 1

Imagine: if we were writing this 30 years ago, we likely would have included him.

Now that we’ve given away the hardware for this year’s NHL Playoff Beards Awards (props to Raven for her excellent research once again), we bring you the NHL Playoffs of Hotness.

This works just like the NBA edition. Vote for the hockey hottie you love. We’ll narrow down the choices bracket-style over the next couple of weeks. Thanks to our readers for their suggestions on such short notice! Don’t worry: we’ve included a few guys from the Stanley Cup finalists Chicago Blackhawks and Philadelphia Flyers.

You have until Monday at 8pm Eastern to cast your vote. Yes, we’re making our readers work hard these days!

Won’t you let your red heart show?

Allow me (again) to bask in a little national pride for a moment.

Canadians spend a lot of time navel gazing and musing over the fact that we don’t wear our hearts on our sleeves much. We’re afraid of coming on a little too strong, and when we do, we apologize profusely.

I’m so glad that for a change, we let our flag wave often and proudly. We sported the red and white. We sang our anthem spontaneously. We celebrated with beer! We even came off as a bit obnoxious.

For once, Canadians need not apologize.

(Exception: the closing ceremonies music. Let me make this clear: most Canadians don’t like Nickelback. Here‘s an example of a band we should have had close the Vancouver games, which also explains the mystery behind the title of this post.)

The Vancouver 2010 Winter Games certainly had its ups and downs and fair share of criticism. There will be plenty of time for analysis in that regard. For now, let’s just bask in the glory of those record 14 gold medals, including one in…mens’ hockey!!

Hockey Night with the Ladies…: Flames and Pens at the Saddledome

Welcome to the hockey version of our ever-popular “Take Us Out To The Ball Game” series.

As I recently mentioned, I made my first ever visit to the western part of my vast homeland. This visit included my first ever live NHL experience. More on that after the jump.

But first, a special shout-out to my new favourite city, Vancouver! Calgary was alright – I can’t fault any city with a Bath and Body Works. But oh, how I love Vancouver and its lush mountains, coastal scenery, Granville Island Market and sushi! I would live there tomorrow, if it weren’t for that whole outrageous real estate situation. Oh, and the uprooting of my family. They’d be pissed.

Oh yeah, so I went to this hockey game…

Flamin’ Friday: Caption This!

(REUTERS/Paul Darrow)

I would love to know, Sidney, how it was you were able to run through the streets of Halifax gripping an Olympic Torch with those mittens!  Because I’m thinking there’s more practical handwear for that kind of activity out there.

Just a thought.

It’s Friday! Here’s hoping you’re not spending it in a movie theatre line getting tickets for New Moon.

Your 2009-10 NHL Hotness Preview: Atlantic Division

Even hockey players watch football to pass the time. Sadly, you won't be seeing this trio of hotties at any Eagles games anytime soon.

As Lady Bee told you yesterday, we here at Ladies… can’t wait for the NHL season to finally start, so we’re doing some previews for those of you who feel our pain!

Today I’ll be previewing the Atlantic Division.

Your 2009 Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins

A note to Sid

Sid, can we talk for a second?

Our Year End Hump Day Hottie Spectacular!

Chances are you’ll be reading this in 2009. That’s okay. It’s a holiday and you were preparing yourself for the New Year’s Eve celebrations. But if you are reading this in 2008 then let’s go through a review of what happened this year. Specifically what happened every Wednesday of this year. Yes, we’re going to be taking a look back at the Hump Day Hotties that have graced our blog in the ’08. Why? Because how could you not want to take a trip down memory lane and remember Ryan Lochte?

So let’s go back through the year that was and enjoy our hotties one more time before we sing “Auld Lang Syne.” And if you’re reading this in 2009, remember when Lochte was so smoking in 2008 he made the Ladies… HDH? Yeah, that was awesome.

Hump Day Hottie: Sidney Crosby

I honestly don’t know why I’m on this hockey kick today, especially considering baseball just started back and the Final Four is a few days away. But I am. And a search through the Ladies… archives have me noticing that we’ve never had a Sid the Kid HDH. Well, we’re changing that right now. Oh Sidney, you’re hot enough to almost make me a hockey fan. Almost.

8 WEEKS?!?!? 8 WEEKS?!?!!!! Sid’s out 8 weeks!!!!!

I may be high off of Tylenol 3, morphine, and subsisting on apple juice for the past five days, but the news that Sidney’s high-ankle sprain from Friday’s game is going to force Crosby to miss the next six to eight weeks has managed to pierce through the haze of drugs and glucose and has caused me to just ache.

This is the first time our little superstar has been hurt, and my urge to twirl him in bubble wrap and Band-Aids is overwhelming.  Maybe retro-fit the boards with something softer, like cotton candy from the nice old man on the main concourse or penguin plushies from Penstation.   Perhaps stop by Casa Lemieux with some soup, cookies, Yahtzee, and the box set of Futurama to help keep his mind off the pain.

It’s already helping me.  Immensely.

Sunshine cannot bleach the snow,/ Nor time unmake what poets know

Is there anything more beautiful that snow gently falling on a couple dozen of the hottest men in sports? After watching a few hours of just that in the Pens-Sabres matchup in the NHL’s Winter Classic, I would argue not.

Upper St. Clair alum Ryan Malone bendy sure is bendy…

Dear Hockey – It’s not you, it’s me.

Dear Hockey,

It’s not you, it’s me.

No really, don’t be upset. I know that look. Yes, that look. The puppy dog eyes look.

Wednesday Hit and Run – The one where we don’t quit our job

Happy return to baseball, Clare’s Baseball Boyfriend Cole. Hope you don’t mind staying up until way past everyone’s bedtime for the 14-inning 7-4 victory over the Red Birds after pitching 3 innings. 5 hours, 4 minutes, and 19 pitchers. Good lord is September baseball stressful. Just ask the Cubs, Brewers, Yankees, and Tigers. Obviously Pirate fans don’t remember what that feels like.