For those of you who missed Backhand Shelf’s introduction to the concept of “beerability,” you can find out everything you need to know by checking out the lists of the 10 players and 10 coaches who have the most (and you can find the thorough definition of the term there too).

Basically, the more you’d like to sit at a pub over pints with a guy and bullshit, the more beerability he has.

The funny thing with beerability is, the more you...

If you missed it on Wednesday, I compiled my personal list of “5 teams that make me want to flip channels.” That was one was fairly easy to write, but this one’s a little harder – hell, I like watching a lot of teams play. But, I felt like I should write the positive side of things after being such a Negative Nancy.

Lists aren’t fun if you aren’t definitive, so here goes nothing: I shall attempt to...

Apparently, the clock in Los Angeles does have a nasty habit of sticking late in the third period at the STAPLES Center.

This doesn’t help us determine if it’s clock error or timekeeper-related, but it does help us know this: that wasn’t the first time the clock found itself “sticky” late in the game. Verrrrry interesting.

Stick-tap to @Majupra and redditor thebluefork (Reddit post here).

Maybe Dean Lombardi was right?

Alternate title: Gee, I wonder what the hockey blogosphere will be talking about today?

“Sam Gagner has just tied a record, with eight points in a game, the franchise mark he now shares with Wayne Gretzky and Paul Coffey!” -Gord Miller, TSN, with the unlikely call

In case you’ve missed it, the Edmonton Oilers’ young winger, skating on a line with Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle, recorded four goals and four assists last night against the Chicago Blackhawks, earning Edmonton...

By now I’m sure you have read numerous things about Sam Gagner’s amazing game last night. It’s not often a player puts up 8 points (hasn’t happened since Mario Lemieux did it in 1988), so he is getting all the attention he deserves. When I woke up this morning I was trying to think of a way to write about Gagner without saying the same thing everyone else was saying, and to be honest, I was stumped. He just put...

A hunter gets ready to strike

Alright millionaire, how good does it feel to have put money down on SAM GAGNER of the EDMONTON OILERS having EIGHT POINTS against the CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS? What? Nobody had picked SAM GAGNER to finish the night with EIGHT POINTS against the CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS and tie WAYNE GRETZKY and PAUL COFFEY’S franchise record? Go figure.

On a serious note, that is really, really special. It has only happened 16 times in NHL history to...

Aside: Not his finest mask

The year was 2003 and J.S. Giguere was about to embark on the most outrageous playoff run I’ve ever seen from a goaltender – last year’s Tim Thomas effort included – which included the most outrageous series I’ve ever seen from a goaltender. Against the Minnesota Wild, Giguere almost single-handedly swept the Wild as the Ducks continued their Cinderella run which eventually ended against the New Jersey Devils in the Cup finals. I say almost...

That looks comfortable

In the short time I’ve been lucky enough to contribute to this blog, I’ve gotten to profile a lot of seriously dirty hits. However, we’ve gotten the odd gem as well. The good ole fashioned clean open ice hit which gives you sympathy pains for a week. This is one of those hits.

In today’s Canadiens/Devils game, P.K. Subban absolutely destroys Adam Larsson crossing the blueline with the game tied at three in the third period. No...

Timkin: Smooth Criminal

It’s often tough to take the KHL very seriously. Off the ice there is noted corruption and general negligence which has caused numerous problems for the league over the years and been fatal in two notable instances. On the ice, players have been paid exorbitant amounts of money to play hockey that can hardly be classified as entertaining. I’ve watched a handful of KHL games in my time and have often regretted it because watching the KHL...

As you probably know, the Super Bowl is this weekend, and as always, the commercials will play a huge part. There’s this hilarious Jerry Seinfeld ad for Acura, there’s this horrible “Ferris Bueller” ad for Honda, and there are a host of other ones that have been released early for reasons I don’t quite understand.

It makes sense that different commercials are made for Canada and the US, as you’re playing to two groups of people who are inspired...

The hockey world has been abuzz today with discussion of the “clock malfunction” in Los Angeles that cost the Blue Jackets the game last night.

We’ve all posited our different theories: a glitch with the clock. Home timekeeper buying the team a second. Accidental button push.

Well, throw those in the trash. I think.

Los Angeles Kings GM Dean Lombardi – or so it seems, Professor Dean Lombardi - is apparently so crazy smart that he either A) accurately explained what happened...

I have no idea what is happening here.

The tendency in hockey – especially youth and rec hockey – is to go-go-go-go and keep going because all anyone ever does is laud hard work and how it results in success.

If you’ve ever been to one of those “Legends of Hockey” games where some ex-NHLers take on the local police or firefighters, it doesn’t take long to notice: the 50 and 60 year old ex-NHLers who don’t feel like skating...

Earlier today on Backhand Shelf, Daniel Wagner highlighted the Los Angeles Kings game-winning goal from last night, in which Drew Doughty scored with less than a second remaining in the third period, giving LA the win, narrowly avoiding overtime. The only lil’ problem with it was that the clock mysteriously stopped for over a second as time ran down.

The options are then that A) the clock had a teeny-tiny malfunction, or B) the time keeper wanted to help out the home...

Remember when I said the Columbus Blue Jackets are the Charlie Brown of the NHL? They proved it again Wednesday night against the LA Kings, finding a bizarre new way to lose: time clock malfunction.

Take a look at Drew Doughty’s game winner with 0.4 seconds remaining.

Did anything catch your eye? How about the play clock pausing briefly at 1.8 seconds?

When I first watched the video, my computer was on the fritz and the video was stuttering...

It happened again last night; only 5 games on the schedule but some really weird things happened.  So for the 3rd time this season….

You unlock this door with the key of imagination. Beyond it is another dimension: a dimension of sound, a dimension of sight, a dimension of mind. You’re moving into a land of both shadow and substance, of things and ideas. You’ve just crossed over into… the Twilight Zone.

Congrats on the shutout loser

There is not...

Usually when people retire from their line of work, they cease continuing to labor in their field of employment. Mark Recchi may have missed this memo.

Although his competitive hockey days are behind him, Recchi continues to be active in hockey. Since his Swan Song Stanley Cup, Recchi has been a participant in the 2012 Winter Classic Alumni Game, Mario Lemieux’s Fantasy Camp, and most recently was a guest coach for Team Cherry at the 2012 CHL/NHL Prospects Game in...

Gleason doing his best Reddit "Not bad" face.

I’m in a good mood today, so please excuse the negative topic, but this is always fun to discuss: when you sit down to watch hockey at night, there are certain teams you just don’t care to see, correct? You can’t help who those teams are, you just…don’t find them fun to watch.

That’s just a sports reality. We all have our preferences, whether those are rooted in geography, nationality or just because your Dad forced...

Shown: Gaustad taking a(nother) shot at the Canadiens

In today’s episode of the Backhand Shelf Podcast, Pizzo and I discussed a solid array of topics, and I felt particularly energetic so I probably talk a lot. We touched on Crosby’s constantly changing injury, Ray Ferraro making fun of Dion Phaneuf when he thought his mic was off, Paul Gaustad chirping Pacioretty with a “where’s Chara?” beak, we continued with “Wagering Wednesdays,” and also talked about some interesting stats from the NHL...

Image from Yahoo! Sports

But last night…er…he had somewhat of a malfunction.

In alone on Craig Anderson, he catches a rut and gets thrown off balance, then fans on the puck, then spins, stumbles, and knocks the net off with his back.

Nooot his best effort there.

Some days the internet is a wonderful place to be. Some days not, of course, but if I’m introducing this to you for the first time, then today is one of those wonderful ones.

I believe I stumbled across this site somewhere in a Harrison Mooney edition of Puck Daddy’s “Puck Headlines,” and since then, I’ve been rapt.

That one sad guy(sadhockeyguy.tumblr.com) features only pictures of hockey goal celebrations that also capture “that one sad guy” who’s really bummed that...

"Oh god not Malkin."

As a player in the ECHL and AHL, it was only natural that I would occasionally be on a team or two that came out on the wrong end of a shootout. If I learned anything from that experience, it’s this: the team reaction is ridiculous.

In most cases, you have three shooters going, and they (along with the goalie) fully control the outcome of the game at that point. Your “team” – you know the...

We’re still a full month out from the NHL’s trade deadline, set this year for Feb. 27, and already things have gone totally crazy.

It’s a well-established fact that the trade deadline in any sport is almost always a seller’s market since there are so few teams who know for sure they’re out of it versus the number of teams who:

a) Know they’re in and want to bolster their rosters for a deep run at the Cup. b) Don’t...

Even though I consider myself a hockey stats geek, there are only two categories I check EVERY day without fail 1) The standings 2) The scoring race.

Aside from a few surprise teams at the top and bottom of the standings, nothing too out of the ordinary this year; tight races in both conferences because the NHL still insists upon giving away a charity point.

However, the scoring race has been interesting. Throughout the year I have heard the following...