Wait Wait, What's Icing?

We have a VERY SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT at the end of this week's episode!  But first, we discuss just how badly the Blue Jackets need a vacation, fret about impressionable 18-year-old millionaires, remind everyone that what we're really talking about is ethics in sports journalism, then shamelessly attempt to sway your vote with the top five players you should add to your All-Star Game ballot. 

To kick things off, Tyler Seguin is Bambi and Mollyhall tries to kill everyone's mother. Then we have a... very interesting discussion of goalie body types and physical capabilities that you probably shouldn't listen to if there are small children in the room, followed by a discussion of how Kevin Bieksa got the nickname "Juice" that you really shouldn't listen to with children in the room. All that plus women's international tournaments (including at least one fun angry rant!), letters from you, and we share some of our favorite dumb and/or poignant hockey tales. 

Today we talk the conundrum wrapped in an enigma wrapped in a failed open book boating test that is the Edmonton Oilers, our tempestuous relationship with some of the NHL’s superstars, rumors of Alex Galchenyuk to Columbus????*, whether Pekka Rinne is a goalie or a fancy cheese, and the best of the rebuilds. All that, plus we let you know the only five moments where it’s totally chill to chuck your jersey on the ice.*Warning, some of the trade rumors included in this summary may be a gratuitous attempt at click bait. 

Mollyhall joins forces with Channing Tatum to beat this year's top draft prospects at pull-ups, we discuss the most boring story ever told (that is: goaltending narratives in the Stanley Cup Final), and then you can viscerally feel Mollyhall holding herself back from calling her lovely co-host an evil elitist Western hockey fan. To round it out, we have our top five suggestions for ways to keep net minders from wandering too far from their crease, now that it looks like the goalie corralling trapezoid might be on its way out. Somewhere along the line there's also talk of Gary Bettman hand-feeding goalies. It's a weird one, folks. 

Blackhawks fans hit the emotional teenage years, then we talk dump and chase hockey and come firmly down on the side of Team Chase, tell a bunch of burly NHLers they're beautiful moonflowers, discuss the difference between a broken foot and a broken head, and enjoy tales of Sidney Crosby: Frog Licker. All that and a brand new segment where we answer letters and questions from listeners like you! (Caveat: some of these responses are a month or more late. Oops.)

In today's episode we've got elaborate Harry Potter metaphors, Carey Price riding a horse out onto the ice to lasso the Cup out of Bettman's hands, recasting Harry Potter with members of the NHL, Blackhawks elite on-ice chirping, no one wanting to go to the prom with the Hockey World Championship, and technical difficulties that save you all from a very weird discussion of the proper pronunciation of "Voldmort." That plus the top five replacements for Carey Price now that he has been brutally murdered in his pursuit of the Goblet of F... wait... sorry.... the Stanley Cup. 

In today's Wait Wait What's Icing, Mollyhall and Ella's dreams have been invaded by Sidney Crosby (which seems even ruder than that time he was watching us on spy cams while we recorded a podcast....), we debate the effectiveness of Joel Quenneville's line blender, Rick Nash tells us to do our jobs better, we tell sports media to do their jobs better, and then give Marc Staal a stern talking to. All that and five ways you can distract the opposing team without invoking the wrath of the NHL water bottle police. 

Wait Wait, What's Icing?

Wait Wait, What's Icing?

Mollyhall abandoned the podcast to go tame wild horses on a windswept moor or something along those lines, so this week we've replaced her with the infamous Blackhawks Fairy. Today we discuss the possibility of the cup final being played shirts vs. skins, Blackhawks Fairy spills the beans about her not entirely safe for work nickname for the the Columbus Blue Jackets, and we debate how much emotional maturity is needed to root for a backup team should your favorite team bite the dust. Finally, as the NHL's theme of the week seemed to be "crotches," today's Five for Fangirling offers up some alternatives to "express displeasure with the refs by grabbing your own junk." I hope you're paying close attention, Joel Quenneville.

Time for playoffs! As you might have guessed, team What's Icing is wild with excitement over Columbus's second ever trip to the post season. We also talk the exciting Dallas Stars, Canadian drama, how Ella may or may not be stalking the entire NHL Department of Player Safety, and Mollyhall's plan for an elaborate PK Subban tramp stamp. All that, plus Five for Fangirling, where we discuss alternative modes of justice now that Shanahan is moving on from the NHL's Office of You Can't Do That. 

We do our very best to make you cry by discussing the horror of a last second loss for your favorite team, the angst of being emotionally invested in multiple teams during a playoff race, the Chicken Soup for the Soul style weeping the Masterton Trophy nominees have caused us, and James Reimer's life. Just in general. Also something about Sidney Crosby watching us sleep, which may be more horrifying than all of the above combined. There's a lovely life lesson at the end, though, so if you stick through all the tragedy you might just get something positive out of this week's episode. (Also Mollyhall pronounces Jaromír Jágr's the way you'd say Jägerbomb at one point, so it's worth listening to just for that.) 

You leave for one week and somehow the podcast gets renamed to include a lot more dicks.... That bit of chicanery aside, Ellen was lugging all her earthly belongings from one apartment to another this week, so instead you get Mollyhall and two awesome guest podcasters. Tune in for endless tears over recently injured NHLers, some... er... whole-hearted attempts at pronouncing hockey names, (good lord, ladies, it's Tey-vo. VO.) and discussion of actual Voldemort Gary Bettman. The jury's still out on whether 45 minutes of Mollyhall emoting about Jack Johnson would have been more or less enjoyable, but our guest podcasters are a true delight and you should give it a listen either way. 

Mollyhall and Ella discovered time suck and general horror of a game 2048 this week, and yet still managed to come out with a podcast only a few days late. Impressive! This week, come laugh at our inaccurate (but only slightly so) predictions of the Clarkson cup final, then stick around for some discussion of fancy stats, more analysis of the Columbus Blue Jackets lineup decisions than you probably need in your life, and a surprising defense of the Blackhawk's Bryan Bickell. Then it's Five for Fangirling, where we discuss non-shootout tie breakers the NHL should use, and if "center ice drinking games" gives Patrick Kane and the Blackhawks too much of an unfair advantage. (This is a team sport, after all!) 

It's a goaliepalooza! We discuss the trade deadline re-homing of most of the NHL's goalies, plus two of the world's most badass female goalies (also most badass no-qualifiers-attached goalies, let's be honest) Shannon Szabados and Noora Räty who both recently signed with men's pro teams. Also, somehow Sidney Crosby still managed to take over a chunk of the podcast, which seems inconsiderate of him. And no episode would be complete without Five For Fangirling, which this week focuses on possible new backups for the recently liberated Roberto Luongo. I tried to apply for the job but Mollyhall kindly reminded me I have the reaction time of a sloth with a bad horse tranquilizer habit, so that was a no go. And in case you're wondering where Episode 3 went, you can find that very special video episode here: http://waitwaitwhatsicing.tumblr.com/post/78761727065/coming-to-you-from-the-cold-hellish-depths-of