Welcome back kids! It’s your hockey twitter recap that you can’t live without: The Tweets of the Week. This past week, social media captured some truly bizarre happenings around the NHL. We’ll dive in slowly, as we explore an early week blowout which might have been the catalyst for a crazy mid-week transaction:
The Senators Blow Out Toronto
And yes, Leafs fans were predictably salty after last Saturday’s 6-1 drubbing by Ottawa:
Just finished watching the Leafs-Sens game and I can't help but wonder if Mike Babcock cries himself to sleep at night.
— Lori Lancoe (@GiraffeHerder) February 7, 2016
https://twitter.com/Savage303/status/696175849595232256
Maybe Donald Trump should be coaching the #Leafs "All I do is WIN, I'm a WINNER" LOL ;p #TMLtalk
— Corey Kendall 🇺🇦 #SlavaUkraini (@ckendall77) February 7, 2016
Do we really want to subject Canada to that?
https://twitter.com/TheJormeister/status/696175280218619904
John Tortorella would tell you that you need to make better decisions.
@MapleLeafs On behalf of Leafs nation, here's a little present after the performance tonight. #Leafs pic.twitter.com/n5Rq2wFmMr
— ! (@gotEm71) February 7, 2016
Perhaps the big loss convinced the Leafs that they need to blow the whole thing up. Enter the winners of such game, perhaps convinced by that win that they’re good enough and close enough to make a move. It was a match made in Canadian heaven. But you wouldn’t believe which team’s fan base was happy about it:
Dion Phaneuf Goes To Ottawa
Phaneuf will fit in perfectly in Ottawa where Leaders often over promise and under deliver! Ouch! #TooSoon? pic.twitter.com/uIqhnCmRI4
— Todd Shapiro (@iamToddyTickles) February 9, 2016
@timandsid my reaction to the phaneuf trade was that February 9th should become a national holiday #matchgame #byefelicia
— Trevor W van Engen (@T_REVV17) February 9, 2016
https://twitter.com/MrSanchoRelaxo/status/697202288885166080
I'm here too tell Sens fans that their cautious optimism about #Phaneuf should be reckless pessimism.
— Mike Robertson 🇨🇦 (@MikeRobertsonCA) February 9, 2016
.@spaveycracker You are welcome! #Phaneuf #Sens pic.twitter.com/6yHmbwJBbi
— Jeannine Flint (@Jeannine70) February 9, 2016
https://twitter.com/HabsLaughs/status/697203336915914752
Don’t get Toronto excited now. The last time that happened they wound up losing in six to the Royals.
@timandsid #My reaction to the Dion Phaneuf trade was pic.twitter.com/Gg8dsIFvs1
— Jason Antoine (@antoine49er) February 9, 2016
And then there were your obligatory shots at Phil Kessel …
https://twitter.com/Sleefen/status/697204220160839680
https://twitter.com/interestingnser/status/697201364615741440
Look Phil, for the last time: Primanti Brothers sandwiches are way too messy to throw.
As for Phaneuf’s start in Ottawa, well …
Nyquist's chance with Phaneuf on defense. #RedWings #Sens pic.twitter.com/AdMyj9hMD4
— Stefan Kubus (@StefanKubus) February 11, 2016
Congrats to Dion Phaneuf on his first time being blown past by a puck carrier as a Senator.
— Kyle (@KyleWIIM) February 11, 2016
You can take Phaneuf out of the Leafs, but you can't take the leafs out of the Phaneuf
— Joey 諝 (@CareyThisDub) February 11, 2016
Who raised that blue line! #Phaneuf
— iTweetSens (@iTweetSens) February 11, 2016
https://twitter.com/MattBostelaar/status/697576704366112768
Kevan Miller Trends For The Wrong Reasons
The Kings scored 9 goals on Tuesday. Three of them went off the stick of Kevan Miller, like this one, for example
https://twitter.com/myregularface/status/697227332172570624
The city of Boston responded with kindness and sympathy. As they always do.
KEVAN MILLER TO THE ELECTRIC CHAIR
— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) February 10, 2016
Or biting sarcasm. That works too.
https://twitter.com/bruins_stats/status/697221035385561088
Kevan Miller didn't even mean to do that yet I hate him for it.
— Corey (@cheaward) February 10, 2016
Can we get a corpse to replace Kevan Miller? Please? Anything.
— Jared Dionne (@jaredjdionne) February 10, 2016
Los Angeles native Kevan Miller has easily been the Kings best player.
— PumperNicholl (@PumperNicholl) February 10, 2016
I would say SOCAL NATIVE KEVAN MILLER is acting as a sleeper agent tonight but a) he grew up a sharks fan and b) he's not that good
— Remy (@RemyConnors) February 10, 2016
We can now 90% guarantee that when the first human scores a hockey goal on Mars, Kevan Miller will be the D stood helplessly watching it.
— Stanley Cup of Chowder (@cupofchowdah) February 10, 2016
But will Jonathan Bernier be the goalie?
When the Bruins play road games other teams have video tributes to Kevan Miller.
— Mike From Woburn (@MikeFromWoburn) February 10, 2016
Krug now paired with Seidenberg. Kevan Miller possibly tied up in the back of the equipment truck.
— Andy Merritt (@A_Merritt) February 10, 2016
Or sent to Mars for hockey expansion.
Steven Stamkos Stalked for All to See
This is a little creepy:
Little creepy when a guy dressed in all black follows you around the street snapping pictures. #smile #Montreal pic.twitter.com/RGrUPrHLJd
— Steven Stamkos (@RealStamkos91) February 9, 2016
But at least the stalker was honest about it …
https://twitter.com/25stanley/status/697165979114192900
This is like that movie “Phone Booth”. Except instead of a sniper, it’s Brendan Shanahan with a contract.
The Roberto Luongo Tweet of the Week
https://twitter.com/baskincase/status/697152808282357760
Well it sure as hell seems that way this week.
#Illuminati
Evander Kane Unifies The Heavyweight Division
Pretrovic and Kane fought 3 times tonight #👊🏻 https://t.co/3H1idKRPNm
— BucciOT.Com (@Buccigross) February 10, 2016
Evander Kane is Piston Hurricane
— Joe Yerdon (@JoeYerdon) February 10, 2016
According to some guy you might have heard of, he’s a little better than Piston Hurricane:
@evanderkane_9 Nice overhand right
— Evander Holyfield (@holyfield) February 11, 2016
Guys named Evander have to stick together.
Appreciate the love Real Deal! https://t.co/xZsKxs42pU
— Evander Kane (@evanderkane) February 11, 2016
Well someone has a second career lined up.
Oh Yeah, I Forgot About Zenon Konopka
But Zenon Konopka didn’t forget about his former coach Mike Yeo. And as the Wild struggle, Konopka made his feelings on Yeo’s job security known on twitter through a representative … his pet rabbit:
I'm not saying Mike Yeo is a bad coach but change is due in Minny #YeomustGo pic.twitter.com/1GsdYh9lvt
— Zenon Konopka (@ZenonKonopka) February 10, 2016
The rabbit’s involvement broke Yeo’s heart:
Yeo on @ZenonKonopka: "I really don't care what he thinks. I was really disappointed to see Hoppy holding that sign." #mnwild
— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) February 10, 2016
Who knew rabbits had such dark hearts?
And Finally …
Confirmed by #17: Milan Lucic signed the first toaster oven of his NHL career pic.twitter.com/jCINiiXKBV
— LA Kings (@LAKings) February 6, 2016
He has a ways to go to break Bruce Driver’s career record of 23.