The top 10 hockey bloopers of 2013
Unsurprisingly, these two guys got blamed for this goal.
Hockey is a beautiful game, played on a crisp sheet of ice by finely-tuned athletes that have perfected their strides, their passes, their shots. At times, watching a game of puck is like watching art unfolds in real-time.
At other times, however, it's pretty flipping ridiculous, and 2013 suffered no shortage of bloopers. It took some doing to get this down to a top 10 list -- we had to lose the official that called a phantom shootout goal, John Carlson's crazy bounce goal versus the Penguins, and a host of other nonsensical occurrences -- but we did it. We give you the 10 worst (or best) bloopers of the year.
10. Artem Anisimov scores hockey's stupidest goal
Like I said, sometimes hockey is lovely. And it makes sense. And then sometimes stuff like this happens. This is a play you can't draw up, with defenceman Nikita Nikitin knocking himself over attempting a snapshot before Anisimov chops the puck harmless towards the goal. It jumps into the air, is knocked even higher by Daniel Briere, then drops in as goaltender Peter Budaj gets to his feet after being run into by another player. The number of things that had to happen for this to happen still boggle the mind.
9. Historically bad Super Series anthem
Bad anthems happen all the time, but this one may just take the cake. Just prior to the final game of the Subway Series series, Dirk Edwards sings -- if you can call it that -- both the Russian and Canadian anthems. It's a truly unforgettable experience, with forgotten melodies, lyrics and a brief moment of audible panic. The best part? Just prior to hitting the ice, Edwards tweeted, "Come listen to me make a fool of myself in two languages". False advertising it was not.
8. BCHL linesman takes accidental punch
Breaking up a fight seems dangerous, what with all those flying fists. In this clip, BCHL linesman Ryan Dawson shows us why, taken a stiff shot to the jaw that knocks him to the ice, bleeding from the mouth. He was okay after a few stitches.
7. Tuukka Rask falls down, Rangers score easy goal
Most of the time, it's difficult to score on Tuukka Rask. He's one of the NHL's best goalies and he plays in front of one of the league's best defences. But it's a whole lot easier when he falls down just as you enter the offensive zone. This is a freebie for the Rangers.
6. Jonathan Quick scores on himself
Speaking of freebies for the Rangers -- hockey's luckiest team, if this list is any indication -- Jonathan Quick hands the blueshirts another one here. On the one hand, Quick accomplishes his intended goal, stopping the puck from sliding behind the net. But on the other hand, it's not supposed to end up in your goal in the process. Best part is the Staples "that was easy" sign in the background. How appropriate.
5. Tyler Seguin drops smelling salts in fan's beer
Here's something you don't see everyday. After taking some smelling salts to his nose to wake himself up, Tyler Seguin tosses them nonchalantly behind him. In an amazing development, they sail over the glass and land directly in the beer of the fan sitting in the front row.
4. Canucks score shorthanded goal... on themselves
We called this the worst shorthanded goal ever, and we stand by it. Five Canucks in the defensive zone, not a single Canadien in the frame, and somehow the puck winds up behind Roberto Luongo. This is not how the breakout is supposed to look.
3. Blackhawks fan steals Adam Pardy's helmet
Lots of people do silly things when they're inebriated, but very few -- maybe none ever, until this guy -- seize the opportunity to steal a player's helmet after he crashes through the glass.
2. Alex Ovechkin makes the same All-Star team twice
It doesn't get more embarrassing than the Professional Hockey Writer's Association's voting debacle at the end of last season. After being switched to right wing, Alex Ovechkin had an incredible season. He was a shoo-in for the first-team all-star right wing selection. But thanks to a handful of voters that somehow forgot one of hockey's biggest story lines -- Ovechkin switching sides -- he also won the spot at left wing. "We know we got this wrong," the PHWA said later, in a contrite and conciliatory statement.
1. Bakersfield condor makes his great escape
The condor remains our favourite hockey video clip of 2013. Brought out during the anthems just prior to a game for the ECHL's Bakersfield Condors, the condor decided he wanted no part of the festivities. After his handler slipped on the ice, the condor flew the coop, scrambling across the ice, hopping into the players' bench, and then, amazingly, fleeing down the tunnel. It was an unforgettable spectacle. The club would try the stunt again later on and get it right, but that's boring. More escaping condors, please.
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is the associate editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
