5 things we learned in the NHL last week: Phil Kessel is afraid of the Grim Reaver
Plus, Coyotes fans are howlin' sad and Erik Karlsson is happy to be unwanted
Another week of the NHL season has come and gone, but not without teaching us a few lessons along the way.
Here's a look back at some of the most exciting and/or strange events that caught the attention of hockey fans over the last seven days and what we learned from them.
Philly makes Kevin Bieksa want to jump, jump
Anaheim Ducks defenceman Kevin Bieksa turned heads with his MMA-style Superman punch on Flyers tough guy Radko Gudas on Tuesday.
As astonishing as that move was, it wasn't the first time Bieksa went flying through the air in the City of Brotherly Love — just check out this tussle with Mike Richards in 2009:
Maybe it's better he plays in the Western Conference and doesn't make the trip to Pennsylvania all that often.
Ryan Reaves inspires fear on and off the ice
Poor Phil Kessel — you can actually pinpoint the moment his heart stops beating. And it looks like he laughs at the moment it starts to beat again.
First <a href="https://twitter.com/penguins?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@penguins</a> 7five cam. Yo <a href="https://twitter.com/PKessel81?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PKessel81</a>...Check your shorts son <a href="https://t.co/G8ysR8QdD0">pic.twitter.com/G8ysR8QdD0</a>
—@rreaves75That's some good work, Grim Reaver (especially with your caption).
Some streaks can make you howlin' sad
The Arizona Coyotes' record after their first 11 games was a dismal 0-10-1, with their lone point coming in an overtime loss to the expansion Vegas Golden Knights.
That matches the longest losing streak to start a season, set back in 1943-44 by the New York Rangers.
With a lack of anything to cheer about, Coyotes fans have filled their Reddit community (r/Coyotes) with posts featuring actual coyotes, rather than talk about the actual team.
Here are a few samples of an online fanbase driven to madness:
Erik Karlsson is happy to be unwanted
Well, to be clear, he's unwanted as a defensive assignment — especially in 3-on-3 overtime.
Just look at these Los Angeles Kings making their case to *not* cover him.
You can go from unbeatable to beatable in less than 5 seconds
Frederik Andersen submitted his early save-of-the-season entry on Thursday, and his Maple Leafs teammates promptly responded by... allowing a goal on the subsequent faceoff.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯