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It usually involves that kid who was in a wheelchair on Degrassi or some hashtag I dont understand or something to do with Disney Jr. But the word "beard" drew me in, and on upon further investigation I discovered that "peak beard" was about contemporary popular cultures threshold for beard wearing, and the notion that the age of the beard may be over. This seemed sacrilegious to me, because here in late April we sit on the precipice of the climax of beard season: winter is slowly receding and the NHL playoffs bring with them the greatest sports tradition of all-time, the playoff beard. Peak beard in April? Pfft. Thats like writing of December that weve hit "peak Santa", or of AC/DC weve hit "peak guitar", or of a wedding weve hit "peak open bar". As we settle into the first round of the playoffs, beards among NHLers are about to take form. We are awash in the infancy of stubble. In two months whichever teams are left battling will look like theyre en route to Bonnaroo post-pucks. It should be noted that Ive worn a beard since puberty allowed it, and a razor has insulted my cheeks just once in the past twenty years. I revel in playoff beards. They make me feel at home. I wear a playoff beard in August. And as we got through the first weekend of the playoffs a few days ago, which was also Easter, Id be remiss if I didnt mention the best playoff beard ever: Jesus. Dude rocked his beard into the post-post season, and according to scripture will still be rocking the playoff beard when he comes back. The story of the playoff beard is well known: It started some thirty years ago during the New York Islanders dynasty of the 80s. (For our younger readers the Islanders were once a good hockey team, before fishermen logos, Charles Wang, and Alexei Yashin.) No one is quite sure of its specific genesis, however. Some attribute it to two Swedish Islanders who were trying to emulate tennis star Björn Borgs custom of not shaving during Wimbledon. Some say that Islanders defenceman Ken Morrows beard led the charge. Whatever the story, the playoff beard has come to symbolize team unity, a badge of honour, and the fact that youve made a deep enough run to sport a thick brush from which you can hang livestock. In my years as a hockey fan, a few playoff beards standout. Scott Niedermayers greying old man beard, Mike Commodores ginger madness, and Lanny McDonalds wild west stache accompaniment immediately come to mind. In recent years, rules concerning the playoff beard seem to have turned lax. Shaving after a loss in effort to change a teams luck is seemingly allowed. Goatees, the beards answer to the haiku, are tolerated. Professional trimming is apparent (Im looking at you, Sedin twins.) Back in the day, when men were men and the Oilers made the playoffs, the rules for the playoff beard were simple: 1. Stop shaving.2. Win Stanley Cup or get eliminated.3. Start shaving again. In todays NHL, a new challenge faces beard-growing players. In the salary cap era, inexpensive young talent on entry-level contracts are important to the balance of a competitive team. Eighteen, nineteen, and twenty year-olds are key parts of many playoff teams lineups. Early in the first round, all players beards are equal. Its like a grade 8 dance. But come rounds two and three, how will Nathan MacKinnon, Olli Maatta, and Ryan Murray look should their teams be fortunate enough to make it that deep? Of course, a teams playoff longevity doesnt necessarily guarantee a healthy bearded player. When Tomas Kaberle won a Cup with Boston in 2011, the former Leafs defencemen still looked like a pre-pubescent child despite two months without shaving. Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews has won two Cups without any discernible upper lip growth, and Sidney Crosby still owns his "Sid the Kid" moniker with his patchy-coat-of an-electrocuted-dog fuzz. We cant all be Duck Dynasty-esque, but at 26 Crosbys beard is just plain sad. I have a better beard in my junior prom photos. Hell, my prom date has a better beard. And then theres the beards well never know. Can Dion Phaneuf even grow a beard? Can Phil Kessel? Can the Edmonton Oilers? We know they can schedule vacations for early April, play in the World Championships, and pick in the early first round of the draft, but theyll need to see past round one of the playoffs before we can judge their facial hair prowess. Sadly, methinks well never know. For now, I will rebel against notions peak beard, despite what Cosmo and The Daily Guardian are writing. The grand tradition of the playoff beard is just one of the many facets of the fight for the Stanley Cup that makes the NHLs postseason more compelling, more rich in narrative, and more entertaining than any other sport. So buy razor futures now, because the blades are sheathed for another two months, and may the best beard host the parade. Adidas Continental 80 Heren . Advancing to the Champions League quarterfinals should be a formality after Lionel Messi scored a penalty and Dani Alves added a late second to secure a commanding 2-0 advantage over City in the round of 16 on Tuesday. Yeezy Boost 700 Bestellen . Thats the feeling that eight Canadian Football League teams are experiencing right now in advance of the expansion draft to stock the Ottawa Redblacks. http://www.nmdbelgie.com/kopen-adidas-zx-9000-sale.html . In this space, I will be writing new and unique pieces about the team that you wont be able to find anywhere else. So naturally, in an attempt to come up with a fresh topic about the Ottawa Senators, I am going to start with a piece about their goaltending. Adidas NMD XR1 Heren . - The Raiders have released guard Mike Brisiel after two disappointing seasons in Oakland. Adidas NMD R1 Dames Sale .com) - The New York Jets have named Mike Maccagnan their new general manager.BOSTON - Drained by the emotion of the storybook ending to his Yankee Stadium career, Derek Jeter took the night off.The New York Yankees won anyway.Jeter and the rest of the teams regulars watched from the dugout as a lineup with five rookies a€” and no one who played more than 47 games for the Yankees this season a€” beat the Boston Red Sox 3-2 on Friday night.He had such a special night last night, New York starter Chris Capuano said. I think everyone can understand him just wanting to take a day.Physically and mentally fatigued by his run up to retirement, Jeter asked for the night off but said he would be the designated hitter on Saturday and Sunday in the last two games of the season for both non-playoff teams.That would give Red Sox fans a chance to cheer for the star they rooted against during the teams long rivalry. They wanted to see him Friday night, booing in the ninth whenever a hitter came out to the Yankees on-deck circle and it wasnt Jeter as a pinch hitter.Fans in a sold-out Fenway Park chanted his name throughout.It doesnt surprise me, said David Robertson, who earned his 39th save. Theres a lot of Yankee fans in the seats tonight and I know that the Red Sox fans love and respect him.I dont know if they love him, he said with a grin, but they respect him.There was little excitement one day after Jeter provided plenty with his ultimate walkoff a€” a game-winning single in the bottom of the ninth inning in the final home game of his 20 seasons, a 6-5 win over the Baltimore Orioles.Robertson gave up two homers in the top of the ninth Thursday night, allowing Baltimore to tie the score and setting up Jeters dramatic moment.On Friday, Robertson let Xander Bogaerts reach second with no outs in the ninth but retired the next three batters.Deja vu? No, he said. I kept the ball in the field.The Yankees had five rookies in the starting lineup for the first time in more than 30 years and the Red Sox started seven, including pitcher Steven Wright (0-1).New York gave Capuano (3-4) a 3-1 lead by the time he left with two outs in the seventh.Boston threatened to tie it in the seventh when Cuban outfielderr Rusney Castillo hit reliever Shawn Kelleys first pitch for his second homer in his eighth major league game.ddddddddddddLearning how to make adjustments in the game has been very helpful, Castillo said through a translator.Brentz, who made his major league debut Sept. 17, gave Boston a 1-0 lead with a single in the second.For the first time since Oct. 4, 1980, against Detroit, New York started five rookies, not including the pitcher, according to STATS. Five rookies started for the first time since Sept. 26, 2003, in the second game of a doubleheader against Baltimore but one of them was a pitcher.The rebuilding Red Sox have been using youngsters for months. For the third straight game, they started seven rookies, including the pitcher.UNCERTAIN FUTURECapuano, who signed with the Yankees after being released by the Red Sox on July 1, was grateful for his second chance. Its been a really special experience, said Capuano, a 10-year veteran who faces an uncertain future.TRAINERS ROOMYankees: Jeter needed a day to recover from the emotion of his final game at Yankee Stadium, capped by his hit that gave the Yankees a 6-5 win over the Orioles I dont think I really slept a€” maybe a couple of hours, Jeter said. I dont know if I could play tonight if I was playing tonight. Last night was as special as it gets.Red Sox: DH David Ortiz, 1B Mike Napoli and 3B Brock Holt are expected to miss the series. Ortiz sat out his third straight game with a sore left wrist. Napoli missed his eighth consecutive game with finger, toe and back injuries. Holt has been sidelined with a concussion since Sept. 5.UP NEXTMasahiro Tanaka (13-4) starts for the Yankees against Joe Kelly (3-2) in the second game of the series. Tanaka will make his second start since returning from a 2 1-2-month break while resting and rehabbing an elbow injury. Kelly has won three of his last four starts, including one at Yankee Stadium.FOREVER YOUNGThe last five batters in Bostons lineup entered the game with a total of 33 major league games this year a€” Garin Cecchini with 8, Castillo (7), Brentz (6), Ryan Lavarnway (7) and Dan Butler (5) ' ' '