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Turn out the Lights

by Chris on October 16, 2011

in Arron Asham,Boston Bruins,Chris,Goons,GoonSquad,Gregory Campbell,Jay Beagle,NHL,Pittsburgh Penguins,Trevor Gillies,Uncategorized,Washington Capitals

Finally the Bruins have gotten on the board with a fight last night in Chicago. Nice work by Gregory Campbell to try to spark the boys. Not much of a scrap, but good on Soupy to get it started. The fight I wanted to talk about happened Thursday between Pittsburgh’s Arron Asham, and Washington’s Jay Beagle. It was a bit of a one sided affair, and the fight got the hockey world talking. Personally, I thought it was a good scrap, and had to be done, but others don’t see it that way.

The fight started after Beagle cross checked Kris Letang, then hit him up high hard enough to knock his helmet off. Asham was on the ice, and in his role as enforcer, he went to Letang’s aid. My buddy Brendan and I had a somewhat heated debate about this Friday. It’s Brendan’s position that Letang A. didn’t do enough to Beagle to require Asham’s aid, and B. It’s not like he’s Gretzky. People can hit Kris Letang. My position is Arron Asham is an enforcer. It’s his job to protect teammates on the ice against any perceived injustice. Asham starts picking and choosing who he sticks up for, and we have a system that breaks down, and chaos reigns supreme. As far as Beagle being a non-enforcer? Well, it’s not like Asham beat up Alexander Semin. Beagle is a big guy that’s been in a scrap or two. He will definitely think twice about any liberties he might want to take with Penguins players or any team’s players for that matter after the beating he took, moving forward. Beagle rang the bell, Asham answered it. These two teams will have a lot of time to think about things as they don’t play each other for over a month. You can bet your bottom dollar DJ King will be in the Caps line up when they meet again. Asham has to answer to someone for this beating.

One more thing about this fight and you can get back to whatever it is you were doing before you stumbled across this madness. The Pittsburgh Penguins announce team of Paul Steigerwald, and Bob Errey, and the whole organization for that matter, has got to be the most hypocritical in all of sports. Let’s say for a minute that Trevor Gillies beat up Paul Martin in the same way Asham beat up Beagle the other night. Steigy and Errey would have been coming down from the press box with pitch forks with Mario Lemieux right behind them. When it’s their guy, who showboated like a punk after turning out Beagle’s lights by the way, they are talking about team toughness and so forth. Can’t have it both ways Pittsburgh. Either way, I’m looking forward to this rematch.

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Turning the Page

by Chris on October 8, 2011

in Boston Bruins,Brandon Prust,Chris,Goons,GoonSquad,Kyle Clifford,Los Angeles Kings,New York Rangers,NHL,Philadelphia Flyers,Zac Rinaldo

We are now 9 games into the NHL season, and there has been a
total of 1 fight. One. Uno. That’s not a lot. It was a decent scrap in
yesterday afternoon’s contest between LA’s Kyle Clifford, and the Rangers
Brandon Prust. I am not here to offer any analysis on why there has only been
one fight, I’m just saying, there hasn’t been many.

http://youtu.be/NpGTNXVIHGM

The Flyers and Bruins sure could have used one the other
night. I was certain Andy Ference and Zac Rinaldo were going to have it out at
one point, to no avail. I am not sure if Rinaldo told Ference global warming is
a sham, or what, but after Rinaldo finished his check on the North End’s
Favorite Son he said something to him that really pissed him off. Maybe he was
asking if Ference got noticed in the women’s department of Marshall’s buying
that gawd awful yellow shirt he was wearing for his day with the Cup. My word,
I had no idea Andy Ference was a cross dresser. Tree hugging hippie yes, but
this cross dressing shit is going a bit far. At any rate, I would have liked to
have seen that tilt. Rinaldo can throw hands (and I suspect he’s probably taken
the soon to be waived Jody Shelley’s spot) and Ference, when prompted, is good
for a spirited bout.

While we’re on the topic of the Bruins and Flyers, I have to
say, the banner ceremony was pretty cool the other night. I have mixed emotions
on all the players skating with the cup one last time. On the one hand it was
cool to see them with it on home ice. On the other, they didn’t earn the right
to skate it around in front of the home fans. It was a nice touch having Recchi
there, and I thought Neely killed with his speech. The home crowd took the
opportunity, not all, but some, to boo owner Jeremy Jacobs. Nice work Boston,
way to be classy. Like him or not, the Bruins won the Cup. Stop booing.

The banner itself is kick ass, and I am looking forward to
turning my head slightly up and to the left to see it every night this year.
Now with the banner up, and the page turned, it’s time to get down to business.
Every team in the league is gunning for Boston right now, and they have to be
ready every night, for every team’s best game. Other than the fact that it’s
very hard to repeat in the NHL, I don’t see another reason why the Bruins can’t
raise another banner next October. Tampa is in town tonight for a game 7 rematch.
Let’s see if the Bruins bring the game they need to bring, or if we’re talking
about firing everyone, and the team having no heart tomorrow morning.

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Meeting Lord Stanley

by The Ref on October 4, 2011

in Off Topic,Stanley Cup

Yesterday was one of the coolest and hardest days of my life. We’ll get to the cool part, but first the hard part. The cool part is worth the wait. Trust me.

So, the hard part. Mike Russell’s wake. It was hands down, the hardest wake I have ever gone to in my whole life, and that includes my own father’s. The show of support was incredible. I saw many, many people I hadn’t seen in years. It was awful circumstances in which to see old friends, but it was nice to see them nonetheless. I was obviously very emotional, and seeing each of the kids and the parents trying to be strong for each other was amazing. They are a tight knit group for sure, and I hope to see them all again, only this time, at a joyous occasion. RIP, Mike. You are going to be missed.

Now, for the cool part. Caroline and I got to meet Lord Stanley yesterday! The Bruins put together a thing for the season ticket holders. It was really neat to see the Cup up close, and to get to touch it. I wanted to put Caroline in the actual bowl, but they said she was too big, so we had to settle for a couple of shots of us touching it, whilst wearing a very serious face. I think she’s pissed because right where our hands are is a Montreal square. Lucky she didn’t puke on it.

Along with having the Cup, there were a couple of booths set up for Bruins Stanley Cup memorabilia, and some used equipment as well. Among the locker placards, I found Brian McGrattan. Do you think 2 bucks is too much to spend? Me neither. The defense begins Thursday evening, and I for one can’t wait!

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Michael P. Russell 1975-2011

by Chris on September 28, 2011

in Chris,GoonSquad,Off Topic

Well, I hate to do it again with the bad news about a hockey player dying, but here we go. An old friend of mine from way back in the day was killed in a car accident last Saturday night. Of all the deaths over this summer, the death of Mike Russell hits the hardest. Mike was 36, had a wife and 2 kids, and was my best friend growing up. He will be missed.

I don’t know exactly when and where Mike and I met. I would assume it was the early 80’s, at either a soccer field, or a hockey rink. Mike’s dad, Jim, was a big soccer coach, and Mike was a great soccer player. I was a shitty soccer player, and I hated every second of it, but I’m off topic. Where Mike shined athletically, was hockey. He was gifted on the pond, the rink in his back yard, and on a rink. I remember going into the Russell’s house and the first thing that struck me, was all the damn equipment. Mike had 3 older brothers, and 1 sister that all played, and they had gear everywhere. They also had a sick trophy case in the basement, full of soccer and hockey trophies from all over the place.

Mike and I were inseparable. I am pretty sure the first time I ever drank a beer, I was with Mike. I know I smoked butts with him, and snuck out of the house to get into mischief with him all the time. We were always into something in Thoreau Hills, and around the West Concord area. Our hockey coaches hated having us in practice, especially Mr. Gray, and my dad, because we never paid attention and were always trying sick moves on each other, or fighting with the other kids. We were there to have fun, and since we were good players, we did what we wanted. While everyone was watching the Cosby show on Thursday nights, we were at Valley Sports making my dad miserable!

Once middle school hit, he went to Peabody, and I to Sanborn. We didn’t really see each other much because we fell in with different crowds, and I think our friendship turned into more of a rivalry. We fought each other a couple of times, but somehow we always came out of it as friends. Once Mike went to high school at Belmont Hill, we really didn’t see each other, but I always knew what he was up to through his family.

His family always treated me like one of their own. I am feeling so bad for them right now, I really can’t even describe it. To the Russell family I send my deepest condolences. This has got to be agony for them, and they are most definitely in my thoughts and prayers. The last time I saw Mike alive, I wasn’t very nice to him. I feel terribly about that right now. Russ, you’ll be missed buddy. When I see you on the other side, I owe you an apology. Like always after a handshake and a hug, we’ll be friends again.

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You Will Respect My Authority!

by Chris on September 24, 2011

in Chris,Goons,GoonSquad,Jody Shelley,Matt Clackson,Pierre-Luc LeBlond,Trevor Gillies

Alrighty! Let’s put the negativity of the summer and my last two posts behind us shall we? Why? Its back. Hockey is back! NHL Network has been showing a couple of preseason games a night, and it’s great to see their commitment to the pre- season. It was also great to see Kathryn Tappen in studio, not dressed like a pilgrim. I think so far, the MVP of the pre-season has to be Brendan Shanahan.

Shanny is the new Sheriff in town for the NHL, and he’s wasted no time dolling out his brand of justice. I’ve said before that hitting from behind is a huge problem in the NHL, and the re-written rules on boarding seem to corroborate my story. Shanahan doled out some serious justice the other night in the form of a 5 game suspension for Calgary’s PL3 and a 10 game seat in the press box for Philadelphia’s Jody Shelley. Of course, had either of the incidents involved Trevor Gillies, he would have been drawn and quartered, and possibly stoned to death on the site of Chuck Wang’s alleged Lighthouse project. Brendan Shanahan is sending a message: The old ways will not be tolerated, and I WILL make you respect one another.

Good on the NHL, and Shanny for handing out these suspensions. I have seen both hits, and neither (especially the Shelley hit) were called for. Listen, I get the PL3 hit. He’s trying to prove to Calgary that he’s a tough kid, and will do whatever to make the team. He hit another enforcer in Matt Clackson (doesn’t make it right, but at least it wasn’t one of the Sedins) from behind, and very high. While there was no need for it, I at least understand it. Jody Shelley’s hit, on the other hand, was completely uncalled for. He’s made Philly’s team. He’s not going anywhere, except for the press box because his coach hates tough guys. He friggin creamed Darryl Boyce from behind, and gave him a nasty cut to boot. Hockey is a physical game, that’s why we like it, but these types of hits need to be taken out of the game. It looks like Brendan Shanahan is on a mission to do just that.

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Beginning of the End of Fighting in the NHL?

by Chris on September 17, 2011

in Chris,Goons,GoonSquad,NHL,Trevor Gillies

I really don’t want this to come across as cold, and selfish, but does anyone else worry that the recent deaths of enforcers in the NHL will have negative ramifications on the ice? The harsh reality is that we live in a world of knee jerk reactions. Someone gets killed on a road; speed bumps are installed the next day. Could we be witness to some radical changes this season with regards to fisticuffs?

The concussion issue is a hot topic in the NHL right now. “Things had to be evaluated” when Matt Cooke attempted to kill Marc Savard, and now that Sidney Crosby has been shelved for an extended period of time with his concussion, the talk for change with regards to head hits, and the need to address how concussions are treated has reached a deafening level. While I agree concussions are an issue, these men also accept they have a dangerous job, and it kind of goes with the territory. Fighting was up last season, and in kind of a Catch 22 situation, I think both fighting, and concussions will continue to rise. Something needs to be done about this game, but it’s not the fights.

For me, I think the game is way too fast, and body checking has become too predatory. I don’t want to go back to the water skiing off a guy in the neutral zone, or the clutch and grab of the pre lockout days, because that hockey was a little too dull for me, but I do think the game needs to be slowed a bit.

The trouble is, these players these days are so big, and so fast, how do you effectively slow the game back down, without stifling the talent on the ice? What with players all wanting to get in on the booming Scott Stevens-esque body checks instead of simply separating someone from the puck, the recipe is there for concussions from the big hit, but the fights go up as well. It seems even legal body checks in the NHL need to be answered for, and when the bell gets rung, you know the tough guys are going to answer it. In the knee jerk reaction department of the NHL, I can see there being an extra 2 minute penalty for fighting after a legal hit being tacked on, or if you’re Trevor Gillies, an automatic 30 game suspension for doing anything.

Listen, I don’t have the answers here. I’m just a guy typing away on my new laptop, while the baby sleeps. I do agree the NHL needs Sidney Crosby playing, and not concussed. I am a Crosby fan. There, I said it. I like his game, and I like the fact he understands what the role of Captain means. He’s taken matters into his own hands a couple of times with his fists, and I like it. He needs to be on the ice, and so does Marc Savard. Sadly, I think we’ve seen the last of Savvy, and hopefully Crosby can return to form. I am against taking drastic measures to regulate the physical nature of hockey. After all, it’s one of the main reasons I watch. I’m even more against more regulations on fighting, but I do think something needs to be done about the speed of the game, and how it relates to concussions, and head shots. The NHL Brass needs to address those issues, before some knee jerk reaction to three enforcers dying over the summer regulates fighting right out of the game in the name of safety.

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Saying Goodbye to Summer 2011

by Chris on September 14, 2011

in Chris,Derek Boogaard,Goons,GoonSquad

With the good news of today being Brad Marchand has sobered up enough to put his name on a very shrewd deal from the Bruins, and the even better news that hockey is indeed right around the corner, I’d be remiss if I didn’t touch on just how awful the 2011 off-season was. What started with the overdose of a current NHL enforcer in Derek Boogaard, ended with 44 players and coaches of a KHL team perishing in a plane crash. In between were the apparent suicide of Winnipeg Jet Rick Rypien, and the suicide of recently retired player Wade Belak. To say the least, this has been as awful an off-season as you could ever imagine. Hopefully, we don’t see one like it again.

Photograph by: John Russell, Getty Images, Calgary Herald

A lot has been made about the three deaths preceding the Lokomotiv plane crash. I have read article after article making the correlation between enforcers, depression, drug use, and suicide. Personally, I don’t think there’s a relationship, it’s just a really shitty coincidence that all three were of the enforcer mold. After reading all these articles, I’m left to wonder, why?

Why does a guy like Derek Boogaard wind up killing himself with pills and booze? Why does Rick Rypien allegedly take his own life? Why does Wade Belak, a man by all accounts, a larger than life type personality that loved life, his family, and hockey hang himself in a Toronto hotel? What do these guys have to be depressed about anyway? They were all young, and well paid to play a game for a living. A game that I would give several limbs to play professionally and I’m not the only one. Is it because they fight for a living, and take too many shots to the head? I don’t think so. I think it’s the fact depression is a dark and terrible disease, and in a moment in time, dying seemed better than living.

When my daughter Caroline was born, I was so excited! She was an angel sent to me, and I was lucky to be her father. Soon after the initial excitement wore off, and I got into the daily routine of trying to keep a newborn alive, work, and be a good husband, I found myself in some very dark places in my mind. For a few weeks, all I wanted to do was sleep, and cry. What did I have to be so sad about? I have an amazing wife, a great job where I am respected (no, really) and the most beautiful little girl in the whole world looking at me to be her daddy. Was I overwhelmed, or was it male postpartum depression? I can’t say for sure, and I have since gotten it together mentally, but it was not pleasant for me for a while there. The point I’m making, and there is one, is that even in my darkest hour, it probably wasn’t nearly as dark as Boogaard’s, Rypien’s, or Belak’s worst day. I couldn’t imagine hurting myself, or Caroline or anything, but I can’t help thinking of just how dark the recesses of their minds must have been to drive them to the things they did.

 I feel so terribly for the people in these three men’s lives that are left behind to pick up the pieces and wonder what happened, and was there anything that could have been done for them. My guess is that no, there wasn’t anything they could have done. Like I said, seemingly they had it all. Great lives as professional hockey players or in Belak’s case a recently retired professional hockey player. Belak leaves behind a wife and two girls. Imagine being that family right now. Imagine Wade Belak being so depressed that the thought of leaving them behind was outweighed by the fact he just couldn’t go on living anymore. Simply heart breaking. Hopefully these men will be remembered as the great people they seemed to be, and not remembered simply as three enforcers that died, two by their own hand in the summer of 2011. In the meantime, the rest of the world goes on. The hockey community mourns their passing, and we pray it doesn’t happen again.

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No Skin Left to Pinch

by Chris on June 24, 2011

in 2011 Playoffs,Boston Bruins,Stanley Cup

For the past 8 days, I’ve felt a little like Billy Guerin in the “History Will be Made” commercials they showed during the playoffs. I’m totally speechless. The Boston Bruins won the Stanley Cup. Holy shit! They won the Stanley Cup. I was alive to see it. I saw it with my own eyes. When it happened, I had no words, and now, 8 days later, I still can barely believe it.

tim-thomas-wins-cupFirst off, I want to thank everyone for the really nice texts, and e-mails and phone calls I got about the piece I wrote before game 7. I know if my dad were alive, he would have really enjoyed watching this run, and it was nice of all the people that reached out to me, especially all the hockey guys growing up that knew Mr. Cornett, to take the time to comment. Secondly, I wanted to thank everyone that called, emailed and texted after they won game 7. I felt like I was Mark Recchi or something, only, I could work the new fangled cell phones! What an unreal feeling. The Bruins are Cup Champs, and I was stoic.

I stood up for the last minute of the game, watching as the clock wound down. Some of the people around me were hooting and hollering others had started to cry a little tear of joy. I, on the other hand, was stoic. I was 100% sure I was going to cry when they won, but I just stood there staring. I just could not believe my eyes. I glanced at the clock, and it was at 0:00. The Bruins were freaking out, people around me were freaking out, and I was standing still staring like a person seeing a wheel for the first time.

When the Red Sox won the World Series, I was all alone on the couch. When they got the final out, I screamed so loud, I woke mother, and MOL. Thing is, I don’t even like baseball! It’s slow, ad boring, and they rarely have good fights. I guess I was just helplessly caught up in the excitement of it all. Here I am watching the team I have put my heart and soul into for over 30 years reach the highest accolade in hockey – and I can barely crack a smile? It was so weird.

As I was driving home listening to the post game, it started to sink in ever so slightly. The Bruins were Stanley Cup Champions! Out of nowhere, someone had a pocketful rag weed, or dust or some shit, because I was overcome with tears, I had to pull over to cry! The Bruins are STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS! I was on 495 in the breakdown lane, tears streaming down my face, laughing hysterically. It was a feeling I couldn’t really describe… happy, overjoyed really… a little sad… amazed… speechless. Billy Guerin, I get you man.

So, here we are, 8 days later, and the bruins are still 2011 Stanley Cup Champions. Gone is the stupid beard and haircut. Remaining is the giggling at my desk every few minutes as it sinks in a little more. What a tremendous run. To say this is my favorite Bruins team of all time is a slight understatement. Everyone working towards a common goal with no egos. Just a blue collar team, punching the clock every day. It still hasn’t sunk in all the way, but it definitely will October 6th when they raise that banner! Have a great summer everyone. You’ll recognize me as the fat guy in the championship gear giggling to himself all over Boston!

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Two Girls, No Cup

by The Ref on June 18, 2011

in 2011 Playoffs,Boston Bruins

As seen at the Boston Bruins 2011 Stanley Cup victory parade currently taking place in… Boston, of all places:

sedin-sisters-2-girls-no-cup

My brother-in-law took this a few minutes ago in Government Center. I have no idea who these gents are, and hopefully they won’t mind being featured front and center, but if I could I’d ask them where they got this work of t-shirt genius.

Have fun at the parade, kids. You know what we don’t do today when amassed in large groups downtown, right? We don’t break shit. One last hearty congratulations to the B’s from GoonBlog.com. We’re still in shock. We’re pink all over ‘cause we’ve run out of places to pinch ourselves. And we’re so, so proud.

Were you at the parade today? Please email us your photos!

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You Stay Classy, Vancouver

by The Ref on June 16, 2011

in Vancouver Canucks

And I truly mean that. I’m not gloating or otherwise being a dick. I have several friends who live in Vancouver and even a few who work for the Canucks. They’re all beyond embarrassed by the events of last night – and I’m not just talking about the 4-0 loss to the Bruins. Is that horse dead yet? Well… beat it again anyway.

"It’s on Facebook and YouTube all over the world. People think this is Vancouver, but it’s not. It’s just a small group of idiots." – Yaletown Resident

Their embarrassment stems rather from the mayhem and destruction which erupted after the game, to the extent that many citizens were encouraged by their employers to take the day off from work and assist in volunteer clean-up crews. The bad apples did some serious damage:

  • There are only a few bad apples, usually. Last night this was not the case: “The mayhem we witnessed in the downtown core Wednesday evening and into the early hours of today was not the work of a few bad apples. There are thousands of people who are culpable for what happened – thousands.” – Globe and Mail
  • A downtown drugstore was among many business vandalized and looted by a crowd which proved unstoppable: (We had) eight additional security officers on staff and the same resistant glass and secure metal grill barriers that were in place for the 2010 Olympics, but "the sheer number and force of the rioters far exceeded the Georgia/Granville corridor’s barrier capabilities," – Vancouver Sun
  • A Tumblr page has been created to help the VPD identify the worst of last night’s rioters. It’s also screen-shotting and posting Facebook updates where remarkably stupid people (case in point: Brock Anton) are actually bragging about their specific activities. In his defence, when your parents name you “Brock” you’re pretty much guaranteed to end up being a douche.
    brock-anton-facebook
  • Although still unconfirmed, I’ve read several places that there were at least 4 stabbings. Probably with sharpened souvenir mini-sticks.
  • Cars were flipped, businesses destroyed, fires set – you get the picture. It was bad. Cincinnati bad.

I’ll wager that the same people who are currently lending a hand and sweeping up glass are also the city’s real hockey fans. This is what happens when Fairweather Fan Fever grips a city which is home to a successful team – especially when that team has been languishing for years. Everybody and their mother get into the spirit of the thing, and unfortunately the newly (and usually dramatically) enlarged pep squad invariably ends up containing more than a few fucktards.

 

And as we’ve seen several times in the last decade, it doesn’t necessarily have to be the city of the losing team which gets razed. Triumphant fans are also capable of unbelievable stupidity and destruction, and in this scenario it makes even less sense if that’s even possible (see Montreal, 2008). This is obviously a personal preference, but at no celebratory time in my life have I ever had even the inkling to overturn a Kia.

Here’s to a speedy recovery, Vancouver. Identifying the mental midgets in the hundreds of riot photos which have ended up online, then banning them from the Rogers Arena – and even putting them on a watch list for future downtown gatherings – will be a great start. As will fines, prison time and the inevitable shower room finger assaults that usually plague over-privileged little hipster bastards who end up doing hard time.

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