One of Goonblog’s biggest fans called me last night, and made an excellent point. To paraphrase, and cut out the profanity, Taz brought up the notion that the NHL GM’s shouldn’t need to come up with a new rule regarding head shots after the Matt Cooke pasting of Marc Savard, they simply need to get the on ice referees to call what they see properly. Cooke’s hit, in my opinion, could have/should have been called for an elbow, with intent to injure tagged on there for good measure. Cooke will not be suspended by the league, and the GM’s now apparently have a headshot rule in place for next season. Well, LA-DE-FRICKIN-DA! What a golden opportunity they squandered to make an example out of something that was clearly the type of hit they are talking about making illegal…..next year. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. This is the same league that has a stupid fighting in the last five minutes rule that is only enforced when it’s not Wayne Gretzky sending his guy out, or Gino Malkin doing the dirty work.
Listen, I don’t want to be a homer on this, and to prove it, I will say there is equally no place in the NHL for the hit Michael Ryder administered on Saturday on the Island. We all know I am a big Bruins fan, but the hit Cooke put on Savard Sunday was dirty and totally uncalled for. I am all for “finishing a check”, but when a guy is prone like Savard was, there is no need to hit him like that. It speaks to a lack of respect the players have for one another these days, and it also speaks to the evolution of body checking as a whole.
Body checking used to be a tactic to separate a person form the puck, but now I think it is a predatory thing where players are trying to smash each other when they are vulnerable. I have zero problems with a guy crushing someone with their head down coming out of the zone, but I do take issue with a guy crushing another guy after he’s released a shot, and is prone. It isn’t what body checking is about, and is dangerous.
As far a as lack of response from the Bruins is concerned, I don’t think anyone saw it. I should hope Lucic didn’t, as he was on the ice when it happened, and seemed to go over to Cooke only after he saw Ryder racing in. I would hope the 4th lines would start next Thursday night, and the boys will settle it off the opening faceoff, but who can be sure these days? Either way, I am disappointed in the league for not suspending Cooke, and wish Marc Savard a speedy recovery.
You cock sucking Scumbag. You run around the ice with your fucking half shield on tossing elbows at players’ heads like Pee Wee Herman tosses off in a movie theater. You are the epitome of a coward. How big of a man do you feel like tonight? At least Savvy’s head hurts tonight cause we know your pussy is swollen like you’ve had 5 old school wooden Gretzky Titans rammed up there in a gang bang. You stand around on the ice after the play like you give a fuck. The only thing you give a fuck about is your paycheck and that you never run out of peanut butter cause your schnauzer has a Gene Simmons like tongue to please you with when you get home.
Good for Ryder for even attempting to snap your bra strap. You are lucky Lucic didn’t see the play or I’m certain he would have put on a high quality beat down on you even with his broken nose thanks to the toughest SOB in the game. You delivered your cheap shot with just over 5 minutes to play and yet your woosie ass never stepped back on the ice. The thing that blows is that the NHL will review the tape tonight and tomorrow and will levy a fine and suspension on you that will keep you out of action when the B’s and Penguins play again on March 18th in Boston. I have tickets to that game and it would be an honor to watch you get your ass handed to you by everyone wearing Black & Gold that night, including Rochelle in section 323. Colin Campbell should force you to play in that game as part of your punishment.
Patrice was bullshit and rightfully so, poor prick missed almost a full season due to a major concussion thanks to that prick from Philly. I’m not putting in names tonight just so those fuckers can’t Google themselves and read this. As much as I want to grow GoonBlog’s readership, I’d rather wallow in oblivion than have them read me. Crosby did his best acting job speaking with Patrice on the ice but we all know he would run over his mother with the Zamboni if it guaranteed him the scoring title over Ovechkin.
Get well Savvy and keep your fucking head up # 24.
Congratulations Canada, you barely beat America at the game you invented. No, I kid. I saw that on the site, Texts from Last Night. Go there for hilarity. For hockey hilarity, you stay here. Now then, Canada won gold last Sunday in a game I saw maybe 20 seconds of due to a prior engagement. I will say I enjoyed the tournament, as the hockey was up and down in every game, and who will forget Pavol Demitra hitting the cross bar with about 22 seconds left against Canada Friday night? That goes in, and it easily could have been USA and Slovakia for gold in Vancouver.
Naturally, after a game like the gold medal game, the talk turns to will this help the NHL, or not? From my seat in the stands, I prefer NHL hockey over International play because a lot of the cheap shit that went on in the Olympics has to be answered for. I don’t care how inspirational Saku Koivu’s story is, he’s a dirty little fucker and the stick work he deployed during the Olympics would have been dealt with in the NHL. Same with Alexander Semin’s late hit on Dan Boyle. Shifty Euros get smaller and less brave with their sticks in the NHL, and that’s the game I like. Will the tournament help the NHL? Maybe short term. Long term reality of the situation is this. You are either a hockey fan or you aren’t. One exciting game, gold medal or otherwise, will not turn the tide of a niche sport.
Tonight should feature why I love the NHL so much, as the Battle of Ontario rivalry between Toronto, and Ottawa is on again. When we last left our heroes, Goonblog favorite, Matt Carkner, had been beaten soundly by another Goonblog favorite, Colton Orr. Look for these two to get after it again early in tonight’s contest.
I had the privilege of watching Orr soundly beat Boston’s Milan Lucic in person this week. Everyone in the building, including Don Cherry, was on Milan for “giving up” on the fight. Well, what we didn’t know was Orr had broken the big Serbians nose early in the fight, and when they got separated Lucic wanted no more part of sticking the already formidable beak back in there. I can’t say I blame him, as it is my opinion Colton Orr is the best in the business right now. Damn I wish he was still in the black and gold! Glad the NHL is back boys!
I want to be very clear on one thing. I am in no way comparing what happened last night in Vancouver, to what happened 30 years ago today in Lake Placid from a social-big guy defeated by little guy-totally mind blowing once in a lifetime thing. Last night, a team of very good American NHLers, defeated a very good group of Canadian NHLers in one of the most thrilling hockey games I have ever witnessed. It was in no way a win of the magnitude of USA over USSR, despite the similarities.
These two games were similar in so much as in 1980 the United States had a goaltender that stood on his head (Jim Craig) and took advantage of their opportunities when they were presented. Last night Ryan Miller had the game of his life between the pipes for the United States, and when the US did get scoring chances, they capitalized on them. I feel Marty Brodeur was very underwhelming in goal for Canada last night, as Vladislav Tretiak was for the Soviets 30 years ago. While this was a big, huge win for the United States, I would rank it third behind Squaw Valley in 1960 and the Miracle on Ice in 1980.
Either way, was that some kind of hockey game last night or what?! Can we talk about the three breakaways they traded for a second? Oh my God. I thought for sure Doc was going to blow a gasket. Oh, and then the shooting gallery in the last 4 minutes? I even caught MOL secretly watching the third period last night! I am not sure how this tournament is going to wind up, but the United States certainly impressed the hell out of me last night. Do not count Canada out though. Even though they made their lives difficult by having to win four in a row, including having to go through the powerhouse Russian Club to win gold on home soil, they definitely have the squad to do so. Was last night the Miracle on Ice Part II? No, but it was one damn fine hockey game!
1. After turning Pro in 2001-02 with Cleveland, and having played in 2 NHL contests prior to this season, how do you keep yourself motivated to make the NHL? Hockey is my life and I have always been driven to compete at the highest level that I could. Playing in the NHL has always been my #1 goal and just being so close for so long gave me a little hope that it could happen. As I got further into my career, I felt that my shot may not come, but I wanted to be ready if it did.
2. Who in your opinion is the toughest guy in the NHL right now? You can say yourself. George Laraque is probably one of the toughest, I haven’t fought him yet, but I’m sure I will get the chance. I’d probably say that Colton Orr is up there as well, I did fight him and he comes at you hard.
3.Is Jeremy Yablonski a former teammate you were glad to have on your side? Definitely, he is a tough player. He always brings energy to the games and I don’t think there are too many guys who really like to fight him.
4. Which did you enjoy more, your first NHL scrap, or first NHL goal? I think the goal was more enjoyable mainly because it was in my home town and it was the first time I ever played in the NHL at the Scotiabank Place. All of my family was there and I also got the first star. So, it was a pretty big night. I also had an assist that night, but I couldn’t get Jackman to fight me for the Gordie Howe. Ha ha, I guess I’ll have to do that some other time.
5. What are the biggest differences between the AHL and NHL? The structure of the game is a lot better. Sometimes in the minors players will totally get out of position and for a defenseman trying to break the puck out, it’s sometimes hard to do when you don’t know where your forwards are going to be. Also everyone is more skilled, faster, bigger, and smarter. It’s definitely a big step up.
6. How many times have you seen SlapShot? Too many.
7. Which tough guys in the NHL chirp the most? I don’t know if it’s necessarily the tough guys that do most of the chirping.
8. Do you keep track of your fight card? No, but I usually remember who I fight.
9. When you look ahead on the schedule, are there certain games you just know you’ll have to drop the gloves? Does it make your game day preparation any different? Some times you know for sure, but then other times you think you are going to have to, but it never happens. Everyone is on different pages and sometimes guys are banged up and don’t really want to go. So, I just prepare to play the game and am always ready to drop the gloves.
10. If you have time to think about fighting (IE, after a goal off a faceoff when you’ve talked about it with the other guy) what are you thinking as the puck drops? Is it the same if you drop them during heat of the game type scrap? I just see what kind of stance he’s in and try to find a way to get an advantage. Every fight is different and it’s a lot of read and react.
11. Can you hear the crowd during the game, or is it just the game action?Not really. I do hear when they get real loud, but I’m focused mostly on the game and communicating with my teammates.
12. Do you ever decline a fight (not the right time, hand a little tender) but inside you just want to pound the crap out of someone? Ya, it happens. You either get told by the coaches not too, or your banged up. Sometimes I’ll be at the end of a shift and you don’t want to give your opponent a big advantage.
13. If you are on the way to the rink and someone cuts you off in traffic, is it nice to know you have a job where you can slam someone into the glass to channel some frustrations? It’s always good to let the frustrations out.
14. What would Goonblog readers be surprised to know about Matt Carkner? That I prefer the Cove Country Inn as opposed to Morton’s Steakhouse.
15. Do you think The Ref has the biggest head you’ve ever seen, or is it just me? Huge head.
Thanks for taking the time to talk with us, Carkinator. Here’s to a continued great first year in the show! Matt Carkner Stats at HockeyFights.com.
To say Saturday was an emotional day for the Toronto Maple Leafs could be the understatement of the century. Already reeling from blowing a lead in New Jersey on Friday night, they learned of the tragic death of GM Brian Burke’s son, Brendan on an icy road in Indiana. Goonblog would like to extend our condolences to the Burke family. I can’t imagine what they must be going through, and wish to never find out. With the business of hockey having to go on, the Leafs squared off against an Ottawa team that was flying high after winning 11 games in a row.
After returning from another Bruin loss, this one to Vancouver, I was given the opportunity to watch either Real Housewives of the Jersey Girls Survivor Bachelor or whatever the crap reality show MOL had lined up. No wait. It was Out of Sight, with J. Lo, and George Clooney, my mistake. Anyway, I chose to retire to the office for a game.
I had picked the Leafs and Sens for one reason, and one reason only as my game of the night. Number 28 in white, Colton Orr, and number 39 in red, Mr. Matt Carkner would be renewing some old acquaintances. Kudos to the ACC Centre crowd for staying silent during the entire moment of silence for Brendan Burke. I find nothing more disrespectful than the idiot who takes the opportunity to scream “Let’s go Insert Team name here!” during the honoring of someone, or something’s memory.
These two have tangled twice before with the record being 1-1, and it didn’t’ take long for the rubber match to get under way. The two tough guys got together along the glass just inside the blue line, and it was on. Both guys got the gloves off, and Orr started in with 4 very hard right hands. Colton isn’t considered one of the toughest in the league for no reason (I say THE toughest) as the 3rd punch stunned Carkner, and the 4th sent him to the ice. I am not 100% sure if he was knocked all the way out, but Matt sure seemed a little uneasy when rising to his feet. I give Carkner all the credit in the world for wanting to skate across to the penalty box, but the training staff and officials had a different idea, and he was lead off to get looked at. It was a clear win for Colton Orr, and the season series is now 2-1 for Orr.
That’s the thing about this game of hockey, and enforcing….hell, even life. You win some, you lose some. Carkner was shown when he came back to his bench. One of his mates tapped his glove as if to say, “Hey, good go” and Carkner just kind of shrugged. What are you gonna do? Win some lose some Matt, now you owe Orrsie one.
The Bruins lost 2-1 last night, and other than the fact they couldn’t stay out o the box, and couldn’t finish their chances per usual, I think it was the best game compete level wise in quite some time. Here’s hoping they can replicate the effort from last night, and put a couple more past the Kings tonight. Having said that, I am here to speak of something else today. One of Goonblog’s favorite sons got the call this week, and I think I speak for everyone in the Goonsquad, when saying we couldn’t be prouder of Trevor Gillies today!
First off, I’m not mental or anything, but is there a better birthday present for Trevor than playing in his second NHL game today. Against the Philadelphia Flyers no less? If Riley Cote is in the lineup today, it will most certainly be on. We have been huge fans of Trevor for years here at Goonblog, and want to wish him all the best in the NHL! Go get em Trevor. Here’s a real heavyweight tilt between Trevor and best friend Jeremy Yablonski from last weekend to wet your whistle!
Holy cow. You ever lose a whole month? Jeez. I feel like Mark Recchi being woken by mother from his pregame nap. You know, scared, a little confused, and furious because I missed Matlock. I went in to work today, and the first thing I do is leave an outgoing message on my voicemail with name, date and the like. I stopped myself this morning, as I had to double check the date. It’s the friggin 25th. The Classic seems like it was yesterday, and the Bruins seem like they’ve been bad all year, so not a lot changes there, but still….where the hell did the month go?
I guess when everyday is pretty much the same, they kind of run together. I mean, I get up, I go to work, I either watch the Bruins, or go to the Bruins. Mumble how they have the intensity of an eye exam at the DMV, and do it all over again the next day. Hell, at least when I was drinking, I’d get the excitement of the split second when my eyes opened of where I could be. No more, “huh. I’m in the bathtub with a TV remote and a lampshade on my head. Makes sense.” Not that I am complaining, quite the contrary. It’s nice to be asked the score of the Bruins and being able to tell someone, “yes, they lost 4-1” without having to think about it! Point is things are good, just super busy eh?
So, the Bruins blow goats right now. Brother David and I had our annual game together on Saturday, and by the end of it, we damn near needed to be nudged awake. Again, zero intensity/sense of urgency right now. On the bright side, the top 13 teams are separated by so few points; the Bruins can catch fire, as in win 3 in a row, and be right back in this thing. Not to worry Bruins fans. These guys will make the playoffs, and when that happens, it’s anyone’s game. If not, they could be looking at the first two picks in the 2010 Draft.
Stay tuned in the next week or so. There is talk of a Goonblog Podcast at Goonblog HQ right here in scenic West Acton on Friday, and we have a little something up our sleeves in the form of a Goonblog exclusive you won’t want to miss. I promise I won’t miss February!
You guys all know Dave is the staff technical expert (NERD!) on staff here at Goonblog. He is a whiz at having his finger on the pulse of social networking, as well as how to implement said social networking sites to maximize the nerdery from each site. So, GoonBlog is on Twitter now. I thought it was all status updates, and frankly, I get enough of the “I have the best friends ever, or so grateful for what I have” updates on Facebook I want to puke like that blah! Well, once again, I was wrong.
Twitter is cool because you can follow different people, and get all the news you need in one spot. I used to have to go to a million websites a day to find all my hockey updates, now, I log on to Twitter, and it’s all right there. Now, it’s so easy to find out what Ashton is up to, I can discontinue my subscription to Tiger Beat. Not that I would, I mean who does that?
The point, and yes there is one, is that our good friends at www.hockeyfights.com have been Tweeting fights every day, and I love it. First off, if you are looking for the nuts and bolts of hockey fights, one need to go no further than hockeyfights.com. They are very serious about the business of enforcing, and enforcers. The knowledge base they have assembled over there is truly staggering. Like I have said before, you want straight up fights? Go there. You want to get your fight news with a side of self depreciating humor, and the occasional dick and fart joke, then come on in. The water’s fine.
Do yourself a favor and sign up for Twitter (if you haven’t already) and follow these guys immediately. I dig sipping on my morning coffee going through the posted videos from the previous evening action, and I am sure you will too. Keep up the good work boys!
3. Is Jeremy Yablonski a former teammate you were glad to have on your side? Definitely, he is a tough player. He always brings energy to the games and I don’t think there are too many guys who really like to fight him. 
