For a couple of mornings last week, I was reminded, as the Grateful Dead sings “not a chill to the winter/but a nip to the air” that fall is almost upon us. What does this mean? Football. No wait. Hockey! In around 50 days or so, I will be heading to Prague to watch the beloved Bruins open the season against the Coyotes. It can’t come a moment too soon as I have begun to watch the Red Sox this week, and apparently I haven’t been missing anything. More importantly, I have been absent from blogging for a while, so If I could, here are some random thoughts I have been kicking around, both hockey and non hockey related.
First off, apologies for the absence. I won’t even try to come up with a good excuse. You know, people get busy. Having said that, I saw Hot Tub Time Machine recently, and I highly suggest you watch it too. Not to spoil it for anyone, but after seeing the movie, I feel totally ill prepared for time travel. HTTM turns the time travel theory on its ear, and I guess I wasn’t prepared for it. Ending totally blew my mind the first time I saw it because I felt like it was only half over. Trust me on this. Great movie, but it will make you question how prepared you are for time travel, and make you reexamine everything you thought you knew about the time travel movie genre.
Did you know since the lockout, Marc Savard is 15th in the NHL in points? I didn’t either, and after reading that, it really made me more convinced trading him is the wrong move for the Bruins.
Speaking of the Bruins, what the hell are they going to do if Tyler Seguin isn’t ready for the NHL right now? If they find themselves in a position where they don’t think he can make the team, they are going to be in a very sticky situation. If after the 9th game he looks out of place they’ll have to return him to Junior, and I can only imagine what that will do for his confidence, as well as the PR nightmare it would create here in Boston. One of the nastier side effects of the CBA is getting cheaper, younger talent to the NHL faster, and I hope for Seguin’s sake, he is in fact NHL ready.
DJ King recently signed with the Capitals as protector, and policeman for Ovie and the gang. I am excited to see King in the Eastern Conference as he is a tough kid that will take on all comers. It makes the Eastern Conference even tougher too. AHL fans may remember King from his days as a Worcester Ice Cat. I remember he and Mike Commodore had one of the best fights I have ever seen at any level in the Centrum many moons ago. Good to have Kinger in the East.
In other movie news, get yourself to “The Other Guys” if you are a Will Ferrell fan. MOL, Vanessa and I saw it a couple of weeks ago, and all gave it two enthusiastic thumbs up after.
In music, much to the delight of Dave, I am really into the Tragically Hip these days. I used to give Dave a ton of shit every time he tried to play them for me for a couple of reasons. 1. Its fun to get Dave going, and 2. See number 1. Great band and I owe Dave an apology, and a long uncomfortable hug.
There are still some good tough guys out there looking for work. I wonder if at this point they will have to get camp invited to find work. Note to PC and the Crew, I think Brian McGrattan is still looking for work. He’d look good in black and gold.
I realize this is all over the map, but then again, when isn’t this blog all over the map? I hope everyone has been enjoying their summer. I don’t know about you, but I have grown weary of constant sweating and could use the smell of a hockey glove warmer in my life right now. If only I had a Hot Tub Time Machine.
I love it. Sometimes you have to defend yourself. What’s up with the bigger guy? He looks like Ned Braden refusing Reg’s orders to scrap! With the Islanders loading up, maybe they want to take this kid too!
It’s decided. The 2010 Center Ice Team for me is the New York Islanders. I can’t say I’ve ever decided on a team this early, but with the addition of the uber scary Jeremy Yablonski to an already formidable line up of goons, I’m there. Yablonski will probably be assigned to Bridgeport, but it’d be awesome to have a 4th line of Trevor Gillies, and Yabo between Zenon Konopka. Giddy is the word you are looking for!
I think a trip to camp may be in order. I missed a great fight between Gillies and Yabo at the Worcester Centrum a few years ago because I was drinking in a bar. [INSERT SHOCKED FACE HERE]. From what I understand it was a heck of a fight, and as a back story, apparently the two combatants exchanged voicemails about the fight happening. You can bet these two guys will tangle in camp as a battle of the two toughest kids on the block in an effort to impress the brass enough to stay with the big club.
I might suggest YouTubing (is that a word? Like Googling) Jeremy Yablonski. What you’ll find in addition to lots of great fights with Jon “Nasty” Mirasty, is a few good tilts with Trevor Gillies as well. Oh, and don’t forget about Yabo’s extensive UFC stuff. The guy is a nut, and I’m glad he’ll be with a club I can see on TV if he makes the Isles, or Bridgeport, which makes more New England stops than Bingo did. I have included the tilt between Yabo and Mirasty from the AHL Winter Classic last February. If this doesn’t get you pumped for hockey season, you need to check your pulse.
The NHL free agency period has been open for 11 days now, and there has been some movement by teams looking to get tougher or stay tough that I have found interesting. Sure there are some serious players left unsigned, but I’d rather know where Derek Boogaard is playing over some guy named Kovulchuk any day. This was a big season for UFA tough guys, and so far, I have not been surprised or disappointed by the movement of these tough guys to date. I have been particularly excited by the moves in the Eastern Conference. Let’s take a look at how the rosters are shaping up.
In a nod to recently passed Bob Probert, I think it fitting the Atlantic Division be renamed the Bob Probert Division. Here is the breakdown by team. New additions are bold.
NJ-PL3, David Clarkson PITT-Eric Godard, Mike Rupp PHI- Jody Shelley NYR- Derek Boogaard, Brandon Prust NYI- Trevor Gillies, Zenon Konopka
Gee whiz – that is a lot of goonery. The Rangers and Islanders already don’t like each other, and those four names up there are not going to help the civility at all. Gillies probably wants a giant piece of the Boogeyman after Boogaard scrambled Trevor’s eggs in his first NHL game way back when Gillies was Anaheim property. I am sure those guys will tangle at least once. I am excited Jody Shelley is staying east too. I enjoyed his work with Columbus back in the day, but couldn’t follow him as much when he was dealt to the Sharks. Same with Derek Boogaard. It’s going to be awesome having him on the East Coast, and with Brandon Prust in New York as well, I will follow them closely. Prust is an exciting, scrappy middleweight that will fight up a division. He and Boston’s Shawn Thornton should match up well should Thornton not want a piece of the Boogeyman. The Islanders were one of my favorite clubs to watch last season on Center Ice, and looking at this division now, I will have them slated night in and night out as my Center Ice team.
One of Bob Probert’s biggest rivals, or at least a guy he fought a lot, was Craig Berube. I have renamed the Northeast Division the Craig Berube Division. Some good tough guys here and a message to Buffalo, and Montreal. Add some toughness. Quick.
OTT- Matt Carkner, Chris Neil BOS- Shawn Thornton, Jeremy Reich TOR- Colton Orr, Jay Rosehill
Boston welcomes back Jeremy Reich! The REEEEEEEEEEEEIIIIIIICHEEEEERRRR! Love it. He brings nice energy and a veteran presence to the dressing room in Providence if he goes down. Colton Orr and Matt Carkner had a well documented rivalry last season that shows no signs of slowing this season. Jay Rosehill had a great tilt with PL3 last season, and is a very big guy. Chris Neil might feel he owes Boston’s Milan Lucic one as well, but after the beating Lucic gave him last year, he may not want to go there. Speaking of Lucic and not wanting to go somewhere, I think he owes Colton Orr one after the fight he had last year. You remember the scarp? It was the one where Don Cherry was in the house and accused Lucic of “quitting.” I think Boston wins the division on team toughness on paper right now, but Toronto has it based on enforcer tough. Colton Orr, in my opinion is the reigning heavyweight champ in the NHL right now. I’m interested to see if anyone can take the belt this season.
The Southeast Division will be renamed the Andre Nazarov Division. They need to get tougher if they want to hang with the true heavies, but have enough experience to win some every now and then.
ATL- Eric Boulton, Ben Eager CAR- Tim Gleason TBL- Mitch Fritz
Atlanta should dominate the division physically, as they have been reaping the rewards of the Chicago Blackhawks fire sale and have gotten better, and tougher. Carolina never really has a tough guy on the roster, but Tim Gleason can do the heavy lifting if needed. Mitch Fritz may be the worst skating NHLer ever.
So there’s the Eastern Conference right now. On paper it looks to be a very exciting, and fight filled season. I called Comcast, and not only are they not taking Center Ice deposits right now, they suggested I might want to calm the fuck down. Looking forward to a great season of goonery galore!
Yesterday, in Windsor, Ontario, arguably the greatest hockey enforcer of all time was laid to rest. It is hard to put into words what Bob Probert’s death means. I didn’t know the man personally, but when someone who is arguably the best at what he did, and that something he did is a passion of your own, it means something. Think Elvis and Sinatra in music. Dale Earnhardt in racing. Ted Williams in baseball. To me, Bob Probert’s death is that big, and I don’t think I am alone.
Sometimes people will ask me about Goonblog, and just what the heck it is we do here. To the people that share my passion for hockey, and particularly enforcers, it’s a great opportunity to chat about favorites, both old and new. In those discussions, it is a matter of time before Bob Probert’s name comes up. As in, “I have to say, my all time favorite is Probert.” Or, “You have to have some stuff on Bob Probert.” To the people that ask about Goonblog that really don’t know what a goon is, I say, “We write about people like Bob Probert.” The point being, he’s the household name for enforcing, and for my money, there has never been a better enforcer than Bob Probert.
Godspeed, Bob.
Look at the man’s fight card over his career, and it’s a who’s who of enforcers. Go on YouTube right now, and put in Bob Probert. Last time I did that, I didn’t realize I had been watching fights for over three hours until I went to stand and pee, and my legs were both asleep. The guy fought, and more often than not, beat, every tough guy in the league for almost 20 years. It’s incredible looking at his fight card. He fought all comers, night in, and night out.
I can remember like it was yesterday in the 2001-2002 season when Andre “The Russian Bear” Nazarov bloodied Probert. Nazarov was the worst enforcer ever, and as we all know, you win some lose some in the fight game. He bloodied Probert early on, and then held on for dear life. The hanging on for dear life was pretty much par for the course for Nazzy, but because he first bloodied Bob Probert before he tried not to get himself killed, the media went crazy around here. Real fans knew he got lucky, for Probert, it’s just another day at the office.
More than what he did as an enforcer though, was the fact he could actually play the game a little bit too. 163 goals, 221 assists, 3,300 PIM in 935 NHL games is something to be very proud of. What Bob Probert can be even more proud of, is his legacy as a great teammate, and a father to four kids. Sure he had his legal problems over the years, but he seemed to have his stuff together for a long time and I’m not one to cast stones in the booze department. One thing’s for certain, Heaven’s hockey club just got a whole lot tougher. RIP, Probie.
The NHL Draft was held Friday night, or as I like to call it, the Bruins will take another center party, and the Bruins took a lot of centers. One of them could be the future cornerstone of the franchise, Tyler Seguin, and another is probably being stalked by The Ref as we speak. Apparently Ryan Spooner’s grandparents live right around the corner from The Ref, and he’s going to great lengths to speak with the young man. He means you no harm Ryan Spooner’s grandparents. He’s not mental. The point I am making here, is it would appear the Bruins are pretty serious about trading Marc Savard. I would say up until the Bruins dealt Vladimir Sobotka it was a virtual certainty Savvy was gone. Thing is, I don’t get it.
It is over documented how not bright I am, so maybe it’s me. I am failing to see how dealing your best playmaker after acquiring a stud to pass to (something that was missing last year) is a good move for the hockey club. I guess I can buy the fact Savard isn’t a popular guy in the room, and Recchasaurus backed that up with some of the comments he made in the paper yesterday. They weren’t exactly a ringing endorsement for keeping Savvy around. We’ll just put it that way. Doesn’t having Marc Savard in the lineup improve the chances of winning every night? I mean so what if he’s a dick in the room? On the ice the guy can flat out play. The list of teams he is willing to be dealt to expand to 5 on Thursday at noon. I hope clearer heads prevail, and they decide to keep him in Boston because I can see trading him away being the type of move that can haunt a team for a long time to come.
As for Seguin, well, I think I am more pumped for Horton than I am Seguin. I mean he’s a good player and all, but the Nathan Horton’s of the world are more my cup of tea. I tell you what though; it is exciting to have a guy like Seguin coming to town. People are talking hockey in June, and it’s pretty cool.
Speaking of the draft, was anyone else hoping the Bruins would get back into it when Cam Fowler, and Brandon Gormley kept falling? George, the boys and I were all screaming for PC and the Crew to ante back up. Also, if Dylan McIlrath had been there at 15 where the Bruins were supposed to have picked, I may have rethought the coolness of the Horton trade. McIlrath, from what I’ve heard, is as mean and nasty as they come. I guess he flat out smokes people, and that would have been cool to see him do it in the black and gold. We will anoint him the Goonblog One to Watch in 2010-2011. Hopefully guys like Trevor Gillies of the rival Islanders will give the kid a shot. Either way, I am trying to fast forward to October.
It would appear Christmas has come roughly six months early this year for Boston Bruins fans! PC and the Crew (sounds like an early 90’s boy band) swung a lovely deal yesterday sending the poster boy for the Bruins woes, Dennis Wideman, the 15th overall pick this year, and another pick in 2011 to the Florida Panthers for 2003 3rd overall Nathan Horton, and Gregory Campbell. This is a little like trading a bag of cancer for a 19 year old huge hootered blonde that can fry a steak like a Texan. It’s a great trade for both clubs, and ironically enough, probably the first domino to fall in a series of deals for both clubs.
Why is this a great deal for both clubs? Glad you asked. Dennis Wideman needs a change of scenery worse than Whitey Bulger right now. He was consistently booed at home, and was the target of the best heckle I heard all year. A guy over my right shoulder had been screaming “Wideman you suck!” all game against the Rangers. Well, don’t you know, Wides scored the game tying goal, or game winner, I can’t remember. Either way, it was a big goal. As the arena is quieted and play is about to restart the guy screamed, “Wideman! You still suck!” He just couldn’t win for losing, and it affected his play. There were some really big gaffes on his part defensively, and that’s doubly bad because he’s not very good defensively, that cost the Bruins some goals at timely points in games. The guy’s confidence was totally shot, and you could see it in his body language.
I think the change of address will only help Wideman get his game back together. It’s gotta really suck getting constantly booed at home the way he did, and I don’t think he’ll find that in South Florida. I wish him nothing but the best, and I hope he can get his game back together.
What the Bruins got in return has me downright giddy. Nathan Horton is a prototypical Bruin. He’s rough and tumble, and would just as soon god through you, as around you. I have been a big fan of this kid since his arrival in the league, and I don’t buy his reputation as a guy that doesn’t give his all every shift. I have been impressed with him every time I’ve seen him play, and I think some of the alleged attitude issues may stem from the fact that the Panthers are constantly sucky. I’d have a hard time giving it my all every shift if I played for them too. What it really gives the Bruins, is a finisher to play with Savard that can put you in the 4th row if need be to retrieve a puck. Look at the potential first line, and tell me you aren’t as happy as a little girl.
Lucic-Savard-Horton
Really? How eager are opposing defensemen going to be to retrieve a puck when the Bruins start chip and chase with those two bearing down? I love it, and I think it gives them the swagger they need to play their best hockey.
Also coming over in the deal was Gregory Campbell. He’s Colin Campbell’s son, and a grinder that the Bruins need to sign. I hope he’s not a salary dump like the Eaves deal from Carolina last summer because I think he can really helps this club. It sets up a 4th line of:
Campbell-Sobotka-Thornton
Here I am, all giddy again. Thorton fights the heavies, Campbell the lightweights, middles, and light heavies. Lucic fights whoever he wants. It’s a great situation to be in, and the deal also frees Boston up to decide on Johnny Boychuk’s future with the club and Mark Stuart’s future as well. I would hope PC and the Crew could deal Wheeler and Ryder too, as they both found their way onto my shit list this past season too, but I may be asking too much there.
The bottom line is it looks like the Bruins brass is willing to look at themselves in the mirror and realize there is an issue. This deal changes the complexion of the team for the good, and hopefully they don’t totally fuck up the draft on Friday. Also, with free agency looming the week after, they need to keep their focus sharp and not do anything stupid. So far, so good.
Lost in the shuffle of me being a generally lazy person, being away, and the Stanley Cup Finals, I have been neglectful of this blog. With Milan and Miller laying on the floor panting, I thought now was as good a time as any to talk a bit about some good news out of the Boston Bruins. Sure, it’s 85 and sunny out. What a great time to sit inside and talk hockey!
A couple of weeks ago, the Boston Bruins signed fan favorite and resident tough guy, Shawn Thornton two a two year contract extension. I wasn’t sure the Bruins would resign Thornton because there are an awful lot of UFA tough guys out there this summer. By signing him though, they keep a very loyal soldier in the fold, as well as build some good will with a very angry fan base by keeping one of the most popular Bruins on the roster in the fold. Also, I think it’s great to have Thornton in the black and gold because despite the fact he’s a light heavyweight that fights in the heavyweight division, he takes on all comers, and doesn’t hurt you with the stupid penalties that a lot of enforcers like to take. Plus, when you need a good quote, he’s the guy to go to.
Nice work by the Boston front office keeping a guy that wants to be in Boston, in Boston. With the upcoming draft on Friday I am interested to see who #22 will be protecting in the near future. I am hearing some very disturbing rumors that I won’t get into now for fear of hurling on my computer. For now, let’s just concentrate on the positive enforcer news, and continue to pray the Bruins don’t manage to screw up the draft too bad next Friday!
It’s finally over. Congratulations to the Chicago Blackhawks on winning the Stanley Cup in what I would consider the weirdest hockey season ever. How fitting was it then that Patrick Kane scored a weird goal that seemingly only he saw go in to win it all? I’m telling you, this was a spooky weird season, and while I am glad it’s over from a pain and suffering standpoint (see weird event number 50: Boston losing 4 straight) I am eagerly waiting October to start anew.
One thing that is not unusual, or weird in any way, was the lack of class on the part of the Philadelphia Flyers fans. There were a lot of fans left in the building when Gary Bettman handed out the Conn Smythe, and Lord Stanley’s Cup. I get the booing of Bettman, as there isn’t a more universally disliked figure in hockey, but to boo Jonathan Toews when he received the Smythe, and then again when he received the Cup was totally uncalled for.
I guess it’s impossible to show a little class in the face of defeat. I have to be honest, I was convinced the Flyers were going to win it all, and I was wildly impressed with their resilience. But then the fans went and boo like that and the goodwill went out the window, turning dark faster than a date with Jordan Van der Sloot.
The trouble with Flyers fans is they think they are just “passionate”. Well, I guess to a point they are, but they are also the most obnoxious group of people on Earth most of the time. I can say I’ve met a cool Habs fan, and a cool fan from pretty much every rival the Bruins have with the exception of the Flyers. Universally, they all suck.
So, Kane won it for the Hawks in OT setting off a party in Chicago that hadn’t been seen since 1961. That leaves the Toronto Maple Leafs with the longest drought now, and the beloved Bruins are right there with them. Looking at both rosters, and the way the draft will fall this year, I’d like to think the Bruins will be raising the Cup sooner than the Buds, but one can never tell in this new NHL. I am looking forward to June 25th and the NHL Draft. Hopefully the Bruins don’t fuck it up.
It’s been a very busy week for me since returning from Indianapolis, and the 94th running of the Indianapolis 500. I will spare the gory details, but it’s nice to have a few minutes to sit down and bang this out. Let’s get right to it, shall we?
The word I would use to describe this year’s Indianapolis 500 would be, sweaty. I have been going out there for a decade and a half, and I can’t say I remember a week that was as hot, and muggy as this year’s edition. Every day was like walking through pea soup as the air had a thickness one could feel. I am not sure if it was the heat, but the Hammer put on several heroic displays of beer drinking, and even got Steve in on the act with a couple of Summer Sandy’s. I was teetering at the 19th Hole after our golf outing Thursday and if we didn’t get out of there when we did, I may well have wound up shirtless on the putting green screaming, “I’m BACK!”, but I managed to resist what looked to be the most refreshing and delicious summer cooler ever!
Thursday evening found us enjoying some steaks, and shrimp cocktail at St. Elmo’s downtown. For the second year in a row, we dined right next to Sam Schmidt. It’s seems the former driver, paralyzed in a racing accident, enjoys the same pre race tradition as us. He again had a huge table and they were eating and drinking like Vikings. Well played.
Last year at the 500, Davis told the most hilarious story about an infield pooping incident. I tried to recreate it here, and in person to anyone that asked me about Indy, but it doesn’t translate. Well, this year, Davis had a hilarious living in a paper thin wall house story that is equally hilarious, but also won’t translate. I will say, hanging in the suite with Dane, Davis, and the rest of the crew was an excellent way to spend Carb Day, and I hope to get an invite back next year. I am still giggling about the story. You really had to be there.
Saturday found the Hammer, Jim and I downtown again to watch the end of the Duke vs. Virginia lacrosse game, and game 1 of the Cup finals. Along the way we saw the Playboy party and some other bars with scantily clad women out front trying to lure us in. Quite lovely, but we were on a mission to watch some hockey and lacrosse. We have sick priorities. I realize this.
Also along the way, we saw at least 3 groups of Blackhawks fans. I was wearing a Bruins shirt, and the Hawks fans were all really cool about it. I got a couple, “sorry about your Bruins”, and a “we’ll get him for you”. The guy that wasn’t cool was the idiot Flyers fan we came across. He was the only one “rooting” for the Flyers in the whole bar, and was typical of most of the Flyers fans I have ever met. Very loud, and obnoxious. He also was barely paying attention to the game. He cheered at the replay of goals, and was talking nonstop shit without any actual knowledge of the game of hockey, or his supposed beloved team. Like I said, it was a typical Flyers fan. I am happy the Hawks won, but I am still pretty sure the Flyers are going to win the whole thing. I hate them.
The main event of the weekend was Sunday, and again, the word you’re looking for is, sweaty. If I may, OMG. It was hot. The Speedway ran out of water, which was problematic, as we as fans ran out most quickly as well. Jim and Hammer did a nice job on the brew though. At least they had liquids. I found the race to be fairly interesting at the start with a kamikaze start by Tomas Schecter leading to the race’s first caution. It wasn’t long after Jack Nicholson got to wave the flag again for the restart that the yellow came out again for another crash. After that, it was a very long stretch of Dario Judd running away from the field. He was bad fast all day, and had the field covered, but near the end, when some cautions came out, it became a fuel mileage race. It got interesting, with some cars having to come in to pit and a huge crash on the last lap bringing out the caution allowing Mr. Judd to become a 2 time winner of the Greatest Spectacle in Sports. The crowd left happy, and I am already looking forward to next year.
With another year of Indianapolis in the books, it is time to turn my attention to the last few weeks of hockey. The series is going back to Chicago tonight, and I missed most of the game Friday because I lost my Versus feed here. From what I have seen, I am more and more convinced the Flyers are going to win this thing. It’s now a best of three series, and their refusal to roll over for anyone is going to be the key to them winning the Stanley Cup. I am sure the stain on my floor will look like Scott Hartnell’s face when I reverse gears after they win it. Tonight is a huge game for both teams, as it sets the stage for one more win, wins it all. Let’s go Blackhawks!
