When last we met, dear reader, I was asking for everyone’s help. Marc Savard was in dire need of a group hug from the Goonblog community, and I think he got it. Ready to move on with the season we gave Savvy his hug and went about our daily business. Well, now it seems you can give Savvy a hug, just make sure you talk quietly and meet him in a dark room. Savvy, it seems, will be out indefinitely after some Post Concussion Syndrome symptoms reared their ugly head before camp. It has to make me think these PCS annoyances are the reason Savard is still even in the black and gold.

I wish Marc Savard a speedy recovery, as I think the Bruins are a better club with him, than without. This injury does open the door for Tyler Seguin to start the season at his natural center position (potentially. He’s been playing wing with Recchasaurus, and Bergeron with success) and it most definitely leaves the door open a crack for Joe Colborne to make the club. I guess it’s a good problem to have when a club has too many young kids that can play ready and waiting when a veteran like Savard goes down eh?

The person I am most excited for, and hoping makes the club, is Brian McGrattan. I called for this signing in my Eastern Conference preview because the division is loaded for bear, and the Bruins should be too. Shawn Thornton has done an admirable job doing the heavy lifting fighting as a light heavy in the heavyweight division for a couple of seasons now. The Bruins are counting on Milan Lucic developing into a power forward that can police the ice when he has too, not being the second tough guy. Put it this way, while Milan is certainly a tough kid, I would prefer he not fight the likes of Colton Orr again. That’s why you sign a guy like McGrattan. I say keep him as the 13th forward, and any time they play in the division, he gets a nod on the 4th line with Gregory Campbell, and Shawn Thornton.

I am looking forward to the pre season tilt at the Garden tonight. I went to the first rookie game, and it was nice to be back in the building. The pre season tilts are always a good time, as I feel like a kid on Christmas with a new toy. Prague is a couple of weeks away, and I got MOL a new digital camera for our anniversary last week, so expect lots of pictures upon my return. Hockey is back!

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.

So, the beloved Bruins are the feel bad story of the year so far. One minute they look like world beaters, the next they look as if Perkins School for the Blind would give them a run for their money. I think what they need is a real good knockdown, drag em out divisional game to get back on the path to glory. I’m not here to talk feel bad though, let’s talk feel good.

I watched the game Friday with some buddies, and we discussed where Brian McGrattan was. “In Calgary.” I said. Riveting eh? Anyway, Friday night McGrattan recorded a Gordie Howe Hat Trick in just 5:55 of ice time against the Vancouver Canucks. The tilt he has with Darcy Hordichuk is a beauty, with McGrattan scoring a very hard right hand at the end of the fight that knocks Hordichuk to the ice.

McGrattan spent the majority of last season in rehab getting his life straight. Clean and sober now, he’s doing his thing for the Calgary Flames. Calgary is my West Coast team on Center Ice this season so far, as they are a fun bunch to watch. I will be pulling for Brian McGrattan this season, and give him a Goonblog Atta Boy for the Gordie Howe the other night. Keep it up Brian!

It’s here, it’s here, it’s finally here! The NHL announced the schedule for the 2009-2010 NHL season last Wednesday, and I for one, am more excited than Chris Nilan walking into the men’s swimsuit section to find the guard off getting a sandwich. I have gone over the schedule, and chosen a couple of games I am the most excited for.

Thursday October 1. Washington Capitals: Opening night. Finally the stupid summer is over.

Saturday October 3. Carolina Hurricanes: Honestly, I am probably more excited for this game than any other on the schedule. I love the fact the Bruins won’t have to wait long to exact revenge on the Hurricanes, and more specifically, Scott Walker. It’s time to answer the bell. Carolina also signed Tom Kostopoulos who was one of the chief punks on the Canadiens last year. He’s one of the dirtiest players in the league in my opinion. This game has the chance to get very ugly.

Saturday October 10. NY Islanders: Our first look at John Tavares in an Islanders uniform. I am interested to see if his skating is “Glen Murray Bad” or if it’s just NHL bad.

Thursday November 5. Montreal. I can’t believe they don’t play these guys until November. I am eagerly awaiting Hal Gill stepping out on the ice to a chorus of boos like he’s never heard before. Oh, and I hate the Canadiens.

Saturday December 5. Toronto Maple Leafs. Speaking of bell answering. Mike Komisarek, it toll for thee. Milan owes you one big time, and I hope he drops you like a bad habit. I am also looking forward to Colton Orr and Shawn Thornton having a go.

Friday January 1. Philadelphia Flyers. This once in a lifetime event is the talk of the town right now. To say this is going to be the toughest ticket to get is the understatement of the year. Season ticket holders are guaranteed the right to buy seats for as many as you own at the Garden (so if you have 2 seats at the Garden, you can buy 2 seats at Fenway) at a price point to be determined later. I would love to get out on the Monster, or up in the Pavilion, and would expect to pay at least $500 for the right to do so. Am I paying that? Hell yes. Don’t tell MOL.

Saturday February 6. Vancouver. The annual game I take my brother too. I hope Darcy Hordichuk plays, and goes completely mental. Oh, the “Baby Faced Enforcer” Shane O’Brien will be in the barn as well. Good times.

Saturday March 27. Calgary. Jay Bouwmeester, Dion Phaneuf, and Brian McGrattan all in the building at the same time? Are you kidding?! Remember the dudes head at the end of Scanners? That could be me.

Saturday April 10. Carolina. Finishing it off pretty much right where they started. I hope there is a ton of bad blood between these two teams all year, and I’d love to see it boil over at the last home game of the year before the playoffs start.

So, there you have my important dates. If Boston plays the crash and bang style they played most of last season, and no one gets hurt at the Olympics, they should have a shot to be one of the best in the league next season. Fire up the Zamboni, it’s almost time to make ice!

Typically when the NHL free agent period begins teams load up on the guys that help them win by scoring, stopping, or defending. Then as the period goes on, they load up on guys that protect the scorers, stoppers, and defenders by signing the beloved tough guys. These guys are every bit as important to the mix that makes a successful team. Think eggs in a cake mix. Sure, you can make a cake without it, but isn’t it more delicious and moist with eggs? Um. I think I want cake. The exception to the rule was of course proved by the Boston Bruins a few years ago. They signed PJ Stock on July 1, and later in the year, sent him to Providence, then loaned him to Philadelphia of the AHL where he sustained an eye injury, and never played again. Nice work assholes. Point being, we are approaching the time now when teams will start loading up on the eggs.

Calgary got into the mix this weekend by adding Brian McGrattan to their roster. McGrattan played only 5 games last year after entering the NHL’s substance abuse program. I am happy to see Calgary give this very capable tough guy another shot in the NHL. McGrattan has a huge block head, and in my opinion, is one very tough customer. I have included a fight between McGrattan, and Boston tough guy Shawn Thornton from their AHL days. A decent tilt indeed.

There are some very capable enforcers out there to be signed. Trevor Gillies, Jon Mirasty, and Brandon Sugden are all looking for work. Gillies almost made the Hurricanes out of camp last year, but hasn’t played since getting his eggs scrambled in a December 20th fight against Paul Bissonnette. It was the ice that got the better of him, and not any punches thrown his way. Sugden was with Hartford last year, and Mirasty is a long time Syracuse Crunch fan favorite. I’m hoping they all find work, and selfishly, hope it’s within an hour’s drive of me. I’ll take Worcester, Providence, and Manchester please. Oh, and a cake.

Best wishes going out to Phoenix tough guy, Brian McGrattan today. Brian entered the league’s substance abuse program willingly yesterday for an undisclosed reason. Hopefully he’ll be able to get the help he needs and get his career back on track. I had the chance to speak with him a few years ago when he was in Lowell with the Binghamton Senators. While I admit I was terrified of the man due to his sheer massiveness, I found him to be a pretty cool guy to talk to. I really shouldn’t be surprised. Most of the guys that do the work he does are the nicest guys on earth. For your viewing pleasure, I have posted a fight between Brian McGrattan and Shawn Thornton. I believe this is the first time these two guys have ever fought in their careers. Simply amazing considering how much time they both spent in the AHL. Anyway, get well soon Brian. Hopefully we see you back on a NHL roster soon.

Then…depression set in. It’s all over until October, well, September when camp opens. Congratulations to the 2007 Champs, the Anaheim Ducks. I like this club for a couple of reasons. One being they honor the military history of the area by having various colors of the armed services on their uniforms. Notice the red stripe on the pants? Same blood stripe on the USMC Dress Blues. I dig it. Secondly, I like the Ducks because they love to fight in the regular season. Brian Burke gets my vote for GM of the year.

I thought the final series was a good one. All of the games, with the exception of the last one, were entertaining and there was a lot of emotion, and skill. I can’t believe there were no fights though. Back in the old days, no way Pronger gets away with the elbow on Dean McAmmond. If he tried that 10 years ago, Brain McGratton would have killed him. This day and age, McGratton doesn’t even dress. That is a discussion for another day. I have some notes on the series.

The Senators were a beaten bunch. They came out in game 5 totally flat, and despite a period of time in the second period when they controlled play, they were awful. They looked like a team that had already accepted the fact they were going to lose.

Jason Spezza is a baby. He needs to learn to play more of a team game. Sure he is a pure sniper, and a gifted goal scorer, but he is selfish, and needs to grow up.

Ryan Getzlaf is my Conn Smythe winner. S. Nieds was a weird choice I thought. This was a big coming out party for Getzy, and Andy McDonald too. Like I said abut Getzlaf. I saw him in the A last year and he was atrocious. He’s really picked up his game, and will soon be one of the best in the NHL.

The NHL is in trouble. From the horse racing incident to the fact about 5 people were watching the finals, not including, me and Killer, this league needs a shot in the arm. A resurgence like they had in the expansion era of the ‘90’s would be nice. To do that, they need to make some changes in the game I feel. I personally thought the playoffs were great, but I still think the game needs work.

I am depressed I only have baseball for the next couple of months. This sucks. See you in September.

Will they or won’t they? That is the question in Ottawa tonight, and around the hockey universe. What will happen tonight when Buffalo is in town? Will it be ugly? Or is it all hype? I have been warming up all day by watching brawls on Youtube. I apologize in advance to MOL if at our wedding I agree to take Youtube as my loving wife. To have and to hold. I loooooooove you Youtube. Anyway. This is what the NHL wants with the unbalanced schedule. A buzz about a divisional game. Even Crosby/Ovie didn’t have the hype this game does. Usually these games are all hype and no follow through. Lindy Ruff was fined 10K for putting out the goons the other night. I would suspect McGratton will be dressed for Ottawa. Should be good. I will be watching the Bruins, but checking in on Ottawa. Check back for updates. Killer. Call me.

Killer Called me. We just saw McGratton and Peters. Good scrap. I am topless.

UPDATE: This never got updated again last Saturday because I got plastered. Shocking.

Brian “Block Head” McGratton. I like it. Nice ring eh? Good tilt between Block Head and Erksine. I am planning on sticking with this one until the Whale take on the Oil at 9:30. Anyway, back to the fight. It started with Erksie hitting Block Head along the half boards, and the go. The two heavies traded some and they went down. After they got back up, Block Head took control of the tilt. He gives Erksie a few good rights, and then lowered the boom with a very hard right hand that definitely stunned Erksine and sent him to the ice. Win Block Head.

I’m not kidding, that boy’s head is like Sputnik. Do you think it hurts to hit him? I bet it hurts like a bastard. He’s a big boy, and can chuck em. Having a giant melon is another advantage over the other guys. This game could get ugly. Both teams have guys ready, willing and able to get down and dirty.

Domi is on TSN right now talking about Laraque wishing Ivanans good luck last week. He liked it, but said he never would have said anything like that. Especially to Probert. Probably a good idea. MOL is out. I will be here all night. I am going for the Jameson!

Happy Veterans Day everyone. If you are a Veteran, I would like to say thank you. If you know a Veteran, please be sure to call them and say thanks today. They do so much for us, and don’t get the kind of coverage in a positive light as they should. They are the world’s enforcers, and we all owe them a debt of gratitude.

The two fights in the Bruins game got me thinking about the rivalries the NHL is trying to start up again with the new schedule format. I like it, and it’s one of the only changes I do like.

The first tilt was the main event. Colton Orr (BOS) and Brian McGratton (OTT) got into it early in the first. Amazingly, these guys had never fought in Pro Hockey before. It was the right time to do it, as the Bruins were down one early. The fight was too close to call. Orr landed some really hard right hands to the huge mellon of McGratton, and Brian countered with some heavy rights of his own. McGratton showed some great technique giving Orr some quick lefts to the teeth while holding the Boston enforcers jersey. He showed some real savvy with that move, and it was distracting Orr from getting the scrap started again. This was a very long fight, and both guys were winded after the tilt. Orrsie playfully had his tongue out, and a smile on the way to the Sin Bin. No one can say he doesn’t like his job!

The second fight featured the worst player in the NHL, Hal Gill (BOS) and Chris Neil (OTT). This one happened near the end of the second period. Gill should have smoked the much smaller Neil, but instead got fed his lunch. As the bigger combatant the play should be to stand in there and throw as many hard punches to the other guy’s grille as possible. The smaller guy is trying to punch his way in. As the bigger guy, it is your job to not let him in. Instead Gill does the Sean Curry hang on to the other guy’s jersey and get my head as far away as possible from the punches being thrown at me routine. It’s a great way to get knocked the fuck out Hal. Next time, throw a punch. Pussy.

What I liked about the two fights is, first off, they were fights. Secondly, the first one was a guy trying to get his club going after a flat start. Plus, it was the two toughest kids on the block, and they just had to go. The second fight was a rematch from when Havlat kicked Gill in Ottawa during the first meeting. If you remember the game, after Gill got kicked, he pushed Havlat. Neil came to Havlat’s defense and went after Gill. Hal Gill, being the worst player in the NHL and all, fell down before they could really get going.

This is what the NHL wants in the new era of rivalry based scheduling. Games in October that have emotion. The next time these teams play, I will remember the two fights, and the Boston loss, and I am only a fan. The boys in the room are going to have it on their minds even more, and that will cause emotion, and hopefully some more fights. At the very least Orr and McGratton are tied, and need a rubber match for supremacy, eh?