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.

For those of you not in the Boston or Pittsburgh area, or may have been off planet under a rock with your fingers in your ears and your eyes shut, the big rematch between the Penguins and the Bruins happened on Thursday. I am thankful it is over, as I can stop listening to dipshit sports radio hosts that know zero about hockey spouting off about running Crosby, and brawling with anyone and everyone in a Pittsburgh uniform. Along those lines, I’d like to apologize to the Pittsburgh sports radio guy that Mike Felger called on Thursday afternoon. The Pittsburgh guy handled himself well. Mike Felger on the other hand, was embarrassing to the level it made me wish humans ate their young. Thankfully the calls from every season ticket holder (allegedly) claiming if they don’t do anything they aren’t renewing have stopped. For this week anyway. So, I am a season ticket holder, and I already renewed. Why? Because I love the Boston Bruins, and hockey, and I am not turning my back on my favorite team because they are having a bad, no check that, mind bendingly bad, a monumentally frustrating season. A season so dreadful, that even sports radio is getting involved.

Typical Boston. If I may slander my own environment, we used to be the lovable losers. 86 years of futility for the Red Sox. The Patriots SUCKED for most of their existence. 5 Titles between them since 2001, and suddenly, no one can have a bad year. Sure the Bruins were supposed to be much better this season. After the year they had last year, I thought they were going to make a very serious run at the cup this year. It hasn’t happened for several reasons.

1. They faced almost zero adversity last year. With the exception of Marco Sturm being hurt all season (oh and as an aside, he’s not hurt this year. Didn’t hear his name ONCE Thursday. Invisible most of the year) they had the same group of guys, and they were firing on all cylinders all year.

2. The players that have played have not played to their potential. I’ll start with the award winners.

a. Zdeno Chara: 2009 Norris Trophy Winner. Chara is at his worst when he is forced to play too many minutes. Due to the fact Dennis Wideman’s game has totally gone to shit, Ference has been hurt, Morris sucked, Hunwick has regressed slightly, and Johnny Boychuk is a rookie, it has forced Chara to play more minutes than he should. Couple that with the dislocated finger he’s had all year, and he has been ineffective all year.

b. Tim Thomas: 2009 Vezina Winner: He has zero goal support, but has also given up a ton of really soft goals at the most inopportune times. I am not 100% sure what he’s thinking of, but it sure isn’t hockey.

c. Milan Lucic: Hurt. All year. Ineffective when he can’t crash and bang.

d. Michael Ryder: You know that Cindy Lauper song, “True Colors”? Well, that’s Ryder’s theme song. Wanted to overachieve last year to show people in Montreal they made a mistake in benching him, and not resigning him. This year, true colors shining through. Stuck on the perimeter seemingly very bored.

e. David Krecji: Coming on a little now, but needs to come on faster.

f. Marco Sturm: Favorite show is “Where in the World is Carmen San Diego”. Favorite book? “Where’s Waldo.” Favorite movie? “Memoirs of an Invisible Man”. For most of the year, he’s been totally invisible.

g. Dennis Wideman: Sucks.

h. Blake Wheeler: Totally surprised by the fact he has 15 goals this year.

I could go on and on. I think you get the point. I think Mark Recchi, Patrice Bergeron, and Shawn Thornton are the only three Bruins that have played to their potential all season. Can’t have that and be successful.

Bottom line why they haven’t played well all year? They just don’t like each other. Plain and simple. Shawn Thornton went out and did his job Thursday by fighting Matt Cooke. I like how Cooke knew he had to do it, and did what had to be done. I would have preferred he take his helmet off, but 22 took care of it, and took care of him with a very nice hard right hand. I have no problem with him getting the extra 10 for continuing to throw after Cooke was down. He broke the code, but Cooke had to pay. This is where the nitwits that spent the whole week frothing at the mouth get lost. It’s over and done with after Thornton fights Cooke. This isn’t the 70’s anymore. No Bench clearing brawls. No stick swinging. Thornton did his job well, and Cooke answered the bell. Over. Done. Play some hockey.

Here’s where it gets interesting. Boston played very well in the first. They hit a couple of posts, and they had the fight. The tempo was upbeat, and they were hitting. Usually when the Bruins play like that, it is their blueprint for success. They gave up a goal and were down 1-0 going into the first break. Does a team that likes each other come out and play the way the Bruins did in the second period the other night? Not on your life. Someone in that room probably said in a non believable tone, “C’mon guys, let’s get one here…..inset cliché here…..” If they liked each other, nothing would need to be said. It would be known. There is no fucking way we are losing this game tonight, and if we do lose, it will not be without a fight. Instead, the Bruins came out with zero urgency, and lost a really shitty game.

So, it’s over and done with. Boston is left with 15 or so games on the schedule. I am guessing they will make the playoffs, and probably lose in the first round. I would love to see them go farther if only to hear the same nitwits that gave up on this team a long time ago come back out of the woodwork to claim they never gave up and so forth, but I just don’t see it happening. My guess is, they will lose in the first round, spend the summer making some moves to improve the club. Give Claude about 20 games next year to see if the problem is him (which I don’t think it is. You can’t coach chemistry) and if they get off to a slow start axe him. For a season that started with so much promise, it sure hasn’t been much fun.

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.

I’m not sure if it’s because all the Carolina fans are jumping off the ledge, and any that haven’t jumped yet are thinking about it now that Cam Ward is hurt, but I see a lot of Bruins fans coming in off the ledge. I wrote earlier in the week about what they need to get done. Saturday night, they did 2 of the three things. Amazing what happens when the Power Play is working, and playing with a truculent attitude eh? Looks like the blue print for success moving forward.

While it wasn’t exactly a knock down, drag em out affair, it was markedly more physical of a game last night. Shawn Thornton had 2 fights, and Mark Stuart had enough of net crashing late in the third. Unfortunately for Jochen Hecht, he was the target of Stuart’s frustration. Stuart has been physical all year, and I love his ability to fight. He is a very tough kid, and the rest of the league should take notice. If you are going to take liberties on the ice, you may have to deal with Mark Stuart.

Stuart’s fight was very one sided, as was the fight Thornton had with former Bruin Steve “Step Brother” Montador. Has anyone ever seen Steve Montador, and Will Ferrell in the same room? Anyway, I did not see what started the Thornton and Paul Gaustad fight, but to say Thornton was heated after the tilt is a gross understatement. He was yelling at him louder and with more animation than the bartender of the Makaha after refusing me service on my 6th Mai Tai and my subsequent refusal to go quietly into the night a couple of years ago. The point being, Boston was not pushed around last night, and when they play that way they are tough to beat.

Another good sign was the two PP goals scored by the Black and Gold. Mark Recchi got the party started in typical Wrecking Ball fashion with a trademark tip in while parked in front of the net goal in the first period. Later, Zdeno Chara got off the snide with a blast from the point that went in off a Buffalo defender. It was kind of a greasy goal, but it’s the kind of goal the Bruins weren’t getting a week ago. The bounces just weren’t going their way, and after last night’s game, it appears their luck may have changed.

I’ll give you the fact Buffalo played a goaltender that was making his NHL debut and was giving up rebounds bigger than he should have been, but it’s the fact Boston was putting themselves in the position to exploit said goaltender, and rebounds. Not two weeks ago, they made Yann Danis look like Terry fucking Sawchuk, and they put 98% of the shots on Carey Price the other night in the stupid CH logo on his butt smoking chest. After not giving up Thursday, and playing the kind of Bruins hockey that has made them successful last night, I am ready to say they may have turned the corner on the season, and are pointed in the right direction. With defending Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh in town Tuesday (riding a 2 game losing streak in which they have given up 10 goals while scoring 2) and playing in Pittsburgh next Saturday, we Bruins fans should get a good reading on where exactly this team stands. In the meantime, Carolina fans, there is plenty of room out on the ledge. I’ll leave the window open.

For me, the hockey season ended a month or so ago when the Bruins were defeated. For the rest of the hockey world, it ended Friday night when Pittsburgh beat Detroit in a very exciting game 7. Much like the rest of the hockey world, I had counted the Penguins out after they went down 2-0 to Detroit, but they showed the heart of a champion, rallied around a cause, and got it done Friday night. I guess I am happy for them, I mean it’s better than Detroit winning, but my mood can best be described as apathetic.

I had made a decision not to watch the finals after games 1 and 2 because every time I tuned in, Detroit started beating Pittsburgh like a rented goalie. That coupled with the fact that there was a possibility Hal Gill could be raising the holiest of Holy Grails, and I would rather mow the lawn, or play with Milan and Killer than watch hockey anymore. The match up didn’t interest me, as I couldn’t shake the feeling that Boston should have been there.

So, I didn’t watch much of the finals, but I did watch a very exciting game 7. Max Talbot’s second tally was a beauty. Sure the only way Osgood could have been more out of position was if he fell down, but Talbot still picked the top corner. Oh, and did anyone notice the holding penalty Gill took? Vintage Gill. I think it’s from page 2 of the Play Like Gill handbook. You know it well Boston fans. Go to corner after opponent. Realize you are flat footed and about to get burned. Pin guy against boards, and pray referee isn’t looking. Skate to box with stupid look on face when referee is in fact looking right at you, and knows the penalty is coming because he’s seen you play before. I can save NHL refs a lot of time. If there is a man in the corner with a puck, and Gill is on the ice, just blow the whistle. Even if he doesn’t actually hold anyone. It’s only a matter of time. Call it, intent to hold. MA Fleury made up for game 5 in a huge way there with about a tick and a half as well robbing Nicky Lidstrom from depositing what would have been the tying goal into a yawning net. What a save.

Congratulations to the Penguins. They battled adversity all year, and it paid off. Now we have to sit through a long stupid summer in which I might actually have to watch baseball. Shudder the thought. Is it September yet?

Congratulations to the winner of the 93rd Indianapolis 500, not the IRS, but Helio Castroneves! This year’s race featured a one beer race day by The Hammer, the greatest “pooping in the infield at the 500” story EVER, one of the wildest crashes I have ever seen, and much more silliness that make Memorial Day in Indianapolis so special every year. I am already looking forward to the 94th running next year. Thanks again Steve. You made a grave error in judgment inviting Hammer in 1988, but if you keep having us, we’ll keep coming!

So in between the poop stories (POW! Out go the lights!) and the mega tenderloin sandwich I got race day, we did what we always do at Indy. We watched hockey. Hands up for who thought I was going to say drink. Anyway, there we are at the end of the Hurricanes loss to the Penguins the other night, when Ryan “Closet Tough Guy” Bayda sets off a fight late in the game. It all starts with a high elbow and a cross check to the head of the Penguins’ Kris Letang. Bayda received a match penalty, and a $2500.00 fine.

There was a car load of guys next to us on the way into the race on Sunday that may or may not have had a few in them. We were stopped at a light waiting our turn to go, which is kind of the norm when 300,000 people are trying to get to the same spot, at the same time. These nitwits decide to start saying, “This is bullshit” loud enough so Indy’s finest could hear them at least 30 times. It was pretty funny because they had an accent that made them sound dumb as dirt anyway, and them saying, “Man, this is bullshit” over and over did not help them in the IQ department. You had to be there, but trust me, they were dumb. So dumb in fact, they got the bright idea to honk at the cop directing traffic! Yes. That dumb. The beep was met with the cop spinning around and giving them a glare that could have burned the whole car up, and he stared them down as he walked over there to make sure they knew he knew they had honked, and were indeed, the dumbest people on earth.

Why am I telling you this? Because I think it may have been Colin Campbell and Gary Bettman in the car. Had to have been right? I mean, how does another player in the playoffs get assessed a MATCH PENALTY FOR A HIT TO THE HEAD, and NOT get suspended? I was teetering on my trust in player safety being a priority for the NHL before, but now, I have no faith in what the league has to say. The league had another chance to send a message the other night, and again with the hit on Marty Havlat (debatable if it was legal. Looked like Kronwall left his feet, and Havlat didn’t have the puck when he was hit, or ever actually have possession of the puck. Having said that, keep your head up) but once again passed on handing out a suspension for a hit to the head because they were too busy sitting in traffic telling Indy Metro PD their traffic directing was less than par. If I am off base on this, please, let me know, but I got to be honest. I am thinking this is bullshit.

I heard on Versus the other night that fighting in the NHL is up 30% this season. I love that stat. It tells me the guys are starting to police themselves once again. After the lockout, I think a little snarl has been taken out of our beloved game. The NHL needs to stop pandering to casual fans, and work on keeping the die hards they have. You get new fans by doing the wildly successful New Year’s Day Winter Classic (viewership up 12% this season for a Blackhawks collapse) you keep the fans you have by allowing the “Old Time Hokey” games to be played. Could this be the year the instigator is finally gone?

One man wishing for no instigator today, is number 87 himself, Sidney Crosby. After being announced as the starter for the East All Stars (voting is a total sham, and I will not watch this game. Carey Price? Really?) Sid the Kid took out some serious frustrations regarding the Pens recent skid on Florida’s Brett McLean. With the Pens down 4-1, and in the midst of a three game losing streak, Sidney decided to send a bit of a message to the group that he’s tired of losing, and isn’t going out like that. I like this fight, and don’t like it for a couple of reasons.

1. As the Captain of the team, sometimes one has to take matters into his own hands. It’s part of earning the “C.” For Sidney he earns it by being arguably the best player in the world on any given day, not by getting 19 minutes in penalties.

2. When Crosby does decide to fight, he’s not all that bad at it. Now before you guys go all crazy on me here, consider this. Last night’s fight was Crosby’s second career fight. I saw his first one live in person when he beat up Mr. Green of the Boston Bruins. He has pretty good balance, and doesn’t throw slaps like a baseball player charging the mound. I am not anointing him the Champion of the league, I’m just saying. For a guy that does what he does, he’s not bad at it.

3. I don’t like it, because he’s arguably the best player in the league. I read “The Code”, and in it, Tony Twist was telling a story about Brett Hull getting in a fight. When Hull came back to the bench, Twist said something to the effect of, “Hey, good fight. Don’t ever do it again.” Point being, that’s Twister’s job. It’s the enforcer’s job to enforce. I applaud him for taking matters into his own hands, but it’s his job to score. Someone else should be doing the fighting.

Speaking of slaps charging the mound, another non enforcer had a fight last night. Washington’s Alexander Semin got into it with the Rangers Marc Staal. There was a little pushing and shoving, then, hilarity. Watch this fight. If it doesn’t make you laugh, you don’t have a sense of humor. As an aside, I am not 100% sure Craig Laughlin, the color analyst for Caps games, wasn’t drunk last night. He called Marc Staal “Eric” three times, and when Semin got the gate for not being tied down, he had no idea why he was getting tossed. Is it just me, or should the color analyst be all over that? Andy Brickley would have known exactly why Semin was being tossed, as well as had an interesting anecdote about playing for the Baltimore Skipjacks, while Jack Edwards stroked himself to a Milan Lucic glossy photo.

PS: Go to Youtube and watch the MSG feed of this scrap. Trust me.

I’m off to Lowell today for the Devils. Good job last night Sid. Bummer you had to take matters into your own hands, but you got some points from Goonblog for doing so. Maybe you can start a little fight club. Your first student? Alexander Semin.

MOL, George, and I went to Feng Shui for a very serious throw down, two Mai Tai’s and the division of Bruins tickets for the upcoming season. If you are in the Chelmsford area, I highly suggest stopping in. In fact, here is a quick ranking of my top 3 local Chinese restaurants.

1. Feng Shui. Chelmsford, MA. Try the General Gau’s shrimp, salt and pepper shrimp, and the house rice. Very strong Mai Tai. Nice buffet on weekends
2. Bamboo. Westford, MA. Johnny is the heat! Strong Mai Tai. Excellent shrimp tempura, salt and pepper pork, and lo mein. Excellent buffet as well.
3. Makaha Acton, MA. Excellent Pu Pu. Mai Tai strong enough to run your car on. Excellent Juke Box. If you’re looking for a dark place to get a Pu Pu and get loaded…this is it. No real redeeming qualities other than they let me drink in there when I was 16.

In keeping with the Public Service spirit, I thought it appropriate to let you know the games in which I have drawn. Reason being, if you are a faithful Goonblog reader, you might want to stop by and say hi, or if you are a faithful Goonblog reader you know what happens at these games when I go, so you might want to avoid being in the City of Boston all together. Should be a great season, and I am getting more pumped by the day. I can almost hear the roar of the Zamboni, OK, the propane whine, of the Zamboni!

I have 9 games on my own. I’ll probably need a date for 8 of them. MOL will go to opening night, and that’s about it for her. Maybe I’ll run a contest. Go to a Bruins game with a guy that is trying to disprove Dean Wormer’s fat, drunk, and stupid theory…..that’ll be cool.

George has 10 solo games. We were very surprised how easily the schedule was divided. It just kind of fell into place easily. No arguments at all. Sort of the opposite of MOL and me.

We will both be in the house for 20 games, and are giving away 2 games that neither one of us can attend. It looks like January is going to be a busy month of hockey for me. Between the Bruins, and the Lowell Devils, I will be at 15 hockey games. That’s a lot of hockey. This is going to be great. Breakdown is below.

My solo games in BOLD in case you want to enter my Fat Drunk and Stupid contest.

Oct. 20th. Opening night. Penguins. Probably MOL’s only appearance of the season. Come see her in all her glory.

Oct. 23rd. Maple Leafs. George wasn’t too happy about this one. He saw every Leafs Bruins tilt last year, and admitted the 10-1 or 10 something loss the Bruins took at the hands of Toronto was the only time he’s ever left a game early. Can’t blame him. I was there too, and I left early.

Nov. 1. Stars. Sean Avery is a shit disturber, and I love it.

Nov. 6th. Leafs. George couldn’t take it (seeing the Leafs again), so I took one for the team here.

Nov. 13th. Canadiens. Now way either one of us was missing the Habs, or Georges Laraque’s debut in the Garden as a Canadien. This one will be electric.

Nov. 28th. Islanders. I love the annual day after Thanksgiving game. Kinger and I had a blast two years ago. MOL might actually want to come to this one.

Dec. 8th. Lightning. I am interested in seeing Steve Stamkos.

Dec. 18th. Maple Leafs. See what I mean? George hates the Leafs.

Dec. 20th. Hurricanes. I am happy Tom Rowe has a job in the NHL. There are still a few faces left on this roster from the old Lockmoster days.

Jan. 1st. Penguins. MOL and I were going to Chicago, but decided a trip to Florida for a couple of Bruins games was probably a better idea. I can’t think of a better way to ring in the New Year than by watching the Bruins and Penguins slug it out. The last time I went to a game on New Year’s Day was against Philadelphia a few years ago. Dave, MOL and I went, and I assure you. It did not end well.

Jan. 3rd. Sabres. Not sure why I agreed to go to this game. I have an unexplained and unnatural hatred of the Buffalo Sabres. Not sure why.

Jan. 6th. Wild. Boogieman. That’s the reason I’m here.

Jan. 8th. Senators. This is going to be an interesting club this season. Eager to see how they react after all that has happened to them over the last season. Jason Spezza, when he wants to be, is a God.

Jan. 10th. Hurricanes. Love the Matinee.

Jan. 13th. Canadiens. Hopefully the bad blood is really boiling by now.

Jan. 27th. Capitals. If you have never seen Alex Ovechkin live, I highly suggest doing so. You can’t take your eyes off of him.

Jan. 31st. Rangers. Original Six matinee. Doesn’t get any better than that.

Feb. 10th. Sharks. Joe’s second trip as a Shark. His first one was short lived, but a great performance. If you remember, he got kicked out very early for “boarding” Hal Gill. Questionable call at best. I just don’t like Gill, so I was cheering wildly. Pretty sure the people in my section didn’t like it.

Feb. 24th. Panthers. What else is there to do on a Tuesday in February?

Feb. 26th. Ducks. George Parros and his awesome Porn ‘stache in the house. Can’t miss it.

Feb. 28th. Capitals. A matinee and the Caps?! I can’t lose!

Mar. 3rd. Flyers. Shawn Thornton and Riley Cote. I am looking forward to these guys having a go.

Mar. 5th. Coyotes. Probably my most anticipated game of the year. Todd Fedoruk, Brian McGratton, and Daniel Carcillo all on the same club? This could be my Center Ice West Coast team of the season.

Mar. 14th. Islanders. Nothing better to do.

Mar. 19th. Kings. This should be another interesting team. Revolving door in goal. Some decent talent in Dan Boyle, and Teddy Purcell possibly coming in. Very young on defense. Really could go either way.

Mar. 31st. Lightning. Barry Melrose will field a scrappy team. No doubt.

Apr. 2nd. Senators. We’ll know by this point if the Senators have put all their troubles behind them.

Apr. 4th. Rangers. Original Six matinee. Can’t miss it.

Apr. 14th. Canadiens. Great way to end the regular season.

So, there it is. I am really looking forward to this year. It should be awesome. I may need a good divorce lawyer after as that is a lot of hockey. I think MOL understands the psychosis by now though. Let’s get it on.

Dangerous combo here boys. It’s a thousand. MOL is off at the Germ Factory leaving me unsupervised with at least a dozen of the “Workingman’s Brew” in the fridge. I just booked my ticket to hang with Dave at the beginning of August (we PROMISE a Podcast) and the NHL schedule came out today. You guys think I’m in a good mood? Hold on….

Walking down hall…..

Turning left into kitchen….

Opening fridge…..

They call me the Working Man……open, and sip……..AHHHHHHHH

Much better! Now then, here are some highlights of the Bruins Schedule. Before that, a tribute to my trip to the Great White North!

October 9th at Colorado. It’s back, its back, thank God it’s back! Boston opens their season on the road, per usual. Stupid circus.

October 15th at Montreal. The Habs open their 100th season in style against their hated rivals. Goosebumps thinking about it.

October 20th vs. Penguins. My first game as a season ticket holder. MOL is my usual date for opening night, so they may not see me in full plumage until…..

October 23rd vs. Toronto. Yup. Could be my last game as a season ticket holder.

November 13th vs. Montreal. First game for the Habs in Boston. Hopefully bad blood from October is still fresh.

November 28th vs. Islanders. Love the day after Thanksgiving game. Two years ago Kinger and I went, got wasted, and came home with a Hanson Brothers picture I bought for $150.00. Good times.

December 8th vs. Tampa Bay. I think these guys are going to be scrappy as hell under Barry Melrose. I’m also excited to see Steven Stamkos for the first time.

January 1st. Chicago vs. Detroit. I really want to go to Wrigley for this! If not, I guess I’ll watch on TV before going to the Bruins and Penguins.

January 19th vs. St. Louis. Hopefully Cam Janssen goes nuts.

February 7th vs. Flyers. I hate them.

March 7th vs. Blackhawks. Annual game I take my brother to against my other favorite Original Six Team?! I love it.

April 9th vs. Montreal. Hopefully there is some real bad blood here going into the playoffs!

Does anyone know how to build a time machine? I swear I won’t mess anything up. I won’t kill Hill Valley, I swear. We’re just going ahead a few months…no big whoop…..

I’m sitting at my desk today around three, and I’m thinking I need some food. What to do? What to do? I’m trying to not be on the see food diet anymore, so I have a choice of pistachios, apricots, or some grapes. Grapes involve standing up, so that’s right out. Now it’s down to pistachios or apricots, when it hits me. I need a Tsongas Arena burger. As soon as I thought it, I could smell it, and taste it. Visually I could see the ketchup oozing out the side. A quick look to my calendar confirmed it, its mid July. DAMMIT! What makes this “fantasy” even stranger is that the “Paul” has the worst rink food ever. Seriously, one thing the Lowell Devils are lacking, other than fans in general, is good food. The burgers are the most edible thing. Taz will attest to this. Think high school hamburger. Kind of grayish, not really hot all the way through…oh man, I’m getting aroused here again. It makes me think of hockey season all over again. Stupid baseball.

Speaking of hockey, I am pumped Montreal signed Georges Laraque, and Ryan Flinn. Man, if ever there was a reason to keep the current schedule format, this is it. When was the last time the Boston/Montreal rivalry featured two legitimate heavyweights? 90’s? Has to be right? This “rivalry” is more watered down than the cocktails MOL makes me when I’ve had one too many. These two guys will bring some big time toughness to the Habs roster, and I hope Milan Lucic, and Shawn Thornton is ready for them. I would hazard to guess Flinner will be down in Hamilton, but the brass will be glad he’s only a phone call away.

Part of the reason I was watching the Penguins over the last year and a half (OK, a big part) was to watch Georges Laraque. I was at the game this season when he “fought” Zdeno Chara twice. While both fights sucked (they actually were assessed only 1 fighting majors each for two dust ups. I know. Laughable) it was great to see him ask Jeremy Reich to go, and get turned down no fewer than 5 times. Lucic wanted no part of him either, and come to think of it, neither did Thornton. Maybe seeing the Habs 87 times in the regular season will fan some distaste for each other. Here’s hoping they have a nice 400 PIM game while I eat a crappy Garden dog in my Hungry for Hockey seats eh?