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I am cheating on my DVR with You Tube. I love You Tube for reasons like this.  The last time I saw a Flyer get hit that hard in the playoffs, it was #88 laying on the ice trying to figure out where he was. This is why the NHL playoffs are the best in sport. You just don’t see that kind of thing happen anywhere else. I like the Devils/Rangers Series. Good scrap at the end of the game Saturday. The emotion is up in the Spring, lets hope we see some more fights.

The NHL and Pro hockey in general, can learn a thing or two from The Sopranos episode Sunday night. I thought the episode as a whole was pretty good, but it was the last scene that spoke to me.

Tony was feeling like his crew was slipping away. After showing up at the Pork store to find his boys in various states of doing nothing, you could see he was going to do something about it. Cut to inside the store, and there is Tony sizing up his potential dance partners. After surveying the situation, he decides on the biggest dude in the room as his victim. After accusing his target, a jacked kid named Perry Annunziata, of being too loud with the refrigerator door, he jumps him. Tony lands a very hard right hand before the kid even got the gloves off. Perry got up, and goes after Tony. As he’s pushing Tony back, Tony is coming forward, landing several more hard rights. Finally he sends the kid to the floor, and the fight is over.  People were questioning Tony after he had been shot. They will not question him again, as the tilt with the kid showed the boys he was in the game. Here is what The NHL, and goons alike can learn from the fight.

-Get rid of the instigator rule. Tony jumped Perry. I admit it. We all saw it. What the NHL is getting away from is the type of rules that has governed the game forever, are exactly what die hard fans love about the game. The unwritten rule book used to be enforced like today’s hooking, and tripping calls. It was thicker than the actual rule book, and if you broke any of the rules, you were dealt with. Case in point: Daniel Briere ran Tim Thomas a couple of weeks ago so hard, Thomas’ helmet came off. Briere should have been dealt with right then and there. Or, barring that the two tough guys should have slugged it out. Doesn’t matter if you have to leave your bench to do it. When your goalie gets run, you beat up who did it. Not so anymore. Because of the stupid instigator rule, no one does anything, and life goes on.

-Enforcers. Stop asking each other if you want to go all the time. I understand there is honor in the profession, but sometimes, you just have to have a go. My friend Taz always says, "I don’t think Terry O’Reilly ever ASKED anyone if they wanted to go." What would Perry have said if Tony said, "You wanna go?" Probably, "No Tony, I got no problem with you." If you are an enforcer in Pro Hockey, and you want to change the course of a game, you don’t ask, you do. So what if the other person won’t fight? You MAKE them fight you. At the very least it should put a spark in the boys. It will show everyone you are in the game, and ready to do your job.

It’s sad that the only good fight I saw all week was on a fictional TV program. I wonder if Soprano can skate?

Check out this video. It’s from the Under 16 Nationals. The kid that got hit only took 7 stitches to the chin. My back is killing from watching though. OUCH.

According to NESN’s Jack Edwards, the Bruins rivalry is bitter still. How do you figure Jack? Because the Habs faithful were singing the stupid Nah-Nah-Nah-Nah Hey-Hey-Hey Goodbye song when the Habs went up 5-3? That makes it "bitter"? No, Jack, that makes it polite.

Let me re-cap. Sheldon Souray jumps Andrew Alberts after a knee on knee hit by the rookie Alberts in the 2nd period. Souray smoked him, as he should have. I have no problem with the former Mr. Bridges going after Alberts. In fact, I would have had a problem if he didn’t do anything. Later in the game, Aaron Downey puts Montreal up 5-3. Here is where I disagree with Edwards saying the rivalry is bitter.

In the old days, and I’m only going back about 5 years now, after Downey put the Montreal up by two, the coaches would have tapped the tough guys on the back. Hell, Downey would have stayed on the ice, and done some heavy lifting himself. With the home team up by two, and Boston owing Montreal one for Souray jumping Alberts, there would have been a fight. That is what "Bitter" rivals do. Look at The Battle of Alberta the other night. Right off a face off after a goal, Chris Simon, and Georges Laraque got into it. Both guys did what they wanted. While Simon got smoked by Laraque, he showed the Calgary bench he was in the game. Laraque showed his mates he wasn’t backing down from anyone. After Downey put Montreal up tonight, there should have been a fight. With the unbalanced schedule in the NHL, it practically demands it. Boston is out of the playoffs, while Montreal is not. They should have had a tussle tonight, and set up a possible grudge match type victory for the next time they play. It’s what bitter rivals do. The only thing bitter about this game, was the bittersweet morsels in my cookie during the second period.

This is way off topic, but MOL has taken over the Plasma at GB HQ, and is watching Elizabethtown. I watched about two minutes and blood almost squirted out of my eye like the back of Chris Simon’s head Saturday night. I have no fucking clue what is going on, and like Simon, I have a bad headache right now. I feel like Georges and I went a couple of rounds. The opposing coach from Wildcats just came in, and a kid just threw up on him. Maybe this will get better. Nope. Like Hal Gill, it just won’t improve. That’s it; I’m cracking into the Maker’s Mark.

UPDATE: MOL gave up too. To quote Comic Book Guy, "Worst movie ever."

Happy 78th to Mr. Gordie Howe.

In my opinion, Mr. Hockey is the second best player to ever lace em up. Right behind Robert Gordon Orr, who also had a birthday recently, and right in front of #99. He also has the most Canadian first name of all time. The man’s totals tell it all:

• 1767 GP
• 801 G
• 1049 A
• 1850 PTS
• 1685 PIM

What a career! Happy Birthday to #9 from GoonBlog! Where do we send the shirt, Gordie?

Who knew Buffalo’s diving Team was so good? I am disgusted. In the New NHL nothing can be done about the crap that was being pulled by the Sabres last night. In the Old NHL, the two tough guys would have duked it out. In this new era, the Sabres made a mockery of hockey, and I am sick about it.

So whaddaya think of the new logo, buddies? Chris, Hammer and I are pleased as punch, and I’d like to thank Mike the designer for a top-notch job. I’ll be adding Mike’s business information to our template soon for anyone who’d like to utilize his services.

Right now we just wanted to get ourselves a proper brand and to give things a little bit of a facelift around here. Eventually we’ll be offering shirts, toques, mugs and other assorted crap available for purchase – as we’ve actually had several requests for schwag. I’ve set up an arrangement with a printing company here in Boston to keep the prices as low as possible. We don’t really intend to do more than cover the production costs – we want y’all to rock the Goon colors very affordably.

Please give us your thoughts, and we’ll be giving away our first batch of T-shirts via a contest of some sort within the next month. Enjoy the rest of the season, kids.

Thanks for the stats on Max, Hammer. He should wear number 8 from now on. It got me thinking about whom the top guys in the AHL are, and since I don’t actually do anything productive at work, here are the stats as of the middle of March. Out West it looks like this:

Darryl Bootland, Grand Rapids 282. Boots also has 43 Points.

Brandon Prust, Omaha 217. Very tough rookie. Good skater.

Rocky Thompson, Peoria 209. Great Afro. Once saw some nice teeth marks he got in a fight.

Zack Storini, Milwaukee 208. Since I have nothing to add, I will tell you the Goonsquad will be in the Garden Saturday against the Sabres.

Brandon Sugden, Syracuse 186. "Sugar" has been hurt some this year. I wish Cuse would come to Lowell more….or at all….

Peter Vandermeer, Hamilton 183. Seriously, how many Vandermeers’ are there? 86?

Bill Kinkel, Houston 181. Wanted to see the Aeros when they were up here. Um…I drink…..so I forgot….

Billy Tibbetts, Chicago 178. Inmate 34526 has managed to keep it together in the A all year. Frankly, I am fucking shocked.

Sheldon Brookbank, Milwaukee 168. With a first name like Sheldon, I would imagine you’d have to be tough.

Kris Newbury, Toronto 163. 5 more minutes to catch up to "Shell"

In the East:

Dennis Bonvie, Wilkes/Barre 301. Shocking. I am not sure the entire Lowell Roster has 301 PIMS.

Josh Gratton, Philadelphia 265. Haven’t seen much of him. Probably because there is nothing for him to do in Lowell. Notice a pattern?

Louis Robitaille, Hershey 254. I was impressed with his play when he was in Lowell last week. Kid can play a little, and is a real shit disturber. I like it.

Lance Ward, Binghamton 239. Hey, Lance! You tell Brad Norton I owe him one.

David Clarkson, Albany 233. If the rumors are true about Albany coming to Lowell next year, I hope this kid is part of the package.

Daniel Carcillo, Wilkes/Barre 232. Lots of shit disturbers in WB eh?

Martin Grenier, Hartford 215. Always looks like he is one second from totally flipping out. Wanted no part of Jesse Boulerice during his one game in the A, so Marty was running Cody McLeod all game.

Shane O’Brien, Portland 205. Baby face kid a real shit disturber. One of my favorite Pirates.

Wade Skolney, Philadelphia 197. Not sure if he played during Philly’s game against Lowell.

Jan Platil, Binghamton 184. Hey, Jan. Tell Lance to tell Norton I owe him one!

Check out Max Hood, he is the son of a very good friend of ours. 80 points and 54 PIM, a true Goon in training. Keep up the good work!

Player	Position	GP	G	A	PTS	+/-	PIM
Quinn Cuthbert		48	1	10	11	0	4
Chris French		46	11	9	20	0	8
Anthony George		48	45	49	94	0	28
Colin Hauber		48	0	7	7	0	10
Max Hood		48	46	34	80	0	54
Colin Kaurich		48	5	18	23	0	6
Nick Kennedy		38	1	6	7	0	4
Jack Knipscheer		43	3	4	7	0	4
Megan Lugar		43	1	4	5	0	6
Danny Mateja		48	24	21	45	0	22
Jared Mines		24	0	0	0	0	2
Connor Minnick		46	1	8	9	0	6
Sam Ruffin		48	15	19	34	0	42
Tanner Skeel		45	76	24	100	0	46
Jake Strain		27	0	0	0	0	0
Drew Vesely		46	0	6	6	0	0
Team Stats		48	229	219	448	0	242