A Change is as Good as a Punch in the Yapper

Siting here at Goonblog HQ eating my Berry Berry Kix, I am thinking about change. For starters, I just sent a work email on a Saturday from my home office/daughter’s room. Secondly, why am I awake? Lastly, I’m eating goddamn Kix.

When this GoonBlog endeavor first started there were no kids, no Kix, or work emails, and most likely I would have been sleeping off a hangover somewhere… only to stumble upon a greasy egg sandwich and a black coffee. Heart healthy Kix? What has become of me?! Yet, I digress, because I do have a point.

Change is inevitable. There is nothing so constant as change. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

I’m thinking of change because as I’m eating my Kix and working on a Saturday, I’m getting ready for a Saturday night trap game featuring the beloved Bruins in Toronto against the Leafs. As an aside, every time I say “Leafs”, I think of the time the Ref’s sister, Janet, and I were at a Bruins/Leafs tilt a few beeyahs deep, and she turns and says, “…shouldn’t it be the Leaves?” Yes, Janet. Yes it should. Anyhow, change and things staying the same and so forth.

Bruins Off the Block
The Bruins are off to the best start in franchise history. I don’t like tonight’s game, at all. Classic trap. I want to go back to Thursday however for a minute if I may.

Watching on ESPN+ (don’t even get me started on this new TV package. Again, change) they kept trying to pump up this big Ranger and Bruins rivalry. The announcers were talking about the New York and Boston rivalry and how it pertained to the hockey teams, and then cut to a graphic of the Red Sox and the Yankees. Aside from being confused, I got to thinking about this alleged hockey rivalry.

A New York State of “Frig Off”
Boston and New York don’t like each other. For me, hell is having to go to New York. I simply don’t like that city. I think the rivalry is based predominantly upon the hatred between the Yankees and the Red Sox though. Sure, the Bruins went into the stands at MSG in the 70’s when someone threw a set of keys at a Bruin, and yeah, I guess there’s the whole Original 6 angle, but I don’t feel the distaste for the Rangers, or their fans like I do for many other teams. I don’t think they’re in my top 10. As the game Thursday went on, I could maybe feel a bit of a rivalry building. These teams are both pretty good right now, and perhaps being good and the animosity of two fights at the same time might fuel the rivalry.

It all started at around the halfway mark of the second period. Bruins’ newcomer, AJ Greer, is alongside Trent Frederic and Nick Foligno. This, for me, is a classic Bruins line. I love Greer because he’s willing to do the little things to stay in the National Hockey League. Foligno is rejuvenated after being able to rehab all summer and being waived right as camp broke, and Trent Frederic is my favorite Bruin by far. Now out of Butch Cassidy’s doghouse, Freddy will thrive. He’s got a great motor, never stops running his mouth, can chip in offensively, and can fight. Cassidy, by the way, is a known diddler, and has the worst haircut in the show.

Freddy carries the puck over the Rangers blueline and got absolutely laid out by Rangers’ defenseman, Braden Schneider. You want to talk change? Back in the day, no one had to fight after hits like that. Welcome to the new NHL.

The hit was clean, and Frederic hopped up looking to exact revenge. As he was going after Schneider asking if he would care to fight, enter AJ Greer. Schneider obliged Greer, and the two traded some decent right hands. Schneider wanted to get Greer’s helmet off, and they got locked up. This led to some wrestling, and eventually they fell to the ice. Hockeyfights.com users have it scored as a 61% win for Greer. I guess I can agree. He did get in two rights, and a nice hard left, before they went down.

Not to be outdone, as Trent Frederic was asking Braden Schneider to go and AJ Greer entered, Barclay “Donaldson” Goodrow appears to square up with Frederic. Freddy, not shy about dropping the gloves, gets started early. Goodrow was outmatched the whole fight. Goodrow seemed more interested in getting his face away from the right hands that Frederic was throwing, and Freddy seemed content to give him said rights until he got tired. Goodrow got away from him a bit, and manages to land a good straight left hand. Frederic then gives him the old over and under. Goodrow is throwing rights that don’t appear to land as Freddy channels his inner Lyndon Byers and lands a very hard uppercut. They get locked up and the fight is over. A clear win for Trent Frederic.

Change rears it’s ugly head again, as Boston is assessed an extra two minutes for having two fights at the same time, or some shit. I may need to rethink my unhappy opinion as to the future of the hockey enforcer, too. The Bruins went on to win the game in decided fashion, with Trent Frederic adding a goal.

Here’s one thing that will never change. I love fights in hockey. The Rangers were looking to turn the tide of the game. The score was tied when this went down. It did not work. Here’s hoping the Bruins can “change” my mind about the outcome tonight with a real grudge match type victory tonight in Toronto.