Hockey is Back, Babies!

The weather has once again turned chilly, and it looks like a pumpkin threw up in my house. There’s p-spice everywhere, and the ladies all have their Han Solo outfits on to go apple picking. It can only mean one thing. Hockey is back!

Our beloved Bruins have played two games so far – clinching a 3-0 victory on Sunday night (vs. Rangers) before unfortunately succumbing to a 4-1 defeat on Tuesday (vs. XXXX). A few observations have caught my attention. A couple of one-two things have stuck out to me so far.

First off, I love the new sweaters. They’re a little busy on the sleeves, but overall I dig ’em. Prefer the white to the black, and if they weren’t almost $300 might consider buying one for my lame collection. Side note: my Brain McGrattan Providence Bruins jersey is the best one I own.

Early 2024 Bruins Highlights

In Sunday’s game, Bruins goalie Brandon Bussi delivered a spectacular performance via a 29-save shutout, which included an impressive post-to-post robbery of Jonny Brodzinski. What a stop. It’s one Rask never made, and if you’re trying to catch the eye of NHL brass, well – that’s how you friggin’ do it.

Johnny Beecher

For me the standout for Boston has been Johnny Beecher thus far. The 6’3” first rounder has played quite well in the two preseason games, and again, if you’re trying to catch someone’s eye, he’s doing all the right things. GM Don Sweeney loves a good lanky college kid, and I believe they’ve found another player from that mold in Johnny B.

The Return of Milan Lucic

It was awesome to see Milan Lucic back in the black and gold last night. I am hoping expectations around him are not too high. The man clearly loves Boston and being a Bruin, as evidenced by those videos of him walking around the city greeting people with the classic Lucic smile. He didn’t do anything special last night. Just skated his lane like the looming freight train he still is. I suspect he and Ryan Reaves are going to tangle this year, and I’m really interested to see if our old pal Arber “WiFi” Xhekaj will try him on for size as well. One thing is for certain – Milan owes Ben Harpur of the Rangers a swift one right in the chops.

Off to a Scrappy Start

Now, let’s discuss the fights! There’s been a few around the league so far, and it’s nice to see the donnybrook spirit is still alive and well. Plenty of guys are trying to show they belong, and a great way to do that has always been showing upper management a willingness to drop the gloves.

On Sunday, AJ Greer of Boston and Ben Harpur of the Rangers had a scrap with about 3 minutes left in the game. The Rangers were down 3-0 and as soon as Greer got together at center ice they locked up and got going. Well, Harpur did at least. The linesmen stayed clear for once, and Harpur just unloaded on Greer like he’d taken his little sister’s lunch money. Derek Sanderson would have said, “well, he certainly gave as good as he got there”, as he never saw a Bruin lose a fight, but it was a clear win for Ben Harpur – and we hope Lucic took note.

Keep it Clean This Year, Kids (Wink)

Wishing a Happy Hockey Season to all who celebrate, and opening night is nearly here.! We at Goonblog hope your summer was enjoyable, despite the persistent rain that disrupted many plans.

We’re anticipating an interesting year for the Bruins, and predict Milan Lucic will have an over/under of 9 fights. I’d love to hear your thoughts on whether that estimate is too high or too low in the comments. Regardless, I’m eager for Boston’s Centennial Celebration year and excited to see number 17 back on the ice!