GoonBlog.com

Hockey fight blog with humorous, blow-by-blow commentary on goons, enforcers and donnybrooks

Hockey fight blog with humorous, blow-by-blow commentary on goons, enforcers and donnybrooks.

Shawn Thornton

Get well soon Brian


in AHL, Binghamton Senators, Brian McGrattan, Chris, Goons, GoonSquad, Shawn Thornton
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.
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Milan and I love Old Time Hockey


in AHL, Aaron Voros, Atlanta Thrashers, Boris Valabik, Calgary Flames, Chris, Colton Orr, David Clarkson, Eric Boulton, Goons, GoonSquad, Lowell Devils, Mike Rupp, Milan Lucic, Milan Lucic (the dog), New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, Old Time Hockey, Shawn Thornton, Zdeno Chara
It’s been a big hockey weekend so far. Last night Milan Lucic and I watched the Bruins game, and some of the Calgary game. Then Milan woke up at 7 AM, so I took her out for a walk (she was super good by the way) and came in the house to find Youngblood on On Demand. It had been years since I’d seen it, and as I was telling Dean Youngblood’s skating was done by Peter Zezel, and why we hated him, I did my normal morning routine of looking at box scores. I was pretty happy to see two Old Time Hockey games last night in the NHL. The beloved Bruins and Thrashers had 4 fights in the 7-3 Boston win. What makes this all the more interesting is these two teams face off again tonight at The Garden. It started about 3 minutes in last night in Atlanta. Eric Boulton and Shawn Thornton got into it after the Bruins went up 1-0. They were talking about it off the opening draw but decided against it. After the early lead taken by the Bruins, Thornton obliged Boulton’s request to have a go. It was a pretty good scrap that I score as a draw. Boulton fought again later in the game, and I score it a win for Boston’s Milan Lucic. Zdeno Chara’s fight was fairly lame that I guess was a draw, although I am not 100% sure any punches were thrown. It was more of a wrestling match, and obviously Jack Edwards mentioned Z’s dad was a former wrestler. He’s the biggest homer ever, and I love it. The fourth fight was Shawn Thornton again having a go with Atlanta’s hulking Boris Valabik. Looking at the tale of the tape on this fight, Thornton has to get credit for giving up the huge size advantage to the massive Valabik. I was quite impressed with the big Slovak. He handled Thornton nicely, and it was a clear win for him. Not to be outdone on the score sheet, New Jersey and the New York Rangers had a slug fest at the Rock last night. They had 4 dust ups themselves, across all weight classes. Round one was the heavyweight division with Colton Orr and Mike Rupp getting into it. I liked this fight, and I score it a win for Rupp. He threw and landed more than Orr did. The next fight was in the light heavyweight division featuring two former Lowell Devils teammates in New Jersey’s David Clarkson, and the Rangers Aaron Voros. This could be the fight of the night. A lot of punches trade by each guy. I score it a draw, but nominate it for fight of the night. Next up we have Travis Zajac getting fed 3 hard rights from Dan Girardi after Girardi leveled him. High marks to Zajac for standing up for himself. Quick tip: Let someone else do your dirty work. Yikes that was ugly. The final tilt was Jamie Langenbrunner of New Jersey against Ryan Callahan. Not a bad scrap that I score a win for Callahan. He threw and landed more. So, we had two games, and 8 fights between them. These are classic examples of why I love fighting. Look at the Bruins and Atlanta first. There isn’t much of a rivalry there, and why would there be? They are not in the same division, and haven’t ever had a reason to dislike each otheruntil maybe last night. The Thrashers were sending a message to Boston: you may be beating us on the ice, but we are not taking it lying down. I love games like that, and it’s a big reason why I love fighting in hockey. I would not be surprised if these two have a fight off the hop in the Garden tonight. Then there are the Devils, and Rangers. This is a classic natural rivalry game that got out of hand on the scoreboard, and frustrations were reflected on the penalty sheet. These two clubs don’t like each other, and when the score gets out of hand, this kind of thing happens. I for one love it, and it’s what makes hockey so unique. What happens in other sports when the score gets high? They can either let up on each other, or run up the score. In hockey, you have the element of having to stand up for winning or losing. The mentality being, we are beating you on the scoreboard, now I’m sending you a message that we can beat you physically too. Or, ok, you are winning on the scoreboard, but I am not going down without a fight. It’s a factor that makes hockey unique, and probably the least understood part of the game for non fans. Last night’s games are what we fans talk about when we say Old Time Hockey and I loved every second of it. So did Milan Lucic the dog. Here’s hoping Atlanta hasn’t forgotten last night yet, and will be looking to settle a score early tonight, and here’s hoping Boston is ready for it.
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Unsupervised Thoughts


in Brad Staubitz, Chris, Dallas Stars, Goons, GoonSquad, Jarkko Ruutu, Jody Shelley, Joe Thornton, Jordin Tootoo, Mike Komisarek, Milan Lucic, Montreal Canadiens, Nashville Predators, New York Rangers, Petteri Nokelainen, San Jose Sharks, Shawn Thornton, Steve Ott, Tom Kostopoulos, Toronto Maple Leafs
MOL is in Connecticut visiting our new nephew, leaving me at home by myself to watch the Bruins. Not a bad deal really. I saw the little guy yesterday, and he’s super cute. He does a lot of baby things like sleep, and look around like he’s lost. It’s pretty cool. MOL gets to hang with him tonight, so I have done all my laundry, ate left over Chinese and yelled at Shawn Thornton for having a crappy fight with Toronto’s Jamal Mayers. Like I said, not a bad deal. I’ve been super busy over the last few weeks. I’ll spare you the gory details, but I have made three observations in this young NHL season. They are, in no particular order. 1. I grossly under estimated how good the Bruins are. I mean, when I wrote the piece about the sneaking suspicion I had about their suckatude, I couldn’t have been more off base. Milan Lucic has turned his game around so drastically it’s hard to explain. He’s gone from zero to hero in no time, and I am pretty sure if he ran for Governor of the Commonwealth he’d win in a land slide. Not only is he responsible for a hit that will be played on every jumbotron in every arena in the NHL (well, maybe except for Toronto) for the next 20 years, he’s started scoring and piling up assists at a furious pace. Oh, and don’t forget his first fight of the year last Thursday. In a battle that had Jack Edwards near a stroke, he beat Mike Komisarek like he stole something in a 6-1 thrashing at Boston last Thursday. On top of Lucic’s improved play, they have the ability to roll four very solid lines. In fact, one could argue the line of Shawn Thornton, Stephan Yelle, and Chuck Kobasew (now that he’s back. The real loser in all of this is Petteri Nokelainen who finds himself the odd man out since Koba’s return) has been the Bruins best and most consistent line. They have been super fun to watch all year, and I have been having the time of my life as a season ticket holder so far. 2. Someone is going to get killed if something isn’t done about the hitting from behind problem. Forget the headshots, I think the biggest disciplinary issue facing the NHL, is guys hitting each other from behind. Tom Kostopoulos’s hit on poor Mike Van Ryan, best known this year as the guy that Milan Lucic almost put into the second row in Boston with his glass shattering hit, and the guy that almost got paralyzed by some asshole with no respect for the other guys on the ice, should have been suspended for at least 5 games. The first thing you are taught when learning how to body check, is don’t hit someone when you can see their numbers. I have heard all the rational that Van Ryan turned at the last minute and the like, but it’s bull shit. Van Ryan fully had his back to Kostopoulos, and the only thing he turns is his head from looking right at the glass, to looking left over his shoulder to see if TK is going to slow up. Guess what? He’s not. Ding Dong. I’ll get it. Oh, and to the announcers out there. All of them. Can we stop defending people that are doing these heinous things on the ice please? Why is there any blame being laid on Mike Van Ryan? Tom Kostopoulos could have pulled up, and shouldn’t have hit him. Sorry or not about it, he had a choice on the ice, and he made the wrong one. 3. This game needs policing. This is NOT your father’s NHL. If it were, they’d still be trying to break up the fight that would have erupted after Tom Kostopoulos hit Mike Van Ryan. There seems to be a lot more punks in the league than ever before. Jarkko Ruutu was running around like a punk earlier tonight against New York, and wouldn’t fight when Aaron Voros tried to fight him. Steve Ott was ringing the bell all over the ice in Boston a few weeks ago, and never would answer the bell. When he slew footed Nokelainen at the end of the first, he should have been held accountable as soon as the second period started, but he never was made to answer the bell. If something isn’t done soon, i.e. removal of the instigator penalty, and guys having more respect for one another on the ice someone is going to get really hurt out there. So, that’s what I’ve been seeing. Right now I’m watching the third period of the Sharks and Nashville. Jody Shelley just had a nice go with Greg De Vries. Shelley landed a wicked upper cut to win the fight. It was the last of three fights in a row. Nice to see Brad Staubitz get in a dust up with Jordin Tootoo as well. Big Joe Thornton was in the first one. Not much of a fight really. I love the Center Ice Package for this very reason. Anyway, I’d love to hear your opinions on the first quarter of the season so far. Don’t leave me out to dry here goons and goonettes. You know what to do, and as Dave says Stay Gooney!
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Not Breaking News


in Andrew Ference, Chris, Dallas Stars, Goons, GoonSquad, Krys Barch, Milan Lucic, Old Time Hockey, Petteri Nokelainen, Sean Avery, Shane Hnidy, Shawn Thornton, Steve Ott
Sean Avery, and Steve Ott are punks. This is not breaking news. I wanted to get it out on the table. Last night was a bit of Old Time Hockey at the Boston Garden, and Steve Ott and Sean Avery were the chief punks on the Dallas Stars. As an aside, when did Ott turn into such a punk? I don’t remember him being the type of player I saw last night. Is it Avery’s influence that has turned him into a total punk? Anyway, here is a great video recap of what happened in Boston last night. It was a bit of Old Time Hockey, but I can’t help but wonder. If this were Old Time Hockey, would it have taken as long as it did for the line brawl to erupt? Also, why is Krys Barch doing Steve Ott’s heavy lifting? I am thinking back in the old days after the slew foot by Ott at the end of the first on Petteri Nokelainen (not seen on this video) Ott would have had to answer the bell at the start of the second. He wouldn’t have been able to run and hide like a punk, instead, he’d have to fight like a man. Kudos to both Shawn Thornton and Sheriff Shane Hnidy for trying to get Ott to be accountable for his actions. It isn’t their fault he is a pussy. I am very glad Andrew Ferrence laid Steve Ott out, and I am not surprised Sean Avery came to his defense. He’s a big man finally picking his spot to fight against Ferrence. Pussy. Go read some more Vogue. I am very proud of the way the Bruins all stood up for one another last night, and I am man enough to admit, I might have been wrong about this bunch. After publicly calling out Milan Lucic, and the rest of the team, they responded by scorning a Hat Trick (Lucic) to win an uneven affair at home, and playing 8 superb periods (the 2nd in Calgary being the blemish) on the road. Last night’s game really can be the type that cements a dressing room. The boys all stood up for one another, and gave the home crowd something to cheer, and talk about. MOL and I were completely entertained, and agreed it was the best game we’d been to in years. So, I apologize to the black and gold. Keep up the good work boys.
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Step out of the Car


in Chris, Georges Laraque, Goons, GoonSquad, Milan Lucic, Shawn Thornton

Have you ever been driving along, minding your own business, when a police car pulls out behind you? The mind starts to go through every scenario. Was I speeding? Did I roll through the stop sign? Is it legal to be on the sidewalk? There is a sinking feeling of impending doom. Watching the Bruins so far this season, I have had that feeling all along.

They had a good start in Colorado. Soundly outplayed for most of the game, they gutted out a big win while getting contributions from new comer Blake Wheeler, and Phil Kessel, who has been on fire to start the year. The loss in Minnesota was easy to take because they showed some real gumption to stay in the game. Under Dave Lewis, the score would have been 5-0 easy. Maybe more. Montreal was a fantastic first period including the first fight of the year from Shawn Thornton. I still think he beat Georges Laraque, but I am getting e-mails about my dependency on crack. The boys got themselves in a hole, and came back to get a valuable point. Again, showing a never say die attitude. Ottawa was the best game of the year so far. They played like a unit, and really took it to the Senators.

This brings us to the last three games. I think the home opener Monday was a flat affair from Boston. They had been on the road for some time, and needed some home cooking. What they got was a shootout loss. Buffalo was a maddening game. They were up 2-0 and let Buffalo back in. Instead of going on the attack, they were trapping so bad I thought they were the Boston Devils. Dennis "Riverboat Gambler" Wideman (Because he gambles every time he has the puck) got beat like a rented defenseman by Drew Stafford, and Manny Fernandez went down early Monday night to stop the shot Stafford put on him Tuesday evening. The end result was another shootout loss.

Thursday made me sick, puke like that, Blaaaah! The Bruins were all over the Leafs, going up 2-0. There were several monster hits, including the one that Milan Lucic (who has looked bad to terrible) laid on Mike Van Ryan. After this hit, the Bruins went to sleep. They were trapping again, and generating no offense at all. There is no way the worst team in the division should come into your own barn and beat you by 2 goals if you are putting up an honest effort. The last three tilts, I don’t see that honest effort. I know it’s early in the year, but I feel as if the blues are about to come on.

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Just Me?


in Chris, Georges Laraque, Goons, GoonSquad, Montreal Canadiens, Old Time Hockey, Shawn Thornton
I don’t get it. Seriously, if I am being a homer, please tell me. Shawn Thornton and Georges Laraque had a very spirited dust up the other night in Montreal. As an aside, I think we will see much more of this in the season upcoming. Anyway, I have now watched the fight probably 50 times. I am scoring it as a win for Thornton, hands down, but a lot of my fight friends and other fight websites have it as a draw or a win Laraque. WTF? Am I scoring improperly? I give it to Thornton for the 5 very hard right hands he lands on Laraque. Big Georges gets a couple off after the takedown from Thornton at the beginning, but it doesn’t look like they land cleanly. Then Thornton gets in 4 hard rights, and executes a nice under-over move and lands his 5th hard right hand to Larague’s dome. That’s when they get tied up, and Laraque gets in about 7 shots to the license plate before, and while they are bent over the dasher. To me it also looks like Thornton gets in another shot while on the boards. Maybe it’s me. Maybe I’m a crazy person, but I have it scored a clear win for Boston’s Shawn Thornton. I have posted the scrap below, and I want comments. Seriously, if I’m being a homer and you think I’m wronglet me know. If you’re with me on this, let me know. Either way, looks like this rivalry is back eh?
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I Assure you, I want it More.


in Andrew Alberts, Chris, Colorado Avalanche, Goons, GoonSquad, Jeremy Reich, Milan Lucic, Shawn Thornton, Zdeno Chara
It’s finally here. The long hot summer is finally over. Bring on the long cold winter. That’s right, the Boys of Winter are back tonight against the Colorado Avalanche. The new slogan, We want it as bad as you remains to be seen, but I must say I am encouraged by the 2008-2009 Bruins chances. While I was bummed to see Jeremy Reich sent down, it made sense. Milan Lucic, and Shawn Thornton both play the agitator, and Blake Wheeler played his way right onto the roster. Reicher will be back though, as I would imagine he’ll be the first called from the Baby B’s should they need a little grit, and honest effort. Speaking of Wheels. My word is this kid impressive early on. He has size, and good body position in front of the net, and I love he’s wearing 42. If he can drop the mitts and go, I think I might drop one in my pants. If Phil Kessel can have a go in pre season, anything is possible. My big concern for the Bruins is, and always has been, goaltending and defense. They are anchored by the most over rated player in the NHL (Zdeno Chara) a scary presence in Dennis Wideman, a question mark in Andrew Alberts, and other piece parts. They need a true puck mover, and a skilled stay at homer. The Bruins don’t score a lot, so it’s going to be up to this group to help keep pucks out of the net. This brings us to the goaltenders. Tim Thomas has always scared me, and I am really not sure about Manny Fernandez. I know Tuukka Raask isn’t ready, so I dread the thought of having to bring him up. Over all, I think this team is improved over last year, and I am excited for the season to start. I have them losing to Washington in the second round. I want it more than them.
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Boston, You’ve Been Warned


in AHL, Anaheim Ducks, Barry Melrose, Buffalo Sabres, Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, Dallas Stars, Derek Boogaard, Florida Panthers, Hal Gill, Los Angeles Kings, Lowell Devils, Lowell Lockmonsters, Minnesota Wild, Montreal Canadiens, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Phoenix Coyotes, Pittsburgh Penguins, Riley Cote, San Jose Sharks, Sean Avery, Shawn Thornton, Tampa Bay Lightning, Tom Rowe, Toronto Maple Leafs, Washington Capitals
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 loadedthis 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.
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Time Stands Still


in AHL, Chris, Georges Laraque, Goons, GoonSquad, Hamilton Bulldogs, Jeremy Reich, Milan Lucic, Montreal Canadiens, Pittsburgh Penguins, Ryan Flinn, Shawn Thornton, Zdeno Chara
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 throughoh 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?
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Who’s Hungry?


in Chris, Goons, GoonSquad, Mike Commodore, Milan Lucic, Shawn Thornton
I am a Boston Bruins season ticket holder as of Monday afternoon. My buddy George and I were talking at game 3 of the Montreal series this season about how many games we’d been to throughout the season. It seemed to us that the games we had been to, the other was there as well, and the games one of us had missed, the other was there. We got to thinking; perhaps getting a season ticket package might be a more economical way to go. We did some math, and we estimate we were at 20-25 games last season, and it could have easily been more if not for a lack of tickets. Well, we talked it over and it did in fact seem like a good idea, but truth be told, good seats at the Garden are expensive, and I couldn’t justify paying that much money for the seats. In the end, I decided it wasn’t in my best interest. All of that changed Monday when George presented me with the Hungry for Hockey promo the Bruins ran. The promo is Sections 327, and 328, rows 2-15. What you get is the ticket, all you can eat hot dogs, nachos, popcorn, and a bottomless cup of soda (probably remain un used) for $39.00 a game. George e-mailed me in a panic.Do we want to do this?! Seats are going fast! Well shit. $1700.00 for the season in pretty good, not great, but pretty good seats. Heck yes. Sign me up. So, if you want to meet George or myself, we’ll be in Section 328, Row 2, Seats 1 and 2. I gotta say I’m pretty pumped. MOL was not pissed at all by me doing it, and George already said I could have opening night for me and MOL because he has to take all his kids. That’s a bonus. On top of that, I feel pretty good about the team this year. I love them getting Michael Ryder even if he did have a down year. The Bruins had no one to score other than the top line last year, and Ryder now helps that cause. Metropolit being gone might hurt the chemistry, and the Bruin mold, but that’s what you have Milan Lucic, Shawn Thornton, and Petteri Nokelainen. Those three will chip in points as well, especially Cheech. I like the forwards a lot with Marc Savard, Chuck Kobasew, Phil Kessel (if he doesn’t get dealt), Michael Ryder, a healthy Patrice Bergeron, and Marco Sturm. Plus the unknown of Blake Wheeler? That’s a very under rated signing, and could pay huge dividends for these guys. They got the toughness covered in Lucic, and Thornton. Defense is pretty good too. Hopefully Alberts can be healthy all year. I was hoping Mike Commodore was in their plans, but oh well. Obviously the question mark is in goal, but I think Timmy Thomas had a stellar year last season and can repeat this year. I’m telling you, watch out for this club, and while you’re at it, swing by Section 328 to say hi. Is it September yet?
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