NHL 15 Review: C+

Back in 2008, I bought a used PlayStation 2 for about 60 bucks and a copy of "NHL '09" for 30. It was the first time I had played the series after the only other hockey videos games I had ever owned were "NHL Stanley Cup" for SNES, and "NHL Hitz 20-02" for GameCube.

If you're not a hockey/video game fan, play one game of Hitz and it'll change your life.

"NHL '09" delivered, and I've had ever iteration of the franchise since. I had high hopes for this season, considering Patrice Bergeron was gracing the cover. "NHL 15" was the first hockey game for the next generation consoles, but unfortunately its arrival has been met with much negativity.

First, the good news: "'15" looks absolutely amazing. Graphics and out of this world and the NBC Sports presentation is spot on. Gameplay is pretty realistic, although compared to older versions, this game takes a while to find your skating legs. Playing online has produced very few problems (except for the fact that I still have trouble finding the back of the net, and then that one time I was winning and Big Cat hit the router with a basketball and I lost connection), and overall the game runs really smooth.  

Relatively speaking, more players look like themselves, although with over 700 players in the NHL alone, there are only around 250 realistic character models; last year I'll bet the total was around 100. The realism is bumped up a notch when you hear the "NHL on NBC" jingle, see a live shot of the arena you're playing in and see the real Mike "Doc" Emrick and Eddie Olczyk in the booth. Unfortunately, Emrick doesn't use over 50 different words to say "pass," but its still cool hearing him freak out for a late-game equalizer. 

The bad news: Missing game modes and too big of a learning curve. Since EA had to build the engine from the ground up on a new console, things just feel different. While the controls are solid, they just don't feel like the NHL's of old.  

The list of omissions is pretty large for this game, and people have been all over EA for it. I, for one, typically just play online and dabble with a created player, but its nice to have a season with the Bruins to fight for the Cup or to play outside in a Winter Classic game once in a while.

Can't help but feel as though all of the eggs went into the presentation basket, with not a single one to stash anywhere else. EA Sports has owned up to a just a few issues and will be patching in content over the next couple of months, but overall "NHL 15" just feels like a rushed project that really wears the player's patience thin.

Virden Oil Capitals Attempt to Ruin Christmas With Awful Music Video

It's so bad it's actually not funny. The just did the opposite of what they set out to do.  At least its not super awkward or anything either.

Oh...

That's what you get when you play in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, I guess.  But at least it's not that damn car commercial that was on TV a few years ago with this song in it.  You remember that one?  I think it was Honda, but either way, it made Christmas a little less special when it aired.  If it was Honda, then good for them, going out and upgrading their song choice by signing a free agent like Michael Bolton.

Shawn Thornton: Always the Enforcer, Never the Goon

Today’s NHL is a league dominated by speedy, skilled players.  With so much quickness and skill at all positions, especially the forward spot, it is increasingly difficult for managers and coaches to justify the use of a roster spot on a goon.

There is an important distinction to be made between an enforcer and a goon.  A goon is a player who, with their lack of skill, is unable to contribute much to a team other than their fighting ability.  A goon is usually a large, physically imposing player with limited skating ability and even worse puck skills.  An enforcer, however, is a player who cannot only throw hands with the best of them, but can also contribute to the team in other ways.

John Scott, of the Buffalo Sabres, is not only the definition of a goon, but one of the few true goons remaining in the NHL.  At 6’8” and weighing in at 258 lbs, it is clear that Scott has the physically imposing part locked up.  Take a closer look at his career statistics and it becomes clear that Scott has absolutely zero value to his team aside from his fighting ability.  In 194 games over the course of five seasons, he has 343 penalty minutes to compliment a whopping five points (1 G, 4 A) and is -12.

Let Mike Milbury and Keith Jones give you a better idea of the type of player Scott is after his dirty hit on Loui Eriksson, which earned him a seven game suspension.



On the other hand, we have Shawn Thornton.  Now Thornton isn’t a scorer, nor could you really call him a playmaker, but as an enforcer, he is second to none.  You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who wouldn’t agree that Thornton is also the most honorable fighter in the league.  You’ll never see him sucker punch someone or punch a guy when he’s down because that’s not the type of player he is.

While Thornton is easily one of, if not the best fighter in the league, he has the ability to contribute to his team on the score sheet as well.  In his 10 seasons in the NHL, Thornton has 83 points (36 G, 47 A) to go along with his 856 penalty minutes.  Not to mention he also averages about double Scott’s ice time per season.  Check out this penalty shot goal and try to tell me he doesn’t have skill.



An enforcer such as Shawn Thornton brings so much to a team like the Bruins.  He is always ready to answer the bell and never shies away from a fight if that’s what it takes to defend his teammates.  The best part about his play though is that he is far from a liability when he’s on the ice.  The Merlot line, consisting of Thornton, Gregory Campbell and Daniel Paille, is often cited as the best fourth line in the league, which speaks volumes about the Bruins’ depth.

The part many people don’t realize is how Shawn Thornton and other tough guys on the Bruins are able to indirectly elevate the game of their teammates.  Knowing you have so many guys behind you who are more than ready to drop gloves and stick up for you, gives you so much more confidence in your game.  Players are less worried about taking cheap shots because their opponent knows as well as they do that any such act will be answered by the fists of guys like Thornton, Milan Lucic, Adam McQuaid and Gregory Campbell among others.

As the game of hockey evolves, the role of the goon will continue to fade into the past, while fans will continue to appreciate the numerous contributions of enforcers like Shawn Thornton.


BONUS VIDEO:
This is possibly my favorite Thornton moment as he and Mike Felger shut down Vancouver journalist, Tony Gallagher.  It comes after the Vancouver game in which he was jumped by seven Canucks and then, in the most embarrassing moment in NHL history, baited into dropping his gloves by Dale Weise, who proceeded to immediately back down in hopes of drawing a penalty.



Seriously, how can you not like this guy?

Bruins-Canadiens Rivalry Renewed Thursday Night

The Boston Bruins will cross over into the Great White North Thursday night to take on their arch rivals, the Montreal Canadiens.

It will be the first match-up of the year for these two, and for both teams, it is a must-win game.  While the Bruins remain top dog in the Atlantic division, the Habs have gone 8-1-1 over their last 10, and have won three in a row coming into a three-game homestand.  The B's have 38 points on the season with a 18-7-2 record, but the hated Habs are hot on their heels with 37 points from a 17-9-3.

So what can we expect from this game?

Both, to the crowd's delight and coaches' dismay, will look to get their physical games going early, which will inevitably lead to some odd-man rushes, but barring a complete defensive meltdown, don't expect too many goals to get by Carey Price or Tuukka Rask.  The two netminders are third and fourth in the entire league for save percentage (.937, .935) and sixth and fifth in the league for their goals against average (2.00, 1.90) respectively.

Offensively, both teams average under three goals scored per game, Boston with 2.74 and Montreal with 2.69, and are the top two in North America with 1.96 and 2.03 goals allowed per game figures.  Both teams have an .824 winning percentage when scoring first.  So where do these teams differ?

Montreal makes their money is with the play of their specialty units.  When the Habs power play takes the ice, they are scoring nearly a quarter of the time, and their penalty kill has been stalwart with an 86 percent success rate.  They look to the play of their young guns, namely linemates Brendan Gallagher and Alex Galchenyuk who have combined for 15 goals on the season and this weird pumpkin carving contest.

The Bruins sport a plus-20 goal differential and have overcome several injuries that have forced players to miss time like Loui Eriksson, Adam McQuaid and Dennis Seidenberg.  They are just as hot as the Canadiens, going 7-2-1 in their last 10 and winning two straight.

Boston Red Sox manager John Farrell said several times throughout his team's World Series run that there were some games and situations that looked bleak, but his team stuck to their motto and rallying cry of: "find a way."  And that is what the Bruins have done this season.  Through injuries and bad bounces, this team has refused to stay down.  They were trounced by the Detroit Red Wings 6-1, dragged themselves to practice the next day (on Thanksgiving, no less), and two days later led a spirited comeback against the New York Rangers.

They don't rely on one player or one line.  Boston can roll four lines, and get production from the blazing one-timers by Jarome Iginla or the sneaky wristers launched by Shawn Thornton. They struggled early, but have found ways to complete a 60 minute game, and could be deadly if Montreal gets caught on long shifts.

Puck drops at 7:30.  To get your mind right for the game, check out the rivalry game of the century in the video above.  Hard to believe that was almost three years ago.

A Week in the Life of Brian Boyle

New York Rangers forward Brian Boyle hasn't had the best week.

Sure, his team hasn't been doing terrible, going 2-2-0 since Nov. 25, but Boyle has just been the league's punching bag lately. Hopefully, for his sake anyway, he can turn it around in Monday's game against the Winnipeg Jets. But before he laces 'em up, let's take a look at the week that was for Brian Boyle.

The former BC Eagle and company took on the Tampa Bay Lighting on Nov. 25, and the Bolts touched them up for 5 unanswered goals, winning 5-0.  Boyle was a minus-1 rating, and it halted a two-game win streak the Blueshirts had going. On Nov. 27, Boyle logged less than 15 minutes of ice time, and didn't win a face off, but this time it was the Rangers who potted five en route to a 5-2 victory over the Florida Panthers...no thanks at all to Boyle.

The next two games were pretty rough for the 6-foot-7 centerman.  His team traveled to Boston to face the Bruins, their longtime conference rivals. Boyle barely logged over 10 minutes of ice time, and got his head punched in by B's captain Zdeno Chara. Not only was the loss in the fight embarrassing, but the Rangers blew a 2-1 lead they held since the first period when Chara ripped a slap shot by Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist to complete his Gordie Howe hat trick in a 3-2 win.

By the way, look how stupid Boyle looks in the video above of that fight.  He's just trying to "fall" over to get away from Z. Well, that's what you get when you're from Hingham and you go on record saying you hate the Bruins "with a passion."

So as if Boyle didn't get his fill of fists, he decided to drop the gloves with Vancouver Canucks alternate captain Kevin Bieksa the very next night.



Needless to say, Boyle did not look great in this one either, pulling his signature flopping move.  Boyle doesn't even get a punch off, instead he just tries to push Bieksa up against the boards. But look how aggressive and cocky he gets once the refs take hold!  What a warrior! And its tough to see, but post-fight Bieksa takes Boyle's lid and boots it down the ice.  The Rangers pulled out the victory in John Tortarella's not-so-triumphant return to Madison Square Garden, but it was in no way influenced by Boyle's five useless shots on goal in his under 13 minutes of play.

So Boyle finishes the week with two pathetic scraps, a minus-1 rating, zero points, but actually a pretty sweet mustache.  But Movember is over and the 'stache is gone.  Will the first week be better for Mr. Boyle?

Probably not.

The Teddy Bear Toss is One of the Sports' Greatest Traditions

Twenty-five thousand stuffed animals.

That's how many rained down on the ice during the Calgary Hitmen's latest home game on Sunday night.  The WHL organization has kept the tradition going for nearly 20 years, and it gives me chills every time.

As the tradition goes, the Hitmen hold one game a year where they ask fans to bring in stuffed animals and teddy bears to be donated to local hospitals and shelters.  When the home team scores their first goal, that's when the fun begins.

The official count this year was 25,921 tossed from the 17,199 in attendance, breaking last year's record.

Coolest part about the tradition?  The next day, the Hitmen players visit the Alberta Children's Hospital to give out the teddy bears.

Christian Ehrhoff Scores OT Goal Through Defeseman's Skate

Wow.  Really all you can say here. 

The Buffalo Sabres were down early in this game, but rallied to score twice in the second period, eventually forcing overtime against the Toronto Maple Leafs.  The Sabres and Leafs added another chapter to their wild 2013 rivalry.

But the whole game pales in comparison to what Buffalo blue liner Christian Ehrhoff was able to do just 32 seconds into overtime.  With a waning power play, the Sabres won the face off and the puck squeaked out to Tyler Myers.  Myers held and passed across to Ehrhoff, who drifted into the slot and ripped a low slap shot that found its way to the nylon.  Impressive enough, sure, but watch what happens when the puck leaves Ehrhoff's stick.

Ohhhhh SNAP! And could James Reimer's have left that five-hole any wider open?

The Sabres earn points number 12 and 13 on the season with their sixth win, while the Leafs earn a point to tie the Montreal Canadiens for fourth place in the Atlantic. Montreal and Toronto will square off Saturday night to break the tie, while Buffalo goes into New Jersey to take on the Devils, who are 6-4-0 over their last 10 games.

Bruins Sitting Pretty on Turkey Day

Falling just short of a third of the way into the season, “American Thanksgiving” is a time when teams can really start to get a feel for where they stand in their division and in the league as a whole.

By this time, many storylines have started to play out and patterns are starting to emerge. Offseason acquisitions have had time to gel with their new linemates (or defensive partners) and have had exposure to their new team’s system.  I figured now would be a good time to take a look at the Bruins season so far.

The obvious place to start is to take a look at how the Bruins’ biggest offeason moves (arguably the biggest offseason move in the league) are panning out.  Moving Tyler Seguin to the Dallas Stars, along with Rich Peverley, was a move that certainly made waves across the Boston sports community.  In return, the Bruins received Loui Eriksson and Reilly Smith, as well as two other players who are currently playing (and playing quite well) in Providence, Joe Morrow and Matt Fraser.

Eriksson and Smith seem to be coming into their own on their respective lines, providing the effort and depth that the Bruin’s hoped to acquire through this trade.  Sporting a recent six-game point streak and hands like this, Eriksson will no doubt continue to make the Bruins better at both ends of the ice. With the addition of a more defensive-minded player to his line, Patrice Bergeron has been able to focus a bit more on his offense.  Though he has not been finding the net lately, that will undoubtedly change and the line of Eriksson, Bergeron and Brad Marchand will contribute immensely to the success of this Boston team moving forward.

The second biggest move the Bruins made coming into this season, was the highly publicized addition of Jarome Iginla, just a half-season after he snubbed the Bruins to go play with those two whiny stars in Pittsburgh (click that link, it’s a good one).  While, fans were understandably hostile when news of this acquisition first broke, at this point of the season, Iginla has won the majority of them over.  Stepping in to fill the vacant winger spot left by Nathan Horton on the Milan Lucic-David Krejci line, Iginla has been everything fans could have hoped for.  He’s brought both physicality and the ability to score along with the passion Bruins fans love to see in their guys.  

The third line features two players who have made a much bigger impact than expected.  Flanking Chris Kelly on the third line this year are Smith and Carl Söderberg.  Smith, coming over in the Seguin deal, has been a pleasant surprise almost doubling his point total last year as a Star, just 24 games into the season.

Söderberg is not exactly a newcomer to the Bruins as he got some playing time late in the season in the playoffs after coming over to from Linköpings HC of the Swedish Hockey League.  Söderberg has really come into his game so far this year, dropping the timid, finesse, Euro game for a more physical, aggressive style while still showcasing his soft hands and strong shot.  Of course, any kind of production from the third line is a step up from last year’s line, which was invisible for the majority of the season.

Depth on the blue line has also contributed to the Bruins success so far this season and is a major factor in their current position atop of the Eastern Conference.  With injuries to veteran D-men like Dennis Seidenberg and Adam McQuaid, the Bruins haven't missed a beat.  Torey Krug, Matt Bartkowski and Dougie Hamilton have all continued to improve and show that they can be trusted to step up and not only eat up minutes, but contribute on the score sheet as well.  Kevan Miller has also stepped up as of late, playing some solid D against some top teams.

The biggest problem I see with the Bruins right now is their goalie situation.  While there’s no question that Tuukka Rask is one of the best goalies in the NHL, Chad Johnson makes me nervous.  I wouldn't call Johnson a sieve, but he is a rebound machine keeping the defense on their toes.  In the recent past, the Bruins have had solid goaltending from both their number one and two guys, whether it was Rask backing up Tim Thomas (and vice-versa) or more recently, Anton Khudobin backing up Rask.  There may come a time this season where the Bruins will have to consider taking a closer look at Niklas Svedberg (in Providence) as a backup.  Let’s just hope Rask doesn't go down because that could prove catastrophic for a Bruins team looking to make another deep playoff run.

All in all, if you're a Bruins fan, you have to be really excited about where the team is
right now and the kind of talent they have on their roster.  It’s still early in the season and hockey is an unpredictable game.  Teams can get red hot, other teams can completely fall apart and injuries can change the entire course of a season.  While it’s way too early for any kind of prediction, it’s hard to ignore the fact that the Bruins are currently among the league’s elite teams.  Here’s to hoping they stay that way.

The great thing is after this many games last year, the season was already half over.

The even better thing is, we still have that two-week break in February for Olympic Hockey!

Young Defenders Sparking the Bruins

Boston Bruins fans held their collective breath last Monday as Dennis Seidenberg left the ice a minute into Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Seidenberg joined teammates Andrew Ference and Wade Redden on a growing list of injured Bruin blue liners. The loss of three veteran defenders has meant that the Bruins have had to turn to young prospects to fill the void.

Dougie Hamilton, Matt Bartkowski and most recently Torey Krug have been called up over the course of the playoffs and have excelled. The explosiveness of these three young players has helped spark the Bruins, pushing them past a tough Toronto squad and into a commanding 2-0 series lead over the New York Rangers. So who are these three youngsters who have stepped into arguably the league's biggest spotlight?

Hamilton is probably the most familiar to Bruins fans. The 19-year-old Toronto, Ontario native was the Bruins first overall pick in the 2011 entry draft and made his NHL debut earlier this season against the Rangers. Hamilton spent most of this season with the Bruins appearing in 42 of 48 games. While Hamilton has had a solid rookie campaign, netting five goals and adding 11 assists, he was criticized throughout the season for mental lapses and inconsistent play and ultimately was replaced by Redden as the Bruins entered the playoffs. Since returning to the lineup Hamilton has been fantastic. Joining Zdeno Chara on the first defensive pairing-- and also getting some time on the second powerplay unit -- Hamilton has taken advantage of his size, power and raw talent while limiting his mental mistakes, proving he can play in big games. seventh

Bartkowski was selected in the seventh round of the 2008 NHL entry draft by the Florida Panthers and came to the Bruins in the same trade that brought Seidenberg to Boston. Since then, Bartkowski has spent the majority of his time in the AHL with the Providence Bruins. It was there that Bartkowski made a name for himself as a solid defender and as a result, was the first of the Bruins young defenders to see time in the playoffs. Not normally a prolific scorer, Bartkowski has notched a goal and an assist in his four playoff games and has been playing with Johnny Boychuk on the second defensive pairing in addition to receiving time on the second powerplay with Hamilton. Probably the best pure defender of the three, Bartkowski is a known commodity who has the stuff to be a consistent Top 4 defender

Finally, and perhaps most exciting has been the emergence of Torey Krug. The 22-year-old Michigan State alum was an undrafted free agent who was signed by the Bruins in March of last year. Krug only appeared in one game for the Bruins during the regular season. Despite all of that, in the playoffs Krug has shown a scorer's touch and fantastic skating ability scoring two goals and adding an assist in two games against the Rangers. Although undersized, Krug has also shown solid defensive instincts breaking up a few key plays and throwing his body around. In yesterday's victory over the Rangers, Krug showed excellent stick work, kicking a pass off his skates to set himself up for a goal from the slot and adding an assist on a similar move when a puck he fired from the blue line was buried by Gregory Campbell. While Krug still has a lot to prove, he has shown some incredible offensive skills in his brief call-up and could be a solid asset to the Bruins moving forward.

These three youngsters have given a much needed spark to a Bruins squad that was floundering entering the playoffs. They've certainly been aided by the revelation in net that is Tuukka Rask but there is no denying that their speed and energy allowed the Bruins to contain scorers Phil Kessel of the Leafs and (so far) Rick Nash of the Rangers.

Whether their consistency and quality of play is an enigma or here to stay remains to be seen, however, they have been a crucial part of the Bruins' playoff success thus far. As Redden and Seidenberg stand poised to rejoin the team it's likely that these young defenders will return to the bench, but in either case, Boston's blue line is in good hands for the foreseeable future.

Bruins Fan Prove Boston Strong, While Bruins Clinch Playoff Spot in Shootout Loss

The boys are back.  Boston hosted its first sporting event since Monday's Marathon bombings in the form of a Bruins-Sabres game at the TD Garden, with Buffalo coming out on top after a 3-2 shootout win.  But the focus was not on the winner of Wednesday's game, rather the spectacle of the game itself.

On Monday, the Bruins players were all at the Garden for their game against the Senators before it was postponed due to the attack a few hours before puck drop.  With the players gathered, they had an opportunity to talk about what had transpired on Boylston Street and how they would react as a team.  Coming into Wednesday's contest, they knew what this city needed.

"The only thing we can do is play the game to give Boston something to be happy about," said B's center David Krejci.  "It's been an emotional last few days.  Just like everybody else, I had just one channel on the TV the last couple of days."

Before the game started, Boston had plenty to be happy and proud about.  A video tribute to the victims and first responders was shown, followed by Rene Rancourt and the Boston Fire Department Honor Guard entering the rink for the national anthem.  As you can see in the video above, Rancourt didn't have to do much singing as the Garden crowd was more than ready to show just how Boston Strong they were.

"I know its a tough time right now, we know that," said winger Brad Marchand.  "For them to come out and support us, to take their minds off everything for a couple of hours and come in tonight, we just wanted to say thanks.  We're thinking of everyone and they're in our thoughts and prayers."

The Bruins fought hard throughout the game, with Daniel Paille and Chris Kelly each notching a goal, but it was an Andrew Ference penalty with just under a minute in the third period that led to a Sabres power play goal that would tie things at 2-2 before the final horn.  Sabres goalie Ryan Miller stood tall, stopping all four attempts in the shootout, while Anton Khudobin stopped three before Drew Stafford slipped one in between the Bruins backstop's pads.

"It's emotional for me as well, as an American," said Miller.  "We like to play, but there are bigger things.  I think the way people have stepped up and tried to help, tried to do the right things, you can tell that this is only going to make us stronger."

The Bruins locked up a spot in the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs with the point from the shootout loss, but just getting back to hockey in Boston was the most important thing on their minds.

"You feel that this is your home, that this is what you represent as a professional organization," head coach Claude Julien said.  "The first thing you want to do is help out, and you do the best you can.  We did that for Newtown, and I'll tell you what, there wasn't a better feeling than going there and trying to spread some joy and put smiles on some people's faces.

"Our goal is to do the same thing here with this city and everyone that was involved in this tragedy."


UPDATE: For those of you who cannot see the video above, here is another version on YouTube.

Why I Love Sports - Opening Day

The Houston Astros beat the Texas Rangers last night in Houston as the baseball season officially got underway, but Monday is the day we've all been waiting for.

Red Sox - Yankees, Dodgers - Giants and Phillies - Braves are just a few of the games on tap for another amazing Opening Day.  Jon Lester will be facing C.C. Sabathia, two of the best left-handers in the game, in Yankee Stadium Monday afternoon.

I have been slowly getting more and more optimistic for this season of Red Sox baseball, and after seeing the lineup and hearing from some of the players, I'm pumped for things to get underway.  A few additions to the pitching staff and a few additions to the offense seemed like trivial things months ago, but when you put everything together and look at the lineup card for today, the Sox are looking good.

Sure, this blog might turn into your typical Boston blog if the team tanks, blasting pitchers for not trying or hitters for going into inexcusable slumps, but right now, its all systems go.  I'm excited to see how this pitching staff can perform, and if they can carry the success they had this spring.  I'm more excited to see how players like Will Middlebrooks and Jackie Bradley Jr. will play right out of the gate for this 113th Opening Day game for the Red Sox.

----------

If you call yourself a sports fan, then this past weekend, and including Monday, have been jam-packed with awesome sports moments.  Two Connecticut schools have made the Frozen Four in the NCAA men's hockey tournament (Yale and Quinnipiac) and Michigan and Louisville solidified their spots with Wichita State and Syracuse in the NCAA men's basketball Final Four -- Louisville doing so after losing their emotional leader Kevin Ware to an absolutely horrific leg injury.

In the world of NCAA women's basketball, Louisville made waves by knocking off Brittney Griner and the defending champions Baylor to reach the Elite Eight.

The Bruins got back on track, shutting out the Sabres 2-0 in Buffalo, and the Blackhawks exploded for a 7-1 victory in Detroit.  Andy Murray was forced into a tiebreaker by David Ferrer during a nearly three hour three-set match under the hot Miami sun, but came out victorious.  D.A. Points won the Shell Houston Open, his second career victory after failing to make the cut in seven of nine tournaments he started this year, and earned a spot in the field for The Masters.

Here's to another great day of sports, Happy Opening Day, everyone.

Pavel Datsyuk Crossover, Claude Giroux Shootout Goal Highlight a Great Night of Hockey

As the great Bill Raftery would say, "a little lingerie on the deck!"

What a move by Pavel Datsyuk here, and that isn't the first time the 17-year veteran has put some dangle sauce on his opponents.  On Thursday night, Datsyuk crossed up Sharks forward Logan Couture and put him flat on the ice, but it was Couture and the Sharks who would have the last laugh, as their backstop Antti Niemi posted a 2-0 shutout win against Detroit.  The only thing that makes this play that much better?

Despite another brilliant move, this time in a shootout, Claude Giroux's Flyers still couldn't slip past the Islanders, whom they beat 7-0 in their last meeting.  Giroux practically undresses Islanders goalie Evgeni Nabokov, but the Flyers captain was the only one who could beat him as the Isles eventually won 4-3.  Either way, you don't see a move work like that too often.

Bruins Sputtering, Julien Shuffles Lines

The Boston Bruins have hit a rough patch.  After scoring just six goals in their last four games, head coach Claude Julien is working on fixing the offense and helping the B's find their rhythm again by changing up all of the forward lines.

When asked why he shook things up, Julien replied, "Because I can. Because I'm the coach. And every once in a while, you've got to do those things. Simple as that."

So it doesn't sound as though everything's coming up roses in Boston.  The Bruins have not given up more than three goals in their last 11 games, and they have scored more than three just twice.  Their defense and their goaltending tandem of Tuukka Rask and Anton Khudobin have been getting the job done so far, so what can these new lines do to help?

The first line will now be made up of Brad Marchand, David Krejci and Nathan Horton, the second will be Daniel Paille, Patrice Bergeron and Tyler Seguin and the third, Milan Lucic, Rich Peverley and Jordan Caron.  The "Merlot" line will now have either Jay Pandolfo or Lane Macdermid (depending on who is scratched) along with the usual suspects Gregory Campbell and Shawn Thornton.

"Yeah, we go through this every year," Julien said of the recent struggles. "It does weigh on guys eventually."

As for the line changes, Julien was just hoping to change the mood of the team after a frustrating loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs Saturday night.  "We just thought we'd start off with a bit of a fun thing, loosen up the guys, put some smiles on their faces, then get a good practice out of it."

In the final stretch of March, the Bruins will face the Leafs and Montreal Canadiens at home, then the Philadelphia Flyers and Buffalo Sabres on the road.  Time will tell if these lines will make a difference or if the Bruins will stick with them in crunch time.

Martin Brodeur Scores Third Goal of Career...Without Shooting?

Hey, Marty.

New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur is no stranger to the score sheet and on Thursday night, he netted the third goal of his career.  While playing the Carolina Hurricanes, he brushed aside a shot attempt while there was a delayed penalty on the Devils. 

It was ruled he did not have possession of the puck, so when forward Jordan Staal made a quick pass back to the blue line that just so happened to bounce of the boards and back into his own goal, the last person to touch it received credit.  You love to see it.  Karma is coming slowly to the Canes for leaving Hartford, and hopefully it never ends.

Shawn Thornton Steps Up and Takes Zac Rinaldo Down with Some Heavy Punches

There wasn't much that went the Flyers way in Saturday afternoon's 3-0 blanking by the Bruins.

All three goals were scored within 2:18 seconds of each other.  Tyler Seguin got it started with a power play goal, then Chris Kelly netted the second with assists coming from his third line mates, Jordan Caron and Rich Peverley.  To cap the scoring, Daniel Paille slipped one under the pads of Ilya Bryzgalov assisted by the other two Merlot liners, Gregory Campbell and Shawn Thornton.

The Bruins played a complete team game, pressuring the Flyers right down to the last second with a late energy that has been lacking the past few contests.  Playing as a team also means stepping up for your guys when called upon, and today, Thornton answered the bell against tough guy Zac Rinaldo.  Rinaldo went down to the corner to put a heavy hit on Bruins D-man Johnny Boychuk, and while it was a little high, it was clean. 

Still, Thornton took exception to the hit and challenged Rinaldo right away.  The Flyers energy liner is a pretty tough customer, and usually leads off his bouts with some wild hooks, but when you're fighting Thornton you have to be better than that. 

Decision - Thornton.

Chris Bourque Has Cleared Waivers, Jordan Caron Recalled to Boston

After some Bruins fans were biting their nails hoping that someone from the Ray Bourque bloodline would play for Boston again, Ray's son, Chris, has officially cleared waivers and will be placed in Providence, keeping the dream alive.

In his stead, Jordan Caron has been recalled from the AHL affiliate, joining Lane Macdermid and Jay Pandolfo as candidates to fill out the struggling third line in Boston.  Caron has put up 10-5-15 totals in 48 games for the P-Bruins, but has experience playing alongside Chris Kelly and Rich Peverley.

After a much needed win against division opponents Toronto Thursday night, the Bruins are looking to get things back in the right track, and while step number one should be getting their power play in order, a high priority is still figuring out what can be done about the third line troubles.

Going Skate-First Into the Glass Isn't Recommended, But Here's Proof That Its Safer Than I Thought

In a battle between the Alberni Valley Bulldogs and the Nanaimo Clippers of the British Columbia Junior Hockey League, we have one of the strangest cases of broken glass along the boards.

Generally, the plexiglass boards have some serious give to them, but apparently not when a skate goes through them.  How his skate even got up there is probably the most bizarre part, with a Jet Li-esque spinning kick to take the end board down.  Somehow no one was injured in the play.

David Dzuirzynski Will Probably Think Twice About Fighting Ever Again

In the latest installment of the battle for Ontario, the Toronto Maple Leafs hosted the Ottawa Senators Wednesday night, ending in a 5-4 win for the home team.  The fireworks got going early in the first period, but not on the scoreboard.

Senators rookie David Dzuirzynski dropped the gloves for the first time in his very young career, and didn't do the best job picking an opponent -- Leafs bruiser Frazer McLaren.

McLaren dropped the rookie with a series of hard rights, one landing right on Dzuirsynski's kisser, sending him down for the count.  One concussion later, he was helped off the ice by teammates and the Sens' medical staff.

Pee-wee Hockey Coach Gets 15 Days in Jail, 12 Years Probation for Tripping

Normally when a player trips an opposing player, they get a two minute minor penalty.  But when a coach trips a player -- during the post-game handshakes, no less -- well, he gets two weeks in jail.

Martin Tremblay, a 48-year-old child, knocked down a 10-year-old and a 13-year-old during a November pee-wee hockey game, and has been found guilty of assault.

"This was the last place anyone would have expected an assault to take place, and the very last place one would have expected an adult to assault a child," presiding Judge Patrick Chen told the media. "The tripping of the boys was akin to a cowardly sucker punch on an unsuspecting victim."

To go along with his 15 days in jail, Tremblay will also be on probation for the next 12 years.  I'd take a loss over probation anyday, but its just one more example of how anybody associated with hockey in Vancouver these days is a complete idiot.

242 Penalty Minutes Handed out in AHL Game

I really only need one hand to count the things that are better than a good AHL brawl.

The contest between the Springfield Falcons and Bridgeport Sound Tigers from last Friday ended up 5-2, but it wasn't the goal scoring that kept the fans wanting more.  242 penalty minutes were handed out when it was all said and done from some solid donnybrooks thrown into the game.  In the video above, the highlight starts out as exclusively goals, so skip ahead to about 2:45 into the video to see things go bananas.

The second fight (at about 3:10) has some big punches thrown, but isn't too exciting compared to the line brawl that takes place right after at about 3:37.  Some 2-on-1's, some guy's skating to find a new opponent, a few body slams and not nearly enough linesmen to break up the action.