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.