Welcome to the Shawn Thornton Mancrush Boston MSM. There's some room in the back seat where the dog pooped.

Anyways, seems like everyone wants a piece of Shawn Thornton since he got concussed by John Two Left Feet Scott. Getting a concussion seems to be the best PR move Twos has ever done.

DJ Bean asked Thornton about some folks saying Chara or Lucic shouldn't fought Scott afterwards in response to Scott dropping Thornton. These folks are fucking dumbasses and she be dealt with accordingly. It was a fair and clean fight. The only shitty part was Scott getting a good hold on Thornton's chinstrap/earstrap but shit happens. Wasn't malicious or dirty. Part of the work hazards. Anyways, here's what Twos told DJ.

Thornton emphasized that he didn’t think there is anything for the B’s to avenge, as it was simply a fight that didn’t go in his favor. He especially stressed that he is against the idea of Chara fighting Scott as a result of it.

“I don’t even know where that [expletive] comes from,” Thornton said. “Listen, Zee’s our best player and arguably the best defenseman in the league. There’s no reason for him to have to fight my battles. I’ve done this for a long time and it’s on me.

“Listen, if I knocked him out I wasn’t expecting somebody to come grab me the next shift. It’s part of it. We’re both men and it happens.”

Patrice Purrgeron's pal Sean Leahy also caught up with Thornton this week. They talked about a variety of things, so be sure ot check out the whole Q&A, but here's some of our favorite bits:

In the aftermath of the Manti Te'o news, is there a guy on the Bruins that you wouldn't be surprised fell for a fake Internet girlfriend?

[Laughs] I think Tyler Seguin probably has a few hundred fake girlfriends on the Internet.

More after the jump, including some video...

We all knew this day was coming, we just didn't know when. Today is that day. Vezina, Conn Smythe and Stanley Cup Champion Tim Thomas has been traded to the New York Islanders, the Land of Misfit Goalies.

Reports out there are correct: #Isles have acquired G Tim Thomas for a conditional 2nd-rounder in either 2014 or 2015.

— Arthur Staple (@StapeNewsday) February 7, 2013

First off, we love the work Thomas did while in Boston. There's no 2010-2011 Stanley Cup Banner without him.

Secondly, great work by Peter Chiarelli for snagging a second rounder out of an aging goaltender. Who knows what the Islanders will be like in '14 or '15 (probably about the same) so that pick could be pretty decent. And a second rounder for a guy who isn't playing this year and who knows has how many years left in the tank is pretty darn good. Also, the pick is conditional sooooo whatevs.

The Boston Bruins only get a draft pick from the Islanders for Tim Thomas if he reports to them or any other team if NYI trade his rights.

— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) February 7, 2013

Either way, Chia offshored $5M cap hit this season.  This is also a good deal for the Islanders who seem to be collecting goaltenders. But Thomas wants to play again next year and if there's anyone who can make a comeback it's Tim Thomas.

Question is: WIth that new found cap space is Chia planning on making some other moves? 

We'll do a bigger post later, honoring the amazing and sometimes bizarre legacy Thomas leaves behind in Boston.

#Thanksfor2011

I have had enough of watching this fucking Bruins power play. You know, if this was something new to the season, I'd be able to handle something as vile as the Bruins going on a 5-on-4 and not being able to enter the zone, but we're looking at a deficient power play for the past three season. Three-fucking-season of a power play that has looked lost, sloppy and uncoordinated. Look at this mess since the Bruins broke out in the 2008-2009 season: 

And it's gotten increasingly worse, this year currently 29th in the NHL with an 8.8% success which includes an empty net power play goal. Yes, an empty net PPG which means that the power play is statistically worse than 8.8%. It's not like the offense sucks either, outside of 2009-2010 where the Bruins couldn't score a goal if they tired (yet somehow made the playoffs). 

Why is it perfectly acceptable, in the mind of the Bruins' coaches, to allow this power play to continually fail with no one being held accountable? I hate to get this thing started, but the problem lays with Geoff Ward. Ward has been the on the Bruins coaching staff since August 2007 and has the primary responsibilities when it comes to organizing and running the power play. Based on the table above, what shows that he deserves to handle this? While the offense has risen based on their talent, the power play has ebbed and flowed. 

You can pin point the time when the Bruins power play completely fell a part and it was when Matt Cooke elbowed Savard's brains to pudding. Since he signed with the team in 2006, Savard has accounted for 292 power play points in the regular season (80 goals and 212 assists). He was a cog in the Bruins power play and one of the main reasons why Jeremy Jacobs (finally) opened his wallet and signed him. Since Savard has been in and out of hockey (and now finally out of hockey for good) the Bruins power play has been a steaming dump. I'd rather let Magic Johnson bleed in my mouth then have to watch what I saw Wednesday night in Montreal. 

The first two power plays went without a shot - a fucking shot on goal - and they had trouble entering the zone. It all starts with the Bruins power play philosophy and I'm not talking about Mike Milbury saying they shouldn't have a forward at the point. TONS of good power play teams leave a forward at the point. I'd probably invest more in what Milbury had to say, but he doesn't know the difference between a Restricted Free Agent and an Unrestricted Free Agent - plus that whole thing with the Islanders where he traded Chara for Yashin and drafted DiPietro #1. It would be like learning calculus from a homeless drug addict. 

Like I said, the problem is philosophy. The dump and chase method doesn't work on a power play. When the objective of the other team is to collapse and clear the puck out of their zone, dumping something deep in their zone and having someone go chase after it doesn't really make a lot of sense, does it? Am I way off base here? Am I seeing things wrong? 

It's not like the team doesn't have the talent to pull off a decent power play. 

But the philosophy is so fucking bizzare. 

Take another look at last night. Guess who played on the power play? Ryan Spooner. In his first NHL game, Ryan Spooner played 1:33 of power play ice time in the first period until Claude came to his sense and didn't put him back out there for a second. I mean, come on Claude, you're really going to put a guy like Spooner out there during his first game in a power play that can't gel with regular NHLers? 

And don't give me that "Well we won a Stanley Cup without a power play" bullshit because the reason the Bruins won the Stanley Cup was due to defense and Tim Thomas. It had nothing to do with a power play was that effeicent as a eunuch on Viagra. What would have happened if Tim Thomas wasn't Superman in 2011 and you needed a power play goal to win a series? You sure as fuck won't be wearing that Stanley Cup Champions hat you've been wearing since June 15th. 

Until Geoff Ward is gone - or at least relieved of his duites - the power play will not change and we're destined to watch this abortion be put on the ice. 

Last night it took the Bruins a third period line change for the magic to happen. Claude, doing very un-Claude-like things, switched Tyler Seguin and Nathan Horton before the puck dropped for the third period and saw his newly established first line of Lucic-Krejci-Seguin score 2 goals in about 3 minutes. The change seemed to spark both lines, as Horton was able to also rifle off a few shots while playing with Bergeron and Campbell. 

But in reality, it was Tuukka Rask that allowed for this win to happen. If the Bruins didn't have Tuukka Rask between the pipes they would've been down about 4-0 before the first period even ended. The Boston defense was once again abysmal and the power play was as useless as a eunuch in an orgy. I'll have more on the power play in today's Grindin Gears segment because something needs to be done about it. 

Seriously, is there anything worse than the Bruins power play? Well the answer is yes: PK Subban scoring a goal. 

So Subban scores on the power play thanks to an inadvertent Rich Peverley tip and then starts humping everyone around him. 

Jesus Christ. I guess we know where Cream of Turtle soup comes from. 

Positives, Negatives and Lingering Questions ahoy!...

Three weeks into the regular season and we finally get a chance to see our old buddies up north, the Montreal Candiens. Many expected the team to put on a shitshow on the ice second only to the Toronto Maple Leafs. instead the Habs are 6-2-0 and a point behind Boston for lead in the Northeast... and the East for that matter.

Habs have had some big(ish) moves, mainly buying out Scott "No Goal" Gomez who is now working on the San Jose Sharks PP unit. The Habs have also Rene Bourque who struggled with Montreal last year but has been a bit of a beast for the team so far this season. He had 8 points in 38 games in the 2011-2012 season; this year he has 5 points in 8 games, so good for you Montreal. You got a Bourque who can score.

Speaking of "good for you", the Habs finally re-inked PK Turtle Subban to a two year deal worth pretty such shit. Not sure why PK was holding out if he was just going to take an awful contract anyways, but there ya good. That's some good GMIng right there. But to counter-balance that good deal the team has outlawed the "Triple Low 5" that Price and Subban do after wins because MONTREAL HATES FUN. Way to run the kid out of town, Montreal. Not that they know anything about that... right, Patrick Roy?

Oh, and PK gave himself a nickname -- Subbanator -- which might be the douchiest thing to happen since Carey Price tried growing a mustache.

Listen, Carey. You're name isn't Freddie Mercury. You can't pull that shit off.

But going back to PK's nickname, there was one suggested on twitter that we think should really catch on:

I choose you!!!!

More after the jump...

We're sure we don't have to remind you of the ridiculousness of the investigation after Chara showed Pacioretty what a stanchion tastes like. Montreal fans were going way overboard with their complaining and swore to the Hockey Gods that no player has ever committed a dirty hit while wearing a Habs jersey.

Some wanted Chara dead. Some wanted him suspended. Some wanted his nuts to be fed to a pack of pissed of wolverines. 

But as stupid as Habs' fans made their city look, it died down fairly quickly. Now even Max Pacioretty can look back and laugh. 

Enter Buffalo fans. One chilly November evening in 2011, Ryan Miller decided to come waaaaaaaaaaaay out of his crease to dry to beat Milan Lucic, skating full steam, to a puck. Miller got in his path, Lucic couldn't stop in time, Miller gets nailed. 

Unlike Max Pacioretty who actually had to have surgery, Ryan Miller was mostly okay. You know except for a "concussion" that some league sources indicated was made up to try to get Lucic suspended. I mean, it's not like Miller had the time and awareness to take a Barry Bonds swing in the height of his steroid days on Lucic. No siree. Never happened.

Oh wait...HE DID. But that's not important right Sabres fans? It's TOTALLY okay to try to hit some one with a stick. I heard Marty McSorley endorses Ryan Miller.

After swinging for the fences Miller and sitting upright for awhile realized he should probably lay down because people with concussions and severe head injuries can't swing a goalie stick right after and should fly backwards like they were shot while on the ice.

Buffalo fans then bitched that the hit ruined their season because Miller wasn't the same after. Sure, they forgot he was terrible before the hit and has pretty much been average since his Vezina year, but they're so adorable when they try to act all tough and mean on Twitter. Remember that time Jose Theodore won a Vezina?

It has been over a year since the hit that left Miller essentially uninjured. Buffalo fans STILL complain constantly about it. CONSTANTLY.

They didn't even whine about this nearly as long:

Here's an actual conversation from Sabres fans:

Idiot #1: Man, giraffes are pretty awesome, ha.
Idiot #2: Yeah about as awesome as that Lucic hit on Miller. FUCK LUCIC AND FUCK GIRAFFES.

Totally uncalled for.

Let's pretend here for a second that Lucic's hit was 100% dirty. Let's pretend Lucic entered the game with the intention of injuring Miller. What Sabres fans are trying to tell you is that Lucic is the devil and should be burned at the stake and that no Sabres player would EVER commit such a terrible act. 

Take this article for example...

Earlier today I got the previledge of speaking with Demick over at the Fantasy Bookies podcast. We spoke for a good hour, covering a range of topics:

-The next chapter in the vaunted Habs/Bruins rivalry

-Marchand-Subban...bitch fight round 2?

-Tim Thomas...Bruins legend, or persona non grata?

-The use of goal horns in real life

-Third line problems...overrated?

-Bruins' third sweaters -What is the biggest worry about the Bruins going forward?

And more. Don't mind my accent or awful use of the work "like" in a few spots. You can also hear my dog Rex in the background... ahhh the life of blogging and podcasting at home.

You can stream the podcast right here. BOOM.

If for some reason the stream isn't working, you can download it as an MP3.

Be sure to check out their other podcasts, including one with our buddy Cornelius over at the SCoC. And give Fantasy Bookies a look over. It's like a Fansty Hockey League but instead of drafting players you make "bets" on the game lines. It's an interesting concept that bridges fantasy hockey and fake gambling together.

http://www.fantasybookies.com

Also follow Demick on twitter and feel free to troll him about the Flyers.

There's been many jerseys in the Bruins history that have come and gone and tugged at our heart strings. Many believe that the 1926 Bruins jersey is one of the greatest of all times, and I tend to agree. There's something simplistic about the design that reminds you of a time when players didn't use helmets and people wore suits to games. It was a simpler time in hockey lore when the NHL was barely learning to walk in America. 

Some feel that the Bruins iconic B really took off when Bobby Orr took off. The black home jersey with golden shoulders and a touch of white to separate both. The yellow8-spoked B shining on a template of black, showcasing to the world its legendary status. These jerseys were so well loved that the Bruins brought them back as an alternate for a couple of seasons. 

There are those that feel the Bruins jerseys in the 80's were the beacon of Bruins jersey greatness. 

#TeamPooh for life. 

But they all pale in comparison to the greatest Boston bruins jersey ever created by God, Jesus, Buddah or the Flying Spaghetti Monster. 

First, the title: 

Then the description (click for larger image):

AND NOW THE GREATEST DENNIS SEIDENBERG BRUINS JERSEY OF ALL TIME!!!

(Stick tap to Emily (Offseids) for the heads up) 

Tomorrow marks the first meeting between the Boston Bruins and MOntreal Canadiens. We all know the type of venom that this rivalry has brought over the years, but have fisticuffs been thrown to go with said venom? We're going to look at all of the fights that have occurred last season as Boston went 4-2-0 versus the Habs. We will post the video and the results of Hockeyfights.com's results, where their viewers vote on who won the fight. I will also post who I thought won. 

October 27, 2011. 

Brad Marchand vs PK Subban

These two were chirping at each other all night. They tried to fight twice before the actual bout, but the referees kept pulling them apart. They finally drop the gloves towards the end of the second period (3:05 into the video) and Subban takes a huge swing and misses. After that, the two get some good punches in, including some uppercuts by Subban. 

Hockeyfights.com winner: 

My winner: PK Subban

October 29, 2011

Shawn Thornton vs Travis Moen

There's not much to say about this one. After a whistle for an offside call, Thornton and Moen group up and Thornton starts chirping. They throw down the gloves and both get rolled against the glass, exchanging punches. It was a pretty dull fight with Moen getting a shot or two in there before the refs separate them against the boards. 

Hockeyfights.com winner:

My winner: DRAW

February 15, 2012

Adam McQuaid vs Ryan White

It all starts with TT covering the puck and McQuaid doing what every defenseman does, skate with their opponent outside of the crease to get them away from their goaltender. The two start jawing, someone probably tells the other they smell like a donkey's asshole and the gloves come flying off. The two are grabbing and tugging at each other's jersey, but Quaider gets a few good shots in. White is able to get McQuaid's jersey off and then Darth Quaider shows up and unleashes punches. White really had no offense in this fight. 

Hockeyfights.com winner:

My winner: Adam McQuaid

And just for funsies, we can't forget this epic fight (even though it was during the 2010-2011 season): 

February 9, 2011

Tim Thomas vs Carey Price

God what a disaster this was. Carey Price could have really fucked up Tim Thomas once Thomas tried to take him down, failed and pulled off Price's jersey. Thomas somehow wiggles out of his jersey and they realize that they're goalies not named Brent Johnson and stop caring. 

Hockeyfights.com winner: 

My winner: LOL WE ALL LOST THAT DAY! 

We're gonna have to call the Bruins the Black & Blue & Gold the way the past week has gone. The Boston Bruins have announced that they've recalled center Ryan Spooner from Providence on emergency basis. He'll travel with the team tomorrow to Montreal.

From the team site:

The recall for Spooner is the first NHL regular season recall of Spooner’s career. In 35 games for the Providence Bruins this season, the 21-year-old is tied for the team lead in points with 30 with nine goals and 21 assists. Spooner has recorded 12 goals and 25 assists in 43 career AHL games. The 5’10’’, 175-pound native of Kanata, Ontario had back-to-back 60+ point seasons in the Ontario Hockey League before joining the P-Bruins, having tallied 66 points in 57 games split between Kingston and Sarnia last year, and 81 points in 64 games during the 2010-11 season split between Peterborough and Kingston.

Spooner was originally drafted by the Bruins in the second round (45th overall) in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

Julien said earlier that Marchand is expected to play in Montreal, so this could just be a "just in case" move, or it could mean Marchand's a little more banged up than the team wants to lead on. Who knows. Worst part of these injuries is -- with the except of Thornton -- they've all been really weird/fluke incidents. Marchand got tripped up by Reimer while the Toronto goalie made a save, and Paille took a stick to the face. There was no penalty called on Pie's injury and the goal that was scored shortly after Marchand got tripped was waived off because Reimer tripping Brado was "goalie interference."

And for some dumb reason, Fluto thinks we could see an all Provy line against Montreal:

Could see all-Providence line on Wednesday: Bourque-Spooner-Tardif.

— Fluto Shinzawa (@GlobeFluto) February 4, 2013

That might be the worst idea since Pizz tried getting us to go skinny dipping in that pool with the aligator and the things...

We might get a clearer picture on what's going on with the Bruins when they practice tomorrow, or at least a hint at what lines might be if Marchand isn't ready to rumble. At the moment this is all shoulder shrugs and "wait and see" stuff.