Morning Wrap: Bruins vs. Sabres Skirmish Starts and Finished With Matt Bartkowski

((ht: cbssports.com))

Um, this play may and probably will draw some fines. And is the part of hockey that isn't necessarily the good part.

Boston Bruins defenseman Matt Bartkowski triggered a full scale Pier 6er Sunday afternoon when he blew up Buffalo Sabres captain Brian Gionta as Gionta was waiting to receive a pass.

Bartkowski went high towards Gionta's head, leaving the Sabres captain sprawled out on the ice and requiring medical attention. Sabres forward Marcus Foligno immediately jumped Bartkowski and a brawl ensued.

And yeah...Bartkowski got the better of Foligno too. The Bruins defenseman racked up 20 minutes of penalty time on the play. Gionta was not able to return to the game. The Bruins got the win, 4-3.

The NHL hasn't fined anyone yet for this...but it's coming...

One-Punch Hockey Fight: Dalton Prout Drops Milan Lucic

Well, it sort of was a fight.

Okay, so maybe it was one punch and a bunch of woofing.

Take a look what happened when Dalton Prout of the Columbus Blue Jackets got tangled up with Milan Lucic of the Boston Bruins Friday night.

Some pushing, some shoving and a little dosey-do. Words are exchanged and Prout throws one punch. And down goes Lucic.

He didn't stay down long, got up and barked back and forth with Prout as both were ushered off the ice.

Lucic's teammates got the last laugh as Boston left with a 4-3 overtime win...

Morning Wrap: Seth Griffith With the Best Goal Ever This Week

((ht: nhl.com))

Okay, this is hard to imagine doing moving forward, never mind while skating backwards.

Ladies and Gentlemen, this is Seth Griffith of the Boston Bruins. Young Mr. Griffith made a play for the ages Monday night in a 4-2 win against the New Jersey Devils.

Griffith steals the puck on one end of the ice, hustles out on a breakaway with two Devils defenders draped all over him.

The puck gets away from him...briefly, then he gets turned around, gets the puck under control and goes 5-hole with the shot.

And scores.

Damn....

Looks Like Milan Lucic Might Get A Fine (UPDATE: Yep, He Did)

((HT: NESN/NHL))

It's no secret that the Bruins and Canadiens don't like each other...

Last night was another example...

Late in the game, Milan Lucic decided to introduce himself to Alexei Emelin


But only after Emelin got to him first two minutes in...


Which led to this move as Lucic went to the penalty box
((HT: Some Hockey Videos))


So, yeah, we think there's at least a fine coming...

PM UPDATE: The fine ended up being $5,000

The fine money goes to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund

ICYMI: The CBC Does Amazing Opens for Hockey

Okay, we've worked in the TV business for a long, long time and we've seen some amazingly well produced videos. Heck, we've won awards for some of our own well produced videos.

But we can't compete with things like this.

Check out the open produced by the folks at the Canadian Broadcast Corporation to kick off Wednesday nights Game 7 Stanley Cup Playoffs coverage of the Montreal Canadiens/Boston Bruins series.

The song, "Experience the Jewel" by the group Wintersleep. The video, historical and current set up the game, won by the Canadiens, perfectly.

What DID Milan Lucic Say In The Handshake Line...???

((HT: Sportsnet))

The post-series handshake line is one of the coolest things about the sport of hockey.

You try to get the best of your opponent, and at the end of it all, you shake hands as a sign of respect and admiration for the whole process.

But the Boston Bruins' Milan Lucic may have said some unsportsmanlike things in the procession. It has even gone the way of the Zapruder film in trying to interpret what he may have told a few Montreal players after the fact.
((HT: NHL on NBCSN/CBS Sports))


Whatever he may or may not have said, Lucic thinks the Habs Dale Wiese is being a baby

Here's How To End An Interview, Thanks To PK Subban

((HT: NHL on NBCSN/Andy Johnson's Vine))

You think PK Subban was happy...???
Ask Pierre...


And the cleaner, longer version...
((HT: SomeHockeyVideos))

Bobby Orr's Goal Recreated In LEGO Form

((HT: Sportsnet))

Everyone remembers one of the Plager brothers sticks getting in the way of Bobby Orr's skates at the time he scored a game-winning, Cup-clinching goal against the St. Louis Blues in the Stanley Cup Finals in 1970.

It was recreated, finally, in LEGO form- as it should have...
Here's the live version for those of you unfamiliar with one of the most famous plays in Stanley Cup history...

So You Think You Can Fight Chara...???

((HT: Deadspin/NHL on NBC))

The Detroit Red Wings Brendan Smith thought he wanted to...

But this happened... thanks to the 7-inch height advantage...


Dumb idea...

Just dumb...

Just How Frustrated Are The Bruins In Game 1...???

((HT: NBCSN/NHL))

Just ask Danny DeKeyser after getting this from Milan Lucic


The only thought the HQ had was this, though...


"Low Bridge!"

One Of The Worst Line Changes Ever...

((HT: Sportsnet))

Okay... and the HQ means...

EVER!!!

The HQ dares you to count all the Florida Panthers on the ice at one time...

Answer: More than 5...

Rough Afternoon For Loui Eriksson

((HT: WEEI Radio/Josh Gold-Smith through Vine))

The Bruins are playing this afternoon and it already has been a long day for Loui Eriksson...

First, he has a goal disallowed...
Then, he wants to grab a sip before his next shift...


And...
Scene...

Tim Thomas Crowns Soderberg In His Return To Boston

((HT: FS Florida))

Florida Panthers goalie Tim Thomas returned to Boston tonight and is known for always protecting his crease and his teammates...

The game was out of hand, down 6-2 very late, as Thomas had a rough night...
So, he ended it this way with a right cross for Carl Soderberg...


New uni, same old crotchety Tim Thomas...
And we're better for it...

Round 2: Bear and The Gang

((HT: Puck Daddy/NHL))

See how many Boston Bruins players and celebs you can spot in this Christmas episode of "Bear and The Gang..."

It's about nine different plot lines happening all at once...
See if you can keep up...

Milan Lucic Has Altercation Outside Vancouver Bar

((HT: Sportsnet))

After the Bruins 6-2 loss to Vancouver over the weekend, Boston forward Milan Lucic was "blowing off steam" in a local bar...

It is, after all, his hometown...

Then he got into a bit of a scuffle outside said bar...

Here's video of a little bit of the altercation...
CSNNE's Joe Haggerty talked to Lucic- who is done talking about his hometown in a positive way... "That’s one of the worst parts . . . that it's in my hometown," Lucic said. "Going back to the spray painting of the church and my grandparents, parents and family getting harassed during the Stanley Cup Finals in 2011, and now it’s escalated to the point where I get attacked for minding my own business. "I have no reason left to try and defend my city, and the people of my city. I’m done trying to defend the city I’m from. I’m disgusted and outraged that it had to come to that. Other than being at Rogers Arena, no one will ever see me in downtown Vancouver ever again.”
Well, then...
There's that...

Bruins Shawn Thornton Suspended for 15 Games

((ht: cbssports.com))

It appears a  cheap shot by Shawn Thornton of the Boston Bruins, late this past Saturday, on Brooks Orpik of the Pittsburgh Penguins, will according to TSN's Darren Dreger, cost Thornton 15 days.

The incident happened after Orpik had knocked down and apparently injured the Bruins Loui Eriksson. A bit of a scrum ensued. That's when Thornton skated over, grabbed Orpik, throwing him to the ice and punching him.

Orpik was knocked unconscious and had to be taken off the ice on a stretcher and to the hospital. Saturday morning Orpik was put on Injured Reserve with a concussion.

Here's some video of the Thornton/Orpik incident:

Orpik Ambushed By Thornton, In And Out Of Hospital

((HT: NESN))

The short version...

The Penguins Brooks Orpik hit the Bruins Loui Eriksson on the first shift in the game Saturday night. He was diagnosed with a concussion and didn't return to the game.

After Eriksson left, Shawn Thornton wanted a piece of Orpik- who didn't budge...

Then Brad Marchand was prone on the ice and all hell broke loose...

Here's the incident...


Thornton immediately fell on the sword:

"I feel awful. It wasn't my intention," Thornton said postgame. "I know Brooksy and have gotten to know him over the last seven years. I skated with him in the summer, through the lockout and texted him a couple of times. I feel awful. It's definitely not what I want anyone to see.

"... It's always my job, I guess, to defend my teammates. But I prided myself for a long time to stay within the lines. It's hard for me to talk about right now. I can't say 'I'm sorry' enough."

Thornton does have a call with the league office and it will interesting to see just how much of a penalty he gets from the guy who doles out the punishments, Brendan Shanahan.

Orpik was released from hospital and traveled with the team as they left town...

Tuukka Rask Does Not Like His Tools

And, as we all know, a good craftsman never blames them when it goes wrong...

They just get destroyed...

Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask has done it before and he did it again last night after losing in a shootout to the St. Louis Blues


It's not the first time...


Did we mention, it's not the first time...???

DEVELOPING: John Scott Gets 7

((HT: Sportsnet))

The Buffalo Sabres now have another suspension on their hands...

John Scott gets seven games in addition to the 10 games that Patrick Kaleta got for his extra-curricular activity...

Scott got seven for his extending an elbow and a head shot on the Boston Bruins Loui Eriksson...

Here's Doug Maclean and Hazel Mae discussing...

Just to add to the Sabres issues...
Why not...???

HockeyCentral Discusses John Scott

((HT: Sportsnet))

Here's the first salvo in the John Scott shenanigans...

Brad Fay, Doug Maclean, and FOSG Billy Jaffe try to figure out where the league and the NHLPA "should" go next...

The only question is now: Does Scott get the book thrown at him...???