Milan Lucic works Keith Aulie

Bruins forward Milan Lucic hadn't been in a fight in 26 games and his last fight was against Matt Carkner on Jan 25, 2013. Tonight, that changed as Lucic fought Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Keith Aulie and the former Brandon Wheat King got his ass handed to him by Lucic.

According to Hockeyfights.com that is the fourth fighting major of the year for Aulie, and he is yet to win a fight this season.

(Video) Chris Neil's Hit on Brian Boyle

This is the hit that has everyone buzzing tonight. Senators tough guy Chris Neil hit the Rangers forward Brian Boyle with this hard hit. Rangers head coach John Tortorella was unhappy with the check after the game and said that Boyle is concussed.

Matt Carkner suspended on game.

Wow! If you're confused by this move by the National Hockey League’s Department of Player Safety, you're not alone. In fact I think the Department of Player Safety is becoming a bit of a joke, seriously! How the hell do they come up with some of these suspensions?

First: we have a player with little talent other than to fight other teams heavy weights, attacked another player on the ice, he then punches him while he lays on the ice in a vulnerable position? Where is the honor in that? That is a definite violation of the hockey code. Boyle isn't a turtle, he did end up fighting Senators goon Chris Neil later in the game. So how is that infraction only worthy of a one game suspension?

Then we have a Rangers player Carl Hagelin hit Senators forward Daniel Alfredson in the back of the head and he is suspended for three games. Who is weighing these incidents, is the Wheel of Justice back? What is going on here? The fans are confused. I think message here is that it's okay to hit a defenseless players seven times while they lay on the ice but it's not okay to hit someone from behind?

Related articles

• Slap Shot: Rangers' Hagelin Meets With Shanahan; No Decision Yet on Discipline (slapshot.blogs.nytimes.com)
• Senators return home after Game 2, talk turns to Shanahan (tsn.ca)
• Senators Vs. Rangers, NHL Playoffs Game 2: Chris Neil The Hero As Ottawa Wins In Overtime (sbnation.com)

Rangers and Senators will keep Shanny Busy...

Here are a couple of incidents from the Ottawa Senators and the New York Rangers game that is going to get a look at by the department of players safety. Senators defenseman Matt Carkner should be suspended for his attack on Rangers forward Brian Boyle, Rangers forward Brandon Dubinsky comes to Boyle's aid. Both Carkner and Boyle were kicked out of the game.

2:15 OTT Matt Carkner served by Nick Foligno : Fighting (maj) - 5 min
02:15 NYR Brandon Dubinsky : Roughing - 2 min
02:15 OTT Matt Carkner : Instigator - 2 min
02:15 OTT Matt Carkner : Game misconduct - 0 min
02:15 NYR Brandon Dubinsky : Game misconduct - 0 min  [box score]

Rangers forward Carl Hagelin was given a five minute major for this elbow on Senators forward Daniel Alfredsson. Alfredsson would lave the game and not return. It will be interesting to see if Brendan Shanahan gives either player suspension, I think the the Carkner attack on Boyle is worthy of a 1-3 game suspension.

Related articles

• Did You See That: Carkner, Dubinsky tossed from Game 2 (cbc.ca)

Ex-Minnesota Wild player Boogaard's death from alcohol, oxycodone mix

Image by Getty Images via @daylifeThe results of the autopsy are now public, Derek Boogaard died by mixing Oxycodone and alcohol which ended up being a fatal combination because of synergistic effects of alcohol and other drugs which turned out to be a fatal combination.

Amy Forliti, Associated Press — A medical examiner in Minnesota ruled the death of Rangers enforcer Derek Boogaard was an accident, due to mixing alcohol and oxycodone.

The Hennepin County Medical Examiner released Boogaard's cause of death today. The medical examiner said no other data will be released.

The 28-year-old Boogaard was found dead in his Minneapolis apartment last Friday, five months after he sustained a season-ending concussion with the New York Rangers.

The 6-foot-7, 265-pound enforcer became a fan favorite in his years with the Minnesota Wild. He played in 255 games with the Wild from 2005-10.

Oxycodone is a powerful painkiller that can be addictive and has been blamed in some overdose deaths.

Boogaard's agent and a spokeswoman for the Boston University School of Medicine said earlier this week that Boogaard's brain will be examined for signs of a degenerative disease often found in athletes who sustain repeated hits to the head.

Boogaard was known as "The Boogeyman" — one of the league's most feared fighters. He agreed to a $6.5 million, four-year deal with the Rangers in July and appeared in 22 games last season, finishing with a goal, an assist and 45 penalty minutes.

His final game was Dec. 9 at Ottawa when he fought Matt Carkner and sustained a concussion and shoulder injury. That was the 70th fight of his NHL career.

Remembering former Wild Enforcer Derek Boogaard.

Yesterday morning I woke up at my hunting shack to find a depressing email on my iPhone from the Whistler; telling me that the former Minnesota Wild enforcer the "Boogeyman" Derek Boogaard had died in his Minneapolis apartment. Cause of death unknown at this time, pending the results of a autopsy from the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office... The Boogaard family is going to donate Derek's brain to science.  I don't want to speculate what caused Derek's death and I would actually urge others to not jump to conclusions like some have before we know the truth.


This was Derek Boogaard's last NHL goal which game against the Washington Capitals back in November of 2010. Incidentally that goal by the Boogeyman had broke a long goalless streak going back to January 7th of  2006, that goal broke a 234 game goalless streak.
 
Boogaard's last NHL game was on December 9th, 2010 against the Ottawa Senators where Boogaard sustained a concussion in a fight with Matt Carkner. Boogaard would never play again do to post concussion syndrome.

In closing I would like to express my deepest sympathy to the Boogaard family and may Derek Boogaard rest in peace. Personally, this is a sad day for me because I admire the enforcers in the NHL and I like what Boogaard brought to the ice for the five years that he played for the Minnesota Wild. Boogey might have been a tough guy but he played by the hockey code and was not a dirty player and he played the game straight up and you didn’t see him head hunting like some of the agitators around the NHL today.From everything that I have heard and read Derek was an awesome selfless person that gave back to the communities that he lived in.