The Boogie Man and the Bad Boys of the East

Friday night. Leafs versus Rangers. Original Six. Madison Square Garden.

Now I ask you: Does it get any better than this?

The Leafs, looking for a fourth consecutive win to start the season – a feat last accomplished in 1993 – will be venturing into a madhouse this evening.

MSG home openers are always freighted with runaway emotion. Tonight's game also marks the team's 85th anniversary. So even before the puck drops, the legendary building will crackle with enough energy to power a nuclear reactor.

Captain Chris Drury returns to the line-up after missing the first two games with a broken index finger. Even more significant for many Ranger fans: Derek "The Boogie Man" Boogaard will make his home debut as the newest sheriff in The Big Apple.

After spending five seasons in Minnesota, where he racked up 2 goals and 544 penalty minutes, the skyscraper-sized destroyer of jaws and orbital bones signed with the Rangers this summer.

As coach John Tortorella recently told the New York Daily News: "We all know what his biggest strength is. It's still in our game. Guys feel more comfortable when a guy like that is around."

And at 6-foot-7, 265 pounds, The Boogie Man is always around. Never mind the No. 94 on his back – this guy should have his own area code.

The Eastern Conference was already a menacing, bruising place before Boogaard's arrival. Last season, players in the East accounted for 8 of the Top 10 spots in total penalty minutes and all of the Top 5 spots for majors.

Boogaard may not drop the gloves as often as he once did (the 105 minutes he spent in the sin box last year ranked 45 in the league). And his ice time may seem relatively inconsequential (he's played 7:37 minutes over 11 shifts in two games this season).

But make no mistake: His hulking presence adds a new dimension to the Conference that other teams do not take lightly.

During several conversations with Brian Burke this summer, he must have mentioned Boogaard four different times. The Bruins, meanwhile, recently inked a one-year deal with Brian McGrattan, despite already having a noted pugilist by the name of Shawn Thornton.

Or consider this: Less than 24 hours after Boogaard signed his $6.5 million contract with the Rangers, their biggest rival, the Islanders, signed Zenon Konopka as an unrestricted free agent.

Konopka, as you may recall, led the league in penalties last year.

What does all of this mean for tonight?

Well, already there is great anticipation for a main event between The Boogie Man and Colton Orr, who played four seasons as a Blueshirt and was a fan favourite. But that's assuming Orr is not too woozy from the devastating roundhouse right he took Wednesday night in Pittsburgh, courtesy of Deryk Engelland. (That was a frightening blow. Watching it in slow-motion, I was reminded of another time a beloved and usually unbeatable Leafs’ enforcer was rocked into next week.)

If the Orr-Boogaard fight is postponed, there could be an undercard match between Mike Brown and Brandon Prust. And if either team runs up the score, let's not underestimate the crap-disturbing presence of Sean Avery, a man who is unlikely to receive a Christmas card from Dion Phaneuf even if they both live to be 200.

Of course, the fact we're even talking about all of this is somewhat ironic.

Despite the clarion call for "pugnacity, testosterone, truculence and belligerence," when you analyze the Leafs strong start, fighting has been the least of it. In fact, of the team's four scraps, an objective observer would have to give three of those decisions to enemy opponents.

So the Leafs are 3-0 in the win-loss department. And they are 1-3 on the fight card.

Is it possible the Leafs do not have to throw as many punches as they seem to believe? Is it possible their real toughness – forechecking along the boards, clearing the front of their net, heat-seeking hits in open ice – will have nothing to do with left uppercuts and right crosses? Is it possible the fights, when they happen, will only serve to interrupt the momentum created by the biggest surprise this season, which is team speed?

There's no question the Leafs are bigger, meaner and tougher than before. The same holds true for the conference they inhabit. So the real question becomes a philosophical one: When a team is playing so well, does fighting just get in the way?

PHOTO: BRUCE BENNETT/GETTY IMAGES

Comments

[Pyramid Power]

Bobby, I mean Colton, Orr showed hands of silk on his opening goal against the Pens the other night. Then fists of fury against Engelland until the rook got a lucky but awesome shot in on Orr. I can only imagine Orr's teammates are teasing him about that. He might want to redeem himself tonight back in front of his former team and fans where he is still revered.

All that aside I look for the Bozak line to play much much better tonight after getting sat for awhile against Pittsburgh. Glad we are going with Giggy. And will be interesting to see how Lebda fares in his Leaf debut.
Gonna be a helluva game all things considered. And oh what fun it would be to see Phaneuf go up against Avery! Elisha would LOVE for Phanoof sic to demolish Avery I am sure. So would this Leafs fan.

GO LEAFS GO!

[Jamie]

There is nothing worse than seeing 2 thugs going at it, just for the sake of fighting. I remember when a fight happened because two guys who could play were working so hard against eachother that they got frustrated and duked it out for a reason, as part of the flow of the game. Watching Hired Thug #1 vs Contract Goon #2 has to be the stupidest, boring thing happening in the game today...oh wait, 2nd stupidest and boring...almost forgot about shootouts...

[Clevie Baron]

Disagree with Jamie. Prefer to see two goons go at it, set the tone, and then that's that.

[Pyramid Power]

Clevie Baron. Love the handle man!

[We BeLeaf]

Forget about Orr fighting Boogard, let's have Grabbo take on Avery!

[Pyramid Power]

One comment lost in cyberspace ether. Bummer. Such a good comment too albeit quite long.

@We BeLeaf Would love to see Grabbo go all Olympian on Avery too! More importantly, I want to see him dishing to MacArthur so Clarkie can reclaim his NHL goal scoring lead over Toronto lad Steve Stamkos who potted his fourth last night to tie MacArthur for the league lead.

Everybody needs to come to play tonight. Well, could go on here, but the comment might be lost so won't write any more. Weird how comments just get lost. Yeah, I'm sulking Vinay. lol

GO LEAFS GO!

[Anthony]

Hell no fighting doesn't get in the way, pound the Big Boggie into the ground Orr and Dion should stack the pest on top the big Boggie, lights out !
Avery gonna get tuned up tonight!

[Moe Green]

Yeah the staged bs fights are meaningless. Toughness is a team thing that has almost zero to do with fighting in spite of what Burke says. Toughness is standing up for yourself and you teammates not having your "daddy" or "big brother" do it for you. Yeah it may mean the occasional fight amonst legitimate players for real reasons. Let the goons WWF at it for all I care and leave the real tough hockey to the real men on the ice. There is nothing less interesting than watching Orr and Whomever go at it. I'll take the real Versteeg heat of battle fight fight anyday - or more accurately once every two years. Only "puddy cats" fight when they get leveled with a clean hit.

[Arthur Bailey]

Don't forget, the Ducks under Burke led the league in penalty minutes, but got away with it on brilliant penalty killing. My memory is getting bad... I think that was the season they won the cup. My point is, These Leafs have been tremendous on the PK, and I would not be surprised to see them among the leaders in PIM.