May 24 05:42AM GAMEDAY 71 - BRUINS

Written by Rick

7:00 PM

TD Garden

Listen to the game at [WXDX]

Know the Enemy:

Something's Bruin

They're really angry over there.

We can't possibly figure out why.

Gameday 71 and no Geno.

"By Gawd! This is gonna be a slobberknocker!"

And the cell is lowered....

We've already mentioned it earlier, but the Boston Herald, one of the oldest daily papers in America and winner of four Pulitzer Prizes, unleashed this piece of fine quality journalism this morning:

"Take Sidney Crosby down every chance they get. He, not Cooke, is the Penguins’ heart and soul. Make him bleed for the sins of his teammate.

Take him into the boards. Knock him down every chance you get. Bounce a puck off his nose if you can. If you get a blind side shot at him, put your body through his chest."

The Bruins may want to focus on winning a hockey game instead.

Making Crosby bleed won't widen the gap between the Bruins and the Rangers for the eighth and final playoff spot.

The NHL has brought in veteran officials for tonight's game.

Colin Campbell and directory of officiating Terry Gregson will be in attendance.

Vince McMahon will be there to order Earl Hebner to ring the bell.

Maybe not.

"Wait.... oh my gawd! That's Eric Godard's music!"

From Empty Netters:

From reader GlensGages:

Proposed Penguins Lines:

Alexei Ponikarovsky - Sidney Crosby - Pascal Dupuis
Chris Kunitz - Jordan Staal - Bill Guerin
Matt Cooke - Tyler Kennedy - Ruslan Fedotenko
Mike Rupp - Max Talbot - Craig Adams

Sergei Gonchar - Mark Eaton
Brooks Orpik - Kris Letang
Jordan Leopold - Alex Goligoski

Marc-Andre Fleury

"The last thing I'd ever want to do is tell someone to invoke some sort of physical treatment to Crosby. But, unfortunately, the way the game's going, if [the NHL is] not going to fix any of this, the only way to make a guy who was running around feel a little bad about himself is to [threaten to] hurt one of his team's star players. I wouldn't do anything to Crosby, but in the warmup I'd let Crosby [know] that we're coming for him. And then when Matt gets out there, I think Matt [has to] own up. And I wouldn't be surprised if Matt Cooke fought in his first or second shift. He's a tough kid, and he can hold his own."

-- P.J. Stock

More stories from the Boston media:

Bruins Have Choice to Make on Thursday: Payback or Playoffs

Bruins may stir something up for Cooke

All eyes on Matt Cooke tonight

Here's what will happen with Cooke tonight

For Bruins, it has to be payback time

Pause before pounding

Oh yeah, there's also this from some blog:

"But no true hockey fan, who respects the athletes that they spend their time and money to watch wants to see a superstar get clocked by a goon. But they'd all like to see that superstar stand up for himself and his team. Sidney Crosby certainly has nothing to prove, and no one in the mainstream hockey media would blame him for letting someone else fight his team's battles. But still, he is the captain.

It makes you think, if Mark Messier were in this situation, what would he do? If Jarome Iginla were in this situation, what would he do? If Bobby Orr or Ray Bourque were in this situation, what would they do? Mario Lemieux, of course, would throw a bunch of cheap shots, refuse to drop the gloves, cry and whine to an official if anybody retaliated, and sit back and let Ulf Samuellson do the dirty work on other team's stars, so who knows, maybe Crosby will go that way too- I guess they respect that approach in Pittsburgh."

We're not sure what Mario's exact response would have been in this situation, but we're pretty sure it would have involved embarrassing Ray Bourque.

If need be, Sid will be ready to remove his visor once again.

Maybe, with Savard out of the lineup, someone on the Bruins will actually step up.

Maybe not.