This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone.

Posted by Alan from Atlanta on 04/04/09 at 04:39 PM ET

From the NESN feed, “And you wonder why people don’t have your back” Yeah. Thats why the entire Rangers team confronted Thomas and the B’s. Way to go NESN, you’ve shown once again why your a joke.

And what do people expect from Avery? His team’s down late in the third, you have to expect something stupid to come from him in an attempt to get back into it. It doesn’t make what he did any less wrong, but why is anyone surprised?

Posted by kstewy16 on 04/04/09 at 04:46 PM ET

Anyone know the song being played in the background in the beginning of the video? Heard it the other day, sounds Irish.

Posted by Paul on 04/04/09 at 05:34 PM ET

So glad the Wings cut ties with that tool when they did.  Obviously has good hands , but No brains.

Posted by dbcooper from parts unknown on 04/04/09 at 05:59 PM ET

This is just Sean being Sean, but someone really needs to take him to task for this repeated behaviour.  This is hardly anything new, but he had some shenanigans that didn’t get noticed on Thursday.  After Cam Ward froze a puck and got a whistle, and there was no other extracurricular activity, Avery hit him with two left jabs.  Course he got the penalty
If he continues to do this and put his team at a man disadvantage, it could cost the Rangers a birth in the playoffs.  I’d love it, personally, but it’s just sad.

Posted by David Lee from Greensboro, NC on 04/04/09 at 06:03 PM ET

Two words: Dumb.  Ass.

That’s stupid, disrespectful, as bad an acting job as his “sloppy” comment, and makes absolutely no sense as the NHL’s probationary observations of Avery almost certainly require a fine and/or suspension for a player who’s actually contributed to his team’s playoff push. 

In my book, Thomas deserves major credit for not responding with a two-hand chop to the back of Avery’s head in retaliation.  He gave Avery a nasty whack to the backs of the ankles and a catch-glove punch instead.  Comparatively speaking, he held his temper.

I thought Avery had some Radiohead lyric that went like, “You used to be alright, man, what happened?” on his arm.  You were all right for a few games...what happened?

Posted by George James Malik from South Lyon, MI on 04/04/09 at 06:25 PM ET

Talk about irony, via the AP recap:

“Obviously, this stuff affects you to a certain point,” Thomas said of the contract talks, “but I’ve been able to put it behind me and just concentrate on hockey.”

He did that so well that the Bruins won their sixth straight game—five of them before he signed—and he got his fifth shutout of the season.  Blake Wheeler scored his 21st goal for Boston at 9:04 of the first period and nothing New York did could tie the game.  Then Avery hit Thomas as the goalie was stretching in front of his net during a television timeout with 5:24 left.

“I really like the fact that we kept our composure and got the win,” Thomas said. “If you can react and not have it affect your game, then he didn’t do his job and it didn’t work.”
...
“I actually like the way he plays around the net. He’s tenacious. He gets in right around the crease but he’s not actually doing anything illegal,” Thomas said, “but there’s lines that you can cross and he seems to have a hard time figuring out what those lines are.”

Posted by George James Malik from South Lyon, MI on 04/04/09 at 06:28 PM ET

@ Paul

The song is “I’m Shipping Up To Boston” by Dropkick Murphys

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-64CaD8GXw

Posted by Nicole on 04/04/09 at 06:38 PM ET

why i sthis clown playing hockey?  Who is in charge of this league?

Oh yeah...Thanks Gary.  Ass.

Posted by Rumbear from Sandy Eggo on 04/05/09 at 12:51 AM ET

They should have let Thomas go after him.

The league is a better place with Avery, no doubt; it’s like if Vince McMahon was commissioner.

Posted by Hippy Dave from San Francisco by way of Detroit on 04/05/09 at 01:28 AM ET

p.s. Nice Post Nicole!

Posted by Hippy Dave from San Francisco by way of Detroit on 04/05/09 at 01:39 AM ET

he didn’t hit Thomas in the head, he skated by him, and his stick made contact with his helmet.  The only stupid thing that was done was not paying attention to the play around him.  If this was anybody other than Sean Avery, we would not even see this.

Posted by bsalamon on 04/05/09 at 10:17 AM ET

If it was anybody else, we’d be talking about that player’s teammates picking his teeth up off the ice after one of Thomas’s teammates jumped the guy and absolutely cleaned his clock.

Posted by George James Malik from South Lyon, MI on 04/05/09 at 10:31 AM ET

he didn’t hit Thomas in the head, he skated by him, and his stick made contact with his helmet.  The only stupid thing that was done was not paying attention to the play around him.  If this was anybody other than Sean Avery, we would not even see this.

You have GOT to be god damn kidding…

He ACCIDENTALLY skated within a few inches of Thomas and wasn’t paying attention to the fact that his stick sticks out 2 feet from his body?

If you aren’t joking around, you are out of your cotton picking mind.

How ridiculous…

Posted by Garth on 04/05/09 at 01:11 PM ET