I’ve always been a big fan of all the NESN hockey broadcasters. Gord Kluzak and Rick Middleton certainly have their charms and add to the broadcasts, but nobody can bust out a “little self-centered dink” throwaway line quite like Mike Milbury. The always-volcanic Milbury proved it again last night by taking it to a new level between the second and third period of the B’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers. Milbury and host Kathryn Tappen sat in the studio and calmly watched as sideline report Naoko Funayama went through their paces with Michael Ryder, and then came the verbal explosion around the NHL highlights package.

The rift obviously stems from Connolly’s two years with the New York Islanders when Milbury was running the organization, but Mad Mike basically slapped Buffalo Sabres center Tim Connolly with a “self-centered, little dink” during the Sabres portion of the footage. Not quite as primitively satisfying as watching Milbury beat a man with his own shoe, but it’s still good to know that the bluster is still simmering when it needs to be called upon.

Here’s the footage from last night with the fireworks beginning around the 1:30 mark (note: you’ll need to turn up the audio to hear the comments):