It’s no secret that NESN announcer Jack Edwards wears his Boston Bruins-colored heart on his sleeve, nor is it a secret that he blames Matt Cooke of the Pittsburgh Penguins for ending the career of injured center Marc Savard.

But comparing Cooke to the man who murdered Sen. Robert Kennedy was, well, a wee bit too far for even the most ardent Cooke-basher. Here's Jack Edwards going there in Saturday's game against the Penguins.

The rant from Edwards was in response to the Pittsburgh media nominating Cooke for the Masterton Trophy last season, given to the player who “exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey.” Cooke turned his life and career around in 2011-12, with 44 PIMs and no major penalties after being one the NHL’s most hated hitters -- and a player whose 2010 hit on Savard did in fact end the Bruin's NHL career.

Said Edwards, during Saturday’s Bruins game vs. Pittsburgh:

“The justification was that Cooke changed his ways after essentially assassinating Marc Savard. “Nominating Cooke for the Masterton is about the equivalent of nominating Sirhan Sirhan as the prisoner of the year. An outrageous lack of judgment on the part of the Pittsburgh press.”

Comparing a hockey player’s actions to that of a murder is bad enough; that it occurred on the day after police killed one suspect and captured another in the Boston Marathon bombings made Edwards’ hyperbole even more questionable.

Edwards, finally locating the line he crossed, offered an apology later in the game.

“The apology is prompted by nothing but my conscience.” Kudos to Edwards for owning up to it.

Edwards later bit his tongue on a low hit by Cooke by Adam McQuaid in the second period.