Bruins Flop vs. Rival Canadiens

Just a warning. This is a rant, as opposed to a regular blog.

In a game that was deemed to be the battle of the two best teams in hockey, the Bruins and Canadiens fought hard to out suck one another. After the Bruins showed zero heart in the opening period of the game tonight, but slipped by allowing only one goal, continued their sleepwalk into the second when two minutes into the period Montreal scored another. Finally the Bruins offense woke up, getting four straight goals from Dougie Hamilton, Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, and finally the biggest sleepwalker of them all Nathan Horton.

The Canadiens bounced right back in quickly in the second, as former Bruins Michael Ryder netted his second of the game. 10 minutes later, Tyler Seguin sent in a beauty of a goal into the net, only for the Canadiens to come back and score seconds later.

Then, the Bruins held onto that lead, only to see it slip right past terrible Tuukkas leg with 8.2 seconds to go.

Tuukka could not hold onto any leads tonight and was beyond awful. Now it was time for the offense to go cold.

The Bruins held off the Canadiens in overtime. They had a powerplay for the last minute, but were not able to capitalize. Then 6 Bruins shooters lifelessly sent the puck at backup goalie Peter Budaj, only to have Canadiens winger Brendan Gallagher score the only shootout goal to win the game.

Absolutely pathetic performance.

Tuukka played horrendously, meanwhile the offense came in streaky bursts, and when they were needed the most to close out the game, they didn't show up.

I understand 5 goals is a lot from an offense, so theres really no defense for Tuukka, but for the Bruins to blow that game was beyond comprehensable, especially with the powerplay in overtime, and all the shootout opportunities.

5 Things to Look Forward to for the 2013 Red Sox

As Opening Day creeps closer, the normally optimistic attitude surrounding the Red Sox is at an all time low. After the worst September collapse in baseball history in 2011, to the following 69-93 last place finish last year, the Sox have a lot of reasons to be pessimistic.

In spite of my hatred for the ownership, who packaged and sold us diehards as a giant Hallmark card inviting new fans and bigger profits in, I still love the Red Sox. And while I see the many flaws with this team, I still see a lot to look forward to, and don't see us as being too far off from a playoff team. Heres my top 5 things to look forward to this season.

5. Jackie Bradley Jr.- The phenom has been lighting up Spring Training, and has turned the argument of whether they should pull him up this early to when are they going to pull him up. Bradley's hitting .444 this Spring with 2 home runs and a .507 OBP. Bradley's rise hasn't been a total surprise to people who have been watching the 22 year old Virginia native. Last year split between A and AA he hit a combined .315 in 128 games, knocking in 63 RBIs and stroking 9 home runs.

4. John Lester, Clay Buchholz, Ryan Dempster, Felix Doubront, and John Lackey- Those names are not exactly jumping off paper, and most of those names are a large part of the reason the Sox have been so mediocre, but as I said, this is an optimistic look at the team. There is a huge upside for these guys. Lester and Buchholz are in their primes. With a kick in the butt from former pitching coach John Farrell as their new manager, these guys can turn it around into the pitchers we know they can be. Ryan Dempster can be reliable. Split between Texas and the Cubs, Dempster went 12-8 with a 3.38 ERA last year. Felix Doubront, whose been a career #6 starter at best with the Red Sox, showed durability last year by stepping up and starting 29 games. His 11-10 record and 4.86 ERA are a little less impressive.

And last but not least, John Lackey. This will be Lackeys first season where he comes in healthy and ready. Lackey proved both durable and efficient in his time in Anaheim, and with a finally fully healthy game ready Lackey, there is a huge potential upswing.

3. John Farrell- John Farrell's not so glamorous stint with the Blue Jay's came to an expected end as he has been the Red Sox first choice since they ousted Terry Francona after 2011, but a new managerial style with a manager who really knows his players and has their respect is a big turnaround from last year. Plus, anyone (literally anyone) is better then Bobby Valentine.

2. Starting Lineup- The Red Sox still have some punch left in their lineup. Dustin Pedroia is still in his prime. Will Middlebrooks will be going into his first full year as a starting big league 3rd baseman. David Ortiz, if he can stay healthy, can still bash 30 home runs, Jose Iglesias can dazzle with his glove, and hopefully this year he can learn to get his bat on the ball. Newcomer Mike Napoli can consistently slug 20 plus home runs. He hit 30 just two years ago in Texas. Maybe he can convert his swing to fit Fenway, where he should see his numbers jump (tell that to Adrian Gonzalez, but I digress).

1. Cheaper Beer- I know I know, they dropped the price (and actually the cup size as well), but maybe this will make sitting through everyone singing Sweet Caroline when the Sox are on the brink of being eliminated from the playoffs in June, just a little more bearable. (But once again I digress)

So thats my list. Getting eliminated in June was a joke, and I really do think there is a big upside, and the Sox could even potentially make the playoffs, but with the Sox's recent history, they have a lot to prove to us.

Jerome Iginla May be Coming to Boston

The Bruins are the most likely landing spot for Jerome Iginla, according to multiple sources. The 35 year old Right Winger would like to play somewhere that he may win a Stanley Cup, and a Ray Borque-esque move seems imminent.

The question now is who to give up for the 2 time 50 goal scorer. Originally it was reported that it would possibly be Malcolm Subban. I think throwing away a top prospect for an aging vet is exactly what we can't do, and Peter Chiarelli indicated on 98.5 the Sports Hubs Toucher and Rich that he will not be trading Subban.

Nathan Horton, who the Bruins scooped up from the Florida Panthers, has failed to meet expectations with the Bruins. The third overall pick in 2003 has scored just 8 goals this year, and has become a non factor, along with line mate Milan Lucic, for much of the season.

Players like David Krejci, Jordan Caron, and Milan Lucic's names have also come up.

Iginla would be a great addition to the team. He would add a burst of offense on a team where offense has been lacking this year. Also, his veteran presence may wake a team who seems like they've been sleepwalking through the last month of the season. It really is time to shake up the lines and do something with this team. With the trade deadline looming just one week away, The Bruins need a winger, and Iginla is theres to lose.

Get Pumped Up!

Game 7 Tonight

Toucher and Rich tweeted this Friday afternoon, but the Thunder quickly took it down. No one thinks the Celtics can do it. Their backs are in the corner. This is going to be an amazing game 7. I have doubted the Celtics all along. Now its time for them to shock the world.

If that doesn't get you a little angry, here was the leading headline on NBA.com (courtesy of the Boston Globes OBF



The article is about how "if the Heat wins, basketball wins." The Obnoxious Boston Fan of the Boston Globe couldn't have put it any better when he wrote:

Tonights game is David versus Goliath, and what more fitting way to end one of the most exciting playoff runs in years for Boston, then to take down King James himself.

Boston Sports Minute: Menino is a big KJ and Hondo fan

Boston Mayor Thomas Menino has been known to flub famous Boston sports moments and athletes. This time, he pointed out that the Celtics have a lot of heart, of course being led by their star Power Forward Kevin Jarnett (note the mis-spelling is intentional) and the spectacular play of point guard Rajon Hondo (see previous note).  This is not the first time however, New England Patriots great Jason Varitek was credited for kicking the game winning field goal for their first super bowl, and Rob Grabowski and Wes Weckler helped guide the Patriots past the Broncos in this year's playoff run.

In other news, the Patriots are planning on parting ways with 6-time pro bowler Chad Ochocinco (Although to be honest, I am not sure why we are still using "pro bowler" to describe how good a player is).  Trade possibilities seemed to be pretty scarce for the receiver, who only had 276 yards and 1 touchdown this season with the Patriots.  The Pats made 4 free agents signings at wide receiver, and also are returning Deion Branch and Wes Welker, making the need for Mr. Ochocinco obsolete.

The Heat are threatening to start Chris Bosh at center for game 6 against the Celtics, a move that star LeBron James is quite weary of.  The Heat will need some help to bounce back from a 3-2 deficit and being stuck playing in the TD Garden for game 6 tonight.  Personally, I can't call them the big 3 anymore if one of them is coming off the bench, unless Scalabrine was part of the Big 3 for the Celtics (which he very well might have been).  There will be no minutes restriction for Bosh, who is coming off an abdomen injury.

The last piece of news that I have for today is that Curt Schilling's video game company, 38 Studios, is filing for bankruptcy.  The company owes $150.7 Million and only holds $21.7 million in assets.  The federal government is now looking into the matter.  Schilling owns 83 percent of the company.

You Gotta Believe

"I mean, I thought the Celtics would take the series in 5."
-Michael Wilbon, 5/5 after the Celtics win game 5.

I gotta say (and I'll admit it) I told my friends that if the Celtics made it to the Eastern Conference Semi Finals, then I'll be eccstatic. I said blow up the big three. Their old. Their time is up. I was convinced we wouldn't finish the season with a winning record.

Here we are just one win away from the NBA Finals, and I'm absolutely convinced that in my 23 years, I've never seen a Boston team play with so much heart in any sport. Absolute clutch performance from a team that so many people counted out.

I'm still not convinced we can beat the Spurs or Thunder, but I didn't think we could make it to this point either.

#believe

Game 5! Lets Do It Celtics!

Bard Sent Down to Pawtucket; Pedroia Rejoins Sox

The Sox are doing the inevitable and moving Daniel Bard down to Pawtucket. Chances are, next time we see him he'll be back in a bullpen role. With Daisuke Matsuzaka poised to make his return to the Sox rotation soon, it seems only an injury or a colossal collapse by another Sox starter is the only way we'll see Bard starting again.

Bard was 5-6 with a 5.24 ERA during his starting pitching stint. The pitcher who normally reaches the high 90s, has cut down on his velocity to ensure that he can go the distance as a starting pitcher without damaging his arm, but he's likely to readjust his pitching style in to his old fireballing self in the minors. Bard's inability to throw strikes was very alarming though, as well as his inability to strike out batters. In 55 innings Bard walked 37 and struck out only 34.
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In better news, Dustin Pedroia rejoins the Sox tonight in the number 2 spot following a stint of 6 games with a muscle tear in his right thumb. The Sox are taking on Jason Hammel and the Baltimore Orioles tonight. The Orioles have a 2 game lead over the Red Sox in the division, and are only out of first by 1 game behind the Tampa Bay Rays.

Can We End the Daniel Bard Experiment Now?

Daniel Bard couldn't make it out of the second inning yesterday, as the Blue Jays scored 5 runs in just 1 2/3 innings against him. But it wasn't just the hot bats of the Blue Jays that scored the runs. Bard walked six batters in that span. Bard walking in one run, hit another batter to walk in another run, and allowed a Jose Bautista three run homer off an absolute meatball in an attempt to just throw a strike.

The pen shut down the Jays for the rest of the game, and have been extremely sharp as of late. And Bard reentering the bullpen may stir up the currently effective bullpen, and also, it would be tough to find a replacement starter for Bard, (maybe Aceves, but I seriously doubt he'll be any more effective then Bard has, but then again, I think most high school pitchers right now could put up better numbers then Bard yesterday.) so we'll likely see Bard try at least one more time in 5 days. But Daniel Bard currently sits at 5-6 with 37 walks and 34 strikeouts. He had pitched decently well in his last 2 starts allowing 2 runs and 5 hits in 5 1/3 innings in each, but I think everything points to him returning to the pen.

Tim Thomas to take a Year Off

So Tim Thomas announced yesterday that he was going to take a year off from hockey. This was his last year in a four year $20 million deal. Why is it that Tim Thomas can just back out of his contract, while the Bruins are still stuck with the $5 million cap hit? I understand that he says he wants to focus on friends, family, and faith, but I really don't buy it. He has been pushing for a longer term deal for a while now. If he was so concerned with "the three F's" shouldn't he just retire?

The Bruins had an awesome trade piece, and Tim Thomas didn't want to go anywhere, so he'll take his guaranteed money and wait til next year when he gets an offer to play again (although his value should be hugely down as everyone will no what a nutcase he is, but I don't know if it will be.)

This, I think, is a massive blackmark on his career and screams selfishness and that he could care less for the Bruins. What a lousy way to end a remarkable story and career.

Also, why does he need to put a spot for a personal training company in his year off announcement. He's already screwing us out of $2-3 million and $5 million in cap space. Does he really need the extra cash? Scumbag.

Josh Beckett: "Not on my off day"

"I've never seen a pitcher get hurt playing golf." Bobby Valentine told the media yesterday to quell reports about Beckett's day of golf right before missing a start with a sore lat muscle. But its really not about that. Josh Beckett is our veteran presence on a pitching staff who's starting pitching has a combined ERA of 6.01. His lack of caring for the team and focus on his own self interests is embarrassing, and epitomizes the attitude of this Red Sox team.

From Gorden Edes at ESPN.com

Question (paraphrased): Did the golf business have any impact on how you pitched?

Answer: None. None.

Question: Anything to say about the golf business?

Answer: No. I spend my off days the way I want to spend them.

Question: Any regrets?

Answer: My off day is my off day.

Question: Given that you were skipped a start with what was described as a tight lat muscle, do people have the right to question why you were golfing?

Answer: Not on my off day.

Question: Do you understand the perception that leaves when the team is playing as poorly as it is?

Answer: We get 18 off days a year. I think we deserve a little time to ourselves.

That defiant attitude that he's shown all year long, I believe, is a huge part of our teams problem. Younger guys look to Beckett to see how things are done and this is what they get. I believe this whole team has massive character flaws, and its demonstrated well with the story that after Carl Crawford saw the way things were done here, he was so floored he called a team meeting to try to get guys together. Crawford obviously had an awful year last year, but he has a great attitude and makes no excuses for his problems. What do you think? How do you feel about this team? I honestly think finishing .500 is going out the window. With a team this talented, this is a major embarrassment, and for ownership to continue to sit idle and watch this train wreck is atrocious.

We Apologize

Sorry for the lack of articles. Almost all of us writers are college seniors, so its that point in the year where we just gotta do work unfortunately. I look forward to coming back and talking about the Red Sox trainwreck, the amazing Celtics, and what the Bruins and Pats need to do this offseason.

Draft Day 2 Wrapup: Jermichael Finley says "Who???"

Day two of the draft is in the books, and the first three rounds are now officially over.  The Patriots took Tavon Wilson, a free safety from Illinois, with the 48th pick.  Wilson was a shock to most analysts, as he is not ranked highly on most analysts boards.  Wilson has the ability to play cornerback and free safety, flexability that Bill Belichek likes.  NFL.com gave it a grade of 48.2, better than only the Broncos selection of Derek Wolfe at 36 overall (47.5).  The Patriots used their third round pick on Jake Bequette, a 6'5 defensilve lineman from Arkansas. 

In other news, Packers TE Jermichael Finley took to twitter just after the Packers made their first round selection, asking "Who???" (the tweet has since been deleted) But he followed it up by tweeting "Let's welcome Nick PERRY to Green Bay."  He has since stated that he did not know who the pick was, not that he did not know who Nick Perry was.  

Round 2 Nhl Playoff Predictions

Eastern Conference

#1 New York Rangers vs #7 Washington Capitals

If this was 10 years ago this would look pretty good for the Rangers getting the 2 lowest seeds for the first 2 rounds. However it's not and every team is a competitor now a days. The Rangers are coming off a grueling 7 gamer with the Ottawa Senators, and the same for the Caps against the Bruins. Holtby has been great for the Caps so far, but it wont go any further. I expect MVP candidate Henrik Lundqvist to outshine the youngster.
Prediction- Rangers in 7
Note- This is the 3rd time in 4 years these teams will meet in the playoffs. 

#4 Philadelphia Flyers vs #6 New Jersey Devils

This is a very intriguing match up. Both teams from the Atlantic division, and guess what they don't like each other. The Flyers have the edge on depth, but the Devils have tremendous star power. Broduer has the edge in goal, the Flyers every year have come up short because of their goaltending issues. Both teams are well coached and its going to be another close series.
Prediction- Flyers in 7

Western Conference

#2 St. Louis Blues vs #8 LA Kings
The underdog will strike again in this series. The 8 seeded Kings brought down the 2 time presidents trophy winning Canucks in just 5 games. The Blues took out the Sharks in 5 games as well. The Kings have incredible talent on their team for the 8 seed. When you have one of the best goalies in the world your already tough to beat. They also bring great offensive players to the table such as Dustin Brown, Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, Drew Doughty, Anze Kopitar, and Dustin Penner. The Blues will have to play their absolute best to win.
Prediction- Kings in 6

#3 Phoenix Coyotes vs #4 Nashville Predators

Mike Smith and the Coyotes surprised some people getting through the Blackhawks in 6 games. Nashville did as well, taking out Detroit in only 5 games. The stage is set for a tremendous goaltending duel. Mike Smith vs vezina finalist Pekka Rinne. Both players were arguably the MVP'S for their teams during postseason, and the regular season. There is a reason why Phoenix only came up with 97 points during the regular season though, and there wont be any soft overtime goals let in by Pekka Rinne. The Coyotes will have to up their play because the Preds have more talent on the ice.
Prediction- Preds in 6

Pats trade both first round picks

Not only did the Patriots get rid of the 27th and 31st selection of the 2012 NFL Draft, but they used both of them to move up in the first round.  The 27th overall pick was sent to the Cincinnati Bengals along with pick number 93 (3rd Round) for the 21st overall pick. The 21st pick was used on Syracuse Defensive End Chandler Jones.  Jones is an undersized defensive end who is extremely fast, reminding me of Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila when he was a defensive line threat for the Packers.  Jones is also the younger brother of UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon "Bones" Jones.  The 31st overall pick was sent to the Denver Broncos (who then traded it to the 49ers) along with the 126th pick (4th round).  In return the Patriots got pick number 25, which they used on Alabama Linebacker Dont'a Hightower.  Hightower reminds many experts of Brandon Spikes, which may make for an interesting combination in New England.

At the top of the draft things went according to plan, other than a few trades in the mix.  The Colts took Andrew Luck, the Redskins took Robert Griffin III.  Then the Browns and Vikings switched picks, the Browns taking Trent Richardson third, and the Vikings taking Matt Kalil 4th.  Justin Blackmon went to the Jaguars to round out the top 5.

The second and third rounds start tonight at 7 PM and we will keep you updated on the proceedings.

Sox finally win one

 Daniel Bard made his return to the bullpen last night, and Cody Ross came up in the ninth and hit a solo bomb to give the Sox a rare win. Lester worked around a tough 4th and 5th innings where he let up 5 runs, but came back strong in his final 2 innings. Cody Ross hit a 2 run homer in the 7th which brought the Sox back to tie the game. Valentine then turned the ball over to Bard in the 8th, who was able to get 2 big outs and get the Sox to the ninth all tied. Cody Ross came up with 2 outs and hit a solo bomb to right field, his 5th of the season. Valentine then once again gave the ball to Aceves to close out the ninth. A questionable decision, he also admitted he considered putting in Bard for the 9th. Aceves was able to get out of the jam however, and the Sox snapped their losing streak. The Red Sox improve to 5-10 on the season, the Twins fall to 5-12.

Patrice Bergeron Nominated for Selke Trophy

 Patrice Bergeron was just announced as one of 3 finalists for the Selke Trophy. The Selke Trophy goes to the foward that best displays the defensive aspects of the game. The other finalists with Patrice are Detroit's Pavel Datsyuk who is a regular finalist for this award, and St. Louis Blues foward David Backes. A well deserved nomination for Patrice who has had this coming to him for years. With one of the leagues top plus minus rating for the year Bergeron looks to be the favorite for the award. Now just waiting to see if Zdeno Chara is put up for the Norris Trophy.

Bruins Past Game 7's, Keys to this game 7

 In the first 4 years after the lockout the Bruins have shown us a game 7 every single year, this year the 5th will be no different. The Bruins will meet the Washington Capitals at TD Garden Wednesday night in Boston in a decisive game 7. Judging on past success the Bruins had last season in game 7 they should have the upper hand. However game 7 has not always been a friend of the Bruins.

 In the 2008 playoffs the Bruins met their arch rival Montreal Canadiens in game 7 at the Bell Centre. The Bruins had been down 3-1 in the series rallying back to stomp the Habs in game 5 on the road, then they won a gutsy performance in game 6 in Boston. The Bruins ran out of gas at the end of the race up in Montreal, and the Habs flattened Thomas and the Bruins 5-0. The Bruins then had an opportunity to erase the ghosts of a game 7 that they hadn't won since 1994 the following season as well. They rallied back from 3-1 down again to force game 7 at the Garden against the Hurricanes. The Bruins had an early lead but fell in OT as Scott Walker the villain in the series scored on the rebound. The next year another opportunity at home once again, but after losing 3 straight to the Flyers. The Bruins got off to a flying start netting a 3-0 early lead in the 1st. I think we all remember how this one ends, the Flyers rally back score 4 unanswered goals and the Bruins collapse.

 2011 Boston Bruins Vs Montreal Canadiens, game 7 once again. What better way to vanquish the game 7 demons then to beat your hated rivals who have caused you so much pain over the years. Nathan Horton slapped one by Carey Price to give the Bruins a huge win and emotional lift that set the tone for the rest of the playoffs. Game 7 vs Tampa Bay again at home in the Garden. Nathan Horton gets the game winning goal late, in the best 1-0 game I've ever seen. Then there was the complete drubbing of the Vancouver Canucks in game 7 4-0, becoming the only team to ever win 3 game 7s in one year. Also have a nice summer Vancouver.

 The past is the past, but its nice to know we have experienced guys out there who have experienced defeat, and the thrill of victory. The recent success is good to have as well. The Bruins go into this game 7 with so many positive things going for them. 1. it's at their home the TD Garden a very difficult place to play. 2. After coming close to wrapping up the series the Capitals may have broken spirits. 3. Everyone has been talking about how relaxed Holtby has looked, well he's never faced an elimination game until Wednesday night. It's easy to look confident when your team is yet to be on the brink. He will find a whole new meaning of pressure during game 7 at the Garden. The Bruins really started to break down the Caps defense in game 6. Seguin was in all alone in OT for the game winning goal, Krejci got in for a tip in front of Holtby as well. It may have taken all series, but the Bruins offensive finally has life in time for one final game.

Bruins beat capitals to force game 7

Games don't get much more dramatic than earlier today when the Boston Bruins beat the Washington Capitals in OT to force a game 7 back in Boston on Wednesday night. Tyler Seguins goal just four minutes into the first OT gave the B's a 4-3 victory and another game 7 which they have become so accustomed to after playing three during last years Cup run.

Seguin who scored his first goal of the year has had plenty of chances and finally buried one on a pass from Milan Lucic that sprung him in on Caps goalie Braden Holtby alone. After drawing Holtby out as far as he could he tucked it in the left corner to set off a celebration by the B's bench. David Krejci, Rich Peverley, and Andrew Ference all scored for the B's as well.

After blowing three straight one goal leads it appeared as though the B's were doomed after Alex Ovechkin scored to tie it late in the third. The B's were reeling but pulled it together dominating in OT including Patrice Bergeron hitting the crossbar just two minutes into the period. The Bruins once again showed their resilence and that they aren't going to go down quietly. Now they have a few days to rest up and get ready to avoid the upset and move on to the next round.