STANLEY CUP ROUNDUP: DAY 15*

The Red Wings are the Red Wings. In a Game 7, even on road ice, it's hard to pick against the likes of Datsyuk, Zetterberg, and Lidstrom.

DETROIT 6, COYOTES 1 (Red Wings win series 4-3)

Datsyuk scored twice, plus an assist. Lidstrom had a monstrous game in all three zones. He scored twice as well. Zetterberg had 3 assists and was +3. From the drop of the puck, Ilya Bryzgalov was under siege. He sustained a 17 shot onslaught in the 1st (Phoenix only managed 6 shots that period). But the Wings broke through in the 2nd (22 shots, 4 goals). Detroit finished with 50 shots on goal.

The Red Wings have won 10 of their last 12 playoff series, and 30 of their last 40.



7pm tonight on Versus, Canadiens @ Capitals.

SO THIS IS HOW "RUN PREVENTION" WORKS?

After a 13-12 debacle, the Sox won another close, 1 run game, albeit much more subdued. Buchholz went 8 innings, scattering 7 hits (6 of them singles, 1 double), and allowing only 1 run. And that's all he could manage to allow. He threw 117 pitches.

There's been constant background rumbling about Buchholz moving to the pen to bolster the Sox' struggling relief. To do so would remove the Sox starter that's performed best this season. He's 2-2 with a 2.19 ERA, and while he's allowed ample unearned runs, and only has 2 Quality Starts, he's gone 5+ innings in all 5 of his starts.

The Sox offense ground out 2 runs. They had opportunity for more, registering 7 hits and drawing 5 walks. The Sox were 1/7 with runners in scoring position.

Scoring twice and winning 2-1 is hardly something to be awestruck by, but 2-1 wins are much more reassuring than 13-12 wins. These are the kinds of games the Sox are built to play and win. Excellent starting pitching overcoming the shortfalls of a weak offense and a shallow bullpen.

Rubber game tonight as Jon Lester faces Brett Cecil.

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HEAT DISSIPATED

The first 36 minutes of the game looked like a repeat of too many Celtics' regular season games. The C's shot out to an early lead, stretch it out (to 21 at one point in the 3rd), tire out, then fall out. But the End Game was different in the postseason. When the Heat came back from down 21, shrinking the deficit to 3 at one point, the Celtics turned off the cruise control and stepped on the gas.

Maybe they really were just saving themselves for the postseason.

Dwyane Wade had 31 points, and Mario Chalmers had an electrifying 20 off the bench for Miami. But the rest of the Heat were ice cold. Meanwhile, the C's got 24 from Ray Ray, 21 from Pierce, 16 from Rondo (plus 12 assists and 8 rebounds), and 14 from KG (plus 8 boards). The Celtics' team beat the Heats' individuals.

11 of Ray Allen's 24 points came in the 4th quarter. 5 of Glen Davis' 7 also came in the 4th.

The officiating was inconsistent, but it seemed to even out for both teams. Both Miami and the Celtics were 19 of 22 from the line.

This is the 3rd straight season that the Celtics have advanced beyond the playoffs' opening round. That hasn't happened since 1988.

It's also nice that the Celtics didn't have to go 7 games, or play any overtime in this series, unlike the last two seasons' opening round series.

It's waiting time as both the Celtics and Cavaliers await their 2nd round matchup.

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