HIGHLIGHTS FROM SATURDAY'S BRUINS GAME

It was a long time ago, but with no Bruins hockey until Thursday and (probably) no Sox baseball until Thursday, it's time to relive a nice 7-2 win over the Hurricanes.

Here are the goals:



And here are the fights:

BC HAD A BIG WIN TOO

With the ending of the MLB regular season, the Patriots beating the Ravens, and the Bruins rolling over the Hurricanes, BC's Saturday afternoon win over Florida State has gone a little unnoticed.

The Eagles tried their best to blow this one, just as they tried to blow last week's win over Wake Forest. BC was up 21-3 late in the 2nd quarter, and went into halftime with a 21-6 lead.

The score remained 21-6 for most of the 3rd quarter. BC only had to hang on for 16 more minutes, but allowed a pair of ultra-fast Florida State scoring drives. But that's when Jacksonville's Montel Harris exploded, rushing 42 yards for the game winning touchdown.

Harris rushed for 179 yards and 2 TDs. Harris has already matched his touchdown total from last season with 5.

Now this wasn't your older brother's Florida State Seminoles. They're 2-3. They barely beat Jacksonville State. Then again, they also beat BYU, and their two losses are against ranked teams (South Florida, Miami).

That being said, it was on national TV, with ESPN's College GameDay broadcasting on campus, and very few people thought the Eagles would get to 4 wins at all, let alone be 4-1. It was also a divisional win. The ACC Atlantic Division winner will probably have 5 conference wins, and BC already has 2.

The Eagles are also very close to bowl eligibility, which also seemed like a far-fetched dream in the preseason. They need 2 more wins in their remaining 7 games in order to achieve this.

Next week's task is a tall one. BC has to go down to Blacksburg and play the #5 Virginia Tech Hokies. It's a pipe dream, but a win there would be epic. I predict a BC loss, but that's to be expected.

Source:
ESPN.com

Photo Credit:
AP Photo/Greg M. Cooper

5 YARD PENALTY FOR PLEADING

We've all seen the replay a million times. Tom Brady turning to the refs and asking for a roughing the passer penalty.

Was it a good call? Yes. Is it a good rule? No. It needs to be expanded upon.

Rodney Harrison called out Brady for his lobbying. And rightfully so. Before Anti-Patriot Nation (also known as the USA southwest of Hartford) goes nuts about this, Harrison and Brady are friends. And Brady's not the only football player who's looked for a call.

But he should be the last.

It's bad enough the NFL makes these over-protective rules. What's worse is when players whine and moan after dropping a ball. The rules are lame, the whining is lame, it's just lame upon lame.

So make a new rule. Any player that gestures to an official, looking to get a call, will have his team penalized 5 yards. It'll be an after whistle kind of penalty, so plays won't be altered or called back because of it. A 50 yard pass won't be negated, it'll simply be 1st & 15 instead of 1st & 10.

Receivers flicking their wrist, pretending to throw the yellow flag: that's 5 yards. What Brady did: that's 5 yards. Defenders doing the holding sign with their hands: 5 yards.

LESTER, BECKETT, THEN BUCHHOLZ

That's the 1-2-3 the Sox rotation will be in to start the impending ALDS against the Angels. And I couldn't agree more with it. While Beckett is Beckett, and is capable of outstanding brilliance; it's been Lester who's truly been the rock of the rotation. Lester's reliable, Beckett hasn't been.

Then there's the decision to place Buchholz in front of Matsuzaka. And I like that call, as well. Buchholz is the more consistent of the two, and is the more likely to give 7+ innings.

In any Game 3, you'll either be up 2-0, down 2-0, or tied 1-1.

If up 2-0, you don't want to ease off, but it isn't imperative to win. You'll still have Game 4, which will also be at Fenway.

If down 2-0, it doesn't matter who starts because everyone with an arm is available to throw. You're desperate, and you want a guy like Buchholz who is more likely to go out there and give you a lights out performance.

Daisuke is the perfect guy to have in a Game 4. The Sox will either be up 2-1, or down 2-1. Down 2-1, Matsuzaka can have his token 5 innings, but guys like Lester and Beckett can help the bullpen and throw an inning of middle relief. Up 2-1 is a similarly precarious situation, because you don't want to lose and play a Game 5 on the road.

I think the Sox playoff rotation is set-up as best as it could be.

ANOTHER SHAKY WIN, BUT A WIN NONETHELESS

It would've been nice to see the Patriots offense seal the deal on their own in the 4th quarter. A 7+ minute drive went all the way to the Baltimore 9, but the Patriots couldn't convert on 2nd & 4 then 3rd & 4. An illegal motion penalty called back a 1st down on a fake field goal (I loved that call, by the way). It was a 15 play, 59 yard drive, but the Pats only added 3 to their lead.

Then the defense made a stand, forced a 4 and out, that SHOULD HAVE ENDED THE GAME. The Pats offense had the ball in Baltimore territory, just needed to move the ball a bit and hit a field goal. Or at least get a 1st down and run the clock a bit. Instead, it was 3 and out, with only 1:37 drained from the clock.

The defense was leaned on heavily, and it eventually came through. But on a team with Tom Brady, Randy Moss, and Wes Welker; there's no excuse for not putting the game away on your own.

That being said, the Pats were only favored by 2 at home. The Ravens had been undefeated. ESPN had Baltimore ranked #1 in their power rankings. This, combined with a win over Atlanta, is a promising sign.



Next week the Pats face another test. The Broncos are 4-0, and Denver has always been a tough place for the Patriots to play. But it's certainly a winnable game.

Also, Mark Sanchez and the frauds from New Jersey were exposed by the Saints today. The top of the AFC East is now a 3-1 stalemate.

Sources:
ESPN.com

Photo Credits:
AP Photo/Winslow Townson

YEAH ALEX OVECHKIN IS PRETTY GOOD

If the NHL weren't so Canadiocentric, Alex Ovechkin would not only be the best player, he'd also be the biggest star. He's just better than Sidney Crosby at everything. He's an exciting player, and actually has a personality.

Last night, the Capitals were in postseason form, the Bruins were still stuck in the preseason. The B's dominated the first 5 shifts of the game, but still couldn't finalize their attacks. After those opening 5 minutes, Washington settled down, the Bruins remained shaky.

There was no forechecking. Pucks dumped into corners were quickly shoveled out by a Capital, keying their ferocious transition attack.

There were stupid penalties. Too many men on the ice is inexcusable. And while Chara was penalized 2 minutes for treating Ovechkin like a hockey player, he shouldn't have risked putting his team down a man to the best power play unit in the Universe. Then there were the offsides calls, a nasty habit the B's picked up in the middle of the Carolina series, and one they have yet to quit themselves of.

Bad passes from guys like Krejci. Sturm getting used to playing a new position with new linemates.

The shots from the blue-line annoyed the hell out of me. If the players were crowding the net, then by all means shoot and hope for the deflection. But 10 feet of space isn't enough to justify a shot. The Capitals' defense is ALWAYS poised for the counterattack, so don't take shots that have little chance of getting through. It's essentially a turnover. High rebounds in the slots are a good thing against most teams, but not against the Caps.

Jose Theodore sucks. He looks like he's guessing all the time. You get a body in on his crease, you will get a rebound and will score. But the Bruins' offense was limited to breakaways only. There weren't any extended periods of attack. Theodore drifts out of position second by second. If you just pass the puck around a bit, he'll wind up in the corner, and you'll get an open net.

Speaking of passing, the Bruins were far too casual with theirs, especially on the power play. That's a good way to surrender 4 goals.

The good news is that Marco Sturm is fast as hell. Patrice Bergeron has his scoring touch back. And this team showed some nice fire at the end of the 3rd period. They'll work these kinks out.



The Hurricanes come to Boston Saturday night.

Source:
ESPN.com

Photo Credits:
AP Photo/Winslow Townson

THAT'S MORE LIKE LESTER

Jon Lester's status was a question mark until last night, as he went 6.1 innings, striking out 7, allowing only 2 hits and 1 walk. Although it wasn't against anyone formidable, and Cleveland manager Eric Wedge is beyond "lame-duck" status, the fact that he could go out and throw 84 quality pitches after taking a line drive off the knee is what's important.

It was also nice to see the Red Sox win a game. It's amazing how much a day off helps.

Jeremy Sowers vs. Daisuke Matsuzaka tonight.

Source:
ESPN.com

Photo Credit:
AP Photo/Charles Krupa

THE JV SOX

Listening to Dale and Holley on WEEI this morning got me pissed off. People called in and complained that they bought tickets to last night's 12-0 loss, and felt gypped that they didn't get so see guys like Youkilis, Pedroia, or Ellsbury. Instead, they saw 7 bench players nearly get no-hit by Roy Halladay.

One idiot suggested that the Sox give out refunds to the fans. Some more thought that the Sox starters should have played at least one inning so fans in attendance could "applaud them" for winning the Wild Card.

You know what, how spoiled can you get? I remember being a kid when just going to the game was an amazing adventure no matter who played or who won. As a teenager, I remember enduring 34 degree April weather in row 50 of the bleachers. I remember driving down to the Bronx to see the Sox lose 10-2 and still had a good night.

Last night's game was a great opportunity to give almost everyone a night off. The Sox had played 15 games in a row without an off day. They have 4 more consecutive games in October.

This team revolves around one thing: winning the World Series. Not making sure the people who bought tickets to home game #77 have a wonderful time.

Photo Credit:
AP Photo/Elise Amendola