Lightning Strike Early and Often

In a span of 4 days, the Bruins have lost to the 4th and 5th place teams in the Southeast Division. These are the 14th and 15th teams in the Eastern Conference. The Bruins, an elite team, lost because they were outworked. It's that simple.

What makes the Bruins elite is that they play within a system, and they work just as hard, if not harder than their opponent. Remove the work, and they're not elite.

I'm sure they'll turn things around within the next few games. They always have under Julien. They go through stretches of bad play like this. Stretches when Lucic's passing is as accurate as Tim Tebow's. Stretches when only two or three forwards look like they know how to do anything. Stretches when they commit silly penalties in the offensive zone.

I'd like to see more Tuukka Rask for the next few games. Thomas hasn't looked bad, but he hasn't looked great. Tuukka's been red hot, and the B's should take full advantage of it.

As I said, I'm sure this stretch is just a stretch. We've seen this team struggle then suddenly turn things around. I'm pretty sure that in a few months, I'm not going to be remembering the January 17th loss to the Lightning.

Bruins play the Devils in Jersey on Thursday. Then they host the Rangers and visit the Flyers on the weekend. That's the 6th, 1st, and 4th place teams in the Conference right there. That should be enough to wake the B's up from this winter slumber.

Photo Credit:
AP Photo

Heisman Meets Shakespeare

Disclaimer: this post contains numerous references to the works of William Shakespeare. If unfamiliar with said works, you will not get the jokes. And I really don't care that you don't get them.

Yes, that's Eddie George playing Julius Caesar. The Heisman winner and former Tennessee Titan is appearing as the title character in the Nashville Shakespeare Festival's production of Julius Caesar. I have to say it's a pretty smart move for the production. Good or bad, having Eddie George on the stage will sell tickets and create a buzz. And Eddie George seems like the type that would enjoy the unique experience.

Eddie George's post-NFL career has been busy and positive, which is refreshing. He's opened restaurants in Nashville, and Columbus, OH. He's all over television with appearances on reality shows and his own show on the Big Ten Network. And he's earned his MBA at Northwestern.

But his latest endeavor sparked a thought in my mind. What other Heisman winners could play characters from Shakespeare?

Doug Flutie would be a good Puck, a diminutive elf always up to mischief. Eric Crouch's confused indecision could make him a decent Hamlet. "To play safety for the Rams or not to play safety for the Rams?" Shylock's greed would suit Reggie Bush. Ricky Williams' decadence makes him a perfect John Falstaff. The religious Tim Tebow could play Angelo from Measure for Measure. I can't decide if OJ Simpson would be better as Othello or Brutus. Either way, I'm sure he'd give a killer performance.

Bruins Start Their Southern Road Trip

The Bruins have dominated most of the Eastern Conference this season, going 11-2-0 within the Northeast Division, and 6-1-0 against the Atlantic. But the Southeast has given them problems. The B's were 4-4-0 against that division before starting this trip.

The Hurricanes have been the most troublesome, even though they're struggling to stay in the playoff picture. They beat the Bruins twice earlier in the year, and completed the hat-trick on Saturday night.

The Canes are fast. The Bruins struggle against such speed. It's not that they can't keep up, it's that they underestimate how quickly these fast opponents can close passing lanes, get to loose pucks, and make plays.

On Saturday, for instance, Gregory Campbell thought he had all the time and space in the world to skate with the puck in his own defensive zone. A fast Hurricane caught up to him, took the puck, and eventually the puck found its way into the net.

In that same game, the B's frequently panicked in their own zone and flicked the puck into space. That's rarely a good thing to do, and it's even worse when facing a speedy opponent who will inevitably get to that loose puck first and make a play.

Ultimately, the Hurricanes outworked the Bruins. The B's were a bit too comfortable, a bit too complacent, and Carolina didn't ease up and let them come back and win it in the 3rd.

The Bruins rarely lose a 3rd period, but they did Saturday night in Raleigh. So I expected to see them come out firing in the 1st last night. They didn't disappoint. Bergeron scored 80 seconds after the puck dropped.

Then more bad habits reappeared kept the game interesting. The Bruins struggled with their entry, frequently losing possession at their offensive blue-line. If not for Rask bailing them out, this game could have been ugly.

Krejci, Seguin, and Bergeron eventually gave the Bruins a lead on a 5-on-3. Krejci won a puck battle, then Seguin circumnavigated the entire zone. It was refreshing to see the Bruins moving bodies on the Power Play, not just playing connect the dots by standing still and passing the puck around. Seguin's shot/pass was adeptly tipped in by Bergeron, who was unnoticed lurking in the slot while the Panthers were mesmerized by Seguin's orbit.

But the lead was short-lived. Florida scored on a post-PP breakaway. And if it weren't for Rask, the Bruins might have lost this game in the 3rd.

Rask kept them in the game with 38 stops. Krejci eventually scored the shootout winner. So while officially his point-streak is over, he still won the game by shooting the puck into the net. Odd how that works out.

The Bruins play the Lightning tonight. Tampa Bay are dead last in the Southeast and have allowed more goals than any team in the NHL.

Photo Credit:
AP Photo

Pats Fans in Heaven

I tried finding an appropriate 3:63 Bible verse (Brady threw for 363 yards), and the best I could find was: Look at them! Sitting or standing, they mock me in their songs. (Lamentations 3:63). And maybe that can be about how much hype Tim Tebow got leading up to this game, and how much people forgot that Tom Brady is a pretty good QB.

All season, the Patriots have won and lost based on the performance of their offense. Their defense isn't good enough to win games when Brady struggles or turns the ball over. On the other hand, the offense is potent enough to win games on its own, even when the defense is terrible. Saturday night, the offense was at its best.

Brady was nearly perfect. His one interception was the only blemish on his performance. 5 touchdowns in the first half, 6 overall. He completed over 3/4 of his passes. He had fewer incompletions (8) than Tebow had completions (9).

One amazing stat struck me. The Patriots were 3 of 6 on 3rd down. What amazes me is that the Patriots got to 3rd down only 6 times. They got 31 first downs. That means that 25 times they didn't even get to 3rd down before getting a new 1st down (they got 3 1st downs from penalties). In other words, even if the Pats had been playing with CFL rules and only getting 3 downs per series, they'd have still moved the chains with regularity.

The line protected Brady all night. 0 sacks. That was a huge reason for Brady's monster stats. When Brady did have some pressure on him, he wasn't able to fully step into his throws, and that's the only time the Patriots' drives sputtered and stalled. For the most part, though, the line gave him time to find open receivers, and space to step into throws.

If not for Brady, Aaron Hernandez would have been the clear star of the game. He caught 4 passes for 55 yards and a TD. He ran for 61 yards. And he had a tackle. That's a diverse night. He left the game early but all reports say that he's alright.

Using him as a runningback was ingenious in its simplicity. When an opponent sees no RBs in the Patriots' huddle, they might go with a lighter personnel package with more DBs, and fewer big guys up front. Then Hernandez lines up in the backfield and the Pats run the ball against a defense designed to stop the pass. So simple, which is why it's so smart.

Hernandez did lose a handle on the ball twice, which makes me nervous. He juggled an exchange from Brady, and lost a ball after being downed by contact. His ball control isn't 100%. He's not Tiki Barber in the early 2000s, but it's something to note.

Gronkowski should endorse a line of vacuum cleaners. Everything that enters his airspace gets sucked in. Bibi Jones can be in the commercials with him for similar reasons.

The defense did well. The only touchdown they allowed came when the Broncos got the ball on the Pats' 24. But let's not compare this unit to 2003 and 2004. The Patriots' offense shot out to a big lead, and the Broncos have one of the worst passers in the NFL. When down by two touchdowns, simply not throwing interceptions isn't good enough.

How do you stop Tebow from his miraculous 4th quarter comebackes? You start the 4th quarter with a 42-10 lead.

The Patriots demonstrated why the option is not a viable NFL offense. Defenses are too fast for the backs to turn the corner. And they're too disciplined and coached too well to make mistakes. They know their assignments and containments.

The Pats' D-line got excellent penetration up the middle, as well as even pressure on each flank. That prevented Tebow from rolling out, which is when he's most dangerous. It also meant that when the Broncos ran the option, they couldn't cut back because Wilfork was already through the line and chasing the play from behind. Tebow was sacked 5 times, the Pats had 10 tackles for a loss, plus that 1st quarter strip-sack.

The effect of negative plays is always harsh on an offense. But on an offense that struggles to move the ball as much as Denver's, negative plays are murder.

The Pats played much better than they've played in their past two postseasons. There were no fake punts. In fact the Patriots' special teams executed very well. There were a few mistakes, but they were quickly atoned for.

Nobody's perfect. But Brady came pretty close.

The Pats face the Ravens next week. The other two offensive juggernauts - the Saints and Packers - are out. The Pats are unique among the NFL's final four. Which means either that they're the best of the offense-heavy teams, or were fortunate to play the Denver Broncos.

How weird is this? The Pats are in the AFC Championship and they still haven't beaten a team with a winning record.

Pats vs. Ravens, Sunday afternoon at 3. I'm excited. Let's party.

Photo Credits:
AP Photo

Patriots/Broncos Preview

I finally figured out why Tebow is such a big story. He was an underdog, who already had believers/fans before he started "beating the odds." So he has the appeal of an underdog, but already had legions of supporters. Which is abnormal. Most underdogs come from nowhere with no fans. Anyway, that's my short explanation of the Tebow phenomenon, at least the core of it.

To the actual game, which I know is a weird thing to talk about this week.

The Patriots saw what Tebow did the Steelers on Sunday. Rather, they saw what the Steelers' defense let Tebow do to them. They will not let that happen again. They're not going to give Tebow man coverage on deep routes. They're not going to bring safeties up to the line. They're going to give the Broncos 6-12 yard curls, as they've given to every team this year. And Tebow will hit some. He might even hit a few in a row. But it'll be tough for him to repeatedly move up and down the field with just these intermediate passes. He's not consistently accurate enough.

And while the Patriots' defense has allowed 4,703 passing yards (2nd worst), they've "only" allowed 26 passing touchdowns (10th worst). They don't allow many big passing plays. Their longest allowed was a 58 yarder. They keep the ball in front of them. The Pats' defense also improves in the Red Zone. The Broncos' offense actually got worse in the Red Zone last week.

Denver can run the ball well. And Tebow typically doesn't turn it over. So the Patriots have to pressure them to score, to keep up.

That's why the Patriots offense will determine this game. If they can protect Brady, if the receivers and tight-ends can get separation, and if Brady does his job, then the Patriots win. I'm not trying to sound arrogant, but this is a 13-3 team against an 8-8 team. A 13-3 team that beat the same 8-8 team on the road, and now they're at home. If the Pats execute, they win.

What will the Pats offense try to do? Hernandez had a great game back in Denver. Look for he, Branch, and occasionally Ochocinco to be cutting across the deeper parts of Denver's defense. And ideally, that will create space underneath for Welker, even some passes RBs. Denver's defense has a few talented pieces, and a few not so talented pieces. The Patriots will use their extensive arsenal of weapons to get the matchups they want.

Denver's only hope on defense is to pressure Brady.

So the Pats' keys to victory will be:

#1:Protect Brady

#2: Be yourselves on offense

#3: Prevent the big plays on defense

I think they'll do all these. It'll be a close game at first, with the Pats pulling away in the second half. Patriots 38, Broncos 24.

I'd Forgotten How Much I Hate the Canadiens

In the aftermath of the Canucks game, I'd forgotten how much I hate the Habs. I'd like to thank P.K. Subban for reminding me.

The Bruins didn't dominate this game. But still found a way to win. The heroes of the game included Tim Thomas, Milan Lucic, and a panel of the end boards behind Carey Price.

Thomas was insanely brilliant. He made so many tough saves at moments when Montreal was vigorously attacking the Bruins' goal. He also bailed out a few B's after they'd made mistakes with the puck.

The best athlete in the world named Tim does not have the last name Tebow. It's the goalie for the Bruins.

One thing the Bruins struggle with when playing Montreal is their speed. The Bruins seem to underestimate Montreal's ability to quickly close passing lanes. And that leads to deflected passes and turnovers. Thomas neutralized Montreal's edge in this area.

Lucic played a physical game all night long. And he wound up scoring the Bruins' only non-lucky-bounce goal. It came when Krejci was able to cycle the puck to Horton along the boards. Lucic was in the slot, being tokenly covered by Tomas Plekanec, and P.K. Subban was preoccupied with holding Krejci against the boards. Lucic scored a sweeping backhand goal and it was the difference in the game.

Subban was targeting Krejci all night. He finally crossed the line with an elbow to the head. I don't care if Subban gets suspended or not. I'm just glad Krejci is OK, and that Andrew Ference stood up for his teammate.

Subban's legs must be made of jelly, because as strong as he is, when someone nudges him his legs give out. He collapsed into a heap once Ference arrived, then looked like an O.W.S. protester being arrested, offering no resistance at all as Ference dragged his limp corpse around the ice. Then he cowered into the fetal position. He's pathetic. Montreal fans love him. Speaks volumes about their fanbase.

As a weird sidebar (sidebar from a Bruins' perspective, at least), the Canadiens traded Mike Cammalleri mid-game to Calgary. Cammalleri made some remarks 24 hours earlier about the team not having a winning attitude. I don't know if he was traded for those remarks or if he was traded because he hasn't been that good this season. Whatever. They do seem like an aimless team, and it's weird to hurriedly trade someone who publicly points that out.

The Bruins start a 4 game, week long roadtrip in Carolina Saturday night.

Photo Credit:
AP Photo

Change for the BCS?

There may be change coming to college football's postseason. At the very least, it will be discussed by the 11 Division I-A conference heads along with Notre Dame's AD. There will be mafia style meetings like when the heads of crime families from across the country meet. There will be discussions on what's best for college football's future. There will be stubbornness, there might be compromise, and the Big East might get whacked.

The SEC wants a playoff. Ironic considering how much they've thrived in current BCS format.

The ACC also wants a playoff.

The Big Ten doesn't. Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delaney is adamant that there be no playoff. He also believes that the world is flat and that the earth is the center of the Universe.

The Pac-12 is a wild card, and could be the best chance for compromise. They could be open to a playoff. So long as the Pac-12/Big Ten/Rose Bowl threesome remains intact. At least they're willing to talk.

The Big XII might want a playoff after seeing Oklahoma State lose 1 game and go to the Fiesta Bowl.

The Big East just wants to survive.

As a demonstration of how messy this discussion is, nobody involved even uses the word "playoff" because it's too inflammatory. "Plus-one" is the term to describe a 4 team playoff. Which makes no sense because there'd be 2 rounds, 3 games, and 4 teams.

Call me cynical, but I don't think there will be any major change from these meetings. Maybe the BCS will only sanction the national title game, instead of the title game and 4 BCS bowls. Maybe the notion of automatic qualification will go out the window, which might stop the musical chairs we've seen in college football.

But there are too many uncompromising people, too many various deal-breaking demands for everyone to be satisfied. And without consensus, there will be no big changes.

Until Jim Delaney dies or gets fired, there won't be any significantly positive change to college football's postseason.

Or maybe, if the BCS does separate itself from the bowls, it might grow as an independent entity. It might eventually build its own playoff system. Just like the NIT. Only with no NCAA tournament to compete with. Think of how popular the NIT would be if it were the only postseason tournament and featured all the best teams. ESPN would pay billions to broadcast a football version of that. And where the TV money goes, the teams will play.

That might make the Orange Bowl less profitable, but I really don't care.

B's Back to Business

With Marchand out, other Bruins were going to have to step up. Pouliot was going to play with Bergeron and Seguin, and guys like Krejci, Horton, Lucic, and Seguin were going to have to step up. And they did.

Krejci is hotter than hot right now. He won 11 of 13 faceoffs, and his 2 assists were highlight reel passes. We really saw a good display of the top line's strengths last night. Krejci's vision and passing, Lucic's skating and drive, and Horton's point blank finishing touch. Krejci has 5 goals and 9 assists in his last 9 games. Horton's scored 5 goals in his last 4 games.

One thing that cost the Bruins on Saturday was lack of a power play goal. They got a timely one from Pouliot last night that sealed the victory. Shawn Thornton also scored on a penalty shot. Yes, that sentence was just written.

Rask was brilliant again. He allowed 3 goals, but all 3 were deflected. And he made some huge, very timely stops in the first 40 minutes of the game.

Speaking of which, the Bruins had their share of sloppiness in this one. Giveaways, not taking care of the puck, and it cost them a few goals. Corvo's intercepted pass was the most blatant. But Rask prevented Winnipeg from flying away (pun intended) with a big lead. And in the 3rd period, the Bruins played like a team determined to win.

Back to Corvo, I'm still waiting to find a reason to like this guy. I don't hate him. There just isn't much to like about him yet. He hasn't contributed much to the offense, which was something he was expected to do. And in my opinion, he's the 6th best defenseman. He's 4th in time on ice, but I'd much rather have Ference's stability or Mcquaid's physicality out on the ice.

Anyway, Corvo isn't costing the team much. And he's not struggling. He just hasn't impressed me yet. He's not Dennis Widemen. And he's certainly not Tomas Kaberle.

The Bruins are back on track, and they end their homestand Thursday when the Canadiens come to town. Montreal are struggling. There was a fight a few days ago in practice between PK Subban and Tomas Plekanec. The team has lost 8 of 11. And their fans' biggest concern is that their interim head coach can't speak French. Nice priorities, Montreal.

Photo Credit:
AP Photo