HIGH FIVES FOR BRUINS

The Bruins scored 5 goals on their way to their 3rd win in a row. That's the most goals they've scored since December 23rd. The B's are also on a 5 game point-streak, and haven't been trailing in any of those games.

But it wasn't as pretty as it should have been or could have been.

The first 30 minutes was sheer dominance. The best the Bruins have looked since Game 2 of the season when they crushed Carolina 7-2. They got 21 shots off in the 1st. After the first 7 minutes of play, Tampa Bay didn't get a single puck on net in the opening period.

But in the 2nd, the Bruins only got 5 shots on goal.

Remember Mighty Ducks 3? The Ducks get recruited to play JV hockey for some prep school. In their first game they score like 8 goals, and everyone's real impressed, then they allow 8 goals in the 3rd period. That's what this game reminded me of.

I actually felt worse about the game AFTER the B's scored the 5th goal. The Bruins play awful when they have leads. And the bigger the lead, the worse they play. They lose their focus and the fundamentals breakdown.

Tuukka Rask is not God. He's mortal (unlike Manny Fernandez) and he has flaws. Flaws which can eventually be polished, but they're still there. All the "Tuukka Time" jerks out there are quick as Mercury to point out Tim Thomas' foibles and miscues, so when I criticize Rask, just shutup and deal with it.



He closes up his 5-hole well enough, but he is slow to close it. That comes with being 6' 2". He's not anticipating things well enough. Again, that can improve with experience. He doesn't steer rebounds away as well as some goalies (Thomas). He's wretchedly indecisive handling the puck.

He's the hot goalie, and if a playoff series started tomorrow, I'd want Rask in net because he is the hot goalie. But he is human.

Had the Bruins blown this game, the season would've ended. No exaggeration here. To surrender a 5 goal lead against a playoff competitor, right before going into the Olympic Break. That's utterly devastating. And guys like Derek Morris did their best to sabotage this win.

I wish the Bruins would alter their breakaway strategy. When you're up by 2+ goals, you're going to force turnovers and get odd man rushes up ice. The Bruins fail to score about 99.9% of the time on these rushes. And what they often do is create a rush for the opponent.

It's simple math. You have a 2-on-1 edge going up the ice, that means your opponent has a 4-on-3 advantage behind you (or worse if you're changing lines). So puck possession is precious in these situations. Unless there's a good scoring chance with the goalie out of position, the B's should hang onto the puck and wait for everyone else. Try to set-up a sustained possession, keeping the puck 150 feet from your own net.

When up 3 or 4 goals, the Bruins need to summon their inner Bill Belichick and "run up the score." The best way to protect a lead is to add to it.

Despite the near tragedy, a win is a win is a win. Michael Ryder looked confident for the first time this season. I think going against Nittymaki, who he's owned in the past, was a good opportunity for him to once again find that scorer's mentality.

Oh, and fuck Steve Downie. Guys like this just piss me off. He tries to fight with Satan, who has been in 2 fights in his 14 year career (Thanks Hockeyfights.com!) Then he instigates Chara by punching him in the back of the head, then Chara turns his 6' 9" 250 pound body around, and suddenly Downie shrinks and turtles.



If you don't want to fight Chara, who is nearly a foot taller and has 50 pounds on you, then don't strike him in the back of the neck. Don't pull on Superman's cape.

Although the whole thing reminded me of this video...



Bruins end their Florida excursion Saturday night against the Panthers. Why does Florida have 2 teams and Wisconsin has 0?

Sources:
ESPN
HockeyFights.com

Photo Credits:
AP Photo/J. Meric

SENIOR CITIZEN CELTICS SUSTAIN SAD STRUGGLES

The Celtics blew yet another double-digit lead last night, in what's becoming an increasingly disturbing trend. This time the C's fell to the barely .500 Hornets. And look out in the rear view mirror because the Raptors are only 4 games behind.

Why is this happening? This team was 23-5 on Christmas. They're 9-13 since then.

To be brutally honest, the Celtics are old. You can blame injuries, but shouldn't you expect injuries from 33 year old power forwards? Did we not see this coming? Pierce, Garnett, and now Ray Allen have all experienced injuries. Injuries that have kept them off the court, AND hindered their performance on it.

In order to have the chance of achieving anything this season, it's time to cash in Ray Allen, and get ANYTHING younger and healthier. Even when healthy, what does Ray Allen do? Shoot threes. And sometimes he hits them, sometimes he hits them. His cold streaks are insufferable, and somehow always seem to happen in the playoffs.

But even trading Allen won't change the destiny of this team. They're a group of ex-thoroughbreds that should be put out to stud. This is their last chance. If they can get healthy, maybe they can make a run. But I doubt it.

This team also needs to find its soul again. There's no more Ubuntu left. You've got Glen Davis worrying about his nickname, a 7 footer taking 3 point shots and harassing officials, then Rondo tries to show some leadership but it gets snuffed by KG. Get back to winning!

Celtics @ Kings next Tuesday.

Source:
ESPN

Photo Credit:
AP Photo/Bill Haber

A PIECE OF THE PAILLE

When the Bruins acquired Daniel Paille, I didn't like the move one bit. I've very much enjoyed regretting that.

Paille scored both of Boston's goals, his 8th and 9th of the season. That's not earth-shattering, but he's been a key part to the Bruins' penalty kill. If you remember, the PK unit struggled when the season began, and now it's 2nd in the League. Without Paille, the recent struggles of the Bruins would have been worse.

If not for the Vezinian quality goaltending from Ryan Miller, the Bruins would have won 4-2, maybe even 5-2. Miller is simply exquisite to watch. He's a spider and the goalmouth is a web that very rarely allows pucks to slip through.



Tuukka Rask had another good game. And I have no problem with him finishing out the roadtrip in net. But for those out there who would go so far as to trade Thomas, just look at the 2nd goal Rask allowed. He's inexperienced, and easily surprised. That's blood in the water for NHL piranhas.

I don't like to focus too much on the selection of shootout shooters, but why Michael Ryder. He doesn't have a good track record in shootouts, and he's colder than the ice he mishandles the puck on. Chara, Satan, Rechhi, Bergeron, HUNWICK, anyone.

Marco Sturm, who leads the Bruins with 18 goals, has been used in a shootout JUST ONCE THIS SEASON. And that was last night. Not surprisingly, he scored.

The less Michael Ryder, the better.

On a positive note, Milan Lucic showed a bit of fierceness last night. I've been close to criticizing Lucic for his invisibility on the ice, but his injuries and my murderous hatred of Dennis Wideman have shielded him. He got his first fighting major in 8 games. And he won the fight.

Bruins visit the Lightning Thursday night. Tampa Bay is only 2 points ahead of the Bruins, so it's a big game.

Sources:
ESPN
NHL

Photo Credit:
AP Photo/David Duprey

AT LEAST PEYTON MANNING IS STILL THE CLASSIEST QB EVER... WAIT...

Remember the shitstorm after Bill Belichick congratulated Tom Coughlin with 0:01 on the clock at the end of Super Bowl XLII? Belichick was vilified by some (particular in the midwest) for not congratulating Coughling TWICE after the Giants won the game (there was some clock error, it went down to 0:00, everyone took the field, then it was fixed to 0:01, and Belichick didn't come out to greet Coughlin again).



The best criticism of Belichick's miscue came from the Anderson Tribune, in Anderson, Indiana. Anderson=40 miles from Indianapolis...

"Leave it to the most classless organization in all of professional sports to swing a steel wrecking ball into four decades of Super Bowl tradition...

"By running off the field with time remaining on the clock during New England’s 17-14 loss to the New York Giants on Sunday, Belichick, whether he intended to or not, swiped a large portion of the winning team’s thunder...

"Go wrap a heartfelt bearhug on New York defensive end Michael Strahan, a future Hall of Fame inductee who in his 15th season finally earned a taste of a Super Bowl championship. Tell him how happy you are for him even if, deep down, you’re not...

"Millions of impressionable teens and preteens, many of them athletes themselves, were watching at home. Nice example, coach. The ball was on the tee. All Belichick had to do was swing. He refused and now looks more moronic than ever, which is saying something."

So I wonder what the Anderson Tribune had to say about Peyton Manning NOT congratulating the Saints on their win. Probably nothing.

Nobody will have anything to say.

Peyton Manning, once thought to be the Greatest Quarterback ever, not only exposed his shortcomings in that department, he also showed the world his true colors in the Classiness department.

What would King Class Tony Dungy have to say, Peyton?



Just to recap, the game ends, and Peyton runs direct from sideline to locker room.



This was his justification for vacating the field so quick and quiet like:

"I certainly know how it was three years ago when we won. There's not much consolation for the guys who didn't win. There's the stage being set up and the celebration. It's time for the Saints to celebrate. It's their field."

Wow! So he's like classier then EVERY OTHER PLAYER IN SUPER BOWL HISTORY who has stayed on the field to offer token congratulations to his victorious opponents. But unlike those assholes, Peyton wanted to give the Saints the field. Why not? He'd already given Tracy Porter the football.



Peyton's taking some flak, even from Indiana. But he's already got his adoring public in line to defend him.

"Walking off the field without congratulating Drew Brees(notes) may go against our misguided notion of what sportsmanship should be, but it wasn't at all disrespectful or bitter. It shows how much Peyton Manning wanted to win the game. And who can argue about that?"

Now maybe this guy stuck up for Belichick too. And maybe I don't care.

Peyton fled the field in a huff, like a whiny, 8 year old child in the midst of a temper tantrum. 'I'm taking the ball and going home!' The cornfed, cleancut, suit and tie wearing, gosh, golly, gee, daggumit, cut that meat, Oreo splitting, polite and polished Peyton Manning exposed himself to be human. To be a shallow, envious, and borderline classless human.

BC WINS BEANPOT

Well I was right about the score (4-3), just wrong about the victor. The BC Eagles rode a 3 goal 2nd period, and sustained a valiant 3rd period comeback bid on their way to the 15th Beanpot title in program history.

BC was simply too fast and too accurate with the puck for BU. It's really that simple. The Eagles' depth, and the fact that they put 5 forwards out on power plays really gives them unbelievable quick-strike capability. That's probably why they're 3rd in goals per game in the country at 3.8. That's why they've scored 22 goals in their last 4 games.

As Jack Parker quips, the Beanpot ushers in "Trophy Season." It kicks off the stretch run of the season with a bang. And in the last two years, it's catapulted two eventual National Champions.

For BU, their season is now a salvage operation. Tied for 5th in Hockey East, and below .500 they have little hope of making the NCAAs (they'd need to win the HE Conference Tournament).

For BC, they're riding a 4 game win streak. They're scoring goals, and getting solid goaltending from John Muse (who won Beanpot MVP, and is now 5-1 in the competition). If they matchup with the right teams, they could be Frozen Four candidates.

This goal was sick:

BEANPOT PREVIEW

For the 20th time in 58 years, it's BC vs. BU in the Beanpot Final. BU is looking for their 30th title, and BC their 15th.

This is the 4th meeting of the season between BC and BU. Funnily enough, it's also the 4th different venue. They met at Agganis Arena in December, Fenway Park in January, then Conte Forum just a few weeks ago.

On paper, BC is the better team. They're faster, and are more skilled at putting the puck in the back of the net. But BU matches up against them extremely well, and they've won 2 of 3 matches this season.

The Terriers' 11-11-3 record disguises how well they've played good teams this year. They beat #19 Michigan, #18 UMass-Lowell twice, #15 UMass twice, #14 Boston College twice, and tied #5 Cornell in Madison Square.

And although the game's at the Garden, which is technically "neutral ice," this is BU's tournament. It's hard to argue with history (46th time for BU in the finals, that's 46 out of 58 or 79.3% and 29 wins).

I'm picking the Terriers in an exciting 4-3 tussle.

SUPER BOWL RECAP

What a game, much closer and more exciting than the final score suggests. In fact, the last three Super Bowls have all been instant classics.

Coming into the game, the primary storyline and general consensus was that this would be Peyton Manning's coronation as King of QBs. And while the Saints had a more compelling backstory, their mere presence in the Big Game was victory enough for the City of New Orleans. The Saints were definitely David against Goliath.

During the postgame malarkey, the media kept talking about the Saints' "comeback." But they only fell behind 10-0. Their offense struggled to get going, but give credit to their defense for keeping it a 10-0 deficit.

The Saints adjusted their passing routes, and took advantage of the ample time Drew Brees had in the pocket. Apart from Freeney's one-handed sack, Brees was hardly ever rushed, always had a clear line of sight, and had excellent passing lanes. A Saints field goal, combined with the Colts going 3 and out, was the turning point of the game. And it came 7 minutes into the 2nd quarter.



The Saints were a 4th & goal at the 1, off tackle rushing play away from tying the game as early as the 2nd quarter. But even after that failed, the Saints' defense stopped Manning in the 2 minute drill, giving Garrett Hartley another chance at a long field goal.

Garrett Hartley is a bit of an unsung hero in this game. Not only was he a clutch in the NFC Championship, but he all three of his field goals, all over 44 yards. Kickers have really struggled this postseason, but Hartley was 5/5, with all of his kicks 40+ yarders.

The Saints were super aggressive to start the 2nd half. They were also extremely confident in their defense, which had adapted to Manning and the Colts.

Going for it on 4th and Goal, trying a random onside kick, I was reminded of Bill Belichick. In 2005, the Patriots tried an onside kick in the 3rd quarter of an eventual loss to the Colts. And we all remember 4th & 2. It's amazing how much execution can make a coach look good.

The onside kick set up a Saints touchdown, which was good because the Colts' offense woke up on the next drive with a touchdown of their own.



The Saints answered with a field goal to retake the lead at 17-16. It was starting to look like this would be an offensive slugfest, with the last team with the ball winning. But it wasn't. The Colts were shutout in the 4th quarter.

The New Orleans defense, unsung heroes for the 2 weeks leading up to the Super Bowl (for the whole season really), and still unsung heroes, stopped the Colts, and forced a long field goal attempt, that was short and to the left. The game was over, even though nobody yet knew it.

Brees engineered a 58 yard touchdown drive that consisted of 2 runs and 7 short passing plays. Only one play of the drive was longer than 10 yards, and that was a Reggie Bush run. The Saints' offensive adjustments were complete, they took advantage of the time Brees had in the pocket to send their big receivers on complicated and involved patterns. This left players open underneath or on comeback routes, and with room to advance once they caught the ball.

But the outcome was still in doubt, down by 7 with 5:42 left is supposedly when Peyton "Best QB Ever" Manning shines. And he did advance the ball into Saints territory. But as I've mentioned, the Saints had adjusted. Tracy Porter smelled the ball, and picked off Manning. It was vintage Ty Law.



To put an exclamation point on the 31-17 win, the Saints defense came up with a goal-line stand as the clock ticked away.

The Saints deserved this win, as a team, not just because of Katrina or anything. They played well, and actually wanted to go undefeated, unlike the Colts.

Brees was the MVP of the game, but the Saints won as a team. From Hartley to Bush, to Colston, Henderson, Shockey, and the entire defense. And Sean Payton, too, who wasn't afraid of being second guessed. He knew that winners are aggressive, losers are passive. He went for the win and his players executed.



Fuck Tony Dungee

Photo Credits:
AP Photo
NFL Photo

B'S BE BACK IN BUSINESS, BABY

Last Monday I was cautiously optimistic after an 0-1-1 weekend. So as you can imagine, I'm thrilled after a 1-1-0 weekend. With an OT loss Saturday and a shutout win Sunday, the Bruins have collected 4 points in 4 games. The sun isn't high in the sky just yet, but it's starting to peak over the horizon.

I'll focus more on Sunday's 3-0 shutout win over Montreal because it's much more pleasant to write about.

It was a game of firsts. The first Bruins victory since January 14th. Adam McQuaid scored his first NHL goal. And Blake Wheeler got into his first NHL fight.



It wasn't an epic debut for Wheeler into the world of fighter, but just the fact that he felt scrappy enough to drop the gloves, and was actually the only one in the fight who threw a punch, is a good sign.

Tuukka Rask is the hot goalie, and you have to ride him while he's hot. I'm still not completely sold on him, but the results don't lie. Besides, goaltending isn't this team's biggest concern, so why not let Rask play until he starts losing?



David Krejci left the game early with an undisclosed injury. The good news is that the Olympic Break commences soon. And honestly, I'm not going to miss Krejci's ghostlike presence on the ice, or lack of presence. He might be available for Tuesday's game in Buffalo.

To be perfectly frank, I was hoping Krejci would be out for a few weeks. Ryder too. I'd much rather have a forceful line with Sobotka and Bitz out there. Krejci's looked fine his last few games, but he's been lacking in every department all season long.

The Bruins bring their roadtrip to Buffalo Tuesday, then Tampa Bay Thursday and Florida Saturday. Then it's Olympic time. Hopefully a strong series of games will give the B's some positives to reinforce over the break.

Source:
ESPN

Photo Credits:
AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Graham Hughes