I apologize for the horrible attempt at putting two words together in the title, but this blog will just be some thoughts and observations I've had in the world of sports recently.

• It's a pity that the NBA and NHL couldn't have worked out some kind of deal in regards to their playoff schedules. With the Detroit Red Wings and the Detroit Pistons each battling deep into their respective post-seasons, one figures it'd be a joyous time to be a Detroit fan. However, due to issues between the leagues (that I assume involve mainly money), the Stanley Cup Finals and the Eastern Conference Finals are not only being played on the same nights, but at the same TIMES (give or take 25 minutes). This move forces fans in Detroit to essentially pick sides, or desperately try to balance the two (I saw a few fans in the Game 4 crowd in Detroit wearing Red Wings jerseys). Even me, as a Bostonian, wishes there was some other arrangement. While my Bruins are eliminated, I find nothing more exciting than playoff hockey, especially the Cup Finals. I've found myself flipping back and forth trying to watch both games, while considering getting TiVo instead. It's a shame that this has probably ended in the NHL getting lower ratings. A casual fan would probably be more inclined to watch the NBA, as the Celtics and Lakers resurgence has been well broadcast across the media spectrum. With this being the NHL's big chance to showcase some of its best young and old talent, a dispute over dollars may have the teams playing in Kevin Garnett's shadow.

• The NBA has decided to come down on "floppers", taking a page out of the NHL's book (cracking down on diving and embellishing). I'm not sure what effect this will have on the game as a whole, but I wouldn't be surprised if offensive fouls drop drastically, either because of perceived flops or because of players getting set late because of hesitation. I'd rather see the NBA promote a "Let the boys play" approach. It seems like every drive results in some ticky-tacky foul, and if no foul is called, the players look around, hands raised, mortified at what just happened. Enough with the weak fouls, and enough with the whining. These players act like children when they don't get their way, sulking down the court and glaring daggers at the referees. Grow up.

• The Celtics have a chance to set up a throwback NBA finals, as a win tonight would undoubtedly bring back Celtics-Lakers memories of old. I'm a little too young to remember any kind of fierce rivalry, but my father and uncles certainly do. Hopefully the Celtics can advance, and can give the fans a generation ahead of me a Finals to look forward to.

• A lot seems to have been made on this website about Jason Whitlock's piece on tattoos. I tend to agree with the multitudes here when I say I don't really think it's that accurate. Yes ratings are up, but does that have anything to do with tattoos? The ratings boost could just be because of the rivalries that have made up these conference finals, or, taking a Boston-centric view, because two of the league's more storied franchises in Boston and LA are seemingly on a collision course. Far be it for me to judge Jason Whitlock, as he is a great writer, but it seems like the took two unrelated statistics and fused them together here. I can honestly say that I've never looked at an NBA player and said "Wow, I'm changing the channel, this guy has too many tattoos". On a more logical note, during play it's not exactly easy to pick out tattoos anyways, but that's just nitpicking. There's my $0.02 on the latest buzz on FoxSports.com

So after remarkably predicting the exact score of Game 5 (tongue in cheek patting on the back here), I decided to write a few quick words about tonight's game six.

• In a way, I almost feel like this is a type of must win for this Celtics team. Yes, they have a solid core of veterans, but of veterans who are of the "close but no cigar" mold. With every road loss, the "Celtics can't win away from Boston" rumblings have grown louder and louder, to the point where one must wonder if it is beginning to get inside the players' heads a bit. I suspect that it may just be fan/media chatter, but one can't help but wonder if the Celtics are starting to feel the pressure. If the C's can't win on the road tonight, yet still manage to win a seventh game, imagine the pressure that's going to be on them to win in Detroit. Yikes.

• I think the loss of Daniel Gibson may prove big for the Cavs. Yes, he's a bench player, but is a dependable shooter, especially from long-distance. Also, is Delonte West's eye/allergy problems continue, losing Gibson could be even more devastating.

• Overall, game five was a pretty good game for the Celtics, despite some near hairy moments at the end. They came back strong, played pretty good defense, and held off the late charge. One thing I did notice, however, at the repeated prompting of TNT's broadcasters, is that the Celtics seem to be playing lock-down defense for 20 seconds each possession. Any time the Cavs started really passing the ball around almost in shot-clock expiring desperation, it seemed like the Celtics began to scramble a lot. It'll be interesting to see if Mike Brown tests this theory with some plays designed to slow the game down, and draw the Celtics defense out of sync.

• And on a final note, Jay-Z has been banned from the TD Banknorth Garden for life and fined $25,000 for flashing gang signs at an unknown member of the crowd.

Finally, in an attempt to gain a reputation as a FoxBlog Fortune Teller, a score prediction:

A back and forth game, but the Celtics manage to get the "Can't Win on the Road" #### off their backs and end King James' 2008 Reign:

Celtics 99, Cavaliers 93


Thanks for stopping by, and feel free to leave comments.

I haven't posted in a while, as I've been writing in some other blogs, but figured now would be a good time for a basketball post. Enjoy.

• Well, the Celtics managed to dig themselves into another hole, now facing what is essentially a must-win home game tonight after dropping two straight to the Cavs on the road. Game 3 was a total loss from the opening tip, while the C's couldn't seem to combine a basket with a defensive stop to save their lives in the fourth quarter of Game 4. So now it's back to the Garden, where the Celtics better right the ship fast, or risk being kicked out of the playoff party a little early by King James and Co.

• Speaking of James, the incident with Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, James, and his mother, Gloria James (upon reading that sentence a second time, it sounds like the beginning of a bad dirty joke) was probably one of the funnier moments I've seen in sports recently. I had no idea the woman was James' mother, and actually wonder if KG knew who it was. Nevertheless, she didn't hesitate to get right in Pierce's face, only to be deterred by Garnett and James, who supposedly said something to the effect of "Ma, sit your #### down!", which only makes the situation more funny. Check out the death look she's giving as the play develops:

What I don't understand is the people who are defending her, saying "Good for her, that was a cheap play", or "I would have done that too, he could have hurt LeBron!" Spare me. Pierce did the right thing in that situation. He didn't want to give up an easy two points, so he fouled James, and wrapped him up, clearly trying to prevent him from falling into the net or crowd. The two's momentum carried them into the stands, where Mommy Dearest came roaring to the rescue. The foul wasn't a big deal, but fans in the Q screamed bloody murder, as they do (and this isn't to pick on Cavs fans, all fans do this with their superstars) whenever James is touched, whether it be a clean block or a hard foul. After the "fracas" subsided, James and Pierce exchanged a sort of fist-pound, something to the effects of "Hey man, no hard feelings, keep playing, etc." Both Pierce and James seemed OK with the play, and it only ended up counting for two points, but Gloria James jumping into the action made it a much bigger deal than it was.

• Another note on this series: Having not seen many Cavs games this year, I've been shocked at the play of Zydrunas Ilgauskas. Any Cavs fans who stumble across this post may be able to enlighten me further, but has he always shot like this? The guy seems to have a smooth stroke from beyond the elbows and free throw line, and has been the Cavs best player at times. This series features two big men who can shoot (the other being KG), and it's been great to watch so far.

• If this series ends in favor of the Cavs, there will almost certainly be calls for Doc Rivers' head to be mounted atop the Zakim Bridge. While this would be extreme, and I'd be shocked if he were fired with a series loss, I have begun to question some of his moves this series. Bill Simmons wrote on ESPN.com something to the extent of "the only way the Celtics aren't going to the NBA Finals is if Rivers overcoaches them". I'm not sure that he's overcoaching as much as he just isn't making the right moves. Why was Glen Davis out there deep into the fourth quarter, with the game still in the balance? Why does Rajon Rondo continue to be stapled to the bench in big situations? Yes, he's not as experienced as Sam Cassell, but Cassell hasn't done much either, besides fill George Costanza's role as a "chucker", shooting whenever he gets the chance. Rondo has been great this series, creating plays and scoring on some nice looking drives. Let the kid play, Doc. He's gotta learn somehow.

• On another King James note, it's good to see the media kowtowing to him continues. Sure, I'll probably be ripped for this by Cavs fans, so let me preface this by saying the following: Yes, he is the best player in the NBA. Yes, he is going to be one of the greatest players ever. Yes, he does deserve praise and credit. Yes, I'd love to have him on the Celtics. Anything else? Now that the disclaimer is out of the way (though I still expect comments like "Don't be jealous!"), TNT's gushing of all things LBJ is getting old. I'm not entirely sure which of the trio it is, though I believe it's Jeff Van Gundy. For example, Van Gundy spent plenty of time gushing about a pass that James made when he left his feet. From hearing Van Gundy talk, one would think James just dunked it from the three point line. Other things that have been said:

• "Wow, Kevin Garnett actually knocked James DOWN on that foul! Wow! Usually, it's James who knocks the person down while he gets fouled and he scores too! Wow!"

• "Eddie House just fouled Lebron! Now he'll be able to tell all of his grandchildren that he knocked down the King once! Awesome!"

Again, don't get me wrong. Lebron is an amazing player, and deserves some praise, but come on Jeff. Take off the LBJ23 Nikes and chill a little.

Now for some actual predicting. Game 5 is going to be huge, and I don't really see a blowout coming on either side. I think the Cavs are going to put up a lot more of a fight than they did the first two times in Boston, and that the Celtics may be feeling a little pressure, with all of the "they can't win on the road!" talk building. The scary thing about this series, from a Celtics fan's perspective, is that James really hasn't gone off yet. Yes, he's been a catalyst, and huge for the Cavs, but he hasn't played to his full capacity yet, which is terrifying. Celtics fans who watch the rest of the NBA may have had nightmares last night about James' performance against the Pistons in last year's playoffs, in which he took control and essentially beat Detroit by himself.

So what happens tonight? Only time will tell, but here's my guess:


Boston 96, Cleveland 89


Thanks for stopping by.

There's a lot going on in the world of sports this weekend, so I figured I'd touch on a few different things for this post.

• As far as the NFL Playoffs go, all four games this weekend were pretty entertaining. I didn't catch much of the Seahawks-Redskins game, or of the Titans-Chargers. I have to say that I was hoping the Titans would win against San Diego, for two reasons: One being that I like the underdog, and two being that LT is a huge whinebag, and seeing him and Philip "I was just cheering on my teammate" Rivers exit in the first round again would have been pretty sweet. It seems like taunting is OK, as long as its your team doing it, huh LT? Regardless of whether or not I like him, however, LT is the best running back in the game, and their matchup with the Colts next weekend should be a good one. (One of the good things about the Seahawks winning is we get to see a Matt Hasselbeck vs. Lambeau Field rematch. You gotta love Matt's enthusiasm here, but let's hope it turns out better for him this time around...)
  
• The other game that I thought was interesting was the Steelers-Jaguars game. When I originally saw the score, the Jags were way up, and I figured the game was over. Kudos to the Steelers for coming back, but I think their go ahead score was helped along by a questionable pass interference call. I can't find a video link to it, but the replay clearly showed that Ward had his hand in the Jags' player's facemask the entire time, letting go at the end to...complain to the ref. In the end, the Jags' prevailed, and have earned the right to face the Patriots next week. This should be a good game, as Garrard certainly showed some composure down the stretch, and Jones-Drew and Taylor are a formidable one-two punch. Saturday night will be fun in Foxboro.
• Boston College hosted a marquee matchup at the Heights on Saturday, and got absolutely steamrolled by the Kansas Jayhawks. It's good to see that BC continues to be completely inept when it comes to winning big games. Take THAT for not accepting me...
  
• The Pittsburgh Penguins continue to get stellar goaltending from journeyman Ty Conklin, who is now 7-0 as a starter. And I thought it was just the Bruins who made third-string goalies look spectacular...
• The Celtics got a huge win against the Pistons on Saturday night, and got a huge performance from "Big Baby", Glen Davis. Davis was all over the place down the stretch last night, going after rebounds like Cookie Monster after some snacks. Davis had a couple of And-1's and a key offensive rebound late, all amounting to a clutch fourth quarter performance. This was a big win for the C's, as they avenged their only home loss of the season and showed the Pistons that they aren't ready to just accept second place in the Eastern Conference. These two teams should engage in some more great battles down the stretch, and may be primed for an Eastern Conference Finals showdown.
• No post would be complete without some Bruins comments, as the B's have been playing a lot better since ending their losing streak last Monday. They've now one three straight, over the Thrashers, Capitals and Devils. They held on last night, and got a timely save from none other than Glen Metropolit in the closing seconds. Brian Gionta continues to try and start with Zdeno Chara, then watches as everyone on his team comes to his defense, mainly because Chara would send Gionta into next week with one punch. The B's are in what I'm going to call a "proving ground" stretch of their schedule, with games this week against the Devils, Hurricanes and Canadiens, all teams they have yet to beat this season (with the exception of beating the Devils yesterday). If the B's can emerge from this 3 game stretch at 2-1, and they're in good shape, having won the first one, I'd be thrilled.
• The Flyers propensity for throwing huge/borderline hits finally came back to hurt them, this time quite literally. To be honest, I can't throw much blame on Hatcher for the hit, but it was a questionable hit to throw in the first place. It's unfortunate that he hit his own teammate, and hopefully Lupul will be OK. I do wonder, however, if Flyers' fans are going to come out in droves again, calling this simple Old Time Hockey. Hmmmmm...
• The Roger Clemens-Brian McNamee carousel continues to turn, with essentially each calling the other a liar. I didn't see the 60 Minutes piece, but my brother who did said that it was essentially Clemens simply saying "No, I didn't do it" over and over again, without much elaboration. This article on ESPN.com tells a similar story, with one of Clemens' lawyers saying that anyone who didn't believe Clemens after seeing that interview is "not a well person". Uhhh...OK. Basically, this is amounting to a case of He said-He said. Clemens says it was lidocaine and B-12, McNamee says it was testosterone. Basically, one of these people is going to be shamed publicly and called a liar. If it's Clemens, many of his accomplishments may (whether it's the right way to view it or not) be invalidated. If it's McNamee, does this invalidate the whole Mitchell Report, to which he was a big contributer. Basically, it's the word of a 300 game winner against that of a "clubhouse mole". Hopefully, the "true truth" will come out, but it isn't going to be easy, and will probably get a lot uglier before this all ends.

That's enough for a big sports weekend, and next weekend is shaping up to be just as big. Let's hope the Patriots Pain Train keeps on rolling...

Happy Holidays and a Happy, Healthy New Year to all of the readers out there!





As you can see if you read this blog, I fell very far behind in these game blogs. I've realized that there are plenty of places to read a game story, and that a FoxSports blog is probably not the first place one would look. I'm still going to comment on most of the games, just in less o####ame report fashion.


Since that last post on the December 20th game against Pittsburgh, the Bruins have fallen on rough times indeed. At that point, the Bruins sat in 4th place in the Eastern Conference, and were within reasonable striking distance of the first place Ottawa Senators. However, since scraping a point out of that Penguins contest, the B's lost to the Blues at home, the Pens in Pittsburgh, the Hurricanes in Raleigh, were destroyed by the Thrashers in Atlanta, and won a good game against those same Thrashers on New Year's Eve. Also, before that OTL on the 20th, the B's had lost at home to the Senators. So what does that all mean? It means that the Bs went from fourth place in the conference to being tied for tenth before Monday afternoon's game by going 3-6-1 in their last 10 games. Currently, the B's are tied for seventh in the conference with 42 points (same as the Philadelphia Flyers and New York Islanders), and have fallen to third place in the Northeast division, 3 points behind second place Montreal and a whopping 12 behind the Senators. To make matters worse, the B's have yet to beat Montreal or Ottawa this season in six tries.

So what does this all mean? Is it all downhill from here for the Bruins, just as Kevin Paul Dupont so direly predicted?

Maybe, but Monday's win certainly was encouraging. After falling behind 2-0 early, the Bruins scored 5 straight goals to avoid another embarrassment at the hands of the Thrashers. The team showed some resiliency after falling behind early, and really dominated the second and third periods of that game. I consider tomorrow a must win against the Caps here at home, simply because the Caps are in 14th place, and this is a game the Bruins should win.

(On a historical note, Dennis Wideman scored the Bruins' franchise's 18,000th goal, the first of the game on Monday. They are the second team to reach that milestone, with Montreal being the first.)

Where do we go from here? No one can tell, really. Brandon Bochenski, the Bruins underperforming, underplayed, and somewhat grumpy sniper was shipped to the Ducks for defenseman Shane Hnidy and a 6th round draft pick in 2008 tonight.

What's the deal with this trade? Hard to say, really. The B's added another defenseman, filling a void after Aaron Ward has been hurt, as has Andrew Ference. The B's defense has been their strong point, and they faltered when their d-men got hurt as of late. Hnidy also brings a physical and intimidating presence to the ice, making the B's a bit tougher of a team overall.

(BTW, for all of you Bruins fans who remember PJ Stock, and all of you should, Hnidy went toe to toe with him twice...in the same game.)

Why did Bochenski have to go? A few different reasons, really. He wasn't fitting in here, and wasn't really playing well (when he was even playing). He didn't seem to fit in Claude Julien's system, and didn't really show many flashes of that offensive firepower he showed towards the end of last year when he came from Chicago in exchange for Kris Versteeg. To put it plainly, he wasn't doing what the B's needed from him, and Anaheim must have expressed an interest in him. Best of luck to Bochenski in Anaheim. Let's hope he's not another former Bruins who goes out West and revives his career. Who could that be?

All in all, this is really meant to be a "get caught up to now" post. Nothing too detailed, nothing too in depth. Right now, the B's find themselves in a tough spot, needing to stick it out through these difficult times, or they risk seeing their great start fall through the cracks.

In the spirit of the New Year, here are some resolutions for some Bruins players:

Chuck Kobasew: Keep up the good work! Kobasew has been the Bruins most consistent offensive player this season, and is making the Brad Stuart trade seem pretty lopsided at this point. Before Milan Lucic added a goal in the closing seconds last time out against Ottawa, Kobasew had been the only Bruin to score this year against the Sens. He has shown toughness, determination, and a great work ethic. Hopefully he can keep it up, as he seems to be on pace for a career year, which the Bruins would certainly appreciate.

Marco Sturm: Wake Up! Sturm has fallen off the map as of late, and at the worst possible time. The B's need offense desperately, and with Glen Murray out for an unknown amount of time, Sturm can't afford to get cold now.

(For evidence of how intense Sturm is, check out this picture...of a table tennis game. And no, this isn't sarcastic at all. Have a look.)

Phil Kessel: Keep on keepin' on! Kessel is a great talent, and cannot get down on himself. After a lackluster effort (in Julien's eyes) against the Penguins, Kessel suffered what may have been the first benching of his entire hockey career. He didn't take it too well, but did seem to respond the next time out. He worked hard on both ends, and scored a goal in the third period. Kessel is the future of the B's, and can't let all of the doubters who cited his bad attitude be proved correct. These past few weeks could prove to be little more than growing pains for Kessel, who should be on his way to becoming an NHL star very soon.

Tim Thomas: Calm down! Any Bruins fan who has watched this team over the past few years knows that Tim Thomas has made some highlight reel saves. However, an educated fan knows that many of these saves are necessary because Thomas finds himself horribly out of position at times. One of the reasons for his early season success was that he was a lot more sturdy in the net, and didn't find himself flopping around at all. Why is that? Some say it is his increased strength, others say yoga helped him. Either way, he has looked a little flustered out there in recent efforts, and needs to get back to keeping it simple, and stopping one shot at a time.

Peter Chiarelli- Look to the future! Chiarelli is on the hot seat, and is, in all likelihood, done if the B's don't make the playoffs this season. One of the things that bothers me about this is that he is almost like a GM with nothing to lose, willing to sell the farm to make it now. Barring a major Brad Richards/Martin St. Louis/Vincent Lecavalier/Marian Hossa level trade, this Bruins team isn't one that is going to be a Stanley Cup favorite. It is going to take another year or two, and the B's have one of the stronger farm teams in the league. Be patient (and the same goes for the Jacobs family in regards to firing Chiarelli), and the B's youngsters times will come.


That's enough Bruins writing for tonight. Let's hope the B's can get back on the winning track with their second straight tomorrow night against Alexander Ovechkin and Co.


Thanks for stopping by, and please feel free to leave comments on this format change or on anything above.

AT

My original plan for this post was as follows:


This game sucked.

And I had the privilege of being there to witness it.



But, the boys did make a good comeback, and taking a point out of this game is something to be proud of. However, this team never should have let itself get in that big of a hole to begin with.

There really isn't much to write about this game, but to me this game set this team apart from last year's version, which is why I disagreed with Kevin Paul Dupont's Globe article (see Game 32's post) in the first place. This isn't last year's team, this team has some pride and has a coach who will not let his team show him up with a stinking performance.

A loss is a loss, but this team showed that it had some pride and some fight in them by stealing a point from the Penguins.

Hopefully, the B's can learn something from their performance tonight, and put together a good performance on Saturday, when I'll be there to witness the return of old friend Brad Boyes, who scored his 20th goal tonight and is on pace for 50+.

Tying this game up after being down 4-0 makes me feel good about this team, and this was one point that was certainly hard earned.

Also, credit Zdeno Chara for attempting to light a fire under his team with two "fights" against Penguins' enforcer and league-renowned tough guy, Georges Laraque. While neither of the two bouts were much in the way of fights, Chara showed that he is able to take control of his team and do something to get them going, even if it means putting one's health on the line. Kudos to Chara for trying to get his team to show some "fight".

Speaking of fights, the Crosby-Ference fight was decent. It's ridiculous that Ference got the additional two minutes for roughing, considering that Crosby was punching at him before the fight began too. Of course, Crosby is the Golden Child, and can do no wrong. Ference got cut from the visor on his own helmet, not from a Crosby punch. Both TSN and ESPN are saying he fought to "at least a draw", which I guess I could agree with. I'm glad Ference fought him, and Chara threw some hits against him. I actually like the Penguins, and like Crosby and Malkin, just not when they're playing the Bruins.

Speaking of Malkin, he really is an amazing player. He is an incredibly strong skater, and seems to have some serious chemistry with his linemate Crosby. I remember first hearing of Malkin in the Olympics a few years back, and it's been great to see him develop into such a talented player. Again, however, not against the Bruins.

Go B's Go.


GOALS

Boston- Marco Sturm (11), PJ Axelsson (5), Petteri Nokelainen (3), Dennis Wideman (4)

Pittsburgh- Evgeni Malkin (12,13), Sidney Crosby (16), Erik Christensen (4)

SAVES

Boston- Tim Thomas, 25 saves on 29 shots

Pittsburgh- Ty Conklin, 37 saves on 41 shots



NEXT GAME: Saturday, December 22 vs. St. Louis Blues, 1:00 PM EST

Wait...what do you mean "lost"? Lost what, their 20-point lead? Wow, they only won by 5 or something?

No, what do you mean, LOST?






Yes, it finally happened, the Celtics lost another game...this time at HOME! The C's rewarded ESPN.com, who promoted them to the top of the Power Rankings, by losing.

So is it finally time for the real season to begin? After the first 22 games were little more than a stroll through Boston Common, the Celtics are set to embark on what is said to be the first true test section of their schedule: vs. Orlando on December 23rd, at Utah and L.A. Lakers on back to back nights (December 29th and 30th), at Detroit (January 5th), then back to back games again, this time at New Jersey and at Washington (January 11th and 12th). The Utah/LA games will serve as the end of a four game West Coast swing, which is never an easy task for any NBA team.

On ESPN earlier last week, Bill Walton said that this was the time when the Celtics would show if they were truly one of the league's elite teams (which, according to Chauncey Billups after last night's game, is true). Their early schedule was pretty much a cakewalk, with only occasional challenges from Orlando and Toronto thrown in the mix.

20-3 is quite impressive, but the Celtics still need to prove that they can run with the big boys, and last night's game against Detroit was one of those tests. Even though they lost, the Celtics proved that they are a tough team, and had many chances to win that game. Paul Pierce's ill-advised jumper sealed the deal, as he had plenty of time to up-fake, drive to the net, or even kick the ball out to someone else. There were way too many offensive rebounds for the Pistons, something that a team cannot allow when it is trying to make a comeback. Also, too many stupid fouls (no, not Tony Allen's...everyone in the building was sold on Billups' up-fake) that occurred away from the play or on loose balls. These are all things that the Celtics can build upon, and they should come away from this game angry that they let it get away, not proud that they were able to "hang in there" against Detroit.

That said, last night's game had a great atmosphere, and was a lot of fun to watch. It felt like a playoff game, something that hasn't been seen in the Garden since the Pacers blew the Celtics out of the water a few years back. Ray Allen's clutch three-pointers were incredible, as was the sharpshooting of Billups, who abused Rajon Rondo down the stretch. Basketball was fun again in Boston last night, despite the loss.

Who knows, maybe we'll see some more Celtics-Pistons games down the road, say, in June?

Paging Bill Laimbeer...

                           AT





I called this one a must-win, a game that would prove the Bruins were contenders in the East and...they came out flat.

And lost.

Is this 2006-2007 all over again?

The Boston Globe's Kevin Paul Dupont certainly seems to think so.

While I hadn't realized the eerie similarities between these past two seasons, I don't think I'll take Dupont's doomsday approach. He seems to smell a giant collapse coming, while I won't go that far. This team certainly is in trouble, as they cannot seem to string together much offense on a nightly basis. Their defense is strong, but they sometimes rely too much on defense, and let offense fall by the wayside. The team needs some offensive help, that much is certain. Where has Peter Schaefer been? Marco Sturm? Glen Murray, one of the hottest scorers as of late, has fallen off of the map as well. The B's need these guys to step up, and better pray that Chuck Kobasew and Marc Savard continue to produce. If not, it'll be "deja vu all over again".

On a team so desperate for offense, this certainly is good news.


As far as this game goes, the B's looked OK, but seemed to be one step behind the Sens all night. The 4 minute power play was the nail in the coffin, and the B's actually did a fairly respectable job killing it. However, it takes a lot more energy to kill a penalty than to run a power-play, and eventually, something's got to give. In this case, it was a goal for the Senators' Jason Spezza, who got two chances to smack it home after a laser of a pass from Daniel Alfredsson.

Alex Auld didn't play all that poorly, either, though he will likely get a rest against the Penguins on Thursday. The 3rd goal came as he had lost his stick in a desperate dive to cover the puck, trying to get the B's a much needed line change. Who knows, if he has his stick, maybe he can poke check the puck before Spezza gets that second whack at it. The first goal was a rocket from about 10 feet away, with the puck on edge. No goalie can be faulted for not stopping a 90 mile an hour knucklepuck. The middle goal may have some room for blame, as Auld got himself out of position, allowing Luke Richardson the easy tap-in. Overall, however, Auld made some spectacular saves and was generally solid. However, with Tim Thomas healthy again, it appears that the dream-run of Auld the Bald may be on hold for a while.

Other than that, what else can be said? This was a disappointing showing all around: the defense was lacking, the offense was, to say the VERY least, lacking, and the goaltending was less than stellar. A lackluster effort isn't going to get the job done against the defending Eastern Conference champions. It's back to the drawing board for the B's, who must now look for new ways to produce goals while staying strong defensively.

If not, it could be (as it continues to snow here in Boston) another loooooooooooooooong winter.


GOALS

Boston- Chuck Kobasew (13), Milan Lucic (3)

Ottawa- Jason Spezza (9,10), Luke Richardson (1)

SAVES

Boston- Alex Auld, 24 saves on 27 shots

Ottawa- Martin Gerber, 26 saves on 28 shots



NEXT GAME: Thursday, December 20 vs. Pittsburgh Penguins, 7:00 PM EST

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The Bruins welcomed an "unusual" opponent to the Garden on Saturday in the form of the Columbus Blue Jackets, a team who hadn't visited since 2003. Thankfully, the Bruins were less than hospitable, and used their stifling defense and the stellar goaltending of Auld the Bald to keep their streak alive, that streak being the only team in the NHL yet to suffer back to back regulation losses.

I only managed to catch the third period of this game because of work, but I've heard it was a pretty slow game, some even called it boring. The first bit of excitement came 2:18 in, when Milan Lucic dropped the gloves against the Jackets' Jared Boll. Apparently, there is some history between these two, as Lucic destroyed Boll with one punch in last year's Memorial Cup Semifinals. Lucic said something to the effect of that Boll grabbed his legs on the way down and flipped him backwards (this was in the Boston Globe). I couldn't find video of that fight, but even though Boll lasted a bit longer this time, Lucic still gave him a good pounding.

Shortly after, the Bruins got all of the offense they needed from an unlikely source: Jeremy Reich, who potted his first NHL goal. It's good to see Reich rewarded for his hard work of late, as he, along with Petteri Nokelainen and Vladimir Sobotka, have been true spark plugs for the B's on the fourth line.

After this, the game seemed to go into lockdown mode, with Auld the Bald having to make a few big saves, including a breakaway stop on the Jackets' best player, Rick Nash. It was good to see Sir Bald bounce back from his first loss as a Bruin, and he definitely did play well again.

Another great play in this game again involved Rick Nash, except this time it didn't result in a shot on goal. Late in the third, Nash took a great pass from his own defensive zone off of the boards and rushed in on net. The play was broken up by a diving Aaron Ward, who managed to knock the puck off of Nash's stick before he tripped over him, negating what could have been a tripping call.

Also, the line of Schaefer-Kessel-Lucic played well again in this game, coming out with two straight momentum killing shifts in the middle of the third. They put forth the kind of effort that it takes to hold on to leads in this league, and hopefully Claude Julien keeps that line together.


Coming up next for the B's is a true test, one that I consider a must win: the Ottawa Senators. When the B's played them earlier this season, they, like every other team that faced the early season Senators, looked horribly overmatched. However, this time should be closer, and the B's need to start proving that they can beat quality opponents, having lost frequently to the Montreal's and New Jersey's of the league.

Go B's Go.


GOALS

Boston- Jeremy Reich (1), Marco Sturm ENG (10)

Columbus- None

SAVES

Boston- Alex Auld, 32 saves on 32 shots

Columbus- Fredrik Norrena, 16 saves on 17 shots



NEXT GAME: Tuesday,  December 18 vs. Ottawa Senators, 7:00 PM EST (On Versus)

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Looking to avenge a Meadowlands collapse from a few games prior, the Bruins fell flat against the Devils in a snowbound TD Banknorth Garden. Conditions were so bad outside that the B's did the unthinkable: slashed ticket prices! Loge seats that are usually near $100 were cut down to $19.50, so I had to take Mr. Jacobs up on his offer. Some friends and I made up 6 of maybe about 4,500 people in attendance. Ouch.

This game started off pretty well, with the Bruins getting their legs back under them from the previous night's flight home from Atlanta. I was expecting a flat start from the team, but they seemed pretty well prepared. The highlight of the first came from Milan Lucic, who dropped the gloves against New Jersey's David Clarkson. The bout started off fairly slowly, but in the end Lucic rocked Clarkson with two wicked right hands, leaving Clarkson looking over at the referee in an attempt to stop the fight. Luckily for him, he got his wish, and Lucic came away with another resounding victory.


YouTube Link to the fight here


In the second, the defensive tone of the game continued, until Brian Gionta snuck a snap shot past Auld the Bald, who got beaten five-hole. I'm not sure how I feel about this one, as it seems like it was a shot that could have been stopped. Either way, the Devils seized on this goal to get some momentum and some power play chances. With Andrew Alberts off for a high-sticking double minor, Zdeno Chara took a "questionable" slashing call, putting the Bruins down 2 men (and 2 of their biggest defensemen, at that). In this situation, it was only a matter of time before New Jersey capitalized, and that they did on a wicked shot from Jamie Langenbrunner that The Bald had no chance on.

With Martin Brodeur in net, a two goal lead is usually enough, and that was the case in this game for the Devils. The Bruins were able to get a power play strike from Marc Savard early in the third, but didn't do much after that. They were given another power play opportunity about halfway through the period, and again didn't generate many chances. Langenbrunner sealed the deal with his empty netter, and the Bruins lost to the Devils for the second time this season.

There weren't really many positive things to take from this game. One thing I liked was the line of Schaefer-Kessel-Lucic. They were out there ####ing all night, creating chances and putting on pressure. They seem to be almost a more skilled version of an energy line, and I'd like to see them get some more playing time together in the next game.

As far as Auld the Bald goes, he had to lose one sometime. He didn't play poorly, and came up with some big saves that kept his team in it. However, when you're opposing Martin Brodeur, a questionable goal can lead to a loss, and being stuck facing a 5-3 isn't going to help. Hopefully, Auld can bounce back in his next start, whenever that may be.



GOALS

Boston- Marc Savard (8)

New Jersey- Brian Gionta (10), Jamie Langenbrunner (3,4)

SAVES

Boston- Alex Auld, 25 saves on 27 shots

New Jersey- Martin Brodeur, 19 saves on 20 shots



NEXT GAME: Saturday, December 15 vs. Columbus Blue Jackets, 7:00 PM EST

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The Bruins made their first trip to the "Dirty South", and managed to get their first win against the Thrashers since March of 2006. This was a big game for the B's, as Ottawa won tonight also, so the B's remain 4 points out of the top spot in the Northeast Division.

This was a pretty good game, as the Bruins looked like they were overwhelming Atlanta early on. They managed to take a two goal lead early into the second. Petteri Nokelainen got rewarded for his hard work with the first goal, and Peter Schaefer got himself into good position in front of the net to tip home the second goal.

However, the B's began to fall apart a bit towards the end of the second, thanks mainly to Mark Recchi. His first goal seemed like it could have been saved by Auld the Bald, but in Auld's defense, it was a pretty nice snap shot. The second goal was a beauty, a great tip by Recchi, and there was nothing Auld could have done.

It was good to see the referees try and take control of this game with their ridiculous penalty call on Mark Stuart. Please, Kovalchuk deserved an Oscar for that acting performance. The fact that there was an actual penalty called on that play is ridiculous. The definition of kneeing was read on the air, and it was the act of a player positioning his knee in order to cause harm. Uh...that didn't happen. If you see the replay, Stuart never moved his knee, never turned his foot. He was coming across the ice to play the puck, and collided with Kovalchuk. He was in as much danger of injury there as Kovalchuk was, but because he went down faster than a sack of bricks and leads the league in goals, he got the call. Not only was the penalty a little ridiculous, but a game misconduct? Please, that entire sequence was ridiculous.

That led to a complete momentum shift, and eventually gave Atlanta the lead. The B's penalty kill is absolutely abysmal, and really needs some work. In their defense, it's hard to kill penalties with Wideman and Alberts in the box, and Stuart kicked out of the game, but it still needs a complete overhaul.

Remarkably, Kovalchuk was healthy enough to play on the entire power play! And, wouldn't you know it, he scored the goal! Hooray, another point for the NHL's leading goal man. Thanks, refs.

The B's showed resilience in this one, and answered with the tying goal fairly quickly. Glen Murray continued to put up points after a great pass by Milan Lucic, who just continues to get better with each game.

Speaking of the hulking teenager, Lucic scored the winning goal for his team on a great individual effort. He was knocked down by Bobby Holik, and drew a penalty on the play. He got the puck into the Thrashers' zone, however, and hustled towards the net. On the delayed penalty, Phil Kessel worked hard and got the puck right into the crease, where Lucic tapped it in while falling backwards into the net. A great play from the youngster, and he deserved the goal after working so hard for it.

After that, this game was the Bruins, and they held on down the stretch. There were a couple of close calls with Johan Hedberg on the bench for the extra attacker, but Auld and the defense held their ground, and Marc Savard iced it with his behind the back, no look, empty net goal.

This was Auld's third straight win, and he did have a little trouble with this one. A couple of shaky saves, and maybe a goal that should have been saved, but Auld did his job. He's going to be needed for a while, because Manny Fernandez had surgery and is out for the year. Hopefully, this surgery will be what Fernandez needs, and he won't turn out to be a high-investment bust. Either way, with a trio of Thomas-Auld-Rask (who will be sent to Providence when Thomas returns in 5-7 days), the B's should be in good shape. They are playing great hockey right now (penalty kill excluded). Hopefully, they can carry their play home, and get a win against the Devils tomorrow. It's going to be rough traveling, but their pros. Let's keep the wins coming, boys.

GOALS

Boston- Petteri Nokelainen (2), Peter Schaefer (6), Glen Murray (10), Milan Lucic (2), Marc Savard (ENG) (7)

Atlanta- Mark Recchi (3,4), Ilya Kovalchuk (24)

SAVES

Boston- Alex Auld, 23 saves on 26 shots

Atlanta- Johan Hedberg, 29 saves on 33 shots




NEXT GAME: Thursday, December 13 vs. New Jersey Devils, 7:00 PM EST

File this one under "Separated at Birth":


It's B's coach Claude Julien and King of the Hill's own Bill Dauterive (yes, that's how you spell it...I didn't know that either)...


Kudos to Billy Norton on this one...

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The Alex Auld show rolled into Buffalo tonight, with the B's looking for their second straight win over a Northeast division opponent. The HSBC Arena has not been kind to the B's in recent years, as Sabres goalie Ryan Miller had never lost to the B's in that arena, and had never allowed more than 3 goals in any of those games. However, this was all in the past, and the B's showed no signs of letting Miller continue his streak. They jumped out to an early 2-1 lead, and ended up outlasting the Sabres to get that second straight win, 4-1. I missed the first period due to a final exam, but was pleased to see that they had jumped out to a 3-1 lead.

From what I saw, the B's, and Auld in particular, played really well. Auld was huge in the net, and seemed to be in the right place at the right time for every Sabres' scoring chance. It seemed like Milan Lucic played one of his best games of the season so far, and was on the scoresheet with two assists. Phil Kessel showed some flashes of his great speed again, and seemed to have an extra jump in his step tonight. The defense played well also, not allowing too many odd man rushes or any good shooting lanes. The B's had a great penalty kill early in the second after Matt Hunwick took a tripping penalty, and kept the Sabres off of the board with some good, hard work, from PJ Axelsson in particular.

The offense seemed to be pretty strong too, generating some good scoring chances with hard work deep in the zone. Overall, a great game from the B's, and great to see Alex Auld get another big win for the team. On to Atlanta we go...


GOALS

Boston- Marc Savard (6), PJ Axelsson (4), Peter Schaefer (5), Glen Metropolit (7)

Buffalo- Jaroslav Spacek (7)


SAVES

Boston- Alex Auld, 44 saves on 45 shots

Buffalo- Ryan Miller, 17 saves on 21 shots



NEXT GAME: Wednesday, December 12 @ Atlanta Thrashers, 7 PM EST

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Needing a win to get back on track, the Bruins turned to...Alex Auld?




The former Coyote was acquired by the B's on Thursday, in exchange for minor league forward Nate DiCasmirro and a fifth round draft pick in 2009. This must mean that Tim Thomas' injury is a little more serious than originally let on, or that Manny Fernandez will continue to be a $4+ million waste of space. Either way, Auld was in Toronto, and was ready to start.

Both goalies, Auld and Toronto's Vesa Toskala, probably wish they had their first goals back. Auld let a Jason Blake wrister go five-hole, and Toskala was beat by Chuck Kobasew's wrister while streaking in from the left wing. In any case, both teams clamped down, and played a very tight game the rest of the way. It was called "boring" by fans on TSN's message boards, and was very similar to the team's last game a few weeks back (Rask's debut, a 4-2 win), which was also quite boring. However, just like that game, the Bruins won, this time on a slap shot from Dennis Wideman that proved to be the difference maker. Both teams play a stifling defensive style that does, admittedly, lead to some pretty boring play at times. But hey, boring is great when it gets you a win, and that's what it did for the B's tonight.

Dennis Wideman has been, IMHO, the B's best defenseman of late. He has been ripped apart by B's fans since coming here, mainly because he was traded for Brad Boyes, who has been tearing it up in St. Louis. However, Wideman's game has improved, and likewise has his playing time. Claude Julien has been rewarding Wideman for his great play, and let's hope B's fans can get over Boyes' departure (finally).

Also, Auld played admirably in his Boston debut, slamming the door multiple times during flurries of pressure from the Leafs in the closing seconds. It's safe to say that the B's "held on" to win this one, and a lot of the credit should be given to Auld. The credit SHOULDN'T be given to Glen Murray, who made his goalie's life difficult by taking FOUR penalties in this game but, hey, a win's a win. Had they lost, I'd be ripping Murray apart. But they won, so keep up the good work, Muzz.


GOALS

Boston- Chuck Kobasew (12), Dennis Wideman (3)

Toronto- Jason Blake (4)

SAVES

Boston- Alex Auld, 25 saves on 26 shots

Toronto- Vesa Toskala, 18 saves on 20 shots




NEXT GAME: Monday, December 10 @ Buffalo Sabres, 7 PM EST