Inside Boston Sports

A Hiatus From Inside Boston Sports

2010-05-21T14:33:00.000-04:00

Dear loyal readers,

I have been scooped off of the waiver wire my friends. Your beloved blog for Boston sports will be taking a break for the foreseeable future, as I have taken a position with another blog.

I will be joining bostonsportsthenandnow.com and will be contributing with roughly three posts per week. This is an up in coming site as they have found a niche combining analysis of current events in Boston sports with perspective on past events.

The past several years have been tremendous for Boston sports as we have established ourselves as the greatest sports city in America. This site will help remind you of our successes even in the event of blowing 3-0 series leads or getting ousted in the Wild Card round of the playoffs.

I hope you are able to follow my work over at Boston Sports Then and Now. Please feel free to keep in touch with me via Twitter @inbostonsports and insidebostonsports@gmail.com if you are craving for my take on anything Boson sports.

Thank you for a great ten months here at Inside Boston Sports.

Until we meet again.

Carl

Red Sox Sit at 20-20

2010-05-19T18:06:00.000-04:00

Beckett landed on the DL today to add injury to insult thus far.

I have admittedly been avoiding writing about the Red Sox the past 7-10 days. With so much going on with the Celtics and Bruins, coupled with the inconsistency of the Sox, it's been tough to get a grasp on what points to touch upon.

As a whole, the team has been inconsistent. The pitching, which is supposed to be the team's strong suit, is atrocious. They currently have the highest ERA in the American League (4.89) and have dished out the third most walks (160). Starters Josh Beckett and Daisuke Matsuzaka have been a pain to watch and John Lackey has been inconsistent. In the bullpen, Terry Francona can't trust anyone in a big situation outside of Jonathan Papelbon and Daniel Bard and even these two have been have been susceptible to giving up the long ball early on.

Mike Lowell, the good soldier, is starting to talk his way out of town too asking for his release. In New York the past couple of days he saw the writing on the wall after David Ortiz was penciled in against lefty C.C. Sabathia. Now that Ortiz is getting hot, Lowell's small role as the DH against lefties appears to be fading. Lowell has only started 21 of the team's 40 games thus far and the aging veteran hasn't been asked to do much for this team since they acquired Victor Martinez last July.

There are too many loose parts on this team right now. They has been very inconsistent and it's impossible to pinpoint the problem. At 20-20, the Sox are reaching that point of the season where they will find out whether they are contenders or pretenders.

Celtics Take 2-0 Lead; Head Home

2010-05-19T01:10:00.000-04:00

Pierce had the hot hand tonight.

The Celtics took down the Orlando Magic tonight 95-92 in enemy territory for the team's second straight road win. Led by Paul Pierce (28 points) and Rajon Rondo (25), the Celtics continued to defer to the hot hands.

When previewing the series, we focused on the necessity of the Celtics to rebound the basketball. Tonight the Celtics out rebounded the Magic 38-36 and when they do that they will be tough to beat. Five Celtics players chipped in with five plus boards on the evening and it will take a team effort storming the glass to out rebound the Magic.

The C's were up most of the game, but the Magic showed resilience and stuck around. However, the Celtics made some key free throws down the stretch and Orlando missed some clutch ones of their own (Vince Carter).

Despite the fact that Kevin Garnett (5-16 FGs) and Ray Allen (1-6) were not able to find their range, the Celtics were able to overcome their offensive inefficiencies on the night. In particular, Glen "Big Baby" Davis played 28 inspired minutes off of the bench. With all of the foul trouble the big men faced trying to guard Dwight Howard (30 points), Davis chipped in with an efficient 8 points and 6 rebounds while drawing some key charging fouls on Orlando.

The series will shift back to Boston for a Saturday night showdown at The Garden. The Celtics cannot let up. This Orlando team has held around and the team must continue to play inspired basketball against a now desperate Magic squad.

Celtics Take Game 1 in Orlando

2010-05-16T19:59:00.002-04:00

A frustrated Howard.

Despite the Orlando's best attempt at a 20-point comeback, the Celtics held off the Magic this afternoon by a score of 92-88. The Celtics came out playing remarkable defense and held the rusty Magic to just 32 first half points. They forced turnover after turnover and continuously contested the Magic's shots.

However, the Celtics became complacent with the large lead as we have come to see. Their offense slowed down from their productive ball movement set to a possession style that attempted to milk the shot clock. As a result, the Magic led by Jameer Nelson, Vince Carter, and J.J. Redick clawed their way back and made it interesting. The Celtics' lead though was too much for the Magic to overcome and the Celtics took the first game of the series.

Paul Pierce and Ray Allen picked up the slack today on the offensive end on a day where Rajon Rondo and Kevin Garnett were quiet. Pierce and Allen combined to go 14-24 from the field, 4-8 from downtown, and 15-17 from the line on their way to 47 points. RR and KG couldn't find their strokes and they were a combined 8-28 on their shot attempts.

Kendrick Perkins and Rasheed Wallace did an impeccable job of shutting down Superman Dwight Howard making him look more like Lois Lane. Their great D allowed the Celtics to guard the big man one on one, as they held to just 13 points (3-10 FGs, 7-12 FTs) and seven turnovers. Wallace in particular did a good job of getting in Howard's head, as was evident by their mix up in the second quarter that resulted in a double technical foul.

Adjustments have to be made. That Magic played very poorly for three quarters today and the Celtics were the beneficiary of their lackluster play. Orlando was 5-22 from three point range and that very low percentage is not in line with their record breaking three point offense. This team can make the three ball and will not miss as many open shots as they did today.

The long layoff definitely hurt the Magic. They were rusty and did not look like a team that had won 27 of their last 30 games. Tuesday night is a big game for the Celtics, as they try and hand the Magic back to back losses for the first time since January.

Conference Finals Preview: Celtics vs. Magic

2010-05-15T18:25:00.001-04:00

The Celtics, fresh off of their six game series win over the Cavs, now will face the streaking Orlando Magic. The Magic have won all eight of their playoff games and they are winners of 14 straight.

In the regular season, the Magic beat the Celtics in three of their four games. However, this isn't the same Celtics team as the regular season, as we have come to see. Rajon Rondo has turned it into another gear and Kevin Garnett is playing his best basketball since the teams' championship run two years ago.

This is a DEEP Orlando team though; much deeper than the Cavs. They have a well rounded starting five and a very capable bench with starting caliber players.

Here are our keys to the series:

Get Dwight Howard in foul trouble. Howard has averaged 4.75 fouls in eight playoff games and has been one of the many vocal about the NBA's officials. It's crucial to keep Howard, the league's Defensive Player of the Year, off of the floor. He is averaging 11.25 rebounds and 3.9 blocks per game in the playoffs and the C's would rather have his back up Marcin Gortat on the floor. Hopefully Kendrick Perkins and his knees are up to the task of limiting Howard.
Rebound the basketball. This is becoming a repetitive key for the Celtics, but they must continue to battle the boards after finishing second to last in the league this season. The Magic were the fifth best rebounding team in the Association this past year and rebounding will go a long way in determining the outcomes of these games.
Guard the Perimeter. The Celtics are coming off of a match up with the Cavs that saw Cleveland shoot very poorly from thee point range. However, the Magic are lethal from downtown. They are hitting 11.1 of their 29 attempts in the playoffs and they led the league with 10.3 makes per game in the regular season. Every player outside of the team's centers have outside range, so the Celtics must step up and contest the many threes the Magic will put up. For what it's worth, the Celtics were fourth best in the league in the regular season, giving up just 5.6 threes per game.

This is a daunting task for the C's. The Magic are a deep team and are playing well, but so are the Celtics.

Prediction: Celtics in 6

The Puck Stops Here

2010-05-15T01:31:00.000-04:00

After all of the ups and downs of the Bruins season, they still had a legitimate shot at reaching the Conference Finals. With a commanding 3-0 lead in the first period, the Flyers fought back as they did all series to make it a 3-3 game heading into the third period.

Then a crucial error deep into the third period did the Bruins in. With both teams firing back and forth in a fast pace and physical final period, the Bruins were called for too many men on the ice. Vladimir Sobotka skated off of the bench and found himself on the ice with five other skaters. Unfortunately, with seven minutes left in a tie game the refs whistled the penalty after letting the teams play. The Flyers capitalized with a goal by Bruins killer Simon Gagne that was the eventual game winner.

Perhaps the Bruins were complacent with their 3-0 series lead. However, the true turning point in the series was the hit on the Bruins leading scorer David Krejci in game four that broke his wrist and sidelined him for the rest of the series. The Bruins never truly retaliated after the brutal open ice hit and their offense certainly was stagnant from then on. Not to mention, the Bruins lost center Marco Sturm earlier in the series.

Only the truest optimists believed that the Bruins would be in a great position to head into the quarter finals of the NHL season after they snuck into the playoffs as the six seed. Fans would have been happy with a series win because this team, without a legitimate goal scorer like Phil Kessel, just wasn't a legit Stanley Cup contender.

This team got us going though. They took down the Buffalo Sabers and they looked poised to take down the Flyers. Then the team ran out of steam. Claude Julien's trademark team defense became sloppy and the passion to win turned into complacency.

No doubt, this was an epic collapse. No one expected this team to be in the situation they were in, but the fact is they were. Now one of three NHL team's to blow 3-0 series leads, the Bruins are in the wrong side of the history books.

We'll let this settle in.

Check back next week for a Bruins off-season preview.

Celtics Take Down LeBron and the Caveliers

2010-05-14T00:16:00.001-04:00

What a team win tonight. The Celitcs buckled down and took care of business at home to send the team to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Doc Rivers and assistant coach Tom Thibodeau had a defensive plan and they made great in game adjustments tonight. The C's held the Cavs to 38% shooting and they forced 22 turnovers. Mo Williams torched the Celtics for 20 first half points, but the team adjusted and held the streaky guard to just two second half points. LeBron James had a monster triple double of 27/19/10, but he turned the ball over 9 times and made just eight of his 21 shot attempts. Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Tony Allen combined with timely help defense from Kevin Garnett and others flustered James all night. Not to mention the Garden crowd chanting "New York Knicks" during his twelve free throw attempts, which certainly had to have clouded his mind.

On the offensive end, the Celtics stuck to what worked. What worked was the glaring mismatch KG was for the Cavs. To start off the game, the Cavs put Shaq on KG and Garnett easily hit jumpers over the lumbering center off of the pick and roll. Then when the team switched Antawn Jamison to Garnett, he backed down the soft, undersized defender. Kevin finished with 22 points (11-19 shooting) and 12 boards on the evening.

Rajon Rondo, as he did all series, did whatever he wanted to with the ball. Despite four early turnovers, RR did not give away the rock the final three quarters. He shot 9-15 and continued to take and nail the elbow jumper they gave him on his way to a 21 points, 12 assist, and 5 steal night.

Despite missing all seven of their first half three point attempts, the Celtics went 5-10 in the second half. Paul Pierce nailed three timely three pointers after sitting much of the first half with foul trouble and Rasheed Wallace canned two threes from each corner.

Wallace's three pointers were big en route to his 13 point night, but his defense was even better. He played with a heart we haven't seen up until this point tonight. His passion energized the team in the fourth quarter so much that Doc stuck with him the entire period. Tony Allen (10 points, 3 steals) also filled in admirably. With Pierce battling foul trouble, TA stepped right in and played crucial minutes off of the bench. He had a very good series off of the bench.

Exit LeBron James and the Caveliers. Enter Dwight Howard and the Magic. Game 1 Sunday afternoon at 3:30. Eight more wins...

Bruins Lose to Force Game 7

2010-05-13T01:36:00.000-04:00

Our worst fears have come to reality. The impostors that beat the Sabres and that that jumped out to a 3-0 lead on the Flyers are gone. The regular season Bruins have returned.

Simone Gagne has returned for the Flyers and he has changed the fortune for their squad and their offense has clicked. David Krejci, injured and out for the playoffs, is gone and the Bruins offense is again stagnant since then.

Yes, the Bruins outshot the Flyers tonight 31-27, but the Bruins had only a few good scoring opportunities in their 2-1 loss. The B's were unable to get to Philadelphia goaltender Michael Leighton who hasn't started in two months and started his first playoff game tonight.

History may be upon us; bad history that is. Of the three major North American sports, only three teams have blown 3-0 leads in best of seven series. The 2004 Yankees, when our beloved Red Sox rallied behind Dave Roberts en route to the World Series victory. The other two are from generations ago in the NHL: the 1942 Red Wings and the 1975 Penguins.

Game 7 is Friday night at 7:00PM, The winner will get home ice versus the Montreal Canadiens who upset the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight on the road in game 7.

No one expected the Bruins with all of the injuries and the lack of deadline moves to make a push for the Eastern Conference Finals, but it will be heartbreaking to see this team blow what looked like a commanding 3-0 lead.

Celtics Take Care of Business on the Road

2010-05-12T01:13:00.002-04:00

A balanced attack tonight.

Wow. Just Wow. The Celtics continue to amaze. On the heels of the team's worst home loss in playoff history (29 points) just two games ago, the Celtics turned a 180 and handed the Cavs their worst home loss in playoff history (32 points) by a score of 120-88. Amazingly, the C's held LeBron James without a field goal for the first 30 minutes of the game into the third quarter.

It wasn't the Rondo show tonight like it was Sunday afternoon. Tonight it was a balanced attack with six players in double figures. Ray Allen led the offensive onslaught for the C's canning six three pointers on his way to a crafty 25 points.

Paul Pierce aggressively looked for his shot tonight after much scrutiny about his passiveness this series, as he put up 21 points on 21 shot attempts. Good to see Pierce break out of his offensive slump and put up some points, but it'd be nice to see him get more points on 21 attempts in the future. However, Pierce did add 11 boards, six assists, and two steals.

Kevin Garnett (18 points), Glen Davis (15 points), and Kendrick Perkins (10 points) got whatever they wanted in the paint tonight and they were able to force the issue by getting to the line 21 times.

And how about that Rondo guy. Fresh off of his historic triple double, Rondo went scoreless in the first half. However, he came out firing in the third quarter and finished with 16 points and 7 assists as he led the attack that opened up the lead. He deferred much more often in this contest, electing to get the ball to Pierce and Allen early in the shot clock.

Key Stats:

The Celtics outshot the Cavs 55% to 41%.
The C's were +10 on the boards. A terrible rebounding team in the regular season, the C's need to be at least even on most nights to be in a game. Tonight they took care of business.
After losing the first quarter 23-20, the C's beat the Cavs by 35 points over the next three quarters.

The series shifts back to Boston for an all important game on Thursday night. You can bet LeBron won't shoot 3-14 and that invisible men Mo Williams and Antawn Jamison will play better. The Celtics need to keep their foot on the pedal and finish the Cavs while they have them down on the canvas.

Bruins Lose Again

2010-05-10T23:08:00.000-04:00

The Bruins dropped another one to the Flyers tonight. With their second opportunity to send the Flyers home for the summer, the Bruins faltered. Tonight's game was an ugly 4-0 loss at home. The Bruins were flat as could be and they were not playing playoff hockey tempo.

The team is truly doing themselves a disservice now, as they will head back to Philadelphia where the arena will be bumping. Philly has taken over the momentum over the past two games and they truly believe they can win the series. Hopefully the Bruins come out firing against the Flyers on Wednesday night and control the tempo of the game.

One thing in the Bruins' favor is that Flyers starting goaltender Brian Boucher appeared to suffer a leg injury that forced him to leave the game in the second period and it looked bad. The Bruins were not able to get the puck past back up Michael Leighton, but they will gladly take on the back up that sported a 2.83 GAA this season.

In related news, the Montreal Canadiens took down the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight in Montreal and sent the series to an all decisive game 7. Best case scenario is the Bruins wrapping up business sooner than later and hoping the Canadiens win. If both the rival Bruins and Canadiens win, the Bruins would yet again get home ice advantage where they are 5-1 this postseason.

The Cavs Got Rondo'd

2010-05-09T18:53:00.000-04:00

On the heals of an embarrassing 29 point loss, Rajon Rondo came out this afternoon and put the Celtics on his back. Rondo posted a ridiculous 29 points, 18 rebound, and 13 assist line en route to a 97-87 victory. The series is now even through four games.

WOW. Is there much else to say? He outplayed LeBron and the rest of the Cavaliers and he single handedly has turned this into a best of three series.

How To Get the Most Out of Inside Boston Sports

2010-05-09T09:00:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to shoot you, the viewers of Inside Boston Sports, a quick guide about how to get the most out of your experience on the site.

First and foremost, you know you can come to the site for a a daily piece with un-matched analysis.
Don't care to read about a certain team? Utilize the labels located on the right-hand side of the page. We label every post, so if you'd like to see just Patriots news, click the Patriots link and that's all you'll see.
Looking for something specific on the blog? The search engine under the labels is great and it will bring you to past posts.
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We really want to enhance your experience on the blog so you can get the most out of it. Keep checking the blog, spread the word, and bookmark us!

Another Big Night in Boston Sports

2010-05-07T14:45:00.000-04:00

Are the Red Sox Back?

2010-05-06T22:58:00.000-04:00

Fresh off of a sweep at the hands of the Baltimore Orioles, the Red Sox have returned home and swept the Angels in a four game series. The team is now over .500 for the first time since their 1-0 record after the season opener victory versus the Yankees on Sunday Night Baseball.

Like we all hoped they would, their stocked pitching rotation appears to be coming around. They have strung together quality starts and it looks like Josh Beckett and Jon Lester are over their early season struggles.

The offense has looked more consistent and the home run ball has been their best friend. They have hit the third most home runs in the majors with 40 dingers and have seven to start off this homestand. Adrian Beltre has caught fire and he has his average up to a .346 clip. Even more encouraging is that he has risen his slugging percentage over .100 points in the past 10 days and is sitting a healthy .468 clip.

The defense has been much better. Dustin Pedroia and Marco Scutaro in particular have been flashing the leather and making game-changing plays.

Some home cooking has done the team well. The Sox have won 56 home games in each of the past two seasons, and it's no secret they play their best baseball at Fenway.

One has to consider if the Angels are that bad. After being swept, they now have a 12-18 record and they look bad. This is not the Angels team of years past.

Looking ahead

Reinforcements are also on the way, as it appears that Jacoby Ellsbury and Mike Cameron could begin rehab assignments within the week.

The next two weeks will be telling in determining whether this team is capable of improving on their .500+ record. With five games against the Yankees in eleven days, what the team's record looks like on May 19th will be telling.

David Krejci Out for Playoffs With Dislocated Wrist

2010-05-06T12:28:00.000-04:00

Bruins center David Krejci will miss the rest of the 2010 playoffs after suffering a dislocated wrist last night. Krejci took a brutal hit just minutes into the game and he did not return. There were reports of a concussion or even a separated shoulder, but the Bruins confirmed today that it was indeed an injury to the wrist.

Yet another injury for this Bruins squad that just got back center Marc Savard. Luckily for the B's they have centerman Patrice Bergeron, Vladimir Sobotka, Steve Begin, and Savard to man the middle from a depth standpoint.

However, the team will miss the nifty and talented Krejci, who is a young leader on this squad. He already had eight playoff points (four goals, four assists) which was good for third on the squad. Not to mention, he lead the B's in regular season points with 52 (17 goals, 35 assists).

The team's quest for the Cup just got tougher. Coach Claude Julien will have to rally the troops like he has all season long. With a 3-0 lead in the series against the Flyers, the Bruins are just one win away from a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals. Wrapping up this series early would give the team ample practice time to realign their shifts.

An Ode to Claude Julien

2010-05-05T22:00:00.000-04:00

Third year Bruins head coach Claude Julien has done a downright remarkable job with this squad. A year removed from a 116 point first place finish in the Eastern Conference, the Bruins clawed this season to barely creep into the playoffs as the #6 seed with 91 pts.

Frankly, Julien has done more with less. In the offseason, General Manager Peter Chiarelli traded away disgruntled Phil Kessel, the team's leading goal scorer last season with 36 goals. The Bruins netted two first round drafts picks from the Maple Leafs (one of which will be the #2 pick in June's draft) and a second rounder for Kessel, so the Bruins have to be happy with the outcome.

With the team badly struggling midseason and many clamoring for the Bruins to acquire a goal-scorer like Ilya Kovalchuk, the team decided to stand pat. Claude had to make it work with the group of guys that he alredy had in the locker room.

Julien has coached around a flurry of injuries to key players including Marc Savard (41 games), Milan Lucic (32 games), and Andrew Ferrance (31 games) among others. Currently, the B's are without Dennis Seidenberg & Brad Stuart.

Many things are different this season, yet the Bruins find themselves in a similar situation. The B's are again playing for an opportunity to play in the Eastern Conference Finals. However, this year is slightly different in that the Bruins currently have a comfortable 3-0 series lead and are just one way away from the next round.

Lets give credit where credit is due. Claude Julien is a major reason for this team's sustained success.

Bruins and Celtics Win on Monday

2010-05-03T22:55:00.008-04:00

The Bruins took care of business on their home ice by winning 3-2 and taking a 2-0 series lead. Milan Lucic nailed the game winning goal at 17:03 and stepped up in a spot where they really needed him. Tuukka Rask did his part stopping 24 of 26 shots. The B's head to Philly as they hope to steal at least one on the road Wednesday or Friday.

The C's came out firing after the half tonight and dominated the Cavs 31-12 in the third quarter on their way to a 104-86 victory. Rajon Rondo lead the attack dishing out a remarkable 19 assists as the C's had six players in double figures.

Keys to the win:

The three ball went in for the Celtics as they hit 9 of their 19 attempts including three by both Ray Allen and Rasheed Wallace.
Sheed stepped up with 17 points off of the bench after Doc Rivers called out their prized free agent acquisition.
They held the Cavs to 40% shooting from the floor and halted their three point attack to a measly 4 of 21 (19%).
The C's, a poor rebounding team, out-rebounded the Cavs 43-32.

Remarkably, the C's nearly blew a 25 point fourth quarter lead when they allowed the Cavs to go on a 15-0 run, but they were able to hold on and steal one on the road in a tough Cleveland environment. The Celtics blew a late eleven point lead on Saturday night and this is not a good trend for the C's.

None-the-less, it was good to see the Celtics split on the road as they head home for a Friday night game after a three day layoff. Hopefully they can take care of business on the home court.

Red Sox Hit a New Low

2010-05-03T07:44:00.000-04:00

Tito's toughest task yet.

The Red Sox were swept today by the lowly Baltimore Orioles and now stand at a disappointing 11-14. Baltimore is last in the league with seven wins-FIVE have come against the Sox.

Here are a few observations:

Where did the big bats go? David Ortiz, Victor Martinez, and J.D. Drew, are hitting a combined .204 (46 for 225).
Their pitching staff has the worst ERA in the AL at 4.89. Even more troubling is that the staff has a 5.05 ERA from the 7th inning and later.
The Sox have played an MLB-leading six extra inning games but are only 1-5.
Jacoby Ellsbury has played only six games this season due to an injury to his ribs. Hopefully, the Sox will get their spark plug atop the lineup back soon.

It's been disappointing thus far: the Sox are seven games out of 1st and 4th place in the division. Although it is early, the Sox can't afford to keep slipping with the powerful Rays & Yankees at the top. Hopefully, the pitching staff will right the struggles and the offense comes alive; otherwise, we're all in for another long Sox season.

Marco Sturm Injured

2010-05-02T08:48:00.006-04:00

Sturm goes down.

After yesterday afternoon's thrilling 5-4 OT victory in Game 1 against the Philadelphia Flyers, it was reported that Bruins forward Marco Sturm left the game with a "serious" right leg injury.

A team source says that the injury is significant enough to force Sturm out for the remainder of the playoffs. A contributor all season long, his absence from the lineup will force the team to step up even more. However, he has been quite silent in the playoffs thus far.

The Bruins can't seem to shake the injury bug, but let's hope the latest one doesn't deter them from a deep playoff run.

UPDATE: It's a torn ACL and MCL for Sturm.

Game 1: Bruins win, Celtics lose

2010-05-02T00:47:00.006-04:00

Despite blowing a couple of two goal leads, the Bruins held on this afternoon to take down the Flyers. The B's jumped out to a 2-0 lead and then a commanding 3-1 lead in the 3rd, but this game needed to be decided in overtime. In his first time on the ice for the Bruins since the vicious hit he took on March 7th, Marc Savard played hero as he sniped the game winning goal 13:52 into overtime. The B's uncharacteristically gave up two power play goals to the Flyers after not allowing any in their first series and they will need to cut down those scoring opportunities for Philly next game.

The Celtics were up 11 in the fourth quarter and it seemed feasible that they could steal a game on the road. However, Paul Pierce hit just one of his final twelve attempts from the floor as the Cavaliers crawled back into the game. The Cavs outscored the Celtics 58-39 in the second half as Rajon Rondo cooled off (just eight of his 27 points came after the intermission) as the Cavs defended him much better and did not allow him to penetrate to the basket. The C's really blew a golden opportunity tonight.

Bruins vs. Flyers Preview

2010-04-30T09:46:00.007-04:00

The Bruins will hope to skate past the Flyers and into the next round.

The Bruins have made it to the second round of the NHL playoffs. The team will begin a seven game series against the Philadelphia Flyers tomorrow (Saturday, May 1) at 12:30 PM.

All top four seeds (1-4) have been knocked out of the playoffs after the first round. In fact, the Bruins have found themselves in the ideal situation having secured home ice for series against Philadelphia--pretty rare for a #6 seed.

The team would never had made it to this position had it not been for the absolute brilliant play of G Tuukka Rask. The young buck has been a force between the pipes this season and has made veteran G Tim Thomas an absolute afterthought in most people's minds. After handing Thomas a four-year extension in the offseason, he was absolutely dreadful to begin the season--and with the team ravaged by injuries, the B's thought it was time to give Rask his shot. I think they're happy with the decision.

Here are a few keys to the series:

Outmuscle the Flyers: Philadelphia has relied on their ability to play a physical brand of hockey through this point in the season. However, it's been a while since they matched up with a team like the Bruins. With Milan Lucic and Zdeno Chara leading the hungry B's, the Flyers will have their hands full should they choose to make it a bang n' crash series.
Chara vs. Pronger: The B's captain stands at an imposing 6'9, 255 lbs while Pronger checks in at 6'6 and 214 lbs. The two defenseman are the clear leaders of their respective squads and it will be up to them to inspire the play of their teammates. Someone once told me that it always comes back to defense in the playoffs, and that appears to be the case here as well.
The PP & PK: For you hockey rookies, PP is the powerplay and PK is the penalty kill. In their first round matchup against the Devils, the Flyers let up only four goals in 32 attempts (87.5% kill rate). However, the Bruins were even better against the Sabres, not allowing a single goal on a Buffalo PP. Each team will look to do their scoring on the PP opportunity as neither is known to be a high-scoring squad.
The Injury Bug: Injuries have plagued both teams all season long. The Bruins get a huge boost this series with veteran leader Marc Savard ready to play for the first time since sustaining his grade 2 concussion on March 7th. However, the team remains without Dennis Seidenberg and Mark Stuart as they both require a little longer time on the shelf. The Flyers have been playing without three of their most integral players: Jeff Carter (broken foot), Simon Gagne (broken toe), and Ian Laperriere (concussion). Both sides will have to pick up some additional slack should they hope to advance to the Eastern Conference finals.

The Bruins know that they can't take a single second off from this series against the Flyers should they hope to advance, and we're betting that they recognize this as a golden opportunity to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Series Prediction: Bruins in six (4-2)

Celtics/Cavaliers Series Preview

2010-04-29T15:45:00.006-04:00

This is what we've been waiting for since the Celtics sealed their fate as the Eastern Conference's fourth seed. That seed guaranteed that the C's would face off against the top seeded Cavaliers in the second round if each team won their first series.

Now they face a Cavaliers team that they went 2-2 against in the regular season. However, this is a different Cavs team that the C's faced last.

First, LeBron's elbow (swollen and bruised) has hobbled him recently. He's not supposed to miss any games (not that anyone expected him to). However, it noticeably bothered him in the final game against the Bulls. You'll definitely be hearing the phrase "LeBron's elbow" often.
Second, the team added perennial All Star Antawn Jamison to the fold at the deadline. Jamison added 15.8 points and 7.7 rebounds per game in 25 contests after being acquired from the Wizards. He makes the Cavs team deeper which helps match up with teams like the Celts and Magic.
Last, Shaquille O'Neal is back form the thumb injury he suffered against the Celtics several weeks ago when Big Baby blocked a shot and nailed his thumb. He only averaged 9 points and 6 rebounds per game against the Bulls in just 20 minutes per game in the first round, but the the Big Aristotle is built for the playoffs and those legs are rested.

The series against the Heat was essentially a cakewalk; a tune-up if you will. Now the metaphorical hill the team must climb to another championship gets steeper. Here's what the C's need to do to win the series:

Contain LeBron James. The King averaged a beastly 36.5 points, 8.3 assists, and 6.5 assists per game in four regular season contests against the C's. He's the best the league has to offer, but the C's need to approach him like they did Dwyane Wade. Take away his supporting cast and if he beats you by himself (like Wade did in a 46 point effort) then he beats you. LBJ's outside game is spotty, so the C's need to make him settle for jump shots and threes when possible.
Rebound the basketball. The C's didn't rebound well in the regular season and they were inconsistent against the Heat in five games on the boards. These missed boards result in second chance opportunities for the opponent which the C's cannot afford to give. Shaq, Varejao, Hickson, and Igauskas are all good on the glass, so the C's bigs need to box out well in the series.
Match the energy off the Cavs bench. Big Baby had an unbelievable game five against the Heat with just under thirty minutes of spirited play. The C's bench needs to have several good games in this series to match the energy players the Cavs bring off their bench. Delonte West, Anderson Varejao, and Jamario Moon all usually provide a spark in their limited minutes and the C's need to match it or put it out.
Cut down on the turnovers. The Celtics averaged an astonishing 14.6 turnovers per game to the Heat. Dumb turnovers too. A veteran team like this one needs to cut down on the mistakes plain and simple.

It really comes down to the play of the Big Four. Pierce, Allen, Garnett, and Rondo need to be consistent and help each other out. They need to bring their "A" games to take down the mighty Cavs.

Prediction: Celtics in 7

Bruins to Play Flyers

2010-04-28T21:44:00.005-04:00

The Winter Classic rematch.

After a dramatic 2-1 Game 7 between the #1 Caps and the #8 Canadiens, it was the underdogs from Montreal that took down the powerhouse from Washington. For once, Bruins fans were eagerly chanting for Montreal tonight, and here's why:

As a result of Montreal advancing to the next round, the Bruins will now play the Flyers instead of the dangerous Penguins. The B's will avoid Crosby, Malkin, and Fleury and instead face the banged-up boys from Philadelphia.

With Simon Gagne and Jeff Carter both sidelined by foot injuries, the two teams will both be playing a few down. Marc Savard makes his triumphant return to the ice for this series, but veterans Dennis Seidenberg and Mark Stuart will both miss this series.

Thanks to all top three seeds going down in the first round, the Bruins will have home ice advantage for the second round against Philly. Here's the schedule:

Saturday, May 1 at Boston, 12:30 p.m. NBC, TSN
Monday, May 3 at Boston, 7 p.m. TSN, VERSUS
Wednesday, May 5 at Philadelphia, 7 p.m. TSN, VERSUS
Friday, May 7 at Philadelphia, 7 p.m. TSN, VERSUS
*Monday, May 10 at Boston, 7 p.m. TSN, VERSUS
*Wednesday, May 12 at Philadelphia, TBD TSN, VERSUS
*Friday, May 14 at Boston, 7 p.m. TSN, VERSUS

*if necessary

Go B's!!!

Sox Sign Cuban Slugger Adalberto Ibarra

2010-04-28T15:19:00.005-04:00

The Sox quietly swooped in and signed 23-year old left-handed hitting catcher Adalberto Ibarra earlier this week to a five-year $4.3 million deal. Ibarra is reportedly 5'9" and 200 pounds. Here's the scouting report from soxprospects.com:

Scouting Report: Athletic catcher with an excellent frame and a very strong arm. Came up through the Cuban ranks as an all-purpose infielder, only converted to catching in 2009. Raw in the blocking and game-calling department. Offensively, Ibarra has solid swing mechanics and a lot of potential. High power ceiling. Hits to all fields with decent present power. Laces a lot of opposite field liners, meaning his swing is well-suited for Fenway. Smart player with leadership skills. Needs to learn English. Defected from Cuba following the 2009 season and became eligible to sign in the U.S. in April 2010. Boston invited him for an early tryout and signed him almost immediately, stating the belief that he has higher offensive potential than any catcher in the Red Sox system. The Sox beat out several other teams for his services. He will spend approximately one month in extended spring training before getting assigned to an affiliate in late May or early June. At that time, he likely will be assigned to High-A Salem or Double-A Portland.

He is a raw catcher as he recently switched to the position from second base (he has experience at first and third). Adalberto has a major league ready bat - he batted .341 in 2008-09 in the Cuban National League before defecting to the U.S. - but will need to improve his defense and game calling behind the plate. It is widely believed that he could be in Pawtucket by next season.

The Red Sox have some good catching prospects coming up through the system - Mark Wagner (Pawtucket), Luis Expisito (Portland), Tim Federowicz (Salem), and Ryan Lavarnway (Salem). Each is reported to be a good defender, but Ibarra's offensive game is well ahead of all of them.

Victor Martinez and Jason Varitek are both free agents after the season, so Theo Epstein and crew have to think twice about blocking the depth of youth at the position in the organization.

Celtics Advance Past Wade and the Heat

2010-04-27T21:40:00.004-04:00

A real team win tonight.

For the second straight night the TD Garden was host to a series clinching game for a Boston team. The C's starting line up each played their "A" game and Glen Davis played 25 big minutes off of the bench. Things looked shaky when the C's blew a 21-point second half lead when they let Wade and the Heat go on a 24-6 run. However Ray got hot and shut the door on the Heat's chances to send the series back to Miami.

We predicted a 4-1 series victory and it was a good 4-1 by most accounts. The lone win for the Heat came on their home court in a 46-point outburst by Wade. However, the C's played with a lot of heart and even stepped up and took the Heat down in game 2 when KG was suspended.

Perhaps this team can turn it on like they claimed they would all season. The veterans looked fresh and now they have some time off before they take on the winner of the Cavaliers/Bulls series.

UPDATE: BRING ON THE CAVALIERS

Adalius Thomas: See Ya

2010-04-27T18:20:00.000-04:00

Thomas broke his forearm in 2008 and it was downhill from there.

The Patriots cut ties with an aging, unproductive Adalius Thomas yesterday. The big OLB had just finished the third year of his five-year, $35 million deal, the largest deal ever given (at that time) to a Pats free agent acquisition. Unable to find a taker for Thomas over draft weekend, the team conceded that it was best to move in another direction.

As you may recall, Adalius was in the doghouse last season when he was a healthy inactive and saw his snaps reduced significantly (he played in just 54% of the team's defensive snaps) despite the team's problems rushing the passer. Several weeks ago we reported a profootballfocus.com piece that calculated Thomas missed 25% of his solo tackles which was worst in the NFL in 2009.

He was also the epicenter of "late gate", when four Pats arrived to practice late due to a snow storm during the season. Things then turned quickly sour for Thomas as his outspoken personality clashed with Coach Belichick's style. Thomas also complained that the team handled his 2008 broken forearm incorrectly by sending him to a massage therapist instead of a physical therapist. With Banta-Cain having signed re-signed in the offseason, there was little need to keep Thomas on the roster any longer.

Outside linebackers on the Patriots' roster: Tully Banta-Cain, Jermaine Cunningham, Pierre Woods, Shawn Crable, Rob Ninkovich, Marques Murrell

Bruins Advance Past Sabres

2010-04-26T21:33:00.005-04:00

Krejci led the Bruins to a decisive game 6 win.

The #6 Boston Bruins have upset the #3 Sabres in the first round of the NHL playoffs. The team took the series by a 4-2 tally. It was crucial for the Bruins to take care of business and finish out the series in Boston, as it would've been very tough for the B's to win a game 7 at Buffalo.

It was an emotional loss for Ryan Miller and the Sabres as they were favored entering the series, but the Bruins behind Tuukka Rask showed why they're a team defined by perseverance and refused to cave at any point during the series despite being down more often than they were ahead. The team (uncharacteristically) scored four goals in back-to-back games and they'll hope this type of offensive play continues as they skate into the next round.

David Krejci led the way for the Bruins in the 4-3 clincher tonight, registering two goals on the evening. In a post-game interview with NESN, the young center stressed that the team cannot let their foot off of the accelerator pedal if they hope to sustain a deep playoff run. Mark Recchi also contributed a goal tonight and was a real key to the series. The outstanding, energetic play of the reborn 42 year-old really provided a big spark for the team to light its fire.

The team will play either the Philadelphia Flyers or the Pittsburgh Penguins in the next round of the playoffs. Either way, the Bruins will look to build off of the momentum from this series and carry on towards the ultimate quest for the cup. It's the second straight year that the B's are going to the conference semis and hopefully the team will not falter as they did the previous year. The Bruins really seem to thrive off of the "underdog" role that many have given them and will continue to prove that they're out to play.

The team will look to get a big boost next series as veteran leader Marc Savard will most likely make his return to the ice. The team has been rallying around one another in the face of injury all season long and the team leader's return could signal success for the Bruins squad. The Bruins will get a nice rest in between series as the team can recover from a very physical series against a tough Buffalo squad.

Stat of the series: the Bruins held Buffalo to 0-19 on the power play.

Let's go Bruins.

Patriots Draft Recap

2010-04-25T18:24:00.013-04:00

It was a busy few days for the Patriots organization as they re-stocked the roster with a plethora of youth. We highlighted first round pick Devin McCourty on Thursday night. Lets check out the rest of the new Patriots:

2nd Round (42nd overall) - Rob Gronkowski TE Arizona

Gronkowski (6'6" 258 pounds) was the consensus number two tight end in this draft. He fell due to concerns about his back which caused him to miss almost his entire junior season. The diesel tight end ran a 4.65 second 40-yard dash which is very good for a tight end of his size. It should be interesting to see how he is implemented in the offense.

Other TEs on roster: Alge Crumpler, Aaron Hernandez

2nd Round (53rd overall) - Jermaine Cunningham OLB Florida

Cunningham (6'3" 266 pounds) played DE at Florida under Urban Meyer. He's the type of pass rusher that people were hoping for with the team's first round selection. In his collegiate career he had 19.5 sacks, 34 tackles for a loss, and five forced fumbles. He is very quick off of the line of scrimmage and puts a lot of pressure on opposing teams off of the edge. Look for him to be sprinkled in at the OLB spot as he could see time as a third down rusher.

Other OLBs on roster: Tully Banta-Cain, Adalius Thomas, Pierre Woods, Shawn Crable, Rob Ninkovich, Marques Murrell

2nd Round (62nd overall) - Brandon Spikes MLB Florida

Another Gator to the Patriots. Spikes (6'3" 250 pounds) was a projected first round pick until he ran a slow 40 time: five seconds flat. However, it's widely believed that he plays quicker than his time displayed. The highly instinctive linebacker ran the middle of a top ranked Florida defense and is thought to be better against the run than the pass. Having said that, he did have six interceptions over the past two years. He was suspended for the first half of the Vanderbilt game after trying to gauge the eyes of a Georgia player. He does have good bloodlines as he is the cousin of veteran 49ers linebacker Takeo Spikes. A three year starter, he could slide into the inside linebacker spot next to Jerod Mayo from day one.

Other MLBs on roster: Jerod Mayo, Gary Guyton, Tyrone McKenzie, Eric Alexander, Thomas Williams

3rd Round (90th overall) - Taylor Price WR Ohio
Price (6'0" 204 pounds) fell slightly in the draft, and the team was happy to nab him. He was second at the NFL Combine among wide receivers with a 4.41 second 40-yard dash. His scouting report says he has great hands and a knack for making good catches, but that he needs to improve his route running. Price had 56 catches in his senior season as a Bobcat for 784 yards and five touchdowns. Don't expect to see much of Price on the field this season, but with Randy Moss entering his last season and Torry Holt in on a one year flier, hopefully Price can learn from the veterans and prepare to team with Edelman & Tate entering 2011.

Other WRs on roster: Randy Moss, Torry Holt, Julian Edelman, Wes Welker, Isiah Stanback, Sam Aiken, Brandon Tate, David Patten, Matthew Slater

4th Round (113 overall) - Aaron Hernandez TE Florida

Yet another Florida Gator to the Patriots. Hernandez fell to the fourth round due to unspecified off the field issues. The Patriots must of felt that he was the best player available at 113 overall having drafted Gronkowski in the 2nd. He is a bit undersized for a tight end at 6'2" 245 pounds, but is an extremely athletic pass catcher. The knock on Hernandez's game is his inability to block, which means the rookie will have a steep learning curve. He finished the year with 68 receptions for 850 yards and 5 touchdowns at Florida and could provide a nice red zone target for a team that struggled in that regard last season.

Other TEs on roster: Alge Crumpler, Rob Gronkowski

5th Round (150 overall) - Zoltan Mesko P Michigan

Built like a linebacker at 6'4" 240 pounds, Zoltan was the first punter taken in the draft in true Belichickian style. The Patriots continue to address special teams via the draft (K Stephen Gostkowski and long snapper Jake Ingram) and may have found their punter of the future. A four year starter at Michigan, Mesko averaged 44.5 yards per punt and didn't have a single one blocked in 2009. It is also interesting to note that Mesko has a history of punting in games with bad weather conditions, which he's sure to be exposed to in New England

Here are the Patriots remaining picks:
6th Round (205th Overall) - Ted Larsen C NC State
7th Round (208th Overall) - Thomas Welch OT Vanderbilt
7th Round (247th Overall) - Brandon Deaderick DL Alabama
7th Round (248th Overall) - Kade Weston DL Georgia
7th Round (250th Overall) - Zac Robinson QB Oklahoma State

Each of these players will battle for backup spots on the roster with the holdovers from last season and those that don't make it may be ticketed for the practice squad.

MORE: The Patriots acquired Carolina's second round pick next season in exchange for a third round choice during this year's draft. The team is now stacked for the 2011 draft with two first rounders and two second rounders. Only a year away!

The Patriots also made an interesting signing this weekend in defensive lineman Gerard Warren. The former third overall selection in the 2001 draft, Warren has bounced around the league for 10 years with Cleveland, Denver, and Oakland. It is expected that he will compete for snaps at defensive end opposite Ty Warren in Jarvis Green's old spot. He's a wide body that will take up some blockers against the run and has 32 career sacks.

Exciting times for the Patriots. Which acquisition are you most excited about from this past weekend?

Celtics Lose in Miami

2010-04-25T17:44:00.005-04:00

Wade was unstoppable.

Tough loss this afternoon to the Heat. They came out hungry and took a double digit lead early with the help of their defense that forced nine first quarter turnovers. However, the Celtics battled back from an 18 point deficit and had the lead going into the fourth quarter.

Dwyane Wade absolutely took over in the fourth quarter outscoring the Celtics in the period 19-15 alone. He was on fire hitting all four of his three point attempts while leading Miami on a 25-8 run. The C's were outscored 30-15 in the quarter, yet they still had a chance with under two minutes left to get back in the game. However, Ray Allen missed three free throws (which he hasn't done all season), KG missed a free throw, and Rondo missed a lay up as the Heat won 101-92.

The series heads back to Boston with the C's up 3-1. The Celtics need to shut the door on the Heat and not let them steal a win in Boston that would send the series back to Miami with a chance for them to tie. Wade needs to be contained because his 46 point effort showed today that he's not quite ready for the offseason.

Celtics Take 3-0 Lead

2010-04-24T11:34:00.004-04:00

Paul Pierce nailed the game winning jump shot as time expired.

The Celtics are taking care of business. Let's hope that they finish the job quickly Sunday afternoon, so they can rest up for their likely match-up with the Cavs. Cleveland is up 2-1 on the Bulls and also plays Sunday afternoon.

What a Night

2010-04-23T22:57:00.003-04:00

My Friday night.

Celtics win on buzzer beater by Pierce and Celtics are up 3-0. Red Sox win late in the game. Patriots make their four picks tonight and net a 2011 2nd round pick. Bruins lose and will play game 6 Monday night.

Get Your Remote Control Ready

2010-04-23T13:12:00.007-04:00

Busy night in Boston sports. Order some food. Grab some beers. And mentally prepare to not move for hours.

Which are you most excited for tonight? The Patriots four picks in rounds two and three? The Bruins' chance to win the series in Buffalo? The Celtics' chance to take a commanding 3-1 series lead? Or the Red Sox and Jon Lester looking to rebound on a poor start to the season?

Patriots Trade Down Twice and Select CB Devin McCourty

2010-04-23T00:04:00.006-04:00

In true Belichick draft style, no one outside of the Patriots organization saw this coming in their mock drafts. The Patriots had a player in mind that they wanted and traded back twice (from the 22nd pick) and ultimately netted the 27th pick and the 90th overall pick. With the pick the Patriots took the second cornerback of the draft, Devin McCourty.

The 5'11" 190 pound McCourty was a four year player out of Rutgers and finished his collegiate career with 231 tackles, 6 interceptions, and 2 forced fumbles. Bill Belichick in his presser called McCourty a "four down player" and said that he displayed "consistent production." This is reassuring because the only film I was able to see of him (on ESPN and on the internet) shows McCourty playing in the box a lot on obvious passing downs. It will be nice to see how he develops in man-to-man coverage in the NFL with the great instincts his college coach Greg Schiano praised.

McCourty also ran a 4.48 second 40 yard dash time at the NFL's Combine which was good for 4th among the cornerbacks. ESPN's Todd McCshay believes he can couple that speed and be a "specials teams demon." In his senior season he averaged 25.4 yards on 14 kick returns including a 98-yard TD return against UConn. He also blocked seven, yes seven kicks during his collegiate career. His scouting report also says that he is very good in kicking and punt coverage, as was shown by some of his footage.

Upon reviewing the Patriots' pass defense statistics, they ranked higher than I expected in most categories. Now they add to their cornerback corps and their roster currently includes CBs:

Leigh Bodden
Darius Butler
Jonathan Wilhite
Shawn Springs
Devin McCourty
Terrance Wheatley
Kyle Arrington

The Patriots move into day 2 of the draft with four picks in rounds 2 and 3. They will have picks in the second round that are 44, 47, and 53 overall and a third round pick that is 90 overall.

Still lacking the elite edge pass rusher Pats fans coveted, tonight they addressed the cornerback and return man issues. What's left to address for this team tomorrow with it's remaining 12 picks?

Outside Linebacker
Defensive End
Tightend
Offensive Line
Wide Reciever
Running Back
Return Specialist
Punter

Tomorrow night will go a long way in determining this draft for the Patriots. Coverage starts at 6:30. It'll be a hectic night with the Bruins and Celtics playoff games going on as well and the Red Sox starting another series against the Orioles. Make sure those batteries in the remote control are fresh.

Bruins Take Commanding Lead to Buffalo

2010-04-22T14:02:00.011-04:00

If you didn't watch last night's Bruins game, you may have well missed the best Bruins game of the year. Period.

The physical hits continue this series, and the Bruins came out in the first period looking to establish the tempo. However, the Sabres came out swinging and drew first blood, notching one first period goal (Kennedy at 2:12). Coach Claude Julien did a great job of motivating his team prior to the game while Milan Lucic performed admirably in his role as the team's lead aggressor.

With the Bruins down 2-0 courtesy of a Steve Montador goal in the second period, Lucic looked to fire up his teammates by getting into a tussle with Sabres captain Craig Rivet. Lucic connected a few powerful right hands and clearly got both the team and the crowd re-energized.

The Bruins were able to continue their physical play and eventually able to get on the scoreboard in the third period. David Krejci scored (2:07) on a rebound off of a shot by Matt Hunwick. Later in the third, Patrice Bergeron was able to take the puck around the net for a nice wrist shot, (6:40), tying the game at 2-2.

The first OT period had the TD Garden rockin'. With shots being turned away left and right by both Ryan Miller and Tuukka Rask, and as the possession went back and forth between the teams, neither was able to register a goal. The Bruins killed off one penalty and were able to keep up the intensity. This period was nothing short of spectacular hockey.

The second OT period was characterized by an extended effort on both sides, yet the tire level of the athletes was beginning to show. There were countless scoring chances for both teams, who peppered the nets of the opposing goalies. Finally, at 7:41, on a Bruins power play, Miroslav Satan was able to capitalize on an opportunity and put the puck in the back of the net. The goal provided a win and a 3-1 series lead for the suddenly surging Bruins.

Both goalies played outstanding games: Rask with 35 saves and Miller with 36. Tuukka even managed to record a statistical oddity: an assist on Satan's winning goal.

The entire Bruins team was able to pull it together after falling into a two goal hole, yet remained mentally focused and stayed in the game.

Dan Sullivan contributed to this post. Check out Dan's work over at http://dansullivansportmanagement.wordpress.com/.

Marc Savard Update

2010-04-22T10:26:00.004-04:00

Savard could be back in the fold within the next couple of weeks.

Good news, Bruins fans! Marc Savard passed a neuro-psych test on Tuesday and continues to progress in his recovery from a severe concussion.

Savard continues to skate and practice, however there is still no official timetable for his return. However, he's been shelved for six weeks and will have to get back into game-playing shape.

The odds appear slim that the veteran will be able to return for the Buffalo series, but he could be a possibility for round two or beyond if the Bruins continue to win.

Celtics Take Game 2 Decisively

2010-04-21T14:37:00.005-04:00

Enjoying the fruits of their labor.

The KG-less Celtics took down the Miami Heat last night by a decisive score of 106-77. Glen Davis (23 points, 8 rebounds, 9-11 FTs) and Ray Allen (25 points, 7-9 3PTs) stepped up in the absence of The Big Ticket, and they carried the Celtics throughout the night including at one time a 40-8 run. The team's defense was better than ever in this game as they forced bad passes and altered shot attempts all night. Another reason for the team's decisive victory was their rebounding. They out-rebounded the Heat 50-33 and six Celtics had 5+ boards.

The C's head to Miami up 2-0. Doc Rivers and crew need to preach to the team not to let go of the stranglehold on the series. The Cavsare on their way to their own sweep against the Bulls, and it would behoove the Celts to take care of business quickly in order to have the chance to rest up.

2010 Patriots Schedule with Analysis

2010-04-20T19:16:00.008-04:00

The NFL released each team's 2010 schedule tonight. Here's what's on tap for the Pats:

Sun. Sept. 12 vs. Cincinnati, 1 PM
Sun. Sept. 19 at N.Y. Jets, 4 PM
Sun. Sept. 26 vs. Buffalo, 1 PM
Mon. Oct. 4 at Miami, 8:30 PM
Week 5 -- Bye
Sun. Oct. 17 vs. Baltimore, 1 PM
Sun. Oct. 24 at San Diego, 4:15 PM
Sun. Oct. 31 vs. Minnesota, 4:15 PM
Sun. Nov. 7 at Cleveland, 1 PM
Sun. Nov. 14 at Pittsburgh, 8:20 PM
Sun. Nov. 21 vs. Indianapolis, 4:15 PM
Thu. Nov. 25 at Detroit, 12:30 PM
Mon. Dec. 6 vs. N.Y. Jets, 8:30 PM
Sun. Dec. 12 at Chicago, 1 PM
Sun. Dec. 19 vs. Green Bay, 8:20 PM
Sun. Dec. 26 at Buffalo, 1 PM
Sun. Jan. 2 vs. Miami, 1 PM

Quick thoughts:

This is the NFL's 6th toughest schedule based on the combined 2009 opponent's records (136-120).
The bye week is fairly early, but with the Thanksgiving matchup at Detroit in week 12, the Patriots will have 11 full days off before the take on the Jets December 6th at home on Monday Night Football.
The farthest west that the team travels besides their week 7 game at San Diego is a matchup at Cleveland. Not bad.
The Patriots catch the Browns off of their bye week.
There will be two Monday Night Football mathups each versus a division opponent (week 4 at Miami and week 13 versus the Jets).
It will be a tough two game set November 7th and November 14th with a game at Pittsburgh and then versus the Colts.
The Patriots will have three home games in the last five weeks which could make for a good home field advantage in the cold weather.

In the wise words of Bill Belichick "it is what it is" and the Patriots will adapt to the quirks in their schedule.

Big Day In Boston Sports

2010-04-20T17:00:00.002-04:00

What a hit.

The Bruins took a 2-1 series lead last night behind the stout play of solid goaltender Tuukka Rask. I really couldn't say it any better than my buddy Dan Sullivan over at his blog. Check out his analysis of the game here.

It's an exciting time to be a Bruins fan. They're playing with the house's money; let me explain: if they win, they exceed expectations in a season plagued by injury. If they lose, they still win because they are a team on the rise carrying the #2 overall pick. For now, let's enjoy the playoff ride.

It's their time.

Big game for the Celtics tonight. Kevin Garnett is suspended for the affair after his elbow against Quentin Richardson on Saturday night. Enter Glen Davis and Rasheed Wallace. This is Perkins' time to step up with his defense and make a difference under the hoop like KG does. Baby will start in KG's place and will hopefully mold well with the starting five. This is also Rasheed's time to show why he was brought aboard. If he can make game changing plays close to the hoop then it will go a long way in helping the C's make it 2-0 heading to Miami.

Moss compliment or Galloway 2.0?

The Patriots made a free agent splash today bringing aboard the 33-year old seven time Pro Bowler Torry Holt. Entering what will be his 13th season, no one should expect the 117 catch Holt from 2003. However, he has caught 90+ balls in half of his NFL seasons and has 920 career grabs. Just three years ago, Holt caught 93 balls for the Rams and he arguably hasn't played with a good QB in in two years (Marc Bulger and David Garrard).

Will this be a Joey Galloway 2.0? Time will tell. What it currently means is that the team's wide receivers are:

Randy Moss
Julian Edelman
Torry Holt
David Patten
Brandon Tate
Isiah Stanback
Sam Aiken
Matthew Slater

Obviously no one expects Wes Welker back until at least midseason. This move hopefully will give some stability to the wide out corps as the team will hope that prospects Tate and Stanback can develop. This will also slide Aiken back to his special teams duties exclusively as he was clearly out of his league as a starting wide receiver in the Wild Card loss.

How quickly can the 37-year old get back in the line-up?

The Sox continue to tumble out of the gate and stand at 4-9, currently riding a five game losing streak. They have six games left on this home stand and they need to begin to turn it around against Texas and Baltimore. It's tough to pinpoint a specific area in improvement because everything from the offense, to the rotation, to the bullpen, and the defense have all hampered the team thus far.

To make matters worse, the team announced that Mike Cameron was placed on the 15-day DL today with a strained abdomen that could sideline him over a month. Cameron was brought in as part of the run prevention plan and with his absence the team will be starting an outfield of all lefties. This will hamper Tito's ability to get creative with him having to pencil in Ellsbury (when he returns), Drew, Hermida, and Reddick (expected to be called up from Triple-A) for several weeks. When Ellsbury returns he will slide back over to centerfield. There could be a trickle down effect that will hold Ortiz out against lefties on a consistent basis in order to balance the line up with Lowell.

Nevertheless, the Sox are six games out of first place just thirteen games in. Time to turn it around.

UPDATE: Ellsbury was placed on the 15-day DL tonight retroactive April 12th with sore ribs. The team purchased the contract of 31-year old Darnell McDonald. He's a righty and will probably platoon with Reddick.

The Captain Steps Up

2010-04-19T12:47:00.005-04:00

With the Bruins down 1-0 in the series and facing a two goal in game two on the road, things were looking bleak for the B's. The team has been offensively challenged all season and it appeared as if the team was set to go down 0-2 heading home.

That is, until, captain Zdeno Chara stepped up. Michael Ryder, who had a very down season by most accounts (33 points this year versus 53 in 2009), got the scoring starting just minutes into the second period. Then Chara rallied the troops finding the back of the net to tie the game on the NHL's best goalie this season, Ryan Miller.

Buffalo would score again in the second period, but the Bruins came out even hungrier in the third. Ryder would score again five minutes into the period and Chara would nail the go ahead goal just two minutes later. Chara's goal was an absolute snipe from the blue line and exactly what the team needed. Needless to say the Bruins played superb D the rest of the way to preserve the victory and take the all important road game.

Could this be the turning point in the series? It's very possible. If the Bruins can take care of business tonight and Wednesday at home, they can head back to Buffalo up 3-1. Of course that is a big if because the Bruins may not score five goals again in these playoffs. However, Tuukka Rask will put up better stats if the B's defenders can get back into position and not leave him helpless in the zone.

Jump on the bandwagon. It's the NHL playoffs and anything can happen. Zdeno Chara provided the spark this team needed and now it's their series to take.

NBA Suspends Garnett for Game 2

2010-04-18T19:38:00.005-04:00

Kevin Garnett was suspended tonight for Tuesday night's game 2 versus the Heat. With Paul Pierce down and 40 seconds left in the game, Quentin Richardson walked over near Garnett to grab the ball to inbound. Q came awfully close to KG and to Pierce's head and KG quickly got hot, resulting in an errant elbow.

Rule 12A Section 5 of NBA regulations state that any elbow thrown to an opposing player and makes contact will result in an automatic technical and ejection. On top of that, the NBA also fined him $25,000.

You have to love KG's fire and intensity, but the intentional elbows in a playoff game were not too smart. KG MUST KEEP HIS COMPOSURE COME CRUNCH TIME. The Celtics cannot afford for his emotions to take him out of the game--this is exactly what the Heat want.

This team barely squeaked by Miami, and it will be that much tougher to take down the Heat in game 2. Obviously, KG was trying to protect Pierce, but he had to know nothing good was going to come of the confrontation; especially with the Celtics leading at that point. Smart veteran player, but dumb rookie mistake.

Enter Rasheed Wallace and Glen Davis. Each coming off of sub-par regular season campaigns, the C's will need key defensive efforts from both in Garnett's absence. Hopefully the Celtics can take care of business on Tuesday night and head to Miami up 2-0.

Playoff Preview: Celtics vs. Heat

2010-04-16T10:00:00.001-04:00

Contain Wade. Period.

It's a first round date with Dwayne Wade and the Miami Heat. Last week, we thought it'd be the Bucks that the Celtics would dance with in the first round but the surprising Heat have catapulted into the 5th seed. Here's how the matchup breaks down:

The Celtics were 3-0 against the Heat this season, winning by the following scores: 92-85, 112-106, and 107-102, all very tightly contested games.
The Heat finished 25th in the league in scoring at 96.5 points per game while the Celtics finished 19th at 99.2.
Both teams were in the top six in opponent PPG during the regular season. The Heat came in at 2nd in the league giving up 94.2 per game while the Celtics were sixth at 95.5.

Keys to the Series:

Stop Dwyane Wade. Wade had another ridiculous campaign averaging 26.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 1.8 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game. The Heat ride and die with their perennial MVP candidate and he is more than capable of putting them on his back. Dwyane is an impending free agent and is hungry for another ring.
Win the Battle of the Boards. The Celtics finished second to last in the NBA in rebounding this season at just 38.6 boards per game. The Heat were more in the middle of the pack at 41.8. While that doesn't seem like too big of a difference, those three boards in a game can mean second chance points, which is critical since the two team's have played one another so closely so far.
Play with Heart. In reality this is the key to the series. All season when reporters asked what was wrong, the veteran players hinted that there was nothing to worry about and come playoff time this team would be okay. Let's see if they can flip the metaphorical switch. Easier said than done.

The Heat are beatable. However, to do so, the Celtics must play tight defense all the way around--not just on Wade. If the C's can force Miami's role players into tough spots, the team should cruise into the second round. If not, it may be another series like the one against the Bulls last season.

Celtics win, 4-1. Hopefully...

Red Sox Off to Rocky Start

2010-04-15T19:00:00.000-04:00

Hopefully Ellsbury can avoid the DL.

Three series in. 10 games down. 4-6 record. Big Papi still stinks. Sox fans are hitting the panic button.

The bats need to wake up. Four regulars: David Ortiz, J.D. Drew, Victor Martinez, and Mike Cameron are batting a combined .183 (22-120). Ortiz is off to another forgettable start and Drew and Victor have each yet to find their stroke. Cameron, a career .250 hitter, missed today's game with a possible case of appendicitis. If Cameron is forced to go on the DL it could mean trouble for the Sox as it would require a lengthy period of rest for the defensive minded center fielder. Jacoby Ellsbury, who was off to a nice start, took a knee in the ribs from Adrian Beltre when they collided in foul ground. Jacoby said that he is having trouble breathing deeply without pain and could also be DL bound.

On the pitching side, Josh Beckett and Jon Lester have stumbled out of the gate, but it's only been two starts. John Lackey has been very solid in 12 2/3 innings of work compiling a minuscule 1.42 ERA. Keep an eye on Daniel Bard's work load. The filthy righty has done a superb job throwing his fastball-slider combination out of the pen, but six appearances in ten games for the 24 year old is a bit concerning. Hopefully they can even it out going forward as to not mess with the hurler's arm.

All offseason, the talk was about run prevention and defense. Well, the team has committed four errors in ten games. Now with the possible impending DL stints for Cameron and Jacoby, the outfield's range will take a significant hit.

It's very early, and we do not know this team's true identity quite yet. The Sox come home for a ten game home stand versus the Rays, Rangers, and Orioles, and hopefully this will be a good opportunity for the team to bring that record over .500 with a 7-3 stint.

Playoff Preview: Bruins vs. Sabres

2010-04-14T14:30:00.000-04:00

It's time for the NHL Playoffs. The #6 Boston Bruins (39-30-13, 91 pts) take on the #3 Buffalo Sabres (45-27-10, 100 pts) in the first round. The Bruins took the regular season series by a 4-2 margin.

The B's have persevered through tremendous adversity this season, battling injuries their entire campaign. The emergence of goaltender Tuukka Rask has really made this season's resurgence possible. Against first round opponent Buffalo, Rask compiled a 4-1 record this season with a 1.43 GAA and a .954 save percentage. On the opposite side, Olympic goalie Ryan Miller has been just as good against the Bruins, putting up a 2-0-2 record in four starts with a 1.71 GAA and a .947 save percentage. It could very well be a matchup of the goalies when the series is on the line.

Heading into the first round on a note of positive note after beating the first place Capitals in the regular season finale, the team will look to come out firing in Game 1 @ Buffalo. The Bruins can't afford to allow the Sabres to establish the tempo of the game early and completely fall out of the contest. They must keep their noses to the grindstone and play the tough, grind-it-out type of hockey that has elevated them into this position.

Unfortunately, the injury bug continues to plague the Bruins as it has all season long. Marc Savard (concussion) and Dennis Seidenberg (forearm) are both out for the entire series, while Mark Stuart (finger surgery) will be out for at least the first two games. It was also reported today that Andrew Ferrence's availability will also be questionable as he comes off of a hernia, but the team is hopeful that he'll be ready to go.

The Bruins are not a goal scoring team--in fact, they might be the very opposite finishing last in the league. This is a team that has relied on defense and goaltending (second fewest goals allowed) all season long to propel them through the season and the philosophy will remain the same in the playoffs. The team will look to ride Rask's hot hand and hope that their staunch play will be enough to ward opposing teams off. Ryan Miller is arguably the best goalie in the league, and it's going to take a solid offensive effort by the Bruins in order to put some in the back of the net against the Olympic standout.

Key To The Series: The Bruins must capitalize on the power play. If the team can capitalize on the man advantage, they will have a much easier time in attempting to score against Miller & the Sabres.

On the PP: Sabres 17.6%, Bruins 16.6%
On the PK: Sabres 86.6%, Bruins 86.4%

As the stats support, these two teams are built very similarly to rely on the goaltending for success. Let's hope Rask can keep it rolling.

Series Prediction: Bruins win, 4-2.

Bruins Picking Second in the NHL Draft

2010-04-13T20:28:00.005-04:00

Bruins will get one of these two studs.

The Bruins did well tonight in the NHL draft lottery. Going in they had a 60.8% chance of getting a top two pick, but a 38.2% of falling to third spot. The ping pong balls fell the right way though, and the if they don't trade the pick the Bruins will get one of Tyler Hall or Tyler Seguin with the second overall selection. For more on the two can't miss prospects, check out last Thursday's blog post.

Patriots NFL Draft Preview 2010

2010-04-13T17:23:00.006-04:00

With the NFL Draft just over a week away, it's time to get excited. The Patriots once again have a plethora of picks including four of the top 53 selections:

1st round (22^nd overall)
2nd round (44^th, from Jacksonville)
2nd round (47^th, from Tennessee)
2nd round (53^rd)
4th round (119^th)
6th round (190^th)
6th round (205^th, compensatory)
7th round (229^th)
7th round (231st, from Philadelphia)
7th round (247^th, compensatory)
7th round (248^th, compensatory)
7th round (250^th, compensatory)

Rather than pretend like I know what I am talking about with a lot of names I've just heard and hope for the team to draft, I will leave it to the professionals. Last week the Patriots and ESPNBoston hosted an event for season ticket holders where respected football insiders Michael Smith, Mike Reiss, Todd McShay, and Christopher Price previewed the Patriots' draft. These are great watches and a good foundation of a lot of names you'll be seeing next Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

1st Round Possibilities:

2nd Round Possibilities:

Late Round Possibilities:

Sleeper Picks:

Who would you like to see the Patriots pursue?

The David Ortiz Saga

2010-04-12T15:22:00.004-04:00

We're two series into the season and it's already begun. David Ortiz is 2-18 with 9 strikeouts and his frustration is already apparent. Last week he snapped at reporters saying there were "160 f*cking games left", Friday night he was ejected for arguing a questionable check swing, and yesterday he struck out four times.

Yes, we're a mere six games into the season and the sample size is small, but Papi's start is not encouraging. Granted, he was baseball's best home run hitter from June on last season (28 bombs), but can the Red Sox afford to give the slumping Ortiz two months to figure out his swing?

Not with Mike Lowell sitting on the bench.

Terry Francona is the ultimate player's manager, and he will stick with Ortiz as long as he can. However, one has to think it won't be too long before the team's brain trust is whispering in his ear.

How long do you think the Sox can wait for Ortiz to figure it out?

Bruins Are Playoff Bound

2010-04-10T20:04:00.003-04:00

Bruins clinch playoff berth with three shorthanded goals in 64 seconds.

Congratulations to the Boston Bruins for clinching a playoff berth this afternoon. This wasn't the way most expected this team to get into the playoffs after last year's run, but with all of the injuries we'll take it. The B's last game is tomorrow and after that they will face of against either the Penguins, Sabers, or Devils in the first round.

With Tuukka in net and leading the league with a 1.97 goals against average, anything can happen in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Is Sheed a Bust?

2010-04-09T16:47:00.005-04:00

Sheed's best attribute thus far.

Rasheed Wallace is not who we thought he was. While many supporters are still attempting to defend the signing, it's hard to justify. Signed for another two years beyond the current season at over $13 million, Wallace had better refine his game if he hopes to finish out the tenure of his contract with the C's.

Let's dig a little deeper. Granted that Rasheed is not playing as many minutes as he once was in his career, he has done nothing to earn extra burn. He was supposed to cut down on the number of technicals he received, but that hasn't happened. He was supposed to be a three point marksman off of the bench, but that hasn't happened either. Even Wallace's passion for the game has seemed to slip this season as well as he adjusts to his supporting role.

Many people within the organization, the players themselves, and the team's fan base saw Wallace as the answer; he was the missing link to championship # 18. As the first man off of the bench, Wallace was supposed to be a big man capable of stretching the floor. He's shooting 28% from downtown this season. No, that's not a typo. The big man is just 78-279 from beyond the arc. By comparison, Rajon Rondo, who is widely regarded as a non-threat from the perimeter, is shooting at a 22% clip from the three. That six percent margin seems pretty slim.

On top of that, Wallace's defense has been anything but strong. It often seems like he doesn't even care to put the effort out on the defensive end--and the numbers support it. He can't rebound the ball. He can't body up a bigger center without fouling him--and he's certainly not swatting shots left and right. What does this mean for the Celtics? They give up more points with him out on the floor--whether he's in for KG or for Perkins, it doesn't matter. They're simply a worse team when he enters the game.

At 35, patience among Celtics fans is growing thin--much like Sheed's hairline. He's entered the conversation for the worst three-point shooting season ever and, in my opinion, may be the biggest free agent acquisition bust of this past offseason given the length of the contract and the money the team handed to him.

Let's hope he starts to figure it out at the season's most important time.

Bruins to Net Top 3 Pick

2010-04-08T20:11:00.004-04:00

Tyler Seguin and Tyler Hall are "can't miss" prospects.

For those who hated the Phil Kessel trade, it is about to pay off in a big way.

Toronto has one game left in their season and currently sits at 72 points, good for second worst in the league in front of only Edmonton (60 points) and tonight they clinched the second worst record tonight.

What does this all mean?

The NHL will hold their draft lottery next Friday. Here's how it breaks down for the B's:

Each team can move up as many as four spots from their final standing, and a team can only fall back one slot.
The Bruins are second in the lottery and have an 18.8% chance at the first pick.
Since each team can move up a maximum of four slots, there is a 33% chance that the teams behind the Bruins (teams 3-5) win the lottery which would cause the Bruins to slip down to the third overall slot.

What's the prize?

This year's top two prospects are very highly touted; think Rose and Beasley. Center Tyler Seguin (63 games, 48 goals and 58 assists) and wing Taylor Hall (57 games, 40 goals and 66 assists) have flat out dominated the Ontario Hockey League. What a fit one of these two would be on a Bruins team that lacks a marquee player. Hall may be a bitter fit as he's a natural winger who can slide right into a line with one of the following centers: Savard, Bergeron, and Krejci.

The Bruins need to focus on what they can control: winning hockey games. Tonight's win against Buffalo was a good start in securing a decent playoff seed for the beat up squad.

Playoffs Around the Corner

2010-04-07T12:35:00.002-04:00

It's time to kick it into high gear.

The Celtics have just five regular season games left: @ Toronto, vs Washington, @ Milwaukee, @ Chicago, and vs Milwaukee once again. These five contests all constitute very winnable games for the Celtics and it's critical that they win them all.

With just a game separating the C's and the third place Atlanta Hawks, the Celtics will hope to win out in an effort to slide into the three spot in the Eastern Conference heading into the playoffs. The team needs to step up to the plate and stop losing games that they shouldn't like last night's pathetic performance against the Knicks.

Toronto's Chris Bosh suffered a facial fracture last night and could miss a few games. Toronto, currently sitting in the 8th spot in the conference, stands to suffer quite a bit from any time that Bosh is out of the lineup.

Washington's been atrocious all season--but that doesn't make it a guaranteed win. The Celtics have lost games all season long that they simply shouldn't, and cannot afford for 14th place Washington to play the spoiler role.

Chicago, vying for the last playoff berth with Toronto, is just one game out and the team has recently seen their level of play surge forward. However, they face a daunting task as they have to play the Celtics, Cavs, and Bobcats all within the season's final week.

Milwaukee, like the Celtics, have solidified their spot in the playoffs but after just losing star center Andrew Bogut to a season-ending elbow injury, it will be a much higher wall to climb should they hope to beat the C's in this season's final week.

At 48-29 and 4th place in the Eastern Conference, the Celtics are slated to play (of all teams) those pesky Bucks in the first round. Should the standings hold true over the final week of the season, we should get a good preview into a first round matchup for the C's.

A playoff series with Milwaukee could be very dangerous for the Celtics. The Bucks have a young, talented group of players such as electric rookie Brandon Jennings, outside sniper Ersan Ilyasova, and Carlos "magicman" Delfino that can catch fire at any moment. Despite the loss of Andrew Bogut, the Bucks still stand to make some noise come playoff time, and if the Celtics learned anything from last year's first round scare from the Bulls, they should know that no opponent should be taken for granted.

The more favorable matchup for the Celtics would be against Miami Heat. Dwayne Wade can never be counted against come playoff time, but the Heat simply don't have the depth nor veteran leadership that the Celtics do. Garnett, Perk, and Baby would eat up Haslem, Beasley, and O'Neal in the post.

Let's hope the Celtics use the final five contests to prepare for a serious run at # 18, because we all know what likely awaits us before we can even make it to the Championship Round--King James and the NBA-best Cavaliers.

Beckett Resigns With the Sox

2010-04-06T17:21:00.001-04:00

Beckett will remain in the fold.

The Boston Red Sox announced yesterday afternoon that Josh Beckett has agreed to a four-year, $68 million extension that will keep the righty in Beantown through the 2014 season. Here's how the deal looks: A $5 million signing bonus and a salary of $15.75 million for 2011-2014. This deal gets one potential in season distraction out of the way.

This is the second time Beckett has resigned with the Sox to avoid free agency; in the summer of 2006 Josh signed a four-year, $40 million deal. It appears that the Sox & Beckett have a unique connection that is rare in today's sports world. Beckett loves being a member of the team and we love having him here; the loyalty between parties is absolutely unquestioned.

In his time with the Sox, Josh has compiled a 65-34 record, a 4.08 ERA, and a World Series championship. Not too shabby, and he continues to get better.

Of course this deal will be compared to John Lackey's, as Lackey and Beckett have similar track records. Both deals are heavily front loaded; Lackey's salary this year is $18 million, but falls back to $15.25 million in years 2011-2014. Essentially the Sox will have both aces at fairly equal dollar amounts for the future.

The team's reluctance to guarantee a 5th year to Beckett is interesting, as it could have been a potential stumbling block in negotiations. However, Beckett didn't seem to mind and the Sox were happy to sign him on for another four seasons.

Comparatively, Lackey received a guaranteed fifth year because of his interest from other teams while he was on the open market. The Red Sox were very smart in the language of Lackey's contract, as they added an option that would keep the talented righty in town for an additional year at just $1 million should he miss extended time due to a previous injury to his throwing elbow.

A potential problem for the Sox: Yet another ace Jon Lester's current contract is set to expire in 2014 along with Beckett & Lackey. The Red Sox also only have Clay Buchholz under team control through 2014 as well. The team's starting rotation could look a lot different come the 2015 season and this will definitely be a situation to monitor down the road.

Theo Epstein's vision of a starting rotation is now essentially complete. Having the three horses and Buchholz locked up through 2014 looks good on paper. Next up on Theo's list of tasks is to get Victor Martinez signed to a contract extension. V-Mart enters the season as the clear cut best catcher available in next year's free agent crop after Joe Mauer signed his 8-year, $184 million extension with Minnesota during spring training. The Red Sox desperately need V-Mart's bat in the future to pair with their potent aces.

The Celtics Rotation

2010-04-05T20:34:00.001-04:00

Tony Allen has been playing inspired minutes.

Yesterday's win over Lebron and the Cavs at the TD Garden was a promising sign--especially after the disheartening losses to the Spurs, Thunder, and Rockets. After blowing another huge lead, Ray Allen stepped up in the clutch, raining down three's at a ridiculous clip (6-9 on the night). It was a pivotal win for the Celtics as they look to increase momentum heading down the stretch and into the playoffs.

Doc Rivers recognized that something wasn't working over the last few contests and decided to switch the bench up a bit. Nate Robinson and Marquis Daniels rode the pine for the entire 48 while Tony Allen and Michael Finley played key roles off of the bench.

Tony has been playing inspired minutes and has been a true ball hawk on the defensive end. He handled the back up point guard duties fairly well, and with Rondo playing major minutes come playoff time it shouldn't be too daunting of a task. Michael Finley is a savvy veteran who has been playing solid defense and will hit the open jumper when given the opportunity.

With big men Rasheed Wallace and Glen Davis essentially locked in as the back up big men and Doc looking for a nine man rotation to keep his starters on the floor more often, it came down to Robinson and Daniels (and of course, Scal) being out of the rotation.

Marquis has struggled to establish a role since his return from injury and will have to work his way back into it. Nate, the enigmatic sparkplug, will need to continue to work on his "team basketball" skills for Doc to trust him come crunch time.

Look for Doc to continue to experiment over the final games, so the team can work on the on court chemistry for the all important playoff rotation.

Sports Science: The Green Monster

2010-04-04T00:50:00.002-04:00

Thought you may find this interesting. Happy Opening Day (or night in this case).

Red Sox Season Preview

2010-04-02T18:00:00.000-04:00

David Ortiz's bat is a key to the season.

All winter we have been highlighting position player and pitching previews of the members of the Boston Red Sox. We'd like to take this forum to preview the season as a whole. After narrow thought we boiled down the upcoming season to these key points:

Can the offense get it done?: David Oritz is the wild card this year. The line up is arguably deeper than ever with a lot of tough outs packed in there, but the team may be missing some bop in the middle. If Ortiz can hit 30+ home runs out of the #5 spot in the line up behind a filthy first four hitters, it may be a moot point. If he does indeed struggle, it will cause the Sox to look to Mike Lowell to take some of those ABs away and could eventually lead to another deadline deal for a bat.
Will the improved defense make a difference?: The ultimate zone rate per 150 games or UZR/150 measures the number of runs below or above the average fielder per 150 defensive games. A part of the team's offseason priorities, the team significantly upgraded their D across the diamond. The following is the list of starters followed by their UZR/150 at the position they will playing: 1B Youkilis (+15.2), 2B Pedroia (+10.6), 3B Beltre (+21), SS Scutaro (+1), LF Ellsbury (+30.3 - 2008), CF Cameron (+10.3), RF Drew (+15.7). You'd be hard pressed to find a team in the majors that has all positive UZR/150 regulars. The team upgraded at third base where Lowell had a -14.4 in 2009, left field where Bay had a -11.2, and center where Ellsbury had a -18.3. They did downgrade from Alex Gonzalez's masterful +15.2 at shortstop, but +1 is no slouch at baseball's toughest position for Scutaro. If you take the UZR/150 with a grain of salt and don't buy into the sabermetrics of baseball that's fine, but mark our word that this year's defense will be better.
Can the back end of the rotation find its identity?: We know what we're getting from our three aces Beckett, Lester, and Lackey. The real question is, can one of Buchholz, Wakefield, and Matsuzaka pitch to their potential. It's not inconceivable and if one of then does then that gives the Sox four sure things in the rotation.
Is the bullpen deep enough?: Compared to last year? No. The team lost two reliable arms in Wagner and Saito and replaced them with two question marks. Of course this is always a position that can be upgraded in season, but it comes at a premium. Yes, another year of Bard at the back end will be better, but it'd be nice to give Francona some more options than just him and Okajima in a close game.

These are all important questions as the 2010 season approaches, and it should be a wild one. The division will be tough to take with the likes of the again world champion Yankees, and improved Rays, but the wild card opponents as a whole are a bit weaker. If the team stays predominantly healthy, we have them at a 96-66 record.

Momentum to Build Off Loss to Thunder?

2010-04-02T11:05:00.000-04:00

Led by blossoming superstar Kevin Durant, the C's lost a tough one to a good, young Thunder team. Jeff Green (whom the team traded for Ray Allen on draft day '07) sunk the C's with two clutch three's as the clock wound down. The Thunder simply outlasted the Celtics down the stretch.

It's tough to believe that the Celts lost a game where they shot 60%, but a closer look at the box score can help explain. The Thunder shot twice as many free throws as the C's, (34 vs 17), and KG echoed the team's sentiment about the difference in foul calls, stating "You would've thought we were playing Michael (Bleeping) Jordan out there". He's right--Durant and the Thunder were the benefit of some extremely questionable calls all night long. Having said that, the young team remained aggressive for all 48 minutes and that's what aided them to the win.

The Celtics have struggled to shoot the deep ball all season and last night was no different; 3-13 from beyond the arc. On the season they hit 34.4% of attempts, good for 19th in the league. Bringing in free agent Rasheed Wallace was supposed to help this issue but the veteran hasn't exactly been Mr. Reliable since his arrival.

Hopefully this loss lights a fire under the team's behind and gets them playing championship caliber basketball once again, but someone outside of the "Big Four" must step up and play a key contributory role a la James Posey in '08 if the C's hope to bring home title # 18.

What's Next for the Bruins?

2010-03-31T18:57:00.002-04:00

The Bruins have come together as a strong, cohesive unit.

To say that the Bruins have had to trump adversity this season would be an understatement at best. Picked as a probable playoff contender in the preseason, the team struggled out of the gate and had many wondering if they were destined for a year of disappointment.

G Tim Thomas struggled early in the year, freshly off inking a four-year contract extension. Many consider his Vezina Trophy performance of last season both a fluke and a distant memory as he has been nothing but an adequate goaltender throughout most of his career. Then, Milan Lucic was victim of injury which really deflated the squad. As the team's lead aggressor, Lucic provides an element of play on the ice that is almost impossible to replace. At the season's inception, the Bruins roster was much different than it currently stands.

The team has seemingly undergone a transformation this season, moving away from its typical veteran leadership and relying heavily on the youngsters. Marc Savard has missed a majority of the season due to injury, Zdeno Chara hasn't been the as offensive as he has been in the past, and as mentioned Thomas' play has been disappointing at best.

The emergence of G Tuukka Rask has taken a lot of the pressure off of the struggling veteran Thomas. Rask, the league leader in GAA (2.02) & save percentage (92.9%), has asserted himself as the team's present & future between the pipes. The B's simply play a better, more inspired brand of hockey when the youngster is minding the net. In addition, after missing much of last season with concussion issues, Patrice Bergeron is reminding people why he's such an exciting talent. As the team's leader in points (50), he has greatly facilitated the offense when he's out on the ice.

Even though the team swung and missed in both free agency and at the trade deadline in the pursuit of a bigtime name, they've received contribution across the board in the form of guys like Vladimir Sobotka, David Krejci, and Marco Sturm. In addition, the Bruins have received tremendous aid in the guys that have come over via trade: Daniel Paille has provided excellent energy on the ice, and Dennis Seidenberg has really helped to shore up the defense since his arrival.

While many opined when the team decided to trade Phil Kessel to the Maple Leafs, the Bruins stand to benefit immensely from the decision as they will look to lock up the 5th or 6th overall pick in this year's draft that has many experts clamoring as one of the deepest in talent over the last decade.

The Bruins resurgence from the cellar this season and current playoff push is a tremendous start to the future of the franchise--but merely just that, a start. If the Bruins hope to make an eventual run to the cup, they'll have to acquire a front-line scorer that won't disrupt the team's chemistry, complicating GM Peter Chiarelli's job quite a bit in the near future.

One last thing, Coach Claude Julien is one of the best in the business. Plain and simple.

Position Previews: The Bench

2010-03-30T20:15:00.000-04:00

Today will mark our last installment of the player previews for the Boston Red Sox. We will examine the team's bench.

The Sox will keep four bench players as usual, with three spots already claimed.

C Jason Varitek - Varitek will enter the season as the team's back up catcher for the first time in over a decade after he exercised his $3 million player option. The Captain hasn't batted over .255 since 2005, and with Victor Martinez on board his role is much more defined. Despite his .209 average last year, still look for Tek to start 40-60 games, so the team can keep V-Mart fresh on days they slide him to first base.

UTL Bill Hall - Hall is no longer the player who bopped 35 homers in 2006. Like Tek, he has not batted for a good average in years. However, his value with the team lies in his versatility as he can play 3B, LF, RF, and has been refining his SS and 2B skills.

OF Jeremy Hermida - Still only 26-years old and a former first round pick, Theo Epstein went out and traded for the youngster this winter. Despite a .265 career average in parts of five major league seasons, he has shown the flashes of excellence. He is tearing the cover off of the ball with a .447 average in 38 spring at bats.

The fourth spot is a bit questionable. If Mike Lowell is still here then it's his by default and he will back up 3B, DH, and some 1B.

Some thought Jed Lowrie would be on the roster backing up a few of the infield spots, but his mononucleosis made that a moot point.

Other back up infield options for the Sox include Kevin Frandsen whom the team acquired last week. He batted .295 in 427 Triple-A at bats last year and could slide in if needed, but the team assigned him to Triple-A

Tug Hulett has a very similar resume to Frandsen, with the majority of his professional games being at second base. He also posted a .291 average in 374 Triple-A at bats last season. Tug has really helped his case with a stellar spring with a home run, six doubles, and 15 RBIs in 44 at bats. There is a good chance Hulett could be on the roster if Lowell is traded or sent to the DL.

Previous Previews:

Jacoby Ellsbury
Dusin Pedroia
Victor Martinez
Kevin Youkilis
David Ortiz
J.D. Drew
Mike Cameron
Adrian Beltre
Marco Scutaro

Josh Beckett
Jon Lester
John Lackey
Clay Buchholz
Daisuke Matsuzaka
Tim Wakefield

Jonathan Papelbon
The Bullpen

This will conclude of position and pitching previews. We hope you enjoyed the consistent and concise previews over the past several weeks in anticipation of the season. Keep your eye out for a season preview in the coming days.

Pitching Previews: The Pen

2010-03-29T21:30:00.002-04:00

So far we have previewed the team's projected starting line-up, the starting rotation, and the team's closer, Jonathan Papelbon. Today we will examine the rest of the team's bullpen as a whole. Theo Epstein and the rest of the brass have put a major emphasis on improving the team's middle relief over the past few years by building deeper pens.

We'll start with the team's two set up men to Jonathan Papelbon:

LHP Hideki Okajima - The herky jerky lefty continues to get it done. He has averaged 25 holds in his three major league seasons, and has exceeded everyone's expectations during his tenure. There is, however, some concern about the 34-year old lefty who saw his ERA and WHIP rise each of his three seasons, while his strikeouts have declined over the same time period. He'll be one of the more reliable setup arms in the AL.

RHP Daniel Bard - The flame thrower burst onto the scene last season after the organization decided to have the converted starter become a full time arm in the pen. The results were great with his 63 K's in 49.1 innings. Bard, who will be 25 in June, will continue to develop in his second major league season, and will look to cut down on the walks while integrating his offspeed pitch at a higher clip.

The two middle relief men:

RHP Ramon Ramirez - The Coco Crisp for Ramon Ramirez trade worked out beautifully. He had a stellar 2.84 ERA in 70 appearances, marking the second straight season he had an ERA below 3.00. However, one should be aware that as the season wore on, he became more vulnerable. His ERA ballooned to 4.15 in August and 4.35 in September. His body of work is great, but more consistency is needed out of the right hander. His 52/32 K/BB ratio could also use some work.

RHP Manny Delcarmen - The 28-year old Delcarmen took a big step back in 2009. The righty sported a 4.53 ERA and had a terrible final three months to the season. He found himself left off of the team's playoff roster against the Angels. After a 3.27 ERA and 72/28 K/BB ratio in 2008, MDC had a 44/34 K/BB ratio last year. Delcarmen has only allowed one run in 6.1 innings this spring, but that goes with a 1/3 K/BB ratio. Hopefully Manny figures it out, or he will quickly become a candidate for mop-up duty.

The Rest of Candidates:

RHP Scott Atchison, whom the team signed from Japan this winter, may have an inside track. The righty has compiled a 1.65 ERA in 11 innings and an impressive 6/1 K/BB ratio. He posted a 1.70 ERA in 90 innings last season for the Hanshin Tigers of the Japanese Central League.

RHP Boof Bonser, who missed all of last season with a torn labrum, has been attempting to stick with the club as well. He has not been helping his cause yielding nine runs in 11 innings.

LHPs Alan Embree and Scott Schoeneweis, ageless lefty hurlers, are also vying for a potential spot as a lefty specialist. It is important to note that the past two seasons the team has played the majority of the season with Okajima as the lone lefty.

A plethora of talent sits in Pawtucket as well in case any of the aforementioned do not pan out. Michael Bowden and Junichi Tazawa, who saw time last season with the big club, could eat up in a pinch in case the team needs some long arms. Youngster lefthander Dustin Richardson, who got a cup of coffee in October, has shown promise and could see some action as well. Journeymen Fernando Cabrera, Joe Nelson, and Ramon A. Ramirez also have borderline major league stuff and all are capable of catching lightning in a bottle and helping the big club.

Not to be lost in all of this is the return of Daisuke Matsuzaka at the end of April/beginning of May. His return will give the club six starters which will inevitably kick one of the bullpen guys out.

It's a deep pen and hopefully Terry Francona and pitching coach John Farrell are able to carve out some defined roles for the bunch.

Previous Previews:

Jacoby Ellsbury
Dusin Pedroia
Victor Martinez
Kevin Youkilis
David Ortiz
J.D. Drew
Mike Cameron
Adrian Beltre
Marco Scutaro

Josh Beckett
Jon Lester
John Lackey
Clay Buchholz
Daisuke Matsuzaka
Tim Wakefield

Jonathan Papelbon

Next Up: The Bench

Patriots Recap

2010-03-27T22:15:00.001-04:00

A busy week for the team's brain trust.

The annual owner's meeting has come and gone, with the biggest change being a change in the overtime rules. While the Patriots voted for the change, Bill Belichick still voiced displeasure over the new rule. “I like the rules of the game as they are in regulation,” Belichick told ESPNBoston.com on Monday. “I think that’s the way it should be in overtime, but that’s not the way it is. So whatever it is, it is.” He essentially would like to see an entire period be played in its entirety.

Among other things, it was revealed that the Pats are likely headed for a Thanksgiving day matchup against the Lions. Any hardcore Pats fan remembers the team sporting the the red throwbacks back in 2002. Plus, who could forget Tedy Bruschi's unbelievable pick six? The official NFL schedules should be revealed in the near future.

The Patriots received four compensatory picks in this year's draft. The NFL awarded picks for departed free agents: Larry Izzo, Jabar Gaffney, Heath Evans, Lamont Jordan, and Lonie Paxton. However, the team signed a compensatory free agent last offseason, Brandon McGowan, and therefore was only awarded four selections. The team now boasts 12 picks in a deep draft class:

1st round (22^nd overall)
2nd round (44^th, from Jacksonville)
2nd round (47^th, from Tennessee)
2nd round (53^rd)
4th round (119^th)
6th round (190^th)
6th round (205^th, compensatory)
7th round (229^th)
7th round (231st, from Philadelphia)
7th round (247^th, compensatory)
7th round (248^th, compensatory)
7th round (250^th, compensatory)

The Patriots also conducted the first round voluntary offseason workouts over the past couple of weeks. Tom Brady, who was a no show during the first week because he was training in Los Angeles (boxing) arrived in New England for the second week of work. Randy Moss, also in a contract year, showed up on time for work as well. He has shown that his dedication need not be questioned. On the other hand, Logan Mankins is not as satisfied. The restricted free agent (who would be unrestricted if not for the status of the league's collective bargaining agreement) will be forced to sign his tender sheet and play out the year at his assigned salary. However, with the team resigning many of the players from within, it's easy to see where his frustration lies.

The Pats added veteran blocking TE Alge Crumpler this week. Crumpler, 32, stands 6'2" and 262 pounds, will receive base salaries of $1.4 million in 2010 and $2.4 million in 2011 as well as a $1 million signing bonus. His status will be basically year-to-year with the team. Crumpler is known for his leadership and work ethic and may help to groom a young TE that the team selects in the draft.

Owner Bob Kraft and team president Jonathan Kraft each had some interesting insight this week as well. Bob was blunt, stating "Tom Brady is going to be part of this franchise. He wants to be, we want him." He also touched on the team's chemistry, "I think the chemistry, the locker room, a lot of games are won and lost before you hit the field." Kraft said their offseason moves have been reflective of their desire to see increased leadership and better chemistry going into the 2010 campaign. Jonathan Kraft said the team's offseason was far from done and that offseason transactions may continue well into the summer due to the uncertainty that surrounds the league.

The draft is just over three weeks away. Get excited.

Bruins Making Playoff Push

2010-03-26T16:13:00.003-04:00

With the Bruins narrowly clinging to the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, the team must continue a high level of productivity over the final couple of weeks in order to catapult themselves into the postseason.

In wake of the injury to veteran leader Marc Savard, the team has collectively picked up its play. Guys like Sturm, Krejci, and Bergeron will have to be big contributors for the remainder of the season and the playoffs if the team hopes to continue its success. The Bruins have received outstanding goaltending from the young Tuukka Rask who has done everything that the team has asked and more. He must continue to perform at a very high level if the Bruins have any hope of advancing beyond the first round.

Milan Lucic's health is improving by the day, and the young aggressor continues to regain his confidence out on the ice with each passing day. He will be another key member of the squad as the team hopes that they can put together a memorable playoff push.

This team is a roller coaster ride to watch these days, as they look great one night and terrible on another. Some sort of consistency is needed for this important push.

Pitching Previews: Jonathan Papelbon

2010-03-24T16:30:00.000-04:00

It's been a long offseason for Jonathan Papelbon. After ending the season with a blown save, the dominant closer will look to put it all together for another unbelievable regular season in 2010. Today, we will focus on his 2009 statistics, his career highs in parentheses, and a 2010 outlook.

ERA: 1.85 (0.92-2006)
WHIP: 1.15 (0.77-2007)
Saves: 38 (41-2008)
Wins: 1 (5-2008)
K's: 76 (84-2007)
Innings Pitched: 68.0 (69.1-2008)
Batting Average Against: .213 (.146-2007)

2010 Outlook: #58 is entering his sixth season with the big league club. While the Red Sox have signed much of their home-grown talent to long-term deals early in their careers, Papelbon continues to prefer to go year-by-year with the Sox through the arbitration process. The big Southern boy has gone on record saying that he could never pitch again and live comfortably for the rest of his life, so his preference to go yearly with the potential to make more money should come as no surprise for Red Sox fans.

After ending the season with a blown save against the Angels in the playoffs, Papelbon will look to right the ship and re-establish himself as the (one of) the most dominant closers in the league. In 2007, Paps had arguably his best year with 37 saves, a 1.85 ERA, and a 0.77 WHIP. Not so coincidentally, the Red Sox went on to win the World Series that year.

Remember who got the last out for the Sox in that marvelous '07 campaign? That's right.

In Case You Missed It:
Jacoby Ellsbury
Dusin Pedroia
Victor Martinez
Kevin Youkilis
David Ortiz
J.D. Drew
Mike Cameron
Adrian Beltre
Marco Scutaro

Josh Beckett
Jon Lester
John Lackey
Clay Buchholz
Daisuke Matsuzaka
Tim Wakefield

NEXT UP: The Rest of the Pen

Andrew Ference Signs 3-Year Extension

2010-03-24T14:17:00.005-04:00

The Bruins have announced that they have signed D Andrew Ference to a three-year, $6.75 million dollar extension through the 2013-2014 season. This is Ference's fourth year with the Bruins and it is good to know that the solid defenseman will be in the fold as the team continues to grow over the next several seasons.

The Bruins originally picked up Ference along with Chuck Kobasew in a trade with the Calgary Flames back in 2007, sending Brad Stuart, Wayne Primeau, and a 4th round draft choice.

The 31-year old defenseman has 24 goals, 117 assists, and 141 points in 10 NHL seasons.

Turning the Corner?

2010-03-23T20:00:00.000-04:00

The Truth is the key.

On Friday we highlighted how important the Celtics' three game road trip was. They won in Houston and Dallas but finished up with a loss last night in Utah to finish the trip 2-1. The loss last night was personified by an unbelievably hot second half from the Jazz that eventually saw coach Doc Rivers' frustrations boil over into an ejection.

All in all it appears (for now) things appear to be straightening out for the C's, as they have won five of their last seven. The C's have a lot going for them the rest of the way:

Paul Pierce is starting to get his shots up. In surprising news, it was revealed yesterday that Pierce had his knee drained after the all star break, and he may be beginning to recover from the procedure. On the three game trip, Pierce shot the ball almost 15 times per game, which is above his 12 per game season average. The Celtics need their stud to get his looks, as every bonafide title contender needs their star player(s) to perform at an elite level.
With just 12 games left in the regular season, the Celtics play eight at home. With a 21-12 record on the parquet this season, the Celtics will look to win the remainder of their games at the Garden.
Another quirk in the schedule is the fact that the team doesn't have many more back-to-back games this season. The C's have just three back to back games in the final three weeks which favors the Celtics and their older legs.

Some things to be concerned about are:

Rajon Rondo's and Kendrick Perkins' play of late has been lackluster. Rondo has not been himself and is not facilitating the offense like he did midseason. Perkins has seen his points, rebounds, and blocks decrease over the past month from his season averages. The team needs to get their legs under them for the final few weeks.
The Celtics will be playing seven of the final 12 against playoff teams (vs. Denver, San Antonio, Oklahoma City, Cleveland, Milwaukee, @ Toronto and @ Milwaukee). This will be a good test for the C's as they look to prove themselves against the league's upper echelon of teams.

The Celtics can clinch a playoff berth tonight with a Bobcats loss to the Wizards, but the Celtics need to continue fighting to secure the number three seed in the East and avoided the dreaded Cavs in the 2nd round. It will be a fun final three weeks for us Celtics fans as we prepare another possible title run.

Pitching Previews: Tim Wakefield

2010-03-22T10:00:00.000-04:00

At age 43, Tim Wakefield will hope to keep the knuckle ball on point. Entering his 16th year with the club, Wake is the longest tenured member of the Sox and just signed on for two more years. Last season was cut short due to a back injury, and it was only the second time in the past eight years he hadn't made at least 30 starts. The veteran's body has not let him down over time. Today, we will focus on his 2009 statistics, his career highs in parentheses, and a 2010 outlook.

Games Started: 21 (33 - 1998, 2005)
ERA: 4.58 (2.15 - 1992)
WHIP: 1.44 (1.05 - 2002)
Wins: 11 (17 - 1998, 2007)
K's: 72 (169 - 2002)
Innings Pitched: 129.2 (225.1 - 2005)
Batting Average Against: .270 (.204 - 2002)
Pitches/Game Started: 96.1 (102.8 - 2005)

2010 Outlook: Wakefield signed a two-year contract that will pay him base salaries of $3.5 million in 2010 and $1.5 million in 2011. Entering the spring with six starters, Wake was adamant that he was a starting pitcher and did not seem welcome to the idea of a bullpen role. However, with the recent injuries Daisuke Matsuzaka's back and neck, it appears that Wake will have a spot in the rotation for the time being.

When he's healthy, Wakefield has shown the ability to be one of the most reliable back-end starters in all of baseball. Hitters still haven't figured out his devastating knuckler, and although he is susceptible to the gopher ball, his mid 4.00 ERAs are certainly passable on this Red Sox team. One major concern with Wake is that he hasn't topped 200 innings since 2005, but with the plethora of pitching that the Sox have, they don't need to rely on him to do so.

Look for Wake to play a significant role as a contributor to the club as his veteran leadership and strong performance will continue to be crucial to the team's success in 2010.

In Case You Missed It:
Jacoby Ellsbury
Dusin Pedroia
Victor Martinez
Kevin Youkilis
David Ortiz
J.D. Drew
Mike Cameron
Adrian Beltre
Marco Scutaro

Josh Beckett
Jon Lester
John Lackey
Clay Buchholz
Daisuke Matsuzaka

NEXT UP: Jonathan Papelbon

Big Road Trip for the Celtics

2010-03-19T16:44:00.005-04:00

Pierce and KG need to step up; it's that simple.

The Celtics are heading out west for three games, with Houston (35-31), Dallas (46-22), and Utah (44-24) on tap. The Celtics will be taking on three perennial Western Conference powerhouses. The C's are 13-9 against their out of conference opponents this season, and with three games in four days, these games are crucial for the Celtics. Even more, the C's next eight games will all be against Western Conference opponents.

Coming off of three easy home wins, the Celtics need to prove to themselves (and the rest of the league) that they can beat the NBA's elite. The team's struggles against the league's powerhouses have been well documented, so this is the time for the C's to quiet the critics and finish the season strong. Most importantly, the Celtics need Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett put the team on their shoulders.

Heading into the home stretch of the regular season, the Celtics find themselves tied with the Atlanta Hawks for the all important three seed. This is so important, as we've stated before, because the three seed wouldn't have to face the dread Cavs in a potential second round match-up.

The Mike Lowell Situation

2010-03-18T19:02:00.005-04:00

Lowell was the 2007 World Series MVP

On December 10th, we reported that it looked like Mike Lowell would be packing his bags and heading to Texas. Lowell went on to fail his physical due to a 95% tear in the radial collateral ligament in his thumb. After all was said and done, Lowell remained with the Sox.

Finally recovered from his December 30th surgery, Lowell has appeared in two games thus far and is 1-4 at the plate. Lowell has been spending time at 1B for the Sox, a position he hasn't played since he was a Yankee farmhand in the minor leagues. The Sox hope that the position versatility will increase his trade value.

If the Sox decide to keep the veteran, his new position may be to add value to the team. His -14.6 UZR/150 last season showed his significant decline defensively at the hot corner coming off of hip surgery. If Lowell takes well to first base, the team can slide Youkilis to third on days they're looking to get him into the line-up. There is also a ripple effect if Lowell begins the year with the Sox, as it will directly affect their four man bench. With Jason Varitek and Jeremy Hermida, newly acquired Bill Hall will fill the role of utility infielder. Lowell would also provide good insurance to David Ortiz if he begins the year in a funk again.

Mike Lowell carries a $12 million salary in the final year of his pact, and the Sox were willing to eat as much as $9 million of that during the winter in trade talks. It appears more than likely that Lowell will be moved at some point in the near future, even if he begins the year on the active roster.

Bruins Crunchtime

2010-03-17T12:51:00.006-04:00

Bergeron is the latest to suffer an injury.

After the Bruins put the romp on the Hurricanes last night by the score of 5-2, it was revealed that Patrice Bergeron may need to miss a significant amount of time due to injury. Berg is just the latest casualty of the injury-bug that has plagued Boston all season long (the most recent being the concussion to Marc Savard).

The injury came on a Bruins goal that deflected off of Berg's skate and into the back of the net. Luckily, Coach Claude Julien didn't seem overly concerned, stating that the prognosis was "just a bruise." Another injury to a key cog of the team is the last thing that the Bruins need as they continue to battle adversity.

The Bruins currently sit at 8th in the Eastern Conference, 31-26-12 which is good for 74 points. The team needs to continue to keep the pedal to the medal as they have four teams who are right behind them in the standings: NY Rangers (71 pts), Atlanta Thrashers (68 pts), Tampa Bay Lightning (68 pts), and the NY Islanders (67 pts). It's remarkable to think that the Bruins are in playoff contention despite the injuries they've sustained this season.

With the emergence of Tuukka Rask, the help of veterans like Mark Recchi, the energy of scrappers such as Daniel Paille, and the aid of goal scorers like Marco Sturm and David Krejci, the Bruins will attempt to defy the odds and sneak into postseason play.

NCAA Tournament

2010-03-16T18:27:00.006-04:00

Any of you Inside Boston Sports viewers looking for a bracket to get into? IBS is running a $20 bracket that will pay out the top three finishers. If you're interested in joining the madness, shoot us an email at insidebostonsports@gmail.com.

Pitching Previews: Daisuke Matsuzaka

2010-03-16T12:00:00.000-04:00

We will continue to spotlight the Red Sox starters with today's profile: Daisuke Matsuzaka. He's been a great mystery during his tenure in Boston, as we have seen everything from him except what was advertised: a dominant pitcher. Even with his 18 wins and 2.90 ERA in 2008, he averaged less than six innings per start, walked nearly 100 batters, and was a benefit of a lucky .267 average on balls batted in play or BABIP (the average is .300). Today, we will focus on his 2009 statistics, his career highs in parentheses, and a 2010 outlook.

Games Started: 12 (32 - 2007)
ERA: 5.67 (2.90 - 2008)
WHIP: 1.38 (new career high)
Wins: 4 (18 - 2008)
K's: 54 (201 - 2007)
Innings Pitched: 59.1 (204.2 - 2007)
Batting Average Against: .325 (.211 - 2008)
Pitches/Game Started: 91.9 (108.7 - 2007)

2010 Outlook: The $100 million man is entering the his fourth season with the Sox, and the team's faithful are beginning to lose their patience with the once heralded Japanese star. As recently as yesterday, Dice-K had to cut his bullpen session short (again) even though he was scheduled to throw a live batting practice.

Dice-K is unlikely to enter the season in the rotation as he is simply not prepared. He hasn't gotten his proper work in as he continues to battle injury woes. This has to be disappointing for the Japanese hurler, who had spent most of his winter at the esteemed Athletes Performance Institute to make sure he was ready for the season. Look for Matsuzaka to start to get some work in the coming couple of weeks and then possibly head to extended Spring Training to begin the season. Tim Wakefield may start the season in the rotation, after all.

Matsuzaka needs to find consistency and control. If he hopes to improve, he cannot labor through 20+ pitch innings anymore. Dice-K will have to cut down his walks significantly, and he really needs to do a better job of finding the corners on the plate. He should be well-adjusted to the slightly smaller MLB strikezone (than Japan) by now as he enters his fourth year with the team. There's no questioning his innate talent, but like so many other athletes, it's parlaying those talents into on-field success that the Red Sox hope for this season from Dice-K.

Previous Previews:
Jacoby Ellsbury
Dusin Pedroia
Victor Martinez
Kevin Youkilis
David Ortiz
J.D. Drew
Mike Cameron
Adrian Beltre
Marco Scutaro

Josh Beckett
Jon Lester
John Lackey
Clay Buchholz

Next Up: Tim Wakefield

Top Red Sox Prospect Needs Brain Surgery

2010-03-14T14:17:00.003-04:00

19-year old Sox outfield prospect Ryan Westmoreland will undergo brain surgery on Tuesday to attempt to fix a cavernous malformation that has developed in his brain, team officials released early this week. Westmoreland, who played his high school ball in Portsmouth, Rhode Island and is widely considered the top position prospect in the organization, complained of headaches beginning two weeks ago.

After a battery of tests were conducted, he received diagnosis which was re-affirmed by several doctors. This is devastating news for the youngster as the condition could be life-threatening. It was announced yesterday that he will undergo surgery in Tuscon, Arizona to attempt to remove the malformation.

The kid can't catch a break. After breaking onto the scene as a 5th round draft pick in 2008, he spent all of 2009 recovering from a broken clavical bone. Before the injury he was tearing it up at Single-A Lowell with a .296 average, .401 OBP, 7 HRs, 35 RBIs, and 19 SBs in just 223 ABs. When team's came calling at the trade deadline, Theo Epstein made it clear that the Sox have no interest in moving the young talent.

Our thoughts and prayers here at Inside Boston Sports go out to Ryan and his family, and we wish him best of luck on Tuesday and in the future. We hope to see him playing for the Red Sox in the near future.

What's Wrong With the Celtics?

2010-03-12T11:15:00.007-05:00

I've been hesitant to write this post for a couple of weeks now. Could the Celtics really play this bad? We truly thought this team was just in a lull and would figure it out after a couple of embarrassing losses. The Celtics continue to disappoint us, and we've tried to pinpoint some reasons for the team's recent struggles:

Settling for jumpers instead of attacking the rim.
Has anyone else noticed that the C's are chucking up the three ball at an unforeseen rate? The team has been taking it to the hole significantly less than we're used to seeing. Because of this, the C's aren't getting to the line as much and are missing out on valuable opportunities to put points on the board. The team needs to re-establish a post presence beginning with Perk and Garnett.
The team is last in the Eastern Conference in rebounding.
Where are the bigs? Just two years ago when this team won a championship, they were critically acclaimed rebounders, always aggressive on both sides of the glass. Perhaps the departure of Leon Powe has left the team without some of its aggressiveness on the glass, but there is absolutely no excuse to be last in the conference. This team, who has proven rebounders, needs to figure it out.
The play of the Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett has been weak.
Yes, they have been injured at times this season, and are probably playing injured, but they need to carry this team. Despite the emergence of Rondo and the supporting play Ray-Ray, Pierce & Garnett are the soul of the team. They haven't stepped up in the clutch recently, and each of their numbers are way down from last season. The Celtics' success is contingent on the success of these two players.
Is this team waiting to turn it on for the playoffs?
This Celtics team, comprised of many veterans, is not showing up with a fire every night. These players have been around the block a few times, and it's a long, grueling regular season. Perhaps they're content with just getting to the NBA playoffs, and focusing on knocking off teams series by series. If this is their intention and they're mailing it in for the regular season, they will not find postseason success and will have a very hard time capturing another title.

This team needs to find a rhythm. After bottoming out against Memphis at home on Wednesday night, they currently sit fourth in the Eastern Conference, but securing the third seed is very important to their playoff hopes. If the Celtics stay in the fourth spot, they'd face a very tough Cavs team in the 2nd round assuming they advance out of the first--which is no given.

The Celtics have 19 regular season games remaining to figure it out.

Kevin Faulk Resigns & Latest News

2010-03-11T11:44:00.007-05:00

The offensive staple.

The Patriots stayed true to their off-season plan of resigning their own by agreeing to a one-year contract worth $2 million, including a $1 million signing bonus with 11 year veteran Kevin Faulk. At the very least, Faulk, who's played in 15 or more games in each of the last four years, offers the team a steady and heady 3rd down option who can contribute in the return game if need be. Bill Belichick also trusts the savvy veteran immensely, as he was the go-to-guy on the famed 4th and 2 play in Indy. Mike Reiss of ESPN Boston points out that Faulk played a team high 38.8% of the snaps in the backfield for the Patriots.

With Sammy Morris, Laurence Maroney, Fred Taylor and BenJarvus Green-Ellis all under contract next season, it has led some to believe the Pats will not draft a RB in this year's draft. Morris (32), Taylor (34) and Faulk (33) are not getting any younger, so it would not be a surprise to see the Patriots inject some youth into the rotation with quick and fast play-maker on the second or third day of the draft. If that happens, look for the RB competition to heat up in camp substantially with the likelihood of a veteran not making the team being high.

Other News:

So the Patriots have resigned five of their own and lost one (Jarvis Green to Denver). The team has three unrestricted free agents that are still on the market: DE/LB Derrick Burgess, TE Ben Watson, and P Chris Hanson. Should be interesting to see if they approach those player, or look externally to replace them.
According to an ESPN article that sites ProFootballFocus.com Adalius Thomas was the NFL's worst tackler last season.
Only nine players remain from the last championship squad of 2004, Tom Brady, Kevin Faulk, Matt Light, Stephen Neal, Dan Koppen, Ty Warren, Vince Wilfork, plus David Patten and Tully Banta-Cain who both left and then came back.
With the signing of Vince Wilfork to a massive five-year, $40 million contract, the Patriots are looking for Vince to step up his leadership. “Some people are vocal leaders,’’ Wilfork said. “I led by example. I’ve said things when I had to say it, but now all of us have to rise. We have to raise our level of play. If something is wrong, we have to address it." Vince went on to say, "e can’t let it go on. “You’ve got to be the believer and you’ve got to go forward, and you might have to do a little something extra. That’s fine. By me doing something extra or by us doing something extra, [if that] gets us to the point we need to be, I’ll do it 100 out of 100 times, point blank."
The Patriots planned a private workout with LSU defensive lineman Al Woods scheduled for next Tuesday.

So Long, Nomar

2010-03-10T17:16:00.006-05:00

Former Red Sox superstar Nomar Garciaparra signed a one day, minor league contract with the Boston Red Sox this morning and immediately announced his retirement from baseball. He will make the transition from player to press, and accept a position with ESPN's Baseball Tonight. For the greater part of 1997 through 2003, Nomar was the face of the Red Sox franchise. He bursted onto the scene as a rookie and soon found himself being discussed in the same sentence as Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, and Miguel Tejada. Over his tenure with the Sox, Nomar batted .323, with 178 homers and 690 RBIs, including back to back AL batting titles in 1999 and 2000.

To the chagrin of many Sox fans, Nomar was traded away in 2004. At the time, many fans were distraught and couldn't believe that the Red Sox would trade the face of the franchise, but little did they know it would spur their first World Series Title in 86 years.

How will we remember Nomar? No one can forget Nomar's infamous toe-tapping, glove fixing habits prior to seeing a pitch, or his uncanny likeliness to swing at the first pitch. How about Nomar's magical evening on May 10, 1999 when he blasted 3 HRs and had 10 RBIs in a single game against the Seattle Mariners? I think Jay Buhner was eating a handful of steroids in right field.

Nomar was face of the franchise. Fortunately for the organization, Theo Epstien had the foresight to deal the aging shortstop before locking him up long term with an expensive contract. Nomar will retire with class and always be remembered as an integral member of the Boston Red Sox.

What are your favorite Nomar memories?

Patriots Retaining Their Own

2010-03-09T19:31:00.007-05:00

The Patriots continued to take care of their own today when they locked up cornerback Leigh Bodden to a four year $22 million contract with $10 million guaranteed. It was smart move by the team as Bodden has proved he is a solid defender, only 28 years old, and helps fill a void at the DB position.

Having signed NT Wilfork, OLB Banta-Cain, RG Neal, and now Bodden, its clear the Patriots have opted to invest money in their own rather than testing the waters of free agency.

The Patriots average age on offense is 27.9. With needs for explosiveness out of the backfield, and holes at wide receiver and tight end, the team will look to the remaining free agents as well as the draft to continue building the team.

The defensive needs are obvious: the team needs to get better penetration on the QB rush and the front seven defenders need to prove more athletic and agile coming off the edge. Banta-Cain was a solid resigning, and a fine stopgap, but frankly is not the long term answer.

Here's our remaining list of team's needs in order of priority:

Outside Linebacker
Wide Receiver
Defensive End
Tight End
Running Back
Kick/Punt Returner

It will be interesting to see how Belichick and the personnel staff address these obvious team needs. With four picks in the top 53, the Patriots' scouts have a chance to prove their worth in a deep and talented pool of incoming athletes.

Pitching Previews: Clay Buchholz

2010-03-08T20:05:00.000-05:00

We will continue to spotlight the Red Sox starters with today's profile: Clay Buchholz. Buchholz will enter the season with a secure spot in the rotation, unlike last year, and at the age of 25 will look to shed his "top prospect" status and evolve into the reliable major league arm that the team envisions him to be. We will focus on his 2009 statistics, his career highs in parentheses, and a 2010 outlook.

Games Started: 16 (new career high)
ERA: 4.21 (new career high)
WHIP: 1.38 (new career high)
Wins: 7 (19 - 2007)
K's: 68 (72 - 2008)
Innings Pitched: 92 (new career high)
Batting Average Against: .256 (new career high)
Pitches/Game Started: 95.1 (new career high)

2010 Outlook: When Buchholz arrived in the big show, he found immediate success, tossing a no hitter in just his second career start. The young man that many had pegged as an immediate superstar came into 2008 over-touted and under prepared, posting a 6.75 ERA and a measly 2-9 record. Banished to Triple-A for his poor performance, Buchholz resurfaced with the big league club in the second half of the season and performed much better, posting a 7-4 record with a 4.21 ERA.

After expectations were tampered for the youngster, Clay showed up to Spring Training this season bulked up at a beefy 198 lbs. The hard-throwing righty is looking to prove his doubters wrong in 2010. Buchholz even changed his number from 61 to 11 this season as he goes for a complete self-rejuvenation. Last year's strong finish (September ERA of 2.85) was very encouraging, and the former top prospect is in a make it or break it year. It is crucial for Buchholz to cut down on his walk total and pick up his strike out numbers if he hopes to sustain success throughout the course of the season.

Previous Previews:
Jacoby Ellsbury
Dusin Pedroia
Victor Martinez
Kevin Youkilis
David Ortiz
J.D. Drew
Mike Cameron
Adrian Beltre
Marco Scutaro

Josh Beckett
Jon Lester
John Lackey

Next Up: Daisuke Matsuzaka

Savard Carted Off

2010-03-07T19:19:00.004-05:00

Marc Savard was badly blindsided this afternoon when Penguins winger Matt Cooke elbowed the center in the head after a pass across the ice. Savard went down instantly and lost consciousness for a bit before waving to the crowd as he was carted off with his neck immobilized. Savard suffered a concussion and is expected to miss some time.

To the chagrin of many Bruins fans, Cooke was not assessed a penalty for the malicious hit and the Bruins seem to have been been a bit deflated after their leader went down. The Bruins went on to lose the game 2-1, and will struggle mightily to put points up with the veteran sidelined.

Patriots Re-up Wilfork, Banta-Cain, and Neal

2010-03-06T12:04:00.008-05:00

The Patriots made priority #1 taking care of their own on the first day of free agency.

The team made Vince Wilfork the richest nose tackle in the league with a 5-year $40 million contract that included $25 million in guarantees and an $18 million signing bonus. Just a few weeks ago the Patriots put the franchise tag on Wilfork, giving both sides extra time to hammer out a deal. Big Vince will continue to anchor the middle of the Patriots defense for the foreseeable future and both he and we couldn't be happier about it.

Right after the contract was he agreed to, Vince stated on his Twitter account "we are pleased to say we will be here for MANY more years to come..." Good work by the Patriots to show the players they will reward their best players.

Another key defensive player was locked up yesterday in Tully Banta-Cain, as him and the Patriots agreed to a three year extension. The contract averages $4.5 million per season and could reach as much as $6 million if he reaches certain incentives. The deal also includes $6 million in guarantees.

TBC, who turns 30 right before the season, posted 10 sacks last year (5 of which came in two games versus Buffalo). He proved he could be a three down player this past season and is deserving of the new deal, that being said the team could use another pass rusher lining up opposite of Tully.

In a less expected move the Patriots resigned RG Stephen Neal. After the Wild Card loss to the Ravens, Neal hinted that he may retire but he obviously had a change of heart. The two year pact is just about finalized, but the contract numbers have not been disclosed. He hasn't played a full season since 2005, but he remains a mauler in the run game. The move ensures that all five starters will return.

The Patriots have taken care of three of their own early on in free agency. Kevin Faulk, Leigh Bodden, Ben Watson, and Jarvis Green all remain on the open market. Logan Mankins, Stephen Gostkowski, Pierre Woods, and Gary Guyton are all likely to be back, as teams would be required to give up compensation to to sign those restricted free agents.

Now it's time for the Patriots to hit the open market. With the Dolphins signing LB Karlos Dansby and the Jets trading for CB Antonio Cromartie, the Patriots will continue to look for ways to improve the team. With the likes of Julius Peppers and Anquan Boldin off the market, the team still has needs at wide receiver, tight end, defensive end/outside linebacker, and cornerback.....lets see which needs they address now and which ones they wait to attain via the draft.

Patriots Offseason: Offensive Line

2010-03-05T10:03:00.002-05:00

Logan Mankins enjoyed another spectacular season at the left guard position. The team's best run-blocker was voted the league's third best guard according to the All-Pro team voting, he was also selected as a second-team All-Pro this season. Mankins just finished up his rookie deal, but because of the un-capped year he is a restricted free agent. The Patriots tendered a 1st and 3rd round tender to him, and it's unlikely any team will fork over that ante. Look for the team to allocate their resources to lock up the consistent 6'4" 310 pound lineman to a long term pact.

Center Dan Koppen was solid this season. Koppen is clearly on the same page as Brady after so many years, and his pre-snap reads of the D are as good as any center in the league. He is signed through 2011 at $2.9 million/year with some bonuses. He'll be back.

LT Matt Light missed five weeks this season with a knee injury. When healthy, Light was solid but not spectacular. Our last image of Light this past season was when Ravens OLB Terrell Suggs blew by him for a strip sack of Brady in our wild card loss. Light enters the final year of his 6-year $27.3 million deal that will pay him $4.9 million. Despite his lengthy tenure here, it wouldn't be surprising if he was made expendable.

Rookie sensation Sebastian Vollmer was one of the bright spots this season. Vollmer was the team's best tackle and filled in more than admirably for Light while he was out, he also shifted seamlessly to right tackle when needed as well. He missed two games during the season with a head injury. The 6'7" 312 pound mauler is simply too good to not be on the field and will most certainly have a starting job heading into next season. As a second round pick last season, he received a 4-year deal.

RT Nick Kaczur was one of the weak links on the o-line this past season. Kaczur was a liability in pass coverage, and when Light and Vollmer were both healthy for the playoff game, he was the odd man out. The 30-year old signed a 4-year $16 million deal before the season which may be the only reason he will be around next year.

RG Stephen Neal, the famed converted college wrestler that beat Brock Lesnar for an NCAA title, had another injury plagued season. Neal epitomizes consistency at the right guard spot when on the field, but the problem is he hasn't played over 13 games since 2005. Neal enters free agency, and hinted that he may retire or pursue other careers (UFC anyone?). Dan Connolly filled in admirably during the season for Neal and may get a look at the starting gig in 2010 after he signed a 2-year extension in December.

Previous Entries:
Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Wide Recievers
Tight Ends

Michael Finley Signs On

2010-03-04T16:51:00.005-05:00

The savvy vet brings bona fide playoff experience.

Michael Finley will be joining the Boston Celtics for the remainder of the season. The 6'7" 17-year NBA veteran was bought out by the San Antonio Spurs last week as they granted his request for release. Despite his enthusiasm, he is not the 20 point, 5 rebound, 5 assist per game superstar as he was on the Mavericks back in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Coming off of a season in which he played 30 minutes per game (81 games for the Spurs), Finley has struggled to get off of the pine this year. Finley has appeared in just 28 games this season and is only averaging 16 minutes per contest.

You may ask, what are the Celtics getting here with a veteran in the twilight of his career? Last night's Celtics game marked the first time that they have had every player healthy. If nothing else, Finley provides insurance for injury risks Tony Allen and Marquis Daniels.

Best case scenario: Finley overtakes one of those two in the rotation and can help spread the floor on the second unit. He has become a better three point shooter late in his career and, if given the opportunity, may be capable of getting hot and draining over a three a game.

While the signing may seem insignificant at first glance, Finley may have an intangible impact on team chemistry that could aid in their pursuit of an 18th ring.

Bruins Deadline Deals

2010-03-03T15:45:00.003-05:00

GM Peter Chiarelli and the rest of the front office had a busy day today as the Bruins were very active at the trade deadline. Here's a recap of all of the Bruins' moves:

The Boston Bruins & Florida Panthers agreed to a deal.

Bruins receive: Dennis Seidenberg and prospect Matt Bartkowski

Panthers receive: Byron Bitz, Craig Weller, and a 2010 2nd round pick.

Seidenberg will certainly provide depth to a hard-working Bruins defensive line. With two goals and 21 assists this season, Seidenberg certainly has the ability to contribute right off the bat for Boston. The Bruins also got stronger for the future in acquiring Bartkowski. A highly touted prospect from Ohio State, the youngster will hopefully develop into a stud defenseman for the team down the line. The players that the Bruins shipped to Florida in this deal were all players of marginal talent. Each will be replaced on the roster and neither will be too sorely missed.

The Boston Bruins & Phoenix Coyotes have agreed to a deal.

Bruins receive: 2011 4th round draft pick

Coyotes receive: Derek Morris

Morris never seemed quite too comfortable in Boston. After coming over as a free agent acquisition last offseason, he never lived up to expectations of the fans or the front office. The Bruins found a taker for Morris and his salary and were able to snag a 4th round pick out of the deal.

The Boston Bruins & Anaheim Ducks have agreed to a deal.

Bruins receive: Rights to Steven Kampfer

Ducks receive: Either a 2010 or 2011 4th round draft pick

Kampfer led the Michigan defenseman in scoring his senior year (17 pts) which led the Ducks to select him in the 4th round of the 2007 entry draft. The Bruins will hope that the defenseman can find his stride in a new setting.

Pitching Previews: John Lackey

2010-03-03T14:50:00.000-05:00

We will continue to profile the Red Sox starters. Today's profile: John Lackey. Lackey will enter his first year in Boston, and is the team's prized off-season acquisition. We will focus on his 2009 statistics, his career highs in parentheses, and a 2010 outlook.

Games Started: 27 (33 - 2003-07)
ERA: 3.83 (3.01 - 2007)
WHIP: 1.27 (1.21 - 2007)
Wins: 11 (19 - 2007)
Strike Outs: 139 (199 - 2005)
Innings Pitched: 176.1 (224 - 2007)
Batting Average Against: .263 (.246 - 2006)
Pitches/Game Started: 101.9 (106.4 - 2006)

2010 Outlook: John Lackey is coming off of two fairly down years due to injury. Having missed a total of 15 starts over the last couple years, Lackey will look to rebound with the Red Sox. Taking part in their renowned offseason throwing program, the 31-year old 6'6" 245 lb Lackey will look to get back to his 2007 form. In the first year of a 5-year pact, Lackey will face less pressure than most big name free agents because he gets to pitch behind the likes of Beckett and Lester. The Sox are hoping to have a consistent 30+ starts out of the former World Series hero after having paid him the big bucks. In addition, the Sox also hope that the addition of the big Texan will take added pressure off of fellow rotation mate Daisuke Matsuzaka.

Previous Previews:
Jacoby Ellsbury
Dusin Pedroia
Victor Martinez
Kevin Youkilis
David Ortiz
J.D. Drew
Mike Cameron
Adrian Beltre
Marco Scutaro

Josh Beckett
Jon Lester

Next Up: Clay Buchholz

What's Next for the Bruins?

2010-03-02T00:05:00.000-05:00

Rask and Savard are keys for the final month and a half.

After a heart-wrenching overtime loss to Canada Sunday afternoon, the NHL will get regular season play back underway this week. The B's will come out of the break Tuesday night at home against the Montreal Canadiens. If the Bruins hope to stick around in the playoff picture, they will need more consistent play from the veteran leaders like Chara and Savard and will have to hope to avoid the injury-bug.

Here's what the Bruins need:

1. Milan Lucic: The young playmaker must stay healthy for a competitive Bruins squad. When Lucic has been sidelined at various points throughout the season due to injury, the style of play and aggression of the team are clearly down. He is an emotional leader of the team, who despite his young age, is capable of exciting both his teammates and the fans alike. His presence on the ice will be pivotal to the team's playoff quest.

2. Upgrade the Offense: The Bruins have long since been rumored to acquire a big-time playmaker to spark the offense. After missing out on Ilya Kovalchuk, the Bruins desperately need a star along the front line who is capable of providing consistent offense on the ice. The team has lost too many low-scoring affairs and cannot afford for that trend to continue.

3. Put the puck in the net: As simple as it sounds, the Bruins simply haven't been able to convert scoring opportunities into goals this season. Ranked dead last in the NHL in goals scored, the team desperately needs to ramp up their offensive attack if they have any aspirations of going deep into the playoffs. The other teams ahead of the B's in the standings all have a significantly more potent offense and each poses a real threat to the team's chance of flourishing through the final games of the regular season.

4. Tuukka Rask: Rask has been absolutely outstanding this season and has recently seen increased playing time at the expense of veteran netminder Tim Thomas. The Bruins simply seem to play better when he's between the pipes, compiling a 14-7-4 record. Not surprisingly, Rask boasts the best GAA in the league at 2.08 per contest. The young goaltender from Finland who turns 23 this month must continue his excellent level of play. If Rask is able to sustain his ability throughout the season and into the playoffs, the team could ride his hot hand for a long time. The kid clearly has a bright future in the NHL.

If the Bruins can come together as a team over the remainder of the regular season, the B's have a real shot of playoff success in 2010. However, that is one enormous "if".

Check back for any updates, as the NHL's deadline approaches tomorrow at 3PM.

A Closer Look - Rajon Rondo

2010-02-28T23:15:00.000-05:00

Absolute stud.

Rajon Rondo has been the glue that has held the team together this season. Remarkably, Rondo has missed just one game all season long which is especially important when either Pierce or Garnett are out of the lineup. Rondo has emerged with a vengeance this season, proving that last season was no fluke; as the ink dries on his freshly signed five-year, $55 million extension, Rondo continues to establish himself as the engine that makes the offense run.

Despite injury woes, Rondo's 29 double-double's have aided the Celtics to many of their wins. First in the NBA in steals and second in assists, Rondo surprisingly also leads all point guards in field goal percentage at a 51.7% clip. After an offseason of working on his jump shot with renowned shooter Mark Price, Rondo's outside game has become more of a threat and has vastly opened up the floor for him.

The 21st overall pick in the 2006 draft, Rondo celebrated his first All Star Game appearance earlier this month. Receiving recognition from players and coaches around the league, his peers voted him in as a reserve. He was more than deserving, and probably should have been a starter, but as long as the fan vote remains the deciphering factor as to who starts, it will always be a popularity contest. A lot of people hate the Celtics, but can you blame them? The Celtics remain one of the strongest teams in the league and a fierce rival of many opponents.

Rondo has been sizzling over his last six contests and will need to continue his elevated level of play in order for the Celtics to have any sustained success. Rondo had 17 assists in the most recent embarrassing loss to the New Jersey Nets on Saturday afternoon and it still wasn't enough. Celtics fans have come to take it for granted that Rajon will drop ten dimes in a game because that's what is expected of him--he's just that good.

His ability to penetrate to the basket and his fantastic court vision make him an excellent candidate to run the Celtics offense. The team hopes to have the youngster in the fold for many years to come and will continue to rely on his outstanding production to be a lock night in and night out as they march forward in pursuit of their 18th championship.

Bruins Chatter

2010-02-27T11:09:00.003-05:00

Tomas Kaberle to be donning the black and gold?

The Bruins have been busy throughout this Olympic break. Well-represented in the tournament by its players, the team's front office has been greasing the wheels for a potential trade before NHL play picks back up.

Last week, we noted that the Bruins were still in the market for a defenseman & a playmaking winger who could help propel the team into the playoffs. This morning, we may have received some more insight into the team's thoughts.

According to the Boston Globe, Michael Ryder remains the most likely trade candidate before next week's deadline. Although he has improved his play of late, he remains an overall disappointment for the team and with a $4 million salary next season, the Bruins would love to get rid of his contract. It's widely believed that the team will have to eat some of his contract in order to successfully ship him out of town.

Another defenseman being linked to the squad is Toronto's Tomas Kaberle. The well-known veteran fits the bill as a puck-moving defenseman. Dennis "the show" Wideman has had a complete breakdown this season and the Bruins need for an offensive-minded stopper has become the number one priority. The possible hitch in any deal for Kaberle is that his contract contains a no-trade clause that he would have to be willing to waive in order to come to Beantown.

Let's see how this one plays out.

Position Previews: Tight Ends

2010-02-25T23:00:00.000-05:00

Tight Ends:

Ben Watson's season was interesting. Despite hauling in five TD passes, Watson had four games in which he did not record a reception, and topped 51 yards receiving just once (week 1). Having said that, Watson is an efficient blocker. Watson's original 6-year rookie contract is up and he is due to hit free agency, and he may be replaceable in this offense.

Chris Baker's first season with the Patriots was quiet. Baker hauled in 14 catches in 16 games and failed to record a reception in six games. His game high in yardage was 41, and he had just two TDs. The 30-year old signed a 5-year deal last off-season, and is due $2 million next season. That's a manageable number, and after a year in the offense he could slip into Watson's role if he leaves.

This is always a tough position to gauge for the Patriots. They never have a tight end that puts up statistics that "wow" us. Our offense is not built around the position, and the Patriots arguably keep their tight ends in blocking more often than other teams. Having said that, with three second round picks the Patriots could target a player at this position in a deep tight end draft.

Previous Entries:
Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Wide Recievers

Next up:
Offensive line

Pitching Previews: Jon Lester

2010-02-25T15:04:00.009-05:00

We will continue to look at Red Sox pitchers today with Jon Lester. Lester progressed beautifully last year in his battle back from non-hodgkin's lymphoma and appears to be on his way to serve as the club's ace. We will focus on his 2009 statistics, his career highs in parentheses, and a 2010 outlook.

Games Started: 32 (33 - 2008)
ERA: 3.41 (3.21 - 2008)
WHIP: 1.23 (new career high)
Wins: 15 (16 - 2008)
Strike Outs: 225 (new career high)
Innings Pitched: 203.1 (210.1 - 2008)
Batting Average Against: .242 (new career low)
Pitches/Game Started: 106.3 (new career high)

2010 Outlook: Jon Lester is entering his third straight year as a starter for the team. He saw his strikeout number increase significantly, punching out over one opponent per inning. His ERA did rise a tad last year, but with the improved defense behind him, he should see that dip closer to three. The 26-year old fireballer is coming into his own and should be as reliable as they come every fifth day.

Previous Previews:
Jacoby Ellsbury
Dusin Pedroia
Victor Martinez
Kevin Youkilis
David Ortiz
J.D. Drew
Mike Cameron
Marco Scutaro
Adrian Beltre

Josh Beckett

Next Up: John Lackey