Bruins vs. Flyers Preview

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:

1. 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.
   
2. 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.
3. 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.
   
4. 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

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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:

1. 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.
   
2. 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.
   
3. 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...