Bahtendah Wisdom - Pay Attention!
As we wrote yesterday, the Bruins are in trouble. Their lack of scoring in general and especially on the power play is starting to get scary and could be a real playoff killer. The B's just don't have a certified sniper and haven't had one for years. With only eleven games left, it's time to step it up after a terrible loss in Toronto Saturday night...On another note, news came out this week that Montreal's Max Pacioretty could be back on the ice in as little as three weeks. I posted it the night of the hit and was convinced that this flopper was jakin' it. High grade concussion? No way. Broken vertebrae? No way. Typical Hab droppin' like he was shot by a sniper. Great job by the league not to suspend Chara...On the other hand, Marchand got what he deserved...
And by the way, I place no blame on the coach, Claude Julien. This guy has been mixing up lines like never before and the team has evolved toward a more offensive game plan than it ever has under his watch. He even had Tyler Seguin out there on the power play the other night. Nope, this season's success or failure sits squarely on the players...
Boston's other winter team, the Celtics, is also struggling lately. The number one seed in the East is definitely in danger although the Celts pulled nto a virtual tie with Chicago with their win . Although I liked the Perkins trade, the C's clearly miss him on the defensive end. It's starting to look like their playoff chances just might hinge on Shaq's health and that's worrisome to say the least. Not a lot of games left for all the new pieces to mesh and the chemistry to develop. And what's up with Rondo? Contrary to what Doc said this week, I gotta believe he's hurt...
Camp Tranquility continues in Fort Myers, but I was hoping for a little more this week out of Papelbon and Beckett. What I can't wait to see is this offensive lineup, especially in Fenway Park. Strong 1 through 9, especially if Saltalamacchia's bat contributes. I realize these Spring games mean nothing, but still....How long will it take for Jed Lowrie to crack the starting lineup? Francona is going to stick with Scutaro as his starter because of the way he played through injuries last season, but when healthy, I think Lowrie is a better player. This could get interesting over the course of the Summer...
The NCAA hoops tournament will really start to kick into gear this weak. After the joke that was the play-in round and a pretty uninspiring first weekend, it starts to get serious now. Interesting year in college hoops in that there are no dominant teams, no mortal locks for the Final Four. Everyone loves the #1 seeds, but this year could be chaos as evidenced by Butler knocking off Pitt on Saturday. Mark my words...
BC was a #1 seed and had visions of winning the NIT. Saturday's performance on their home court against fourth-seeded Northwestern was pathetic. The Eagles simply could not get stops on the defensive end and Reggie Jackson was nowhere to be found. Next year's recruiting class is a good one - let's hope it's good enough to get the team to the Big Dance instead of the little Tea Party that is the NIT...
On the ice, the Eagles continued what is now an impressive two year run. Two Beanpot Championships in a row, two Hockey East titles in a row and now they're off to chase their second consecutive NCAA Hockey Championship. Jerry York is quietly building a resume and legacy that puts him squarely in the middle of the conversation regardng the greatest college hockey coaches of all time...
I've been listening to the Mutt and Merloni show for the past two weeks on WEEI. I have no idea what Jason Wolfe and the powers that be see in the Mutt-Man. Awful. Merloni's not bad, but I'm really missing Dale Arnold. It's funny how you realize what a true pro the guy is after he's gone. He's one of the few hockey experts in this town and knows the other sports well also. (Hell, he's done play-by-play for 'em all.) Now the only guy on radio that has a clue regarding hockey is Felger on 98.5 The Sports Hub. Pretty bad in a town that's still got one of the best hockey fanbases in North America...
I come down on the players' side in the NFL labor dispute. Unless I see the books (which will never happen, at least not transparently) I'm not smelling what they're cooking. TV contracts are up, revenue is up, fan interest is up - all in a down economy. It's a war of attrition between working players and the Billionaire Boys' Club. If the owners were in that much trouble, they'd be negotiating earnestly to avoid any disruption to the upcoming season. They're making money hand over fist and they know they can hold out longer than the players. The shame of it all, and again I blame the owners, is that we the fans are the ones that are truly held hostage. I haven't seen the word used anywhere else, but this lockout is all about arrogance...
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