Give it up for Canada

Our friendly neighbors to the North are often the butt of endless jokes but for one day, I'd like to give a shoutout to Canada: thanks from Masshole nation.

Not only did the Blue Jays lay down to the Red Sox one more time last night (2-0 at the Rogers Centre for the three game sweep) but the Montreal Canadians knocked off the top-seeded Washington Capitals, meaning the Bruins get the Philadelphia Flyers and not the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. That's a big difference, we get home ice and face a team that we should be slightly favored over, versus a team that we'd be lucky to beat once.

Jon Lester (2-2) threw out his calendars and iPhone/Blackberry as he ignored the fact that it was still April and turned himself into the stud pitcher he usually is from June on. He struck out 11 in seven innings, allowing just one hit with two walks.

I'd say that the Red Sox (11-11), winners of seven of its last nine, have one of the best set-up men/closer combinations in the American League and all of baseball. Josh Bard allowed a hit but struck out the side in the eighth and Jonathan Papelbon struck out one in a 1-2-3 ninth for his seventh save.

The Blue Jays (10-12) are already in free fall mode, about a month earlier than usual, as they managed just two hits for the game.

Marco Scutaro, Adrian Beltre and Darnell McDonald all had two hits for Boston. After doubling in the sixth off Blue Jays starter Brett Cecil (1-1), Dustin Pedroia knocked in McDonald with a sacrifice fly.

Cecil was the tough luck loser as he allowed only that one earned run in six innings of work with five hits, a walk and three strikeouts.

Beltre doubled in the seventh and then McDonald drove him in with an RBI single. Is his jersey available yet at the Souvenir Store on Yawkey Way? Haha, you know it will be by the next homestand, it's not like the Sox to let a moneymaker let that lie untapped.

Today's an off-day and Boston gets back at it tomorrow night at Camden Yards against the Orioles. Nothing less than two wins against that godawful team will be acceptable.