The Red Sox Choose To Only Make Two More Small Moves Before The MLB Trade Deadline Passes

 

    Going into today's MLB Trade Deadline, I think that most sane Red Sox (12-23) fans wanted them to consider offers for anybody currently on the team not named Xander Bogaerts or Rafael Devers. While the last few weeks have brought some interesting trade rumors involving many of Boston's veteran players (J.D. Martinez, Jackie Bradley Jr., Andrew Benintendi, Nathan Eovaldi and Christian Vazquez to name a few) those guys all still remain on the team for the rest of this pointless season. The Red Sox farm system has been a mess for years and while they addressed that a bit with the Workman/Hembree and Moreland trades in the past week, it felt like there was more work to be done to bring in more young talent.  

    The only other moves made by the Red Sox' Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom were trading outfielder Kevin Pillar to Colorado for a player to be named or cash considerations and 2019-20 international slot money. Bloom also dumped an awful reliever named Josh Osich-who I'd be shocked if you've ever heard of this nobody-to the Cubs for a player to be named or cash considerations. As a 31-year-old that signed here on Valentine's Day, Pillar was never destined to stay in a Red Sox uniform for very long. He's a borderline Gold Glove candidate every year and he actually got off to a pretty decent start at the plate in 2020, hitting .274/.325/.796 (which are all above his career averages) with four home runs, 13 RBIs and 20 runs with 32 hits in 117 at bats.

    I didn't expect much of a return for Pillar but the fact that the Red Sox got anything for Osich is a minor miracle. Boston got back on the losing track this evening with a 6-3 setback against Atlanta (20-14) in their series opener at Fenway Park. The possibility of some juicy trades made the last few weeks somewhat fun for the Red Sox but for these last 25 games of the regular season, I genuinely have no valid reason for why you should pay any attention to them-not that you were in the first place-anytime soon.  

      

    

Celts Blow Out Raptors 112-94 In A Non-Competitive Gm 1 Of The Eastern Conf. Semifinals

 

    After a week between playoff games, it was impossible to know what to expect from the opener between the Celtics and Raptors. Regardless if you root for either team or if you are a neutral observer, I doubt many people predicted such an easy win for the C's in Game 1. Boston took it by a score of 112-94 (that truthfully wasn't that close) after building a 19-point lead in the first quarter and never trailing for the entire contest. Haha talk about a winning combination, if they can do something like that in every game for the rest of the series I like their chances to reach the Eastern Conference Finals for the second time in three years. 

    If the C's do win this series-their first ever against the Raptors-I shall dub today's performance "The Marcus Smart Game." He tied Jayson Tatum (9 rebounds) with a game-high 21 points and six rebounds on 5-for-9 shooting from 3-point land. We all know that Smart's shooting comes and goes like the tides in New England waters so you have to appreciate when he is feeling it like he did today. All of Boston's starting lineup had at least 13 points as Daniel Theis scored 13 and grabbed a career playoff-high 15 rebounds with two blocks, Kemba Walker added 18 points and a playoff career-high 10 assists while Jaylen Brown notched 17 points despite a rough shooting afternoon (6-for-18). 

    The Raptors are still the defending NBA champions so you have to respect them. Nick Nurse was the Coach of the Year and they have really overachieved in 2019-20 without last season's NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard who took his considerable talents to the Clippers. In many ways, Toronto is a carbon copy of Boston (minus the star power of Tatum): they play great team defense, almost everybody can hit 3s, they compete hard every game and they have a bunch of versatile players. Just like Smart's shooting was a mirage, Toronto struggling so much offensively (36.9% overall including 25% on 3s) figures to pick up in a major way. Kyle Lowry (17 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds) was their leading scorer while Pascal Siakam was held to 13 points, OG Anunoby notched 12 points and seven rebounds but Fred VanVleet was the real weak link with 11 points, eight assists and six steals on a horrific 3-for-16 shooting including 2-for-11 on 3-pointers. 

    Toronto's bench was actually pretty good as Serge Ibaka put up 15 points and nine rebounds in 26 minutes plus Norman Powell scored 10 points. In the exact same amount of playing time, Ibaka was way more effective than the ghost of Marc Gasol (7 points, 6 rebounds) so that would be an obvious change to the starting lineup for Game 2 at center for the Raptors. Robert Williams did about as well as he possibly could with 10 points, five rebounds and two blocks in 19 minutes off Boston's bench. Gasol is way too old, fat and slow to keep up with Time Lord's ridiculous athleticism.

    The Celtics just never gave the Raptors any hope of coming back today let alone winning Game 1. They were up 39-23 after the first quarter and 59-42 at halftime thanks to Kemba's buzzer-beating 3-pointer. Tatum hit a sweet fadeaway jumper at the end of the third quarter which gave Boston a comfortable 88-73 lead. A great sign for the C's heading into Game 2 on Tuesday night (5:30, ESPN) is that teams that win Game 1 in best-of-7 NBA series go on to take that series 76% of the time. Of course you can expect the Raptors to play much better but then again odds are that Tatum and Brown will improve as well. Toronto is not Philadelphia, they are tough but I like Boston's depth and abundance of scoring options compared to the Raptors' rather limited offense if they aren't making a bunch of 3s. Game 2 is a huge one since being up 2-0 in the bubble compared to tied 1-1 makes a (Disney) world of difference.   

     

    

      

    

My Favorite Red Sox-First Baseman Mitch Moreland-Is The Latest Veteran Traded Away

 

    With the MLB Trade Deadline tomorrow afternoon at 4 p.m., the rebuilding Red Sox (12-22) continued to make some notable moves as this morning they traded first baseman Mitch Moreland to the red-hot Padres (21-15) for a pair of minor leaguers-infielder Hudson Potts and outfielder Jeisson Rosario. Almost everyone on Boston's current MLB roster should be on the table for a possible deal so while this news was not surprising, the return (namely no pitching of any sort) was odd. 

    In his fourth season with the Red Sox, Moreland was having a great 2020 (.328 batting average, .430 on-base percentage, .746 slugging percentage with 8 HRs and 21 RBIs in only 22 games) which made him an outlier on a terrible club mostly filled with guys that are underachieving/have checked out already on this bizarre 60-game campaign. At 34-years-old and in his 10th MLB season, Moreland will add an immediate veteran presence to a San Diego team that is filled with young talent but looking for their first playoff berth since 2006. 

    I don't have many personal stories involving professional athletes so humor me for a minute: the summer after I graduated from PC in 2006 I interned with the Bourne Braves of the Cape League. It was a blast: my first taste of working in sports after college and while the Braves were abysmal-the worst team in the league-Mitch was their best player (he also pitched at Mississippi State) and from what I remember, an even better guy. I'm not going to pretend that we were best friends then or that we've kept in touch but I have to say that to see him have such a long, productive career has been awesome. Many other guys would have bailed on that miserable summer for the Braves but he stuck it out which proved his character at a young age. 

    Moreland appeared in back-to-back World Series (both losses) his first two MLB seasons with the Rangers. He called Texas home for seven seasons and he won a Gold Glove in 2016 before signing as a free agent with Boston in 2017. The Red Sox made the playoffs his first two years and 2018 was the ultimate year for him as he was named an All-Star for the first time then won the World Series. Off the field, he is married with three kids plus Mitch is very involved with the Jimmy Fund (he was the Red Sox captain for that wonderful charity this year) and many other worthy causes. Writing all of this, I regret not buying a Moreland Red Sox jersey while he was here. 

    While it'll be hard to see him playing for another team, I'm psyched that he's going to a legitimate contender that unlike the Red Sox is on the rise and should only get better and better the next few years. Moving across the country with a large family like that during a pandemic doesn't sound too fun but San Diego is an amazing place that anyone would enjoy. Who knows, maybe he can win another World Series or two before he retires following a really solid career. Not bad for a guy from Amory, Mississippi. 

      

    

The Lightning Push The Bruins To The Brink Of Elimination With A Frustrating 3-1 Loss In Game 4

 

    Let's just get this out of the way first: yes Tuukka Rask not being here for his team is a major factor but even with him on the ice, the Lightning would most likely still be in control of this series. After an unexpected day off (thanks to the NHL temporarily pausing the postseason to focus on racial injustice), Tampa Bay resumed its beating of Boston with a 3-1 win in Game 4 to take a 3-1 series lead. How dire are things for the Bruins after they lost their third straight game? Well, they have never rallied to win a series when they are down 1-3. In that dire situation, they are 0-23 in best-of-7 series. Conversely, the Lightning are perfect at closing things out when they are up 3-1 in a series since they are 5-0 in that favorable spot. Woof. Game 5 is on Monday night (7, NBCSN). 

    Boston's margin for error is so small when they matchup with Tampa right now so needless to say, allowing the first goal and finding themselves down 3-0 in the second period is basically a guaranteed loss before its even over. It's easy to rip Nick Ritchie (12 penalty minutes including a 5-minute major for a boarding penalty that led to the 3rd goal) and Jaroslav Halak (23 saves but his customary whiff on a routine glove save) since they both had outings that they surely would like to forget but I think that overlooks a sputtering Bruins offense that has managed to score two goals total in Games 3 and 4 combined. Is that bad? Their lone goal today came with 12:56 left in regulation as Jake DeBrusk used his sneaky fast release to throw a wrist shot through Andrei Vasilevskiy's (29 saves, 9th win of the postseason) five-hole.

    Too often, Boston's power play (1-for-4) or 5-on-5 for that matter was overpassing or simply not hitting the net when they had some great scoring chances. Brandon Carlo actually ventured forward for a pair of opportunities that were predictably stuffed by Vasilevskiy-one of the NHL's best goaltenders. Meanwhile, David Pastrnak had a game-high six shots on goal but none of them found the back of the net which is not good enough from one of the NHL's top goal-scorers this season-no matter what injury he might have. Nikita Kucherov (2 assists) is having a nice series which is totally on brand but Tampa has to be thrilled with its secret offensive weapon: Ondrej Palat who has two goals today & four already in the series including his current three-game goal-streak. Also, Victor Hedman (game-high 27:09)-who is no doubt on the short list of best defensemen in the league-has four points (3 goals, assist) in these four games including another tally this afternoon.

    It's hard to pinpoint one main reason for Boston's struggles on defense in this latest setback because all three goals came in separate and annoying ways: awful coverage in front of the net, an easy stop that Halak has to make every time and a crazy deflection that ended up behind him. Ugh. Brayden Point's filthy stickhandling made Torey Krug look like a fool but truthfully, all five Bruins on the ice (plus Halak) were too slow to react as he hit Palat with a one-timer that he put in the upper corner of the net. 1-0 Lightning at 8:59 of the first period. Things only got worse from there for the B's as Palat's second goal came at 12:29 of the second period. It was another one-timer, this time from Anthony Cirelli and Tyler Johnson with Halak's invisible glove hand the real hero on the shot that was from distance. Boston had nearly killed all of Ritchie's five-minute major but Hedman's harmless shot from the point deflected off Par Lindholm's skate and floated over Halak but under the crossbar. 3-0 Tampa at 18:04 of the second period. Goodnight everybody! Tyler Johnson and Kucherov had the helpers on the goal that likely ended the Bruins' life in the Toronto bubble for all intents and purposes. 

       DeBrusk's fourth goal of the postseason came at 7:04 of the third period to cut it to 3-1 Lightning but it was far too late to have any real effect on the final outcome. Boston's two BU alums that grew up in Masschusetts (Charlie Coyle and Matt Grzelcyk) had the assists on DeBrusk's smooth finish. The Bruins actually outshot the Lightning 11-6 in the third but that's a tad misleading since Tampa was just trying to escape with their collective health intact. These B's have more than enough pride and professionalism to show up on Monday and put forth another solid effort but frankly, they are cooked. With no Rask, this isn't exactly a fair fight and you can sense the Lightning get more confident with each goal that they score.

    No matter if this series ends in five games, six games or seven, it feels like we're nearing the end of an era for the B's. I'm not really sure how Rask ever shows his face in Boston again let alone plays another game for the Bruins while 43-year-old captain Zdeno Chara seems on the verge of retirement. Last season was awesome up until Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final and then this one was great pre-pandemic as they captured the cursed Presidents' Trophy. Since that time, they went 0-3 in the round-robin (after not taking it seriously enough) which pissed away their top seed, they rolled in five games over the still inept Hurricanes and now they are 1-3 vs. Tampa Bay. Which part of that equation looks like an aberration? There are many valuable pieces left on the team but GM Don Sweeney will have some serious alterations to do during the bizarre offseason (Krug will get a serious pay raise either here or elsewhere). Those are all issues for another day though as Tampa Bay (5-0 in Game 5s in a best-of-7 series when leading the series 3-1) gets their first chance to eliminate Boston (7-16 in Game 5s in a best-of-7 series when trailing in the series 1-3) in two nights.

B's Cap Off Shameful Day In The NHL By No-Showing In Gross 7-1 Blowout Gm 3 Loss Vs. TB

 

    At a time like this when our country literally seems to be falling apart more and more everyday due to many factors (the Covid-19 pandemic, racial unrest, senseless killings by police, a disgrace of a President, apocalyptic wildfires and hurricanes bearing down on California and the Gulf Coast respectively, etc.), it's hard to get too worked up about a sporting event. On the same day when the NBA rightfully paused its playoff action in their Orlando bubble, MLS, WNBA and MLB also chose to postpone some of their games but the lillywhite NHL carried on like nothing was happening around them. The easy move was to not play any of their playoff games this evening after what unfolded around them but nope, the Bruins and Lightning played in Toronto while the Avalanche and Stars took the ice later in Edmonton.

    The B's looked like a team that didn't want to be there either as they were embarrassed from start to finish in a humbling 7-1 loss in Game 3, their largest margin of defeat in the postseason since April 29, 1992 (9-3 loss at Buffalo in Game 6 of Division semifinal). The Lightning won their second game in roughly 24 hours to take a 2-1 series lead and totally flip the momentum. Jaroslav Halak got the start but he only lasted basically half the game (31:18) as he allowed four goals on 16 shots. Rookie goaltender Dan Vladar was put in the impossible position to make his NHL debut in relief of him and he predictably allowed three goals on 15 shots. 

    Tampa Bay's power play had been a disaster (2-for-20 in the bubble) but they turned that around in a major way going 3-for-6 this evening. Nikita Kucherov (goal, 3 assists) set a playoff career-high with four points while Harvard's Alex Killorn (2 goals, assist) tied his playoff career-high with three points. Everybody on the Lightning put up numbers as Mikhail Sergachev (goal, 2 assists) had his first multi-point playoff performance, Brayden Point (goal, 2 assists) added three points of his own while even nobodies like Ondrej Palat and Yanni Gourde each had a goal and an assist. Apparently Andrei Vasilevskiy (23 saves) was in attendance but you could have put a traffic cone in Tampa's net and it probably would make around the same amount of stops. 

    Boston was down 2-0 in the first period as Tampa Bay set a franchise record by scoring its pair of goals (Palat on the power play then Gourde) only 15 seconds apart. Both of those were frustrating too since Palat's shot deflected off Zdeno Chara then Gourde's came from a breakaway when a referee literally ran into Bruins rookie defenseman Jeremy Lauzon. The wheels started to come off for the B's in the second period as Sergachev scored on the man-advantage before Brad Marchand notched a power-play goal (his team-leading seventh goal of the playoffs) that was very similar to last night's skate/stick re-direct. That didn't slow down Tampa as Killorn bagged a power play goal of his own-causing Halak to mercifully get the rest of the night off-then Point had a breakaway vs. Vladar which surprise ended in a goal then Killorn tallied another goal as the Bruins defense was in shambles. 

    Kucherov got the last goal in garbage time, I mean early in the third period. If you were looking for positive signs of life from anybody in a B's jersey, Charlie McAvoy, Torey Krug and David Krejci all showed plenty of understandable frustration as they tried to take it out by roughing up the Lightning when the outcome had long been decided. Every game in this series has been chippy and that will no doubt continue for as long as these pseudo-rivals line up against each other. 

    So where do we all go from here? Well besides hopefully waking up tomorrow and realizing that this has all been an extended national nightmare, we are then only left to assume that the prideful Bruins will show up on Friday night for Game 4 (7:30, USA Network) and at least submit a more satisfactory effort. Tampa is very good but they aren't unbeatable like it felt tonight while Boston is much better than this sorry effort would lead you to believe. I will call it a must-win for the Black and Gold too since they are not realistically going to win three straight games against the Lightning. Bigger picture for the club, it could be a defining moment for beloved players like Chara, Marchand, David Krejci, Patrice Bergeron, etc. who are likely making their last playoff run all together. No pressure or anything but yeah, Friday is a very important chapter in modern Bruins history. 

     

     

    

Lightning Respond With A 4-3 Overtime Victory In Game 2 To Even The Series 1-1 With The Bruins

 

    You are truly insane if you thought that Boston's Game 1 win on Sunday night meant that this second round series vs. Tampa Bay would be over fast let alone easy in any shape or form. Nope, these are two of the best teams in the NHL so naturally after losing the opener, the Lightning bounced back with a 4-3 overtime thriller. The extra session lasted less than five minutes (4:40 to be exact) as Ondrej Palat put in a loose puck (from Yanni Gourde and Pat Maroon) after his club dominated-outshooting the Bruins 9-1-in overtime and improved to 4-0 this postseason when the game goes beyond regulation. Thanks to the NHL's baffling schedule, these teams will be right back at it in less than 24 hours as Game 3 is tomorrow night (NBC Sports, 8). Don't bother wasting your breath because Jaroslav Halak (36 saves) will be Boston's starting goaltender for the rest of the series barring injury or a lopsided score.

    The B's were outshot 40-25 for the entire contest so that makes it feel like they should have lost by more than a goal. However, when you look at some other stats, you realize that it wasn't a complete fluke that they forced overtime in the first place. Boston won 52% of the face-offs, went 1-for-3 on the power play and 2-for-2 on the penalty kill, had four more hits (47-43), blocked nine more shots (27-18) and coughed up the puck five less times (15-10). The Bruins actually scored first courtesy of a very unlikely source-Nick "Don't Call Me Brett" Ritchie-and they also led 2-1 in the second period for a brief moment but they needed some clutch heroics from Brad Marchand late in the third period to tie it at three. 

    With one of Tampa's best players-defenseman Ryan McDonagh-sidelined with an unknown injury this evening, this was a wasted opportunity by the Black and Gold to take a commanding 2-0 series lead. Early on it seemed like things would go their way though as Ritchie stuffed in a loose puck just 3:14 into the first period. Ritchie's first point of the postseason was also assisted by Anders Bjork (another guy that has been mostly useless in the playoffs) who also notched his first point. Shortly after that, Tampa Bay appeared to tie it on Barclay Goodrow's tip-in but it was overturned since Brayden Point took his sweet time getting off the ice for a line change thus being offside and negating the goal. It didn't take the Lightning that long to recover from that disappointment as Blake Coleman scored on a diving one-timer from Zach Bogosian. Goodrow had the second assist on Coleman's second goal of the postseason at 12:42 that knotted it at 1-1. 

    Boston's power play has become the most dangerous one in the playoffs and true to form, they tallied another big goal. David Pastrnak whipped a crisp low pass to Marchand who was next to Andrei Vasilevskiy (22 saves) and put his skates into a V formation with his stick in the middle to knock it in. Brad's fifth goal of the postseason came at 14:33 of the second period from Pasta and Torey Krug. The B's could barely protect that lead before poof, it was gone. Nikita Kucherov deflected in a shot by BU's Kevin Shattenkirk (4-game point streak) at 15:28. Point added the second assist on Kucherov's third goal of the playoffs. 

    Tampa carried that momentum into the third period as Coleman scored his second goal of the night, this time on a breakaway. The incredible Victor Hedman (who played a game-high 28:37) found him with a step behind everyone on Boston and while he didn't have the cleanest shot, the changeup worked effectively enough to fool Halak and go through his five-hole at 10:40. I'm sure that was deflating to the Bruins but they turned the page quickly as one killer shift resulted in the tying goal by Marchand at 16:02. Pastrnak and Sean Kuraly worked hard to keep the puck in Tampa Bay's defensive zone and Brad was right on the doorstep to pop it in. It was an awesome moment for the B's and many other opponents would have been shook, but sadly not the Lightning.

    There are different theories about if it's better to have more time to think about a brutal playoff loss or to get back out there ASAP. For whatever dumb reason, the league took that out of our hands as they put not only one but possibly two back-to-backs (also Games 6 and 7 if it goes that long) in this huge playoff series. What else can you say but NHL gonna NHL? There are a million reasons why hockey will never be more than a niche sport in many parts of the world and little annoying things like this don't help its cause. Granted, this will all be a moot point once Game 3 starts and we stop complaining about a silly thing like this that we cannot control. Both teams will be playing under the same condensed timeline but at least with veteran rosters and experienced head coaches we can expect plenty more tight, drama-packed action as someone takes a 2-1 series lead.

       

    

Just Like 2 Years Ago, B's Take Gm. 1 vs. TB. Let's Hope The Rest Of The Series Plays Out Differently

 

    We knew that one way or another, the Bruins and the Lightning were on a collision course this postseason. While it's a shame that we aren't talking about the Eastern Conference Finals here-since I firmly believe that they are the two top teams in the East-we won't dwell on that since this should be a fantastic series no matter what. Boston took Game 1 by a final score of 3-2 this evening in Toronto as they got out to a three-goal lead before some sketchy moments in the end clinging to that one-goal advantage. It was a fair result though because they were the better club for most of the contest, led by goaltender Jaroslav Halak (35 saves) who improved to 4-0 since Tuukka Rask went home.

    This is the only the third time that Boston and Tampa Bay have met in the playoffs with the B's winning that epic seven game ECF series in 2011 on their way to the Stanley Cup and the Lightning paying them back years later (2018) with a gentleman's sweep (5 sad games). Tampa's captain and superstar center Steven Stamkos has been out since March following core surgery so as you would expect, his absence has left an impossible-to-fill void in the Lightning's lineup. I think not having Stamkos is most apparent on their power play where Tampa was 0-for-3 tonight, tacked onto the Columbus series that makes them 0-for-13 after the round-robin. Oof.

    The best period of the tilt for the Black and Gold came in the first where Boston outshot Tampa Bay 15-10 and they were rewarded with a late tally by Charlie Coyle. Playoff Krejci is a thing so I believe that Playoff Coyle should similarly follow suit because he becomes another player when the games matter most, as we saw last postseason. For the second time in these playoffs, Coyle showed off his crazy hands (hello ladies!) by knocking a puck out of the air for a goal. This time, it came in the form of a deft tip from Brandon Carlo's shot at 18:52. Brad Marchand added the second assist on Coyle's third goal of the playoffs. 

     Unlike the Lightning, Boston's power play has quietly been getting into gear since an ominous start against Carolina. They were only 1-for-3 this evening but it was a timely one as David Pastrnak slammed in a one-timer from Krejci (7-game point-streak, Boston's longest in the postseason since Patrice Bergeron in 2014) and Torey Krug (who keeps adding more zeroes to his upcoming contract every game now) for a 2-0 Bruins lead at 4:34 of the second period. This finally appeared to wake Tampa Bay up as they outshot Boston by a whopping 18-7 count in the frame yet they still couldn't find a way to get one past Halak. 

      Apparently starting and ending periods was an issue all game for the Lightning as once again, they gave up an early goal in the final stanza. Boston's top line made the magic happen as Bergy-the four-time Selke Winner-started the play by stealing the puck by Tampa's goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (28 saves) then feeding it to Pasta who fittingly put some extra sauce on a backhand look to Marchand who didn't hesitate to knock it in. 3-0 Bruins at 1:17 of the third period on Brad's fourth goal of the playoffs. Tampa's All-World defenseman Victor Hedman wouldn't go down like that as he scored a pair of goals (at 8:50 and 18:46 with an extra skater on the ice) to make things rather scary at least from Boston's perspective. Both goals oddly enough deflected off of Charlie McAvoy then past Halak. The first was a weak wrist shot from the point so that has to be stopped no matter what. Brayden Point and Ondrej Palat had the assists on Hedman's first then Kevin Shattenkirk and Tyler Johnson did the honors on the second.

    Tampa Bay is bound to play a more complete game on Tuesday night (7, NBCSN) but I also expect Boston to not allow a pair of goals late in the third period. Clearly the difference between the Lightning being down 0-2 in the series versus tied 1-1 is enormous so there is no way they don't come with a full 60-minute effort. Halak outplayed Vasilevskiy so the question is can he do that three additional times? Moreover, does he really have to carry the B's or just not screw things up by allowing real some extra soft goals? All I know for sure is that all hockey fans are in for a treat with these powerhouse clubs facing each other. 

     

      

       

    

    

Celtics Sweep The Hapless 76ers Out of The 1st Round, Setting Up A Juicy Matchup With Toronto

 

    The Celtics and the Sixers have met 15 times in best-of-seven series in their storied NBA rivalry but this turned out to be the first time that there was a sweep as Boston sealed it with a 110-106 victory this afternoon in Game 4 at the Orlando bubble. It was another clunky effort for the C's but the bottom line was that they got the job done and advanced to the second round for the fourth year in a row thanks to a game-high 32 points from Kemba Walker who advanced to the second round of the playoffs for the first time in his long career. Jayson Tatum added a beefy double-double with 28 points and 15 rebounds, Jaylen Brown scored 16 points and Daniel Theis notched 15 points as the C's move forward to a much-anticipated meeting with the Raptors-a team that they've surprisingly never met before in the postseason (the only team in the East that can say that). 

    The Sixers had no real reason to show up for this pointless contest but they managed to make the Celts sweat a bit too much for our liking. Joel Embiid put up 30 points and 10 rebounds in his final game of the 2020 season. Tobias Harris (20 points) showed what he's made of as he returned from a scary fall earlier in the game when his face smashed violently against the court. Josh Richardson and Shake Milton both scored 14 points while the ghost of Al Horford managed to record maybe the least impressive double-double (12 points, 10 rebounds) in playoff history. Finally, Alec Burks scored 13 points off the bench for Philly but without Ben Simmons, this series was a wrap before it even began. The Sixers are a very flawed team so whenever next season begins, they figure to look way different both on the bench (coaches and players) and on the floor. 

    Boston got off to a slow start-trailing 32-27 after the first quarter and 58-57 at halftime. The turning point was Harris' injury late in the third quarter that forced him to go to the locker room for a bit with a towel covering some sort of cut near his eye. That propelled the Celtics to a 19-2 run into the fourth quarter, with a dagger 3-pointer by Tatum at the end of the third quarter that gave Boston a 12-point lead (89-77). Philly took the final frame (29-21) but their brutal 3-point shooting (9-for-34, 26.5%) and seven less assists (19-12) than the Celtics helped to send them out of the happiest place on Earth.

    I think I echoed the same sentiment in all four games vs. the Sixers that the C's would have to play much better to beat the Raptors and get to the Eastern Conference Finals. Toronto swept Brooklyn today as well, which proves absolutely nothing since the Nets were the worst team to make the playoffs in either league this bizarre year. They don't have Kawhi Leonard anymore which seems quite relevant but the Raptors are still the defending NBA champs and they have played great lately (14-1 in their last 15 games). In many ways, they are a scrappy, tough defensive team like Boston with versatile guys like Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet that won't be rattled. Also, if you like Brad Stevens, Nick Nurse is arguably better than him-he was named NBA Coach of the Year yesterday. For what it's worth, the C's went 3-1 against Toronto in the regular season.

    Game 1 is not until Thursday night (time TBA) so the only real thing to pay attention to the next few days when it comes to this series is the status of Kyle Lowry. The Raptors' do-everything point guard left today's blowout (150-122 over the Nets) with an ankle sprain and he's getting an MRI tomorrow. Obviously, they didn't need him to close out Brooklyn so they were probably being extra cautious looking ahead to a real opponent on the horizon. If he misses time or even if he's hurt enough to not be himself, that would be a huge development for both clubs. Stay tuned, either way this is going to be a fantastic series between what I believe are the two best/most well-rounded teams in the Eastern Conference-sorry Bucks.  

      

     

       

     

    

    

The Celtics Close On A 10-0 Run To Beat the 76ers 102-94 & Take An Insurmountable 3-0 Series Lead

 

    In their final breath at the Disney World bubble, the 76ers pushed the Celtics to play almost an entire playoff game before they predictably collapsed down the stretch. Paced by Kemba Walker (24 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals) who was the only relevant guy on Boston to have a solid performance, Boston did just enough to cover (degenerate gamblers everywhere rejoice!) but more importantly capture Game 3 by a final score of 102-94. I'd love to see what kind of outrageous odds that you could get on Philadelphia coming back from an 0-3 deficit and winning four straight games to take the series since get this: no NBA team has ever fully rallied from an 0-3 hole. Like contestants on The Bachelor or The Bachelorette going on a 2-on-1 date, I am sure that all the Sixers already have their bags packed and sitting by their hotel room doors ready to be taken away. 

    Despite the C's trailing 94-92 with 2:14 left in regulation, I can't say that I was sweating it too much since I knew that they'd find a way to come out on top without even needing overtime to decide things. It has to be a good sign long-term for Boston that they were able to win even though Jaylen Brown (20 points, 7 rebounds but 6-for-16 shooting) and Jayson Tatum (15 points, 6 rebounds, 4 blocks on 6-for-19 shooting) were far from their best. Typical of a grinding, somewhat grimy contest, Marcus Smart (14 points, 8 rebounds, 3 steals) shined more than usual. Daniel Theis had eight rebounds, five rebounds and two blocks before fouling out (he literally got battered by Joel Embiid all night long) and once again, Boston's bench outscored Philadelphia by a decent margin: 20-8 thanks to Grant Williams (7 points) and Enes Kanter (6 points, 6 rebounds).

    This being the NBA, they were sure to assign one of their most crooked referees (which is really saying something) and true to form Scott Foster called four more fouls on Boston which resulted in 10 more free throws for Philadelphia. Tatum actually was whistled for three fouls in the first half hence why he never could really get untracked. Philly also dominated the Celts on the glass (57-45)-which could be a serious issue against a worthy opponent-including an absurd 20 offensive rebounds yet somehow Boston still found a way to get it done. 

    Embiid had a game-high 30 points and 13 rebounds which is misleading since he went 7-for-20 from the floor but 14-of-16 at the free throw line. He also had a game-high four turnovers and was a game-low minus-18 for what that's worth. Josh Richardson and Shake Milton both scored 17 points while Tobias Harris put up 15 points and 15 rebounds. With Ben Simmons out, this was played at Philly's preferred slow pace but their half-court offense was a disaster because as a team they shot 29.5% from the floor (2nd worst in the league this season!) which is horrid. Alec Burks scored nine points off the bench for them with the three other Sixers that appeared off the bench going scoreless. Yeesh. 

    I think I hear Philadelphia's team bus already idling outside the arena in anticipation of Sunday's matinee (1, ABC) beatdown on national TV. I wouldn't be surprised if it's one of the fastest games in NBA playoff history. After the Sixers get eliminated and BU alum Brett Brown is fired (since this is all his fault, haha right) shortly after that, perhaps he can be hired to be a monorail conductor at Disney World. It's been a minute since my last trip to Disney, is that still a thing? Needless to say, other than getting the sweep (which as I noted above is basically a given), the only thing the C's should worry about is keeping everyone healthy. I doubt the final score will be close so it would certainly help to get the starters out ASAP with Toronto (also up 3-0 on hapless Brooklyn) on deck for what should be a hell of a series, far from this waste of everybody's collective time and energy during a pandemic. 

 

    

      

    

Let The Red Sox Rebuild Begin As They Flip Brandon Workman & Heath Hembree To Phillies

 

    There is a simple reason why I haven't mentioned the Red Sox once since their truncated 60-game regular season began on July 24: they are absolutely terrible but that's the whole point. Despite tonight's 8-5 win at Baltimore (12-14) which extended Boston's (9-18) season-high win streak to a pathetic three games, they are no doubt tanking to try and "earn" the No. 1 draft pick in the 2021 MLB Draft (something which the franchise has never had). There were rumors of a Red Sox-Phillies trade in the works this afternoon and with the Trade Deadline coming on August 31, they wasted no time getting it done this evening: Boston dealt closer Brandon Workman and set-up guy Heath Hembree to Philadelphia (9-13) for right-handed pitcher Nick Pivetta and minor league right-hander Connor Seabold. 

    Vanderbilt stud starting pitcher Kumar Rocker (what a name!) is expected to be the next top overall pick and the Red Sox are in desperate need for starting pitching after David Price was traded to the Dodgers, Rick Porcello signed with the Mets and Eduardo Rodriguez got Covid-19 then opted out of this cursed season with understandable worries about a previously diagnosed heart condition. We can all agree that Boston's new chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom has inherited a tricky situation. Of course, unlike lame-duck manager poor Ron Roenicke who will be out of here next season (with Alex Cora's triumphent return from suspension?), Bloom won't be going anywhere else for awhile. After all, he's 37 and his work making Tampa Bay a contender year after year on their shoestring budget proved that the Yale alum knows a thing or two.

    Workman is the only real notable name of this group, unless Seabold becomes something but he's probably (at least) a few years from making a real impact in MLB. Brandon was a surprisingly key part of Boston's 2013 World Series champion as a rookie then he missed 2015 and 2016 following Tommy John surgery. Props for him though for sticking with his rehab when many would have given up as he became an important piece of the Red Sox bullpen the last four seasons including the 2018 World Series champs. His value only increased in 2019 as he proved he could be a closer in the majors-something the Phillies desperately need right now-with a 10-1 record, 16 saves, 1.88 ERA and 104 strikeouts/45 walks in 71.2 innings. 

    Also a World Seris champion in 2018, Hembree had been here for longer than you probably think since he was a part of the Jake Peavy (remember him?) trade to the Giants way back in July 2014 at the Trade Deadline. In seven seasons with the Red Sox, he combined to go 15-5 with two saves, a 3.70 ERA and 270 strikeouts/97 walks in 257.2 innings pitched. Pivetta is 27 and his career record-mostly as a starting pitcher-is 19-30 with a 5.50 ERA. The Phillies have been awful for most of his four seasons there but he struggled so much that they demoted him to the bullpen and he had already been sent to their alternate site this year after three miserable appearances where he had a 15.88 ERA! Yikes. I won't waste your time or mine talking about Seabold since who has any clue whether a prospect will ever pan out in baseball? 

    I read far-fetched stories this week about the Red Sox possibly trading J.D. Martinez or god forbid Xander Boegarts. Martinez is an incredible hitter but that's really all he can do on a baseball field and he actually turned 33 today so his trade value isn't nearly as high as you would assume given his amazing stats the last few years. Bogey is the face of the franchise in his prime so I would puke if he changes teams anytime soon ala Mookie Betts. A player like outfielders Jackie Bradley Jr. or Andrew Benintendi (who is currently on IL with a fake injury to cover for how hopeless he's been at the plate in 2020) make way more sense to be the next players to be dealt from Boston. You know that Chaim can't wait to have some more deals too since that is specifically why he is here.

      

    

    

    

Can This Shift To A Best-of-5 Series Because the 76ers Don't Belong On the Same Court as the Celts

 

    Boston spotted Philadelphia a 14-point lead in the first quarter (25-11) of Game 2 but it hardly could have mattered less as the Celtics rolled to an emphatic 128-101 blowout. They now lead the first round series 2-0 and this has all the makings of a sweep, I'm just waiting to hear the Sixers chant "1-2-3 Cancun" in one of their huddles while Brett Brown starts updating his resume and LinkedIn profile. On one hand, the Orlando bubble has shown us that nobody is unbeatable without the crutch of home-court advantage to fall back on as the top seeds in both conferences (Bucks and Lakers) each lost their Game 1 yesterday. Still, at this rate it'll be shocking if the C's don't win the next two games by double-digits easy. 

        I almost feel bad for Joel Embiid (game-high 34 points and 10 rebounds) because he is one of the NBA's best players but right now, his supporting cast is a bunch of nobodies and that's being extremely generous. Somewhere Ben Simmons wakes up in a cold sweat. No matter what they do, Philly has less than zero chance to win this series especially after losing the first two games. Then again, how much less engaged can they get? On the other end of the court, Jayson Tatum (33 points including 8-for-12 on 3-pointers with 5 rebounds and 5 assists) continues his rise to NBA royalty in his own right. At the ripe old age of 22, his potential seems limitless and he's lucky that he has more than capable teammates like Jaylen Brown (20 points, 5 rebounds) and Kemba Walker (22 points) around him.

    After outscoring Boston 33-27 in the first quarter (when they should have been up by way more), Philadelphia fell off a cliff for the rest of this laugher. The Celts posted 30+ in each of the last three frames: 38-24 in the second quarter, 33-18 in the third quarter and 30-26 in the fourth quarter. As you can imagine, basically the entire second half was extended garbage time and as such, many role players for the C's had nice nights. Starting for the injured Gordon Hayward, Marcus Smart had 10 points on a very Smart-esque 3-for-11 shooting (1-for-7 on 3s!). Enes Kanter nearly had a double-double (10 points, 9 rebounds) in only 22 minutes of action.  Rookie Grant Williams added nine points and six rebounds for Boston while Brad Wanamaker scored seven points and rookie Romeo Langford notched six points. Hell even Tacko Fall had three points in his NBA playoff debut.

    If the roles were reversed and Brad Stevens was in charge of this junior varsity version of the Sixers, you at least could count on him getting the most out of the limited roster. Also, the team would always play hard no matter what. Unfortunately for the Sixers, they are stuck with Brown (not for long though!) who is woefully overmatched when he runs into any competent NBA counterpart. Then again, what can be reasonably expected of a starting lineup that includes such lumanaries as Josh Richardson (18 points), Shake Milton (14 points) and ice cold Tobias Harris (13 points, 11 rebounds on 4-for-15 shooting)? All that you need to know is that Boston's shaky bench-with its best player Smart starting-still managed to outscore Philadelphia's bench 41-20. 

    Be sure to begin your Friday night (6:30, NBC Sports Boston) festivities by watching the Celtics destroy the Sixers once again. Toronto is probably going to sweep Brooklyn and as I said, Milwaukee is at least guaranteed of playing a needless extra game in the first round against Orlando. Boston is a pretty young team overall but a little more rest would be a bonus before the playoffs really begin for them. This series is already a joke and call me crazy but I like watching competitive contests in the postseason. Leave the lopsided scores for sleepy regular season games in the dead of winter. I demand more entertainment, specifically I want to see Tatum, Brown and by extension Stevens tested against legitimate opposition.

B's Get Past The Canes In Five Games Thanks To A Pair Of Power Play Goals In 2-1 Game 5 Nailbiter

    It wasn't always pretty but the most important thing is that the Bruins completed their most fundamental task today by beating the Hurricanes 2-1 in Game 5 which tipped the first round series in their favor 4-1. With that, Boston gets at least a few days of rest before what figures to be a much more difficult series in the second round against either Philadelphia (up 3-2 in their series vs. Montreal after losing tonight) or Tampa Bay (who similarly knocked Columbus out in 5 games earlier this afternoon). David Pastrnak returned after missing Games 2-4 and produced two assists while Boston scored both of its goals on the power play in the second period-a gift tap-in by David Krejci and a cheeky bank shot as time expired by Patrice Bergeron-and Jaroslav Halak finished with 23 saves.

     If high-scoring end-to-end action is your thing, this probably wasn't the tilt for you. Then again, a low-scoring contest that was so dictated by special teams not surprisingly ended up in Boston's favor. Their power play went 2-for-4 while their penalty kill was a perfect 3-for-3. It might actually have been Carolina's best outing of the entire series except for the whole scoring goals thing which last time I checked was rather important. Not having Andrei Svechnikov the past few games obviously was a huge factor but outside of Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen, their forward lines lack some real depth and ditto for their defensemen who are pretty terrible outside of Dougie Hamilton (seriously) and Jaccob Slavin. Oh and maybe alternating between Petr Mrazek (25 saves but he went 0-3 in the series) and backup goaltender James Reimer for every single game of the series wasn't a winning formula but what do I know? 

    The Canes couldn't have asked for a much better start in a possible elimination game as Haydn Fleury gave them a 1-0 lead almost halfway through the first period at 9:35. Aho and Jordan Martinook provided the assists on the promising young blueliner's second goal of the postseason. They say that the closeout game is always the hardest one to win and for almost two full periods, the Black and Gold looked pretty disinterested in the proceedings. Boston simply knows how to win though, something that can't be said for an opponent that fell to 1-8 against them combined the last two postseasons. With that in mind, Carolina made two mental mistakes as they clung to the 1-0 advantage in the second period and Boston did what a championship contender does: they made them pay dearly each time. You know the fact that Game 6 would have been tomorrow helped inspire the Bruins a tad as well since who wants to play another back-to-back in these strange times? 

    Playoff David Krejci got the party started for the B's as a loose puck found him wide open on the doorstep and it appeared like he couldn't believe his good fortune as he made it 1-1 at 15:20. His third goal of the postseason extended his point-streak to five games with Pasta and Bergy adding the helpers. What turned out to be the game-winning tally for Bergeron is something that will be shown for years to come namely when he eventually retires (fingers crossed as a Bruin) then enters the Hockey Hall of Fame. Few guys would have the combination of smarts to know the clock was running out on the second period while also possessing the skill to put the puck right in Mrazek's skates when Carolina's goaltender made a huge error by standing up too straight. Boston took a 2-1 lead with 3.5 seconds left in the frame on Bergeron's second goal of the postseason, assisted by Pastrnak and Krejci.

    The third period didn't feature many shots on goal (6-5 in favor of the Hurricanes) and while Carolina controlled the puck for long stretches in Boston's defensive zone, they couldn't solve Halak or Boston's air-tight defense again. Halak was at his best in Game 3 (besides his unforgivable turnover that led to the lone Canes goal) but he needed to be better than his shaky Game 4 self and thankfully he was solid. Whomever the B's meet next, Halak has to be on top of his game to give the Bruins their best chance to continue advancing. For now, they should be proud that they were able to beat a good team (albeit flawed) with relative ease despite a few off-ice issues that would affect lesser clubs in a much bigger way.

In The Least Surprising News Of The Day, Gordon Hayward Will Miss The Next Four Weeks (Ankle)

 

    Don't take this the wrong way: Gordon Hayward seems like a nice enough fellow and all plus he's a fine basketball player but can we agree that he will probably never have an injury-free season with the Celtics at this rate. Last night in Boston's first playoff game in the bubble against Philadelphia, he sprained his right ankle late in the Celtics' 109-101 win. This afternoon came the utterly predictable news from the team that he will be gone for around four weeks after suffering a grade three sprain. Keep in mind that the C's tend to undersell injuries to their players that ultimately tend to keep them out for much longer, remember Kevin Garnett, fat and over-the-hill Shaq, Kyrie Irving, etc.?

     As I said in my recap of Game 1, the Sixers as they are currently constructed with duck tape and krazy glue pose no real threat to Boston other than making them play an extra game or two in the series that is totally unnecessary. Nope, Hayward's value really comes into play when the Celts take on better teams, like the Raptors in the second round or the Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals (granted Milwaukee looked terrible in a shocking Game 1 loss to Orlando this afternoon). Generally speaking, we know what Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Kemba Walker will bring in terms of scoring and all-around play. The NBA is all about having multiple scoring options since the stars will have off-nights from time to time. 

    Moreover, Hayward's best quality is his versatility: he can dribble, he can shoot, he can rebound, he can defend and he can pass. Right now, his biggest issue is staying healthy and just being on the court. We'll never forget his gruesome ankle injury in his first ever game as a Celtic which now looking back feels like a sign of brutal things to come for him. Last season-his second in town-he played in 72 regular season games and this year it was down to only 52 due to a fluky broken wrist. Despite all the video games that he loves to play, I don't think it's an issue of conditioning or not taking proper care of his body. Unfortunately for Hayward, most of these injuries feel like nothing more than bad luck.

    Yes he's overpaid and he has a propensity to disappear in big games and/or against quality opponents but he is not a complete scrub by any means. This season Hayward averaged 17.5 points per game (6 more than last season!) with a career-best 6.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists. He's also a trusted shooter at 38% on three-pointers and 86% on free throws. We all know what Marcus Smart brings: he's one of the best defenders in the league, a great energy guy and emotional leader of the Celtics. However, aside from his random hot streaks that happen once in a blue moon, he still can't shoot consistently well. Assuming that Smart moves into the starting lineup that also takes away Boston's best bench player while also making their bench even more of a liability which is another thing that could bite them later on this postseason. I'd like to say that I have confidence that Hayward will be able to return while the Celts are still alive in bubble playoffs but how could I? He's become Mr. Glass of the C's. 

     

     

Lifeless Bruins Rally From Two-Goal Deficit In The 3rd Period For A Thrilling 4-3 Victory In Game 4

 

    If you are a Bruins fan, I sincerly hope that for some reason you missed the first two miserable periods of tonight's Game 4 between Boston and Carolina. It wasn't bad enough that the Hurricanes led 2-0 after the second period but simultaneously, the B's couldn't find a way to solve James Reimer (29 saves) who is just as mediocre as you remember from 2013 with Toronto. Luckily, the Black and Gold saved all their energy for an absolutely scintillating third period where they outscored the Canes 4-1 en route to a 4-3 win that gives them a commanding 3-1 lead in the series. 

    Both of Carolina's goals in the first and second period respectively were ones that Jaroslav Halak (16 saves) would surely like to have back. Justin Williams' shot from along the boards at least seemed to be through some traffic thus affecting Halak's vision but nonetheless, his glove hand just missed it for a 1-0 Canes lead at 9:17 of the first. Speaking of former Leafs bums, Jake Gardiner had the primary assist and Vincent Trocheck added the other helper on Williams' first goal of the postseason. Boston had some chances, like when David Krejci hit the post but for much of the first 45+ minutes of action, they were gripping their sticks too tightly and trying to pick corners on a guy that frankly shouldn't necessitate that type of effort or precision.

      Things got worse for the B's in the second period as Jordan Martinook's shot slipped right under Halak's glove once again. No excuse on that, Martinook's second goal of the playoffs was assisted by Sebastian Aho (NHL-best 8th assist of the postseason) and came at 12:08 for Carolina's first two-goal lead of the entire series. Suddenly, everyone's hot take after Game 3 that the Bruins were somehow better without Tuukka Rask seemed at best silly. The larger point was that without David Pastrnak in the lineup, the B's were failing to generate any goals 5-on-5. Their power play actually went 0-for-3 tonight as well so they really needed to get it all done even strength. 

    There were two plays in the third period that were shall we say co-turning points for the Bruins: Charlie McAvoy's bone-rattling hit on Eric Staal (that ended the night for Carolina's captain) and Jake DeBrusk's first goal that cut it to 2-1 Hurricanes and mercifully breathed some life into Boston. Reimer came flying out of the crease to get a loose puck but Jake was just a little faster to stickhandle around Reimer and still manage to shoot it while he was falling down. DeBrusk's second goal of the postseason came at 7:26 and it was assisted by Ondrej Kase and Connor Clifton. Little did we know that would set off an explosion as Boston outshot Carolina 16-2 (!!) in the frame and they scored the four goals in a wild span of 6:51. 

    Playing in his second straight game, Clifton made his presence felt even further with the tying goal-an absolute missile to the top corner of the net-at 10:10. Joakim Nordstrom (game-high 7 hits) and Chris Wagner had the assists on Clifton's first goal of the postseason which also gave him his first career multiple-point playoff game. If those weren't enough highlights for the B's, Torey Krug sprang Brad Marchand for a breakaway and a beautiful go-ahead goal at 11:40. Brad's third goal of the postseason also gave him a four-game point streak (3 goals, 4 assists) in the series. Boston's second line put the icing on their fantastic performance as DeBrusk bagged his second goal at 14:17 after some deft passing from Kase and Krejci. It was never Halak's night so he couldn't resist but to give up one more questionable goal as Teuvo Teravainen's backhander/deflected shot beat him at 18:33. Teravainen's third goal of the playoffs was assisted by Brady Skjei and Dougie Hamilton. Luckily, there wasn't enough time left for the Hurricanes to put anymore pressure on Halak that likely would have resulted in the tying goal and a subsequent overtime. 

    It's tough to overstate how important that win was for the Bruins and conversely, how devastating the loss was for the Canes. Now Boston has three chances to beat Carolina only once more which is not too tall an order given their revolving door of goaltenders and growing list of injured forwards. Anytime you can eliminate a team in the NHL playoffs, you have to do it because you never know what can happen once a team starts to gain momentum back in a series. Game 5 is Wednesday afternoon (4, NESN) and I feel confident that the Bruins can get rid of the still-overmatched wannabe Whalers in only one more game than it took them last year. Perhaps most importantly (besides the final result), Halak needs to have a sharp performance to prove that he can be counted on against a better team(s) that will be down the road. This should give you some comfort before you fall asleep: the Bruins have a 19-2 all-time record in best-of-seven series when they lead in a series 3-1. It's not over yet but it is very close to saying goodbye to the Hurricanes once and for all.   

       

      

    

    

    

The Celts Let The 76ers Hang Around But Take Gm 1 Behind Tatum's Playoff Career-High (32 pts)

 

    Let's be honest, this first round playoff series between the Celtics and the Sixers should not be a long one. After Ben Simmons went down with a knee injury last week, you knew that Philadelphia's days in the Disney World bubble were limited. Of course, Boston wasn't complaining since they earned the third seed in the Eastern Conference and the 76ers dropped down to the sixth seed so these rivals would meet right away rather than deeper in the playoffs. Game 1 tonight was not a classic matchup by any means but it should serve as a harbinger of things to come as the C's didn't play particularly well yet they still walked away with a 109-101 win. Jayson Tatum was the best player on the floor as he scored a game-high/career playoff-high 32 points with 13 rebounds and three blocks. 

    Many think that Boston has the best young duo in the league and Jaylen Brown certainly held up his end of the bargain with 29 points, six rebounds and three steals. Kemba Walker added 19 points and five assists while Gordon Hayward posted 12 points and a game-high four steals but unfortunately he suffered what looked to be a pretty bad right ankle sprain. He was seen after the game leaving on crutches as he headed for an MRI. Ugh, poor guy has had such an uneven Celtics career with all the injuries that he's dealt with. Let's hope it's not as bad as it looked like in real time. 

    Joel Embiid (26 points, game-high 16 rebounds, game-high 5 turnovers) is still an absolute beast but who else left on Philly scares you? Josh Richardson scored 18 points and Alec Burks produced the same amount off the bench while Tobias Harris added 15 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. Filling in at point guard for Simmons, my man Shake Milton put up 13 points but without one of the best passers in the NBA (Simmons) not to mention ballhandlers, the Sixers turned it over 11 more times (18-7) than the Celtics. That coupled with Boston's seven more steals (12-5) and five more made free throws (23-18) were the only real differences in the contest. Oh and if you're looking for the ghost of Al Horford, he manged to have six points, seven rebounds and six assists with a game-low plus-minus of minus-18. Hey Al, do you wish you remained with the Celtics rather than go to the rudderless 76ers in free agency? Nevermind, you don't have to answer that big guy.

To Philly's credit, they came out on fire leading to a one-point lead (26-25) after the first quarter. Boston woke up and started to play their style in the second quarter which gave them a 55-49 halftime advantage. Naturally, when you thought that the Sixers would just roll over they actually controlled the third quarter completely (30-20) to go into the fourth quarter up 79-75. Philly's lack of depth and foul trouble to both Embiid and Horford (5 fouls apiece) helped Boston finally pull away a bit in the fourth though they had to sweat it out at the end despite what the final score might lead you to believe. 

    Once they start matching up with better teams further in the playoffs, Boston's bench will simply have to perform better. Tonight's total output of eight points from them is beyond embarassing. Marcus Smart (2 points, 0-for-5 shooting, 2 steals in 32 minutes) figures to slot into Hayward's spot in the starting lineup assuming that he's out for at least a few games. Smart tends to play better in the most important games and he certainly left room for improvement personally after tonight's stinker. 

    You have to love the sheer predictably of some NBA playoff series, especially those in the earlier rounds. I hate to forecast the future-which is truly futile in 2020-but here is how it'll go for the 76ers: they'll get swept by the C's or lose in a gentleman's sweep (5 games). They'll fire their head coach (BU product and Maine native) Brett Brown and replace him with some other NBA retread. Then Embiid and/or Simmons will demand a trade when they realize that Philadelphia is not going anywhere with this mostly average roster behind them. Anyways, see you on Wednesday night (6:30, NBC Sports Boston) for Game 2.   

    

     

    

     

    

    

     

    

With Pasta Still Out & Rask Gone, Halak & The B's Respond With An Impressive 3-1 Win In Game 3

 

    There were only two ways that this afternoon's pivotal Game 3 between the Bruins and Hurricanes would go after Tuukka Rask's stunning departure: either Boston would be shell-shocked and they'd lose behind a rusty Jaroslav Halak or like the Canadiens playing yesterday for Claude Julien, they'd be extra inspired (not that it should take much during the NHL playoffs) and cobble together a great performance. Thankfully for purposes of our collective sanity (haha relatively speaking during a pandemic) and the overall quality of this blog and post, the Black and Gold came through with a rock solid 3-1 victory which gives them a 2-1 series lead. 

    Making his first appearance since getting shelled in a 4-1 loss on August 2-Boston's first round-robin game vs. Philadelphia-not to mention his first playoff game in years, Halak showed that he still has plenty left in the tank with 29 saves. He was this close to a shutout if not for a brutal turnover that led to the easiest goal of Nino Niederreiter's life that cut it to 2-1 early in the third period. The Bruins would not be denied as they scored first for the second game in a row but this time actually made it mean something. They also had the first two-goal leads (twice) of the series, adding a power play goal and a shorthanded goal to the all-around team effort.

    Boston was lucky to survive the first period scoreless since Carolina outshot them 15-7. The noon start was apparently rough on Boston's mostly old legs but they bounced back with a great second period, outshooting the Hurricanes 20-8. Following a double-minor high-sticking penalty on Trevor van Riemsdyk late in the first frame that carried over to the second, Coyle gave his team a 1-0 advantage when he batted in a rebound 14 seconds in. You'll remember that James Reimer won Game 2 for the Hurricanes but their head coach Rod Brind'Amour decided to roll the dice and go back to Game 1 starter Petr Mrazek (36 saves) and while it wasn't his fault that they lost, the curious choice didn't pay off. Like Red Sox hitters used to do (you know, when they tried to actually win games), Coyle deftly hit the puck out of mid-air after a trademark rebound by Mrazek. Charlie's second goal of the postseason was assisted by Brad Marchand and playoff David Krejci. 

    Once again, the B's came out ready to go in the third period and were rewarded with a huge shortanded tally by Sean Kuraly (their first of the postseason) at 1:16. Coyle and Charlie McAvoy had the helpers as Kuraly drove to the net and perfectly deflected in Coyle's on the money feed. He might not score many goals but the rate of extremely important ones that Kuraly gets from his entire total is insane. 

    Niederreiter's goal was actually on the power play and his first of the postseason was unassisted unless you count the silver platter that Halak used to put the puck right in his glove. With the net vacant, Niederreiter laid the disc on the ice and knocked it in the net. Woof. Showing the mettle of a battle-tested veteran, this didn't rattle Halak and similarly, his Bruins teammates refused to fold after his gaffe. Fittingly, the B's iced it with an empty-netter with 31 seconds left in regulation as Krejci lofted the puck ahead to Marchand to slide into Carolina's net. Game over on Brad's second goal of the postseason and already his sixth point (2 goals, 4 assists) of the series. Krejci's assist gives him five points (2 goals, 3 assists) in the three games which isn't too shabby either.

    The only real downer of Game 3 was what looked to be a very serious injury suffered by Hurricanes budding star Andrei Svechnikov late in the third period. He was battling Zdeno Chara in front of Boston's net when fell over in pain due to his knee/ankle twisting in a weird angle. It's the playoffs but you never want to see anybody get hurt, especially like that, when you know that he is probably going to be out for a long time. The fact that he is arguably Carolina's best forward (and they don't have much depth there to begin with) will certainly be a factor for the rest of the series. 

    For the B's, Anders Bjork was called for three penalties today so he could definitely be a healthy scratch for Game 4. Karson Kuhlman, Nick Ritchie and Jeremy Lauzon were all out this afternoon after playing in Game 2. Connor Clifton was fine, Jack Studnicka looked good in his NHL playoff debut and Par Lindholm was about as visible on the ice as he ever can be (competing against his former club). Both teams get a few more extra hours to rest before Monday night and it's basically a must-win for the Canes. It's tough to see them winning three straight against the Bruins, particularly without Svechnkikov. 

 

    

     

Hours Before Game 3 Vs. Carolina, Tuukka Rask Packs Up His Stuff & Leaves The Toronto Bubble

 

    Good morning, how are you? Game 3 between the Bruins and Hurricanes starts in mere minutes but I had to post something fast since Boston goaltender Tuukka Rask made the shocking decision (apparently this morning) to opt-out for the rest of the postseason. For a polarizing guy that has always had more than his fair share of haters (given his mostly stellar resume minus winning a Stanley Cup as a starter), perhaps this is his final act in a Bruins uniform and even in the NHL. 

    Then again, who knows? All goaltenders are famously weirdos but Rask is taking it to a different level. The poor Bruins PR staff had to hastily share his generic statement: "I want to be with my teammates competing, but at this moment there are things more important than hockey in my life, and that is being with my family. I want to thank the Bruins and my teammates for their support and wish them success."

    Before we wildly speculate about the real reason for why Rask left, keep in mind that Bruins GM Don Sweeney said this: "fortunately his family is safe and healthy, but with a newborn and two other young girls, you know it's been challenging and for Tuukka as well." This absolutely brutal global pandemic has shown us all the importance of family (in case we somehow didn't know it before), so it's tough to hate on anyone-yes even a highly paid professional athlete-for feeling some kind of way and making this decision. However, the timing of it all is beyond bizarre. Think about it, the Bruins didn't just start training and they didn't arrive at the bubble yesterday. Nope, all the coaches, players and support staff have been together for awhile isolated in Toronto trying to chase a Cup during this unpredicented time in world history.

     On first blush, it just seems like a selfish move on Rask's part since obviously everyone else is going through similar tough times being away from their loved ones and young children for weeks and possibly months at a time. It also puts backup goaltender Jaroslav Rask in a tough spot since he hasn't played in Game 1 or Game 2 and he apparently found out about this when we did only mere hours before a very important playoff contest. Oh and rookie Dan Vladar-who has never appeared in an NHL regular season or playoff game-is suddenly the backup for one of the best teams in hockey.

    If we look back at Tuukka's bizarre comments following Game 2 about it not feeling like the playoffs and the difficulty of getting up for these tilts in such a different atmposphere, this shouldn't be a total surprise. Then again, Rask is always very transparent with what he thinks and how he feels so while saying stuff like that would have been alarming for most players (even ever truthful NHL guys), we brushed it off like "oh that's Tuukka, haha what a flake."

    The fans and the media ultimately don't matter (sorry, but you know that's true) but what does count is how Rask's teammates respond to this, both today and for the rest of the postseason. Furthermore, assuming that we are all still on this crazy planet called Earth whenever the next regular season starts, will Tuukka be able to waltz back into the Bruins' dressing room like nothing ever happened? Only time will tell but this is the latest chapter in a truly strange year that hopefully is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for everybody. 

  

    

There Will Be No Sweep This Year As The Hurricanes Win Game 2, 3-2 With Pastrnak Out

 

    Did you really think that it would be easy to get past Carolina this postseason after Boston breezed by them last year in the Eastern Conference Finals? Bruins superstar David Pastrnak-who tied for the NHL lead in goals during the regular season with Alex Ovechkin-was a surprise scratch (unfit to play) announced shortly before Game 2 and the Hurricanes played well enough to earn a 3-2 victory behind a game-winning goal in the third period by former B's defenseman Dougie Hamilton. The series is even now 1-1 with Game 3 coming up bright and early on Saturday afternoon (12, NBC).

     Tuukka Rask (23 saves) started on back-to-back days since Game 1 was yesterday morning/afternoon. Boston did switch some things up: Anders Bjork started in Pastrnak's spot on the right wing of the top line and Karson Kuhlman slotted into the lineup as well on the third line at right wing. Predictably, neither had much of an impact despite Bjork having a great scoring chance early in the opening frame. The B's also took a 1-0 lead for the first time in the bubble (5 games) and their power play scored on their first two chances and yet it still wasn't enough to grab a 2-0 series lead. 

      The Hurricanes weren't afraid to make a move themselves as backup goaltender James Reimer (33 saves) got the start instead of Game 1's starter Petr Mrazek. Going back to the epic 2013 Game 7 win by the B's/choke job by the Maple Leafs, we all certainly are aware of Reimer's checkered history. Give him credit though, at least for one night he outplayed Mrazek (or maybe just had better luck since he also gave up a ton of rebounds). Playoff David Krejci is in full effect as he gave the Black and Gold a 1-0 advantage at 15:41 of the first period. On the power play, he whipped a wrist shot from distance and through some traffic for his second goal in as many games-assisted by Brad Marchand and Torey Krug. 

    Boston was up 1-0 after the first period but they got blitzed by Carolina in the second period, specifically from their best forwards. Teuvo Teravainen tied it with a power play tally of his own at 15:13 of the second period. He sniped a shot over Rask's right shoulder, assisted by Andrei Svechnikov and Sebastian Aho (who has a 5-game point and assist streak). Before the Bruins had much time to recover, they trailed 2-1 as Svechnikov took a pass from Martin Necas and also beat Rask up high at 16:41. UNH's Trevor van Riemsdyk had the second assist on Andrei's fourth goal of the postseason. You could feel those goals coming for the Canes as they constantly hemmed Boston in their own zone even when it was 5-on-5. Down only 2-1 after two periods wouldn't be so bad for the B's yet somehow they found a way to tie it with 4.4 seconds left in the frame. Marchand did the honors as Patrice Bergeron found him with a pass right on the doorstep that first hit the post but then Brad was able to sweep the loose puck into the net. His first goal of the postseason was also assisted by Krejci. 

    Almost halfway through the final period of regulation and knotted at two goals apiece, it felt like Game 2 might follow the same script for Game 1 and head to overtime but Hamilton had another idea. He was left wide open by the slow to react Bruins defense and he absolutely crushed a rocket of a shot that Rask had no chance to stop (also top shelf) at 8:30. Necas had the lone assist on Hamilton's first goal of the postseason and likely one of the biggest of his entire life. 

      There really is no point in trying to (incorrectly) predict what will happen in Game 3 since playing in the bubble with no home fans or travel means this will be a postseason unlike any that we've ever seen before in the NHL. The Bruins fell to 32-22 in Game 2s of best-of-seven series in which they led 1-0 while the Hurricanes improved to 6-8 in Game 2s when they trailed 0-1. Boston is 21-21 in Game 3s when the series is tied 1-1 while Carolina is 4-6 in Game 3s when the series is tied 1-1. Finally, the B's are 24-17 all-time in best-of-7 series that are tied 1-1 and the Canes are 5-5 in the same scenario. What does it all mean? You got me, we'll all have to tune in on Saturday to find out. Oh and also think good thoughts for whatever is ailing Pastrnak (we know at least it's not Covid-19 since he was at tonight's contest in the stands). Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy called him "day-to-day and questionable" for Game 3. Odds are it'll be another tight contest but at least it's the weekend so drinking that early in the day is a little less sad.