The Celtics Are In Serious Trouble After Choking Away Gm. 2 & Losing 111-105 To The Heat In ECF

 

    One of the many givens in the NBA playoffs is that when the home team loses Game 1 of a series, they are basically a lock to even the series with a win in Game 2. Too bad nobody told the Celtics that as they watched Miami close on a 24-9 run tonight as the Heat stunned the TD Garden with a 111-105 victory. Miami heads home with a shocking 2-0 series lead and the possibility of them sweeping Boston in the Eastern Conference Finals is now squarely on the table. There are many reasons why the Celtics find themselves in this major hole but the crazy part is that despite their superior talent, this is the rare instance in the league where the more connected team (the Heat) continue to find a way while the C's self-destructed in crunch time yet again.

    Miami's star small forward Jimmy Butler (team-high 27 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks) was not as good as he was in Game 1 but this time, he got even more help from the Heat's nameless others. Backup small forward Caleb Martin set a playoff career-high with 25 points off the bench, center Bam Adebayo (22 points, 17 rebounds, 9 assists) just missed out on a triple double, NESCAC legend Duncan Robinson scored 15 points off the bench and Celtics Summer League alum Max Strus notched 11 points in the enormous win for the eighth-seeded team in the Eastern Conference. 

    Unlike Game 1, this loss cannot be pinned nearly as much on Celtics superstar small forward Jayson Tatum (34 points, 13 rebounds, 8 assists), not when shooting guard Jaylen Brown (16 points) was nowhere to be found, shooting a terrible 7-of-23 from the field. Center Robert Williams had 13 points, backup point guard Malcolm Brogdon scored 13 points off the bench and guard Derrick White notched 11 points off the bench. For Boston, two of their starters were complete black holes offensively as point guard Marcus Smart (7 points) and center Al Horford (2 points) combined for nine points in 52 minutes of action. Yuck.   

    Both teams had huge runs in the first half as the C's led 25-24 after one quarter and the Heat rallied to take a 54-50 advantage at halftime. An awful third quarter doomed the home team in Game 1 so at least they rectified that by making Game 2's third quarter their best frame (outscoring Miami 33-21). Going into the fourth quarter up eight points (83-75), most teams would be in good position to squeeze out a win but not this flawed team that fell to 4-5 at the Garden this postseason-while the other three teams remaining in the playoffs are all still unbeaten at home. After weirdly not playing a single minute in Game 1, backup power forward Grant Williams (9 points) reappeared in 26 minutes off the bench. He actually played pretty well considering how sporadic his playing time has been this postseason but he made the fatal mistake of getting in Butler's face and talking trash to the last guy in the NBA that you want to do that to. On the one hand, you appreciate Grant's willingness to mix it up (Tatum would never dare to do something like that in his entire life) but that blowing up in his face was so predictable.

    Miami had seven more steals (9-2) as sloppy Boston committed its usual truckload of turnovers (15-10). Even if we did not admit it, tonight was basically a must-win for the Celtics since so few teams comeback from a 2-0 series deficit in the NBA. With that said, Boston's season will unquestionably be on the line Sunday night (8:30, TNT) in Miami for Game 3. Not much else needs to be said; if they win they at least will get another game at the Garden but if they lose and go down 3-0 (which no NBA team has ever recovered from), goodnight Celtics. 

The Warriors Destroyed The Celtics 107-88 In Game 2 Of The NBA Finals To Even The Series 1-1

 

    If you honestly thought that the Celtics were going to sweep the 2022 NBA Finals against the Warriors, then you are obviously a green teamer honk that lost touch with reality long ago. Back here on Earth, Golden State-you know that team that has won three recent NBA titles-recovered nicely from an unexpected loss in Game 1 by absolutely curb-stomping Boston 107-88 tonight at the Chase Center. The series is even now at 1-1 as it shifts to Boston for Game 3 on Wednesday (9, ABC). Future Hall of Famer and Warriors point guard Stephen Curry (game-high 29 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals) played well again and this time he wasn't shut down in the second half plus he got more help from his teammates.  

    If the game didn't include the third quarter, it would have been close but unfortunately for the C's, their troubling trend of god awful third quarters continued. They only trailed by one after one quarter (31-30) and by two at halftime (52-50) but as usual, they went off a cliff in the third quarter to the tune of 35-14. For the home team, +21 is the largest margin in a quarter in their playoff history. Boston had way too many turnovers (18) which led to 33 points off turnovers for Golden State. Warriors shooting guard Jordan Poole scored 17 points off the bench including basically swishing a half-court shot at the buzzer to conclude that wretched third quarter. Warriors center Kevon Looney (12 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals) was the best big man in the contest and that should never happen with Celtics power forward Al Horford (2 points, 8 rebounds) and hobbled center Robert Williams (2 points, 2 blocks) both available. 

    Boston got a misleading performance by star small forward Jayson Tatum: he scored a team-high 28 points and grabbed six rebounds but he also finished minus-36 (the worst mark of his career). Shooting guard Jaylen Brown started out hot with 12 points in the first quarter but early foul trouble affected his rhythm and he settled for 17 points and six rebounds. Just like Horford and Robert Williams, point guard Marcus Smart (2 points, 5 assists) was terrible so three of the Celtics' starters combined for six points in 67 minutes of action between them. Is that bad? Backup point guard Derrick White (12 points, 2 blocks) was decent but his shooting went astray (4-for-13) which I guess should be a given after he's been playing out of his mind lately.

    Warriors power forward and expert loudmouth Draymond Green (9 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds) was doing his thing: getting in guys' faces, rolling around with them on the court and constantly yelling at the refs. Needless to say, it was ugly but quite effective. About the only negative for Golden State is that shooting guard Klay Thompson is ice cold. He had 11 points and two steals but went 4-of-19 from the field including 1-of-8 on three-pointers. If they are going to win the series, they will need much more from him because who else can be a number two scoring option behind Curry? Small forward Andrew Wiggins had a pedestrian 11 points and six rebounds.

    The Warriors shot nearly eight percent better from the floor than the Celtics (45.3%-37.5%) and they had 10 more steals (15-5) as you would expect with so many turnovers by the C's. Golden State also muscled their way to 16 more points in the paint (40-24) which is hard to explain. The Warriors led by as many as 29 points in the fourth quarter as Game 2 became a complete joke. The good news for the Celts is that they are unbeaten (6-0) this postseason following a loss but then again they are only 5-4 at TD Garden in the playoffs which is baffling. Still, it has morphed into a best-of-five series and Boston snatched the home court advantage by winning Game 1. In many ways, Game 2 could be seen as a schedule loss since Golden State could not afford to go down 2-0 after dropping both of its first two home games. Horford and Smart cannot possibly be worse but you could say the same thing about Thompson so Game 3 should be interesting. Everyone knows in the NBA that role players typically play better at home so expect Boston's depth guys to be much bigger factors in Games 3 and 4. 

The Celts Ran All Over The Heat 127-102 In Game 2 To Even The Eastern Conference Finals At 1

 

    If not for a historically bad third quarter in Game 1 (where they were outscored 39-14), the Celtics would probably have a 2-0 series lead in the 2022 Eastern Conference Finals vs. the Heat. Tonight in Game 2 at FTX Arena, it wasn't even close as Boston truly wiped the floor with Miami 127-102. The series is now tied 1-1 and Boston improved to 4-0 this postseason following a loss. The C's got off to a fast start by leading 35-24 after the first quarter and 70-45 at halftime (their largest halftime lead in franchise playoff history!). The Heat made a tiny run early in the third quarter but it didn't matter one bit as the teams somehow scored the exact same amount in the final two frames: 26 points in the third quarter and 31 points in the fourth quarter. After they both were out for Game 1, C's point guard Marcus Smart barely missed a triple-double (24 points, playoff career-high 12 assists, 9 rebounds, 3 steals) and center Al Horford (10 points) both returned to stabilize things for the deeper and dare I say a little tougher overall squad?

    Miami's star small forward Jimmy Butler had another very good game (game-high 29 points, 6 rebounds) but he didn't go crazy like Game 1 where he dropped 41 points. It's looking like that type of otherworldly performance is how the Heat are going to win because they just don't have that many legit threats outside of Butler. While Boston's star-small forward Jayson Tatum (team-high 27 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists) and shooting guard Jaylen Brown (24 points, 8 rebounds) combined for 51 points-it was also about power forward Grant Williams (19 points) and point guard Payton Pritchard (10 points, game-high plus-39) who were both really solid off the bench for the visitors. Miami's point guard Kyle Lowry remains out with a strained left hamstring so taking his place is the immortal Gabe Vincent (14 points) who was the only other Heat starter to score in double figures. Miami's All-Star center Bam Adebayo (6 points, 9 rebounds) was a complete no-show for the second straight contest, shooting guard Max Strus (6 points) is a one-trick three-point shooting pony and veteran small forward P.J. Tucker left after 22 minutes and never returned with a left knee contusion. Shooting guard Victor Oladipo (remember him?) had 14 points off the bench and the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year Tyler Herro was held to 11 measly points.

    Boston's defense was on another level than Miami's that is similarly regarded as a great defensive club. The C's were on fire from downtown, as they shot 50% (20-of-40) on three-pointers and held the Heat to 29.4% (10-of-34) in front of their stunned home fans. There weren't a ton of Celtics fans in the building but the real (and quite wealthy) Massholes that did get in made their presence felt like Barstool Sports' Dave Portnoy who sat right next to the Celtics' bench with his lady friend. For the game, Boston shot seven percent (51.2%-44.2%) better from the field, they only missed two free throws (21-for-23) while they handed out seven more assists (28-21), grabbed twice as many steals (8-4) and blocked two more shots (5-3) thanks to Celts center Robert Williams (3 blocks). The Celtics scored 11 more points off turnovers (20-9) than the Heat, had five fewer turnovers (14-9) and they led by as much as 34 points (!) which is a pretty amazing feat on the road against the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference who had captured Game 1 (118-107) by double digits.

    There is little time to rest as they get right back to it on Saturday night (8:30, ABC) in Boston at what should be a lubed up and very loud TD Garden. Between their variety of options on offense not to mention their typical superb defense that showed up in Game 2, the C's have many ways to beat Miami while the Heat seem more limited outside of Butler being the best player on the floor by a wide margin (which is harder to do since he has only hit one 3-pointer in the first two games combined). If Tucker is out, Miami would be down a great defensive player and one of its true heart and soul guys. I'm not predicting anything just yet because I have too much respect for the Heat to bury them but as a Celtics fan, you have to like the position that they are in after picking up this vital road win in Game 2. They are not intimidated by Miami and honestly, why should they be? Boston is the better team and hopefully that is proven out over the course of this series. 

Trailing By 17 Points, The Celtics Rallied For A 114-107 Win In Game 2 Vs. Nets & 2-0 Series Lead

 

    It took them awhile to get started as they trailed by nine points after the first quarter (33-24) and by 10 points at halftime (65-55) but when the dust settled on Game 2 of the first round tonight at TD Garden, the Celtics came out on top of the Nets by a score of 114-107. With that result, Boston held serve to take a 2-0 lead in the series which heads to Brooklyn this weekend. As you can tell, this was not easy by any means for the Celts who were down by as much as 17 points (62-45) late in the second quarter but they stuck with it and eventually wore down the Nets. Game 3 at the Barclays Center on Saturday night (7:30, NBC Sports Boston) is obviously a must-win for front-running Brooklyn since no NBA team has ever come back from a 0-3 series deficit. 

    Nets star power forward Kevin Durant scored a game-high 27 points but that is pretty misleading since he was once again ice cold from the floor (4-for-17) and had a game-high six turnovers but he made a living at the free throw line (18-of-20). Brooklyn's other star-point guard Kyrie Irving-was nowhere to be found as he put up a pathetic 10 points and eight rebounds in 40 minutes. Boston native and Nets small forward Bruce Brown opened the game on a personal 9-0 run and he parlayed that into an excellent performance: 23 points, eight rebounds and two blocks. Shooting guard Seth Curry was good for Brooklyn with 16 points and off the bench point guard Goran Dragic remained lethal with 18 points. 

    I said after Game 1 that the Celtics have more depth than the Nets and they proved it this evening since all five starters scored at least 12+ points and two of the three bench guys also added double-figures. Boston's star shooting guard Jaylen Brown had a team-high 22 points, six assists and three steals while their other star-small forward Jayson Tatum-struggled with his shot (5-for-16) but still put up 19 points, a game-high 10 assists and six rebounds. Center Al Horford predictably wasn't as good as he was in Game 1 but he still managed to get 16 points, six rebounds and two steals while power forward Daniel Theis was better with 15 points and six rebounds. The NBA's Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart notched 12 points and five assists. Given the stage, power forward Grant Williams had his best game as a Celtic with 17 points, six rebounds and two blocks in 32 very productive minutes off the bench and even second-year point guard Payton Pritchard gave them a lift with 10 points in 16 minutes as a substitute. 

    They had an extra day off between Games 1 and 2 but KD was still in a funk and Kyrie played like he couldn't wait to get the hell out of here. If both of those guys have off nights then the Nets have virtually no chance to win against the more focused and locked in Celtics. Head coach Ime Udoka (who should have been one of the three nominees for NBA Coach of the Year) must have made some good adjustments at halftime as the C's were a different club in the second half. They outscored the Nets 30-25 then knocked them out in the fourth quarter (29-17) in front of Coach K and McLovin among other random celebrities. 

    For the game, Boston shot nearly six percent better from the field (52%-46.1%) and they had 11 more assists (27-16) than Brooklyn. As we thought, the Celts are a true team while the Nets are just a collection of big name talent surrounded by the island of misfit toys. For many reasons, a Celtics win in Game 3 would be huge; I don't want to completely look past the Nets yet since both Games 1 & 2 were decided by single-digits and you have to believe that Durant at some point will look like one of the best players on the planet. With that said, Boston's defense is superior to Brooklyn's which gives you confidence even away from the friendly confines of the juiced up Garden. If Boston can go up 3-0 in the series, I can definitely see Brooklyn completely folding and getting swept like you read about. For now though, let's just be happy that the Celts are up 2-0 and they haven't even played a complete game against the Nets.

Red Sox Earn The Split In Houston With A 9-5 Victory In Game 2 Behind A Pair Of Grand Slams

 

    Coming into the ALCS, we were all fearful of Houston's lethal offense and for good reason: they are deep and loaded with playoff experience. At the same time, we also have to recognize that Boston's lineup is just as dangerous as illustarted by today's 9-5 win by the Red Sox in Game 2 at Minute Maid Park. With that important victory, the series heads to Boston tied 1-1 with the next three games at Fenway Park. The final score is a bit misleading since Boston was up 8-0 in the second inning after a grand slams by DH J.D. Martinez and third baseman Rafael Devers (the first time in MLB history that a team hit two grand slams in the same playoff game) in consecutive frames. Boston's center fielder Kike Hernandez continued to be the hottest hitter on the planet as he crushed his fifth home run of the postseason (tying a Red Sox record for most HRs in an entire postseason) and Nathan Eovaldi (5.1 IP, 3 ER, 5 hits, 3 Ks, 1 BB) gave the Sox another solid outing.

    Houston's rookie starting pitcher Leury Garcia was no match for Eovaldi as he only lasted 1+ inning before he was pulled with a fake injury (right knee discomfort). Former Rays great Jake Odorizzi followed Garcia and he also got knocked around as he allowed four earned runs and seven hits in four innings. Martinez's grand slam went to the opposite field as it scored first baseman Kyle Schwarber, Devers and Verdugo. Devers' grand slam in the next inning landed in a similar spot down the right field line and it plated catcher Kevin Plawecki, second baseman Christian Arroyo and Hernandez. Both of those memorable blasts were the first home runs of the series for Martinez and Devers while Hernandez already has three in the first two games against the Astros following his solo shot to left field in the fourth inning. 

    Houston got on the board in the fourth with an RBI double from right fielder Kyle Tucker that scored DH Yordan Alvarez. First baseman Yuli Gurriel followed with a two-run single that brought in shortstop Carlos Correa and Tucker. Red Sox manager Alex Cora's bullpen was good at first as Northeastern's Adam Ottavino got the last two outs in the sixth inning before the superb Garrett Whitlock pitched two scoreless innings with a pair of strikeouts. Lefty scrub Darwinzon Hernandez came on in the ninth inning with a 9-3 advantage but it was not nearly enough as he gave up solo home runs to Gurriel and pinch hitter Jason Castro. This forced Cora to bring in Ryan Brasier who retired Astros second baseman Jose Altuve on a deep fly ball to center field to end it. Whew. 

    I'm not saying it's going to happen since I believe that Houston is a better team than Tampa Bay but the Rays did win Game 1 of the ALDS before losing Game 2 at home and coming to Boston where they lost Games 3 and 4 to get eliminated from the playoffs. With three games in three days at Fenway starting on Monday night (8:08, FS1), the Sox have a wonderful opportunity to take control of this series and put themselves in a great position to reach yet another World Series. Including the Wild Card game vs. the Yankees, Boston is 3-0 at home this postseason and it should be an awesome atmosphere for these pivotal ALCS contests against a budding rival.

B's Rallied From A 3-1 Deficit In The 3rd Period, Only To Lose In Overtime To Even The Series 1-1

 

    After battling for nearly four full periods at the TD Garden tonight in Game 2 of their second-round playoff series, the Islanders took advantage of a brutal turnover by Bruins defenseman Jeremy Lauzon which led to a breakaway and game-winning goal by their fourth line center Casey Cizikas. New York won the game 4-3 at 14:48 in overtime to even the series at 1-1. It was truly a contest that could have gone either way since Boston scored first, then the Isles tallied three unanswered goals in a disastrous second period for the home team (their worst frame of the postseason) before getting the two goals that they needed in a hectic third period to force the extra session. Now the series shifts to the dump known as the Nassau Coliseum that nevertheless should be rocking for Game 3 on Thursday (7:30, NBCSN) and Game 4 on Saturday night (7:15, NBC). 

    The clutch victory by the Islanders snapped Boston's five-game playoff win streak while it also ended New York's four-game losing streak against the B's dating back to the regular season. It ensures that the Bruins will not sweep the Isles (honestly, who thought that would happen?) and they will get at least one more home game at the Garden next Monday (time TBA) for Game 5. BU's Charlie Coyle staked his club to a very early 1-0 lead as he dangled around an Islander and then did the same thing to New York's goaltender Semyon Varlamov (39 saves) for a beautiful goal at 2:38. Coyle's second goal of the playoffs was assisted by left wing Nick Ritchie and right wing Karson Kuhlman (making his playoff debut in 2021). 

    The second period turned into a complete mess for the black and gold as they allowed a pair of power play goals that bookended a rough 20 minutes. Right wing Josh Bailey tied it at one as his attempted centering pass deflected off Bruins defenseman Jeremy Lauzon and through goaltender Tuukka Rask's (35 saves) five-hole. Right wing Kyle Palmieri and center Brock Nelson recorded the assists on the power play strike, Bailey's fourth goal of the postseason. New York's next goal I'm sure is the one out of the four in Game 2 that Rask allowed which he would want back the most. He couldn't grab a loose puck in his crease next to a post and Palmieri made him pay by knocking it in for a 2-1 Islanders lead at 11:00. Palmieri has been a Bruins killer for years, going back to when he played on the Devils. Defenseman Nick Leddy and center Jean-Gabriel Pageau had the assists on his fourth goal of the playoffs. Boston's defense let Rask and the rest of the team down on the third goal as they fell asleep in coverage which allowed JGP to drive to the net and one-time in a nifty little pass by left wing Anthony Beauvillier at 17:21. Center Mathew Barzal was credited with the second assist on Pageau's second goal of the playoffs. 

    Many lesser teams would have been unable to put that previous period behind them so quickly but not our Bruins. Nope, they kept grinding and were handsomely rewarded as two of their top players and trusted leaders-center Patrice Bergeron and left wing Brad Marchand-had the honors of bagging the goal that flipped the momentum and then the tying goal on the power play. The captain went to the bumper position where Marchand was able to connect with his best friend for a sweet one-timer through some traffic. Right wing David Pastrnak picked up the second assist on Bergeron's fourth goal of the postseason at 10:34. Boston's tying goal was all about Marchand who ripped a low, hard shot at 15:06 of the third period. BU's Charlie McAvoy notched the lone assist on Marchand's fourth goal of the playoffs. True to most playoff overtimes, each team had plenty of scoring chances with New York outshooting Boston 9-6. The fatal mistake by Lauzon was trying to shuttle the puck away from the wall and over to his fellow defenseman Connor Clifton. The problem was that the pass went off another Bruin's skate and thus Cizikas was able to swoop in and use his speed to stay away from Lauzon and everybody else. His first goal of the playoffs (his 1st postseason goal in 6 years) is no doubt one that he'll never forget for the rest of his life.

    With an extra day in between Games 2 and 3-NBA style-B's head coach Bruce Cassidy has chosen to not hold a practice tomorrow. Instead, his team will take an extra breath after their latest overtime work. Before this series began, I felt pretty confident that it would be a long set of games either way. The Islanders got a split in Boston so now they are no doubt all thrilled to get back to their home arena which is one of the loudest and craziest atmospheres in the NHL. The Bruins will have to play much more like the team that rolled in Game 1 vs. the plucky one in Game 2 that ultimately lost despite that awesome comeback in the third period.

This C's-Nets Matchup Is Going To Be One Of The Least Competitive Playoff Series In NBA History

 

Has there ever been an NBA playoff series that was effectively over after only two miserable games? I ask because our Boston Celtics got embarrassed by the Brooklyn Nets 130-108 at the Barclays Center this evening in Game 2 of their opening round playoff series. Brooklyn is now up 2-0 in the best-of-7 with the series coming to the TD Garden on Friday (8:30, NBC Sports Boston) and Sunday night (7, NBC Sports Boston). The Nets didn't waste any time as they raced out to a double-digit lead (40-26) at the end of the first quarter. That ballooned to 71-47 at halftime so you get the point, there was no need to watch the second half since you already knew the outcome halfway through Game 2. To make matters worse, Celtics star Jayson Tatum (9 points, 2 steals, 2 blocks) got poked in the eye by Brooklyn star Kevin Durant (game-high 26 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 blocks) in the third quarter and he never returned to action (granted it was a picture perfect blowout so there was no point anyway).

    Notably, the only two Celtics that seemed to take losing in such depressing fashion personally were guard Marcus Smart (team-high 19 points, 6 assists, 2 steals) and newcomer Evan Fournier (16 points, 2 steals). You can always count on Smart to give an honest effort but it was nice to see Fournier get in Durant's face after the latter got involved in Fournier's conversation with one of the referees. Brooklyn's sharp-shooting swingman Joe Harris (25 points, 2 steals) was unstoppable as he made a franchise playoff record 7-of-10 3-pointers. Shooting guard James Harden added 20 points, seven assists and five rebounds while point guard Kyrie Irving had 15 points, six rebounds and six assists. The ghost of Blake Griffin notched 11 points for the home team and nine guys appeared off the bench for Brooklyn with shooting guard Landry Shamet (10 points) the only one to score in double-figures. For the Celts, point guard Kemba Walker put up 17 points and seven assists while center Tristan Thompson had a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds. 

    Friday will be the first time that Kyrie returns to the Garden with actual live fans in attendance so he obviously couldn't help himself in his postgame press conference tonight as he alluded to Boston still being a racist city after all of these years. If you are dumb enough to spend however much money it takes to watch another blowout in this inevitable sweep, I suppose one of the only real fun aspects of it will be the chance to boo Kyrie in person as much as you want. Please don't do anything stupid and give more needless fuel to people that aren't from here to cling to the tired old stereotype that Boston is still a tough place to be for minorities. This fake series has already gone off the rails so there is absolutely no need to draw even more negative attention to the Celtics, their fanbase and our beloved home.

The B's Even The Series With The Caps 1-1 After Hall's Clutch Goal & Marchand's OT Game-Winner

 

    As you've probably heard, there is nothing in sports quite like playoff hockey and that roller coaster of emotions was on full display tonight at the Capital One Arena. Boston rallied from a late 3-2 deficit in the third period to tie it on left wing Taylor Hall's first postseason goal in black and gold then star Brad Marchand scored the fastest OT goal in franchise playoff history (39 seconds!) as they won Game 2 by a score of 4-3 against Washington. After losing 3-2 in overtime in Game 1, the Bruins evened the series at one game apiece with Game 3 on Wednesday (6:30, NESN) at the TD Garden. The win snapped a five-game playoff losing streak for the B's dating back to last postseason in the bubble vs. Tampa Bay while the Capitals have now dropped three of their last four playoff games that have gone to overtime. 

    Up until their strong finish to Game 2, this felt like it would end on another sour note for Boston with them trailing 0-2 in the series and headed home for the next two contests. Two times in the first period the Bruins took the lead only to see the Caps quickly answer back. They also once again made 39-year-old goaltender Craig Anderson (44 saves) look way better than he should be in 2021. Right wing Jake DeBrusk has definitely put a terrible regular season behind him as he scored for the second straight game. BU's Charlie Coyle started the play by going around the net (while Anderson slid much too far out of the crease) then feeding DeBrusk in front for an easy tap-in. Nick Ritchie had the second assist on the opening tally at 5:05. Boston took a bunch of dumb penalties this evening and it cost them when right wing T.J. Oshie tipped in Alex Ovechkin's weak wrist shot at 6:31. Capitals defenseman John Carlson provided the second assist on Oshie's first goal of the playoffs.

    Boston's top line had been invisible in Game 1 so it was great to see captain Patrice Bergeron snipe a shot past Anderson at 9:21. Right wing David Pastrnak had the lone assist on Bergy's first goal of the postseason. Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask (36 saves) was good in Game 2 well except for the goal that Washington scored to make it 2-2. Defenseman Dmitry Orlov put the puck on net (or tried to) but the shot deflected off right wing Garnet Hathaway's skate and through a maze of bodies into the net. It was the first career goal for the Brown alum and Maine native with former Canadien Lars Eller (who later left with a lower-body injury and never returned) adding the second helper at 16:42. 

    After a scoreless second period, Hathaway handed the Caps their first lead (3-2) at 7:04. That wasn't a fluke although it started with a ill-timed pinch by Bruins defenseman Kevan Miller which led to a 2-on-1. Orlov fed Hathaway who beat Rask top shelf with left wing Carl Hagelin credited with the other assist. Hall's tying goal was not of the sexy variety that he displayed multiple times late in the regular season but nevertheless, it was highly effective and just as memorable. Right wing Craig Smith and defenseman Matt Grzelcyk had the assists but Hall did the most dirty work as Anderson stopped all of them before Taylor finally found an open space to knock the puck into the net. That huge momentum swing at 17:11 carried Boston through the rest of regulation and into the very brief extra session. The game-ending sequence started when Capitals defenseman Brenden Dillon's awful clearing attempt was intercepted by Bruins center David Krejci at Washington's blue line. He shuttled the puck across to Grzelcyk who found Marchand with another cross-ice pass. Brad made no mistake there since he crushed a one-timer that Anderson could not get over fast enough to stop. 

    You cannot emphasize enough how important this victory was to Boston since trailing 0-2 and returning to the pressure of the Garden could have been a tough combination for them to overcome. Luckily, they stepped up at winning time and hopefully cracked the code a bit on the mediocre Anderson. I'd love to say that the B's will win Game 3 in a blowout but the fact remains that the last 11 (!) playoff games between the Bruins and Capitals have all been decided by one goal. Enjoy the beautiful weather tomorrow, watch the goofy Celtics-Wizards Play-In Tournament game (9, TNT) and get ready for what should be a beauty of an event on Causeway Street on Wednesday. 

Behind Pastrnak's Transcendent Night (3 goals, 3 assists), B's Take a 2-0 Lead In the Series vs. Leafs

It can't possibly be this easy right? Through the first two games of what was expected to be a very tight, competitive series, the Bruins have looked like world-beaters while the Maple Leafs have been anything but ready for primetime. Similar to Game 1, tonight in Game 2 Boston won by four goals yet again (7-3) but this was a little spicier dish at TD Garden as David Pastrnak (3 goals, 3 assists) had the first six-point performance by a Bruin in the playoffs since Rick Middleton (2 goals, 4 assists) on April 18, 1983 vs. Buffalo. The B's took a 2-0 series lead as similar themes from Thursday continued: Boston's power play is unstoppable (2-for-4 tonight and 5-for-10 in the series) and the same can be said for their top line of Pastrnak, Patrice Bergeron (4 assists) and Brad Marchand (4 assists) who have already combined for 20 (!) points.

Minus forward Nazem Kadri who was suspended three games for his gutless hit on Tommy Wingels in Game 1, you figured that Toronto would respond with a more solid performance. Haha not so much as the Bruins scored four goals in the first 15 minutes of the contest and they simply cruised from there. Pasta began his bonanza with a sweet spin-o-rama into a backhander for a 1-0 B's lead at 5:26. Torey Krug (3 assists) and Bergeron had the helpers on that highlight reel tally. Jake DeBrusk went hard to the net and was rewarded with his first career NHL playoff goal at 9:46, tipping in a zipped pass from Krug with Bergeron picking up the second assist. Before you could blink, it was 3-0 Bruins at 12:13 as Kevan Miller bagged his first career playoff goal by throwing the puck toward the net and watching it go in off of Nikita Zaitsev's skate. That was all she wrote for Frederik Andersen who faced five shots on goal and saw three of them go by him. Backup goaltender Curtis McElhinney (4 goals allowed, 23 saves) did not fare much better so I'm sure that Leafs head coach Mike Babcock will go back to Andersen to start the must-win Game 3 on Monday (7, NESN) at Air Canada Centre.

DeBrusk's goal was on the power play and Boston's man advantage cashed in again as Rick Nash deposited your garden variety rebound at 15:00 of the first. Nash's first career playoff goal as a Bruin was assisted by Pastrnak and Krug. Toronto actually outplayed Boston in the second period (outshooting them 16-14) and outscored them 2-1 but Tuukka Rask (30 saves) made enough quality stops to keep the B's safely in front. Mitch Marner got the Maple Leafs on the board at 1:22 of the second when he re-directed a pass from Zach Hyman for his first goal of the postseason. David Krejci restored that four-goal Boston lead a few minutes later as he tipped in a shot by Pastrnak for his second goal of the postseason with Marchand providing the second assist. Toronto played with an urgency that they lacked for the first four periods of the series and Tyler Bozak notched his first goal of the playoffs with a sneaky little one-timer from Connor Brown and Morgan Rielly at 9:02 of the second.

Things got a little loose in the third period as Maple Leafs left wing Leo Komarov left with an upper-body injury. Pastrnak completed his hat trick, sandwiched around a meaningless power play goal by James van Riemsdyk (his 1st goal of the series). Anybody seen Auston Matthews? The young Leafs superstar was -2 and so far, he has been held without a point in the first two games. Pasta's hat trick was the first by a Bruin in the playoffs since Krejci did the deed on May 8, 2013 vs. Toronto.

At some point, the real Maple Leafs are going to show up in this series. Maybe? All the pressure is on them now since Boston held serve at home with authority. Things could quickly change if Toronto can win Game 3 and climb back from this pit of misery. However, if the B's can find a way to pull out a victory on Monday, it feels like the Leafs will fold up shop and get ready for the off-season. We were all so scared of this team and thus far, they have been nothing but frauds. What happens in Game 3 should tell us plenty about the mental makeup of the Toronto since all Boston really needs is a split North of the border to return here with a chance to close things out in a Game 5 on Saturday.

Tweet