Boston's Headband

A Changing Of The Guard

2011-07-07T02:28:00.006-04:00

Bruins fans have seen the last of Tomas Kaberle in Black and Gold. The free agent defenseman left Boston on Tuesday to sign a three-year, $12.75 million deal with the Carolina Hurricanes.

If the Boston Bruins are to repeat as Stanley Cup Champions next season, they'll have to do so without Tomas Kaberle.

In a move widely regarded as inevitable, Kaberle officially left the Bruins on Tuesday, signing a three-year, $12.75 million deal with the Carolina Hurricanes.

If you remember correctly, GM Peter Chiarelli gave up the farm to acquire the veteran defenseman from the Maple Leafs at the deadline last season, surrendering prized prospect Joe Colborne as well as a first round pick in 2011 and a second round pick in 2012.

At the time, Kaberle was viewed as the missing link on an otherwise dominant hockey club with very few flaws.

In theory, he provided the team a dynamic they desperately needed, something made glaringly clear with the offseason dismissal of Dennis Wideman: a puck moving defenseman who could help the team transition the puck and quarterback the power play.

However, although Kaberle helped the Bruins hoist their first Stanley Cup in 39 years, his overall performance wearing the Black and Gold was uneventful.

Known for his offensive skills, Kaberle scored just nine points (one goal, eight assists) in 24 regular season games for Boston after being traded from Toronto. He was slightly better in the playoffs (11 points in 25 games), but still not nearly good enough to justify management devoting an excess of four million dollars a year to for multiple years.

At 33-years-old, Kaberle remains a gifted defenseman. As Bruins fans witnessed firsthand, he was a flawless skater and made excellent break out passes near the neutral zone.

However, as Bruins fans also learned, Kaberle always seemed hesitant to shoot the puck. Time after time he passed up wide open shots at the net in exchange for more difficult cross-ice feeds or cute touch passes to a teammate.

Simply put, he passed to a fault.

In the playoffs we even saw teams key on Zdeno Chara's slapper during a power play simply because they knew Kaberle wouldn't pull the trigger.

Kaberle also played below average defense and shied away from the physical side of the game.

Wasting little time to find his replacement, Chiarelli acquired 34-year-old Joe Corvo from the Hurricanes later in the day in exchange for a fourth round pick in 2012.

"This came as a real surprise to me, and a very pleasant surprise," Corvo said. "I'm very happy to be with a team coming off such a successful season and not making many changes at all. At this point in my career, I'm just excited for the opportunity to win and the chance to win, and couldn't be happier."

The move could end up benefiting the Bruins immensely.

First off, Corvo is a more than adequate replacement along the blue line.

Like Kaberle, he is an offensive-minded defenseman who skates well, moves the puck and quarterbacks the power play. He tallied 11 goals and 29 assists last season while averaging a whopping 24:46 of ice time.

However, unlike Kaberle, he is a right-handed shot, more of a physical presence, tough (played in all 82 games last season) and has a booming slapshot that he's not afraid to unleash on goaltenders. Last season Corvo landed 191 shots on goal as opposed to 131 by Kaberle.

"He's someone we've talked about the last little bit as we've progressed on some of these free agent signings," Chiarelli said of Corvo. "You go past the free agency date, the first few days, and you look at possible trades if you're not satisfied with what you've accomplished in free agency."

"Joe became available when we couldn't reach terms with Tomas Kaberle, and we felt strong about Joe as a player."

In addition, Corvo is in the final year of a two-year pact paying him $2.25 million annually, which is nearly half of what the Bruins would have had to pay to keep Kaberle.

The salary cap relief should help aid the process of inking playoff hero Brad Marchand to a long term deal.

In the end, the Corvo for Kaberle swap represents yet another impressive move by management to remain fiscally flexible and successful on the ice.

Now let's hope Joe Colborne doesn't turn into the next Cam Neely.

Enough Already

2011-07-05T14:37:00.008-04:00

Once again, John Lackey got pummeled Monday afternoon, giving up seven runs in 2.1 innings against Toronto. With a MLB-worst 7.47 ERA, the question now becomes: how much longer can the Sox stick with Lackey?

When General Manager Theo Epstein lured John Lackey to Boston with a gargantuan five-year, $82.5 million deal in December of 2009, Red Sox Nation couldn't help but rejoice over the possibility of a lights-out starting rotation for years to come.

At the time, Lackey had just capped off another successful season on the mound for the Los Angeles Angels, going 11-8 with a 3.83 ERA in 2009.

Known as a tough-minded, right-handed ace who never misses a start and eats innings like Pac-Man mowing down on dots, Lackey gained enormous fame in 2002 when, as a 23-year-old rookie, he held Barry Bonds and the Giants to just one run over five innings to win Game 7 of the World Series.

From then on, Lackey became the face of the Angels. From 2003-2009, Lackey won at least 10 games each season. In 2007, he enjoyed a career-year, going 19-9 with a 3.01 ERA. Before signing with Boston, Lackey had compiled an impressive 102-71 overall record with the Angels.

However, in his first season in Beantown, Lackey was mediocre at best. Despite raking in $18 million in 2010, the 6'6'' righthander went 14-11 with a disgusting 4.40 ERA.

Regardless, Lackey got a free pass. Baseball lifers kept telling us that with a year under his belt, Lackey would return to form in 2011. He would adjust to the pressures of playing in Boston. He would pitch like he used to when he was wearing an Angels uniform.

So much for popular opinion.

After getting absolutely shelled by Toronto on Monday afternoon (2.1 innings, 9 hits, 7 earned runs on Independence Day, no less), Lackey's tenure with the Sox may have reached a breaking point.

Simply put, he has become a liability.

Lackey now has a 5-8 record with an absolutely absurd 7.47 ERA, the highest of any starting pitcher in baseball.

To make things worse, Lackey isn't even expected to be an Ace. With Jon Lester, Josh Beckett and Clay Buchholz entrenched as the top three starters, the pressure is off Lackey to lead the rotation. And, with a potent Red Sox lineup leading the league in runs, he doesn't even have to pitch well to win. He just has to keep the Sox in the game long enough for the offense to explode.

But now, he can't even do that.

As much as we love Theo, even the Brookline wiz kid isn't immune from bad signings. Remember Julio Lugo? Edgar Renteria? And to some extend, J.D. Drew?

Heck, Theo even traded for Byung-Hyun Kim and Eric Gagne.

In the end, Lackey may go down in Sox folklore as the worst free-agent signing in club history, simply because of the exorbitant amount of money owed to him.

So where do we go from here?

Sure, Terry Francona can continue to run Lackey out to the mound every fifth day, but how much longer can this train-wreck of a starting pitcher go on?

Because of his massive contract, Lackey is utterly untradeable. So that leaves either a delegation to the bullpen or a smoke and mirrors trip to the DL.

Either one works for me, as long as Red Sox Nation never has to endure another agonizing John Lackey start again.

Miller Time

2011-07-03T14:34:00.003-04:00

After beginning the season in Triple-A, lefthander Andrew Miller has quickly become one of the Red Sox most reliable starters since being summoned to the Big Leagues on June 15.

When the Red Sox signed underachieving lefthander Andrew Miller to a minor league deal this past offseason, they did so with the intention of adding depth to an otherwise stacked pitching core.

Little did they know that after three starts, the 26-year-old southpaw would become one of the most reliable arms in the rotation.

Continuing to dazzle upon his re-call from Triple-A Pawtucket, Miller led the Sox to a 10-4 victory over the Astros Saturday night before a robust crowd of 39,021 at Minute Maid Park.

He pitched beautifully, scattering seven hits over six strong innings while allowing just two runs. Miller also struck out three and walked two batters, a great sign for a pitcher whose career was derailed due to control issues.

With the victory, Miller improves to 2-0 on the season with an impressive 3.06 ERA.

Not bad for a guy who had become somewhat of an afterthought after failing to make the Sox roster out of Spring Training.

"We're excited," said manager Terry Francona. "I think we've said it a number of different times and a number of different ways. I think he deserves a lot of credit. We talked about it before. Everybody looks at Opening Day as the finish line, and it wasn't."

Following management's plan, Miller began the season with the Paw Sox and re-established his command. In 12 starts, he went 3-3 with a 2.47 ERA, striking out 61 batters over 65.2 innings.

All the while, Miller never lamented his time in Triple-A or worried about whether or not he would ever make it back to the Big Leagues. Instead, he focused on the things he could control, his pitching, and let the other distractions sort themselves out.

"I didn't predict it would happen sooner or later," said Miller of joining the Sox starting rotation. "I was just worried about going down there and putting the work in and doing what I thought would get me to competing back at this level, which was where I wanted to be."

So when a bad back forced Clay Buchholz to the shelf, the Sox decided to promote Miller and give the former 6th overall pick in 2006 a shot at redemption.

After three strong outings, it appears Miller has finally found his groove.

"He was a mature enough kid to go to Triple-A," explained Francona. "I'm the one who gets to sit here and talk about it, but Rich Sauveur [Paw Sox pitching coach] and Ralph Treuel [minor league pitching coordinator] and those guys- and him- they did a great job and now he can help us win games. It's exciting."

After the All-Star break, the Sox will be forced to make some decisions about their pitching staff. With the return of Buchholz, one would assume his spot in the rotation would be guaranteed, alongside Lester and Beckett. Dice-K is out for the year after having Tommy John surgery, so he's out of the picture.

That leaves two open spots, one of which would likely be reserved for Lackey, who despite his infuriating inconsistency and overall lackluster performance, seems to be given a long leash due to his gargantuan contract.

So who gets the 5th and final spot in the rotation?

It would seem to be between Miller and the ageless Tim Wakefield to fight over.

As much as Red Sox Nation loves Wake, his roster spot seems more valuable and best suited as a spot starter/long reliever.

That would pave the way for Miller as the number five. As well as he's been pitching as of late, it's hard to see Francona getting in the way of something special.

Turning the Page

2011-07-02T15:40:00.003-04:00

The Bruins were forced to say good-bye to one of their postseason heros Friday afternoon when word surfaced that Michael Ryder had signed a two-year, $7 million deal with the Dallas Stars.

After watching the Boston Bruins complete one of the most exhilarating and fulfilling postseason runs in club history, many die-hard and bandwagon fans alike have been basking in the ultimate glory and unrivaled satisfaction of the B's first Stanley Cup victory in 39 years.

However, supporters of the Black and Gold were served a harsh dose of reality Friday afternoon with the official start of free agency, the NHL's symbolic turning of the page from one season to the next.

With many clubs looking to capitalize on the open market and re-tool their rosters in pursuit of a championship, Bruins fans can't help but find themselves wishing they could pause time and keep their championship winning team together forever.

However, in sports as in life, all good things must come to an end.

The Bruins learned this the hard way Friday afternoon when word surfaced that postseason hero and ultra-talented sniper Michael Ryder had left Boston to sign a two-year, $7 million with the Dallas Stars.

On the surface, the loss of Ryder doesn't seem very devastating. After all, he was a third line winger who never seemed to replicate his impressive first year in Boston.

After signing a three-year, $12 million deal with the Bruins prior to the 2008 season, Ryder scored 27 goals and added 26 assists in his inaugural campaign.

However, in 2009-10, Ryder's production dipped to just 18 goals and 15 assists. Last season, Ryder potted just 18 regular season goals and dished out only 23 assists.

In three years, Ryder scored 63 regular season goals for the Bruins, hardly worthy of his $4 million per year price tag.

However, despite having mediocre regular season stats, Ryder was consistently one of the Bruins best postseason players during his stay.

In the 2008-09 postseason in which the Bruins lost a devastating Game 7 in the second round against Carolina, Ryder recorded 13 points in 11 games.

Then, during last season's championship winning postseason, Ryder scored 8 goals and added 9 assists, good for 17 total points in 25 games.

The 31-year-old winger will always be remembered for his remarkable glove save against Tomas Plekanec in Game 5 of the opening round series vs. Montreal.

"You know what, in the three years we had him, he was really good in the postseason," said GM Peter Chiarelli of Ryder. "So that's going to be an area I hope that the group will, I talked about leadership earlier, the group inheriting some responsibility if we don't bring in someone else. "

While the loss of Ryder will be difficult to make up for, on the ice and in the locker room, Chiarelli went on to sign 25-year-old winger Benoit Pouliot later in the day to a one-year, $1.1 million deal.

Formerly of the hated Canadiens, Pouliot scored 13 goals and added 17 assists last season for Montreal.

He is also a 6'3'', big bodied left wing who could end up replacing Ryder. A former 4th overall pick by Minnesota in 2005, Poulliot possesses a wealth of talent but has never seemed to put it together.

The Bruins are hoping that Claude Julien and Co. can develop Pouliot into the impact type-of player he was always thought to be.

"Pouliot is a player that was drafted quite high and this would be his third team," explained Chiarelli. "We like his skill, we like his size, we think he'd fit in with our team. He's got a good shot off the wing, he's still young, we feel he'll develop, and we were happy to get him at that number."

While the exchange of Pouliot for Ryder can hardly be considered an equal trade, the Bruins are banking of the former Canadien to finally reach his potential. If so, he could be a great under the radar pick-up.

However, as this point in time, Bruins fans can't help but shake their heads at the departure of Ryder, a battle-tested warrior whose signature snap shot scored countless pivotal goals in the postseason.

Nothing Doing

2011-06-30T02:05:00.004-04:00

Despite a rare solid outing from John Lackey, the Red Sox offense proved listless yet again en route to a 2-1 loss Wednesday night against Vance Worley and the Phillies.

Getting shut down on the road on consecutive nights against the vaunted Phillies rotation is nothing to be ashamed of.

After all, they possess four legitimate number one starters, two future Hall of Famers and the lowest combined ERA in the Majors.

Except Wednesday night, it wasn't Roy Halladay silencing the once potent Sox bats. Or Cole Hamels. Or Roy Oswalt. Or Cliff Lee for that matter (he was enjoying some much deserved rest after pitching his third consecutive complete game shutout Tuesday night against Boston in a 5-0 Phillies victory).

Instead, before a sell-out crowd of 46,612 at Citizens Bank Park, it was little-known Vance Worley playing the hero.

Scattering five hits and over seven stellar innings, Worley (3-1) allowed just one run to lead Philadelphia to a 2-1 victory over the Red Sox, who have lost six of their last seven games and now trail the hated Yankees by 2.5 games in the AL East.

"Did that guy just come up or something?" asked David Ortiz of Worley after the game. "Man, because he looked pretty good to me. He had decent stuff, and it really looks like he's been around for a long time."

"They've got four big starters here, right? Well, he looked like one of them out there tonight. He really looked comfortable. It's obvious that he's listening to those big starters over there. It's rubbing off on him."

The 23-year-old Worley entered the game having started just eight games in the Big Leagues. However, after joining the rotation on June 18 due to injuries to Roy Oswalt and Joe Blanton, the former Long Beach State star had dazzled.

He allowed just one run over five innings in a 5-1 victory over Seattle in his first start. Then, last time out he pitched six shutout innings in a 1-0 win over Oakland.

However, despite the unexpected brilliance of Worley, the Sox bats continued to show no signs of life. In a desperate attempt at kickstarting the pulseless offense, Terry Francona inserted David Ortiz at first base and moved Adrian Gonzalez to right field for just the second time in his career.

In the end, it didn't make a difference as Ortiz went 0-4 and Gonzalez just 1-4.

Raul Ibanez hit a tie-breaking homer in the seventh off Lackey that proved to be the eventual game-winner.

The loss is especially tough to swallow given the fact that the usually horrific John Lackey (5-7) actually pitched well for a change, allowing just two runs over 7.2 strong innings.

He even knocked in the only Sox run of the night with a RBI double in the fifth inning.

"We've got to find a way to score runs when we're not all swinging well," admitted Dustin Pedroia after the game. "Lack pitched great. We didn't give him any support. Worley had great mound presence, and we were all very impressed. He had a great idea how to pitch. For a young guy to have that kind of presence is pretty special."

One of the lone bright spots for Boston was left fielder Josh Reddick, who went 2-3 and scored the lone Boston run.

Things don't get any easier for the Red Sox as they must face Hamels Wednesday afternoon looking to avoid a sweep against Baseball's best team.

Luckily for Boston, the ball will be in the hands of Jon Lester, their ace and certified stopper.

The countdown to the end of Interleague Play continues.

Overmatched

2011-06-29T00:36:00.002-04:00

The sputtering Red Sox had no answer for Cliff Lee Tuesday night. The lights-out southpaw threw his third consecutive complete game shutout en route to 5-0 Phillies victory.

In case anyone forgot, Cliff Lee is still the best pitcher in baseball.

Or at least he was Tuesday night in Philadelphia.

Dazzling the 167th consecutive sell-out crowd of 45,714 at Citizens Bank Park, the untouchable lefthander took a no-hitter into the sixth inning before eventually leading the Phillies to a 5-0 victory over the struggling Red Sox in the highly anticipated series opener between two of baseball's best teams.

Taking advantage of a depleted Red Sox lineup devoid of regulars David Ortiz, Carl Crawford, J.D. Drew and Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Lee made it look easy en route to his third consecutive complete game shutout. In doing so, he became the first pitcher since Brandon Webb in 2007 to toss three straight complete game shutouts.

"I'm making pitches, staying out of the zone, using my breaking ball and getting lucky," admitted Lee after the game.

While his numbers weren't eye-popping (112 pitches, two hits, two walks, five strikeouts), Lee dominated from start to finish, keeping countless Sox hitters off balance with a blazing fastball and devastating curveball. Symbolic of just how in control Lee was, not a single Red Sox batter ever reached third base, let alone scored.

With the victory, Lee improves his regular season record to 9-5 and lowers his ERA to 2.66. He also extended his scoreless innings streak to a career-best 32.

"He's one of the best pitchers in the game, and he's riding a hot streak," said Sox manager Terry Francona. "That is a bad combination for any team to face."

"I haven't seen all of his starts, but from what I have seen, he's been quite impressive. He's working counts, and he's throwing strikes when he has to. He's really got it going right now."

In fact, Lee is so zoned in as of late that he finished off the month of June 5-0 with a microscopic 0.21 ERA, becoming just the fifth pitcher since the end of World War II to go 5-0 with a 0.21 ERA or better in a single month.

"It's been a good run, no doubt about it," said Lee. "I've had a few in my career, but I don't look back and compare them. I want to throw a shutout every time out there. I never want to give up a run."

Making his first start in 13 days after a prolonged bout with the flu, Josh Beckett (6-3) looked rusty, giving up five runs and five hits over six innings in his worst start of the season. He surrendered a pair of two-out, two run homers, first to Domonic Brown in the second inning and then later to Shane Victorino in the sixth.

As a result, Beckett's ERA ballooned from 1.86 to 2.20.

Coming into the game, the matchup had been billed as a possible World Series preview, with the Sox leading the Majors in runs scored and the Phillies posting the best record in Baseball along with the lowest team ERA.

In the end, the Sox were no match for Lee, who proved yet again that good pitching always beats good hitting. Boston has now lost five of its last six games.

However, as frustrating and demoralizing as it was for Sox fans to watch the Olde Towne Team go down without a fight Tuesday night, Sox Nation can take solace in the fact that should the two teams meet again in October, the Phillies will be facing a much different Boston lineup.

One with Carl Crawford, not Darnell McDonald in left, Adrian Gonzalez, not Mike Cameron in right, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, not Jason Varitek behind the plate and a reborn Big Papi at first.

Because one thing is for sure: if the Sox plan to take down the vaunted Philly rotation of Lee, Halladay, Hamels and Oswalt in the Fall Classic, all hands must be on deck, even if that means throwing your franchise first baseman into unfamiliar territory.

An Embarrassment of Riches

2011-06-28T00:45:00.010-04:00

The Stanley Cup Champion Bruins kept the good times rolling Friday night by selecting 18-year-old phenom defenseman Dougie Hamilton with the 9th overall pick in the NHL Draft.

Welcome to the new Golden Age of the Boston Bruins.

Less than two weeks removed from winning their first Stanley Cup Championship in 39 years, the Black and Gold continued to rake in the good fortune Friday night by selecting highly-touted defenseman Dougie Hamilton with the 9th overall pick in the NHL Draft.

Leading up to the Draft, many scouts and hockey analysts alike had the towering, immensely gifted Hamilton slotted two to five picks earlier. Some were even talking about him going as early as 3rd overall.

So when Hamilton was still on the board with the Bruins set to make the 9th overall pick, GM Peter Chiarelli and Co. pounced on the opportunity to bring a possible franchise defenseman into the fold.

"You always hear this, but we didn't think he'd be there," admitted Chiarelli after selecting Hamilton. "We were really happy he was there."

Simply put, the Bruins may have hit a home run.

"Tremendous skater," added Chiarelli. "Good offensive instincts. Good stick. He's a very smart player on the ice. Good range. Has a good physical side to his game."

Sound like the type of player you wouldn't mind seeing alongside Zdeno Chara for years to come?

At 6'4'', 193 lbs, Hamilton possesses the ideal body-type for an elite NHL defenseman. And, at just 18-years-old, he may very well get bigger.

"I've grown a lot in the last couple years," explained Hamilton in a recent interview. "I haven't really filled into my body yet."

Hamilton's resume is very impressive. After posting just 3 goals and 13 assists in 64 games for Niagara in his first year in the Ontario Hockey League, Hamilton improved in leaps and bounds in 2010-11, totaling 12 goals and 46 assists in 67 games.

"I think I'm a big, complete defenseman," said Hamilton. "I can skate well, am pretty physical, make good passes, and contribute offensively as well."

The NHL's Central Scouting Bureau had Hamilton ranked as the #4 North American skater.

"He moves the puck well and makes good outlet passes," said Chris Edwards of NHL Central Scouting. "He does make good decisions with the puck, moves it well out of his zone. He's a big guy, he'll take the body... He uses his size well. He can muscle people off the puck."

With the drafting of Hamilton, the Phil Kessel trade to Toronto is now complete. In exchange for the former sniper, Boston netted Tyler Seguin, highly touted 2010 second round pick Jared Knight and now Hamilton.

Not a bad end result for a goal scorer who played no defense.

"I'm pleased with it and you know when you make a deal like that for an established player and you trade a young established player, both sides have to know what they want," added Chiarelli. "We had an idea we were going to get some good picks for a variety of reasons and we did. They got a really good player who can score 40 goals in the league."

In the second round of the Draft, the Bruins selected 17-year-old forward Alexander Khokhlachev with the 40th overall pick.

"The Stanley Cup champs drafted me," said Khokhlachev. "I'm so happy right now. Not many words. Just feeling great."

A native of Moscow, Russia, Khokhlachev tallied 34 goals and 42 assists in 67 games for Windsor of the OHL.

"He'll take a hit to make a play and he's not at all afraid," said Edwards of Khokhlachev. "I've seen him get hit hard a few times and he just bounces right back into the play. His energy level is always there, and he's always working hard. Down the stretch for Windsor, he's player well. He's a skilled forward."

With Hamilton and Khokhlachev in the fold, the Bruins' future looks primed for a continued reign of success, especially with the team in a comfortable salary cap situation for the upcoming year. In addition, nearly all contributing members of the Stanley Cup winning team are set to return, with the exception of Mark Recchi (retired) and possibly Michael Ryder and Tomas Kaberle (unrestricted free agents).

Playoff phenom Brad Marchand is a restricted free agent, but figures to be back in Boston as management looks poised to lock him up with a long-term, hefty contract.

Enjoy it, Bruins fans.

You waited 39 years to see a Stanley Cup hoisted in the Hub, and now, thanks to the keen management eye of Chiarelli and Cam Neely, it looks like the party is just getting started.

A Shot in the Arm

2011-06-26T22:41:00.010-04:00

The Celtics added two major pieces to the rebuilding process Thursday night, selecting Purdue teammates JaJuan Johnson and E'Twaun Moore in the first and second round of the NBA Draft.

For all of you Celtics fans who lost faith in the man pulling the strings behind the shamrock curtain, have no fear.

Danny Ainge has a plan.

Kicking the tires on any possible blockbuster deals, Boston's mad scientist head honcho instead took a different approach Thursday night at the NBA Draft.

While much of the spotlight fell on the rebuilding Cleveland Cavaliers selecting point guard Kyrie Irving of Duke with the first overall pick, Ainge patiently waited until the tail end of the first round to make a big-time splash for the transitionary-minded Celtics.

Initially, Boston selected Providence College star MarShon Brooks with the 25th overall pick, inciting great applause from many New Englanders familiar with the incendiary Friar point guard (he was the nation's second highest scorer last season at 24.6 points per game, behind only BYU sharpshooter Jimmer Fredette).

However, in customary Ainge-fashion, the Celts GM quickly traded Brooks to the New Jersey Nets in exchange for the 27th overall pick and a second round pick in 2012.

Minutes later, Ainge wowed the Newark, New Jersey crowd by using the 27th pick to select center JaJuan Johnson of Purdue.

In Johnson, the Celtics acquire exactly the type of player they have coveted for years: a talented, athletic big man who can score the basketball, grab boards and defend the rim.

"I love that I'm going to Boston," said Johnson after being taken by the Celts. "It's great to be able to learn from all their veteran guys. You have so many NBA All-Stars on that team. Just to be able to play with a great point guard like Rondo and all those guys truly is a blessing."

At 6'11'', 220lbs, Johnson possesses an impressive physical frame similar to Kevin Garnett.

And, like KG, Johnson can play both ends of the floor. Not only did he lead the Boilermakers in scoring last season with 20.3 points and 8.6 rebounds per game, but Johnson also blocked 2.3 shots per game on his way to being named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.

Those stats sound like music to Celtics fans ears. After all, ever since the Green traded away beloved center Kendrick Perkins, a major flaw and gaping concern became rebounding.

More closely, despite posting a 56-26 regular season record and reaching the second round of the playoffs before bowing out to the high-flying Heat, Boston ranked 29th in team rebounding in 2010-11, averaging just under 39 boards per game.

In short, the Celtics got killed on the glass last season.

Johnson will immediately help out in that regard and figures to only get better with time, as he now has the luxury to shadow Garnett and pick his Hall of Fame brain.

In addition, Johnson was a four-year starter at Purdue who showed an uncanny knack for improvement. In fact, his scoring, rebounding, assists and blocked shorts increased every year. And, while his offensive game features springboard-type leaping ability and dunks galore, Johnson isn't relegated to just points in the paint.

"Pick-and-pop, he's a terrific shooter for his size and is extremely athletic," said Celtics head coach Doc Rivers. "We've proven we can get bigs shots and, so, we can get him shots and he'll make them."

He also possesses the ability to sink an 18-footer, like KG, which no doubt attracted the Celtics to him.

"He's a confident shooter," added Rivers. "Watching him in the workouts, he kind of knows where his shots come from. It's funny, he didn't stray far away from his spots, and that tell you he's mature enough to understand who he is and how he plays. That's always a plus."

"I hate labeling him, some people say Chris Bosh, or Horace Grant, from my era, would be the guy I picked. But, we'll see."

If Johnson ends up becoming anything close to Bosh, the Celts will have undoubtedly found a diamond in the late-round draft rough.

However, one thing is clear: with just six players under contract for next season (KG, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Rondo, Jermaine O' Neal and Avery Bradley) only two are big men. At the very least, by adding Johnson to the mix the Celts address a glaring need in the front court.

With their second and final pick of the draft, the Celtics selected Johnson's Purdue teammate, 6'4'', 191 pound shooting guard E'Twaun Moore with the 55th overall pick. Moore could turn out to be a great steal for the Celts, having averaged 18 points, 5.1 boards and 3.2 assists last season for the Boilermakers.

He is also a sharp-shooter who can hit the three and run the floor. Last season, Moore shot 44.7% from the field and 40% from the three point line.

One more thing to love about Johnson and Moore: they're winners. During their four year stint at Purdue, the dynamic duo posted 107 wins, the most ever for any player in Boilermaker history.

Suddenly, with Johnson and Moore now in the fold, the Celtics' future looks bright again.

True Grit

2011-06-17T04:31:00.007-04:00

With a resounding 4-0 victory over Vancouver in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals Wednesday night, Zdeno Chara and the Bruins capped off an incredible postseason run by winning their first championship in 39 years.

Even before the puck was dropped Wednesday night, the championship chasing Bruins and their long-suffering fans had a good feeling about Game 7 in Vancouver. However, it was not due to the fact that the Black and Gold had already won a pair of monumental Game 7's this postseason. Or the fact that the Bruins undoubtedly play their best hockey when pushed to the absolute brink.

Instead, the renewed sense of confidence came from a more unlikely but divine source: the heavens.

On Wednesday night, with the Bruins looking to end a 39-year championship drought, a lunar eclipse took place across North America. The importance? Well, if you remember correctly, a lunar eclipse also took place on October 27, 2004: the day the Red Sox defeated the St. Louis Cardinals to win their first World Series title in 86 years.

Coincidence? Apparently not.

With the stars literally aligned, the never-say-die Bruins waltzed into Vancouver and played like gods in Game 7, silencing the besieged Canucks and their sell-out crowd of 18,860 at Rogers Arena.

Led by the stellar goaltending of Tim Thomas (37 saves), the Bruins picked up a pair of goals each from Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand to defeat Vancouver 4-0 and secure their first Stanley Cup Final championship since 1972.

"You've been waiting a long time, but you got it," said Thomas to Bruins fans after the game. "You wanted it, you got it. We're bringing it home."

At the start of the game, with the Canucks feeding off the crowd's electricity, Vancouver came out swinging and began peppering Thomas early and often in search of the game's first goal.

Luckily for the Bruins, their fourth line of Gregory Campbell centering Shawn Thornton and Daniel Paille stepped up and changed the tempo, imposing their physical will while also landing three of Boston's five first-period shots.

"They were unbelievable," admitted Dennis Seidenberg, who pitched in with two assists. "They battled hard to give us energy every time they were out there. They were getting hits. They were forechecking hard. For them to give us that breather and that extra energy, it was great."

Settling down, Boston struck first with just under five minutes remaining in the first period to take a 1-0 lead. Sparking the play, Marchand feathered a beautiful pass down low to Bergeron who quickly one-timed the feed past Luongo for his first goal of the Finals.

"We got the first goal, and we knew that would be important coming here," said Mark Recchi, who retired after the game and gets to out on top. "If they got any chances, Timmy was there, and it was just scary how good he was."

Sensing the enormity of the situation, the Bruins, backstopped by their star goaltender, began playing flawless hockey.

Marchand extended the lead to 2-0 midway through the second period. Then, just over five minutes later, Bergeron made it 3-0 when he led a shorthanded breakaway and then tumbled into the Vancouver net, along with the puck, for his second goal of the game.

Capping an amazing postseason in which he set the record for most goals by a Bruins rookie (11), Marchand added an empty-net goal at 17:16 of the third period to make it 4-0 and officially put the game out of reach.

With the clock winding down, it all seemed too good to be true for Bruins fans. Then, when the final buzzer sounded, the dream became a reality.

After 39 years of futility, heartbreak and suffering, the Boston Bruins had won the Stanley Cup.

"It's so surreal right now," said Marchand. "You skate around and lift that Cup up, you can't even believe it. You work your whole life for it and for it to be right there, it's unbelievable."

"It's tough to soak everything in," admitted Bergeron. "But at the same time, we've worked so hard. We believed in us that we could do it and we got the job done."

For his legendary Finals performance, Thomas received the Conn Smythe trophy after the game as the Finals MVP. His 1.15 goals against average for the series breaks a 56-year-old record for the lowest ever in a seven-game Finals series.

"He was on top of his game from start to finish, and especially in this final round," said head coach Claude Julien of Thomas. "He was outstanding every game. I know everybody expected him to have an average game at some point. Never came. He was in the zone, focused, never let anything rattle him and never questioned his style of play. What's happened to him right now is so deserving."

One of the greatest moments of the Bruins celebration, aside from seeing each member of the team get his time hoisting the Cup, was the re-emergence of Nathan Horton. As soon as the final buzzer sounded, Horton raced out onto the ice in full uniform to celebrate with his teammates.

After all, if not for the violent concussion sustained by Horton in Game 3 and the subsequent rallying cry it became for the team, who knows if the Bruins could have pulled it off.

Before the game, Horton dumped a bottle full of dirty water from Boston onto the Vancouver ice as a good-luck toast.

"Yeah, I wanted to put that on their ice and make it out ice," said Horton, "I was trying to be sneaky but I got caught by the camera."

In a sports town eternally dominated by the Red Sox as well as the dynasty-laden Patriots and return-to-glory Celtics, Boston can now officially be dubbed Titletown with the Bruins epic Stanley Cup win. With the Bruins championship victory, Boston has now won seven titles since 2001, most of any city in America.

In addition, as a result of the Bruins magnificent postseason run, it appears Boston has caught hockey fever once again. Game 7 pulled in the highest television rating for an NHL game in 37 years.

On the flip side, while the streets of Boston were flooded with elated Bruins fans, downtown Vancouver became a dangerous war zone. Devastated by the loss, Cancucks fans rioted in the streets, flipping cars and setting fire to anything in sight. Over 150 people went to the hospital and nearly 100 others were arrested.

In the end, many of us will look back at the 2011 Boston Bruins and focus on the fact that our beloved Black and Gold restored glory to the Hub of Hockey with the first Stanley Cup Finals victory in 39 years.

However, focusing solely on the end result almost seems like an injustice to the unflappable heart and never-say-die character of the team. What made this year's Bruins team so special was not that they won, but how they did it.

They played their best hockey when it mattered most. When their backs were pushed up against the wall and all the haters and talking heads like Barry Melrose counted them out after going down 0-2 against Montreal in the first round and Vancouver in the Finals. They were led by a 37-year-old goaltender whose unrivaled journey to the NHL was just as unorthodox as his style of play. They banded together after witnessing a fallen teammate and made it a rallying cry to win it all for Horton. They had each other's backs and put the city of Boston on their big, bad shoulders.

And now they drink from the Holy Grail of hockey, erasing decades of heartache with each glorious sip.

Ask any living Red Sox fan which team was their favorite and each one will undoubtedly tell you it's 2004.

For all of us Bruins die-hards who never got a chance to see Bobby Orr hoist the Cup in 1972, this year's team is our 2004 Red Sox.

For as long as we live, no matter how many more championships the Bruins may win, nothing will ever top this team and the roller coaster ride they took us on for the better part of two months.

The Boston Bruins are champions once again.

It simply doesn't get any better than this.

One Win Away

2011-06-14T17:57:00.008-04:00

David Krejci and Milan Lucic celebrate one of Boston's four first-period goals Monday night. Staving off elimination, the Bruins defeated the Canucks 5-2 in Game 6 to force a decisive Game 7 Wednesday night in Vancouver.

From the moment the Boston Bruins took the ice Monday night, it was clear that if Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals would be their last game of the season, the Black and Gold would go down fighting, playing the physical, in-your-face type hockey that has personified the franchise for decades.

In his customary style, Tim Thomas led the Black and Gold out of the locker room and onto the ice beneath a deafening roar from the TD Garden's electric sell-out crowd of 17,565.

However, before acknowledging the crowd or skating to his goal crease, the Bruins' star goaltender and overall backbone sent an immediate and direct message to the Vancouver Canucks.

Thomas dropped his water bottle near the Boston bench and then fired it down the ice toward the Canucks' end.

Call it unsportsmanlike. Call it over the top. But, in the end, Thomas' stunt worked.

Setting the tone early and often, the Bruins set a Stanley Cup Finals record by scoring four goals in just 4:14 during the first period before eventually routing the visiting Canucks 5-2.

Talking the talk and walking the walk, Thomas (36 saves) was stellar once again, pitching a shutout for most of the contest before surrendering a pair of meaningless third period goals with the game out of reach.

As a result of the monumentally clutch victory, the Bruins will now travel to Vancouver for a winner-take-all Game 7 on Wednesday night with a chance to claim their first Stanley Cup since 1972.

"I'm proud of the guys," said ageless veteran Mark Recchi, who recorded three assists. "We had our backs to the wall, we've been resilient all year, and we came out and had a great first period and did what we had to do tonight, and it comes down to Game 7. It's one game now."

Despite having entered the league in 1924 as one of the NHL's original six teams, the Bruins have never played in a Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. Elevating the importance of Wednesday night's mythical joust even more, the Bruins will try to become the first team in NHL history to win three Game 7's in one postseason.

After Monday night's performance, it's hard to bet against them, especially with Thomas, the odds on favorite to win the Conn Smythe award for Finals MVP, manning the Bruins' net.

"Not too many people counted on us being at this point right now," added Recchi. "It's a great feeling. We battled hard tonight. We came out to play, and it's coming down to one game. This is what we dream of, when you're little kids playing street hockey, you know, you're in Game 7."

Setting off an epic scoring spree, Brad Marchand gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead just over five minutes into the first period when he snapped a beautiful wrister over the shoulder of Roberto Luongo. With the tally, Marchand now has nine goals this postseason, a new Bruins' rookie record.

"It was really important for us to get the first one," said David Krejci. "It was a must-win for us. You go and get the first goal, and then the crowd gets into it, we'll feed off their energy, and I think that's what happened."

Just 35 seconds later, Milan Lucic extended the lead to 2-0 when he took a picture-perfect drop pass from Rich Peverly between the circles and fired a wrist shot past Luongo.

Then, with the Garden already buzzing, one of the most inspirational scenes in Bruins recent memory took place. Nathan Horton, recovering from the vicious concussion sustained in Game 3, was shown on the jumbo-tron during a TV timeout, clad in a black suit and waving a Bruins yellow playoff towel.

To say the Garden erupted would be an understatement.

"We didn't know they were going to be doing that, showing him up there," said Marchand. "for him to come in and give us that boost of energy is unbelievable. Obviously, the crowd loves it, loves him, and they're supporting him every minute of the day. It was great to see him out there. He gave us a big energy boost."

Almost on cue, Andrew Ference pushed the lead to 3-0 when he blasted a slap shot from the point between the five-hole of Luongo. Remarkably, the goal came almost exactly one minute after Horton was shown on the jumbo-tron.

For the second time in the series, Luongo was yanked from the game in favor of back-up Corey Schneider.

If there are such things as hockey gods, it appears they are now fully committed to the Bruins' cause.

If you remember correctly, Luongo made a swipe at Thomas, who allowed the only goal in a 1-0 Vancouver victory in Game 5, saying, "It's not hard if you're playing in the paint. It's an easy save for me, but if you're wandering out and aggressive like he does, that's going to happen."

The Bruins promptly greeted Schneider with a Michael Ryder goal off a deflection from the point to make it 4-0 less than two minutes later.

Sandwiched by a pair of third period Vancouver goals, Krejci added a power-play goal of his own, but the final stanza was mostly an afterthought with the game already in hand for Boston.

"We needed to come out hard tonight," said head coach Claude Julien. "I thought our guys responded. We needed to come out hard the last two games before that, because we were trailing, 2-0, in the series. Our guys have responded well. Now we have to make sure we don't get comfortable with our game. We're willing to bring it to Vancouver with us, because that's what it's going to take to win."

Now it all comes down to one game.

One opportunity.

One last chance to write a story-book ending to the greatest Bruins season in 21 years.

No matter what happens Wednesday night, one of the most thrilling roller-coaster rides of our lifetime will come to an end.

Here's to the 2011 Boston Bruins.

Now do us the ultimate thanks and make us proud one last time.

We want the Cup.

It's time for the Bruins to bring it home.

Unstoppable

2011-06-13T01:06:00.007-04:00

After sweeping the first nine games of a 12-game road trip, the Red Sox head to Tampa on Tuesday with the best record in the American League.

If I were to tell you two months ago that by June 12 the Red Sox would have the best record in the American League, chances are you would have told me that I was dreaming.

Or crazy. Or a little bit of both.

Well, feel free to pinch yourself. The dream is now a reality.

Making their lethargic, underachieving start to the 2011 season seem like a distant memory, the Olde Towne Team now stands at 39-26, just percentage points behind the Philadelphia Phillies (40-26) for the best record in baseball.

While Boston's turnaround has been remarkable in itself, the most impressive facet has been the way in which they have steamrolled the competition. With a 17-hit, 14-1 shellacking of the Blue Jays on Sunday afternoon, not only did the Red Sox sweep the three game road set, but they outscored Toronto 36-5 along the way.

Combine the blowout of Toronto with consecutive sweeps of Oakland and the hated Yankees and the Red Sox now find themselves in the midst of one of the most impressive nine-game winning streaks in recent memory.

"I don't think I've ever really seen a stretch like these past nine games that we've been playing as far as scoring runs and the way our pitches have been throwing the ball," said Jon Lester, who picked up his AL leading 9th victory of the season on Sunday.

One of the unsung heros along the way has been none other than David Ortiz. After going 2-6 on Sunday with a homer and four RBIs, Big Papi now rests at 17 home runs and 43 RBIs for the season while toting a .325 average.

"Every ball he hits is on the barrel the other way and when he's turning on balls, he's a force, man," admitted Dustin Pedroia. "He's not just a home run hitter, he's a hitter and I think he knows that makes our team go."

During the nine-game road trip, Ortiz has hit four homers and added 13 RBIs. However, his signature moment came earlier in the week when he blasted a homer during the Sox' 6-4 win against New York and then flipped his bat in the direction of the Evil Empire's bench, drawing the ire of manager Joe Girardi.

In typical Papi-fashion, Ortiz simply responded by saying "I don't care what Joe Giradi says. Take it like a man. I'm done with that."

Beyond Big Papi, centerfielder Jacoby Ellsbury has ignited the win streak as well by playing stellar defense and setting the table from the leadoff spot.

After going 2-5 on Sunday and with three runs scored, Ellsbury is now 14-30 with nine runs scored and four extra-base hits during the road trip. He also finds himself in the midst of a 10-game hitting streak, raising his average to a season-high .318.

"I'm sticking to my approach," said Ellsbury. "That's been the biggest thing. Just trying to drive the ball."

Not to be outdone, the red-hot Adrian Gonzalez picked up a pair of RBI's on Sunday to improve his league-leading total to 60. A-Gon has now recorded at least one RBI in nine consecutive games, putting him just one game short of the club record of 10 games, held by Dwight Evans in 1989 and Manny Ramirez in 2002.

Boston is off on Monday, but will head to Tampa for a three-game set with the division rival Rays. It will mark the first appearance for Carl Crawford in Tropicana Field wearing a uniform other than the Rays'.

"I mean, I've been there my whole career," admitted Crawford. "So I can't lie and say I don't miss it. But this is working for us as a team and you definitely don't want to mess with that chemistry we've been getting so far."

With our beloved Bruins engaged in a thrilling Stanley Cup final series against Vancouver, it's hard for many Boston sports fans to focus their undivided attention on anything else but the championship-chasing B's.

Luckily, no matter how the Black and Gold's playoff run turns out, Bostonians will have one hell of a baseball team waiting for them when it's all over.

Let's just hope we can return to the Sox full-time following a Bruins championship parade.

This One's For You, Horton

2011-06-09T01:40:00.007-04:00

Tyler Seguin, Adam McQuaid and Chris Kelly mob Michael Ryder after his second period goal put Boston on top 2-0. The Bruins went on to shutout Vancouver 4-0, evening up the Stanley Cup Finals at two games apiece.

Leading up to the Revolutionary War, first generation Americans banded together against the British under the rallying cry of "No taxation without representation."

Some 250 plus years later, it can be said that the Boston Bruins used the slogan "Win it for Horton" to even up the Stanley Cup Finals at two games apiece.

Less than 48 hours after an epic 8-1 blowout of Vancouver in Game 3 that will live on in Bruins folklore forever, the streaking Black and Gold continued to rally around their fallen teammate, using Nathan Horton's devastating injury as motivation to pummel the Canucks 4-0 Wednesday night before a deafening sell-out crowd of 17,565 at the TD Garden.

Once again, Tim Thomas led the way with 38 saves to secure his 3rd shutout of the postseason while Rich Peverley, filling in for the injured Horton on the first line, paced the offense with a pair of goals.

Resurrecting an old-time hockey tradition, the Bruins have been passing along a vintage Black and Gold jacket to the player who most deserved recognition for his performance after each win.

After Game 3, the jacket hung in Horton's locker as a tribute to the Bruins' wounded teammate, presumably for the rest of the series.

However, in true you-only-see-this-stuff-in-the-movies-type fashion, Horton unexpectedly showed up in the Bruins locker room after the game Wednesday night and passed on the jacket to Peverley.

To say Horton's appearance was moving would be a gross understatement.

"When I personally got to see him in the locker room, I was incredibly happy," admitted Thomas, who once again blanked the NHL's top offensive team. "It gave me a big boost. He was there to pass the jacket on. The team would have been happy leaving it with Horty for the rest of the series, but he wanted to give it away and keep the tradition going."

"Watching him going down, we want to finish what we started for him."

With the loss of Horton due to a devastating concussion sustained after a violent, blindside hit by Aaron Rome, head coach Claude Julien shuffled his lineup by promoting Peverley to the first line alongside David Krejci and Milan Lucic and inserting rookie phenom Tyler Seguin back onto the third line with Michael Ryder and Chris Kelly.

Both moves ending up paying enormous dividends for the B's.

Despite outshooting the Bruins 12-6 in the opening stanza, the Bruins scored the period's only goal at 11:59 when Peverley took a feed from David Krejci and beat Roberto Luongo between the pads to give Boston a 1-0 lead.

Continuing to dominate, the Bruins extended the lead to 3-0 with a pair of goals on consecutive shots midway through the second period. First, it was Ryder taking a perfect cross-ice, break-out feed from Seguin and then ripping a wristshot from the top of the left circle under the glove of Luongo for his 7th goal of the postseason.

Just over two minutes later, with both teams playing four-on-four, Zdeno Chara sparked the second goal when he made a beautiful play to keep the puck inside the Vancouver zone before promptly dumping it back in.

Allowing the Bruins to forecheck and cycle down low, Chara's keep-in found Patrice Bergeron, who quickly won a one-on-one battle and then fed Marchand all alone in front.

Displaying uncanny instinct around the crease, Marchand lifted a quick backhand that tipped of off Luongo's glove and into the back of the net for his 8th goal of the postseason.

"It's always easier to be at home," admitted Marchand, who has now scored two goals in as many games. "We feed off the energy, off our fans. They just bring out the best in us."

Taking it to Vancouver without any thoughts of letting up, the Bruins made it 4-0 less than four minutes into the third. Leading the play, Lucic raced into the Canucks zone with speed, made a stellar side-step move on Kevin Bieska and then fed the puck in front looking for Peverley.

Initially, Luongo deflected the puck with his stick, however it caromed directly off of Peverley and into the goal for his second tally of the game.

Allowing his 12th goal in less than six periods, Luongo was pulled from the game in favor of backup Cory Schneider, a former Boston College star.

Before the game was over, one final melee broke out when Alex Burrows, public enemy number one for his Game 1 bite of Bergeron, knocked Thomas' stick out of his hands in the crease.

Jumping on an opportunity to take it to Burrows, Thomas crushed Burrows in the leg with his stick and then threw a series of punches at the Vancouver forward. As soon as Burrows began fighting back, Dennis Seidenberg and Chara came to Thomas' defense and pummeled Burrows as well as several other Canucks near the goal.

"I thought I'd give him a little love tap," admitted Thomas. "Let them know that I know what you're doing, but I'm not going to let you do it forever. That's all that was. A typical battle."

As the final buzzer sounded, the Garden erupted with ecstatic Bruins fans shouting Horton's name in celebrated unison.

Since Rome's devastating hit on Horton in the first period of Game 3, Boston has outscored the Canucks 12-1.

And if the Bruins go on to hoist their first Stanley Cup trophy in 39 years, every die-hard B's fan from Cape Cod to Pittsfield will be able to look back and say 2011 was the magical year that our beloved Bruins banded together against the NHL's best team and won it for Nathan Horton.

No Mercy

2011-06-07T09:30:00.006-04:00

Thanks to a spectacular offensive explosion, the never-say-die Bruins overpowered the Canucks 8-1 Monday night and now trail Vancouver 2-1 in the best-of-seven Stanley Cup Finals series.

If Games One and Two of the Stanley Cup Finals were a battle, Game 3 Monday night was an all-out War.

And for the first time in the series, the Boston Bruins won that War by playing Boston Bruins hockey.

In one of the most thrilling, physical, rewarding blowouts in team history, the beloved Black and Gold rallied around an early devastating injury to Nathan Horton to destroy the stunned Canucks 8-1 before an electric sell-out crowd of 17,565 at the TD Garden.

Led by a pair of goals from Mark Recchi, seven different Bruins scored multiple points while Tim Thomas finished with an astounding 40 saves, including several highlight reel stops to ensure the Bruins left the ice Monday night with a resounding victory.

With the pivotal win, Boston cuts Vancouver's lead to 2-1, but, more importantly, sends a tidal wave type message to the mighty Canucks that when the Bruins dominate physically and play their brand of hockey, they're tough to beat.

Throw in the added motivation of winning one for a wounded teammate and they're downright untouchable.

"We talked about playing for Horty," said Mark Recchi. "He's been a great teammate all year for us, been a great guy. It's tough to see your teammate laying down there on the ice. We knew it was a late hit. But we're more concerned about his health at this time. The league can take care of the rest."

Infused by the heavenly reality that the Bruins were playing their first Stanley Cup home game since 1990, the deafening TD Garden crowd turned silent just five minutes into the game when Canucks defenseman Aaron Rome violently leveled Horton as he entered the Vancouver zone.

Making matters worse, Horton, who led the rush up ice, had already dished the puck off to linemate David Krejci on the wing and was caught with his head to the side, unaware of the charging Rome and unable to prepare for impact. Rome's shoulder buried Horton's midsection with thunderous force before the former Panther banged his head violently against the ice on the way down.

A close-up shot showed Horton's eyes rolling back in his head, his arm extended to the heavens as he laid on his back, unable to move for several minutes. He had to be rolled off on a stretcher.

Rome was promptly issued a game misconduct and ejected from the contest.

"We really wanted to get this win tonight for him," said Brad Marchand of Horton. "It's a very tough situation, and everyone is worried about him, but it definitely gave us motivation to win."

Rallying around their fallen teammate, the Bruins began dictating the play in the first period but were unable to score. Taking advantage of the Canucks being down a defenseman with the ejection of Rome, the Bruins relentlessly attacked the Vancouver zone in search of the game's first tally.

Then, just 11 seconds into the second period, the grinding paid off when Andrew Ference's blast from the point had eyes and eluded Luongo high, glove side to give the Bruins a 1-0 lead.

Continuing to pressure the Vancouver zone, the Bruins extended the lead to 2-0 just over four minutes later when Recchi hammered home a power play goal past Luongo.

Brad Marchand made it 3-0 midway through the second on a beautiful individual effort. Leading a shorthanded break, Marchand banked the puck off the sideboards to himself, beat two Canuck defenders then went wide on Luongo before roofing the puck into the open net for a highlight reel goal.

"Obviously, it's one I'm proud of," admitted Marchand of his shorty. "Couple lucky bounces there. Couple guys poked at it. It was kind of rolling at times.

Scoring their fourth goal of the period, Boston made it 4-0 with just over four minutes left in the second when David Krejci buried a long rebound off a Michael Ryder shot past Luongo top shelf, glove side.

Playing like a revenge seeking missile, the Bruins pushed the lead to 5-0 midway through the period when Daniel Paille scored Boston's second shorthanded goal of the night.

Interestingly, the offensive outburst came just minutes after Milan Lucic punched Alex Burrows along the endboards after the whistle. Even as the referees tried to break up the scrum, Lucic could be seen waving his two fingers at the mouth of Burrows, taunting the public enemy number one in Boston for his Game 1 bite of Partrice Bergeron's finger

A Jannik Hansen tally just over two minutes later would put Vancouver on the board, but it was quickly forgotten as Recchi, Chris Kelly and Michael Ryder scored on three consecutive shots in the final three minutes to put the finishing touches on an 8-1 blowout.

Sparked by the hit on Horton, as well as the classless mockery of Alex Burrows bite on Patrice Bergeron in Game 1, the Bruins played possessed all night, relentlessly dominating the physical battles at every turn. Consistently burying any Canuck who touched the puck, the Bruins made Vancouver play timid and scared, negating their speed and talent as they had no choice but to play gun shy.

One reason for the increased physical play was the insertion of tough guy Shawn Thornton into the lineup for Tyler Seguin. For anyone who had the priveledge of watching the game, it was obvious Thornton's physical presence after being scratched seven consecutive games brought a special edge to the team.

"I thought he was awesome tonight," explained Recchi. "He has a physical, veteran presence. He's won a Cup before. He knows what it takes.

The Bruins owned Vancouver in the special teams battle, holding the Canucks scoreless with the man advantage (0-8), while Boston also scored a power-play goal and two shorthanded goals.

The win marked the first Stanley Cup finals victory on home ice for Boston since 1978.

More importantly, the win epitomized exactly the way the Bruins need to play in order to be successful in the Stanley Cup Finals: with a chip on their shoulder.

"We play our best hockey when we play on the edge," concluded Recchi after the game. "When we play that way, we play physical, we're passionate about it, we're involved. We played this like a Game 7."

In the end, Game 3 will go down in Bruins history as the moment Boston fought back in their first Cup Finals appearance in 21 years. They played like gods all night, battling adversity, overcoming a frightening injury to one of their best players and making mince meat of the NHL's best regular season team both physically and on the scoreboard.

Vancouver now has a series on their hands. And with Game 4 set to begin Wednesday night in Boston, a return to the Garden ice can't come soon enough for Bruins fans who will no doubt be riding high for days after watching their team play like gods Monday night.

Heartbreak, Part II

2011-06-06T02:35:00.011-04:00

Catching Tim Thomas out of position, Alex Burrows scored just 11 seconds into overtime to give Vancouver a 3-2 victory over the Bruins in Game Two of the Stanley Cup Finals Saturday night.

Entering the third period of Game Two, it appeared as though the Bruins had finally solved the mighty Canucks.

Up 2-1 in a game they absolutely had to have, Boston was carrying the play and looked poised to even the Stanley Cup Final series at one game apiece.

Then, just like that, it all spiraled out of control.

With less than eleven minutes remaining in regulation, Daniel Sedin tied the score and then Alex Burrows took advantage of a monumental miscue by Tim Thomas to net the game-winner just 11 seconds into overtime to give the Canucks a thrilling 3-2 victory before an electric sell-out crowd of 18,860 at Rogers Arena.

With the painful loss, Boston suffers its second heartbreaking defeat in as many games and now trails Vancouver 2-0 in the Stanley Cup Finals.

"I think we lost the game ourselves," admitted Bruins center David Krejci. "Obviously they played well, but we had the game in our hands and we just gave it away."

"It [stinks] right now that we weren't able to come out on top with a win here," added Milan Lucic. "We've just got to work that much harder in order to win."

Falling behind quickly yet again, Boston began Game Two in an early 1-0 hole after Burrows' scored his 8th goal of the postseason on the power play less than eight minutes in. If you remember correctly, this is the same Burrows that bit Patrice Bergeron's finger in Game One, drawing the ire of Bruins fans yet no suspension from the NHL.

Thank you, Colin Campbell.

The game would remain 1-0 until midway through the second period when Boston finally broke through against Roberto Luongo (28 saves) for two goals in less than three minutes. The first came at 9:00 when Milan Lucic hammered home a rebound off a blast from Johnny Boychuk at the point.

Continuing to surge, the Bruins took a 2-1 lead at 11:35 when the ageless Mark Recchi deflected a wrist shot from Zdeno Chara past Luongo on the power play. YES, the power play, of which the Bruins were 1-3 on Saturday night. In doing so, Recchi became the oldest player ever to score a goal in the Finals (43).

However, the lead was somewhat short-lived as Vancouver scored the equalizer at 9:37 of the third period. Once again, it was Burrows igniting the Canucks, corralling a rebound in front and then feeding a wide-open Daniel Sedin for an easy lay-up goal past the helpless Thomas.

Then, before Bruins fans could even catch their breath at the end of regulation, Burrows ended it with the blink of an eye just 11 seconds in.

Remarkably, the play started out in the Bruins favor, with Bergeron winning the opening face-off back to defenseman Andrew Ference. However, Ference's pass along the glass was picked off by Alexander Edler, who proceeded to feed Daniel Sedin, who then found a streaking Burrows in the neutral zone.

"We didn't connect on that first pass," admitted Ference. "The transition came back at us."

Gaining speed, Burrows sliced into the Boston zone, went wide on Chara and then faked out Thomas, who came way out of his crease to challenge the Canucks forward. With the Bruins goaltender out of position, Burrows wrapped around the open net and then slid the puck home for the game-winner.

"A mistake is a mistake, no matter what," admitted Thomas, who played well but will no doubt be remembered for his monumental miscue instead of his 30 saves. "You've just got to move on."

While an 0-2 hole in the Stanley Cup Finals might seem like an insurmountable mountain to climb, especially against the best team in the NHL, glass-half-full Bruins die-hards know this is exactly the type of situation our beloved Black and Gold have thrived under thus far in the playoffs.

Pushed to the cliff, their backs against the wall, face to face with adversity, this team has responded.

In the opening round, Boston dropped the first two games at home before eventually coming back to win the series in a heart-stopping Game Seven.

Against Tampa in the Conference Finals they squandered a 3-2 series lead only to win Game Seven in overtime, earning a trip to the Finals for the first time in 21 years.

"We've been able to bounce back before," said head coach Claude Julien. "We've gone through the experience of being down two games to none against Montreal. That was probably worse because we lost them at home. is it a better team here? Absolutely. The team that makes it to the Final is a better team."

"But it doesn't change the fact that we've been through it. We didn't come here just to roll over."

Amen, Claude.

Waist deep in an 0-2 hole, many bandwagon followers have already aborted ship at the sight of stormy waters.

Fine by us die-hards.

Because on Monday night, when the series shifts back to Boston and our beloved Black and Gold play like gods, we will be able to say that Game Three was the defining contest of the series.

The game in which the resilient Bruins stepped up once again and ignited a Stanley Cup Finals comeback that has been on a collision course with destiny since 1972.

Welcome to Heartbreak

2011-06-02T09:40:00.004-04:00

Raffi Torres scored the game-winning goal with just 18.5 seconds in regulation to hand the Bruins a heartbreaking 1-0 loss in Game One of the Stanley Cup Finals.

With Game One of the Stanley Cup Finals officially in the books, one thing is abundantly clear.

The Boston Bruins can hang with the mighty Vancouver Canucks.

For 59 minutes and 41.5 seconds, the Black and Gold went toe-to-toe with the NHL's best team Wednesday night, only to lose in heartbreaking fashion when Raffi Torres scored the game's lone goal with just 18.5 seconds left to give Vancouver a thrilling 1-0 win.

Despite an unbelievable performance in net from Tim Thomas (33 saves), Canucks' goaltender Roberto Luongo (36 saves) bested the Bruins netminder to pitch his third shutout of the postseason before a raucous sell-out crowd of 18,860 at the Rogers Center.

With the victory, the Canucks take a 1-0 lead in the Cup Finals. Game Two begins Saturday night at 8pm.

"I thought for the first two periods we played a pretty even game," said Bruins coach Claude Julien. "In the third, we just seemed to lack some energy and lost our legs. They just seemed to come at us pretty hard. They kind of took the game over in the third period and obviously found a way to win it with a late goal."

From the opening face-off, it was clear that it would be a goaltenders' duel. After Thomas made consecutive sparkling saves in the opening minute, Luongo took over by blanking the Bruins' four-minute man advantage midway through the first period.

Despite bombarding Luongo with eight power-play shots, the Vancouver netminder stopped all of them and finished with an astounding 17 first-period saves. The Bruins even employed the towering Zdeno Chara in front of Luongo to help the sputtering power-play, but to no avail.

A perplexing moment came just after the buzzer sounded ending the first period, when the usually well-tempered Patrice Bergeron got into a long-lasting fracas with Alex Burrows, the top line winger for Vancouver. With the help of instant replay, it was clear that Burrows bit Bergeron's finger straight through his glove, with blood leaking into the Bruins' best two-way forward's leather mit.

"I dont mind the rough play and little scrums at the end, as long as its just pushing and shoving," said Bergeron. "But biting? Come on."

Burrows could very-well be suspended a game for his unsportsmanlike actions.

As the second period came and went and the game dragged deeper and deeper into the third period, Thomas stood on his head to keep the game scoreless. However, with every incredible save, many Bruins fans couldn't help but have an eery feeling that Boston was flirting with disaster against the league's highest scoring team.

Then, with less than 20 seconds left, the opportunistic Canucks finally broke through on Thomas just as the game seemed destined for overtime.

Ryan Kesler, who played a game-high 24:23 among forwards, caught Bruins defenseman Johnny Boychuk leaning the wrong way and then beat him to the puck near the Boston blue line.

Kesler quickly dished the puck to a streaking Jannik Hansen, who promptly fed Torres down low with a cross-ice feed to elude the helpless Thomas.

However, the game-winning goal felt like a dagger in in the hearts of Bruins fans not only for its timing, but the fact that Kesler appeared to be offsides before entering the Boston zone.

"Some king of a broken play on the blue line," admitted Chara. "I don't know if it was a turnover. Obviously [Kesler] made a nice play hitting the late guy, the guy coming to the net. Very unfortunate."

The goal ended a shutout streak of nearly 129 minutes for Thomas, who blanked the Lightning in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

"We need to reward [Timmy] for his efforts," lamented Milan Lucic after the game. "That's the bottom line."

Despite yet another scoreless power-play for the Bruins (0-6 for the game), Boston managed to blank the highlight-reel Canuck man advantage as well (0-6), which is something to be said. After all, during the postseason, Vancouver had scored at a playoff-best rate of 28.3% with the man advantage. However, the Bruins played spirited defense and held the Canucks to just seven shots in nearly 10 full minutes of power-play time.

"I thought our [penalty kill] did a great job against their power play," admitted Julien. "Timmy made the big saves when he had to. For two periods, I was pretty pleased."

In the end, Game One of the Finals will go down as a heartbreaker for Bruins fans. Thomas played his heart out and the Black and Gold fought valiantly until the bitter end. Save for one glaring defensive miscue by Boychuk, the Finals opener could very well have gone multiple overtimes.

"I thought we were going to play all night the way it was going," concluded Luongo. "It was an exciting way to start the series. It was such a close game. It could have gone either way, a flip of the coin."

Unfortunately, it went the Canucks' way Wednesday night.

But keep the faith, Bruins fans. The series is far from over and our beloved Black and Gold proved to the world that they can hang with the NHL's best regular-season team.

No one ever said Boston's first Finals appearance in 21 years would be easy.

They just promised it would be worth it.

Split Decision

2011-05-30T03:52:00.004-04:00

David Ortiz played the hero in Game One of Monday's doubleheader in Detroit but Tigers ace Justin Verlander shut down the Sox potent offense in the nightcap to spoil any chance of a clean sweep for Boston.

You know what they say.

Good pitching always beats good hitting.

Proving the case once again, all that could stop the Sox from taking both games of a doubleheader Sunday in Detroit and sweep the three game series was the golden arm of Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander.

After David Ortiz hit a pinch-hit homer in the 9th to give Boston the first game 4-3, the Tigers bounced back in the night cap to secure a 4-0 victory thanks to a spectacular performance from the Tiger ace.

With the split, the Red Sox finish their seven-game road trip through Cleveland and Detroit with an impressive 5-2 record. The overall record stands at 30-23, one game up on the hated Yankees for first place in the AL East.

In the first game, the Red Sox picked up an early lead after home runs in the first two innings from Dustin Pedroia and Mike Cameron, who has gone 4-6 in his last two games.

Sox starter Clay Buchholz seemed to be cruising until the bottom of the 6th when he surrendered a 3-1 lead by giving up a solo home run to Brennan Boesch and then an RBI single to Johnny Peralta.

The game remained tied 3-3 until the top of the 9th.

Luckily for the Sox, manager Terry Francona elected to pinch-hit David Ortiz in place of Jarrod Saltalamacchia.

The move paid immediate dividends as Big Papi took Jose Valverde (2-2) deep for the game-winning, pinch-hit home run.

"It's not like I have too many options coming off the bench to pinch hit," admitted Big Papi after the game. "I just looked for one pitch."

The pinch-hit homer was the first for Ortiz since 2003 when he hit his first career home run with the Sox as a pinch-hitter in the 14th inning of a game against the Angels.

"He made Tito look like a genius," mused Buchholz. "He threw him out there at the right time."

Matt Albers (1-2) came on in relief of Buccholz to pick up the win.

The Tigers snapped the Red Sox five game winning streak in the night cap thanks to a sparkling performance on the mound from Justin Verlander (5-3). The Detroit ace threw a career-high 132 pitches and over 7 2/3 quality innings, allowing just four hits to silence the potent Boston offense and shutout the Sox 3-0.

"He had everything," said Francona of Verlander. "Velocity, breaking ball, changeup. Shoot, he got up in his pitch count and he started throwing harder.

Verlander's final pitch was clocked at an astounding 100 miles-per-hour.

Josh Beckett (4-2) was the hard-luck loser for the Sox, allowing just two runs over six quality innings. His ERA remains at a microscopic 1.80.

It may have taken longer than fans wanted it to, but the Red Sox appear to have hit their stride.

After all, they're in first place for the first time all season.

From where they began the year, that's saying a lot.

The Dream Lives On

2011-05-28T15:22:00.006-04:00

The Boston Bruins pose with Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly and the Prince of Wales trophy Friday night after defeating the Lightning 1-0 in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals.

For the first time in 21 years, the Boston Bruins are headed back to the Stanley Cup Finals.

In one of the most epic, gut-wrenching, back-and-forth playoff games in team history, the Bruins edged the Lightning by the skin of their teeth Friday night, earning a 1-0 victory in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals to win the Prince of Wales trophy for the first time since 1990.

Once again, Nathan Horton played the hero when he tapped home a cross-ice feed from David Krejci at 12:27 of the third period for his team-leading 8th goal of the postseason. That would be all the offensive support Tim Thomas would need as he made 24 saves to pitch his third career playoff shutout.

The Bruins now advance to the ultimate stage, the Stanley Cup Finals, to take on the mighty Vancouver Canucks with a shot at hoisting their first Holy Grail of hockey since 1972.

"I'm just happy to see those guys smiling in the dressing room right," said head coach Claude Julien. "Right now we're four wins from winning the Stanley Cup."

For the Bruins and their fans, the once-in-a-generation accomplishment feels so rewarding simply because of the hardship and heartache that the team and its supporters have endured the past two decades.

In 1996, Cam Neely was forced to retire with a bad hip way before his time. In 2000, then-GM Harry Sinden shipped Ray Bourque to the Avalanche and, while Bruins fans were happy to see #77 finally hoist the cup, it came in a Colorado uniform. In 2005, golden-boy Joe Thornton was traded to the Sharks when it became apparent he wasn't the guy to bring a cup to Boston.

Most recently, it's been horrific Game 7 losses to Montreal in 2008, Carolina in 2009, and the epic-collapse-that-shall-not-be-mentioned to the Flyers in 2010.

In the city of Boston, where the Sox, Patriots and, most recently, the Celtics have reigned supreme the past decade, the Bruins have become somewhat of an afterthought in the grand scheme of things.

Not anymore.

"It is hard to explain how good this feeling is," explained Horton, who had never played in a postseason game until coming to Boston from Florida.

"This feels incredible," added Thomas, who picked up his 22nd career postseason victory. "I can use all the words everyone uses; incredible, unbelievable. We found a way to do it again. I'm sure everybody else's blood pressure is up, our was too but we've just got such great character on this team. We got it done."

Oftentimes, when such monumental games take place, we tend to focus on the end result almost exclusively.

The Bruins won. They're going back to the Finals. They did it.

But what's most remarkable is how they got it done.

Simply put, Friday night's Game 7 was one for the ages that will go down in Bruins folklore forever. My father, a die-hard Bruins fan who instilled in me at birth the unconditional love for the Black and Gold, said afterward that it was the most intense Bruins game he's ever seen.

Ever.

Better than all those 1970s hey-day matchups with the Canadiens. Better than Bobby Orr flying through the air.

The reason why?

Because of the pace of the game.

A rarity in today's sport, not a single penalty was called on either side. As a result, there were very few whistles or breaks in play to delay the action. For sixty full minutes, the Lightning and Bruins gave it absolutely everything they've got, racing up and down the ice with such passion and vigor that every single check, shot and save sent chills down your spine.

Scoreless for the majority of the contest, Thomas and Roloson (37 saves) exchanged heart-stopping saves to keep the game deadlocked 0-0.

"I wasn't concerned about my team," admitted Thomas after the game. "I was concerned about Roloson playing so well. He played an unbelievable game today. It put a lot of pressure on me."

Then, just past the midway point in the third period, the Bruins finally broke through against Roloson.

Taking a break-out feed from defenseman Andrew Ference, center David Krejci entered the Tampa zone with speed, took the puck wide, then feathered a perfect cross-crease pass right on the stick of Horton who tapped it home for the eventual game-winner.

It marks the second Game 7-winning goal of the playoffs for Horton, who also eliminated the Canadiens in the second round.

"It felt like overtime the entire game," admitted Tampa coach Guy Boucher. "It was going to be who made that one mistake, and it was us."

Infused by the lead and reality of the situation, up 1-0 with less than seven minutes remaining, the sell-out crowd of 17,565 at the TD Garden began chanting "We want the Cup" in deafening unison.

Then, after Tampa pulled Roloson in the final minute but could not sustain any offensive pressure, the clock ticked down to 0:00, and it finally began to sink in that the Bruins had really done something legendary.

"It's great to be a part of something amazing," explained Patrice Bergeron. "That was the highest level of concentration I have experienced. I couldn't wait to jump on Timmy and enjoy the moment."

After the celebration subsided, the two teams shook hands in a customary show of sportsmanship. When Thomas reached Martin St. Louis in line, the two former UVM teammates embraced in an extra-long hug.

"I told him he's a warrior and I love him," said Thomas. "And he said-- he was obviously emotionally distraught because he gives everything he has out there-- but basically he said, 'Go win the whole thing.'"

Congratulations, Bruins fans.

Some of us have waited a lifetime to say this, others the majority of their adult-hood: The Big Bad Bruins are back in the Finals.

Sox in the World Series? Patriots in the Super Bowl? Celts in the Finals?

Forget it.

It simply doesn't get any better than this.

Teeing Off

2011-05-27T02:34:00.004-04:00

Led by the spectacular two day hitting performance of Carl Crawford, the Red Sox made history on Wednesday and Thursday by putting up 14 runs in back-to-back games for the first time since 1998.

Remember that feared offensive lineup Theo Epstein was talking about when he acquired Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford this past offseason?

It looks like it has officially arrived.

For the first time since 1998, the Sox scored at least 14 runs in back-to-back games, destroying the Indians 14-2 on Wednesday and obliterating the Tigers 14-1 on Thursday.

Not only do the consecutive road victories improve Boston's overall record to 28-22 (a season-high six games over .500), but more importantly, it brings the Sox into a virtual tie with the Yankees for first in the AL East.

Talk about picking yourself up by your boot-straps.

After starting the season a dreadful 0-6, the Sox have gone an MLB-best 28-16 since, winning 11 of their last 13 games.

"I'm glad we had two good days in a row," said manager Terry Francona. "It's nice to have games like that every once in a while."

At the center of the recent turnaround is none other than the once eternally snakebitten, $142 million dollar man, Carl Crawford. Mired in a season-long slump that has been agonizing at times, the ultra-talented left fielder entered Wednesday's contest against Cleveland hitting just .212.

Oh what a difference 48 hours can make.

On Wednesday, Crawford just missed out on hitting for the cycle, but still went 4-4 with two doubles, a homer and two runs batted in. Then, on Thursday Crawford followed his stellar performance up by going 4-5 with two triples and three runs batted in.

Remarkably, Crawford now joins Sox legends Ted Williams and Carl Yazstremski as the only players in team history to ever record four hits and two triples in one game.

He also became the first Sox player to record four hits in back-to-back games since Dustin Pedroia did it in 2008.

And, oh yeah, Crawford's average now rests at a respectable .244.

"Just going up there feeling a little bit more comfortable at the plate, trying to get my pitch to hit and not missing it when I do get a chance," explained Crawford. "It feels real good, just to be able to hit the ball and be yourself. I haven't felt that way in a long time. To have that feeling back felt great."

Red Sox fans can't help but hope and pray that feeling stays with Crawford for the rest of the season.

"We all believe in him and I know he believes in himself," said Francona of Crawford. "It's nice to see him swing the bat like he did, that's for sure."

Watch out, American League opponents.

The Red Sox have officially arrived.

And Carl Crawford is at the center of it all.

Just like Theo Epstein had in mind all along.

Giving In

2011-05-26T03:16:00.009-04:00

Zdeno Chara and the Bruins blew a golden opportunity to close out the Lightning Wednesday night and now must play a winner-take-all Game 7 in Boston with a trip to the Finals on the line.

Not even a hat trick from David Krejci could save the Bruins Wednesday night.

Victims of horrific special teams play and several back-breaking defensive collapses, Boston fought valiantly in Game 6 but no no avail, losing to Tampa 5-4 before a sell-out crowd of 21,426 at the St. Pete Times Forum.

Forwards Teddy Purcell and Martin St. Louis scored two goals apiece for the Lightning, who also notched three power-play goals within a 12-minute-span late in the second period and early in the third period.

With the clutch victory, Tampa evens the Eastern Conference Finals 3-3 and forces a do-or-die Game 7 in Boston Friday night with the winner punching their ticket to the Stanley Cup Finals.

"It all comes down to one game now," said Patrice Bergeron after the painful loss. "So it's about making sure we're keeping our chins up and heads up and make sure we're ready for that game."

Despite surrendering a goal to Purcell just 34 seconds into the game, the Black and Gold fought back to take a 2-1 lead into the first intermission.

Milan Lucic put the Bruins on the board first when he ripped a wrist shot from just outside the hashmarks that eluded Dwayne Roloson (16 saves) high, glove side. The goal marked the first point of the series for Lucic.

Then, with less than four minutes remaining in the opening period, Krejci put the Bruins on top with his first of three goals on the night.

However, the difference in the game was the second period. While the Bruins went scoreless in the middle frame, the Lightning scored a pair of power-play goals to take a 3-2 lead.

Then, just 34 seconds into the third period, Steven Stamkos notched a power-play goal of his own to extend Tampa's lead to 4-2.

Krejci would tip in a feed down low from Nathan Horton on the power-play midway through the final period to cut Tampa's lead to 4-3. But at that point, it was clear that Tampa's string of three power play goals within a 12 minute span decided the game for the Lightning.

"Obviously [special teams] was a difference maker," admitted Julien. "They scored three goals on the power play and it took us a long time to get our first one, and that certainly dictated the game."

The Lightning would reclaim their two goal lead just 29 seconds later to make it 5-3. Once again, it was St. Louis picking up the goal, his second of the game and league-leading 10th goal of the playoffs.

With just under eight minutes remaining in the period Krejci would complete the hat trick to cut Tampa's lead to 5-4. It marked the first hat-trick from a Bruin in the playoffs since Cam Neely accomplished the feat in 1991.

Suddenly, Boston began pouring it on and dominating the final ten minutes of regulation in search of the equalizer. They even pulled Thomas in favor of an extra attacker in the final minute but, in the end, came up just short.

Just like the Montreal series, the Bruins fail to close out an opponent and, as a result, must venture into the dangerous territory of a do-or-die Game 7.

All of a sudden, Boston's epic collapse in Game 4 is hanging over their heads like a death date on their playoff tombstone.

"The fourth win, they don't give it to you, as we learned once again," admitted Thomas, who finished with 21 saves after playing the game of his life in Game 5. "Not that we were looking for them to give it to us. It's just more proof that's the way it goes."

However, if the Bruins can hang their hats on anything, it's the fact that they've done well under these high-pressured, do-or-die scenarios thus far in the postseason.

"We've been in this situation before," added Thomas. "We were up 3-2 against Montreal on the road and couldn't close it out, so we went back home in Game 7 and got the job done."

So here we are, in late May, entering yet another one-game season.

But this time, the stakes couldn't be higher for the Bruins. Their season is on the line. A trip to their first finals appearance in 21 years is on the line. Their overall reputation is on the line.

Should the unthinkable happen and the Bruins lose, it would mark the fourth consecutive year that the've had their season end in a Game 7, but at a progressively deeper stage of the playoffs, making it that much tougher to swallow. Claude Julien would likely get the boot. Maybe even Peter Chiarelli, too.

But, if they win, the 2011 Bruins will be touted as Gods in the city of Boston, restoring pride to the Hub for the first time in a generation.

"You've got to be excited for it," admitted Milan Lucic. "You've got to enjoy it and you've go to be looking for to that challenge, because for almost all of us it's the biggest game of our careers. You've got to go out there, have fun and have no regrets."

Keep the faith and believe in the dream, Bruins fans.

We're living on a prayer that will change dramatically Friday night, one way or another.

Game-Saver

2011-05-25T15:34:00.006-04:00

Infused by an off-the-charts stick save from Tim Thomas late in Game 5, the Bruins hung on to knock off Tampa 3-1 Monday night and grab a 3-2 series lead in the Eastern Conference Finals.

While the pursuit of Lord Stanley's Cup has been anything but smooth and uneventful for the Boston Bruins this postseason, the Black and Gold continue to have one major thing going for them along the way.

With their backs to the wall, the Bruins have yet to find themselves pushed off the proverbial playoff cliff.

Answering the call just two days after blowing a commanding lead and suffering a heartbreaking collapse to the Lightning in Game 4, the Bruins responded Monday night to play one of their most complete games of the postseason.

Led by the spectacularly untouchable goaltending of Tim Thomas, Boston picked up timely goals from Nathan Horton and Brad Marchand (as well as an empty-net goal from Rich Peverly) to edge Tampa Bay 3-1 in Game 5 before a raucous sell-out crowd of 17,655 at the TD Garden.

With the victory, the Bruins now hold a 3-2 series lead in the Eastern Conference Finals and find themselves just one win shy of reaching the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 1990.

"We are one win away," admitted Thomas (33 saves) after the game. "But that isn't what we need to focus on. What we need to focus on is playing the next game as good as we can and trying to get one win."

Most of all, despite being the most successful Bruins team in a generation, Boston knows that the most pivotal game of the series, and more accurately, their season, comes Wednesday night in Tampa. After being ejected from the playoffs the last three seasons with heartbreaking Game 7 losses to Montreal, Carolina and Philadelphia, the last thing the Bruins need is another do-or-die Game 7 with a trip to the Finals on the line.

"Our goal now is to not play a Game 7," said Bruins head coach Claude Julien. "It's going to take our best game."

On Monday night, the Lightning jumped out to a fast start like they have in previous game to grab a 1-0 lead just 69 seconds into the first period. After finding himself on a two-on-one break with linemate Steven Stamkos, Simon Gagne, who also scored the game-winner in Game 4, one-timed a return feed through the legs of defenseman Johnny Boychuk and past Thomas for his 39th career playoff goal.

Tampa continued to carry the play until the first intermission gave the Bruins a much-needed breather.

"We told ourselves that we're actually pretty lucky to be only down one-nothing with that first period," explained Patrice Bergeron. "So we had to wake up and step it up and be desperate."

Boy did they step up.

Displaying their trademark resiliency, the Bruins bounced back to tie the score 1-1 with less than five minutes gone in the second period when Horton, who previously committed a pair of questionable interference penalties, corralled a beautiful cross-ice feed from Milan Lucic and blasted it past Lightning goaltender Mike Smith (17 saves) for his seventh goal of the postseason.

"It was a little bit frustrating up until that point because they scored first and I had a couple of penalties," said Horton. "But all you can do is keep working, keep playing hard, and hopefully things begin to go you way."

Luckily for the Bruins, it did.

Continuing to surge, Boston extended the lead to 2-1 late in the second period. After a clutch keep-in by Zdeno Chara, the captain cycled the puck along the sideboards to Patrice Bergeron. Almost instinctually, Bergeron took one look over his left shoulder, noticed Marchand streaking to the net, then feathered a beautiful rocket-pass directly on the tape of Marchand who tapped the puck home.

"I was just waiting for [Marchand] to get open," explained Bergeron. "I knew he was going to beat him with speed and I was just taking my time to kind of suck that defenseman to me too and I just tried to put the puck on his stick."

For Bruins fans, Bergeron's play represented yet another reason why the team's 25-year-old assistant captain is so vital to the team's success. Sure, he does all the little things correctly that rarely show up in the box score, but what sets him apart is his vision on the ice.

Simply put, he knows where everyone else is on the ice.

"He's pretty good at that," said Julien. "He's been playing so well for us and Patrice is capable of making those plays. We've seen goals this year from him and even Marchand driving the net and with Recchi, that line, they seem to find each other pretty nicely. There's some chemistry there and they've made some of those plays."

In addition, Marchand's goal was so pivotal because of its timing. Before the goal, the Bruins were on their heels as the Lightning kept attacking in waves.

"Obviously tonight this is a winning goal for us and at a great time," admitted Julien. "I think it really gave us some confidence because, you know, I felt our team tightened up in the first period. When we scored that second goal, it kind of loosened our guys up a bit."

Then, the play of the century came midway through the third period with the Bruins clinging to a 2-1 lead.

With the Lightning pouring it on in search of the equalizer, Tampa forward Steve Downie found himself all alone with the puck on his stick and a wide open net to shoot at.

"I thought for sure it was going to be a goal," admitted Marchand. "Those are usually pretty easy tap-ins."

Nevertheless, Thomas reached back, full extension, with his right arm and caught a piece of the puck with the blade of his stick to rob Downie and secure the Bruins lead.

"I saw the replay on TV," said defenseman Adam McQuaid. "It was amazing. He stole one. That was a game-saver."

Needless to say, it was one of the greatest saves Bruins fans, and hockey fans alike, have ever seen.

"It was just a reaction and desperation," explained Thomas of his career-defining save. "I'll admit I got a little bit lucky there. A little bit."

Thomas could be seen watching the replay from his crease and smiling as the TD Garden faithful marveled at his game-saving stop.

"That's just a confident swagger. He definitely has that," said Boston forward Chris Kelly of Thomas. "It's a game. You've got to have fun with it. It's a great opportunity for all of us. It you're not going to enjoy it, you might regret it."

From there on out, Thomas willed the Bruins to victory, making several spectacular saves before Peverly scored an empty-net goal with 12 seconds left to seal it.

So here the Bruins stand. One win away from a date with destiny in the Cup Finals with the mighty Vanvouver Canucks. And, with a 17-4 all-time record when leading a playoff series 3-2, the Bruins appear to have the odds on their side as well.

Just don't mention any of the heartbreaking collapses in recent years to the Bruins. They know exactly what they have to do Wednesday night in Game 6.

"Nothing should change from our attitude," concluded Lucic. "And the last two series and what we needed to do to get that fourth win. And they're going to fight for their lives an they are going to come out as determined as possible. Their backs are against the wall, but we know what we have to do."

Fasten your seatbelts, Bruins fans.

This is what it's all about.

Like a Fine Wine

2011-05-23T16:09:00.005-04:00

Making a spot start, Tim Wakefield stepped in and led the Sox to a 5-1 victory over Chicago Sunday night to pick up his 180th career victory with Boston, just 12 shy of the team's all-time record.

The old man has still got it.

Defying the aging process with youth-like vigor, Tim Wakefield turned back the clock Sunday night and silenced the visiting Chicago Cubs with one of his best starts in recent memory.

Before a sell-out crowd of 37,688 at Fenway Park, the 44-year-old knuckleballer scattered just four hits over 6 and 2/3 stellar innings to lead the Sox to a 5-1 victory over the Cubbies. He also allowed just one earned run and struck out three to pick up his first win of the season.

In typical Wakefield-type fashion, the 15-year veteran tipped his cap and saluted the crowd as he exited the field to a thunderous standing ovation in the top of the seventh inning.

"He was terrific," admitted manager Terry Francona. "You go into a start where he's not tremendously stretched out, but the first five innings the pitch count was so low, he threw so many strikes. He was a huge lift, because the first three innings we didn't do much offensively. But because he was holding 'em down, it gave us a chance to get it going and score a few runs."

At the beginning of the season, many Red Sox fans felt the writing was on the wall for our beloved Wakefield. He had just come off an injury-riddled 2010 campaign in which he started just 19 games, compiling a less-than-stellar 4-10 record with a robust 5.34 ERA.

Many fans thought it was time for the old knuckleballer to hang it up.

Yeah, right.

The beauty of Wakefield is his undying dedication and commitment to the team. Ever since breaking in with the Sox in 1995, the knuckleballer has done anything and everything asked of him. He has been a starter, a long reliever and a set up man. He even saved 15 games as a closer in 1999.

And, all along the way, he has never once complained or lamented his evolving role for Boston. Instead, he's taken the mound when called upon and given the team everything he's got, for better or worse.

On Sunday night, Wakefield found himself starting as a result of John Lackey being placed on the disabled list with an elbow strain.

Just like he has done for the majority of his career, Wakefield didn't disappoint. After all, he already holds the distinguished record of being the oldest player ever to appear in a Sox uniform.

"He's been good for a long time and certainly don't want to overlook that, but the roles have changed a little bit now," admitted Francona. "But, boy, what a lift that gives us. Throw a guy in there when somebody gets hurt and he's so professional. I guess it shouldn't amaze us because he's been doing it a long time, but I think maybe the better word is 'appreciative.'"

With the victory, Wakefield picks up his 194th career win and 180th with the Sox. He now trails Cy Young and Roger Clemens by just 12 wins on the Sox all-time list.

"Wake did an incredible job," added Adrian Gonzalez after the game. "His knuckleball was all over the place. The few guys who got on base kept talking about how much it was moving. That's what he does and that's why he's been here a long time."

The win also marked the Sox eighth victory in their last nine games. And, after starting out the season in a horrific slump, Boston is now 25-21 and just a half-game behind New York and Tampa for first place in the AL East.

"On a personal side, ever win is precious," said Wake after the game. "But as long as the team wins... [that's] the most important thing."

Tim Wakefield, the ultimate professional.

Enjoy it while it lasts, Sox fans.

The clock's ticking, but after a performance like Sunday night's, our beloved Wake looks far from done.

Not Again

2011-05-22T15:21:00.001-04:00

After coughing up a commanding 3-0 lead in Game 4 Saturday afternoon, Zdeno Chara and the Bruins blew a golden opportunity to take control of the series and now find themselves dead even with the surging Lightning.

It seemed too good to be true.

And it was.

After playing a dominating opening period Saturday afternoon in Tampa, the Bruins collapsed like only they can, blowing a 3-0 lead to the Lightning in Game 4 before eventually absorbing a devastating 5-3 defeat.

Infused by a pair of Teddy Purcell goals in the second period, the Lightning went on to score five unanswered goals, including the eventual game-winner by certified Bruins killer Simon Gagne with just under seven minutes gone in the final period.

Not only did the Bruins blow a golden opportunity to grab a stranglehold of the series, but Boston now loses the momentum and finds itself tied with Tampa 2-2 in the Eastern Conference Finals.

The series now shifts to Boston for a monumental Game 5 Monday night.

"When you're up, you almost sit back a bit," admitted Bruins forward Brad Marchand. "You think that the game is over and that's what we did. We thought that we had them. We took it for granted. We didn't use it to our advantage and we didn't keep pushing forward and that's what we should have done."

The first period was a spectacular display of Bruins hockey: great forechecking, smothering defense, physical play, Berlin Wall-type goaltending from Tim Thomas and timely scoring as well.

Playing in his second game since returning from a mild concussion, Patrice Bergeron gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead midway through the opening period when he pounced on a defensive miscue from the Lightning behind their net and quickly hammered home the puck past Dwayne Roloson.

Michael Ryder pushed the lead to 2-0 some five minutes later when he took a feed from linemate Chris Kelly and then rushed to the net. Ryder attempted to feed the puck to a trailing teammate on the backhand, but his shot had eyes and bounced off Roloson's pads into the vacant net.

Then, with just over two minutes remaining in the period, Bergeron scored his second unassisted goal of the period, but this time it came shorthanded. The Bruins best two-way forward stole the puck in the neutral zone then raced up ice and snapped off a quick wrister from just inside the circle that eluded Roloson between the legs.

Suddenly, the sell-out crowd of 21,216 at the St. Pete Times Forum were stunned, silenced by the Bruins dominating opening period. Lightning coach Guy Boucher had no choice but to yank Roloson in favor of backup goaltender Mike Smith, if only to break the Bruins sizzling momentum.

From there on out, it was like watching a car crash in slow-motion.

Content with their lead, the Bruins stopped playing their game. Boston allowed a pair of goals to Purcell early in the second period and then the game-tying goal to Sean Bergenheim near the midway mark. It was Bergenheim's NHL leading 9th playoff goal.

"We stopped battling," admitted Bergeron, who has 14 points (4 goals, 10 assists) in 13 playoff games thus far. "The second, we sat back and they've got too much speed. We weren't executing at all. We were on our heels. It's frustrating. We've got to be a lot better."

Unable to stop the bleeding or curb Tampa's surging momentum, the Bruins caved in for good with just under seven minutes gone in the third period.

Once again, it was Gagne scoring the game-winner. If you remember correctly, it was Gagne who also scored the game-winning goal for Philadelphia in Game 7 to lift the Flyers out of a 0-3 series hole and send the Bruins home last season.

"I think what happened last year, it's behind (us)," admitted Gagne. "Things are different now. I'm playing with a different team. Boston is a different team. Right now it's just going out there and trying to be the difference in the game."

Martin St. Louis, a former teammate of Tim Thomas at UVM, sealed the win with an empty-net goal in the final minute.

"We got outworked," admitted Thomas, who finished with 32 saves after pitching a shutout in Game 3. "They took over. They took the play to us. They started getting scoring chances and we stopped getting scoring chances."

Stepping in for Roloson, Smith stopped all 21 shots he faced.

"There's not time to think," said Smith. "It's just one of those things where we got behind the 8-ball there in the first. That's why I'm on the bench, to come in and kind of settle the team down and give thema little bit of momentum. It ended up working out."

With the devastating loss, Bruins fans can't help but have recurring visions of last season's epic collapse against Philadelphia in the second round. Sure, Saturday night's contest wasn't a do-or-die Game 7 in which the Bruins held a 3-0 series lead, but Boston was in control and coughed up a game they should have easily won.

Now, the Bruins find themselves answering questions about last season when fans were all but certain those demons were exorcised when Boston swept Philadelphia less than two weeks ago.

"A lot of our players did not play their best game," lamented head coach Claude Julien, possibly taking a subtle poke at David Krejci, who was a minus-3 and lost 9 of 12 faceoffs. "We lost our focus."

Regardless of how painful it was to watch the beloved Black and Gold crash and burn in Game 4, it doesn't change the fact that the series in tied and still far from over. It just means the Bruins let one get away.

And hopefully, unlike last season, that won't come back to haunt them.

"We just have to let this one go," concluded Marchand. "We're going home in our building for Game 5 and we're excited about it."

A Star is Born

2011-05-18T03:27:00.009-04:00

Chris Kelly and Michael Ryder embrace teammate Tyler Seguin (left) during the Bruins' 6-5 victory over Tampa Bay in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The 19-year-old rookie finished with four total points in the game.

On Tuesday night at the TD Garden, a riotous sell-out crowd of 17,565 had the unrivaled privilege of witnessing a star being born right before their eyes.

Turning in one of the most electric performances from a young player in Boston sports history, 19-year-old rookie Tyler Seguin scored a pair of goals and added two assists to lead the Bruins to a pivotal 6-5 victory over the Lightning in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

Thanks to the spectacular offensive outburst from Seguin, the Bruins even the series at one game apiece before it shifts to Tampa Bay for Game 3 Thursday night.

"He played unbelievable," said David Krejci of Seguin. "He was dominant today and it's good to see him play like that... Obviously you're not going to see every night a four point game from him. But as long as he'll be playing with the speed he is and the intensity, he's going to bring a lot to this team."

"He was really the reason we won," admitted Brad Marchand.

After surrendering a goal 13 seconds into the game and another with just 6.5 seconds left in the first period, the Bruins entered the first intermission trailing 2-1.

However, just 48 seconds into the second period, the Black and Gold responded to tie the score 2-2. Taking a breakout feed from inside his own defensive zone, Seguin used his great speed to split two Lightning defenders near center ice before roofing a backhand past Tampa goaltender Dwayne Roloson on a partial breakaway.

Not only did the highlight-reel, top-shelf goal energize the crowd but it displayed exactly what the Bruins were hoping for from Seguin after taking him with the second overall pick in last season's draft.

"It's surprising that he really steps up like that," said Dennis Seidenberg, who logged a team-high 31:25 time-on-ice. "It's crazy. I mean he comes in, he delivers, and he played great. I mean he played good defensively and offensively, he was really explosive and created chances every time he was on the ice."

Less than two minutes after Seguin's goal tied it, Krejci tapped home a beautiful give-and-go, cross-ice feed from Seidenberg to give the Bruins a 3-2 lead.

Boston extended the lead to 4-2 at the 6:30 mark on Seguin's second goal of the game. This time, Seguin found himself on a two-on-one break with Nathan Horton. However, instead of taking the puck in close on Roloson, Seguin elected to snipe a blistering wrister past the Tampa goaltender from just inside the right circle.

The Garden faithful soon began chanting "Ty-ler Se-guin" every time the talented rookie took the ice.

A Vincent Lecavalier goal would cut the Bruins lead to 4-3. However, Seguin would assist on a pair of Michael Ryder goals near the end of the period to stake the Bruins to a 6-3 lead entering the final stanza.

To put Seguin's second period performance into perspective, the rookie became the first teenager ever to score four points in a single period during the playoffs. Furthermore, Seguin joins only Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux to accomplish the feat overall.

However, after scoring five goals on nine shots during the second period, the Bruins began to fold like a lawn chair during the third period. Less than four minutes in, Steven Stamkos scored to cut the Bruins lead to 6-4. Then, midway through the period the Lightning struck again to make it 6-5.

Suddenly, Boston's once commanding lead had evaporated. And with the Lightning carrying the play in the final period, the only reason the Bruins came out on top was because of their star goaltender, Tim Thomas.

"I think in the third we sat back a little bit and we weren't skating," admitted Ryder. "We were just kind of watching a little bit. Timmy came up huge. He made a lot of big saves and that's what we need out of him this time of year. I think we have to learn from the third period that we can't do that because the team on the other side, they're not giving up."

Thomas, after starting off shaky in the first period, saved his best for last. He stood on his head in the final period and finished with 36 saves.

"He made some big saves at the end and allowed us to win that game," said head coach Claude Julien.

But, as great as Thomas was in net, it was the rookie Seguin that stole the show.

After sitting out the first 11 games of the playoffs, the kid now has six points in just two games.

"I had to get my feet wet there in the first period of Game One," admitted Seguin. "The first couple of shifts, I was nervous and excited, but i felt more poised and confident as the game went on. Tonight I felt great."

Bruins fans can feel great as well. Sure, it was a sloppy defensive game and their team barely escaped with a victory. But, in the end, the Bruins showed heart, fought back and came out on top in a game they had to have.

Plus, they got to witness the coming out party of Boston's newest hockey sensation. And, oh yeah, their best two-way player is expected to be back in the lineup for Game Three.

"When you look back at the game, it certainly wasn't the perfect game that everyone would like to see," concluded Julien. "We won a hockey game and now the series is tied 1-1. We know we have to get better. The win is what you should be looking at right now and hopefully we'll get [Patrice Bergeron] back."

Remember the date, Bruins fans.

May 17, 2011: The day Tyler Seguin's star was born.

Power Outage

2011-05-15T16:17:00.001-04:00

After an eight day layoff, the Bruins returned to the ice Saturday night and played one of their worst games of the postseason, falling to the Lightning 5-2 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

It wasn't quite as literal as the lights going out during both the 1988 and 1990 Cup Finals against the mighty Edmonton Oilers, but a power outage of a different variety plagued the Bruins Saturday night nonetheless.

Hosting their first Eastern Conference Finals game since 1992, the Black and Gold stumbled in Game 1 against the streaking Tampa Bay Lightning, surrendering three quick goals in a span of just 85-seconds during the first period before eventually absorbing a painful 5-2 loss. And, while much of the blame could be placed directly on the shoulders of goaltender Tim Thomas, who allowed a fair share of soft goals, it was the Bruins skaters in front of him that hung Thomas out to dry.

Much like the first round bout against Montreal, the Bruins now find themselves trailing the Lightning 1-0 in the series.

"It's tough, we pretty much gave them every single one of them," said defenseman Tomas Kaberle. "And we never gave up after. We know we are better in here we have to show it in the second game. We know it is not going to be an easy series. And we have to put it behind us right now and think about what is going to happen on Tuesday."

The first defensive miscue came when the usually reliable Dennis Seidenberg made a poor decision to reverse the puck and then coughed it up directly to Lightning forward Dominic Moore. Almost on cue, Moore found Victor Hedman at the point, who blasted the shot on goal. Although Thomas made the initial save, the rebound squirted off Seidenberg's skate directly to Sean Bergenheim who buried his league-leading 8th playoff goal, giving Tampa Bay a 1-0 lead midway through the opening period.

Just 19 seconds later, the Lightning expanded the lead to 2-0 on a great individual effort from Brett Clark. Skating with the puck out of his defensive zone, Clark rushed all the way up ice, eluded four different Bruins and then backhanded the puck between the pads of Thomas.

Teddy Purcell extended the lead to 3-0 just over a minute later when he took advantage of a horrific Tomas Kaberle giveaway in his own zone.

Overall, all three goals were a result of the Bruins shooting themselves in the foot, or skate, to be more accurate.

"Those mistakes were mistakes that you can correct easily," admitted Bruins head coach Claude Julien. "Those things were uncharacteristic of our hockey club. Of the first three goals, I don't feel there was a good goal out of all of those things. A blind backhand from a touch angle. We lose a puck beside our net. Is it really something that they did so well that created that? No. I think it's more about us."

However, despite the Bruins defensive deficiencies, credit must be given to the opportunistic Lightning for making Boston's mistakes hurt.

"Give them credit for pouncing of those opportunities and capitalizing on them," explained Julien. "That's part of the game. But you've got to look at your team and say, 'What can you do better?' We have to make sure we're a little better with our puck management. That wasn't there tonight."

The lone bright spot for the Bruins came with just over four minutes remaining in the first period. Playing in his first career playoff game, newly inserted winger and 18-year-old rookie Tyler Seguin made a beautiful move in close before burying a wrister past Lightning goaltender Dwayne Roloson for his first career playoff goal.

"He had a good game," Julien said of Seguin. "I thought when he had his chance, he took advantage of it and scored and obviously he had a lot of energy tonight and excitement in his game, so he was a good player for us."

However, from there on out, Seguin's goal would be all the Bruins offense could muster. Sure, they added a second tally late in the third period, but with the score already out of hand at 5-1, the goal made little difference in the grand scheme of things.

"I think we could have had a better effort," concluded Julien. "I think overall as a team, we're definitely going to need to be better and get a better effort there."

"We gave them that 3-0 lead. It was certainly a little bit like in that Montreal series. I thought we gave them some easy goals. That was more of our doing that it was theirs. Until that point, I thought we had started the game really well and had good momentum. But those three goals certainly set us back."

Bruins fans can't help but think that if Boston's best two-way player and leading postseason scorer, Patrice Bergeron, was on the ice, Saturday's result would have been far different.

Get well, Patrice.

The Bruins need you.

Entering the Unforeseen

2011-05-13T15:16:00.004-04:00

After being eliminated from the playoffs Wednesday night in Miami, Celtics GM Danny Ainge now must re-tool his aging basketball team before their window of opportunity to win a championship expires for good.

And just like that, the Boston Celtics' season, and quite possibly their recent four-year reign of dominance, is over.

Self-inflicted victims of countless turnovers coupled with an epic fourth quarter meltdown, the championship-or-bust Celtics saw their pursuit of Banner 18 go up in a cloud of Miami smoke Wednesday night in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. In losing to the younger, faster and stronger Heat, 97-87, the aging Celtics not only drop the series to Miami, 4-1, but, more importantly, they find themselves at a troubling crossroads plagued with more questions than answers.

The first question being: is their window of opportunity to win another championship now closed?

To answer in one word: yes.

If the second round series against the Heat proved anything to Boston fans, it's that our beloved Big Three, despite their unrivaled experience and unparalleled credentials, are flat out too old to get it done by themselves anymore. As good as Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen still are, they cannot shoulder the lion's share of the championship-chasing burden anymore. In a dog-eat-dog NBA where fresh legs rule over all, Boston's Big Three simply has too many miles on the basketball odometer to continue at the pace we've been accustomed to seeing from them.

However, as painful and depressing as this all may sound, it still doesn't mean the Celtics can't win a championship next season. All it means is that the Celtics roster, as it currently stands with the Big Three as the centerpiece, cannot do it on their own.

As a result, the Celtics future now falls directly in the hands of GM Danny Ainge. The mad scientist that restored pride in Boston by landing KG and Allen in the summer of 2007 now has no choice but to pull a few more tricks out of his sleeve in order to ensure one final run at a championship in the Big Three Era.

On the bright side, Ainge does have options. After signing a multi-year extension last offseason, Pierce has three years remaining on his deal and, as a result, any tinkering of the roster will be made with the Captain in mind. However, Allen and Garnett find themselves in the final year of their deals. And, while it pains Celtics fans to admit, with Allen on the books for $10 million and KG $21 million next season, their expiring contracts would be greatly appealing to a team looking to unload salary in a trade, especially if it came later in the season around the deadline.

Beyond trading Allen or KG, Ainge could also hang onto them and add a piece like unrestricted free agent Nene Hilario to the puzzle. Not only would the Denver big man finally fill the void left by the mid-season departure of Kendrick Perkins, but Hilario is also just 28-years-old and could be a major chip in the rebuilding process centered around Rajon Rondo and Jeff Green.

Or, Ainge could sacrifice next season, hang onto Allen and KG and then let them walk after season's end. This strategy would erase $31 million off the books while also making the Celtics a legitimate contender to land one of 2012's prized free agents: Dwight Howard, Deron Williams or Chris Paul.

In the end, the possibilities are almost too much to fathom at such a dark period in time.

Sure, we can play scenarios in our mind all day about trading KG or signing Nene in an attempt to continue the dynasty, but all that many Boston fans can do right now is sit and wallow in the utter sadness and disappointment of watching our beloved Celts fall to the hated-Heat.

Of blowing an 87-81 point lead with less than five minutes remaining.

Of being outscored 16-0 in the final 4:29.

Of watching our beloved Big Three go down without a fight.

It's going to take a long time to recover from Wednesday night's Game 5 loss. Not because of the loss itself, but because of its ramifications.

Get to work, Danny.

The window's still open, but just barely. The Big Three need some help. And the responsibility falls on the Celtics GM to find a way to get them one more championship before it's too late.