(PHOTO: Twitter)

Some Bruins fans have complained that Jaromir Jagr has not produced since his arrival in Boston. People are expecting the Jagr from his heyday in Pittsburgh from ’93 rather than the Jagr on the back nine of his career in ’13.

However, no one can question the Jagr’s love, respect and dedication for the ladies to the game.

Jaromir Jagr is skating on the TD Garden ice, with a puck & no nets, at 8 pm after a 3 pm playoff win, jumpsuit & winter hat. #Bruins

— Danny Picard (@DannyPicard) May 19, 2013

Jagr was robbed by King Henrik today and made plays, so pump the brakes on the Jagr disdain and enjoy watching this future Hall of Famer.

All praise the Jagr!

Pot Of Baked Beans To @jamisoncoyle!

(PHOTO: Puck Daddy)

The hockey gods can be cruel (just ask Leafs fans) but hockey fans can be even crueler (just ask this poor Leafs fan).  This poor bastard was so confident that his Leafs were going to pull out the series that he bet his buddy, a long time Bruins fan.

The stakes according to Puck Daddy:

We bet on the series and the punishment was the loser had to wear a sandwich board and stand on the boulevard of our busiest street for half an hour at noon. The winner got to choose what went on the sign.

I bet Elisha Cuthbert was laying on the horn when she saw the back of the sandwich board. She is probably the only one that thinks PHA-GOOF is sexy or even a good hockey player at this point.

Kudos to Josh Lewis for being a good sport and accepting his beatings….

Jon Lester is 4-0 after Red Sox losses this season

Clay Buchholz has been the early story for the Red Sox rotation so far this year with his dominating start but the #1 man in the rotation, Jon Lester, has settled into an important role as the Sox’ resident “stopper”.  The Sox have been plagued with inconsistency in the back end of their rotation with the injuries and otherwise ineffectiveness of John Lackey and Felix Doubront.  The Sox are a combined 7-7 in starts by Doubront and Lester.  They are also 2-6 in games the day before Jon Lester pitches.  They’ve relied heavily on counting on Lester to stop skids and break up losing streaks before they get out of hand.

For Lester’s part he’s been holding his own in the role.  He’s 4-0 coming off Red Sox losses this season and has stopped losing streaks of 3 games in each of his last two starts including a 1-hit shutout of the Blue Jays in which he only faced 28 batters in a 5-0 win at Fenway.  He’s pitched well and he’s pitched confident, something that you could not say about him a year ago.  It’s an interesting question to ask whether or not the 2012 version of Jon Lester would be this effective pitching after a Sox loss.  His confidence wasn’t there and neither were his pitches.  This year he’s dug in and looked much more poised on the mound and the Red Sox have reaped the benefits.

Lester’s been much more confident on the mound this season

Despite being overshadowed by his rotation mate Buchholz Lester is off to an identical 6-0 start with a 2.72 ERA and 50 strikeouts.  It’s hard to believe that this same pitcher only managed to win 9 games last season and will likely eclipse that mark by the all-star break.  We all said at the beginning of the season that the Red Sox needed the old Jon Lester back if they were going to succeed and so far that is exactly what they’ve gotten.  If Lester’s performance keeps up he may have his best year since 2010 when he went 19-9 with a 3.25 ERA.

Of course the overlying factor in all of this is that the Sox have gotten meager production out of the back end of their rotation.  Lackey hasn’t pitched horribly but he’s given up 5 runs in 1 inning in each of his last two starts (the only runs that he has given up in either game).  Felix Doubront has not looked confident or in great shape.  Allen Webster had one decent start and then got lit up his second time around.  If at least one of these guys can get it together it would take the pressure off of Lester to go out and get a win every time out (not like he is having any trouble with that pressure now).  The Sox took a step to alleviate the burden on Lester’s shoulders this week when manager John Farrell slotted Doubront between Lester and Buchholz, giving Buchholz a chance to cover for Doubront.  Regardless of who pitches in front of Lester he seems confident that he’s going to come out with a W every time he’s on that mound.  We haven’t seen that Jon Lester in a few years.

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For Bruins fans, May 13, 2013 will be etched in history forever. Our beloved Black & Gold pulled off the GREATEST comeback in NHL Game Seven history.

From three down with 10 minutes plus to play, to pulling off a miracle. Fans went on a unprecedented roller coaster of emotion and lost their friggin’ minds.

Here are the moments captured on video during the “Miracle On Causeway”:

“The Greatest Comeback Evah!”

“Wait For It….The Wall Slammer”

“Chest Bumps For All!”

“This Girl Has A Truck Driver’s Mouth….And It’s WICKED Awesome”

“My F*ckin’ Phone Is Frozen…WOOOOO!”

“Reaction From The Stands As Bergy Ties It”

“Bergeron, Bergeron….And The Miracle Comeback Is Complete!”

Talking about snatching victory from the jaws of defeat…wow!

Now if you want to know what it feels like snatching defeat from the jaws of victory check out these poor Leafs fans.

What a night….what a friggin’ night!

Be Sure To Check Out: Bruins Fans React To The GREATEST Game Seven Comeback In NHL History (VIDEO)

Nothing is better than seeing another fan base experience and endure the pain of an epic collapse. Well, Leafs fans this was your lucky year to wear the “Choke” collar.

Bruins fans have been there especially during the 2010 post-season with the catastrophic demise versus the Flyers.

The BIG difference is that Bruins fans don’t film ourselves watching the game and definitely don’t post the video after we friggin’ lost! Plus the TV never would have made it through the night!

But I a happy that these Leafs fans were stupid enough to do so. Nothing like sharing your pain and anguish with the world.

The look of pure bewilderment and horror on the face of the kid with the #17 jersey and skinny khakis is PRICELESS!

There’s always next year Toronto, but you have been saying that since 1967.

That’s a sh*t load of tomorrows!

Pot of Baked Beans Goes To @icejerseys!

It’s incredible to think that Patrice Bergeron has been a member of the Boston Bruins for 10 years. And to make us all feel old…..he is ONLY 27.

How time flies when you mature into one of the best two way players in the game.

But who can forget Bergy as the young buck from Quebec?

Who remembers this commercial from 2004 with then franchise goalie Andrew Raycroft?

Bahahaha…..wow I am glad we have Tuukka!

Pot of Baked Beans Goes To @bergeronprocess!

Boston Bruins forward #63 Brad Marchand celebrates his game 1 overtime winner against the New York Rangers

The Boston Bruins did well to win an important game one against the New York Rangers. It goes without saying, but every win is important in the playoffs, especially against a Rangers squad that can absolutely suffocate an offense. As expected, Henrik Lundqvist had to be outstanding stopping 45 of 48 Bruins shots. Outside of King Henrik’s impressive performance, and a 16 second Rangers’ offensive outburst, this game was all Boston.

First things first, Zdeno Chara probably played his best game as a Boston Bruin tonight. I get pretty tired of people constantly talking about his lack of leadership every time the B’s lose a game. Big Z is a Stanley Cup champion who didn’t just shut down two of the best offensive players in the world, he rendered them invisible. Chara leads by example. With Dennis Seidenberg, Andrew Ference, and Wade Redden out of commission, the Bruins had to play three rookie skaters on the back-end. Chara played 38:02 minutes of ice time, an ungodly amount of minutes. That is stepping up when a team needs it the most, that is what a captain does. Z was a monster in all areas of the ice too he had a goal, an assists, a +2, 9 shots, 6 hits, and 2 blocked shots. A truly legendary performance from one of the best players in the game today.

As good Chara was last night, I don’t want to make it seem like the three rookie defensemen used weren’t up to task. I’m a huge fan of Torey Krug, and I bet his performance last night prompted a few Bruins fans to join me on the Krug bandwagon. Anyone who follows the Providence Bruins knows how good he can be.  He scored a huge goal for the Bruins that tied the game 2-2. Krug may be undersized, but he does all the little things right. He had 3 shots, 3 hits, and a blocked shot in 16:41 minutes of ice time  last night.

Dougie Hamilton and Matt Bartkowski also had a great rookie games. Its really easy to look at Bart’s -2 and say he didn’t play well, but it wouldn’t be factual. He was solid last night in his 26:42 minutes of ice time. He added 1 shot, 3 hits, and a blocked shot. Hamilton was pretty excellent considering the roller coaster season he has had. Everyone knows injuries create opportunities, and Dougie took hold of his chance to prove he belongs in the lineup. He registered an assist, a +2, 5 shots, 1 hit, and a blocked shot in 20:45 minutes of ice time.

Brad Marchand stepped up in a big way last night after an unusually weak showing against the Toronto Maple Leafs. He scored the big overtime winner for Boston as well as an assist on the game tying Krug goal. He also added also added 3 takeaways in the game. David Krejci continued his great playoff performance with an assists on the Chara goal. Patrice Bergeron had an assist, and won 78% of his faceoffs. Milan Lucic didn’t land on the score sheet, but he crushed the Rangers all night with 8 hits.

Boston Bruins rookie defensemen #27 Dougie Hamilton and #47 Torey Krug celebrate their first career playoff points against the New York Rangers

The Rangers got their goals from Ryan McDonagh and Derek Stepan. Stepan’s goal was a bit of a softies given up by Rask, but Tuukka really elevated his level of play once the game was on the line. I thought he was pretty outstanding last night as he stopped 33 of 35 shots. Rask’s numbers have gotten skewed given the poor defense played by the Bruins in the first round, but he has been an excellent for them and has kept them in every game so far in the postseason. You really can’t ask for more from your goaltender. Rask is a top 5 goaltender in the NHL, and for those who doubt him, just watch him.

Game 2 is on Sunday, and the Bruins will have to bring the same or better effort to what will be a huge game. It is not in the B’s best interest to go back to Madison Square Garden with the series tied. Henrik Lundqvist took personal responsibility for the loss in game 1, which to me is pretty ridiculous. The guy is incredible, and he took responsibility for the game after keeping his team in it. The Bruins out shot the Rangers 16-5 in the overtime period. You can also expect guys like Brad Richards and Rick Nash to get in on the scoring, they are too talented to be held scoreless.

Overall I was really impressed with the way the Bruins played in game 1, and I expect them to carry that momentum with them into game 2. It is unclear as to whether or not Dennis Seidenberg, Andrew Ference, and Wade Redden will return, but the B’s beat the Rangers with three rookie defensemen in their lineup. I believe the Bruins are coming together after an indifferent regular season and first round. We may have a team here that is starting to believe again. When the Bruins start believing, you should too, because I don’t think there is a team out there that can beat them in 7 when they do.

You can follow me on Twitter for all Boston Bruins news, notes, and musings here: @Mattjacob64

Boston Celtics guard Terrence Williams showed Carmelo Anthony flashes of his skills.

When Terrence Williams signed a 10-day contract with the Boston Celtics on February 18^th, he was seen as just a warm body off the bench for the injury-ravaged Celtics. The Celtics were depleted by injuries without their All-Star point guard Rajon Rondo, rookie forward Jared Sullinger, and reserve guard Leandro Barbosa. With no clear backup for Rondo, the Celtics believed Williams could fit the bill.

Williams displayed an array of skills while he was at the University of Louisville. The 6-foot-6-inch, 220-pound swingman could set up shots for his teammates as well as himself. He showed strength inside with his size and speed. Head coach Rick Pitino called him “a freakish athlete.” This led to the then-New Jersey Nets using their 11^th pick in the 2009 NBA Draft on Williams.

Since Williams has entered the league, he has been unable to showcase the skills that led him to the NBA because of his immaturity. He had bouts with former Nets head coach Avery Johnson that led to him being sent down to the NBA Development League in 2010. He was eventually released by the Nets. The four-year veteran bounced around the league with the Houston Rockets and Sacramento Kings before he was cut by the Detroit Pistons last summer.

In the 2012-’13 season, Williams played overseas in China. He averaged 17.9 points, 4.1 assists, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.2 steals while playing for the Guangdong Southern Tigers in the Chinese Basketball Association. Williams was on the court for 29 games for the Tigers before he was replaced by Donald Sloan in the final two games of the regular season.

His performance in the CBA and the Celtics’ need for a reserve guard led him back to the NBA. Despite the limited time he spent on the court, the Celtics liked his potential to sign him to a multi-year contract in March. Williams played in 24 games in the regular season  with the Celtics and he shot 49.5% from the floor. In the Celtics’ first round loss to the New York Knicks, Doc Rivers gave Williams a few critical minutes in the fourth quarter of Game 5 when Williams replaced Kevin Garnett. He was able to allow the Celtics to regain a double-digit advantage at 80-67. Williams scored four points, collected four rebounds, and dished out two assists in less than 17 minutes of action.

After the Celtics season ended, the future of the team is up in the air whether the Celtics will keep Paul Pierce and Garnett or if they will rebuild. Williams has shown he is capable of producing on the biggest stage and the Celtics hope to see more of Williams’ instincts when training camp arrives in the fall.

The Bruins and Rangers short postseason history is highlighted by the 1972 Stanley Cup Finals.

The Boston Bruins and New York Rangers get set to drop the puck and begin their second-round NHL playoff series on Thursday night. This series will add another chapter to the playoff history between the two proud franchises. It’s a history that’s surprisingly thin over the last 45 years, but there was one battle that was particularly memorable, and it was when the B’s trumped the Rangers in the 1972 Finals and won the Stanley Cup.

To get some context on Boston sports in 1972, it’s important to remember that for a tight window in the early 1970s, the Bruins carried the city’s hopes. The Celtics had a brief drought following a 1969 championship that wouldn’t end until the following year. The Red Sox hadn’t seriously contended since the Impossible Dream run of 1967 and when they lost of 11 of 17 early, there were no signs that the ’72 edition would hang in the AL East race to the penultimate day of the season. But the Bruins—well, they had already won the Stanley Cup in 1970 and were loaded with All-Star talent.

Phil Esposito led the NHL in scoring in 1972, with 66 goals and his 67 assists were second-best. The leading assist man was a Bruin who would have an even greater place in franchise lore, that being Bobby Orr. John Bucyk and Fred Stanfield were solid complementary scorers on an attack that was the proficient in the league at lighting the lamp. Gerry Cheevers did solid work in goal and the Bruins rolled to a 54-13-11 regular season record, then only lost one game in the opening two playoff rounds as they blew through Toronto and St. Louis to reach the Finals.

New York was not without star power of their own, and their own offense trailed only Boston in goal-scoring proficiency. Jean Ratelle led the way at center, and actually scored more even-strength goals than did Esposito, who piled up numbers on the power play. Vic Hadfield was a 50-goal/50-assist man, and Rod Gilbert joined him in ably filling Ratelle’s flanks on either side. And the Rangers had an All-Star defenseman in Brad Park.

The Rangers eliminated Montreal in six games, and then took out Chicago in four straight. Doing so gave them one victory over an Esposito—Blackhawk goalie Tony, who like brother Phil, was destined for the Hall of Fame. Now the Rangers were looking to complete the parlay.

The Boston-New York final is filled with irony that we now understand in retrospect. Four years later the key players in this series would be traded for each other. Esposito was the prime piece in a deal that sent him to the Rangers and brought Ratelle and Park to Boston, where both would be crucial parts of teams that reached the Finals in 1977-78 before running into what became a Montreal buzzsaw. But when the ’72 Finals began, that was still a ways off.

Boston had home ice and came out blazing in Game 1, building up a 5-1 lead. They scored two goals on the same power play—New York’s power play. Ken Hodge, who had been more of a passer than a scorer for Boston, delivered a hat trick. But in a sloppy game, the Rangers rallied and tied it 5-5. It was left to another unlikely hero, Ace Bailey, who’d scored just nine goals all year, to get the game-winner and save the B’s.

Phjil Esposito led the NHL in scoring in 1972 and led the way against a team he would be traded to four years later.

The Rangers made a goaltending change for Game 2 and it worked well, but Cheevers worked even better, as the Bruins took a 2-1 decision. Park came out ramped up for Game 3 back in Madison Square Garden, scoring two early goals to key a 5-2 win that put New York back in the series. But Boston turned around with a 3-2 victory in Game 4 that put them in control and with a chance to clinch in front of the home fans.

One can only imagine how loud the old Garden must have been after two periods of Game 5 when Boston led 2-1. But it was not to be—at least not on this night, as New York’s Bobby Rosseau scored twice in the final period and stole a 3-2 win.

At times like this you want your goalie to stand up big and that’s exactly what Cheevers did in front of a hostile crowd in Game 6. New York could get nothing offensively. Orr scored a first period goal, the last of his four goals for the Finals. He assisted on another, the last of his four Finals assists. When the Bruins grabbed an insurance goal 3-0 it was enough get Orr the Conn Smythe Award and the Bruins their second Stanley Cup in three years.

New York exacted a modicum of revenge one year later, beating Boston in a five-game series in the quarterfinals, although I suspect most Bruins fans would gladly trade what was then a first-round series for a Stanley Cup Final. The teams should have met for the championship in 1979, but one of the most infamous losses in Bruin history prevented it—a Game 7 loss to Montreal in the semi-finals caused by having too many men on the ice and enabling Montreal to score the tying goal with less than three minutes left and then win in overtime. As it was, the Canadiens got the chance to dispatch an over-their-head Rangers team in that year’s Finals.

Believe it or not though, that’s it for recent Bruins-Rangers playoff history. No big matchups since the ’72 Finals. No matchups at all since the ’73 quarters. A fresh installment starts Thursday night.

Bobby Orr won the Hart Trophy in the regular season, the Conn Smythe in the playoffs and added to his Boston legend.

Bruins’ alternate captain Patrice Bergeron breaks down his winning “Golden Goal” in Game 7 versus the Leafs.

How can you not believe after this?