I hope the committees/voters of all the NHL awards were watching this game. They would have seen why Tim Thomas deserves the Vezina (best goalie), why Zdeno Chara deserves the Norris (best defenseman), and why Claude Julien deserves the Adams (best coach).
Tim Thomas made 26 saves, and 3 or 4 of them were game changers. 18:10 into the 2nd, he stopped a breakaway opportunity from Ryan Bayda, that would've made it a 3-2 game, and given Carolina some momentum going into the 3rd. He made two more ridiculous stops in the final period, protecting a 2 goal, then a 3 goal lead.
Nicklas Lidstrom and Mike Greene have the scoring stats covered in the Norris Trophy race, but Zdeno Chara puts the defense in defenseman. He uses his unprecedented reach and unbelievable leverage to make plays. Eric Staal was a non-factor tonight, thanks to Chara's blanket coverage.
And props to Claude Julien. After a mediocre 1st period, he shuffled some lines, and the Bruins adjusted their approach. They were more aggressive against Cam Ward, taking more "bad" shots. They spent more time near the net (Lucic owned the crease tonight), hit harder, forechecked more aggressively, and clamped down in the neutral zone.
And maybe there should be a Ryder Trophy for best quiet free agent acquisition that turns out to be fucking amazing. Or something. Because Michael Ryder has been nothing short of amazing, in all three zones. His unassisted goal in the 2nd was the game clincher. 5th goal in 5 playoff games this year. He also got an assist on Krejci's 1st period score.
I loved how opportunistic the Bruins were in this game, moving players in and around the low slot and the crease. Lucic screened on Krejci's 1st period goal. Marc Savard's first goal was a product of him being in the right place near the net. And if a puck bounces here or there, the Bruins could have easily scored 5, 6, or 7 goals tonight.
But it's not all sunshine and flowers from Game 1. There was some rust, and some poor play. Steve Montador had a forgettable game. He struggled getting the puck out of the zone, which had been his greatest strength, so probably just some rust.
The power play was confused. The Bruins didn't seem to know what exactly they were trying to do. But I think they're simply testing different things, sniffing around for weaknesses, not allowing Carolina to become used to one way of doing things. The power play will improve as the series progresses.
Marc Savard's goal in the 3rd period came after a sequence of Hurricane and Bruins turnovers. And although the goal was terrific, and the shot was of Navy SEAL vs. Somali pirate quality, the play leading up to it was sloppy.
The B's were sometimes too fancy on their multitude of breakaway opportunities. They seemed to respect Cam Ward too much, trying to create the perfect shot instead of simply letting loose and seeing what happened. An several odd man rushes, the Bruins didn't even get a shot off. That's inexcusable.
But, all the problems displayed by the Bruins were quite fixable. And I think they will be remedied. And even with those problems, the Bruins were clearly the superior team. The Hurricanes shied from 1-on-1 battles, and struggled mightily to pass the puck out of their own zone.
Game 2 is Sunday night at 7:30 and it's ONLY on Versus. If you don't get Versus, the radio guys do an excellent job describing the action on WBZ 1030 AM in the Boston area.
Yeah, I have Versus and I'm fucking pissed that the game is not available in New England households. Fuck that shit.
But on the bright side, first 5 game playoff winning streak for the Bruins since 1992.
-The Commodore
Friday, May 1, 2009
Bruins 4, Hurricanes 1
Last Minute Bruins/Hurricanes Preview
It‘s Bruins/Whalers, another classic Adams Division rivalry rekindled in this 2009 playoff season. In their last series, the B’s beat the Habs in the playoffs for only the eighth time in 32 attempts. When it comes to Bruins vs. Whalers/Hurricanes, however, it is the Bruins who have had the decided postseason edge, winning all three series played.
In the 1999 Conference Quarterfinals, the Bruins beat the Hurricanes in 6 games. Until the recent 4 game sweep of Montreal, this had been the last Bruins’ triumph in the playoffs. In 1990 and 1991, the Bruins handled the Whalers in the opening rounds, with some classic games mixed in.
The Whalers left Hartford for Raleigh in 1997. They’ve garnered a passionate fan base, and won the Stanley Cup in 2006, something the team never did in Connecticut. Current Bruins Mark Recchi and Aaron Ward were on that team. These two provide the bulk of the playoff experience on the Bruins’ roster.
The Bruins beat the Canes four times in four games during the regular season. The scores were 4-2, 4-2, 5-1, 5-1. Highlights of these games (BTW, thank you NHL for not being jerks like the other leagues and allowing hockey highlights to remain on YouTube):
But since the last time they met (on February 17), the Canes won 18 of 25 games to close the season. They defeated a tough New Jersey side. They have momentum, and a bit of that Stanley cup magic. They were all-but eliminated, on New Jersey’s ice, and beat Martin Brodeur twice in 80 seconds. They have a Conn Smythe Trophy winner in Cam Ward. That’s a powerful card to have up one’s sleeve.
But the Bruins aren’t suckers. They’ll be rusty when the puck first drops, and perhaps a little sluggish after a short but emotional series against Montreal. Unfortunately for Carolina, Phil Kessel is on his game, scoring 4 goals against the Habs, not to mention his hat-trick in game #82 of the regular season. David Krejci also had a good opening series, and has 3 goals with 4 assists against Carolina this year. Andrew Ference could be back from his injury, deepening a defensive corps that needs to be stronger at the bottom. And Timmy Thomas, well he’s the only Vezina finalist still playing.
On paper, the Bruins are heavy favorites. But hockey is played very far away from paper. One possible scenario is that a rusty Bruins team struggles to get going, the Canes win a game (or two) in Boston, an inexperienced Bruins squad can’t handle the adversity and folds. I don’t think it will happen, but it’s a possibility. That being said, even if Carolina won the first two games of the series, my money would still be on the Bruins to win.
Bruins in 5.
-The Commodore
Hawks Announcer Making Fun of D-Wade
This speaks for itself ... Hawks announcer Steve Holman was a little too unkind to the Heat and Dwayne Wade after the other nights playoff game. He overexaggerated several plays, and went as far as calling Wade "untouchable", insinuating he usually gets calls in his favor just for the fact that he is a high profile player, etc.
I personally thought this was kind of hilarious, but I can't see the NBA feeling the same way. The Hawks lead the series 3 games to 2, pivotal game 6 tonight @ 8.
Who Is This JJ Redick Guy?
The Magic played without star center Dwight Howard last night and it hardly seemed to matter. They were easily able to close out the 76ers in dominating fashion but the real story of the game was spot starter JJ Redick.
How's this for filling out a stat sheet - 31 minutes, 15 points on 5 for 9 shooting including a blistering 5 for 7 from behind the arc, 3 boards and 4 dimes. Not bad for a scrub and easily the reason the Magic were able to over come the loss of two starters.
JJ's contract is up after this season. It will be nice to see him on a team that gives him more opportunities to shine like he did last night.
Pooping Out Cocaine
Stories like this is why I read the news...
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police say it took a suspected Toronto drug mule three weeks to excrete 76 tampon-sized packets of cocaine into a bedpan. Once in custody, Gulamhusein required six trips to a hospital for X-rays and CT scans, and refused to allow doctors to surgically remove the large packets, McCrory said. He did consent to taking laxatives, which she said resulted in a "24-hour bedpan vigil," the report said.
"The doctors said that if one of these became compromised inside him, there was nothing they could do for him," McCrory said. "We didn't need any more evidence -- he was pooping dope, so we were good to go -- but we were very concerned for his health."
He passed nearly two pounds of cocaine with a street value of about $100,000, the RCMP said (upi.com).
HAHAHA, dude that is a shit load of coke. The best is that they had to give this guy a ton of laxatives. That must of sucked, he was shitting his brains out, knowing that he is going to be arrested, and if one of the packets opened he was a dead man. Now that I think about it this idea sucked to begin with...
Speaking Of Lesbians
KELLY McGillis (above) has finally 'fessed up to what we've known for years -- that she's a lesbian. Asked by lady-loving Web site SheWired.com whether her next relationship would be with a man or a woman, the twice-divorced "Top Gun" star, 51, replied: "Definitely a woman. I'm done with the man thing. I did that. I need to move on in life."
This story is completely irrelevant, and the only reason I put it up is because I liked Top Gun. F Off.
An Interesting Thought...
Bill Williamson of ESPN recently wrote an article that made a lot of sense to me. Basically says that he thinks the Cheifs should go after Boldin and Edge. Upon further thought I agree with this.
Think about it...Pioli just took over. He is looking to make a system that is much like the Patriots. Larry Johnson is declining, and almost everyone in the NFL uses a 2 RB system. You add guys like Boldin and Edge to a team that already has good leadership built in with Vrabel, Zach Thomas, and Cassel (much like how the Patriots added Dillon, Moss, ect with Brady, Bruschi, Troy Brown, ect). It is really an interesting thought, and if somehow they did do this they would suddenly be right in the middle of the playoff hunt instead of having to rebuild for another 2-3 years. Just a thought, but certainly an interesting one.
Peppers A No Show At Camp
"Disgruntled defensive end Julius Peppers was a no-show at the start of the Carolina Panthers' three-day minicamp (Sportsline)."
Peppers wants to be traded. He was pissed when they franchised him, and refuses to sign the contract, which is actually kind of stupid. If he signed the contract the Panthers might actually be able to trade him, but for right now any trade that comes through actually has to go through Pepper's agent instead. I hoped earlier that the patriots could find a way to get their hands on him, but they have come out and stated that they do not negotiate trades with agents, so until he backs down and signs the contract he is not coming here. Some how they will get fixed by the time the season starts. Peppers said he wants to go to a 3-4 defense, so don't rule out a team like the 49ers figuring out a way to get him.
More caught on TV funniness
A response to BMack's great hockey video
...and yes I know the kid in the video.
Stanley Cup Roundup: Day 16
Only one game Thursday night, but it was a hell of a game. I got to watch the 3rd period once the Celtics ended, and it was insane.
VANCOUVER CANUCKS 5, CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS 3
(Vancouver leads series 1-0)
The Canucks jumped out to a 3-0 lead, and took it into the 3rd period. But the Blackhawks figured out Roberto Luongo (who found himself out of position a few times). Patrick Kane scored 1:01 into the 3rd, opening up some possibilities. The Blackhawks have some confidence to them, and they don't collapse once they're down. Halfway thru the 3rd, Kane scored again. Then Dave Bolland got the tying goal and Vancouver seemed to be on the fast track to a devastating Game 1 loss.
BUT, Vancouver is just as resilient as Chicago (which is why this series will go 7 games). Sammi Salo capitalized on a rebound, and netted the game winner with 73 seconds to go. An empty-netter erased any doubt.
This series is going to be fun to watch.
Friday's games:
7:00 PM - Ducks @ Red Wings - Vs.
7:30 PM - Hurricanes @ Bruins - NESN
Jose Canseco to Fight MMA?
There has been increased speculation that Jose Canseco may actually be considering fighting mixed martial arts for the DREAM association, a competitor to the likes of UFC, Strikeforce, etc. DREAM already announced the bout between Canseco and his expected adversay Hong-Man Choi scheduled for May 26th. Canseco's Manager said DREAM had jumped the gun by officially announcing the fight, but stated it will most likely be a sure thing in about a week or so.
I think Canseco will actually do this. Despite being a snitch, he has told the truth for the most part, so I would assume he is ready to go through with this. He obviously needs the money, and he seems like he could hold his own in a fight. I personally would love to see Canseco get knocked on his ass.
I Guess This Is Dismissal Worthy
Another one of Bob's scumbag teams, has another controversy around one of their scumbag players. UNC has released safety Angelo Hadley from his letter of intent to play football for the Tar Heels in the fall. Hadley and his two brothers — Aubrey Elijah, 20, and Adrian, 24, — broke into a Hillsborough County residence and stole assorted jewelry, cash and a shotgun, totaling over $17,000, according to the sheriff's office report.
Angelo Hadley was having sex with 14-year-old female at the residence while his brothers committed the burglary, according to the report.
This goes to show you that these are the scumbags that BMack likes. People who break into houses and have sex with 14 year old girls. Actually, wait a second, that is exactly what I did when I was that age too. Small world.
Garnett Offically Out For Playoffs
We all knew this, but finally we can stop the conspiracy theories that KG was somehow going to heal himself. He needs surgery, get over it...
"Don't expect the Celtics to have a Willis Reed moment in Game 7 tomorrow night. Kevin Garnett will not only not be available tomorrow but is done for the season, according to Celtics president Danny Ainge. Ainge said in a text message early this morning that the injured All-Star will not be returning for the rest of the playoffs (Boston.com)."
It is not like the Celtics need any more bad news after last night, but at least maybe now the Celtic players will not have to field questions about KG every 5 mins...
127 Celtics, 128 Bulls
This is really painful for me to write, but I'll deal w/ it. Before I even get into how great Ray Allen was last night, we have to give props to the Bulls. Yes, even us Celtics fans. The Bulls did what no one thought they could do and force a game 7 in Boston on Saturday night. The MVP for the Bulls was John Salmons. I specifically wrote yesterday that the Celts can't let this guy get going but that's exactly what he did. He lit the Celts up for 35 points last night, going 13 for 22 and 5 for 9 from behind the arc. Brad Miller, a man who clearly doesn't get laid, was clutch last night. The problem for the Celts however is that they let him. They gave him wide open looks and allowed him to get a lay-up at the end of regulation. Derrick Rose played older than his age again by scoring 28 points and dishing out 7 assists. But he should have because he barely had to work on defense due to Rondo's lack of aggressiveness. As much as I hate Noah, he's a tough player who loves the game and came up with the biggest steal of the game, slamming it down in the 3rd overtime. I hate the Bulls but give them their props.
I used to respect Chicago as a tough city with a passionate love of sports. But last night was ridiculous. They were screaming at Rondo all night and bitching over every call. Are you fuckin kidding me? Newsflash people: Rondo's hit on Brad Miller in Game 5 was not that bad! A 6-1 guard tried to block a 7-0 center. He inevitably missed and hit his face. There was no malicious intent, nor did he hit him that hard. Grow up the fuck up Chicago and tell your lovable Brad to stop being a pussy. Did you see the hit from Thomas last night on Pierce? That was harder than Rondo's. Pierce had to leave the game bleeding and get stitches inside his nose. Did he bitch? No. Will the Boston fans scream at Thomas all night? No. These are hard playoff fouls. No big deal, stop bitching. And I'm sorry. I love Tommy, but even he needs to stop bitching. WHO GIVES A FUCK WHAT THE BULLS PUT ON THEIR BLACKBOARD BEFORE GAMES. WHO CARES IF THEY WANT TO BE PHYSICAL! Be more physical and keep your composure. The officiating has been terrible, but can we please stop bitching and play basketball. There are way too many bitch fouls being called and it makes me not even want to watch the game. But they are being called, so deal with it and play better and tougher.
Ray Allen played out of his mind last night. He had a career playoff high 51 points and killed Chicago all night. The shots he hit were incredible. It's not like he just hit wide open shots and lit them up. He drilled greatly contested shots all night and was unstoppable. My personal favorite was the one over Noah in the corner. He had an amazing season and is having an even better playoffs so far. Any idiot that worried about him after game 1 clearly doesn't know Ray Allen or basketball.
Big Baby also stepped up and made huge clutch shots. His 23 points on 10 of 18 shooting was impressive. He is making a name for himself on the national stage, and I expect him to get paid next season. The Truth played well but didn't dominate like I thought he was going too. He still ended up with 22 points but only shot 5 for 13 from the field. If Ray didn't play like Larry Bird, then they would have been smoked. Pierce is better than that and needs to step up. I have faith in Pierce and expect him to come through in game 7, just like last year's game 7 against Lebron. I usually shit on Scal and hate when Boston fans jizz all over him when he touches the ball, but he played like a true professional last night. He gave the Celts some life off the bench and didn't allow the Celts to get in a larger deficit than that what they already were in.
The biggest disappointment for the Celtics was Rajon Rondo. Yes, he had 19 assists and 9 boards, but his offense was stagnant. He was not aggressive and did not make Rose work on the defensive end. The Celtics are at their best offensively when Rondo is aggressive. He can get into the lane at will and either create for himself or penetrate and dish when the Bulls have to switch. I don't know if the Chicago crowd got to him or not, but he was not aggressive and the offense suffered because of it.
People will pick and choose plays here and there. There's a lot of woulda coulda shoulda. But I think that's bull shit. The game is 48 minutes, and the game shouldn't have even made it into overtime. Why? Because the Celts didn't play the way they are capable of playing. They still couldn't guard a pick and roll. The were not aggressive and did not go to the basket. The refs were calling pathetic fouls early in the game, so any smart basketball team should try and go to the basket and get fouls. But they took way too many jump shots. Ray was amazing, but others needed to go to the basket. They didn't take advantage of the refs' bad calls and let Chicago off easily defensively. Their offense in the 4th quarter has not been fun to watch. There is still 4 minutes in the game left. Why do they play like there's only 44 seconds left? Their aggressiveness offensively was not there last night and the Bulls capitalized. Also, Chicago's bench outscored the Celtics 35 to 11. Unacceptable.
Great game but a tough loss. However, is there really anything better than a game 7 on a Saturday night in Boston?
Patriots Trade For Alex Smith
"The New England Patriots have obtained tight end Alex Smith from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Patriots gave up an undisclosed pick in next year's NFL draft for the four-year veteran, who was drafted by the Buccaneers in the third round in 2005 (Sportsline)."
Smith is a decent pass catching tight end, who in his career has 129 receptions for 1,252 yards and 11 touchdowns in 58 games. Even though his stats don't jump off the page he is a very good blocker and might be the sign of a change in philosophy in the Patriots offense. Over the past couple of year the Patriots have been almost exclusively a passing team, but with this addition and the addition of Chris Baker the patriots might be getting away from speedy more WR then TE type of guys like Watson and Thomas. It will make camp every interesting, because the Patriots now have 5 TEs on their roster (Chris Baker, Benjamin Watson, David Thomas, Tyson DeVree, Brad Listorti, Alex Smith), you would think they will keep three...
Instead Of Doing A Celtics Recap
I'm just going to put up a bunch of clips of terrible things that happened to people.
Bobby will have the real recap up later
Rays 13, Red Sox 0
When do we start to worry about Josh Beckett? If his next start is a dud, then that's when we'll worry. If you remove his Opening Day start, Beckett is 1-2, with a 7.94 ERA.
Beckett and the Red Sox decided to cheer up the struggling Rays with an easy win, a 13-0 crushing that didn't see a Boston baserunner until Ellsbury reached on an infield single in the 7th.
And that was IT for the Red Sox offense. They were essentially no-hit by Matt Garza and Grant Balfour. 1 for 27 as a team, with just that single. On the bright side, they only left 2 men on base.
J-Lo also decided to pump up his ERA with 5 earned runs exchanged for 1 out. I love how people are just now realizing how much he sucks. I've been hyper-critical and spiteful of him for 3 years now. He blows and doesn't deserve to be on this team. I'd rather Theo track down Hipolito Pichardo in the sugar fields of the Dominican Republic and give him J-Lo's roster spot. Or keep Van Every out there in the pen.
Justin Masterson faces 0-3 Andy Sonnanstine Friday night at 7:38. Yeah, 7:38. Fucking Tampa Bay Rays are horrible like that, aren't they? How about the inflated attendance figure of 20,341 tonight? No way were 20,000 people there. And even if they were, that's pathetic when you have the AL Champions rematching the team they beat in the ALCS. Tampa Bay doesn't deserve a Major League team.
-The Commodore
Chick Of The Day
Today's chick is Kerrie Lust, and I would like to lust all over her face.
For more Kerrie Click Here