Spring Training, Part II

The weather has moderated in New England to the point where those dirty snowbanks have diminished significantly as all followers of the Hometown Nine eagerly await Opening Day.

On the 14th, the Yanks came to City of Palms for a Monday night game. Based on their starting lineup it appeared as though the Yanks sent a skeleton crew for the three-hour bus ride down to Ft. Myers. Imbedded Yankee Alfredo Aceves started for the Sox, looking for a bid to make the big club. Aceves got out of the first inning with only one hit, a single by Ramiro Peña. Highly touted Mexican lefthander Manny Banuelos started for New York against what may be the everyday lineup for the Sox. After all those years of dreading to see Carl Crawford in the batter’s box it is surely strange to see him in a Red Sox uniform. Former A’s stalwart Eric Chavez is in Yankees camp trying to resurrect a career that was derailed by injuries. He flied out to Cameron in right to open the second. Ortiz and Cameron started the second with back-to-back singles but Banuelos was able to get out of the jam on a pop up, a force and a grounder to short. Jesus Montero doubled to the right-center gap with one out in the third and scored on Brett Gardner’s double down the line in right. Banuelos was lifted with two outs in the third and Aceves was finished after four. Papelbon came on to pitch the fifth and retired the side in order. Dellin Betances hit Scutaro on the arm to open the fifth and then walked Kalish. After a wild pitch moved both runners up, Pedroia hit a comebacker to the mound and Kalish was erased on a rundown. But Betances threw another wild pitch and Scutaro raced in from third with the tying run. In the bottom of the sixth, Youkilis led off with a single up the middle and Adrian Gonzalez followed by lacing a single to right. Navarro and Spears replaced both baserunners. Another wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position and then Betances walked Cameron. Saltalamacchia then grounded into a 4-6 force and Navarro came across with the go-ahead run. Rich Hill pitched the final two innings against the Yankee scrubs and the Sox came away with a 2-1 win.

On the 15th, the Sox opened a mini-road trip starting at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland for a date with the Tigers. The Sox brought along about half of their regulars for the two-day trip. Daisuke started against Justin Verlander. Daisuke needed to have a good out as he’d been pummeled in his previous outings this spring. Jacoby Ellsbury put the Sox ahead 1-0 with a line drive solo homer to right with one out in the fourth. Daisuke was finished after five and had a great outing (2H, BB, 5K), as did Verlander (allowing only the homer to Ellsbury). Miguel Cabrera led off the bottom of the seventh with a towering homer off of Matt Albers. The game went to extra innings when Darnell McDonald led off with a homer to left and the Sox won 2-1 for the second straight day.

The Sox’ mini-road trip moved to Lake Buena Vista on the 16th for a nationally-televised game with the Braves at “Wide World of Sports” Field. Jon Lester started for the Sox against Tommy Hanson. Marco Scutaro led off the game with a homer to left but the Braves ties the score in the bottom half of the inning with three straight singles. The Braves pushed across two runs in the fifth after a couple of singles and a walk. Andrew Miller came on in relief and gave up a sacrifice fly and a single. The Sox tied the score in the seventh when Navarro and Saltalamacchia doubled and Kalish singled up the middle. Dennys (“Guapo Junior”) Reyes came on to pitch the bottom of the seventh and gave up a double to Brian McCann, a single to Hicks with the go-ahead run coming on David Ross’ bunt single up the first base line and the Braves won, 4-3.

The Mets traveled to City of Palms on St. Patty’s Day to face John Lackey and the Sox. Crawford’s single in the fourth broke the ice as two runs came in. In the fifth, the Mets touched Lackey for a run but otherwise he had a good outing (5 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K). The Sox broke it open with three runs in the fifth, started by Crawford’s RBI single. After the Sox made it 6-1 in the seventh, Drew Sutton hit a two-run shot in the eighth to make it 8-1. However, Jonathan Papelbon really struggled in the ninth, surrendering four runs on an HBP, two walks and back-to-back doubles. He was yanked after ⅔ and Eamon Portice had to come on to record the final out. It may be only a meaningless spring training game but Papelbon’s performances to date (5 IP, 3 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 5 BB, 3 K, 2 HBP) have been disconcerting.

Two weeks to go until Opening Day! The Sox had split squad games on the 18th, starting with the Tigers at home and later on in Port Charlotte with the Rays. Clay Buchholz started against the Tigers and pitched well until the fifth, with the score tied 1-1, the Tigers scored four times when Ryan Rayburn hit a three-run shot off of Okajima. Kevin Youkilis drove in a pair of runs with a single but that’s as close as the Sox would get as they were routed 8-3 in a very sloppy outing…Tim Wakefield started the nightcap in Port Charlotte and his knuckleball was quite effective until the second (!) when he allowed two two-run homers to Shoppach and Zobrist and then gave up solo shots to Longoria and Manny in the third (four homers in six at bats). Wake’s line so far this spring has been ugly (9.2 IP 16 H 8 ER). The Sox picked up three runs in the fifth when Crawford reached on a bases loaded walk and a wild pitch from Kyle Farnsworth scored two more. The Rays pushed across another run in the bottom of the eighth to come away with the 7-3 win but the story of this one was Wake’s ineffectiveness.

The Sox traveled to Bradenton on Saturday afternoon the 19th for a date with the Pirates with Josh Beckett taking the hill against Kevin Correia. Both starters were sharp in the early innings but in the bottom of the fourth, Neil Walker made it to second on Nate Spears’ two-base error and then McCutchen followed with a walk. Lyle Overbay (who killed Boston pitching last year) doubled to the gap in left center scoring both runners. After Beckett loaded the bases, Correia singled to left scoring two runs. On the play, Saltalamacchia’s throw to third was wild and another run scored with Correia taking third and the Bucs took a 5-0 lead. Correia had an ugly inning of his own in the fifth as the Sox came back with three runs on a walk, three singles, an error and a couple of sacrifice flies. In the seventh, Nate Spears walked leading off and Drew Sutton doubled to right. Spears then scored on a wild pitch but Sutton was caught in a rundown. Alfredo Aceves gave up a two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh as the Sox ended up losing, 7-5.

The Cardinals came to City of Palms on Sunday afternoon the 20th to face Daisuke and the Sox. After playing four scoreless innings, the Redbirds broke through in a big way in the top of the fifth. Daisuke recorded two quick outs before walking Albert Pujols. Matt Holliday followed with an RBI double and Andrew Miller entered in relief. Any suggestions that Miller would earn a bullpen spot were quickly put to rest as he allowed the next six batters to reach. Oh No Atchison came on and didn’t fare much better as by the time the smoke cleared the Cards had hung a 10-spot on the board. After that debacle it was time to empty the bench and let the scrubs get a few hacks out there. The bench players scratched across three runs in the bottom of the eighth, but Rich Hill (another candidate likely headed for Pawtucket) loaded the bases with two outs before getting a fly out to center. Other than that one bad inning, the Sox had to be really encouraged by Daisuke’s outing. Miller and Atchison were another matter altogether…

The Sox traveled to Clearwater on Monday the 21st for a nationally-televised game with the Phillies. It was a dreary, cold day in Boston so it was nice to catch a game from sunny Florida. As an added bonus, Jon Lester and Roy Halladay started in a duel of aces. The Sox brought along about half of the regulars for the trip, which was fortunate for those who stayed behind and had the luxury of not having to step into the batter’s box against Halladay, who easily retired the order in the first. This was another AL/NL hybrid game with the Sox using the DH and the Phils batting the pitcher. The Phils will be without Chase Utley to start the season (knee tendinitis) but Charlie Manuel put the other regular lineup to start the game. Lester struck out Victorino and Rollins to close out the first. Darnell McDonald suffered a jammed thumb in the second and had to leave the game. In the third, Lester walked Brian Schneider and Halladay reached on Lester’s throwing error to second. Schneider came around to score the game’s first run on a sacrifice fly to right. Lowrie ripped a double to right leading off the fifth and scored on a sacrifice fly to right. On the play, Ben Francisco’s laser-like throw to the plate was dropped by the catcher. Nate Spears hit a pop fly to center and there was a nasty collision between Raul Ibanez and Shane Victorino with Victorino taking the brunt of it, suffering a cut above the eye. Spears took third on the play. Halladay got the Phils’ first hit with two outs in the fifth. In the sixth, the Sox loaded the bases with two singles and a walk before Khoury lined out to left. The Phils went ahead in the bottom half on three straight singles. After Lester walked Rollins, Howard hit a pop single to left that scored two more runs and the manager came out for Lester with the hook. Matt Albers came on to strike out the next two batters to get out of further trouble. The Sox ended up losing 4-1 but Lester had a decent outing.

On Tuesday the 22nd, the Rays traveled to City of Palms for a night game with the Sox. A lot of folks thought the Rays would be cooked this year after losing Peña, Crawford and most of their bullpen to free agency, but they’ve got great starting pitching and brought in Damon and Manny for short dollars to fill some of the holes. They’ve got a terrific manager and have developed one of the best young orgainizations in the game. The Rays ought to be a lot of fun to watch this year, it’s just a shame that the fans don’t turn out at the Trop. John Lackey got the start against the Rays’ ace, David Price. In the top of the second, Manny walked and Dan Johnson took Lackey deep to give the Rays an early 2-0 lead. Jose Lobaton hit a solo homer to right leading off the third. The Sox picked up a run in the bottom half when Drew and Varitek singled and Scutaro grounded into a 6-4-3 double play. The Sox loaded the bases in the fourth but Price was able to get out of the jam when Drew grounded into a 4-6 force. Lackey allowed another run in the fifth on a single and ground-rule double to make it 4-1. The Rays picked up another run in the sixth after Lackey was relieved by Michael Bowden with two outs and a runner on second when Brignac singled to left. It wasn’t Lackey’s better outings of the spring. The Rays loaded the bases in the seventh off of Dennys Reyes, who allowed a run but got out of the jam on a 1-2-3 double play. Price was relieved with one out in the seventh and was every bit the ace on this night. Aaron Bates hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth to tighten the score to 6-4. The Rays picked up another run in garbage time and came away with the 7-4 win.

After a day off, the Sox traveled to Jupiter on the 24th for a date with the Marlins. Former Yankee Javier Vazquez started for Florida and easily retired the side in order in the first. Clay Buchholz started for the Sox and struck out two in the bottom of the first. Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit a solo homer to right center in the second to give the Sox an early lead. The Marlins came back to take the lead in the bottom half on John Buck’s two-run homer with one out. Ellsbury then hit a two-run shot to right to put the Sox back on top in the third. With two runners aboard, Saltalamacchia followed with a bases-clearing double off the left field wall, putting the Sox ahead 5-2. The Marlins came back again to tie on Mike Stanton’s three-run bomb in the bottom of the third as neither starter covered himself in glory. In the bottom of the fourth, the Marlins blew the game wide open with six runs after Stanton hit his second three-run blast and Logan Morrison hit a two-run homer. That was about as ugly an inning as it gets for Buchholz. Saltalamacchia knocked in another run with a two-out double in the fifth, but it was time to empty the benches and let the scrubs have at it. Buchholz’ line was particularly ugly (4IP, 11H, 11R, 6 ER and 4 gophers). Michael Bowden entered in relief and he fared no better as he allowed three more runs on five hits in ⅔. Stanton knocked in another run (his 7th RBI) in the sixth as the Marlins went out to a 15-6 lead…The bullpen crew got in some work in a couple of minor league games and the results were similarly ugly. Wakefield, Atchison, Doubront and Papelbon got racked around as well in their stints. Time is running short for the wily ol’ knuckleballer to get his act together…It is spring training and all, but these sort of bad outings throw up red flags with just eight days before the opener.

One week to go ‘til Opening Day…On Friday the 25th, the Blue Jays traveled to City of Palms as the Spring Training days “dwindled down to a precious few”. Josh Beckett started and gave up a long double to Corey Patterson on the first pitch. With two outs and two aboard, Ellsbury nearly made a good catch off of David Cooper’s liner to center, but he dropped the ball and both runners scored. Jesse Litsch started for the Jays, coming back from season-ending arm problems last year and had no trouble retiring the side. The Sox tied the score on singles by Ortiz and Drew, a double by Varitek and a single to right by Ellsbury. Drew and Varitek singled to open the fourth and Drew scored on Pedroia’s roller down the third base line. The Jays picked up a couple of runs in the fifth on a sacrifice fly and a bad throw to the plate. The Sox tied the score in the bottom half on back-to-back doubles by Gonzalez and Ortiz. In the sixth, Loewen then hit a two-run bomb to right to put the Jays ahead, 6-4. Scutaro was thrown out at the plate on a strike from Patterson after Crawford’s single to left. Gonzalez then singled to drive in Tejeda. Beckett pitched into the seventh before being relieved by Dennys Reyes. Beckett’s line was not so hot (6IP, 11H, 6ER, 5K, 0BB). After the Jays pushed across another run, JP Arrencibia hit a three-run homer to right and the Jays went out to a 10-5 lead. In a scary moment, Corey Patterson was hit in the back of the head by an errant fastball by Daniel Bard and needed assistance getting back to the clubhouse. Eric Thames then ripped a triple to the gap in left center, driving in the pinch runner. Nate Spears tripled in a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth and scored on a grounder to second. Papelbon struck out two in the ninth but did allow a long double.

In the rubber game of the vaunted “Mayor’s Cup” series, the Twins came to City of Palms on Saturday night (3/26). Daisuke started for the Sox, looking to build on his run of impressive outings this spring. Denard Span led off with a single and scored on Joe Mauer’s double. Brian Duensing started for Minnesota and had a rockin’ chair inning in the first. In the bottom of the second, Darnell McDonald hit a bases-clearing triple with two outs to put the Sox ahead, 3-1. Adrian Gonzalez followed with a solo shot with two outs in the bottom of the third to make it 4-1. The Sox picked up two more runs in the fifth when McDonald singled and Pedroia doubled. A ground out and sacrifice fly brought in both runners. After a pitching change, Gonzalez and Ortiz reached on base hits but Cameron flew out to center. Daisuke loaded the bases in the sixth on a single, double and walk but was able to get out of the jam by whiffing Valencia. Drew Sutton knocked in another run for the Sox as it was time for the scrubs to take a turn out there. Daisuke was finished after six and had another encouraging outing, allowing the one run on five hits while striking out four and walking one. After the Sox pushed across another run in the seventh, Dan Wheeler had a rough outing, giving up three long doubles and a couple of runs. Bobby Jenks came on to pitch the ninth and got cuffed around for six runs on five hits, capped off by Chase Lambin’s bases-clearing double as the Twins took a 9-8 lead. So, this year’s Mayor’s Cup goes to the Twins. That and two bucks will get you a large coffee somewhere…

Five days ‘til Opening Day…On Sunday the 27th, a skeleton crew of Sox traveled to Sarasota for a game with a split-squad group of Orioles. Even though the O’s sent a squad over to Dunedin for a game with the Jays, they put out what appeared to be their regular starting lineup for this game. The Orioles’ manager, Buck Showalter, recently had some disparaging things to say about Theo and the Sox’ organization, but later stated that his comments “were taken out of context”. Yeah, surrre… Jon Lester was originally scheduled to start but elected to remain back in Ft. Myers and throw five innings in a minor league game. Brandon Duckworth started for the Sox and two clean innings of work. JD Drew hit a two-run homer in the third off of starter Chris Tillman. Matt Albers (looking to win the last available right-handed reliever’s spot) allowed a run on three hits and two walks in 1 ⅓. The Sox pushed across another run in the fourth when Paul Hoover singled and Drew Sutton (who’s had a great spring) tripled him in. The O’s loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth off of Santo Luis and then Matt Wieters singled to right, driving in a pair and tying the score, 3-3. Ryan Adams then knocked in the go-ahead run on a base hit to center as Luis couldn’t get anyone out. Showalter brought out lefty specialist Mike Gonzalez to face the scrubs, so he must’ve really wanted to beat Theo and the Red Sox in a meaningless Spring Training game…

Four days ‘til Opening Day…Having lost 10 in a row, the Sox traveled to Dunedin for a Monday afternoon tilt with the Jays. Because it rained heavily in the morning, most of the regulars elected to get their work in at the minor league complex rather than making the trip upstate. The only regulars who made the trip were Pedroia and Gonzalez. After today, the Sox have one final game in Florida before playing an exhibition in Houston on Wednesday night. Matt Albers and Dennys Reyes won the final two bullpen spots as Hideki Okajima and Alfredo Aceves were optioned to Pawtucket. Kyle Drabek started for the Jays against Tony Pena, Jr. Aaron Hill doubled in Adam Lind top open the bottom of the second. The Sox tied the score in the third when Peter Hissey singled and Christian Vazquez doubled. Hill hit his second double of the game in the fourth and scored on Jun Rivera’s base hit to center. In the top of the sixth, a heavy rain swept over the Dunedin area causing a delay. After a brief pause, the managers emptied the benches and brought out the A/AA guys to finish things out. Jeremy Hazelbaker hit a two-run homer off of Carlos Villanueva in the seventh to put the Sox ahead, 3-2. Midway through the eighth, the torrential rains returned and the umpire decided that enough was enough.

Three days ‘til Opening Day…The Sox played their final home game of the spring against the Rays on Tuesday afternoon and it was also their final home game at City of Palms, their spring home since 1993. The team is building a comprehensive new facility in Lee County not far from the airport that will be ready for baseball next spring. The major league facility will be a “Fenway South”, complete with a Monster and identical dimensions to the beloved ball yard. Rather than having to shuffle players back and forth to the existing minor league complex, the new facility will have all the fields and facilities located on one parcel.

Turning to the game, Clay Buchholz’ final tuneup was a gem, as he went five innings allowing only one run on one hit. Adrian Gonzalez hit a solo homer in the bottom of the fifth to knot the score, and that’s how the game ended, a 1-1 tie. Wakefield, Matt Albers and Dan Wheeler all pitched well in relief, so it was on to Houston for one final exhibition before it starts for real.

Two days ‘til Opening Day…The Sox packed up and moved on from Ft. Myers and made their way to Houston for a tuneup with the Astros at Minute Maid Park. The 25-man roster is all set and we’re on the threshold of the most-anticipated season in many years.

Some of us go back a long, long way with this team, so when the media has hyped the team to a big season perhaps “cautious optimism” is more appropriate. While there are expectations for good year, any discussion of running away with the AL East is out of line. Each of their division rivals has made key additions and the Yanks, in particular, will always be tough. As always, starting pitching will be the key. Lester and Buchholz will be counted on to have big years, but there are legitimate questions regarding Lackey, Beckett and Daisuke. The front office seriously upgraded the bullpen, which was a black hole for the team last year but Papelbon struggled during the spring. If he falters coming out of the gate, the team’s chances could take a serious hit.

The other important factor is health. Last year, the Sox went through more injuries than the plagues of Job with season-ending injuries to Ellsbury, Cameron, Youkilis and Pedroia. Provided the lineup is reasonably healthy, it ought to be a lot of fun watching these guys hit the baseball.

Nelson Figueroa started for Astros against Josh Beckett. The roof was open at Minute Maid as the atmosphere was like a regular season game (though the crowd was pretty thin). Ellsbury beat out an infield hit and stole second to start the ballgame. Pedroia followed with a walk and hometown kid Carl Crawford lined a single to right, scoring Ellsbury. Adrian Gonzalez looped a high pop single to left, scoring Pedroia. Figueroa then walked Ortiz and Drew, with Crawford coming in to make it 3-0. Saltalamacchia then smacked a base hit up the middle, driving in Gonzalez and Ortiz and the Sox were up 5-0. In the bottom of the first, Drew made a nice leaping stab of Pence’s liner to right. In the top of the fourth, Saltalamacchia and Scutaro lead off with singles and Ellsbury delivered an RBI double down in the corner in right. After Pedroia walked, Crawford drove in a pair with a single to right. Gonzalez then singled to right to re-load the bases and that was the night for Figueroa. Beckett was finished after five, allowing only one hit, walking none and striking out three. It was, by far, Beckett’s best outing of the spring. Papelbon also had an encouraging outing in the eighth, retiring the side in order. Dan Butler (?) hit a long two-run homer to left off of former Toronto lefty Gustavo Chacin in the 9th to put the Sox ahead, 10-0. It must’ve been the thrill of a lifetime for the youngster. Blake Maxwell took the hill for Boston in the bottom of the ninth and allowed only one hit as the Sox wrapped up the spring on a high note.

Are you ready for Opening Day?

Failure

In order for collective bargaining negotiations to be mutually successful (i.e., reaching an agreement), there needs to be a certain level of trust between labor and management. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a widget factory or professional sports, all forms of collective bargaining share common principles. While it is an adversarial process with all the formalities of posturing, both sides need to believe that the process of negotiation will pave the way toward an agreement. Competing interests can often lead to frayed tempers and heated arguments but as long as both sides remain committed to resolving their differences through face-to-face negotiation an agreement is possible. It’s only natural that each side in a collective bargaining agreement demands the most favorable terms, but businesses have to make money and workers need to get paid a decent wage for the model to work. Ideally, both sides acknowledge their mutual dependence. A deal that is “fair” to both accomplishes that end. A reasoned approach understands that there’s give-and-take in any negotiation. If one or both sides remain intransigent in their demands chances are dim that common ground can be found at the bargaining table. Nobody ever wins in the case of a strike or a lockout.

With the popularity of the NFL at an all-time high, most observers would conclude that it’s simply common sense that reasonable people on both sides could find a way of getting a deal done face-to-face and allowing business to proceed as usual. Instead, they seem determined to kill the goose that laid the golden eggs. Ultimately, it is the consumer that pays the price for such folly.

In the NFL-NFLPA negotiations, there was never any trust between the parties, so why even bother going through the motions? As always, it comes down to the Almighty Buck. The owners opted out of the existing CBA two years early because they determined that the existing deal favored the players. They were then caught red-handed trying to inflate their war chests by having the networks and satellite providers pay rights fees even in the event of a lockout. Further, they demanded that a more equitable cut of the $9 billion dollar pie. In return, the players demanded independently verified financials from all the clubs as conclusive proof that the owners were losing money under the existing CBA. All the ancillary issues (rookie cap, 18-game regular season, improved health and pension benefits) are just window dressing.

Both sides had ample opportunity (two years) to address all of the relevant issues, so there is really no excuse that consumers had to be subjected to the disingenuous spin game to which we were treated on Friday the 11th. When both sides should have been engaging in substantive talks it now seems that they were merely using the mediated sessions as a pretext for litigation.

At 5:00 on Friday, the NFLPA elected to walk away from mediation and decertify, setting the stage for a flood of lawsuits designed to obtain a more favorable result through antitrust litigation. The NFL responded by locking out the players. It is a failure anytime parties are unable to resolve their differences at the table, especially so when the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service has availed its resources to resolve the issues. Who’s to blame here? What was actually accomplished during the lengthy mediated bargaining sessions? Without the benefit of actually sitting in on the negotiations, football fans are unsure of which side to believe and are the ultimate losers in this tug of war between players and owners. Predictably, it didn’t take long for the inevitable finger-pointing to start.

At this point it’s pointless for fans to try to figure out which party is primarily at fault, though for the union to decertify (“to cease operations as the collective bargaining representative of the players”) and roll the dice in court is a drastic measure. It does seem to run counter to the principles which once made the labor movement in America a great success for improving the economic standing of working families (though that seems long ago). For some of us who maintain an abiding respect for organized labor, it rings hollow for a union to legally disband when it’s convenient only to reorganize after obtaining more favorable terms as individuals. Too many people fought too hard over the last eighty years or so to see this type of charade done in the name of labor. Either it’s a union or it’s not, take your pick.

It’s worth noting that the provisions of the current CBA have been under the supervision of US District Court Judge David Doty in Minnesota since 1993, and he has generally ruled in favor of the NFLPA whenever contested provisions have been brought before the Court. But now, the NFLPA is no more than a “trade association” and individual plaintiffs (Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, et al) will now challenge the CBA on antitrust grounds. They will use the Supreme Court’s American Needle v. NFL decision (standing for the proposition that the NFL is comprised of 32 separate businesses) to argue that the League cannot impose uniform work rules without violating federal antitrust statutes. The NFL will counter by arguing that the PA’s decision to decertify was a “sham” and on and on it goes.

So rather than getting excited over the opening of free agency and preparing for the Draft (which will still be conducted in late April), the legal wrangling will commence on April 6th in Judge Doty’s courtroom. What a disgrace.

As consumers of this highly-profitable product, we are entitled to better than being drawn into a labor/management dispute which will drain already precious judicial resources. Our courts, judges and staffs have far more pressing business to which to attend than to referee a collective bargaining matter in which the parties appear not to have entered in good faith. One side seemed to be intent on imposing a lockout while the other chose a litigious strategy before showing up at the bargaining table. Shame on both sides.

Ultimately, the framework on how to proceed will be established through the competing lawsuits and the NFLPA will re-certify and they’ll go back to the table where they’ll reach an agreement. There’s simply too much money at stake and the players won’t sit still once the checks don’t show up on time.

Make no mistake, faithful reader, the cost of this folly will be borne by the consumer, whether one buys a ticket or not. Professional football is primarily television driven, and people really don’t care other than wanting their football on Sunday afternoons and Monday nights in the fall. One way or the other, the NFL will be more profitable and the players will be paid more. Who pays? The increased cost to advertisers will be passed along to consumers in higher prices for goods. One may argue that the cost of doing business would increase regardless of whether a CBA was negotiated or litigated. Despite the protestations of both sides, no regard was given the consumer. If such were the case, chances are things would've never gotten this far.

The winner is yet to be determined, but the losers are already clear—the consumer.

Japan
Words cannot adequately express the extent of the catastrophe in Japan. All we have are these images, which only scratch the surface on the horror. There is no nation on earth more prepared to withstand the effects of an earthquake better than Japan, yet no amount of preparation is adequate for a 9.0. The destructive power of the resulting tsunami was heart-stopping to witness as the force of the water destroyed everything in its path. Houses, cars and boats were tossed about like toys and the extent of the loss of lives will never be fully comprehended. All we know is that tens of thousands on men, women and children perished in its wake. The world now watches anxiously as conditions continue to deteriorate at the site of the Fukushima nuclear plant, which was seriously damaged by the quake and tsunami.

All we can do is watch and wait…and pray.

Please help these stricken people in any way you can.

2010-2011 Boston Bruins Puck Drop

…Heading Into The Stretch

Game 64 v. Tampa Bay (3/3/11):

Fresh off their best road trip in 39 years, the B’s returned home for a key matchup with the Lightning, who are tied with Boston for second place in the Eastern Conference with 81 points (37-19-7). Mike Smith started in goal for the Lightning against Tim Thomas (who just took top spot in TSN’s player rankings).

Tyler Seguin was a healthy scratch and Daniel Paille took his spot on the fourth line. The Lightning’s Vincent Lecavailer was also out of the lineup for this one. In the early going, Smith made a spectacular stop on Bergeron’s drive on a 3-on-2 break. Minutes later, Smith made another great stop of Marchand’s backhander from in close. Thomas then robbed Mattias Ritola and Lucic went off for a cross-check on the play. Stephen Stamkos (leading the league in power play goals) rang a wrist shot off the post but Thomas snared the rebound. Moments after the B’s killed off the penalty, Adam Hall was sent off for holding at 10:47. The power play didn’t produce much beyond Chara’s shot from the point and an attempt by Horton that went just wide left. Recchi nearly scored but his shot trickled through Smith’s pads and hit the post and was cleared away. With a minute remaining, Lucic’s shot from between the circles hit the post as the B’s maintained heavy pressure in the Lightning end. Even though the Lightning out-shot the B’s 10-8 in the period, B’s definitely had the edge in play.

The B’s started out the second a little sloppy in their end and Sean Bergenheim nearly scored after picking up a turnover. Eric Brewer put Tampa Bay up 1-0 at 4:04 on a slap shot that deflected off of Kampfer and into the net. Kampfer then tied the score at 6:06 on a shot from the right point that rang off the pipe and behind Smith. The goal was set up by Chris Kelly’s digging in the corner and finding Kampfer waiting at the point. Campbell then crashed the net and Downie took exception. Thornton became fed up with Downie and both were sent off for misconducts. Recchi was sent flying into the post by Martin St. Louis which caused a minor scuffle among the players. Ritola then leveled Kampfer with a heavy check as it looked like things were ready to explode. Mattias Ohlund was then sent off for roughing at 8:17. After the power play expired, Horton tripped Domimic Moore and tried to pick a fight but Lucic and Brewer had a tilt in which Lucic ultimately prevailed. Tampa Bay ended up with a 5-on-3 for nearly two minutes. Simon Gagne had a great chance that Thomas snared at the left post as the B’s did a good job killing off the penalties. Smith then made a brilliant stop on Horton’s breakaway attempt coming out of the penalty box. Seidenberg went off for cross-checking at 15:23 but the B’s once more held down the fort. Chara then knocked Bergenheim down with a heavy check and Bergenheim tried to milk it for a penalty but the referee wasn’t buying.

St. Louis had a good chance in the early moments of the third that Thomas knocked away. Smith then made a ten-bell stop of Marchand’s wrist shot from directly out in front as Bergeron made a perfect setup pass from right wing. Johnny Boychuk then sent Nate Thompson flying with a classic hip check against the boards. Brewer went off for high sticking at 9:46 but the B’s failed to register a shot on goal. The B’s then crashed the net and Lucic scored the go-ahead goal at 16:18, shooting a wrist shot over a pile of players who were clogging the net. On the play, Smith saved Krejci’s initial shot and then he, Krejci and two defensemen fell down in the crease. Lucic pulled the puck out of the pile and fired the puck high into the wide open top corner. Smith was pulled with less than a minute to go but the B’s did a great job of playing keep away and the Lightning were unable to get any shots on Thomas.


Game 65 v. Pittsburgh (3/5/11):

The B’s looked to continue their long winning streak at home against the Penguins on Saturday night at the Garden. It was another frustrating afternoon for the B’s as they lost 3-2 in overtime. Tim Thomas started in goal against Marc-Andre Fleury. Patrice Bergeron was unavailable for this game as his grandmother passed away while Matt Bartkowski filled in for Steven Kampfer, who was out with a mild concussion. The Penguins’ big gun, Sidney Crosby, also remained out of the lineup with a concussion. From the opening faceoff, Penguins aggressively forechecked the B’s and limited their offensive momentum. Shawn Thornton and Mike Rupp had a go early on and Rupp had the better of it. After a scoreless first period, the B’s got on the board first on Zdeno Chara’s goal at 7:26 but the Penguins came right back to take the lead on goals by Jordan Staal at 10:09 and Dustin Jeffrey at 11:19. The B’s came out at a high tempo to open the third period but the Pens did a great job on the forecheck to maintain the lead. Thomas was pulled with just over a minute to go and Krejci scored at 19:27 on a wrist shot from directly out in front on a perfect pass from Horton to tie the game. Moving into overtime, the B’s had a couple of early chances before Jeffrey skated around Seidenberg like he was a pylon and fired a wrist shot past Thomas to win the game for the Pens.

Game 66 at Montreal (3/8/11):

All eyes were focused on Bell Centre on Tuesday night, as the B’s came to Montreal for a big Northeast Division showdown with Canadiens. With 84 points, the B’s were five points ahead of the Habs and only two points behind conference-leading Philadelphia. The last time these teams got together (February 9th) the B’s prevailed 8-6 in a brawl-filled bloodbath. There was tremendous speculation in the media regarding this matchup and what style of play each team would employ. Tuukka Rask started in goal against Carey Price. From the outset, the B’s brought a physical style as was expected. Johnny Boychuk and Ryan White had a decent tilt at center ice at 3:11 setting the stage for the physical play which ensued. Whit was assessed the instigator though the B’s did nothing with the power play. Lars Eller put Habs on top at 8:21 when he popped in a rebound of a broken play in front of Rask. With the lead, Canadiens then aggressively forechecked forcing the B’s into dump n’ chase mode (which has proven to be generally ineffective). Late in the period, Bergeron put a shot on Price that was promising but Price scrambled to knock it away. Eller scored again at 17:37 as he was directly out in front of Rask and took a pass from Moen and fired it top shelf, 2-0 Habs. Gionta then hit the post on a drive from in close as the B’s defense collapsed on the play. The B’s had their chances in that period but didn’t finish them.

The B’s went on the power play early in the second when Tomas Plecanec went off for kneeing Lucic. The power play continued its anemic output as they were only able to muster one shot on Price. Chris Kelly was sent off for a high stick on Mara at 6:41. In true Habs’ style, Mara took a dive…and Canadiens scored on the power play at 7:15 as Gionta banged in a loose puck that trickled through Rask’s pads to make it 3-0, what an embarrassing goal. Hamrlik went off for tripping at 9:26 and once more, the power play failed to deliver. The B’s went right back on the power play as Canadiens were caught with too many men on the ice and this time managed a grand total of one shot on goal. Habs then went on the power play and scored at 15:09 as James Wisniewski fired a bullet from between the circles that blew past Rask in a blink. In the closing seconds of the period, Chara shoved Pacioretty against the board with a very rough check. Pacioretty’s head struck the stanchion that separates the bench area from the stands and was rendered unconscious. Medical attendants immediately rushed to his aid and he had to be removed from the ice by stretcher. Not that it matters, but Chara received a five-minute penalty for interference and a game misconduct. Chara is not a “dirty” player but there has been “bad blood” between Chara and Pacioretty since the last time the B’s visited Montreal and Pacioretty shoved Chara after scoring the game-winning goal. On this play, Chara did not attempt to injure Pacioretty, but his hit against the boards came in an area on the ice where players are most vulnerable.

In the midst of killing off Chara’s penalty, Marchand was hauled down while breaking in alone on a shorthanded bid and was awarded a penalty shot, a feeble attempt that Price easily turned aside. Both teams were clearly spooked by the injury as the third period closely resembled a senior men’s no-check league. The B’s finally got on the board at 13:21 as Lucic ripped a wrist shot short side that zipped through Price’s pads and into the net. Late in the period, Lucic took exception to a hit from Pouliot and was sent off for his trouble. There’s a time and place to stir the pot, but not tonight, just get this miserable game over and done with.

L’Affaire Chara:

The following day the NHL conducted a disciplinary review of Chara’s hit on Pacioretty and ruled that Chara would not be subject to suspension or a fine. Pacioretty suffered a severe concussion and non-displaced vertebrae fractures. Certainly, fans of both teams wish Pacioretty nothing but a speedy recovery. The incident was hotly debated in the media, talk shows and HF Boards but it was a freak accident, not a deliberate attempt to injure an opponent. It happened so fast that it could not have been otherwise. Predictably, the Montréal media whipped the fans into a frenzy over the incident sparking outrage among the fans of the bleu, blanc et rouge. Where was the outrage when Plecanec attempted to take out Lucic’s knee in the second period, eh? There’s nothing wrong with having a bitter rivalry, but a sense of perspective appears to have been lost. Some of us have better things to do than engage the hysteria. For a moment there, it looked like we’d have another Richard Riot in the streets of Montréal.

On Thursday, things took a ridiculous turn as the Sûreté du Québec announced that they would open a probe into the matter. It appears as if the police caved in to political pressure (and Pacioretty’s whining) in a matter in which the appropriate governing body has already made a determination. In aberrant incidents such as Bertuzzi-Moore or McSorley-Brashear, there was sufficient malum in se to warrant the exercise of judicial intervention. Pacioretty’s injuries did not result from a blind-sided head hit such as occurred last year when Pittsburgh’s Matt Cooke leveled Marc Savard (from which there was no suspension or fine). There was nothing (as buttressed by the NHL’s ruling) remotely close to requisite ill intent on Chara’s part to trigger a criminal investigation. This was not a vicious battery of a defenseless victim or the overzealous actions of a designated goon. Hockey is a violent activity conducted at high rates of speed fraught with risk. Professional hockey players are handsomely compensated to participate in this activity and players accordingly assume a risk of injury. Judicial intervention into activities on the ice is warranted only in extreme circumstances when a player commits such a blatantly wrong act of deliberately intending to injure an opponent (e.g., Bertuzzi, McSorley) that is beyond the bounds of fair (and rough) play.

Game 67 v. Buffalo (3/10/11):

Can we get back to hockey, please? Buffalo has 72 points and holding onto the final playoff spot in the East for dear life. In light of the stale offense of late, the coach shook up the lines, putting Marchand, Bergeron and Peverley on the second line and moving Recchi, Kelly and Ryder onto the third. Tim Thomas started in goal against Ryan Miller. The crowd gave Chara a rousing ovation when he stepped on to the ice for the first time. Horton had a great chance two minutes in after stick handling the puck around a defender and firing dead on but Miller knocked it away. Gregory Campbell and McCormick got into it at 2:54 and McCormick put a whuppin’ on Campbell. Thornton went off at 6:31 for interfering Gaustad. The power play lasted all of five seconds as Tyler Myers tripped Marchand and was directed to the penalty box. Leopold broke in alone on a 2-on-none after a turnover and Thomas made a really nice stop. Boychuck’s backhanded attempt then went over the net. Horton scored at 9:54 on a breakout where Krejci carried up the middle, fed to Lucic streaking down left wing and Lucic passed to Horton at the last second. Chara turned over the puck leading to a chance by Vanek that Thomas turned aside. Thomas then robbed Pominville, who had a wide open left corner that was quickly closed off.

The B’s nearly scored off the opening faceoff of the second as Recchi attempted to chop in a rebound of Kelly’s wraparound attempt. The Marchand-Bergeron-Peverley line skated well in their first shift, creating a terrific opportunity in front of Miller that went just wide. Lucic’s attempt on a 2-on-1 break with Horton that went over the net. McQuaid then turned over the puck in front of Thomas, who made two great stops in a row. The boys then scrapped in front of Thomas, with McQuaid and Mike Grier getting sent off for roughing at 5:43. Chara bopped Montador, who fell and slid into the boards and was called for boarding. After Vanek was denied by Thomas on the doorstep, Seidenberg was called for cross-checking, setting up a 5-on-3 for 1:11. Thomas made a great save on Pominville’s blast from the point and then stopped a close shot by Boyes. The Sabres were then called for too many men on the ice at 9:17 and Recchi made it 2-0 at 11:26 as Chara broke in from the blue line, passed to Ryder and Recchi tipped in the rebound. Tyler Ennis made it 2-1 at 11:53 as he popped a wrist shot over a pile and the Sabres were right back in the game. After a flurry of action in front of Thomas, Boychuk was sent off for hooking at 14:11 on a highly questionable call. Kaberle then was called for tripping at 17:08 as the officials were looking for the slightest excuse to penalize the B’s. Tomas Vanek then tied the score at 18:52 as he chipped a loose puck into the pile and over Thomas’ shoulder. McQuaid and Gaustad then had a serious go at 19:12 with both fighters landing a series of blows with no clear victor. In the closing seconds, there was another scuffle behind the Buffalo net as Lucic knocked McCormick silly (shades of Neely).

The B’s started out the third on the power play and Recchi had a great chance from in tight that Miller smothered…and that was the only chance on the power play. Campbell then put the B’s ahead at 2:18 as he knocked in the rebound of Chara’s blast from the point. The play was the result of Thornton’s digging in the corner and finding Chara alone at the blue line. Recchi was then called for a high stick on Myers and moments later, Marchand was called for tripping at 3:42, setting up yet another 5-on-3 for 1:44. The coach was thoroughly disgusted with the officiating. Thomas robbed Vanek again on a shot from in close but Tim Connolly scored at 5:05 on the two-man advantage when he tipped in a rebound of Boyes’ shot that deflected off of Chara’s skate. After the goal, the B’s had trouble trying re-establish even strength rhythm. McCormick then blatantly cross-checked Chara and there was no call. With 2:30 left, Grier had a great chance to put Sabres ahead on a 2-on-1 but the pass went just over his stick. There was another scrum in front of the B’s net as Gerbe stirred the pot with Marchand. In the closing seconds, Krejci had a chance but his shot was blocked out in front by Tyler Myers and the game went on to overtime…Peverley then had a chance from directly out in front that hit the post and then on the following sequence Gerebe fired a shot that bounced off of Thomas and Boyes was directly out in front to pop the rebound home. That’s the third time this year that Buffalo has beaten the Bruins in OT.

Game 68 at NY Islanders (3/11/11):


“Well I hope you understand I just had to go back to the island…”—Leon Russell

The B’s returned to Long Island just three weeks after their last appearance. The B’s are coming off yet another disappointing overtime loss as they opened a four-game road trip before a sparse crowd in Uniondale. Tim Thomas started in goal against Al Montoya. The B’s went on the power play at 3:25 as Justin DiBenedetto went off for tangling with Seidenberg. The only threat came when Chara’s shot from the point hit the post. Bergeron then fired a quick shot on Montoya that was turned away nicely. Matt Bartkowski was caught hooking midway through the period and the B’s PK unit did a good job of keeping the puck away from Thomas, allowing only Jack Hiller’s shot from the point. Things got a little rough as Okposo and Hamonic double-teamed Lucic up against the boards and Okposo was sent off for boarding. After the power play fizzled again, the B’s went ahead on Nathan Horton’s 20th goal of the year at 16:29 when he backhanded a rebound of Lucic’s shot past Montoya.

Thomas started off the second period with a nice leg save off of Matt Martin’s shot, skating around Johnny Boychuk on the play. The Isles came out at a high tempo and had the B’s on their heels in the first few minutes. Montoya then made a nice glove save off of Boychuk’s wrist shot as he broke in alone on a feed from Chara. Milan Jurcina went off for holding at 11:28 giving the powerless power play another crack. Halfway through, Frans Nielsen cross-checked Chara from behind into the boards giving the B’s a 5-on-3 for about a minute. Bergeron was tackled in the crease by Hamonic causing a small ruckus. Chara then made it 2-0 at 13:02 on a laser from the point on a pass from Krejci. Marchand then went off for interference at 18:45 and Matt Moulson scored at 19:58 as he stood at the left post and waited for a pass from Tavares and banged it home to make it a 2-1 game after two periods.

Bergeron opened the third with a great chance that Montoya smothered. Michael Grabner then tied the score at 1:28 on a shot from the right circle. Islanders then went on top at 5:58 as Jack Hillen’s shot from the left point went through a crowd and past Thomas. Horton and Hillen then got into a minor scuffle with Horton getting a seat in the penalty box. After the B’s killed off the penalty, Krejci and Seidenberg each had shots that Montoya scrambled to save. Thomas was pulled with about a minute left but could do little with the man advantage as Bergeron hooked down Parenteau and the referees awarded Parenteau an empty net goal. This was the first time all year that the B’s blew a lead after leading after two periods. Something is seriously amiss with this team.

Let the games begin…

Red Sox Spring Training, Part I

While most of New England remained buried under a pile of snow, the Red Sox finally began Spring Training play down in sunny Florida much to the excitement of the hometown faithful. While the goal of the spring is to get through healthy, there are noteworthy performances that determine who stays with the big club and who goes to the minors.

Wins and losses are irrelevant in the Grapefruit League, and (barring injuries) there are really not an awful lot of open jobs with the big club. Perhaps there are 1-2 competitive bullpen spots but the everyday lineup, bench and starting rotation appear to be set.

On February 26th, the Sox held their annual exhibitions with Boston College and Northeastern and easily swept both games. The following night, the Sox began their Grapefruit League schedule against their cross-town rival Minnesota Twins. Hideki Okajima had a disastrous stint in relief, allowing four runs and Brandon Duckworth didn’t fare much better as the Sox lost 8-4…On Monday, the Sox opened the home portion of the spring schedule against the Twins. Daisuke and Andrew Miller each pitched clean innings, Big Papi hit a mammoth homer and the Sox won 7-6 on Josh Reddick’s two-run homer in the eighth. Josh Beckett suffered a “mild concussion” after getting hit in the head by an errant batted ball while he was standing in the outfield. He was checked out by the medical staff and found to be all right, though he was scratched from his scheduled start later in the week.

The Sox opened March with a 5-0 win over the Twins, as both Lester and Papelbon had very good outings. The Sox manufactured a couple of runs early on before the scrubs carried on for the win…Atlanta came to City of Palms on the 2nd and downed the Sox 6-1. Of note, John Lackey pitched a couple of innings allowing one run while Big Papi went 3-3 with a stolen base…The Phillies came to City of Palms on the 3rd and came away with a 2-0 win as Cole Hamels pitched five strong innings while the Sox’ Stolmy Pimintel allowed both runs in the second inning. Of note, Carl Crawford has yet to get on base while Mike Cameron is 4-for-7.

On Friday the 4th, a skeleton crew of Red Sox traveled to Tampa for a Friday night tilt with the Yanks, and it was the first televised action of the new season. Old Friend Bartolo Colon started for the Yanks and retired the side in order in the first. Clay Buchholz started for the Sox and he, too quickly retired the first three Yanks. In the second, Josh Reddick made a nice leaping catch of Cano’s liner to left. Both starters were through after three innings, as Buchholz allowed only one single but struggled a little with his control, walking two batters in the third. The Sox pushed across a run in the sixth when Lowrie doubled to the gap in left center, was pinch run for by Oscar Tejeda, who scored on Daniel Nava’s two-out single to right. The Yanks tied the score in the bottom half on doubles by Teixeira and Cano. The Sox scored three runs in the seventh, capped off by a triple by Tejeda. The Sox made it 5-1 in the ninth as Linares doubled and scored on Tejeda’s base hit up the middle. Tony Pena, Jr. struggled in relief, allowing two runs before being lifted. The Sox were able to get out of the jam on a grounder to second. It doesn’t matter whether the result is meaningless. Any time the Sox beat the Yanks is a good day…

On the 5th, the Sox split squads at home against the Marlins and on the road in Sarasota against the Orioles. In the Marlins game, Daisuke got smoked, allowing seven runs in three innings as Florida coasted to an 11-2 win. On the road, the Sox and O’s played to a 4-4 tie after 10 innings…On the 6th, the Sox traveled to Port St. Lucie for an afternoon date with the Mets. Andrew Miller and Michael Bowden struggled in the early innings as the Sox lost 6-5. Okajima and Rich Hill pitched well in relief and the Sox got homers from Juan Carlos Linares, Tim Federowicz and Josh Reddick…On the 7th, the O’s came to City of Palms and John Lackey pitched three innings of one-hit ball as the Sox prevailed 6-5 in the bottom of the ninth when Yamaico Navarro drove in Darnell McDonald, who doubled to lead off the inning. All of the starters were replaced after five innings and Oscar Tejeda continues to open eyes as he had another hit and is 8-15 so far on the spring.

On the 8th, the Sox had split squad games against the Astros at home and the Cardinals in Jupiter. The Sox downed Houston 3-2 as Josh Beckett started and allowed a couple of runs over three innings but otherwise pitched quite well. Paul Hoover doubled in the bottom of the eighth and scored on Nate Spears’ base hit up the middle. Ryan Kalish also had a big day, going 3-3. The other squad of Red Sox then defeated St. Louis 8-7 as Stolmy Pimental started and allowed two runs over the first 2 ⅔ but the Sox came back with three runs to go ahead. The Cards then put a five-spot on the board in the fifth but Ryan Lavarnway’s two-run homer in the eighth put the Sox ahead for good. Jacoby Ellsbury went 3-4, Yamaico Navarro and Darnell McDonald both had two hits and Juan Carlos Linares reached base four times…
On the 9th, a split squad contingent of Orioles traveled to City of Palms to face Clay Buchholz, making his third start of the spring. JD Drew homered leading off the bottom of the second and then Buchholz got out of a jam in the fourth with runners on second and third with one out on a pop out and grounder to short. The O’s Joe Mahoney tripled to right leading off the eighth and scored the tying run on a sacrifice fly to left. In the bottom of the ninth, Lavarnway singled leading off, was run for by Reddick who went to third on a single by Kalish. Reddick scored the winning run after the bases were loaded and Yamaico Navarro was hit by a pitch.

The Sox traveled to Port Charlotte on Thursday the 10th for an afternoon date with the Rays. Daisuke started and had another rough outing allowing five runs over 3⅔ as the Sox lost 8-6 when Alfredo Aceves allowed three runs in the bottom of the ninth. On the plus side, Andrew Miller and Daniel Bard pitched well in relief, Mike Cameron (back in the lineup after having been out for a week with knee tendonitis) went 2-4, Nate Spears went 3-3 with a triple and Drew Sutton homered. Daisuke’s outing has to have the staff more than a little concerned at this point.

On the 11th, the Sox sent split squads on the road, to Kissimmee with the Astros and a short hop to Lee County Stadium for a date with the Twins. Jon Lester started the Twins game and allowed no runs and four hits over four innings, but Jon Papelbon wore the goats horns as he imploded in the fifth, allowing three runs over ⅓ (three walks, double, HBP). The Sox ended up losing 3-2. In the game at Kissimmee, the offense was in high gear as the Sox blasted Houston, 9-3. Dustin Pedroia doubled and tripled and catcher Mark Wagner had two triples in the winning effort.

Adrian Gonzalez made his first appearance in the lineup on the 12th as the Sox faced the Marlins at City of Palms. John Lackey started against the Marlins’ big gun Josh Johnson. The Sox started quickly as Ellsbury doubled and scored on Pedroia’s single. Gonzalez then singled in his first at bat. After the Marlins came back to tie in the second, the Sox put a three-spot on the board as Ellsbury doubled in a pair and Gonzalez hit a sacrifice fly. Drew Sutton then replaced Gonzalez, who had a pretty good debut. With one out in the fourth, Ellsbury hit a long solo homer to right to make it 5-1. Lackey left after 4⅓, having pitched very well on this day as it was time to empty the benches and let the scrubs give it a go. The Sox made it 6-1 in the fifth when Ortiz doubled, was run for by Nava, who scored on Mike Cameron’s sacrifice fly. The Sox “B” team pushed across three more runs in the sixth on a series of singles, walks and a couple of sacrifice flies as they coasted to a 9-2 win.

Josh Beckett started on the 13th as the Sox traveled to McKechnie Field in Bradenton for an afternoon date with the Pirates. After Beckett allowed a solo homer in the second, the Sox came back to take the lead on Mike Cameron’s two-run double. Lars Anderson made it 3-1 with a solo shot of his own. But Beckett had a meltdown in the fifth, allowing another homer, walk and pinch-hit double. He was replaced at that point by Oh No Atchison and by the time the smoke cleared the Pirates were ahead, 7-3. Darnell McDonald tightened things a little with an opposite-field homer in the sixth, but the Pirates pushed across two more runs in the bottom of the eighth on a double and a pair of singles off of Lenny DiNardo as the Bucs won 9-4.

2010-2011 Boston Bruins Puck Drop

…The Second Half Begins

Game 51 at Carolina (2/1/11):

The B’s (28-15-7-63) kicked off February and the second half in Raleigh for a date with the ‘Canes. Tim Thomas started in goal against Cam Ward. Daniel Paille was called for hooking at 1:14, putting the B’s on their heels right off the bat. Thomas made four quick stops as the ‘Canes hacked at the puck directly out in front. Paille exited the penalty box and broke in alone on Ward but hit the post. Ryder went off for interference midway through the period and the B’s PK unit held the ‘Canes power play without a shot. Late in the period, Lucic and Harrison had a heavyweight bout out in front of Ward after the B’s crashed the net and tempers became frayed. Ward stoned Wheeler’s chance after Thornton made a perfect feed from behind the net. Ward came back with a sensational stop of Recchi’s one-timer from between the circles. At the end of the period, Kampfer leveled Skinner with a beautiful body check and his teammates took exception, leading to the usual pushing and shoving but no penalties were called.

The second period started out at a decidedly less frantic pace than the first. Daniel Paille then put the B’s ahead at 4:14 on a tip in of Chara’s blast from the left point. Wheeler went off for delay of game at 6:07 after he knocked the puck over the glass. The B’s killed off the power play and Paille then had a quality chance breaking in alone that Ward knocked away. Thomas then made a brilliant stop of LaRose’s shot out front. Jamie McBain tied the score at 11:25 on a deflection from Samsonov’s shot in front of Thomas. The B’s defense broke down in front, allowing Samsonov a great chance that McBain tipped in. After the goal, all the momentum swung in Carolina’s direction as they peppered Thomas with several shots.

The ‘Canes came out flying to open the third and pressed hard in the B’s zone, creating a number of chances. Thomas made a great stop off of Staal’s attempt coming out of the crease to deflect away Staal’s shot. Nathan Horton then put the B’s ahead at 3:54 when he one-timed Krejci’s pass from behind the net past Ward. Bergeron then put the B’s up 3-1 at 5:06 on a slap shot from the top of the right circle as he grabbed a loose puck and fired the puck home. Marchand was then caught holding at 6:14 and banished to the box, giving the ‘Canes their fourth power play of the night. This time the ‘Canes succeeded as Joe Corvo scored at 8:05 on a blast from the blue line with Samsonov and Cole screening Thomas out in front. Carter and Tlusty broke in on a 2-on-1 and Tlusty’s shot hit the post. The ‘Canes then went into desperation mode, as they threw everything they had in the B’s direction. Thomas then robbed Cole and Sutter on back-to-back chances as the ‘Canes attacked furiously. Ward was pulled with 1:30 left and the ‘Canes maintained the attack, but the B’s defense hung tough and came away with the points. That was one exciting game…

Game 52 v. Dallas (2/3/11):

The B’s returned home for a Thursday night date with the Stars (30-16-5). Tuukka Rask started in goal against former Bruin Andrew Raycroft (who was traded to Toronto for Rask in 2006). Campbell and Ott got into it right off the opening faceoff with Campbell taking the worst of it, heading for the dressing room with his face beaten to a bloody pulp. Another fight broke out a second later as Thornton and Barch had a heavyweight go with Thornton won on points…one second later, McQuaid pummeled Sutherby with three quick rights. Four seconds in and three fights. Lucic scored at 35 seconds on a pass from Krejci and he easily fired a wrist shot past Raycroft. 45 seconds later, Bergeron made it 2-0 on a backhanded tip on a beautiful feed from Marchand. Kari Lehtonen immediately replaced Raycroft at that point. Rask then robbed James Neal with a kick save at the right post. Andrew Ference then punched out Burish with a quick burst of rights. Marchand went off for holding at 6:30 and Krejci had a shorthanded bid on which Lehtonen made a nice save. Ott had a break on the power play and Rask denied his shorthanded bid. Bergeron made it 3-0 at 9:35 as Recchi fed Marchand up the middle, who flipped the puck to Bergeron who buried it…Thornton made it 4-0 at 16:01 on a bullet from the top of the right circle. The B’s went back on the power play at 17:49 as Robidas went off for interference but the Stars’ PK unit successfully moved around the puck out of harm’s way.

Seguin nearly scored in the first minute of the second but Lehtonen held the left post at the last instant. Chara and Ott then went off for 10-minute misconducts after some pushing and shoving in front of the B’s net. McQuaid then scored but it was waved off after the refs ruled that Wheeler interfered with Lehtonen. The crowd let the referee have it with the famous barnyard cheer. Dallas got on the board at 10:36 as Karlis Skrastins wheeled around and fired a backhander through a crowd that squeaked past Rask. Paille leveled Sawada with a (sort of) blind side hard shoulder check and a scrum ensued. Paille received a five-minute major for a head shot and was tossed from the game. Rask made a couple of nice stops before Gregory Campbell’s stick was broken and, essentially down to a 5-on-3, Rask came up with another great stop. The Stars ended up with 10 shots on goal during the extended power play.

Brendan Morrow scored a shorthanded goal at 45 second on a nice pass from Ott, firing a wrist shot that beat Rask high to the right. Brad Richards came back to make 4-3 at 3:33 on a beautiful one-timer on a pass from Loui Eriksson. The B’s immediately called a timeout after the goal to regroup. Tyler Seguin scored a big goal at 5:31 on a wrist shot from the right circle that snuck through Lehtonen’s pads. The B’s went on the power play at 8:21 when Niskanen was called for hauling down Ryder. Bergeron and Chara each had quality chances that Lehtonen turned aside as the Stars killed off the penalty. Rask then came up with a big stop of Daley’s shot. Lehtonen was pulled with 2:43 left and Marchand scored at 17:40 after Bergeron nearly scored, picked up the rebound and fed Marchand directly out in front of the empty net. Eddie Shore would’ve been proud as Old Time Hockey was alive and well on this night.

Prior to Saturday’s game, the B’s announced that Marc Savard would be shut down for the season after suffering another concussion when he was shoved face first into the boards on January 22nd in Colorado. He subsequently returned home to Ontario for rest, but the B’s definitely acted in everyone’s best interests by putting Savard on the shelf until the fall. It may be a case where Savard ultimately retires as a result of repeated brain injuries. For the time being, former #1 pick Zach Hamill was recalled from Providence to fill his spot in the lineup.

Game 53 v. San Jose (2/5/11):

This was a disturbing performance by the B’s as they played without much effort or passion and lost 2-0. It seems the case that every time the B’s come out with an inspired performance, they follow it up with a dud. Tim Thomas started in goal against Antti Niemi, who backstopped Chicago to a Cup last year. The B’s were caught with too many men on the ice at 5:37 and Logan Couture on a backhander at 7:22 following a great shorthanded bid. Later in the period, the B’s had a power play that was a waste of time. McQuaid and Eager got into a scrap with Eager getting the extra minor and the win on points.

The Sharks scored midway through the second, but it was waved off due to “incidental contact” with Thomas. It was more like “steamrolling the goaltender”. The B’s generated a little pressure on Niemi during the course of their next power play but the Sharks continued cutting off the lanes and making things difficult for the offense to generate a sustained attack. Moving into the third period, Recchi had a quality long-distance chance that Niemi scrambled to knock away. Thomas was pulled with about 1:30 remaining but Setoguchi scored an empty-netter with two seconds left and that was that.

Game 54 v. Montréal (2/9/11):

The B’s were looking to rebound from Saturday’s lackluster effort against the Sharks. Jordan Caron was recalled from Providence while Tyler Seguin was given a seat in the press box. Canadiens are only two points behind the B’s with 65 points, so this game had big implications for the playoff race. Carey Price started in goal against Tim Thomas. Desharnais had a great chance early on that Thomas kicked away. Midway through the period, Caron rang a wrist shot off the post. Marchand put the B’s ahead at 13:16 on a backhander on a pass from Bergeron that beat Price cold. Seidenberg scored 12 seconds later on a bullet from the top of the right circle as he jumped up into the play and took Horton’s pass and banged it home. The goal was the result of PK Subban falling and turning over the puck. After Lucic and Moen were sent off for a minor scuff, Gomez went off for tripping setting the B’s up with a 4-on-3 power play but the B’s couldn’t do much with the opportunity. Price then stoned Krejci and Marchand on back-to-back chances. The period ended with the B’s on the power play where Lucic shoved Price as time expired and there was a scuffle in front of the net.

Lucic started the second period with a double minor and Price was hit with a minor for roughing and then Brian Gionta scored at 25 seconds as he picked up a rebound of Wisniewski’s shot and banged it past Thomas. The B’s defense completely broke down on the play and allowed Gionta to enter the zone uncontested. Habs went back on the power play midway through as Horton went off for hooking and Subban scored at 8:30 on a hard drive that deflected off of Ference’s skate and the game was tied. The goals then came fast and furious. Adam McQuaid quickly put the B’s back on top at 9:48 as he took a short pass from Horton and ripped it past Price. Yannick Weber then came right back and fought through traffic to score at Ryder then scored 31 seconds later as he took a perfect backhanded pass from Hamill and tucked the puck past Price. Lucic then scored 59 seconds later on a rebound from Krejci’s shot. A brawl then took place behind the Habs’ net at 12:36 as everyone got into it, including the goalies. In particular, Chara went after Pacioretty for a smoldering grudge from the last time the teams met. By the time the referees separated the combatants, both penalty boxes were filled and the B’s ended up shorthanded. Desharnais then scored at 12:48 on a bang-bang play directly out in front of Thomas. Lucic scored again at 14:49 on a pass from Krejci from behind the net. Kampfer was called for a cross-check at 17:52 and Habs went back on the power play, but this time the B’s killed off the penalty. That was about as wild a period of hockey as anyone has seen in quite a while.

Chara plastered Wisniewski into the boards to start the third period. After controlling the puck in the B’s zone for practically all of the first five minutes, Habs went back on the power play as Horton went off for tripping at 6:40 and Pacioretty scored at 7:06 on a beautiful pass from Wisniewski to make it 6-5. Desharnais went off for dumping Hamill at 8:06 as the B’s looked to generate (a little) offense in the period. Ryder scored but the referee waved off the goal because he saw Marchand collide with Price. What he apparently didn’t see was Weber shoving Marchand into Price. The crowd went ballistic over the bad call. But Ryder got the last laugh as he scored at 10:01 (this one counted) on a pass from Seidenberg. Marchand was responsible for setting up the goal with a rink-wide rush into the Habs’ end, advanced the puck to Kampfer, who passed to Seidenberg and Ryder banged the pass behind Price. Horton made it 8-5 at 14:54 on a pass from Krejci, as he rang a wrist shot that hit the pipe and banked in. It was Horton’s fifth point of the night and his best all around game in months. Another scrum ensued when Horton antagonized Subban (they’d been chirping and shoving at each other all night). Krejci and Pouliot fought and Krejci got pummeled. With 40 seconds left, Ference and Moen got into it and all parties on the ice got into another series of brawls that littered the ice with sticks and gloves. After the debris cleared, McQuaid beat up Pacioretty as Pacioretty turtled and then scored with 14 seconds left to make it 8-6, big deal. All in all, that was a well-executed game plan by the B’s all night long. Old Time Hockey lives!

Game 55 v. Detroit (2/11/11):

The B’s opened a home-and-home weekend Original Six set with the mighty Red Wings at the Garden on Friday night. The Wings came into this one in second spot in the Western Conference at 32-16-5- 70. For the second straight game, Tyler Seguin was a healthy scratch along with Mark Stuart, who hasn’t dressed for a game in quite some time. In a bit of a surprise, Tuukka Rask got the start in goal against Jimmy Howard. Todd Bertuzzi scored at 1:10 when he rang a slap shot low short side off the post and into the net. Cleary made it 2-0 at 3:10 when he took a pass from directly out front and fired it past Rask. Two shots…two goals. Later in the period, Cleary broke in alone with the puck but fired high and Rask deflected it away. Adam McQuaid went off for hooking at 15:29 and the PK unit responded well to the Wings’ power play (22.7%). Rafalski went off for hooking a minute later setting up a 4-on-4, where the Wings used their speed advantage to create opportunities. With a brief power play, Krejci scored at 17:53 on a pass from Lucic as the B’s offense showed more life in those brief seconds than the entire period. Datsyuk had a great chance in the final seconds that went just wide. After a really shaky start, the B’s responded and played much better in the final minutes of the period.

Jiri Hudler made it 3-1 Wings at 1:09 on a one-timer after the B’s defense broke down in front of Rask. After the goal, the B’s forechecking picked up and the offense picked up their game. Brad Marchand had a golden opportunity to score on a wide open net but the puck bounced over his stick. Bergeron went off for high sticking Datsyuk at 8:02 and the PK unit kept the Wings from putting any shots on Rask. Marchand broke alone with a great chance that Howard turned aside and then Howard stopped Bergeron’s one-timer on the rebound. Ryder was then hauled down by Kindl at 13:55 putting the B’s on the power play for the second time, but it didn’t last long as Recchi was called for hooking down Helm on a breakaway and Zetterberg scored at 16:14 on a back hander over Rask’s shoulder. Bertuzzi came right back to make it 5-1 at 16:38 when he banked a shot from behind the net off of Rask and into the net. The B’s stunk in the second period and found themselves in an intractable hole.

Tim Thomas replaced Rask to open the third period and the Wings continued peppering the B’s net. Over the next ten minutes, all the B’s did was chase after the Wings, as Detroit continued to use their speed to skate rings around the B’s. Marchand went off for roughing at 12:18 for trying to stir the pot with Eaves, but like everything else on this night it didn’t work. Chara then hooked Zetterberg 51 seconds later, setting up a 5-on-3 power play for the Wings. Lidstrom’s blast from the point hit the post before Holmstrom scored at 13:51 on a pass from behind the net and the rout was on at 6-1. Best to put this one in the books and move on.

Game 56 at Detroit (2/13/11):

The B’s tried to recover from Friday night’s disastrous outing with the Wings in a return engagement at Joe Louis Arena on Sunday afternoon. Tim Thomas started in goal against Jimmy Howard. The B’s got off to a quick start when Tyler Seguin scored at 1:29 when Blake Wheeler circled around the net with the puck and Seguin popped a backhander behind Howard. After the goal, Wings found their skating legs and intensified the pressure in the B’s end. Bertuzzi scored the tying goal at 6:09 as the Wings crashed the net, Marchand turned over the puck and Bertuzzi flipped a backhander over Thomas’ shoulder. The B’s then went on the power play and Marchand made up for his earlier gaffe as he took a pass from Ryder directly in front of the net and slid a wrist shot past Howard. After that, it was all downhill for the B’s.

Pavel Datsyuk tied the score at 3:54 of the second as McQuaid collided with Thomas, they both fell down and Datsyuk had a wide open net. Wings then used their speed and talent advantage and took control. Kris Draper scored the go-ahead goal at 12:44 when he took a perfect pass from Eaves, skated up the middle and roofed one behind Thomas. Minutes later, Thomas made a spectacular stop off of Datsyuk’s chance directly out in front.

Moving into the third, Wings maintained the edge in play, as they were able to keep the B’s from advancing the puck beyond the perimeter. Lucic took a slap shot off the leg and limped off the ice. Halfway through the period, the B’s had a couple of chances that Howard turned aside. Krejci howled at the referee when his stick was knocked out of his hands but no call was made. Bertuzzi then put the game out of reach at 13:35 when he came down right wing on a 2-on-1, took a pass from Datsyuk and slid the puck behind Thomas. Late in the game, Franzen then dumped Ryder as he broke in alone and incurred a trip to the penalty box, but the B’s power play couldn’t get much traction. Thomas was pulled with about a minute left but the Wings crowded in front of Howard and the B’s couldn’t muster a shot. These two games with Detroit were a slap in the face to any pretensions the B’s may have held as Cup contenders. Without any significant offensive upgrades via trades, this team won’t get too far in the playoffs.

Game 57 v. Toronto (2/15/11):

After the lost weekend series with the Red Wings, the B’s returned home for a date with the Leafs (who are in full sell off mode and are looking for picks). James Reimer started in goal for Leafs against Tim Thomas. Lucic had a chance 30 seconds in that Reimer turned aside. A minute later, Dion Phaneuf hit the post with a blast from the point. Ryder came back and fired a wrist shot from the right circle that damaged Reimer’s mask. Daniel Paille put the B’s ahead at 8:04 on a deflection from the side of the net that bounced between Reimer’s legs. Every time Kessel went near the puck the Garden crowd let him hear their displeasure. Lupul then had a great chance that Thomas dove to knock away. Leafs went on the power play at 15:18 after Krejci was called for hooking Grabovski. Thomas came up with a couple of big stops on shots from Lupul and Phaneuf before Chara plastered Grabovski into the boards, and Chara was called for interference. Kessel the scored his first goal against the B’s when he batted in a shoulder high rebound into the net at 17:22. McArthur nearly put Leafs ahead as Thomas turned over the puck and McArthur’s deflection went just wide of the open net. The B’s started out pretty well but Kessel’s goal was deflating.

Leafs took to the attack directly off the faceoff to start the second and Grabovski scored at 4:35 on a backhander that beat Thomas cleanly. Following the goal, the B’s couldn’t get out of their way, turning over the puck and going nowhere fast. The B’s finally applied some pressure and Lucic hit the post on a pass from Krejci. Phaneuf went off for slashing at 8:37, putting the B’s on the power play for the first time. The B’s went back on the power play at 12:26 as Aulie went off for hooking. Once more, the power play unit created a lot of smoke without much substance. Krejci took an inadvertent stick in the face from Grabovski at 16:44 and the B’s power play was back in business. Third time was a charm as the B’s crashed the net and Campbell scored on a backhander at 18:34 while Marchand was being taken out of the play by Aulie.

After both sides went back and forth for half of the third period, Bergeron put the B’s ahead at 9:08 on a wrist shot battling through a crowd following a nice pass from Recchi. The B’s were fortunate as the Leafs rung the iron twice in the opening minutes. Reimer made a great stop off of Ryder’s shot from directly out in front. Leafs went on the power play at 13:09 as Seidenberg was called for cross-checking Phaneuf in the out in front of the net. Kessel scored again ay 13:27 after he skated around Ference and popped in a shot through Thomas’ legs. Aulie went to the penalty box at 14:14 for hooking down Ryder, but the B’s power play couldn’t do much. Grabovski scored at 18:59 to put Leafs ahead as he skated past Ference and Seidenberg and roofed one over Thomas’ right shoulder. Thomas was pulled directly thereafter and Krejci had a golden chance with the extra attacker and Reimer slid across to block. The B’s lost their third straight game and now hit the road for six games. With the Canadiens’ win over Buffalo, Montreal took over first place in the Northeast, what a disappointing night.

After the game, the B’s acquired forward Chris Kelly from Ottawa for a #2 pick in the upcoming draft and there were rumors that one or two additional moves were in the works.

Game 58 at NY Islanders (2/17/11):

The B’s opened a crucial six-game road trip starting on the Island. The Islanders come into this one having won their last four straight while the B’s have gone down in flames in their last three. Chris Kelly did not join the team due to “visa problems” but will presumably play tomorrow night in Ottawa. Tuukka Rask started in goal against Nathan Lawson. There were a ton of empty seats at the Coliseum, which is a shame considering the fact that the Islanders were the class of the NHL not so long ago. But that was before Wang bought the team and the franchise has been a train wreck since. Blake Wheeler put the B’s on top at 1:52 on a backhander from a pass from Seguin. It was Wheeler’s first goal in 16 games. Adam McQuaid and Konopka had a heavyweight tilt that was a draw. Konopka was deemed to be the aggressor and picked up an additional two minutes. The power play did nothing as Rask was called on to make a tricky stop of Moulson’s shorthanded bid. Recchi made it 2-0 at 7:03 when he drove to the net, took a pass from Bergeron and the puck deflected off his skate and into the net. Daniel Paille made it 3-0 at 9:04 when he crashed the net and knocked in a rebound of Campbell’s shot from the right point.

The B’s went up 4-0 at 55 seconds of the second as Krejci banged in a rebound of Horton’s shot. Tavares finally put the Isles on the board at 1:50 as he ripped a wrist shot behind Rask. Seguin made it 5-1 at 2:49 on a pass from Thornton and Al Montoya immediately replaced Lawson in the Isles’ net. Haley was sent off at 3:33 for a ten-minute misconduct for trying to provoke a fight with Campbell, who wisely declined. Josh Bailey made it 5-2 at 5:36 on a one-timer directly out in front that Rask never saw. Just as the Isles grabbed the momentum, they were caught with too many men on the ice and the B’s went back on the power play. Lucic made it 6-2 at 7:17 when he grabbed a rebound of Chara’s bomb from the point and tucked it past Montoya.

Moving into the third, Tavares nearly scored on a deflection on a wide open net but his tip in attempt went just wide. Tavares made up for that earlier gaffe and scored at 12:57 on a rebound as the B’s defense collapsed. Montoya made a spectacular glove save on Seguin’s shot from directly out front. Two much needed points for the B’s.

Wheelin’ & Dealin’:

Prior to Friday night’s game in Ottawa, the B’s dropped the hammer with a couple of big trades. First, the long-speculated trade with Toronto for puck-moving defenseman Tomas Kaberle came to pass. In exchange, the B’s parted ways with ‘08’s first-round pick Joe Colborne, this year’s #1 pick and a conditional second-round pick in 2012 if the B’s make it to the Cup finals and/or Kaberle signs a new deal with Boston.

To make Kaberle’s salary fit under the cap, Chiarelli had to make a second trade, this one involved shipping Blake Wheeler and Mark Stuart to Atlanta for forward Rich Peverley and defenseman Boris Valabik (Providence). Wheeler and Stuart are scheduled to be RFA’s next year while Peverley is signed through ‘11-12.

Are these moves sufficient to make the B’s Cup contenders? No, probably not (after what we saw last weekend against Detroit). Nonetheless, these trades make Boston a more competitive team. It’s sad to part with young, talented players like Wheeler and Stuart (who had been a healthy scratch in nine of the last eleven games). But it was apparent that this team wasn’t going to have a fighting chance moving forward without a top-of-the-line PMD (Kaberle) or more speed up front (Kelly and Peverley). The Bruins could play like serious contenders one night and the following game not even show up. A serious shake-up was in order and Chiarelli made the right moves to improve this team.

As far as losing the draft picks and Colborne, the B’s still have Toronto’s first and Minnesota’s second in the upcoming draft. Colborne was in his first pro season in Providence and has a long way to go before cracking into the Leafs’ lineup (though he’ll probably get to the NHL more quickly there than had he remained in the B’s organization). The B’s have drafted well in recent years and have stockpiled a number of highly talented young players. At a certain point, having an abundance of picks creates organizational redundancy if they can’t occasionally be used as trading chips.

Game 59 at Ottawa (2/18/11):

The Senators have gutted their roster in recent weeks as they have fallen to the bottom spot in the Eastern Conference. Kaberle and Kelly were in the lineup for this one while Johnny Boychuk was a healthy scratch. Tuukka Rask started in goal against Robin Lehner. Over the course of the first period, the Senators outplayed the B’s but Rask was sharp when called upon. The B’s played like they had lead in their pants in that period.

Bobby Butler scored at 2:50 of the second on when he flipped in a wrist shot from directly out in front of Rask. The B’s went on the power play shortly thereafter and Marchand tied the score at 6:47 on a quick counterattack when he rang a wrist shot off the left post and into the net. The play was started by Ference, who fed Seguin streaking up right wing. Seguin saw Marchand driving toward the net and made a nice pass that Marchand one-timed into the net. To refer to the first forty minutes as “lackluster” would be an understatement…

The B’s started the third on the power play that ended quickly as Recchi went off for tripping at 30 seconds. The Sens had two great chances from Spezza in the early going. Rask then robbed Foligno on a tip-in attempt. The B’s then came back up the ice and Ryder nearly scored. Nathan Horton then ripped a wrist shot from the top of the left circle that Lehner never saw and the B’s took a 2-1 lead at 9:47. Horton then went off for holding at 11:38. The only quality chance came when Ryan Shannon nearly tipped in a shot from Spezza. Shannon then went to the box for a slash at 13:45 and Seidenberg banged in a slap shot from the right circle at 15:20 to make it 3-1. Marchand made it 4-1 at 15:52 when he tapped in Bergeron’s pass from behind the net. Kovalev scored on the power play at 18:30 on a feed from Kuba to tighten things somewhat. Lehner was pulled with 1:15 to go and the Sens had a couple of chances with 30 seconds left but Rask held down the fort. This was a night when the B’s didn’t play especially well overall, but came through when it mattered against a poor team.

Game 60 at Calgary (2/22/11):

After a few days off, the B’s winged west to Alberta for a date with the Flames at the Saddledome. Calgary is coming off a big 4-0 win over Canadiens in the Heritage Classic played on Sunday night at McMahon Stadium, where a huge crowd braved bitter cold temperatures to cheer on the home team. Tim Thomas started in goal against Mikka Kiprusoff. Thomas was called upon to make a great save off of Brendan Morrison in the first 20 seconds. Milan Lucic then scored at 59 seconds on a beautiful pass from Krejci coming down right wing. Rich Peverley made his B’s debut playing on a line with Chris Kelly and Ryder, who went off for hooking at 2:30. The first ten minutes were played at an especially brisk pace with both sides having a few quality chances.

Five minutes into the second, Tanguay broke in alone but Chara chased him down and knocked away the puck with his stick. Ten minutes in, the Flames poured the pressure down on Thomas, but he was able to hold down the fort. Ference then turned over the puck at the blue line and Iginla scooped it up and broke in but McQuaid was able to scramble back into position and knock Iginla off the puck. Kiprusoff made a nice save off of Kelly’s attempt on the 2-on-1. Glencross went off for a double minor high stick at 17:34 and the B’s went on the power play for the first time, but other than shots by Krejci and Horton that power play didn’t muster much steam.

Brad Marchand made it 2-0 at 5:55 of the third on a one-timer wrist shot from Bergeron’s behind the back pass from in front of the net. Curtis Glencross tightened things up at 17:27, but after Kiprusoff was pulled with a minute left, Lucic scored an empty netter at 19:13 and the B’s came away with a highly satisfying 3-1 win over a tough opponent.

Game 61 at Vancouver (2/26/11):

After four days off in the wilds of Western Canada, the B’s took to the ice against the Western Conference’s top seed at Canadian Media Conglomerate Arena in Vancouver. The Canucks are a real powerhouse, and much like the two games with Detroit, this matchup will provide the B’s with a test to compare how they can fare against the NHL’s best. Prior to the game, the B’s announced that they signed defenseman “Sheriff” Shane Hnidy to a contract. Hnidy had been with the B’s a couple of years ago and is a take-no-prisoners blueliner. He’ll probably go down to Providence to get back in game shape before moving to the big club as insurance for the playoff stretch.

Three of the Canucks’ regular defensemen were out with injuries. Tim Thomas started in goal against Roberto Luongo. Raffi Torres had a chance after Peverley turned over the puck but Thomas was able to stop his hard blast. Jannick Hansen went off for goaltender interference at 2:14, but other than a jam attempt by Horton, the power play was ineffectual. Ballard and Marchand had a little scuffle at center ice but no punches were thrown. Marchand was sent off for holding the stick and the Canucks went on the power play. The B’s PK unit did a good job, preventing Vancouver from putting any shots on goal. Thomas robbed Daniel Sedin on a quick shot from directly out front. Manny Malhotra put Canucks on top at 16:58 after Kaberle turned over the puck and Malhotra stuffed it in.

Andrew Ference suffered a “lower body injury” in the first period and would not return. Christian Ehrhoff went off for tripping Bergeron at 2:57 of the second but other than Recchi’s tip-in attempt the power play produced nothing. Midway through the period, the Horton-Bergeron-Marchand line put forth the best shift of the night so far, as they buzzed about Luongo and put a couple of quality chances on net. Horton then tied the score at 9:56 as he took Lucic’s pass from behind the net and chipped in a rebound of his first shot. Kaberle picked up his first assist as a Bruin on the play. Marchand went off for slashing shortly thereafter and Daniel Sedin had a great chance that Thomas stopped. After the Canucks’ power play, the game became much more wide open as Samuelsson had a breakaway off of Lucic’s turnover and Thomas made a very nice stop.

Henrik Sedin nearly scored on a tip-in in the first minute of the third. Salo then ripped a blast from the point that Thomas knocked away. Samuelsson then had a clean break but fired a shot that went over the net. Moments later, Samuelsson had another great chance but Thomas and Seidenberg chipped the loose puck out of danger. While Canucks had the edge in play in the early part of the period, momentum shifted in the B’s direction midway through. Gregory Campbell was then sent off at 11:10 for holding, and other than a couple of shots from the point by Salo, the PK unit held down the fort. Lucic put the B’s ahead at 15:32 on a rebound of Seidenberg’s shot from the point. Krejci started the play by breaking into the Canucks’ zone, circled the net and fed Seidenberg at the point. After Lucic’s goal, Canucks poured on the heat in the B’s end and Luongo was pulled with 1:30 left. Patrice Bergeron then banged in an empty netter from the red line to “put a dagger in Vancouver’s heart.”

Game 62 at Edmonton (2/27/11):

One night after the big win in Vancouver, the B’s made their way to Edmonton for a date with the last-place Oilers at Rexall Place. This game featured the first confrontation between last year’s first and second overall picks in the draft, Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin. Tuukka Rask got the start in goal against Devan Dubnyk and Stephen Kampfer filled in for Andrew Ference, who was injured in last night’s game. The Oilers have taken to wearing their sharp uniforms from their glory days in the ‘80’s. Too bad Gretzky and Messier aren’t coming through that door. Ales Hemsky scored at 1:05 on a rebound from a shot from the point as Rask continued his disturbing trend of allowing an early goal. Seguin then blocked a shot and limped to the bench. Horton and Theo Peckham then had a scrap with Peckham definitely was the worse for wear. Ryder tied the score at 15:30 on a rebound from McQuaid’s shot from the point. Nathan Horton put the B’ ahead at 18:39 on a one-timer from Krejci’s pass as the B’s worked the triangular passing in front of Dubnyk to perfection.

Edmonton started the second period on the power play that was ineffectual and then the Oilers’ Jason Strudwick was called for tripping McQuaid, holding out his leg as McQuaid attempted to skate past him. The Oilers picked up their physical play and things got chippy as Hall was sent off for roughing, but the B’s power play didn’t do much. Rich Peverley scored his first goal as a Bruin at 19:08 on a give n’ go from Chris Kelly to put the B’s up 3-1 after two.

Thornton nearly scored on a tip in but then Gilbert Brule came right back to score at 3:14 on a slap shot from the left circle. Marchand and Cogliano had a go at center ice after a bit of pushing and shoving away from the puck. Lucic and Vandermeer then had a heavyweight bout with both pugilists trading a series of blows though there was no clear victor. Both teams got a lot of energy off the bout as Gagner nearly scored the tying goal when he picked Bergeron’s turnover and then Linus Omark fired a shot that went across the crease. Jordan Eberle then nearly tipped in Hall’s pass but Rask smothered the puck. Hall streaked up left wing and found Eberle breaking toward the net. Hall then ripped a shot from left wing that sailed just wide. Dubnyk was pulled with 1:30 left, but the B’s defense held tight and limited the Oilers’ chances to a minimum.

Game 63 at Ottawa (3/1/11):

The B’s opened the month of March with the final game of their six-game road trip back in Ottawa, where they last played two weeks ago in the early stage of the trip. In that game, the Sens played the B’s tough for about two periods before imploding in the third. With the exception of Alfredsson, Philips and Spezza, Ottawa management has traded away all of their top stars as they’re looking to rebuild via the draft and, like Florida, have accumulated a ton of picks to hasten the process. Tuukka Rask (8-11-1) started in goal against Craig Anderson (16-16-3). Perhaps it was a case of jet lag, but the B’s really misfired coming out over the first eight minutes before quality chances by Ryder and Krejci. The B’s continued their ragged play as Rask was tested by shots from Spezza and Gonchar. Kaberle then turned over the puck and Foglino scooped it up and Neil nearly scored on a tip in that Rask dove to cover. Colin Greening then made a goal-saving sweep of Bergeron’s attempt with a wide open net with about a minute to go.

Neil and Winchester had quality chances on Rask early in the second as the B’s slowly came to find their skating legs. Recchi nearly scored on another practically wide open net on a pass from Bergeron but Anderson was able to kick away the puck at the last instant. Rask then made the save of the night on Spezza’s attempt. Spezza then went off for tripping at 14:02, putting the B’s power play out there for the first time and Chara had three great chances from the point but the Sens’ PK unit otherwise did a great job keeping the puck away from Anderson. In the final minute, Ottawa buzzed the B’s net and had a couple of key chances, the closest being Butler’s drive that hit the post.

Nathan Horton put the B’s ahead at 1:43 as he picked up a loose puck in front of the net and banked it in, as he and Marchand crashed the net and Anderson was overpowered. Gregory Campbell then went off at 3:24 for charging after a hard hit. Marchand made a beautiful diving block of Kuba’s blast from the left point and the B’s killed off the penalty. Rask made another great kick stop off of Shannon’s drive from directly out front. The B’s then went back on the power play at 6:50 as Condra went off for hooking. Horton nearly tipped in Seidenberg’s shot from the point, but that was the only opportunity on the power play. The Sens maintained the pressure in the B’s end, buzzing about Rask before Marchand went off for holding at 16:23. Bergeron and Campbell each had shorthanded bids before the Senators crashed the net and things got nasty between Foligno and Seidenberg. For the second time, the B’s PK unit held the Sens’ power play without any shots on goal. Anderson was pulled with less than a minute remaining and Gonchar’s blast from the point was deflected setting up a shot in front, and Butler followed that up with another, but Rask held and the B’s came away with the hard-fought 1-0 win. The last time the B’s won six straight on the road was back in 1972. And that was a very, very good year for the Bruins. A sign of things to come? Maybe, just maybe…