Sports Redux: A Bruin Bummer

Is it just us, or does it seem like whenever the Bruins have the spotlight to themselves, they lose? When they play the same night as the Celtics, or Patriots, they're fine, but give everyone else the night off, and it feels like we always have to lead with a Bruins loss. Maybe it's just us. But they deserve better.

They certainly deserved better last night, as they dropped a 4-3 OT game in Toronto. Tim Thomas got snookered by Darcy Tucker and Nik Antropov while the Leafs had a two-man advantage (if you want to hear some cursing in French, ask coach Claude Julien why the Leafs were given a two-man advantage), to tie the game at 2, then take the 3-2 lead.

Zdeno Chara's last-minute goal (with net emptied) forced overtime and clinched at least one point for the Bruins, but one point is all they'd get, as Tucker hit the game-winner at 3:36 and denied the B's that second point, which hurts. Since there are currently 232 hockey teams within three points of that 8th and final Eastern playoff spot. The B's are off until Tuesday, when they happily have a chance to be overshadowed by the beginning of the Celtics' West Coast trip.

Last night was Contest Day at the NBA All-Star Game in New Orleans. Old friend Gerald Green won style points defending his Slam Dunk title; he did one dunk in his socks and on where he blew out a candle above the rim before dunking the ball. But the night went to Orlando's Dwight Howard, even if he did have to wear a Superman cape to do his tricks. Toronto's Jason Kapono won the three-point contest, catching fire enough to tie Craig Hodges' all-time record. The three-point record, not the catching on fire record.

Do yourself a favor. Instead of reading Dan Shaughnessy's column about Curt Schilling, read the Dan Shaughnessy Watch review of said column. Dan's piece reads like the instructions Perry White would give Jimmy Olsen while sending Jimmy to interview a corrupt mayor, if Perry White had just been punched in the head by General Zod.

(Photo by Adrian Wyld/AP)