While the Celtics are floundering out West, the Bruins have just finished an honest-to-goodness stampede through the South. And attention must be paid.

Last night, the B's finished off a 4-0-1 Southern swing with a 5-3 win at Tampa Bay. Glen Murray scored twice, with Milan Lucic and Mark Stuart also scoring early. P.J. Axelsson took a Glen Metropolit pass and scored a shorthanded goal to put the Lightning away for good. Alex Auld wasn't quite as awesome as he was in Greater Miami Thursday, but he was close. Face it: any time you can beat a team and send the entire organization into a soul-searching shame spiral, that's a quality win in our book.

The Bruins remain tied for sixth in the East, but are putting a little distance between themselves and the 8-10 pack, and almost closing in on the 1-5 pack. Whatever it takes to avoid Montreal in the first round, since the Habs are about 43-0-1 against the B's in the last two seasons. Ottawa and Pittsburgh (two members of aforementioned 1-5 pack) come to town next.

The Celtics are fresh off their worst game of the season, Friday night's stinkeroo in Phoenix, and try to right the ship tonight in Portland. We were mightily impressed with the Trailblazers when they were in town last month, but not impressed enough not to hope the C's grind them into dust tonight. We're that worried. Happily, the Doctor is trying to keep them upbeat and ready.

Red Sox camp is quiet and pleasant. Bob Ryan thinks the Sox are the team to beat (well, duh) and includes a quote by Theo Epstein that completely puts its finger on how we felt about the Johan Santana trade rumors: "It would have meant giving up a whole generation of talent." With everyone in Ft. Myers bubbly and optimistic right now, Dan Shaughnessy needs to cut the pills in half or something, as this rambling ode to Satan can attest.

Photo by Mike Carlson/AP