Sports Redux: Hats Off To Blake Wheeler

The Bruins have a nice little streak going on, don't they? After pasting Dallas, 5-1, about a month and a half ago, the Bruins went back on the Garden ice and handed Toronto a 5-2 beating, mostly courtesy of Blake Wheeler's hat trick.

Wheeler changed his jersey number before the game (from #42 to 26; sorry, Douglas Adams), and put in goals in all three periods to celebrate. So far, we've had hat tricks this season from guys who changed jersey numbers and switched contact lenses. If some Bruin wants to change from boxers to briefs, or vice versa, maybe that will do the trick too.

Dennis Wideman and Zdeno Chara scored the other goals for the B's. Tim Thomas added 34 saves, and the hapless Leafs (kids can be so cruel) are realistic: "We're not a good enough team to be giving teams a lead like that," says forward Dominic Moore. The B's moved within one point of first-place Buffalo, who comes to town this weekend.

Speaking of games against Buffalo with first place on the line, the Patriots are preparing for yet another week with a raggedy running corps and question marks all over the field. But take heart, because the Globe tells us the Bills don't know who they are either.

Dustin Pedroia may be only 19 years old, but he's already got a nicely filled out trophy case. His Rookie of the Year award and World Series ring can now make room for his first Gold Glove, the first Sox 2B so honored since Doug Griffin in 1972. If you knew that without looking it up, our hat's off to you. Dustin took the opportunity to get P.O.ed that Carlos Pena beat Kevin Youkilis for the 1B award.

Photo by Charles Krupa/AP.