Sports Redux: "He Will Make You Look Bad"

The "he" in question is Alex Ovechkin, the two-time NHL MVP and star of the Washington Capitals. The "you" in question is Tim Thomas, Dennis Wideman (the quotee), and the entire Bruins organization, which saw Ovechkin score two goals and an assist to spoil Opening Day for the B's, 4-1.

Wideman went on: "He is the hardest-working and hardest-hitting superstar in the league." And it showed. Ovechkin assisted Brooks Laich for the first goal in the first period, then scored one apiece in the second and third, while Laich added a second goal in the third as well. The Bruins finally got one on the board at 7:56 in the third when Patrice Bergeron scored, but it wasn't anywhere near enough, and the team isn't happy with themselves. "We threw it away and gradually played worse and worse," said Marc Savard. "This is not the same team you're going to see on the ice night after night. That I can guarantee," promised Coach Julien. Tomorrow night, they get a shot to show what they want to show against Carolina, the team that famously served as the brick wall to last season.

Jon Lester took the mound as thousands clutched their rosary beads, waiting to see how Les looked in his first start after taking a 423-mph liner off the leg. He looked fine. So fine, in fact, that the Red Sox won 3-0, their first win since August 17th (by our unofficial calculations) on Les' 6+ innings of 2-hit shutout ball. Other good news: Mike Lowell was back in the lineup. Bad news: He fouled a pitch off his ankle and came out of the game, but he doesn't think it's too bad. "I don’t even know what bone it is," he said, which makes us think he needs a second opinion. If not a first.

Elsewhere in baseball, the Rockies clinched a playoff spot and the Twins tightened the AL Central race by beating the Tigers. Also, if you like balks, or liked Leslie Nielsen's performance as Enrico Pallazzo in The Naked Gun, you should definitely check out Tim Tschida's masterful performance in the Phillies-Astros game the other night.

The Celtics continued practicing and getting ready for next week's preseason opener. Kevin Garnett says of his knee, "For the most part, it's going positive, man." The C's did lose promising youngster Bill Walker to a knee injury for six to eight weeks, which means someone else will have to step up to tantalize us with potential in the waning minutes of blowouts.