If this week's three-game series with the Phillies is a preview of the 2011 World Series, so far, the Red Sox can't be pleased with the results. Cliff Lee thoroughly outpitched Josh Beckett as Philadelphia blanked Boston by a 5-0 score on Tuesday. Lee allowed two hits as he tossed a complete game shutout to improve to 9-2. Lee didn't allow a hit until the sixth inning single by Marco Scutaro. Only Darnell McDonald added another single as Lee posted his third consecutive shutout. Lee hasn't allowed a run in 32 innings.
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Results tagged “zdenochara”
Two goals in the first 63 seconds of game three gave the Bruins a lead they never relinquished en route to a 5-1 win over the Flyers. For a second consecutive year, Boston has a 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals. In 2010, the Flyers overcame that deficit to win the series. Zdeno Chara scored twice and assisted on a third goal. David Krejci had a goal and two assists. Nathan Horton had a goal and an assist.
Perhaps Hub sportsfans needed a day off after a glorious few days from the locals. The Celtics, Bruins, and Red Sox all reasserted themselves. It's draft week in the NFL and we're certain Bill Belichick is in his bunker hatching his latest scheme to mine the college game for future Patriots. There is lots of speculation about what the Patriots will do with six high picks.
While everybody - well, Bostonist thought it - was thinking Paul Pierce would be getting the ball in order to take the potential winning shot last night, it was a vintage Ray Allen three-pointer with 12 seconds left that was the dagger through the Knicks' hearts that gave Boston an 87-85 victory in the opening playoff game on Sunday night. The Knicks were in control leading 51-39 at the half. Boston's playoff experience won out with a 28-21 fourth quarter advantage, including a 5-0 spurt to seal the win.
Bruins captain Zdeno Chara will not play tonight. Jack Edwards, with his usual hyperbolic flair, announced that just now on NESN.
Depending on who you ask, the pressure is on and not on the Bruins entering the second game of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals down 1-0 after losing 2-0 in the first game. Bruins captain Zdeno Chara will play tonight, the Herald reports, despite a bout of dehydration that sent him to the hospital Friday night.
When we last saw Max Pacioretty, he was on a stretcher after a devastating hit from Zdeno Chara. Last night, the Bruins left Montreal's Canadiens in a similar state after a completely one-sided, 7-0 beating at the TD Garden.
The struggling Bruins scored four unanswered goals to earn a 4-1 win over New Jersey, just the team's second victory in their last eight games. Zdeno Chara powered the Bruins with the game-winning goal, on a power play, and assists on two others after the Devils led 1-0. Milan Lucic scored his 30th goal to seal the win in the third period. Tomas Kaberle and Patrice Bergeron each added two assists. Tim Thomas had 30 saves.
A 2-0 advantage wasn't enough for the Boston Bruins as they dropped a 4-3 decision in overtime to Buffalo. Loads of penalties did not help one bit - Jack Edwards seemed convinced it was a conspiracy to balance the lack of a suspension for Zdeno Chara - as Boston twice gave away the lead.
CTV reported that Montreal police will actually open a criminal investigation into the hit that inflicted a severe concussion and a fractured vertebra on Pacioretty. Capt. Angelo Nieves confirmed Patriots safety Brandon Meriweather was "present during a shooting...being investigated" by the Orange County sheriff's department. Police want to interview Meriweather about the incident, but didn't "characterize" his status.
NHL vice president Mike Murphy ruled on Wednesday that Zdeno Chara won’t be suspended for his hit on Canadiens forward Max Pacioretty last night. Game officials gave Chara a major penalty for interference and a game misconduct. Pacioretty has a severe concussion and a fractured vertebra. Murphy said Chara's hit wasn't "dangerous" and noted the lack of a "supplemental discipline incident" in his career." [Herald]
Last night's 4-1 loss to Montreal didn't help the Bruins in the standings and could actually be more costly than two points. Zdeno Chara drilled Max Pacioretty in the second period and got a five-minute major for interference and a game misconduct. Pacioretty was motionless on the ice and sent to the hospital with a severe concussion and a fractured vertebra. Will Chara be suspended for what some could call an intenional play? Probably. Remember, he didn't hit Marc Savard. Did we say that?
Bostonist considers today's Celtics-Lakers game to be appointment basketball. We don't buy that there's a revenge factor for Boston after losing in the 2010 NBA Finals. But, losing that game forced the team to add to their bench - Shaquille O'Neal - and that is a factor today.
On Monday afternoon, the Bruins racked up the seven points the Pats were looking for during the final minutes of play at Gillette the day before.
We know. The last time the Bruins skated at the Garden in a meaningful game...well, let's forget that ever happened. The '10-'11 Bruins made their home-ice debut last night, and it's clear the team and the fans have turned the page.
So much for needing Clay Buchholz on short rest. So much for a lot of things. Even when it was a 2-0 Sox lead early in last night's game, Don and Jerry seemed more inclined to talk about some couple they kept showing in the stands than anything happened on the field. (The crack Bostonist research team learned that they were contestants from a TV show called The Bachelorette. The crack research team then learned that The Bachelorette has been going on for six seasons. The crack research team has decided to take a few days off and donate some money to brain research.)
Bostonist's Friday Redux was correct in calling last night in Boston sports a "wild" night, and we won't even get into Comcast crapping out just in time for the Bruins to skate against Buffalo. We'll go from good to bad to the craziness that is Bill Belichick on draft night.
Paul Pierce wanted the ball, got the ball, made the winning shot, and the Celtics beat the Heat, 100-98, to take an overwhelming 3-0 lead in their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series on Friday. Pierce led Boston with 32 points, including the 21-footer that gave Miami a glimpse of the truth of their playoff future, especially if Dwyane Wade (34 points) is actually hurt.
What a day. So much to talk about! And that's not even counting the Red Sox, who managed to lose both Friday night's game and Saturday night's game on the same evening, and are counting their lucky stars that the Orioles are lodged in the cellar to break their fall. And that there are two interesting playoff runs developing to distract us all.
It's one game. And it could have been worse.
Well, the baseball season's underway. We already have a killer error, an angry superstar, and Dan Shaughnessy is already floating in midair and waiting for a pigpile to develop that he can land on. The 2010 Red Sox, ladies and gentlemen!
Doc Rivers seemed to explain quite clearly why the Celtics beat Houston 94-87 last night. Defense this, rebound that, shooting blah blah, Paul, Rondo, etc. When asked a big picture question focused on how the team's third straight win, not to mention a trip-opening decision, fits into making this season a success, Doc basically redacted all the good stuff and said, well, nevermind.
"Nothing means nothing," Doc said. Okay, we're really not sure what he meant by that. It sounded catchy, though.
Paul Pierce was the difference for the Green when it mattered with 15 of his game-high 26 points in the fourth quarter. Ray Allen finished with 19 points on a 5-8 effort on three-pointers, and six assists. Kevin Garnett had 15 points and eight rebounds.
Andy Warhol was misquoted! Turns out, what he meant was that in the future, everyone would be the Red Sox shortstop for 15 minutes. Or maybe he just meant Nomar Garciaparra, who will reportedly come to Fort Myers today for a press conference in which he'll sign a minor league deal, put on a Red Sox cap, retire and take a job with ESPN as an analyst. Or be packaged with Mike Lowell, we're not sure.
If Bostonist had $1 every time an ex-athlete turned broadcaster said something stupid, well, you know. Pay up, Mike Milbury. Yes, the former defenseman, coach and GM, who is one of NBC's Olympics ice hockey analysts, checked his brain when he described Russia's effort in a 7-3 quarterfinal loss to Canada as a "euro-trash game." He also called Alex Ovechkin "average."
So said Bruins coach Claude Julien, and it's a lesson that his boys took to heart 3,000 miles away. Back home, it's a message that didn't really sink in. Let's start with the good news.
Tracking the Bruins this season has been harder than tracking Santa on satellite (they really do that now). There were the first six weeks of one-down-one-up, then a couple of great weeks, then a rough patch. Now, though, that rough patch is over, and the B's have put together two straight wins, including last night's offensive explosion and 6-4 win over Atlanta.
Sure, if you win the Stanley Cup, you get your name engraved on it, you get to take it home for a day to do whatever you want with it, and kids from Yellowknife to Halifax go to bed dreaming of it. But still, when your year is over, you usually have to give it back. Usually to the Red Wings.
Can Bostonians ever get enough news about competitive athletics? In a word, no. Bostonist told you all about the Saturday hapsfrom the TDBNG, Tampa and the track. Yes, there is more to tell.
Sometimes, it takes a little while to remember how tense playoff hockey can be. When the Canadiens tied the Bruins 2-2 late in the second period last night, it all came back to us. Phil Kessel and David Krejci had staked the B's to a 2-0 lead late in the first.
Imagine for a moment that Zdeno Chara is standing in front of you. You are the only thing between him and a net. He's winding up for a slapshot.