Bruins Aim for 5 Straight vs Rangers

The Boston Bruins have been one of the more impressive stories in the early 2010-11 campaign, mostly due to their current 4-game winning streak and the stellar goaltending by Tim Thomas over that span. By all indications, however, Tuukka Rask will be back between the pipes for the first time in two weeks when the Bruins host the Rangers tonight. Rask gave up 4 goals in his only start of the season -- a 5-2 loss to Phoenix in Prague on opening day -- but he wasn't exactly at fault on all of those tallies. And even though Thomas is red-hot, coach Claude Julien is perfectly confident in going to his other option.

Howdy, Texas!

There's an old adage that goes something like, "I'm a fan of two teams -- the Red Sox and whoever beats the Yankees."


Is it weird if I actually feel a sense of allegiance right now? The Texas Rangers took down the Evil Empire tonight in convincing fashion, winning Game 6 by a 6-1 tally and taking the series, 4-2. Starter Colby Lewis hurled 8 gorgeous innings, yielding just 1 run on 3 hits. The Yankees were baffled all night long. Their intentional walks backfired on them. The crowd dictated every single emotion in the Ballpark at Arlington. And in the most storybook ending that anyone could have scripted for this series, former Ranger Alex Rodriguez went down looking on the final out of the game in front of the nearly 52,000 rowdy Texas faithful. In the words of Michael Young, "The World Series is coming to Texas."

Ed's Look at the NBA's Southwest Division

After yesterday's somewhat controversial look at the NBA East's playoff picture (in which I had Miami NOT winning the East, which I stand by), I move on to the West, starting with the highly competitive Southwest Division. Here are my thoughts.


Dallas Mavericks- Dallas is a VERY talented team, with future HOFer Dirk Nowitzki at the helm. On top of Nowitzki, they have an aging, but still effective Jason Kidd and Jason Terry leading the backcourt. Aside from the Celtics, Heat, and Lakers, this team has one of the most solid starting five's in the league; Kidd, Caron Butler, Shawn Marion, Dirk Nowitzki, and Tyson Chandler, with Terry and Brendon Hayward as quality bench players who could easily be starters. The Mavs are like the Celtics of the west it seems; an aging yet talented team with depth on the bench. And like the Celtics, the big issue for this team will be health and stamina. If their stamina can hold up and they remain healthy, they could be in the hunt for the championship.

Mavericks Prediction: 1st in the Southwest Division.

Average Joe's NBA 2010 Predictions

Before I begin, I'll reiterate my intent to find tickets for Tuesday night's King James vs Shaq match-up. If you and your buddies scored front row seats from your dad's boss, or you got the cheap seats in the balcony the moment they came out this summer, but can no longer attend because you had a mid-term Wednesday morning and you are screwed, I'd be glad to help you out.

It seems as though these past few years, the anticipation and hype surrounding basketball season is on the rise. That could be because Boston was on the decline, with Danny Ainge bringing in the likes of Raef Lafrentz and Sebastian Telfair (they worked out well...). So maybe, in a city where our baseball and football teams compete for a title every year, basketball just wasn't on our minds.

Nevertheless, basketball is back! And the strong teams from our much younger days are bringing it to the table, too. Miami, New York, and Chicago all made major upgrades. The Lakers and Magic are still around. And with a lot of depth, our Boston Celtics are looking pretty good for themselves.

Josh the Intern's HockeyEast Weekend Watch

After a quiet weekend in HockeyEast, a bunch of teams look to gain some momentum as we head into the homestretch of October. Sadly, my Huskies are down at the bottom of HockeyEast with two losses, but a couple wins this weekend could put us right back in the hunt! UMass Lowell also has two chances to get out of the same gutter. But anyway..

Game of the Week: BU at Massachusetts (again!)
Coming off a tie last week, both teams are looking to get a big win and get ahead in the standings. BU also has a Saturday game against Providence, and a win on both days could give them a serious boost, emotionally and in the standings. Two wins would also help them up the USCHO poll, perhaps past fellow HockeyEast'er UNH. Meanwhile, Massachusetts could push their way up the standings in preparation for next week's game against Providence.
Players to Watch: David Warsofsky, BU (Jr) and Sahir Gill, BU (Fr)

National Game to Watch: #2 North Dakota at #12 Maine
After a disappointing loss against #20 Michigan State last week, Maine found itself dropping four spots in the USCHO poll. Look for the Black Bears to come out fired up this week and ready to knock off the #2 spot. But North Dakota is chasing Boston College right now and a win could possibly push them ahead. Again, this week's National Game is actually two, as the Spencer Abbott and the Black Bears will take on the Fighting Sioux twice.

Elsewhere in College Hockey
Providence at #8 BU - Providence has another chance to prove itself, but BU is looking to climb the national rankings. Hopefully a win on Friday will carry over to Saturday for the Terriers.
Merrimack at Vermont - Neither team has played a conference game yet and, pending a win by BU or Massachusetts, a win could put them in the top half of the HockeyEast standings.
#7 UNH at #13 Cornell - UNH jumped up two spots last week in the national rankings, and a win this week may propel them up the USCHO poll even further. But Cornell is also looking to climb.

Bruins vs Capitals Live Chat

Will people start believing in the Bruins if they destroy Ovi and the Caps again tonight? I guess we'll see.

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Beantown Breakdown Tonight at 9 PM

Don't forget to tune in to the Beantown Breakdown tonight at 9 PM to hear Derek & John break down everything going on in the Boston sports scene. We'll discuss the new changes in the NFL rules, the Pats 4-1 start, the early season success of the Bruins and the exciting prospect of the 2010-11 Boston Celtics campaign. And, as usual, we'll be open for Fantasy Football advice. So send us your questions and comments and we'll discuss them for an hour (or more?) strong!

Click here to access the link through which you can listen live to WZBC AM Radio.

Ed's Eastern Conference Predictions

Over the past week, I have been taking a look at the NBA’s Eastern Conference by doing divisional rankings. To recap, here is how the divisions will boil down in my opinion

Atlantic Division - 1. Boston  2. Philadelphia  3. New York  4. New Jersey  5. Toronto
Central Division - 1. Chicago  2. Milwaukee  3. Indiana  4. Detroit  5. Cleveland
Southeast Division - 1. Orlando  2. Miami  3. Atlanta  4. Washington  5. Charlotte

He Here are what I believe the playoff seedings will be:
1. Orlando  2. Boston  3. Chicago  4. Miami  5. Milwaukee  6. Atlanta  7. Philadelphia  8. Indiana

Below are my predictions for the first, second, and third rounds of the playoffs.

Way to Go, Average Joe!

"Yeah, great job, Joe. Your Championship Series Predictions are great!"

Wait, what? People AREN'T saying that?

Before I get into this, is anyone still watching baseball with me? Is there any genuine fans of America's pastime? I know I'm still watching and, frankly, I couldn't be happier my World Series choices are currently both a game away from going to the driving range. It's exciting!


How are they doing it? What is propelling the Rangers and Giants ahead of the Phils and Yanks? Simple: Fundamental Baseball. (and confidence!) The starters are pitching deep into games, and their bullpens are cleaning up the mess. And both of these teams' batting orders are getting it done when it counts (against some Hall of Fame worthy pitching).

Harrison Elects Not to Retire

In the most recent episode of the ongoing reality television series known as modern day professional sports, James Harrison elected to continue playing football after making retirement threats in response to the league's new policy on helmet-to-helmet hits.

"How can I continue to play this game the way that I've been taught to play this game since I was 10 years old? And now you're telling me that everything that they've taught me from that time on, for the last 20-plus years, is not the way you're supposed to play the game anymore. If that's the case I can't play by those rules."


So... how about we start looking at this from a realistic and reasonable standpoint? "Everything that they've taught me?" To my understanding, the NFL isn't instituting any rule to change the way you blitz the quarterback. To change the way you play zone defense. To change the way you read a run play versus a pass play. To change the way you disguise your coverages and confuse the QB. James Harrison, the only thing you are no longer allowed to do is put the lives of other players in danger. Is it so much to ask?

My Final Word

Ok. This will be my final word on the NFL suspension drama. I'll be honest. I'm sick of all the press it's getting. And I'm sick of every football player misinterpreting what the NFL is trying to do here. If you are completely against the fines and suspensions that the NFL has been talking about, I suggest you stop reading.

After watching a short ESPN clip of Mark Schlereth this morning raving about how unfair these new fines have been, I realized that he made a couple good points. Yes. The NFL definitely does "glorify" and profit off of big hits, and I like a big hit as much as the next guy. When I was a kid, I got a DVD for Christmas of big NHL hits (don't make any comments trying to compare the NFL to hockey and soccer, they aren't comparable). He's right about the nature of the game. Americans love the hitting. I agree with that. And a game of two-hand touch would leave the NFL pretty broke. But for a man whose had 29 surgeries, he seems pretty oblivious to what the NFL is doing.

Domination Continues for Bruins

After the Bruins opening game two weekends ago in Prague, the faithful fans who shed blood, sweat, and tears for this team every year were left wondering if it would just be another letdown of a season for the black and gold. Three games later, most of those faithful fans are finding it difficult to contain their excitement for the future.

The B's strolled into Washington last night to take on the red-hot Capitals led by star winger Alex Ovechkin. In the matchup that everyone always highlights when these teams meet -- Chara and Ovechkin -- the big guy came out on top as the Bruins derailed the defending Presidents' Trophy winners, 3-1.

Speaking of Suspensions...

Maybe the higher-ups of the NFL should take some lessons from the NHL, a role model in terms of unbiasedly suspending players and handing out punishment for reckless play.

In suspending Phoenix Coyotes captain Shane Doan three games for a late and blindside hit to the head of Ducks forward Dan Sexton, the NHL declared it is serious about punishing dangerous hits to the head.

Sanctioning Doan, known as rugged but clean, was meant as a warning to fourth-liners and superstars that NHL justice will be blind.

Doan's open-ice, neutral-zone hit after Sexton released a pass during the third period of the Ducks' 3-2 victory Sunday wasn't penalized by the referees, but the NHL can review any play and impose supplementary discipline. Colin Campbell, the NHL's director of hockey operations, said he and fellow executives who monitor every game debated the hit when it was delivered. That Sexton wasn't injured was "fortunate" but beside the point.

Doc Goes To The Doctor

BOSTON (AP) — Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers said that he is cancer-free after having a biopsy Sunday morning. His doctor found a spot on his throat three weeks ago and he decided to have it checked.

"They found cancerous lesions," Rivers said after the team conducted an open practice for season ticket holders. "They had to make sure there was nothing there, and there was nothing, so I'm good. I'm going to be around for a while it looks like."

So it looks like Doc's good to go for a little while at least. He returned to the Celts on Tuesday, but assistant coach Lawrence Frank did most of the yelling. Apparently he's been getting his throat checked regularly after former C's coach Jim O'Brien prompted him to do so. Rivers is expected to coach on Wednesday for the team's preseason finale against the Nets.

Versus Recognizes Roy

If you were watching the Bruins-Capitals pregame show on Versus tonight, you saw the documentary special on Boston University alum Travis Roy. And if you saw that documentary -- even if it was the hundredth time you've seen it -- it almost assuredly sent those chills down your spine.

To make a 20-year long childhood story into a very short description, Travis Roy worked his entire life to achieve his goal of playing college hockey. He stepped onto the ice for his first Boston University hockey game on October 20th, 1995. It was a special night for Roy, as the Terriers raised the banner from their previous season's national championship. Before two minutes had passed, BU coach Jack Parker gave him his first collegiate shift. Eleven seconds later, his world shifted upside down.

Roy went head-first into the boards. He crushed his fourth and fifth cervical vertebrae. If you're not an anatomy specialist, the destruction of those vertebrae virtually always makes the victim a quadriplegic for life. When Roy's father walked out onto the ice and told his son to get up, the emotion of the situation became overwhelming for both of them. Travis never stayed down. He would never stay down. Unless he couldn't get up.

Ed's Look at the Southeast Division

Continuing my preview of the upcoming NBA season, today I will be looking at the NBA's Southeast Division. Because this is the last division in the Eastern Conference, tomorrow I will have my NBA Eastern Conference Playoff predictions.

Atlanta Hawks- This team is pretty much the same, except for the new coach, Larry Drew. That's pretty much the key for the Hawks this season. If Drew can keep this team motivated down the stretch and into the playoffs, they could be a sleeper pick to make it into the second or even the third round in the playoffs (if they can get there.)

Hawks Prediction: 3rd in the Southeast Division.

Cage Fight Remix: The High-Five Battle

Note: This is not part of the Cage Fight series and/or bracket. Totally separate.

This battle right here is between two of the NBA's whitest players; the Bucks' Andrew Bogut and the Lakers' Adam Morrison, in a battle to determine the better high five. I have mulled over this topic for months now, but I cannot decide which high-five routine is better. So it is up to you, the UB readers to decide once and for all which high five is better.

The Key? Cliff Lee

Heading into Game 3 of the ALCS in New York, the Rangers were looking to capitalize on the pitching matchup at hand and ride a Cliff Lee victory to a 2-1 series lead. They did just that, and it might be a great sign for Texas. The last time a road team won Game 3 of the ALCS and went on to lose the series was all the way back in 2001 when the Mariners took game three at Yankee Stadium, but ultimately lost the series in 5 games. With the Rangers leading the series 2-1 now, though -- losing in 5 games won't be an option for this resilient group.

Since he's the x-factor of their postseason thus far, I'm going to introduce you to the man they call Cliff Lee. He's 3-0 this postseason with a 0.75 ERA. He has become the first pitcher in the history of the game to strike out 10+ batters in three consecutive starts in the same postseason. Those just happened to be his first three of the playoffs. At the age of 32, it's been a roller coaster ride for Lee. How did he find himself in this position after all these years?

Tim McCarver (and more!)

For those who took my advice and skipped Scooby Doo, there was some comedic relief in the 2nd inning of Saturday's NLCS Game 1. Jimmy Rollins got rung up in the second inning....on strike 2. Cousins admitted the mistake, Rollins didn't react...no big deal.

Which brings me to Tim McCarver. As he and Joe Buck analyzed that play, Mr. McCarver brilliantly stated, "It was a strike, but not 3."

Well said. Kinda like this..

Fantasy Hockey Special: Defensemen

There are many different philosophies in fantasy hockey when it comes to defensemen. Some owners put great value into them and draft one in the first 3 or 4 rounds to snag the elite ones, and often have 3 by round 10. Others like to fill theirs out in the mid to late rounds with solid, consistent defenders. Whatever your strategy is, it's important to keep track of which defensemen are playing well. If you can get 50-55 points out of a a defense slot on your fantasy team where another owner is only getting 35-40, then you'll often find yourself ahead of the competition.

Let's take a look at who's caught my eye so far:

Alex Goligoski and Kris Letang, Pittsburgh Penguins

It's pretty hard not to be impressed with the start these two have had for the Penguins. When Sergei Gonchar left, Pittsburgh lost one of the best powerplay quarterbacks in the league and the job was up for grabs. So far, Goligoski has overtaken that role with 3 goals and 6 points already and the top fantasy d-man so far. Letang has 4 assists and 17 PIM, so if your league counts penalty minutes he's a worthy asset.

College Player Dunks over Seven People?

Now I'm not one to generally rain on parades, but I have to call BS at people saying he jumped seven people. Sorry, but he jumped over six people and a child. Although I couldn't finish with a dunk, I could easily hop over that kid. I wouldn't even need my moon shoes. Nonetheless, jumping over six people is impressive (last year he jumped five), but only say it's seven if you jump over seven people that Ed B. couldn't possibly hurdle like that.

NFL Rulemakers Going "Head-To-Head"

This weekend marked perhaps what has been the most dangerous and injury-filled weekend of football so far this season. In a time when people may finally be admitting the danger of what has become a staple of American Sundays, the evidence is becoming overwhelming. This season in particular has resulted in a slew of football injuries, both visible and invisible, some even deadly. I'd like to share with you some examples of why we are in need of some big changes.

Let's first have a look at the NFL this weekend. Philadelphia Eagles standout DeSean Jackson suffered memory loss after a violent head-to-head collision with Falcons corner Dunta Robinson, who also suffered a head injury. He was left with severe concussion and it's highly unlikely he'll be back this coming week. I'd say by the looks of concussed Bruin Marc Savard, Jackson may have a long road of rehabilitation ahead of him. Jackson had scored two touchdowns prior to the hit and remembers all of the game. Head coach Andy Reid said it was "not like amnesia."

"Go Jump Off A Cliff!"

(CNN) -- Former NFL linebacker Junior Seau was being treated at a hospital after he drove his white Cadillac SUV off a cliff Monday and landed on a beach in Carlsbad, California, police said.

Poor guy. That's just one phrase you never expect to see in the news, but yet are pleasantly surprised when you actually hear about it happening. He was the only guy in the car, so I'm not sure what caused this accident. He's in the hospital now, obviously. I'm looking forward to an interesting investigation on this one.


Maybe if he'd been driving his Cadillac in New England instead of San Diego, he wouldn't have drove off a cliff. Check out the raw video below.

Ed B.'s Look at the First BCS Rankings

Last night, the official BCS rankings came in for the first time this college football season, after supposed #1 Ohio State lost in an upset against Wisconsin. The current Top Ten BCS standings look like this:

#1) Oklahoma (3rd in AP poll)
#2) Oregon (1st in AP poll)
#3) Boise State (2nd in AP poll)
#4) Auburn (5th in AP poll)
#5) TCU (4th in AP poll)
#6) LSU (6th in AP poll)
#7) Michigan State (8th in AP poll)
#8) Alabama (7th in AP poll)
#9) Utah (9th in AP poll)
#10) Ohio State (11th in AP poll)

Loss Doesn't Shut Up Ravens

Boston Herald  --  “(Tom Brady) sometimes found some spots, made some plays,” outside linebacker Terrell Suggs said. “But like I said, he just better hope he don’t see us again.”


“We already know that story,” Suggs said. “Do you really need me to answer that? I guess we’ll have to wait and see. We’re a dangerous playoff team so we look forward to the rematch.”


“I think they got like one or two plays that they drew up on the bye week that actually worked, like the (Brandon Tate) reverse and the little double wheel with (Aaron) Hernandez,” Suggs said. “But after that, when they had to line up and play football they didn’t have too many things go well for them. (Brady) made some plays and we tip our hat for him. Congratulations.”


“He was trying to tell me how to bag a Hollywood actress,” Suggs said. “He said, ‘If you want to get a Hollywood actress, take my seminar on Saturday.’ …He was going over the Dow and the economy and politics. He doesn’t really talk football that much.”

Ed B.'s Look at the NBA's Central Division

A few days ago, I made my predictions for the NBA East’s Atlantic Division. And continuing my NBA preview, I will be taking a look at the East’s Central Division.

Chicago Bulls- I like this team. They don’t necessarily have the star power of Miami or Boston, but the Bulls have my favorite small man/ big man duo in Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah. Last season Noah really blossomed into a very good center, after many thought he wouldn’t do much as a pro. Derrick Rose is a budding superstar, making further steps to become a top-5 PG in the league. The biggest edition to this team was Carlos Boozer, who will help crash the boards with Noah and put up some good points for the team. This team is good pick to win the division, but I don’t know how far they can make it in the playoffs against teams like Orlando, Boston, and the over-hyped Miami.

Bulls Prediction: 1^st in the Central Division.

Josh the Intern's HockeyEast Wrap-Up

'Twas a quiet weekend in HockeyEast. Three of the five games I was keeping an eye on ended up as one-goal losses or ties. Providence blew its first chance to get its foot inside the USCHO door as they allowed seven goals against Minnesota-Duluth. Despite the setback, the Friars still remain tied for first in the conference after last week's win over Northeastern. Within the national top 20, Michigan State (20) tied with HockeyEast's Maine (8) 4-4 in their first game of the weekend series, but upset Maine 3-2 the next day. Maine's Spencer Abbott added two assists in the first game and both goals in the second to improve to 7 points on the season, topping HockeyEast. Elsewhere, UNH (9) tied Michigan (3), hopefully improving their standing in the USCHO Top 20.

They're Back!

If you felt like it was the beginning of the millennium this afternoon watching the Patriots derail the Ravens in overtime, you weren't alone. The 23-20 victory confirmed what I was hoping for in the past week and a half -- the old Patriots are on their way back.

In his return to New England, hometown hero Deion Branch quieted the critics by hauling in 9 catches for 98 yards and a touchdown in the fourth quarter to spark the Patriots' comeback. And, for those of you who want to keep making the ridiculous comparisons between Branch and Moss -- Branch matched the total number of receptions that Moss had in a Pats uniform this year with just his first game this afternoon.

Baltimore took a 20-10 lead into the fourth quarter before the flashback happened before our eyes. Stifling defense, hard-nosed football, Brady hitting all of his receivers -- the old way. Special teams played a huge role in the overtime period, seeing rookie punter Zoltan Mesko salvage a compromising field position situation with a 65-yard bomb that backed the Ravens up to their own 19 yard line. On New England's following possession, they would win the game on a Stephen Gostkowski 35-yard field goal, his first career overtime attempt.