NFL Draft/Sports Notes

Well, it seems as if it is time for the man, the myth, the legend to come home to the blogosphere.

Yes, I am talking about myself.

Well, I know we have had a plethora of Jabs' views on the Pats draft the past few days (an excellent read, if you haven't given the ol' gals a gander yet), but I figured I'd drop in my three cents on the draft as a whole.

*As always, the beat goes on in Washington. They did one thing that everyone expected them to do, draft Baylor quarterback and reigning Heisman Trophy winner (side note: he will not be able to defend his title next year) Robert Griffin III, as well as do one thing NOBODY would think they would do: draft Michigan State quarterback Kirk Cousins. In my humble opinion, this is not the worst thing in the world. First, it keeps RGIII on his toes; he will no doubt start under center, but if he falters, they have a backup plan. Most important of all, it gave the Redskins an opportunity for redemption. That old saying "When god opens a door, he closes a window"? Well in this case, he opened the "door" and kicked John Beck right out on his entitled, underachieving ass, and effectively closed the "window" on the Rex Grossman Era. So as confusing as this may be to most, I'm pickin' up whatcha puttin' down Daniel Snyder.

*Dontari Poe added to his already robust National Football League (copyright, Jaworski), which includes obscene bench and forty times at the combine, by trying to play a little bit of tonsil hockey with the commish. I haven't seen this much love for Goodell since last year's draft!

*Question: How many times do you think Matt Millen has tried to offer his services to the producers of the draft telecast, only to have the guy say "Matt, do we really need to go to the highlights on this again"?

*I don't know who Tavon Wilson is, but I live by the mantra "In Belichick We Trust". Also, he has to be the most YouTubed player after the draft right? I'm  not sure anyone knew who he was.

*I really, really like the additions of Syracuse defensive end Chandler Jones and Alabama inside linebacker Dont'a Hightower to this Patriots team. Jones' eldest brother Arthur plays for the Ravens, and his youngest brother Jon "Bones" Jones is currently the UFC light heavyweight champion. Something about an overlooked guy with speed, size, and 36" inch arms soothes me on the defensive side of the football. I like what I hear about Hightower's leadership on the defensive side of the football. In my opinion, he should have the inside track to play Starsky to Mayo's Hutch on the Patriots revamped defense.

*In football, there is a war that brews every day. It is akin to that of Sox-Yankees, USA-USSR, Bruins-Canadiens, Duke-UNC, Edward-Jacob, etc. The war I am talking about? If you guessed DeMaurice Smith-Roger Goodell ... you would guess wrong. The battle I am referencing is that of Kiper vs. McShay. The old guard versus the young hotshot. Brady-Bledsoe didn't hold a candle to this. I'd take McShay over Kiper: he seems more sensible and is less annoying on a regular basis.

*Speaking of which, Kiper's hair hasn't moved in like two decades right? I swear he's had the same look since my birth.

*Because he is a former wideout, I think Billy Hunter should be canned as the Executive Director of the NBPA. Likewise, Fisher should be told to "cram it up his cramhole" as well. That farce of an Players' Union "executive administration" should be gutted and restocked, much like the Bobcats.

*Maybe Michael Jordan should run that rebuild as well? M*****F***** don't lose! David Stern wouldn't know what hit him!!!

Well that's all I've got for you today. In parting, I will leave you with a little somethin' somethin'...

Ladles and Gentlespoons, I bid the adieu...

JLang

Patriots Report Card: Reflecting on the 2012 NFL Draft

About an hour before the first round commenced Thursday night I was preparing to watch another first round pass me by and when the Patriots were on the clock at the 27 spot (a pick acquired from New Orleans last year as the Patriots gave them their first round pick), watch them trade the pick for another 1^st rounder next year. And when the Patriots actual selection at the 31^st spot came up I was going to give it a 50/50 chance they’d actually make the pick. History told all Patriots fans that this is how it was going to play out. The Patriots haven’t moved up in a draft since 2003 when they jumped up a single spot to grab DE Ty Warren and 4 of the past 5 drafts they have had multiple first round selections yet have never picked more than 1 player. Once you think you’ve pegged Belichick’s next move he goes and throws you off the scent and Thursday night he did it again.

For the past few years Patriots fans have been pining for secondary help and more than anything an electrifying edge rusher who can move the quarterback off his spot. So what did Belichick do the past 3 or 4 drafts? He passed up guys like Clay Matthews, Adrian Clayborn, and DaQuan Bowers. This year though Belichick made a move to please the masses and finally traded up to secure aid for a depleted defense that was statistically horrendous last year.

The Hoodie saw DE Chandler Jones, a top 10 rated prospect by NFL Network expert Mike Mayock and Scouts Inc., slipping down the first round and made a move to jump up from 27 to 21 to snag the Syracuse athletic monster. To move up the 6 spots the Patriots had to surrender their 3^rd round pick and the 27^th overall pick. As a Patriots fan I am ecstatic to see the Patriots finally attempt to plug the gaping hole at edge rusher with a talented, strong, athletic proven commodity. Jones didn’t fall without reason however seeing that he missed the first 5 games of Syracuse’s season last year with a knee injury but he did play out the remainder of the year and racked up 4.5 sacks. Most draft experts unanimously agreed that had Jones been healthy for a full year and posted double-digit sacks he would’ve easily been a top 8 pick. Belichick was smart enough to see Jones slipping and he capitalized on other teams being weary of his knee injury much like he did two years ago when All Pro TE Rob Gronkowski slipped to the 2^nd round due to an injury. I give the move to grab Chandler Jones two thumbs up.

With their second pick of the 1^st round the Patriots again shocked the football pundits and traded the 31^st overall selection and their 4^th round pick to the Denver Broncos for their 25^th overall pick. With the 25^th pick the Patriots again made an attempt to shore up their defensive front seven by picking Alabama ILB Dont’a Hightower. Hightower was the second rated ILB in the draft behind BC’s Luke Kuechly, who went 9^th overall to the Carolina Panthers. Hightower received the endorsement of Alabama head coach Nick Saban and as most Patriots fans know, Saban is a confidant of Belichick’s and the Hoodie trusts his evaluation of collegiate talent. Hightower is versatile as well with the ability to play outside in the 4-3 and inside with Jerrod Mayo in the 3-4. Hightower isn’t as physically intimidating or powerful as Jones but he’s a gamer and I love gamers. Hightower is one of those guys who won’t dominate the combine but when the film gets turned on he stands out as a great ‘football’ player. Another good move by the Hoodie to trade up and go after the type of football player he can plug into his scheme and move around without a hiccup.

After two trades to move up in the 1^st round Thursday night the Patriots were left with only two 2^nd round picks on Friday and then a bare cabinet. For as much as I loved the Patriots two selections in the 1^st round I was equally confused by the selection of S Tavone Wilson in the 48^th spot. Going for defensive help, especially in the secondary, was the right call but Wilson wasn’t on anyone’s radar before the 4^th round AT THE EARLIEST. Yet there goes Belichick again reaching for a guy he considers ‘versatile’ just because he can stand in the safety position or slide over and stand in front of a receiver as a ‘cornerback’. Don’t get me wrong the Patriots needed help in the secondary and Wilson does provide some assistance in fixing that problem but the pick just came too early. He did it with DT Ron Brace a few years earlier and possibly CB Ras-I Dowling last year but hopefully Travon Wilson proves me wrong and shows that he was worth a top 50 selection.

With their final pick of the night, 62^nd overall, the Patriots started wheeling and dealing to gain more picks in the 3^rd and 5^th rounds. With the 3^rd round selection I applaud the Patriots for again looking at the defensive side of the ball and selecting Arkansas DE Jake Bequette, a high motor high-energy kind of player that Belichick loves. Bequette was able to register 10 sacks last year for the Razorbacks and he is a good gamble late in the 3^rd round. He’s coachable and can play special teams what more does Belichick look for in a player? Bequette solves multiple problems in one fell swoop by drafting another edge rusher who can either play with his hand in the dirt or stand up on the outside and run with special teams.

With their final 3 picks of the night the Patriots took Ohio State CB Nate Ebner, Nebraska CB Alfonzo Dennard, and Northwestern WR Jeremy Ebert. Out of those three players I only see the two CB’s with a shot of making the Patriots when they break camp. Ebert did well at Northwestern but he’s small, 5-10 190 lbs, and doesn’t project well as an NFL wide receiver. At worst Belichick can always put him on the practice squad if he feels that Ebert is too good to expose to the waiver wire. Out of the group though the one that intrigues me the most is Dennard. After the 2010 season Dennard was considered a fringe 1^st round prospect after having a sensational season, 31 tackles and 4 interceptions, alongside future Giants CB Prince Amukamara. This season Dennard again played well and was named the Big Ten’s Defensive Back of the Year but some league trouble and a few physical shortcomings, in the words of Todd McShay, ‘he has short arms and isn’t very fast, which makes a bad combo for a NFL cornerback’ forced him down in the draft. The league problems coming from a week before the draft when he got arrested for fighting outside a bar and when a police officer came over to break it up allegedly punching him in the face and resisting arrest. Not a very smart move but if Belichick thinks he has the talent to make the Patriots roster and he can make a difference in the secondary then this turns out to be a steal of a pick in the 7^th round.

Overall I thought that the Patriots had a solid draft, a little more top heavy then usual but the top 2 sure is chalk full of talent. With the additions of Jones and Bequette at the DE/OLB spot Belichick has finally brought in some in house candidates to push for playing time. With the selection of Hightower the Patriots did a great job of finding a ballplayer who can work well within Belichick’s system and is talented enough to freelance a play when need be. The Patriots paid close attention to the offensive side of the ball in free agency and turned a keen eye towards the defensive side of the ball in the draft. Out of their 7 selections the only one that I don’t truly understand is the Travon Wilson selection and hey I’ll take my chances on believing that Belichick knows what he’s doing. The Patriots turned some heads and made some trades, moving up instead of down this time, that I think long term will help solidify the defensive front seven long time. Bravo Belichick now for an encore how bout building a defense that can give Tom Brady his 4^th ring.

Geoff Jablonski

Addressing the Patriots Draft Day Needs

Welcome to the second blog post of the day! After reading about the Bruins depressing game 7 loss at home let’s take a look at an upbeat topic and that’s the NFL Draft starting tonight on ESPN in primetime.

Get ready for it Patriots fans but guess what? You got it the Patriots have 2 first round picks in this years draft! And 2 in the second round as well! The chances they take all 4 of those picks in those spots? Slim to none and slim left the building a while ago but I’m going to play it like they will use both of those picks in the first and second round to try and plug holes. In the first round the Patriots hold the 27^th pick (from N.O.) and the 31^st. In the second round they’ll pick 48^th (from OAK) and 62^nd overall.

Here are the Patriots team needs and who I think they could look at it to fill each of those needs:

Edge Pass Rushing Specialist (OLB or DE)

The Patriots biggest weakness is well known and was even more evident in the playoffs last year after revelation Andre Carter went down for the year. Carter and scrap heap pickup Mark Anderson accounted for 20 of the Patriots 40 sacks. Carter might not come back this year as he recovers from his injury and Anderson signed a lucrative contract with the Bills. Who does that leave behind to rush the passer from the edge? Overachieving OLB Rob Ninkovich, underachieving OLB Jermaine Cunningham and basically a cast of misfits at the DE spots. Belichick for years has schemed around the fact that he hasn’t had a solid edge rusher since Mike Vrabel’s hayday but its time to use one of his first round picks on a big time rusher. Last year he didn’t use any of his picks to grab a rusher and he watched Jabaal Sheard, Adrian Clayborn, Cameron Hayward, and Akeem Ayers slip by just to name a few. I think the Patriots go after Boise State OLB Shea McClellin who is versatile and has been rocketing up draft boards. Other options include Illinois DE Whitney Mercilus who is inconsistent but had a great year last year, Marshall DE Vinny Curry, and if they continue to fall down draft boards either the uber talented but undermotivated North Carolina DE Quinton Coples or the productive Alabama DE Courtney Upshaw. Any of those listed above would greatly improve the Patriots ability to move opposing QB’s off their spot.

Secondary Help

Plain and simple the Patriots don’t have enough talent in their secondary to stop giving up copious amounts of big plays. Last year the Patriots were statistically atrocious and a look at the names the Patriots threw back there shows you why. Kyle Arrington smoked and mirrored his way to 7 picks but he’s more suited to be a nickelback not a shutdown corner. I don’t know what the Patriots have in Ras-I Dowling and neither do they after he had his season cut short after week 1 last year and the year before at the University of Virginia. By all indications the Patriots plan to move former Pro Bowl and Rookie of the Year CB Devin McCourty to safety full time in his 3^rd year to pair him with potential stud Patrick Chung that leaves them weak at the CB spot. Belichick isn’t afraid to address the secondary early in the draft, see: McCourty and Chung in rounds 1 and 2 in 2010, and I think he’ll do it again this year. I’m going to say that the Patriots don’t go after Notre Dame S Harrison Smith, which is what a lot of experts think they’ll do, because of McCourty’s move to safety but rather one of the two troubled CBs in former Florida Gator and current North Alabama star Janoris Jenkins or Montana CB Trumaine Johnson. Central Florida CB Josh Robinson is also a possibility if the Patriots wait til round 2 to grab some CB help. Disclaimer: Belichick could definitely grab Harrison Smith if he’s sitting there.

Defensive Tackle Help for Wilfork

Kyle Love and Myron Pryor did a great job down the stretch last year but the Patriots need another big body to help out in their interior rotation. I think this could be the position they address at the end of round 1 or with their first pick in the middle of round 2. Get the big fella Wilfork some help! A whole slew of characters are possibilities at the DT position and many of them are mid first round talents who have slipped for a myriad of reasons. From the group that is slipping the Patriots will look at Penn State DT Devon Still and Michigan State DT Jerel Worthy (I think he’d be the best fit for the Patriots if they can land him late in round 1). UConn DT Kendall Reyes was flying up draft boards about a month ago but now he’s falling back into the late 1^st early 2^nd round talk and I don’t think the Patriots would mind getting their hands on him with their pick at 48. If Reyes is gone at 48 and they didn’t get one of the other two early, Cincinnati DT Derek Wolfe could come into play. If the heavens decide to smile down on the Pats then LSU DT Michael Brockers would slip to the end of the 1^st round but don’t hold your breath on that one.

Offensive Tackle

With decade long LT Matt Light revealing his intentions to retire from the NFL the Patriots now have a need at the tackle spot. The Patriots current starting tackles look like last years first round pick Nate ‘the Boulder’ Solder and talented but oft injured German tackle Sebastian Vollmer. The Patriots could use a young backup who has the ability to step in if Vollmer isn’t fully healed from last years nightmarish injury filled year. When he’s healthy though Vollmer is a beast along the line and is the reason why the Patriots considered not bringing back Light last year. Belichick tends to build his teams from the line out and I don’t think he’ll change that philosophy now especially with his long time LT calling it a career. Solder was a solid find in the middle of round 1 last year and I think he’ll definitely take a few more large steps forward this year. If he’s still there at the end of the 1^st round I wouldn’t be shocked to see the Patriots tap Andrew Luck’s former LT in Stanford OT Jonathan Martin. If he sticks around this long, and I don’t think he will, the Patriots would also be more than happy to grab versatile Georgia OT/G Cordy Glenn. Though he doesn’t play tackle another lineman who fits the Patriots mold is bruising Wisconsin C/G Peter Konz. I’ve read multiple places that his mean streak has been likened to that of current Patriots G Logan Mankins. A dark horse here is Ohio State OT Mike Adams who has played in some big games and protected the blind side of some big time QBs.

Wide Receiver

The Patriots need to get younger at WR there’s no way around it. WR Deion Branch is getting up there in years and outside of Wes Welker the rest of the group isn’t very versatile, young, or particularly fast. Belichick has never gone into the 1^st round for a WR and I don’t think he will this year but grabbing one in the 2^nd round isn’t uncommon for him, i.e. Chad Jackson and Brandon Tate though neither one of them worked out particularly well. Two months ago I would’ve told you that Georgia Tech WR Stephen Hill would’ve been a steal in round 2 due to his ability to burn deep but now that he’s become a known commodity among the NFL’s elite he’s not going to stick around until the second round leaving the Patriots to probably say ‘Go fish’ on a receiver in the first two rounds. They’ll probably kick the tires on LSU WR Reuben Randle, Belichick does love his LSU kids, South Carolina tall guy WR Alshon Jeffery but I don’t see him taking either one. This pick will come later in the draft.

There it is folks my breakdown of the Bruins season ending prematurely and where I think the Patriots might look in tonight’s first round of the NFL draft and tomorrow’s second round. Check back after the draft for a breakdown of all the Patriots selections (and probably their multiple trades to accumulate picks in the 2013 NFL Draft). Until we cross paths again.

Geoff Jablonski

Bye Bye Bruins Hello Offseason

The Bruins title defense came to an abrupt halt last night in the form of a game 7 loss at home against the 7^th seeded Washington Capitals. Even though he’s had a down year for the most part, I know 38 goals and 27 assists doesn’t seem very ‘down’ but when you’re Alexander Ovechkin it is, if you’d told me before the Eastern Conference’s first round started that the Bruins would hold Ovie to 2 goals and 3 assists I’d make the assumption the Bruins won in 6 or maybe 5 games. That assumption would’ve been totally mistaken because the Bruins top line didn’t show up thru the first 3 games of the series and the Capitals captured lightning in a bottle in the form of rookie 3^rd string G Braden Holtby. In the end the Capitals simply outskated the Bruins for a majority of the series and earned a hard fought round 1 victory and scored a huge upset for their franchise. For years it tended to be the high seeded Caps who would get knocked out early, see: Tampa Bay Lightning sweep Capitals in 2011 Conference Quarterfinals, but this year the Capitals were the ones delivering the fatal blow.

As far as the Bruins are concerned well they should be worried about the fact that the top two lines produced diddlysquat with top scorer Tyler Seguin only chalking up 3 points (2 goals, 1 assist) and those two goals occurring in OT of game 6 and as the Bruins lone goal in game 7. I know he’s only 20 years old but if Seguin plans on becoming an elite talent on the same level as Ovechkin, Crosby, and Malkin then he needs to carry his team’s offense when others are unable. David Krejci also didn’t play like the playmaker that we all know, as Bruins fans, that he can be when he wants to be. In last years postseason Krejci chalked up 12 goals and 11 assists over 25 games, in this postseason? 1 goal and 2 assists during the Bruins/Caps matchup. It is unacceptable for your top line center to not put up at least a point per game during the NHL’s second season.

In my eyes no one was more disappointing though then LW Milan Lucic. For the second straight postseason he didn’t show up in the first round recording 0 goals after a 26 goal regular season. Lucic didn’t play his role as bruiser, enforcer, and goal scorer against the Capitals in round 1 and it hurt the Bruins. The Bruins were left looking for offense in unattractive places like the 4^th line and in their defensive pairings. For a team that ranked 2^nd in goals per game during the regular season only scoring 15 goals in a 7 game series was simply unacceptable. This loss isn’t on the defense or even Tim Thomas but the Bruins top two lines. My final thoughts on how the Bruins lost are pretty simple: the Bruins were outskated a majority of the series and were out muscled by a notoriously weaker Capitals team. The Bruins didn’t push around the Caps early and show the Caps that they were the better team and as the old adage goes if you let bad teams hang around they will beat you. The Caps aren’t a great team and had a 3^rd string rookie goalie in net but the Bruins didn’t bury them early and the Capitals took advantage.

With the offseason starting early for the Bruins, GM Peter Chiarelli and President Cam Neely are going to be forced to make a decision on the future of their goaltending position. Tim Thomas is 38 years old and though he played very well throughout this past regular season and had a pretty good series against the Caps it might be time to start passing the baton to youngster Tuuka Rask. Rask is a restricted free agent and I think he’ll definitely be in the fold next year moving forward but if the Bruins don’t show him the love financially and start to show him that they truly believe he is the future netminder of the franchise you can expect him to start to get antsy and possible become a stink bomb in the locker room.

Rask is the ultimate competitor and I doubt he wants to continue to ride the pine with multiply starting opportunities available around the NHL. I’m not saying get rid of Thomas I’m just saying it might be time to move closer to a 50/50 time share or even a 55/45 Rask split. What Tim Thomas did for this town last year was unreal. He had the best postseason a goaltender has had in recent history and that’ll never be forgotten. He single handedly delivered the Cup back to the Hub after a 39-year absence but it’s time to see what the future truly holds and if Rask can be the guy to bring the Cup back to Boston in the next 10 to 15 years. On a side note: as a fan if you expected Thomas to repeat his regular season from last year or his postseason run from 2011 then you were dreaming. That kind of goaltending magic can’t be repeated on a year-to-year basis it’s just physically impossible.

Before wrapping this up and sending you over to the second blog post of the day about the Patriots draft options I want to point out an interesting fact that came about from the Bruins/Capitals first round matchup: this was the first 7 game series in NHL history to have all 7 games decided by a single goal. Great stat Tim Kurkjian style right there too bad the Bruins went 3-4 in those 7 games.

Check out my Patriots draft day breakdown right here: http://vfromthecouch.blogspot.com/2012/04/addressing-patriots-draft-day-needs.html

Geoff Jablonski

A Running Period-by-Period Glance At Bruins vs. Capitals Game 1

After a long, grueling regular season the Bruins and Capitals open up their second season tonight in Boston. The season where legends are born, Tim Thomas, and champions are crowned, 2010-2011 Boston Bruins. After winning the Northeast Division and ending the regular season north of 100 points the Bruins were awarded the 2 seed in the East and home ice advantage in round 1 against the perpetually underachieving Washington Capitals and superstar forward Alex Ovechkin. During the regular season the Caps took 3 out of 4 matchups winning the last 2 after splitting the first 2. During tonight’s game I’ll be giving a breakdown of my thoughts on what’s going on down and what I think is going to happen moving forward at the TD Bank Garden after each period. Enjoy ladies and gents.

End of Period 1: Washington 0  Boston 0

After one period of play the Bruins and Capitals are deadlocked at 0-0. Here are my thoughts, some reflections some streamlines, on what I witnessed during the first 20 minutes of playoff hockey:

-The Bruins did a good job of controlling possession and the tempo of the game throughout the first 20 minutes. Outshot the Caps 9-5.

-Rookie goaltender Braden Holtby has risen to the occasion so far befuddling the Bruins offensive attacks.

-On the other end of the ice Tim Thomas has been solid as usual only allowing two really good attempts by the Capitals, one was a loose puck scramble and the other was a tough angle shot by Alexander Semin.

-Shawn Thorton has been flying all over the ice including two big hits that he’s dished out. Great energy from the 4^th line.

-The captain Zdeno Chara has been doing a good job of keeping Alex Ovechkin in check with his physical play. On one shift Chara chipped Ovechkin around center ice and then Dennis Seidenberg buried him into the corner boards and kept him there.

-David Krejci got rung up for the first penalty of the game with a boarding penalty on Dennis Wideman at the 12:54 mark giving the dangerous, though occasionally enigmatic, Capitals power play an opportunity. On that power play the Capitals looked ugly, couldn’t establish the zone and only got off one shot on Timmy.

-Roughly 5 and a half minutes later David Krejci draws a double minor on Jay Beagle for a high stick that drew blood. Krejci won the faceoff, got tripped up by Beagle, and then Beagle popped him in the nose with the butt end of his stick drawing blood and a 4 minute minor. Bruins power play gets their first opportunity on the power play to end the first and start the second period. The portion before the break was ugly with the Bruins finding it hard to establish the zone just as Washington had a few minutes earlier.

-Per usual Patrice Bergeron did a magnificent job in the faceoff circle setting the tone by consistently winning the draw.

A quick check on the other Eastern Conference matchup (#1 Ranges vs. #8 Senators) shows the Rangers up 1-0 after the 1^st. For the second period I’d like to think that the Bruins are going to finally break through and put one on the board against the Capitals and their inexperience, rookie goaltender but don’t count out the Capitals offense lighting the lamp either. Now, back to the action!

End of Period 2: Washington 0  Boston 0

After two periods of play the teams are still deadlocked in a scoreless pitchers duel. Here’s the breakdown.

-Bruins again dominated play throughout the entire 2^nd period chalking up roughly 4+ minutes of power play time but couldn’t break through. Bruins are outshooting the Caps 25-7 overall and 17-2 in the 2^nd period alone. The crowd seemed to be getting pretty anxious/nervous by the end of that period. Washington is doing a great job hanging around and as coaches always say if you let a lesser team hang around too long they will strike and steal the game.

-The Bruins power play moved the puck efficiently and quickly during their first stretch on the power play but again Holtby was a stonewall in front of the Capitals net. Bruins can’t seem to figure him out. On one play Peverley skated in front all alone then got stoned by Holtby collected his rebound and was again turned away by the rookie goalie.

-The Capitals did a great job killing off the Beagle double minor only to have Troy Brouwer get called for a delay of game penalty that he argued deflected of Tyler Seguin before getting up and out of play. Try again Brouwer the replay showed that you missed hitting Seguin by about a foot. Bruins did a great job of moving the puck at the end of the double minor but looked shoddy on their next power play attempt. Holtby standing on his head considering at the 10:00 mark of the second mark the Bruins are outshooting the Caps 10-0 in the 2^nd.

-Again during the 2^nd period the Bruins sent out Chara and Seidenberg to rough up Ovechkin. Seidenberg landed a big hit around center ice on Ovechkin sending him sprawling against the half wall while simultaneously sending himself back onto his own ass. It looked like Seidenberg actually got the brunt of the hit but the point got across that he’s going to throw his weight around against the Caps star winger.

-Throughout the middle portion of the period there was some intense back and forth hockey with good saves by both goalies.

-You know who’s been playing a hell of a game tonight? Brian Rolston. He looks rejuvenated and is clearly thrilled to be playing in a playoff game.

-Bergeron fed Paille all alone in front of Holtby but again Holtby was tall to the task.

-Krejci and Carlson got into a little scrum after Krejci bumped into and knocked over Holtby leading to a mini breakout between the two teams. In the end Krejci and Carlson are both hauled off for 2 minutes. The intensity that both teams are bringing to the table finally shows itself in true hockey form. Shortly into the 4 on 4 Washington takes another penalty allowing the Bruins a rare 4 on 3. Bruins get great puck movement throughout the 4 on 3 but again Holtby and the Caps defense stands strong and leave the crowd restless. Holtby appears to be building a Berlin wall style brickhouse in front of the Capitals net.

-Capitals have had unlimited opportunites with Ovechkin yet to get off a shot on Timmy Thomas.

Another check on the Rangers/Senators has the Rangers up 4-1 in the 3^rd. Onto the 3^rd period of action between the Caps and Bruins with the Bruins carrying the momentum but the Capitals hanging tough and still in a good position to strike a stake into the Bruins heart.

End 3rd: Washington 0  Bruins 0

Three periods in the books and the Bruins and Capitals are in a dead heat. Nobody has put one on the board yet overtime here we come! Recap of the 3^rd.

-The Capitals came out of the locker room after a sluggish first two periods full of energy and absolutely dominated possession for the entire first part of the period. The Bruins didn’t clear the puck and get a stoppage in play until under 17 minutes to go. One problem with the stoppage that occurred is that it was because of a cross check by Big Z at the 3:12 mark of the 3^rd. Huge opportunity for the Capitals power play to break the deadlock and put them on top early in the 3^rd.

-On the subsequent power play Tim Thomas made a HUGE SAVE on Alex Ovechkin. Sliding across the crease left to right mirroring the pass as it made its way onto Ovechkins stick below the right circle. Big save to keep the Caps and 8 off the board. Thomas again for the second straight postseason proves that a team’s best penalty killer more times than not is its goalkeeper.

-After another sluggish 5 or 6 minutes the Bruins finally turn up the heat with around 9 minutes to go. Great offensive zone pressure leads to Joe Corvo panging one off the right post as Holtby attempted to get deep in his net. Closest call of the night for either time as the iron rang true. Thomas continued to hold strong on the other end of the night as he looks to be getting into a rhythm.

-Ovechkin is trying to get out into space but Chara and Seidenberg refuse to give him any space to work in. He’s being bottled up pretty good tonight by the Bruins top defensive pairing.

-Capitals respond to the Bruins energy burst with one of their own led by Holtby keeping the Bruins off the board after Kelly came in riding the defender on Holtby’s left but couldn’t bring it back to his forehand. When he tried to slide it back to his forehand for a quick shot the puck exploded on him and Pouliot was making a rush to the net but just wasn’t in position in time to stuff it home. Big opportunity missed by the Spoked B.

-Bruins are trying to absorb the blows being delivered by the Capitals here in the 3^rd period after basically being in a complete defensive shell the first 2 period. This looks like a different Capitals team offensively putting pressure on the Bruins D and skating into space. Bruins though seem to still be getting the better scoring chances between Corvo, Kelly, and a centering pass by Seguin that fell on emptiness as neither Bergeron nor Marchand could get in a clean net drive to stuff home the pass.

-As the period neared its end Thomas once again appeared to working up a sweat and getting into a good rhythm as he stonewalled the Capitals forwards and did his best Braden Holtby impression. On the other end of the ice Holtby is doing it all for the Caps.

-That’s the end of the period and we are headed to overtime!

Final check on the Rangers/Senators shows the Rangers chalking up a 4-2 win. No surprise there. The Bruins decided to save their sloppiest period for last but luckily the Capitals weren’t able to capitalize on the Bruins being awestruck throughout the first 10 minutes of the period. Capitals outshoot the Bruins 9-3 in the period. Bruins hold a 29-16 shot advantage through regulation.

Final: Washington 0 Boston 1 ---- Bruins lead the Series 1-0

Onto overtime let’s see what the Bruins and Capitals can provide for extra entertainment.

-GOALLLLLLL!!!! Chris Kelly takes the breakout pass from Benoit Pouliot after Tim Thomas made a huge save on a Capitals one-on-one, Rolston gathered the rebound found Pouliot who looked up and found Kelly. Kelly came down the left side on Holtby’s right, wound up, and fired off a wicked slap shot from just above the circle. Holtby had come out to cut down the angle but there was no stopping Kelly’s blast. It beat Holtby glove side high putting the Bruins on the board 1-0 and giving them the early advantage in this best of 7 series. Goal came 1:18 into overtime and didn’t leave much time for anything else to happen. Thomas save, Rolston lead pass, Pouliot finds Kelly, Kelly shoots he scores. That about sums up overtime. Going back to the beginning of last postseason the Bruins are now 5-1 in games that have gone into overtime with their only loss coming in the Stanley Cup Finals to the Vancouver Canucks.

There you have it folks my live feed of how I felt the game was going from period to period. The Bruins get the hard fought win and take a 1-0 lead with a home ice win in game 1. Capitals put up a hell of a fight though and I don’t see them going away easily they’ll give the hometown Bruins a run for their money it should be a great series from game 1 through game 7, if it goes that long and as a Bruin fan I hope it doesn’t.

Until we cross paths again…GO BRUINS!!

Geoff Jablonski

Grab Your Seat Alongside the Elites, Coach Calipari. You Earned It.

Love him or hate him John Calipari is a National Champion. Calipari and his Kentucky Wildcats did what the Derrick Rose led 2007-08 Memphis Tigers couldn’t and that’s dispose of Bill Self and a defensive oriented Kansas team in the NCAA title game. Led by superstar Freshman C Anthony Davis Coach Calipari was able to produce his best season yet in what has been a pretty damn good career. The Wildcats went 38-2 overall, won the SEC regular season championship, were ranked in the top 5 all year long, were named the #1 overall seed for the big dance, and ran through the tournament securing the schools 8^th ever national title.

Due to his penchant for having NCAA sanctions brought down upon the programs he leaves behind John Calipari has become quite the polarizing figure in the sports world. Another reason many college basketball lovers consider him the devil is his willingness to recruit ‘one-and-done’ players without trying to deter them from entering the NBA after a single productive, sometimes unproductive, season in the collegiate game. College basketball purists like to make Coach Calipari the poster boy for the games two biggest problems: players getting ‘illegal’ benefits and players using college basketball as a one year stop gap between high school and the NBA. Personally, I have no problems with the guy and think that he’s been one of the best 3 or 4 coaches in the country the past 5 or 6 years. Over that time span he’s been rubbing elbows with some elite company in Coach K, Roy Williams, Bill Self, and Jim Boeheim.

Calipari has solidified himself in my mind as the ultimate players coach who gets the best out of his team day in and day out. He’s also one of the top attractors of elite talent in the country year in and year out. A look at Calipari’s coaching resume proves how good he is at turning programs around and taking them directly to the top. Coach Cal has 8 30-win (8!) seasons and 3 National Coach of the Year awards. Before leading prodigal son Kentucky to back-to-back Final Four appearances Calipari had taken relative lightweights UMass, alma mater shout out, and Memphis, formerly Memphis State, to Final Four appearances. Calipari is one of only two coaches to take 3 different universities to the Final Four and he stands alone as the only coach to ever lead three different schools to #1 seeds in the NCAA tournament. Yes the NCAA has officially vacated UMass’ 1996 Final Four appearance, the banner still hangs proudly in the Mullins Center though, and Memphis’ 2008 title game run there’s no denying the talent Calipari assembled on those teams and how effective he was at getting that talent to perform night in and night out. Personally Calipari has never been linked to a NCAA violation though that doesn’t stop the court of public opinion from deeming him a cheater. As the figurehead of a division 1 program however I do think he shares some of the blame for all that has happened and the sanctions that have been levied against the institutions he's left behind, Memphis and UMass. If you're going to be the face of a program it is imperative that you be aware of EVERY LITTLE DETAIL going on around you. On the court however the man is a winner and master recruiter.

At UMass Calipari pulled the basketball team from the drudges of the A-10 and placed them back in the national eye. He was able to lead the Minutemen to 5 consecutive A-10 titles and NCAA tournament appearances while also watching them garner number one overall rankings for extended periods of time. Calipari made UMass respectable again over an 8-year period amassing a 193-71 record and being named A-10 coach of the year 3 times and National Coach of the Year in 1996 when the Minutemen were the number one overall seed in the NCAA tournament and advanced to the Final Four. The man showed up on the scene in a big way.

Another knock against Calipari is his brief stint in the NBA running the New Jersey Nets. In his 2 ½ years as head coach of the Nets, Calipari actually wasn’t that horrible having one poor season and then leading the team to 43 wins and the playoffs the next. He was fired 18 games into his 3^rd season after starting 3-15 and really it was the best thing that could have ever happened to him because it allowed him to adhere to his true calling and head back to the collegiate ranks at the University of Memphis. There all Calipari did was take a floundering Conference USA team and turn them into a national powerhouse by recruiting the top classes in the country and popularizing the dribble drive attack. Calipari is a master at making basketball fun for the 18-22 year old kids he’s coaching and because of that he’s become an amazing attraction for whatever school he happens to be leading. At UMass he was able to land #1 recruit Marcus Camby, at Memphis he snagged Derrick Rose among numerous others, and at Kentucky there’s Anthony Davis. I’ll say it again the man can flat out coach collegiate basketball.

I know that a lot of people are turned off by Coach Cal’s willingness to recruit guys he knows are only using college as a stepping stone to bigger and better things but I envy him for embracing the system the way it’s set up. He isn’t cheating he isn’t exploiting the system he’s simply playing the game the right away and selling things that the recruits he goes after want to buy. Even better is that he backs up all the promises he makes to these 17 and 18 year old kids by allowing them to freelance within a dribble attack and kick offense while also harping the importance of the defensive side of the game. The man may seem arrogant and cocky but he can back it up in a big way. He recruits the top talent in the country gets them to play together as a team even if it’s for a single season, look at the way he convinced one-and-done players like Rose and Davis to play a team-oriented defensive game and be leaders on the floor, and produces big-time wins.

If John Calipari continues to win at the clip he’s currently racking em up at no one will care about his reputation while he’s being enshrined in Springfield at the Basketball Hall of Fame. Once you’re in the Hall of Fame all people care about are the numbers you put up and right now Coach Cal is putting up some of the best. 

Until we cross paths again…

Geoff Jablonski

Prediction Time

It's hard to be labeled omnipotent, omniscient or a savant when it comes to all things baseball however someones got to do it right? It is that time of year I'm going to boldly tell you EXACTLY what's going to unfold in MLB. Maybe I'll let the other guys chime in on their picks, but if you're going to bet your child's college fund on baseball you should probably go with this guy. *points to self*

Let's start with the NL.

NL West- This to me is cut and dry. The Snakes are slithering around in Arizona and are going to be a force for years to come. Ian Kennedy doesn't throw 96 but he is the Ace the Yankees thought he was when he was coming up through their system. The trade for Trevor Cahill made them formidable in the NL West and will give them a division crown. The X-Factor for them this year is going to be Trevor Bauer. He was their first round pick a couple seasons ago and he will contribute before the season is done. Reminiscent of Tim Lincecum coming up with the Giants a half decade ago, he's going to blow hitters away when he gets the call up and he's not going to look back. The Dodgers have Clayton Kershaw and that's it. Billingsley is always hurt then it goes Ted Lily Aaron Harang and Chris Capuano. I smell a 4th place finish.

NL Central- This one is not so cut and dry. There are three teams (Brewers, Cardinals and Reds) vying for one spot because neither of the teams are going to be getting the second Wild Card. I'm going with the Cincinnati Red Legs. As much as I'd like to go with the Brewers and Cardinals, they both lost their cornerstone first baseman and the Reds still have theirs. I don't read into Spring Training record because there is a difference between a scrimmage and the regular season. Although Latos peripheral stats will probably take a hit going from a cavernous ballpark such as PetCo to The Great American Ballpark he's got filthy stuff and will be a huge lift in the rotation.
NL East- I'm going to say it, wait for it, the Phillies will not make the playoffs. I read something from an NL Scout the other day that said, "once you get past the big three, they are not very good at all." At first I scoffed, then if you remember the post that I did last baseball season on Philadelphia there is some serious trouble brewin in the City of Brotherly Love. An oft-injured Utley and largely down-trending Howard will ultimately be their downfall. The Braves had the fourth best record in baseball last year entering September and although they didn't make any changes I really like them to win the division this year. Jayson Heyward will regain form and be the 2010 version of himself rather than the 2011.

NL Wildcards- I love any reason to watch more baseball so to add another Wild Card team was fine by me. The Giants are 100% going to be one of the teams in the one-game playoff. The other is going to be the Nationals. The Nationals want to limit Strasburg's innings and that's fine, but if they do it strategically and give him the obligatory 15 day DL stint the Red Sox give their pitchers along with going to essentially a 6 man rotation down the stretch they can still have The Stras pitching late in the season. Nationals will have Bryce Harper to take the MLB by storm at some point early this season and that will benefit anyone that watches the game. Also just think of a Stephen Strasburg vs Tim Lincecum match-up in Game 163, I have wood. Gimme Lincecum in that one though.

AL West- This shouldn't even be a question. The Angels will win the West. Not only did they add Pujols, as if that's not enough, but they took the Rangers Ace from last year and made him their 3 starter. Yes the Rangers added Yu Darvish whom I think will be quite impressive, but the Angels at some point will add the number 2 prospect in all of baseball to their outfield/batting order. The Rangers are going to out slug most teams but a roation of Weaver, Haren, Wilson and Santana is destined to shine through 162.

AL Central- The Tigers have a modern day Manny and Ortiz sitting 3-4 in their lineups for the next decade and we've all seen the kind of damage they did in the middle of the Red Sox lineup. Not only that but they have a once in a generation pitcher in Justin Verlander and everyone knows what he brings to the table. However, I think the real key acquisition was last season at the trade deadline, in Doug Fister. In that ball park, with that offense, he could win 20 games this year.
AL East- What wins ballgames? Pitching wins ball games. And who has the best pitching? That would be Tampa Bay. They have also added to their offense by re-signing Carlos Pena and Luke Scott not to mention a fully healthy Evan Longoria. It should be a three team race, possibly four if Brandon Morrow and Ricky Romero fulfill their potential, because Toronto's offense should be very good. The Yankees added to their staff but do not have the depth/quality that the Rays have. The Red Sox were the best team in baseball for most of 2011 and they should be in the thick of it.

AL Wildcard(s)- The two spots will be a dog fight between the Rangers, Yankees, Red Sox and I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the Royals will be in it until at least late August early September this year. Their offense is going to surprise a lot of people. However they are the Royals and don't have a stud on the bump, therefore they'll bow out. Then you have a 3-headed monster. Texas, New York, Boston. I hate to say it but the beloved Boston 9 will not make the playoffs, mostly because I trust Bobby Valentine about as much as you should trust a wet fart. Also, They haven't had a season since Buchholz, Beckett, and Lester started anchoring the staff where all three have been healthy the entire year and that's exactly what they need. New York will face off against Texas in a winner take all game. Texas will hammer Sabathia.

I guess that brings us to the World Series predictions. You'll notice an underlying theme in my selections this year pitching, pitching and more pitching. I'm going with Anaheim against the Braves. Anaheim's pitching is just as good if not better than Philadelphia's and their lineup with a healthy Morales and Trout infused with Pujols is more than enough to get through the AL. Why the Braves? Because I believe in the Swan Song. Chipper Jones' last hurrah will have him leading his team to the Fall Classic but will ultimately fall short.

There you have it. The Halos. All the signs are there. Follow them accordingly.

Stay Tuned,

Norton