ROLLERCOASTER RIDE CONTINUES

Let's talk sports. Should we start with the good news or bad news? How about the bad. The Boston College men's basketball team ended their 2007-8 regular season. Losing Marshall, Dudley and Hinnett from the prior year hurt. Instead of being a top 10 team all year they were hardly ranked. ACC leading scorer Rice was left alone to score and carry the team. But the team lost steam at the end and sank. Things looked good at one point. After defeating the Hurricanes in mid-January, the team sat at a respectable 12-4. But the team lost their final 6 games- and lost 12 of 13 to finish a dismal 13-16. Wow. They enter the ACC tourney this week.
The bad news continued with the Bruins. A strange week indeed. The team traveled to Washington in good spirits............but lost 10-2. Thomas got pulled and stunk. The following night the team had a chance to fix things. Auld started in net and did well. But Anderson played better and the game was 0-0. The Panthers came into Boston and won 1-0 in overtime. Two straight losses to inferior clubs. Not good in the middle of a playoff race. At home on Thursday, the team welcomed in cellar dweller Toronto. Thomas was in net...........not for long. He got rocked again and the Bruins got smashed again 8-2! The team was in trouble, outscored 19-4............to 3 weak teams. The good news was the team had 2 more games left in the week. They got a shot at redemption vs. the Caps at home for a Saturday afternoon tilt. Auld matched Huet shot for shot but the Caps led 1-0 with 5 minutes to go. Meanwhile, it was predictably a nasty game. In the first couple seconds of the game, Lucic fought Bradley. Seconds later, Thornton took on Brashear. It was a physical game. So with the team trailing 1-0 with 5 minutes, the game(and possibly the season)changed on one play. The nasty enforcer Brashear high sticked rookie Krejci and the blood dispersed. 4 minute penalty on Brashear. But the enforcer sucker punched Hnidy in the face and he was assessed more penalty minutes. This woke the Bruins up. Chara, returning to the game from an earlier injury, tied the game and Sturm got the winner from Krejci with 2 minutes left. 2-1 Bruins win. Huge stuff. But with little time to celebrate, the Bruins traveled to NYR for a Sunday matinee. Both playoff bound team had 79 points-a tie for 6th in the East. Auld, the clear #1 goalie for now, dueled Lundqvist to a 0-0 game. After a scoreless OT, the Bruins lost by 1 in the shootout. Even though the team got a big point, it was hard to take. But without Chara, Bergeron, Ward and Alberts, the team put up 2 gutsy performance this weekend after 3 excruciating losses to start the week. The team has a solid 80 points with, which is 2 points better than the Flyers who sit in the 8th and final playoff spot. The Sabres are on the outside looking in with 74 points. The Bruins are close to the Senators, who we play on Tuesday. The team also has plays Tampa Bay and then 2 more weekend matinees. The first game is against the Flyers, who are on the Bruins heels. Sunday is another battle versus the Caps. It should be high energy and the last time the two teams meet this year. Go Bruins!
Okay...........to the good. The Celtics beat Detroit in their much publicised match versus the Pistons. They won by twelve. The team then bashed the Bulls 116-93 on Friday and then Memphis the following night 119-89! Coupled with the win over the Hawks at the end of last weekend, the team was perfect this week and is on an 8 game win streak. They are 49-12.
The team has 4 games this week starting a match at Philadelphia tomorrow. The team has 2 home games then heads out West to play great teams including the Rockets, who have won 18 straight! The Big Three continue to play well and so do the reserves. Cassell and Brown joined the team too. Perkins had a fabulous week and the team is clicking on all cylinders. Go Celts!
Lastly, let's talk UMass men's basketball. The team has won 6 straight and are possibly March Madness bound with their 21-9 record. They need to do some work in the A-10 Tourney this week though. They have the #3 seed and get a first-round bye. They take on the Charlotte/Rhode Island winner on Thursday. And props to Senior Gary Forbes, who finished tied for the most PPG in the conference at 20.3. Go Minutemen.