What a year this is shaping up to be. Both the Celtics and Bruins began the season with enormous expectations. The Celtics were expected to contend for an NBA Championship and perhaps surpass the Bulls' win record. The Bruins were coming off a season in which they were a top scoring team, finished first in the Eastern Conference and were expected to do the same in 2010. Boy were we wrong. And by "we", I mean everybody.
Both teams have been marred by injuries The Celtics have had to make do without a healthy Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. Garnett has been battling a knee injury since last season and looks like he needs a cane just to get up and down the court. Pierce hurt his foot in a game in Washington and missed extended time. And let's not forget Uno Uno. Glen Davis was out until December following a broken hand and suspension that resulted from a fight...with his best friend.
On the ice, the Bruins have lost significant pieces of the puzzle since nearly the first week of the season. Before October was finished the B's were without Marc Savard due to a broken foot and Milan Lucic because of a broken finger. In December Lucic missed more than a month with a sprained knee and on Sunday Savard season's may be finished after a hit to the head. And then there's the defense. Dennis Wideman and Andrew Ferrence have each missed time with upper body injuries. Zdeno Chara did not play last night in Toronto with a lower body injury.
Last night was just one game for each team that seems to sum up the entire season. The Celtics lose to the Bucks in a game they led entering the fourth quarter. Boston's big men couldn't handle Andrew Bogut. The C's lost when a Pierce jumper to tie the game rattled off the rim.
The Bruins also lost last night on the road. While in Toronto facing one of the worst teams in the league, the Bruins saw three leads evaporate and eventually lost in overtime 4-3. But it wasn't just that they lost in overtime. It was the how. Dennis Wideman fell for no apparent while trying to move the puck deep into Toronto's zone. The Leafs came back on an odd man rush. In an attempt to break up the play Michael Ryder slid across the slot and inadvertently took out Tim Thomas. Empty net goal, game over.
Both teams are struggling. The Bruins season, despite the fact they could still make the playoffs, is over. They don't have the offense, they aren't healthy and they look defeated. The Celtics lead the Atlantic Division but they clearly don't have what it takes to move past Cleveland or Orlando in the playoffs.
1 comments:
What kind of crap bias is this? If the Bruins were the 3 seed in the east there would be a non-stop rampage of how awesome they are and how they are going to beat up on everyone in the playoffs, but instead the celtics are bad because they are "only" the 3 seed? Did you know the celtics had their entire roster healthy for the first time all season a week ago and have won 4 of 5 since.
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