Boston, MA

Four Questions Boston needs to answer in order to win against the Maple Leafs

Published

7 months ago

April 20, 2024

Four Questions Boston needs to answer in order to win against the Maple Leafs

Oh Toronto. Our old friend. Our erstwhile foe.

How I love to hate you. How I hate to see you and your absolutely apoplectic fanbase that cannot fathom hockey being something their team being willing participants in. How I enjoy watching you fail and refuse to learn the lessons over and over and over.

So I guess I enjoy watching the Bruins play them. Weird how that works.

The Bruins and the Leafs matchup once again to potentially end each other’s season for the 4th time over the past two decades, and the B’s have triumphed every time so far. It’s been a war, however; Game 7 seems inevitable at this point; no matter how dominantly either side wins Game 1. Further, in spite of the records, the Bruins are about as mortal as any team who threatened to win the division this year can be, and the Leafs decided they were going to play some of their best hockey in the 2nd half of the year. So what do they have to do to get past these Blue and White Bloviators? How can they break their wills once again?

Simple; they just have to answer some questions about themselves, and their opponent.

Is Quality over Quantity going to work again?

I think I’ve made it abundantly clear over our check-ins that the Boston Bruins are, to put it lightly, picking their spots. That said, it seems like this year is more of an exaggeration than years past in that regard; the loss of their centers etc. etc. you know this bit by now. They don’t shoot a lot but they make those shots count. This is backed up by the math. They’re down in the bottom half of the league in shots attempts taken and unblocked shot attempts taken per 60 and are middle to slightly above average of the pack in quality. That isn’t news. It also shouldn’t shock you to learn that the Leafs have been better at that than Boston for most of the year.

If there’s any solace you can take from the regular season matchup between these two teams, it’s that Boston seems to find a way to hard counter the Leafs. Sure, the Leafs since January have been numerically a bit better than the Bruins (by the counts, anyway), but that was always kind of…true no matter what series they were in? 2018 was probably your year to beat them and then the Bruins just kinda…pulled it out there, Toronto. You sure on paper you’re actually all that and a bag of all-dressed?

This time, while the B’s are unquestionably going to be fighting uphill no matter what when it comes to offense, they’re facing a large but ultimately pretty weak defense that their forward corps can take advantage of if they’re willing to attack the middle of the ice and do what they did an awful lot of during the regular season; force Woll/Samsonov to make saves in tight.

Can you get the power play working again?

The Bruins power play has been kind of grim for a little over a month now. If there’s any opponent that could create some momentum towards fixing that; it’s the Leafs.

Toronto’s PK has been gruesome, no matter who’s in the lineup, all season long. As the playoffs sort of morphs you into your final form; the apotheosis of everything your game is, was, and ever will be, it means that a power play that isn’t awful could become a serious X-factor towards beating the Leafs. They do need to get there, though. And that means forcing that particular PK to commit to bad decisions early and often. Puck movement needs to get these guys panicking and quickly. It needs to force space to open up, and decisions made from the point cannot end up going the other way, because it’s likely a golden opportunity for the other team if they manage to split the defense.

Further, the Boston Bruins are in a unique position to get multiple penalties off of these guys, because the Toronto Maple Leafs have, at least in their minds of their fans and probably more worryingly the man in charge of the team, been losing to the same team for the past five years uninterrupted. It is very likely the Boston Bruins can suck these guys into making extremely stupid decisions just by existing because they both dislike them that badly and have an idea of what they are that may not necessarily reflect reality. The Bruins’ reputation for extracurricular hockey precedes them, and the Leafs think they are prepared.

The Bruins need to show them that it’s not only untrue, it was actively a bad idea to think that was true in the first place.

Can you shut down Matthews and Marner again?

I need to make it clear the engine that keeps the Toronto Maple Leafs moving is Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. Whatever else I say about these players after this point is mostly fan-brain taking over. They are immensely talented hockey players that are by and large worth the money.

The issue over their money however, extends to a reality that the Leafs have had to face time and time again; the Boston Bruins seem to find a way to make their most useful players seemingly worthless when it becomes Best of 7 with the season on the line. While some of it may in fact be because they aren’t built for this (and at least in Marner’s case, I think that’s true.), the reality is that the coaching staff, whether it’s under Bruce Cassidy or Jim Montgomery, have found ways to mitigate their impact. Brandon Carlo has often been stapled to Auston Matthews, as has Hampus Lindholm.

It should work, we know that for certain, but with transition, specifically zone exits, being such a big issue for the Bruins this season it behooves them to figure out a way to make a very flawed defense into a bear trap for the two most dangerous players in blue and white. Charlie McAvoy has actually had a very rough time with Matthews in particular, and so he may be better served locking down the Tavares line so that Lindholm and Carlo can be better put to work stymying the Leafs attack where it often starts.

No but really, what are you going to do with the Goaltending

Boston’s been a bit coy about how they’re gonna deploy the goalies.

Jim Montgomery and Don Sweeney have insinuated they might actually go with platooning the goaltenders…or making a firm decision and not wavering from it.

I don’t envy either one of them right now.

They’re in a weird place with it; waiting way too long to replace your goalie when they were very obviously injured sank last year’s playoff run (Among a litany of all-timer gruesome performances. Hi Derek and Connor Clifton in Game 6.), and so doing the thing that everyone and their mother wants to see, which seems to be “Platoon the Goalies because that worked all season”, is very much on the table. If both guys are putting up the kind of .930 SV% expected of both of them, then that’s totally understandable to have such complete faith in your goaltenders.

The only downside is…is if it doesn’t work. If the series is artificially inflated by one player obviously playing better than the other and making him wait to come in to save his buddy. As of the last few games, the answer if you looked at their results, you’d probably want to put that particular experiment on ice for a series or two because Ullmark is clearly playing better than Swayman by a significant amount. The answer should be Linus Ullmark. He’s playing .920+ SV% games to Swayman’s .900 SV%, at least over the past five games. Ullmark played nearly the entire season against the Leafs and they beat them convincingly over the long term, so why shouldn’t it be him? He’s clearly the answer!

At least until he wasn’t.

So…what do you do?

Maybe you don’t wait to find out.

We’ll have to see how Coach Monty handles this tonight.

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Boston, MA

Boston Marathon now paying runners who missed out on prize money when others were caught doping

Published

38 mins ago

November 26, 2024

Press Room

Boston Marathon now paying runners who missed out on prize money when others were caught doping

Bronx woman who won 2014 Boston Marathon still waiting for prize money, trophy

02:09

BOSTON – The Boston Marathon is finally paying runners who were due prize money after other runners who finished ahead of them were later disqualified for doping.

The Boston Athletic Association (BAA), which oversees the race, announced Tuesday it will issue “voluntary payments” Tuesday to any runners who were “adversely affected by doping offenses at B.A.A. events.”

2014 Boston Marathon

The BAA started offering prize money for the Boston Marathon back in 1986. The most notable case was 2014 Boston Marathon winner Buzunesh Deba.

Deba will now get $103,000 from the BAA. She’ll receive $75,000 for moving up from second to first in 2014, in addition to a $25,000 bonus for setting the course record and an additional $3,000 for moving up from seventh to sixth in the 2016 race.

2014 B.A.A. Boston Marathon — Buzunesh Deba of Ethiopia crosses the finish line of the 118th Boston Marathon on April 21, 2014 in Boston.

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Rita Jeptoo won the race that year and Deba finished second. But two years later, the BAA took the title from Jeptoo because of doping. Deba became not only the official winner of the 2014 Boston Marathon, but she also became the official course record holder with her time of 2 hours, 19 minutes and 59 seconds.

Yet, she never got the extra prize money, until now. That’s because the BAA has spent years trying to get back the $100,000 they gave to Jeptoo.

Back in May, a Boston Marathon fan decided he would pay Deba $75,000 out of his own pocket. She told the Wall Street Journal that money was “life changing.”

Now she’ll have more to add to that.

Boston Marathon payments

Other runners who’ll be getting checks from the BAA include Marblehead native Shalane Flanagan and 2018 Boston Marathon champion Des Linden. Flanagan is getting $6,000 in back payments, while Linden will be paid $3,200.

“We are supporting athletes who competed in our events, and who believed they would be rewarded for their top finishing place,” BAA CEO Jack Fleming said in a statement. “We are doing what we can to ensure fair competition among athletes, and we will always seek to play host to the fairest of playing fields at all of our events.”

The BAA said it’s “identifying and contacting athletes whose results were re-ranked.” Any runner who may qualify can learn more about the process on the BAA website.

Mike Toole

Mike Toole is the managing editor for CBS Boston. He has worked in the WBZ-TV newsroom for more than 20 years. He previously wrote and produced news and sports at WABC-TV in New York.

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Boston, MA

North Shore educator strikes enter record-breaking territory

Published

9 hours ago

November 26, 2024

Press Room

North Shore educator strikes enter record-breaking territory

Tensions are still running high along the North Shores as two teachers unions there remain at odds with their school committees over contract negotiations.

The labor disputes are turning into the longest teacher strikes in Massachusetts’ modern history, and it still looks like there’s no solution in sight for educators in Beverly and Marblehead.

Educators from around the state will be rallying on Tuesday at 9 a.m. at the State House, demanding a meeting with Governor Maura Healey to address the ongoing strikes.

In Beverly, the strike will be entering its twelfth day on Tuesday, which would make it the longest educator strike in modern state history. The school committee there is now refusing to negotiate because neither district made a court-ordered deadline.

Dozens of teachers lined the street outside a Beverly City Council meeting as their strike is poised to set a record for longest in recent Massachusetts history.

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A fact finding process is underway in both district, and a hearing is scheduled for next week. Unfortunately, that means thousands of students who have already missed roughly two weeks of school could lose more. That’s as teachers in these districts continue to have their pay docked.

“Cutting off pay right before Thanksgiving and upcoming holidays is clearly a tactic to bully educators and force the BTA back to work without a living wage for paras,” co-president of the Beverly Teachers Association Julia Brotherton said.

A judge had said fines would be waived Friday if the sides could reach an agreement by 6 p.m. Sunday.

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City officials said they were left with no choice.

“Nobody here for a second wants to withhold a bit of anyone’s pay, but we’re stuck,” Beverly Mayor Mike Cahill said.

Meanwhile, in Marblehead, the strike has reached 11 days, but things are just as heated. In fact, on Sunday, two school committee members were actually chased to their cars by angry parents and teachers.

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Boston, MA

With Kristaps Porzingis back, Celtics obliterate Clippers in 32-point win

Published

17 hours ago

November 25, 2024

Press Room

With Kristaps Porzingis back, Celtics obliterate Clippers in 32-point win

For the first time in 210 days, the Celtics were able to trot out their preferred starting five Monday night at TD Garden.

The result: a hero’s welcome for the now-healthy Kristaps Porzingis and a comprehensive beatdown of one of the NBA’s hottest teams.

Boston steamrolled the Los Angeles Clippers 126-94 in Porzingis’ return from offseason leg surgery to improve to 15-3.

Porzingis played 22 minutes in his season debut, showing some expected signs of rust but finishing with 16 points, six rebounds, two assists, two blocks and one steal.

“I thought he played well,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said. “We were able to get back to some of our defensive versatility. Obviously, a little bit of rim protection, a little bit more physicality on the ball because he was back there, so I thought he brought that. Offensively, he just really helped our spacing. It was good to get him back.”

Jayson Tatum led all Boston starters with 20 points on 7-of-15 shooting. Derrick White added 19 points, seven assists, four rebounds and a steal, and Jaylen Brown scored 17, plus six boards, four assists, three steals and one block.

White (5-for-9) and bench scorers Payton Pritchard (6-for-10) and Sam Hauser (3-for-3) led another explosive 3-point effort for the Celtics, who went 22-for-51 (43.1%) from downtown in the win. Pritchard scored 20 points and grabbed two steals as his NBA Sixth Man of the Year campaign continued.

The Kawhi Leonard-less Clippers, owners of the league’s fourth-best defensive rating, came in riding a five-game win streak, during which they allowed just 96.8 points per game. The Celtics surpassed that mark before the end of the third quarter.

“I think when we’re at our best, you have to have an understanding of, ‘This is what we do,’” Mazzulla said. “When we’re at our best, we do this. And how long can we stay at the best version of ourselves?”

Porzingis, who missed Boston’s first 17 games, waited until 10 minutes into warmups to take the court, doing so with a smile on his face and a paper coffee cup in his right hand. His solo entrance preceded a personalized hype video that played on the Garden Jumbotron, its final shot an all-caps declaration: “HE’S BACK.”

The fan-favorite big man remained the center of attention once the game tipped off. Porzingis attempted 3-pointers on three of the Celtics’ four possessions and four of their first seven. Though he made just one of those — after his third miss, he grinned, seemingly acknowledging the impact of his long layoff — he was immediately impactful on the defensive end.

Before being subbed out for Neemias Queta seven minutes in, Porzingis helped force misses by Ivica Zubac, Amir Coffey and Derrick Jones Jr. with strong contests at the rim.

Rim protection was one of Boston’s biggest areas of concern in Porzingis’ absence — they dropped from fifth-best last season to eighth-worst this season in opponent shooting percentage inside the restricted area and first to 14th in blocks per game — so this was a welcome sight for Mazzulla and Co.

“Eleven blocks tonight,” the coach deadpanned. “It helps.”

Queta, a healthy DNP in Sunday’s win over Minnesota, blocked two shots in the first quarter, including one by James Harden. He had some difficulties against Zubac, who was LA’s only consistent scorer in the game (23 points on 11-of-14 shooting, 10 rebounds), but was a solid second option with Al Horford (illness/rest) and Luke Kornet (hamstring) both unavailable.

The Celtics led 27-20 after one quarter, then stretched their lead to 29 points in the second by doing what they do best: flooding their opponent beneath a tsunami of threes. They went 12-for-17 from deep during a merciless 51-point quarter — the third-highest-scoring quarter in franchise history and highest since 1970. White hit four triples on his own. Brown and Pritchard made three apiece. Hauser and Jrue Holiday each had one.

The 12 made threes tied the NBA record for a single quarter. It also equaled the total number of threes the Clippers attempted in the entire first half. Boston led 78-49 at halftime.

“I just felt like we were playing with really good pace,” said Pritchard, who was a team-best plus-30 in the win. “Makes, misses, getting it out quick, running to our spots. I feel like when we play fast like that, we get great looks, and the flow was incredible.”

Porzingis did not have a hand in that second-quarter 3-point parade, but impacted the game in several other areas. He threw down an acrobatic dunk off a Brown alley-oop, scored on a put-back after a Brown miss, assisted on two made threes, notched one steal and recorded one official block, plus another as the Clippers’ shot clock expired to force a 24-second violation.

The Celtics went cold to start the third quarter, surrendering a 10-0 Clippers run that spanned more than 4 1/2 minutes. Tatum ended Boston’s scoring drought with a dunk, then Porzingis went to work, manipulating post-ups to score six straight Celtics points across four possessions.

A flurry of threes from Pritchard (two) and Hauser (one) gave Boston some additional breathing room, and despite scoring just 21 points in the frame, it took a 21-point lead into the fourth quarter.

The Celtics cruised from there, with the Garden crowd reaching max volume after Pritchard slipped past a Clippers defender and lofted a lob to Porzingis, who slammed it home.

Asked whether Porzingis’ return gave Boston an emotional lift, Mazzulla replied: “Yeah, no question.”

“I think he’s a high-level personality,” he said, “but I think any time — obviously we built an identity with him last year, and I think the guys were excited to get him back. We were ready to have him back. … I think each guy likes playing with him because of just how he plays and the pressure that we can take off each other. So we definitely felt that.”

Mazzulla emptied his bench midway through the fourth, giving late minutes to the seldom-used Jaden Springer and Baylor Scheierman. Queta was a force in garbage time, finishing with 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting, nine rebounds, four blocks and two steals.

The Celtics are off until Friday, when they visit the Chicago Bulls in their final game of NBA Cup group play.

Originally Published: November 25, 2024 at 9:41 PM EST

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