No Jack Adams for Bruce Cassidy?

With little talk about being coach of the year, Coach Bruce Cassidy has helped rebuild the Boston Bruins.

When General Manager Don Sweeney announced last April that Bruce Cassidy would the 28^th head coach of the Boston Bruins, there was hope and excitement about the new direction this team was taking. Amid the plethora of young players coming in and the return of seasoned veterans, you could see that the Bruins were going to be contenders.

Then came the injuries.

OVERCOMING SOME ODDS

The B’s went through their ups and downs through the beginning of the season. Without making excuses, when you have a young injured team and a new head coach, there will be some growing pains. The big question was: will this team even make the Wild Card race? Fast forward to April 2018, and the Bruins have become that team that just won’t quit. Boston is the team that many do not want to face in the Stanley Cup finals. Don’t forget, the Bruins are severely short-handed and are now just getting back some key players.

ENTER CASSIDY

Boston has the talent and speed. And most importantly, they have an exceptional coach that knows his players and continues to make all the right changes. As the Bruins finish their last week of the regular season, it’s interesting to hear minimal talk about Cassidy becoming a recipient of the Jack Adams award. Although the only trophy any NHL coach wants it’s the big silver cup, it’s hard to ignore what Cassidy has done for this young team.

QUICK NOTES

And of course, you can’t gloss over what Gerard Gallant has done for the Vegas Golden Knights, who are full of players that have become the most successful team in its inaugural season. Gallant, for many fans and experts alike, seems to be shoe-in for the Adams award. Still, what if the Bruins win arguably one of the most difficult trophies in any sport? Would Cassidy get the recognition he deserves?

BY THE NUMBERS

Last season the Bruins, still under Claude Julien, were looking to miss the playoffs yet again. Something had to change and the time had come with Sweeney finally letting go of Boston’s long-tenured coach. Enter Bruce Cassidy, former head coach of the Providence Bruins. Cassidy had to coach a fragmented team that no longer responded to Julien while shifting to a new playing style that emphasized speed. No longer taking a slower approach and no more playing the dump and chase game-the Bruins would start to pick up their pace.

As the interim head coach for the Bruins’ final 33 regular and postseason games, he compiled an impressive an 18-8-1 regular season record. The Bruins would clinch a playoff berth for the first time since the 2013-14 season. And for some quick stats when Cassidy took over for Julien, the Bruins would: rank first in the NHL in goals per game (3.37), first in the NHL in fewest shots allowed (741), tied for second in the NHL in wins (18), tied for second in the NHL in power-play percentage (27.8%), tied for third in the NHL in goals allowed per game (2.30) (source: NHL).

BUTCH CASSIDY

With the title “Interim” being stripped away, Bruce Cassidy would step in as the official coach of the Boston Bruins. He would be tested however as the team began the season with injuries and with some tough losses and varied wins, many were unsure about how far this team would go. But as the story goes, you can never count the Black and Gold out. And with a successful trip out west in November, everything started to click. Chemistry was building amongst the players. Cassidy was learning to read his players and tweaking the lines as needed. With a team like the Bruins, every line has proved to be productive.

2017-2018 SEASON

The Bruins are in a good place right now and are poised to clinch the division title. Cassidy’s record so far with the Bruins since taking over is 67-26-13; Claude Julien was 26-23 before he was let go. No question that Cassidy has been an important proponent in rebuilding this team and continues to make smart decisions. With a few games left in the regular season, the Bruins will be pushing for a deep playoff run. Boston needs to continue to outperform their opponents and stay healthy. While there’s little chance that Cassidy will win the Jack Adams award this season, fans know he is one of the reasons this team has become a force to be reckoned with.

See you in June.

Follow Liz Rizzo on twitter @pastagrll88

Bill Belichick Is on His Way Out

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Bill Belichick’s Final Year…

Via SI.com

All these Patriot moves seem to be very clear to me what’s really going on. Yes, there’s tension. However, the media is getting fed information to hide what is really happening at Gillette Stadium. Let’s go back to McDaniels, Kraft, and Belichick’s meeting after the Super Bowl. During that meeting, according to an insider at Patriot Place, Bill Belichick told Josh that his upcoming season would be his last, and that Josh would take over next season. Now let’s look at what Josh McDaniels said when he decided to go to the Patriots. McDaniels said he needed to know what his future was going to be like, and once he found out Bill’s retirement plans it was clear that the right decision was to stay in New England.

Belichick Is Cleaning House to Give Josh a Fresh Start

Via TwitterWhat you’re seeing right now is Bill Belichick cleaning house. Belichick wants to give McDaniels a fresh start when he takes over next season. The Patriots have now parted ways with Nate Solder, Danny Amendola, Malcolm Butler, Brandin Cooks, and Dion Lewis. If that’s not cleaning house, then I don’t know what is. From what I’m being told, the media is being fed the Gronk and Brady rumors to distract from what is really going on. Bill Belichick is leaving at the end of this season. The Gronkowski and Brady news is true, however, Bill Belichick retiring is a bigger distraction. Why hasn’t a beat reporter gotten news on this yet? Why would the Patriots release that information when they can release smaller information about Gronk and Brady.

Bill Belichick is working out as many players as possible coming up in this NFL Draft. He’s doing this to draft the best players to build a team for the future. They will draft a quarterback in this draft, which is why the Brandin Cooks trade happened. When they draft a quarterback in this draft, Bill Belichick, Josh McDaniels, and Tom Brady will groom him to be a starter in a few years.

Bill Belichick Will Groom a Quarterback This Year

One year with Bill as head coach, one year with Josh as head coach, and then Brady will retire. The Patriots will be a team like they were in the 90’s. I don’t want to hear that Brady is playing to 45, all he’s doing now his concentrating on his brand and taking it year to year. Bill is sticking it to Tom by retiring after this season because of going over his head to Kraft about trading Jimmy Garoppolo. Also, he’s pretty much done everything he can accomplish as a football coach.

The Patriots Are Giving the Media Some of What Really Is Going On

Via NFL.comThe Brandin Cooks trade was another example of cleaning house. Don’t be surprised to start seeing Julian Edelman rumors starting if he doesn’t like the “Patriot Way” either. This is all so the media doesn’t find out Bill Belichick is retiring after this season. Again, the Patriots will only give the media what is in the best interest for them. Edelman could be getting sick of Belichick and the “Patriot Way”. However, the bigger rumor about Bill Belichick remains in-house, or so we thought.

I wanted to get confirmation before I put this out while Bill Belichick is making moves. It seems to be all making sense, even before the Brandin Cooks trade. I’m not sure if Brady or Gronk know this is Bill Belichick’s last season as head coach. You can believe me, or not, but the recent moves and stories being leaked out is proving my point. It’s been a great ride for Bill Belichick, and he ride off into the sunset with the five Super Bowl rings that he won in New England.

Early Impressions of the Red Sox Starters

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Red Sox Starters so Far

Through the season’s first few games, the Red Sox are 4-1. They’ve received great pitching from their bullpen and starters. Their offense has been good, but a few players are off to slow starts. The big three of this Sox rotation, which had many questions, has been dominant. The Red Sox starters so far have shown why pitching could be this team’s strength.

Photo Credit: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

Question Marks for the Red Sox Starters

Entering the season the Red Sox Rotation had two big questions. Could David Price return to his dominant form? Also, which Rick Porcello would show up in 2018? Price was dominant in his first start of the season against the Rays his former team. He threw seven shutout innings and did not walk anybody. Porcello did not shut out the Rays but he was also dominated as he only allowed one run. The performance of these two will be key as the season goes on. Two of these three have won a Cy Young and for Sale it’s only a matter of time. That’s how dominant they could be.

Photo Credit: Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire

Expected Reinforcements

In the coming weeks the Red Sox will see the return of Drew Pomeranz and Eduardo Rodriguez. Their replacements, Brian Johnson and Hector Velazquez, performed well in their first starts. Johnson allowed one run in six innings of work against the Marlins, and Velazquez allowed one run over five and two-thirds against the Rays. Once the Sox injured starters return, Johnson will go back to the bullpen, and Velazquez possibly the minors. They have shown in their first starts how deep this team can be.

(Photo/Lynne Sladky

What to Expect Going Forward

While the Red Sox pitching is off to a stellar start, they aren’t facing overpowering lineups. The Rays and Marlins are both not expected to make the postseason, and had franchise stars traded in the off-season. The true test for this pitching staff will come once they play teams such as the Yankees, Astros, and Indians. A good start is important, especially when they are missing Pomeranz, who is coming off a sixteen win season, and Rodriguez, who could be the best fifth starter in baseball. These early games have shown the potential of this rotation and just how dominant it can be.

Show Me The Money (Manziel)

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In the NFL, teams live and die by the quarterback position. It is indisputable that the quarterback is the most important position on the field. The New England Patriots are blessed with the greatest quarterback in NFL history for the last eighteen years. Now, I do not want to admit it, but let’s face the facts. Tom Brady cannot play forever. After trading Jimmy G to the 49ers, the Patriots are in need of a future quarterback.

Cashing in on Money Manziel?

The Patriots should look no further than Johnny Manziel. I know what you are all thinking, but hear me out. The Patriots currently have the greatest quarterback ever on their roster, with plenty of holes to fill on defense. Their top picks are 31, 43, and 63. Many people believe that they should take a quarterback with one of these picks. However, the Patriots should use those picks to strengthen the defense and sign Johnny football.

This signing would come with absolutely zero risk, and all of the upside in the world. Manziel was a first round talent for a reason. He displays many traits that NFL teams look for in a quarterback. Manziel is a plus athlete, this is seen on film and the NFL combine. Manziel was a top performer in every combine drill at the quarterback position. He also boasts an extremely impressive 6.75 three cone, which is elite even by wide receiver standards.

Considerable Qualities

In the NFL an elite quarterback is extremely hard to come by. If there is a 10% chance that Johnny Manziel can become elite, is he worth it? The answer to that is yes. Why are prospects drafted so highly? They show elite traits and have the potential to develop into something special. Johnny Manziel is considered to be one of these prospects with elite traits.

Normally, to acquire a player of his profile a high draft pick is needed. However, all the Patriots need to do is offer him the veteran minimum. Worst case scenario he is cut. On the other hand, the best case scenario is the Patriots have Tom Brady’s heir apparent. If neither of those hold true, he could become a serviceable backup (we all know too well how important that can be). The Patriots should use their high picks to build the defense and take full advantage of Tom Brady’s window. In the process, they just might stumble upon their quarterback of the future.

Can We Move on from Malcolm Butler?

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Move on from Malcolm Butler

FOXBORO, MA – DECEMBER 24: Cornerback Malcolm Butler #21 of the New England Patriots has an Interception against the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium on December 24, 2016 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Al Pereira/Getty Images)

The Super Bowl was two months ago, and people are still on the Malcolm Butler benching. Yes, he should’ve played in the second half. However, there’s a reason he didn’t. That reason is very simple: he never traveled with the team. Instead of seeing a doctor before the team left, he saw one on the day of the team was leaving.

All this talk about Malcolm Butler being benched is really annoying. He was benched because he missed the team plane. By the time he got to the Super Bowl the Patriots already had their game plan in place. The plan was Malcolm would have a limited role. However, Butler didn’t have a good week in practice, so he never played in the game.

Belichick Will Go Around the Answer Because It’s “the Patriot Way”

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick stands on the field before an NFL football game against the Houston Texans Thursday, Sept. 22, 2016, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)Bill Belichick always has his way of doing things. Butler should’ve went to the doctor before he left. The plane is huge. He could’ve gone to the doctor and sat by himself on the team plane. They gave him a chance with a limited role when he got there. However, he wasn’t into the plan and didn’t play in the game at all.

Butler should’ve played in the game because it’s the Super Bowl, but Bill was trying to prove a point. Now you can argue that wasn’t a time or place to have a teachable moment. But if we know Belichick, he doesn’t care what game it is. If he’s trying to prove a point he will. The reason has already been out about Butler. You just have to read in between the lines.

Reason number one: Butler didn’t travel with the team. Reason number two: he didn’t have a good week in practice, and was then benched for the entire game. Butler has moved on, or so we thought, since he likes to keep talking about it. The Patriots sure have moved on, and maybe somebody else will as well soon. Stay tuned.

Patrice Bergeron Hasn’t Missed a Beat

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Patrice Bergeron is one of the premier two-way centers in the NHL. He values the defensive side of his game just as much as the stat line, and sometimes that means blocking a shot. This led to a fractured right foot which sidelined him for a month, but Bergeron is back in full form just in time for the playoffs.

Back in Black

He was slotted back into the lineup while in Minnesota and wasted no time making his presence known. Three minutes into the second period, Bergeron fed Pastrnak a perfect one-time pass in the high slot. Pasta tee’d it up and ripped a slap shot past Stalock for his 30^th goal of the season. The scorecard read “Pastrnak assisted by Bergeron and Marchand”, so it doesn’t seem like much changed in a month. Later he assisted on Marchand’s fifth overtime winner- another common occurrence.

(Bruins, MA 12/23/17) Boston Bruins center Patrice Bergeron #37 celebrates his goal in the third period of the Boston Bruins vs. the Detroit Red Wings at the TD Garden. Saturday, December 23, 2017. Staff photo by John Wilcox.

His play against Tampa offered even more proof that Bergeron hasn’t missed a beat. He finished the night with three points and scored his first goal since returning to the lineup. Bergeron came out from behind the net and was the beneficiary of a beautiful tic-tac-toe play. The puck went from the tape of Marchand, to Krug, to Bergeron, to twine in a matter of seconds. This was one of the biggest wins of the year for Boston and propelled them into first place.

Bergeron continued his prominent return with another tally against the surging Florida Panthers. He extended his goal scoring streak the very next day against the Flyers. With only seconds remaining, Bergeron ripped home a loose puck to tie the game. He has a stat-line of 3-4-7 in five games played since making his return.

Bergeron’s patented two-way game is also perfectly intact. There are always concerns about a players conditioning when they go down with a late season injury, but the lungs are just fine. He’s averaged just under 20 minutes of ice time since returning which is equal to the amount he’s played throughout the season. He even played a total of 22:38 in the overtime loss against the Flyers, so he seems prepared to log the extra minutes that he’ll see in the postseason.

It’s all starting to come together for the Bruins heading into the playoffs. Bergeron’s back, McAvoy’s next, and the team is looking sharp. The top line has carried the B’s all season, and now the trio is back together. With the return of Bergeron, the Bruins are just as deep as any team in the league.

Cover image courtesy of NHL.com

Bruins Do Not Need to Win the Atlantic

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The Boston Bruins are currently in first place in the Atlantic. They are two points and a game ahead of the second place Lightning. With one more match-up against the Lightning coming up, Boston controls its own destiny. While winning the Atlantic is not necessary, it certainly makes Boston’s road to the Stanley Cup substantially easier. The Stanley Cup Playoffs start nine games from today, and right now the first round match-up would be Bruins vs Devils, and Lighting vs Maple Leafs.

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Inside the Match-Up

Do not be fooled, New Jersey is not going to be an easy match-up for the Bruins. But they will be the easier of the two. The Devils are a fast team with a well-rounded group of forwards headlined by Taylor Hall. They possess many of the same strengths that Toronto does, just on a lesser scale. The Bruins are going to have a hard time handling the Devils’ quickness up front, but should be able to minimize the damage.

Mainly since Tuukka Rask has excellent numbers against the Devils. In 13 career games, Tuukka has a 6-4-2 record with a .945 save percentage and a 1.59 goals allowed averag, along with two career shutouts. It’s not a stretch to say Rask has the Devils’ number. While the Devils are a team that should be respected, they should not be feared. The Bruins should be able to make quick work of New Jersey, which is why the Bruins should genuinely pursue the number one seed.

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Other Benefit

Of course there are obvious benefits to being the best team in the Eastern Conference. Guaranteed home ice until the finals is certainly something any team wants. But not only does Boston get an easier match-up against the Devils. It also forces Toronto and Tampa to go head to head. Toronto is the team to get behind in that series. Not because they are a team to be taken lightly, because they are not. Even though the Bruins are undefeated against the Lighting this season, the amount of pure talent on the Lightning roster is just insane and demands respect. For now the Bruins have to go take that number one seed and get ready for their first round match-up next week.

Red Sox Weekend Roundup 4/1

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The first official weekend of the 2018 regular season just passed us. We can all finally stop holding our breath. The season is indeed in its infancy and player performances should be taken logically. Averages are out of whack because some players are late bloomers during the long season. New teams need to rebuild or reconfigure team chemistry. Also, new managers are starting to figure out their systems as they go. However, there are a few notes from this weekend that can carry weight for the season’s entirety.

Xander Bogaerts is Back

The beloved short stop for the Red Sox seems to be already playing in mid-season form both on the field and in the box. Not only has he tormented Rays pitching, but also made some pivotal defensive plays. The double up on Mallex Smith in the 9th inning, which led to Kimbrel shutting the door completely on Denard Span for the final out of the game is one of these examples.

Thus, Bogaerts is really on the right track to get moved up in the lineup and most likely take Hanley’s spot in the 3 hole. He has a majority of at bats as a 3rd hitter in his career with a .315 batting average and a .819 OPS. Besides, Bogaerts batting third means he could see more at bats, which means a more productive lineup. I know some of you may be thinking this analysis is too early, but jump on the X train now or stay off forever. The bottom line is Red Sox baseball is better when Xander is playing great.

Yankees Suck

Yankees fans were already in trash talking mid-season form come last Thursday. As I’ve said before, this twoteam division race is going to be jam-packed with banter from both fan bases. All this means is there will be a more exciting game watching experience. This is a proper gauge for how each team’s talent stacks up against baseball’s best. The Yankees and Red Sox seem to now be at a peak in regards to team talent in the last five years. To see how these clubs perform under the spotlight, against serious talent fighting for two of the best fanbases in baseball is great. This season could jump-start a rivalry that has been in need of resuscitation in recent years, and I am extremely excited for that. Baseball is 1000 times better when the Sox and Yankees are good and fighting for a championship.

O Captain, My Captain!

After Saturday’s game, Alex Cora mentioned that Dustin Pedroia will be taking ground balls on grass in Miami. He has been going through his run progression for the last two weeks. Depending on how good Eduardo Nunez is playing at second base, Cora should really take his time getting Pedroia back to full speed. The 34 year old isn’t getting any younger, and the season is still only five days old as of now. There is no rush to get him back into the lineup.

Other Notes:

Red Sox starters have given up only 2 earned run in 23.3 innings pitched.
Christian Vazquez still thinks he’s the fastest runner on the team.
Brock Holt is on the 48 hour DL for chapped lips.
David Price is proving all of his haters wrong. I love it and so should you.

Featured Photo: (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)

@ELJGON

Shohei Ohtani, Meet Chris Sale

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Sale for Home Run Derby

The 2018 season is underway, and so many things have happened so far. Xander Bogearts is off to a hot start, the starting pitching has been good, Chris Sale is hitting bombs… Wait, what? Yeah, you read that right.

The Red Sox, who will be going to Miami after Sunday’s game, will have starting pitchers in the batting order for the two games against the Marlins. You might as well start getting ready as early as you can. Red Sox beat writers posted a video of Boston’s ace pitcher taking BP. You can see him pimping one and having an epic bat flip.

Shohei Ohtani? Who’s that? Not only is Sale hitting balls to the moon, but he’s also doing bat flips that will make José Bautista jealous. Cora apparently has yet another bat he will have to figure out to get into the lineup. I’m going for the over on 40 homers for Sale this year. Watch out, Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge.

Cover image courtesy of the WCVB.

Rob Gronkowski Is Back for Another Season

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Rob Gronkowski will be back for another season with the Patriots. The speculation comes after his Super Bowl comments about weighing his options out. According to ESPN, though, Rob Gronkowski will be in a Patriots uniform this season. The rift between him and Belichick still remains, however.

Gronk 'pretty certain' he'll return, sources say https://t.co/9KipqGbBQF pic.twitter.com/gDfB6y7mvi

— ESPNBoston (@ESPNBoston) April 1, 2018

The “Patriot Way” Is Getting Old

Gronkowski likes to be taken out of his shell. Meaning having the power to do and say what he wants. Belichick didn’t like that Gronk told Amendola to be free and happy in a Instagram post. With everything mostly held in-house at One Patriot Place, some players are starting to get sick of the “Patriot Way”.

Bill’s way of doing things has been the same for 18 seasons. He’s brought five Super Bowls to New England and drafted the greatest quarterback of all time. However, players want to have more fun. Gronk wants to win, so as long as Brady returns, he’ll follow in suit. He won’t return next season for Belichick; he’ll be back because of Brady.

(AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Kraft confirmed the other day that there is tension between him and Belichick. However, there was more tension when Kraft first became the owner of the team. Let me say this- there’s no way he would ever leave Brady stranded. He’s already lost Amendola, Edelman is coming back from injury, and who knows how Brandon Cooks will do.

Rob Gronkowski Is Tired of Belichick’s Orders

Via Bleacher ReportGronkowski and other players have tension with Belichick, but that’s not stopping Bill from doing what he thinks is best for the team. Bill has made appearances at the majority of combines and NFL camps this off-season. Why is that? Yes, because he loves the game, but there could be even something bigger happening. Bigger than just Gronkowski coming back.

Gronkowski will be back for at least two more years, as long as Brady keeps playing.