Overmatched

The sputtering Red Sox had no answer for Cliff Lee Tuesday night. The lights-out southpaw threw his third consecutive complete game shutout en route to 5-0 Phillies victory.

In case anyone forgot, Cliff Lee is still the best pitcher in baseball. 

Or at least he was Tuesday night in Philadelphia. 

Dazzling the 167th consecutive sell-out crowd of 45,714 at Citizens Bank Park, the untouchable lefthander took a no-hitter into the sixth inning before eventually leading the Phillies to a 5-0 victory over the struggling Red Sox in the highly anticipated series opener between two of baseball's best teams. 

Taking advantage of a depleted Red Sox lineup devoid of regulars David Ortiz, Carl Crawford, J.D. Drew and Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Lee made it look easy en route to his third consecutive complete game shutout. In doing so, he became the first pitcher since Brandon Webb in 2007 to toss three straight complete game shutouts. 

"I'm making pitches, staying out of the zone, using my breaking ball and getting lucky," admitted Lee after the game. 

While his numbers weren't eye-popping (112 pitches, two hits, two walks, five strikeouts), Lee dominated from start to finish, keeping countless Sox hitters off balance with a blazing fastball and devastating curveball. Symbolic of just how in control Lee was, not a single Red Sox batter ever reached third base, let alone scored. 

With the victory, Lee improves his regular season record to 9-5 and lowers his ERA to 2.66. He also extended his scoreless innings streak to a career-best 32. 

"He's one of the best pitchers in the game, and he's riding a hot streak," said Sox manager Terry Francona. "That is a bad combination for any team to face."

"I haven't seen all of his starts, but from what I have seen, he's been quite impressive. He's working counts, and he's throwing strikes when he has to. He's really got it going right now."

In fact, Lee is so zoned in as of late that he finished off the month of June 5-0 with a microscopic 0.21 ERA, becoming just the fifth pitcher since the end of World War II to go 5-0 with a 0.21 ERA or better in a single month. 

"It's been a good run, no doubt about it," said Lee. "I've had a few in my career, but I don't look back and compare them. I want to throw a shutout every time out there. I never want to give up a run."

Making his first start in 13 days after a prolonged bout with the flu, Josh Beckett (6-3) looked rusty, giving up five runs and five hits over six innings in his worst start of the season. He surrendered a pair of two-out, two run homers, first to Domonic Brown in the second inning and then later to Shane Victorino in the sixth. 

As a result, Beckett's ERA ballooned from 1.86 to 2.20. 

Coming into the game, the matchup had been billed as a possible World Series preview, with the Sox leading the Majors in runs scored and the Phillies posting the best record in Baseball along with the lowest team ERA. 

In the end, the Sox were no match for Lee, who proved yet again that good pitching always beats good hitting. Boston has now lost five of its last six games. 

However, as frustrating and demoralizing as it was for Sox fans to watch the Olde Towne Team go down without a fight Tuesday night, Sox Nation can take solace in the fact that should the two teams meet again in October, the Phillies will be facing a much different Boston lineup.

One with Carl Crawford, not Darnell McDonald in left, Adrian Gonzalez, not Mike Cameron in right, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, not Jason Varitek behind the plate and a reborn Big Papi at first. 

Because one thing is for sure: if the Sox plan to take down the vaunted Philly rotation of Lee, Halladay, Hamels and Oswalt in the Fall Classic, all hands must be on deck, even if that means throwing your franchise first baseman into unfamiliar territory. 

An Embarrassment of Riches

The Stanley Cup Champion Bruins kept the good times rolling Friday night by selecting 18-year-old phenom defenseman Dougie Hamilton with the 9th overall pick in the NHL Draft. 

Welcome to the new Golden Age of the Boston Bruins.

Less than two weeks removed from winning their first Stanley Cup Championship in 39 years, the Black and Gold continued to rake in the good fortune Friday night by selecting highly-touted defenseman Dougie Hamilton with the 9th overall pick in the NHL Draft. 

Leading up to the Draft, many scouts and hockey analysts alike had the towering, immensely gifted Hamilton slotted two to five picks earlier. Some were even talking about him going as early as 3rd overall.

So when Hamilton was still on the board with the Bruins set to make the 9th overall pick, GM Peter Chiarelli and Co. pounced on the opportunity to bring a possible franchise defenseman into the fold.

"You always hear this, but we didn't think he'd be there," admitted Chiarelli after selecting Hamilton. "We were really happy he was there."

Simply put, the Bruins may have hit a home run. 

"Tremendous skater," added Chiarelli. "Good offensive instincts. Good stick. He's a very smart player on the ice. Good range. Has a good physical side to his game."

Sound like the type of player you wouldn't mind seeing alongside Zdeno Chara for years to come?

At 6'4'', 193 lbs, Hamilton possesses the ideal body-type for an elite NHL defenseman. And, at just 18-years-old, he may very well get bigger. 

"I've grown a lot in the last couple years," explained Hamilton in a recent interview. "I haven't really filled into my body yet."

Hamilton's resume is very impressive. After posting just 3 goals and 13 assists in 64 games for Niagara in his first year in the Ontario Hockey League, Hamilton improved in leaps and bounds in 2010-11, totaling 12 goals and 46 assists in 67 games. 

"I think I'm a big, complete defenseman," said Hamilton. "I can skate well, am pretty physical, make good passes, and contribute offensively as well."

The NHL's Central Scouting Bureau had Hamilton ranked as the #4 North American skater. 

"He moves the puck well and makes good outlet passes," said Chris Edwards of NHL Central Scouting. "He does make good decisions with the puck, moves it well out of his zone. He's a big guy, he'll take the  body... He uses his size well. He can muscle people off the puck."

With the drafting of Hamilton, the Phil Kessel trade to Toronto is now complete. In exchange for the former sniper, Boston netted Tyler Seguin, highly touted 2010 second round pick Jared Knight and now Hamilton. 

Not a bad end result for a goal scorer who played no defense. 

"I'm pleased with it and you know when you make a deal like that for an established player and you trade a young established player, both sides have to know what they want," added Chiarelli. "We had an idea we were going to get some good picks for a variety of reasons and we did. They got a really good player who can score 40 goals in the league."

In the second round of the Draft, the Bruins selected 17-year-old forward Alexander Khokhlachev with the 40th overall pick.

"The Stanley Cup champs drafted me," said Khokhlachev. "I'm so happy right now. Not many words. Just feeling great."

A native of Moscow, Russia, Khokhlachev tallied 34 goals and 42 assists in 67 games for Windsor of the OHL. 

"He'll take a hit to make a play and he's not at all afraid," said Edwards of Khokhlachev. "I've seen him get hit hard a few times and he just bounces right back into the play. His energy level is always there, and he's always working hard. Down the stretch for Windsor, he's player well. He's a skilled forward."

With Hamilton and Khokhlachev in the fold, the Bruins' future looks primed for a continued reign of success, especially with the team in a comfortable salary cap situation for the upcoming year. In addition, nearly all contributing members of the Stanley Cup winning team are set to return, with the exception of Mark Recchi (retired) and possibly Michael Ryder and Tomas Kaberle (unrestricted free agents).

Playoff phenom Brad Marchand is a restricted free agent, but figures to be back in Boston as management looks poised to lock him up with a long-term, hefty contract.

Enjoy it, Bruins fans. 

You waited 39 years to see a Stanley Cup hoisted in the Hub, and now, thanks to the keen management eye of Chiarelli and Cam Neely, it looks like the party is just getting started. 

A Shot in the Arm

The Celtics added two major pieces to the rebuilding process Thursday night, selecting Purdue teammates JaJuan Johnson and E'Twaun Moore in the first and second round of the NBA Draft.

For all of you Celtics fans who lost faith in the man pulling the strings behind the shamrock curtain, have no fear.

Danny Ainge has a plan. 

Kicking the tires on any possible blockbuster deals, Boston's mad scientist head honcho instead took a different approach Thursday night at the NBA Draft.

While much of the spotlight fell on the rebuilding Cleveland Cavaliers selecting point guard Kyrie Irving of Duke with the first overall pick, Ainge patiently waited until the tail end of the first round to make a big-time splash for the transitionary-minded Celtics.

Initially, Boston selected Providence College star MarShon Brooks with the 25th overall pick, inciting great applause from many New Englanders familiar with the incendiary Friar point guard (he was the nation's second highest scorer last season at 24.6 points per game, behind only BYU sharpshooter Jimmer Fredette).

However, in customary Ainge-fashion, the Celts GM quickly traded Brooks to the New Jersey Nets in exchange for the 27th overall pick and a second round pick in 2012. 

Minutes later, Ainge wowed the Newark, New Jersey crowd by using the 27th pick to select center JaJuan Johnson of Purdue. 

In Johnson, the Celtics acquire exactly the type of player they have coveted for years: a talented, athletic big man who can score the basketball, grab boards and defend the rim.

"I love that I'm going to Boston," said Johnson after being taken by the Celts. "It's great to be able to learn from all their veteran guys. You have so many NBA All-Stars on that team. Just to be able to play with a great point guard like Rondo and all those guys truly is a blessing."

At 6'11'', 220lbs, Johnson possesses an impressive physical frame similar to Kevin Garnett.

And, like KG, Johnson can play both ends of the floor. Not only did he lead the Boilermakers in scoring last season with 20.3 points and 8.6 rebounds per game, but Johnson also blocked 2.3 shots per game on his way to being named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. 

Those stats sound like music to Celtics fans ears. After all, ever since the Green traded away beloved center Kendrick Perkins, a major flaw and gaping concern became rebounding.

More closely, despite posting a 56-26 regular season record and reaching the second round of the playoffs before bowing out to the high-flying Heat, Boston ranked 29th in team rebounding in 2010-11, averaging just under 39 boards per game. 

In short, the Celtics got killed on the glass last season. 

Johnson will immediately help out in that regard and figures to only get better with time, as he now has the luxury to shadow Garnett and pick his Hall of Fame brain. 

In addition, Johnson was a four-year starter at Purdue who showed an uncanny knack for improvement. In fact, his scoring, rebounding, assists and blocked shorts increased every year. And, while his offensive game features springboard-type leaping ability and dunks galore, Johnson isn't relegated to just points in the paint. 

"Pick-and-pop, he's a terrific shooter for his size and is extremely athletic," said Celtics head coach Doc Rivers. "We've proven we can get bigs shots and, so, we can get him shots and he'll make them."

He also possesses the ability to sink an 18-footer, like KG, which no doubt attracted the Celtics to him. 

"He's a confident shooter," added Rivers. "Watching him in the workouts, he kind of knows where his shots come from. It's funny, he didn't stray far away from his spots, and that tell you he's mature enough to understand who he is and how he plays. That's always a plus."

"I hate labeling him, some people say Chris Bosh, or Horace Grant, from my era, would be the guy I picked. But, we'll see."

If Johnson ends up becoming anything close to Bosh, the Celts will have undoubtedly found a diamond in the late-round draft rough.

However, one thing is clear: with just six players under contract for next season (KG, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Rondo, Jermaine O' Neal and Avery Bradley) only two are big men. At the very least, by adding Johnson to the mix the Celts address a glaring need in the front court. 

With their second and final pick of the draft, the Celtics selected Johnson's Purdue teammate, 6'4'', 191 pound shooting guard E'Twaun Moore with the 55th overall pick. Moore could turn out to be a great steal for the Celts, having averaged 18 points, 5.1 boards and 3.2 assists last season for the Boilermakers.

He is also a sharp-shooter who can hit the three and run the floor. Last season, Moore shot 44.7% from the field and 40% from the three point line.  

One more thing to love about Johnson and Moore: they're winners. During their four year stint at Purdue, the dynamic duo posted 107 wins, the most ever for any player in Boilermaker history. 

Suddenly, with Johnson and Moore now in the fold, the Celtics' future looks bright again.

True Grit

With a resounding 4-0 victory over Vancouver in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals Wednesday night, Zdeno Chara and the Bruins capped off an incredible postseason run by winning their first championship in 39 years.

Even before the puck was dropped Wednesday night, the championship chasing Bruins and their long-suffering fans had a good feeling about Game 7 in Vancouver. However, it was not due to the fact that the Black and Gold had already won a pair of monumental Game 7's this postseason. Or the fact that the Bruins undoubtedly play their best hockey when pushed to the absolute brink.

Instead, the renewed sense of confidence came from a more unlikely but divine source: the heavens.

On Wednesday night, with the Bruins looking to end a 39-year championship drought, a lunar eclipse took place across North America. The importance? Well, if you remember correctly, a lunar eclipse also took place on October 27, 2004: the day the Red Sox defeated the St. Louis Cardinals to win their first World Series title in 86 years.

Coincidence? Apparently not.

With the stars literally aligned, the never-say-die Bruins waltzed into Vancouver and played like gods in Game 7, silencing the besieged Canucks and their sell-out crowd of 18,860 at Rogers Arena.

Led by the stellar goaltending of Tim Thomas (37 saves), the Bruins picked up a pair of goals each from Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand to defeat Vancouver 4-0 and secure their first Stanley Cup Final championship since 1972.

"You've been waiting a long time, but you got it," said Thomas to Bruins fans after the game. "You wanted it, you got it. We're bringing it home."

At the start of the game, with the Canucks feeding off the crowd's electricity, Vancouver came out swinging and began peppering Thomas early and often in search of the game's first goal.

Luckily for the Bruins, their fourth line of Gregory Campbell centering Shawn Thornton and Daniel Paille stepped up and changed the tempo, imposing their physical will while also landing three of Boston's five first-period shots.

"They were unbelievable," admitted Dennis Seidenberg, who pitched in with two assists. "They battled hard to give us energy every time they were out there. They were getting hits. They were forechecking hard. For them to give us that breather and that extra energy, it was great."

Settling down, Boston struck first with just under five minutes remaining in the first period to take a 1-0 lead. Sparking the play, Marchand feathered a beautiful pass down low to Bergeron who quickly one-timed the feed past Luongo for his first goal of the Finals.

"We got the first goal, and we knew that would be important coming here," said Mark Recchi, who retired after the game and gets to out on top. "If they got any chances, Timmy was there, and it was just scary how good he was."

Sensing the enormity of the situation, the Bruins, backstopped by their star goaltender, began playing flawless hockey.

Marchand extended the lead to 2-0 midway through the second period. Then, just over five minutes later, Bergeron made it 3-0 when he led a shorthanded breakaway and then tumbled into the Vancouver net, along with the puck, for his second goal of the game.

Capping an amazing postseason in which he set the record for most goals by a Bruins rookie (11), Marchand added an empty-net goal at 17:16 of the third period to make it 4-0 and officially put the game out of reach.

With the clock winding down, it all seemed too good to be true for Bruins fans. Then, when the final buzzer sounded, the dream became a reality.

After 39 years of futility, heartbreak and suffering, the Boston Bruins had won the Stanley Cup.

"It's so surreal right now," said Marchand. "You skate around and lift that Cup up, you can't even believe it. You work your whole life for it and for it to be right there, it's unbelievable."

"It's tough to soak everything in," admitted Bergeron. "But at the same time, we've worked so hard. We believed in us that we could do it and we got the job done."

For his legendary Finals performance, Thomas received the Conn Smythe trophy after the game as the Finals MVP. His 1.15 goals against average for the series breaks a 56-year-old record for the lowest ever in a seven-game Finals series.

"He was on top of his game from start to finish, and especially in this final round," said head coach Claude Julien of Thomas. "He was outstanding every game. I know everybody expected him to have an average game at some point. Never came. He was in the zone, focused, never let anything rattle him and never questioned his style of play. What's happened to him right now is so deserving."

One of the greatest moments of the Bruins celebration, aside from seeing each member of the team get his time hoisting the Cup, was the re-emergence of Nathan Horton. As soon as the final buzzer sounded, Horton raced out onto the ice in full uniform to celebrate with his teammates. 

After all, if not for the violent concussion sustained by Horton in Game 3 and the subsequent rallying cry it became for the team, who knows if the Bruins could have pulled it off. 

Before the game, Horton dumped a bottle full of dirty water from Boston onto the Vancouver ice as a good-luck toast. 

"Yeah, I wanted to put that on their ice and make it out ice," said Horton, "I was trying to be sneaky but I got caught by the camera."

In a sports town eternally dominated by the Red Sox as well as the dynasty-laden Patriots and return-to-glory Celtics, Boston can now officially be dubbed Titletown with the Bruins epic Stanley Cup win. With the Bruins championship victory, Boston has now won seven titles since 2001, most of any city in America.

In addition, as a result of the Bruins magnificent postseason run, it appears Boston has caught hockey fever once again. Game 7 pulled in the highest television rating for an NHL game in 37 years.

On the flip side, while the streets of Boston were flooded with elated Bruins fans, downtown Vancouver became a dangerous war zone. Devastated by the loss, Cancucks fans rioted in the streets, flipping cars and setting fire to anything in sight. Over 150 people went to the hospital and nearly 100 others were arrested.

In the end, many of us will look back at the 2011 Boston Bruins and focus on the fact that our beloved Black and Gold restored glory to the Hub of Hockey with the first Stanley Cup Finals victory in 39 years.

However, focusing solely on the end result almost seems like an injustice to the unflappable heart and never-say-die character of the team. What made this year's Bruins team so special was not that they won, but how they did it.

They played their best hockey when it mattered most. When their backs were pushed up against the wall and all the haters and talking heads like Barry Melrose counted them out after going down 0-2 against Montreal in the first round and Vancouver in the Finals. They were led by a 37-year-old goaltender whose unrivaled journey to the NHL was just as unorthodox as his style of play. They banded together after witnessing a fallen teammate and made it a rallying cry to win it all for Horton. They had each other's backs and put the city of Boston on their big, bad shoulders.

And now they drink from the Holy Grail of hockey, erasing decades of heartache with each glorious sip.

Ask any living Red Sox fan which team was their favorite and each one will undoubtedly tell you it's 2004.

For all of us Bruins die-hards who never got a chance to see Bobby Orr hoist the Cup in 1972, this year's team is our 2004 Red Sox.

For as long as we live, no matter how many more championships the Bruins may win, nothing will ever top this team and the roller coaster ride they took us on for the better part of two months.

The Boston Bruins are champions once again.

It simply doesn't get any better than this.

One Win Away

David Krejci and Milan Lucic celebrate one of Boston's four first-period goals Monday night. Staving off elimination, the Bruins defeated the Canucks 5-2 in Game 6 to force a decisive Game 7 Wednesday night in Vancouver.

From the moment the Boston Bruins took the ice Monday night, it was clear that if Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals would be their last game of the season, the Black and Gold would go down fighting, playing the physical, in-your-face type hockey that has personified the franchise for decades.

In his customary style, Tim Thomas led the Black and Gold out of the locker room and onto the ice beneath a deafening roar from the TD Garden's electric sell-out crowd of 17,565.

However, before acknowledging the crowd or skating to his goal crease, the Bruins' star goaltender and overall backbone sent an immediate and direct message to the Vancouver Canucks.

Thomas dropped his water bottle near the Boston bench and then fired it down the ice toward the Canucks' end.

Call it unsportsmanlike. Call it over the top. But, in the end, Thomas' stunt worked.

Setting the tone early and often, the Bruins set a Stanley Cup Finals record by scoring four goals in just 4:14 during the first period before eventually routing the visiting Canucks 5-2.

Talking the talk and walking the walk, Thomas (36 saves) was stellar once again, pitching a shutout for most of the contest before surrendering a pair of meaningless third period goals with the game out of reach.

As a result of the monumentally clutch victory, the Bruins will now travel to Vancouver for a winner-take-all Game 7 on Wednesday night with a chance to claim their first Stanley Cup since 1972.

"I'm proud of the guys," said ageless veteran Mark Recchi, who recorded three assists. "We had our  backs to the wall, we've been resilient all year, and we came out and had a great first period and did what we had to do tonight, and it comes down to Game 7. It's one game now."

Despite having entered the league in 1924 as one of the NHL's original six teams, the Bruins have never played in a Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. Elevating the importance of Wednesday night's mythical joust even more, the Bruins will try to become the first team in NHL history to win three Game 7's in one postseason.

After Monday night's performance, it's hard to bet against them, especially with Thomas, the odds on favorite to win the Conn Smythe award for Finals MVP, manning the Bruins' net.

"Not too many people counted on us being at this point right now," added Recchi. "It's a great feeling. We battled hard tonight. We came out to play, and it's coming down to one game. This is what we dream of, when you're little kids playing street hockey, you know, you're in Game 7."

Setting off an epic scoring spree, Brad Marchand gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead just over five minutes into the first period when he snapped a beautiful wrister over the shoulder of Roberto Luongo. With the tally, Marchand now has nine goals this postseason, a new Bruins' rookie record.

"It was really important for us to get the first one," said David Krejci. "It was a must-win for us. You go and get the first goal, and then the crowd gets into it, we'll feed off their energy, and I think that's what happened."

Just 35 seconds later, Milan Lucic extended the lead to 2-0 when he took a picture-perfect drop pass from Rich Peverly between the circles and fired a wrist shot past Luongo.

Then, with the Garden already buzzing, one of the most inspirational scenes in Bruins recent memory took place. Nathan Horton, recovering from the vicious concussion sustained in Game 3, was shown on the jumbo-tron during a TV timeout, clad in a black suit and waving a Bruins yellow playoff towel.

To say the Garden erupted would be an understatement.

"We didn't know they were going to be doing that, showing him up there," said Marchand. "for him to come in and give us that boost of energy is unbelievable. Obviously, the crowd loves it, loves him, and they're supporting him every minute of the day. It was great to see him out there. He gave us a big energy boost."

Almost on cue, Andrew Ference pushed the lead to 3-0 when he blasted a slap shot from the point between the five-hole of Luongo. Remarkably, the goal came almost exactly one minute after Horton was shown on the jumbo-tron.

For the second time in the series, Luongo was yanked from the game in favor of back-up Corey Schneider.

If there are such things as hockey gods, it appears they are now fully committed to the Bruins' cause.

If you remember correctly, Luongo made a swipe at Thomas, who allowed the only goal in a 1-0 Vancouver victory in Game 5, saying, "It's not hard if you're playing in the paint. It's an easy save for me, but if you're wandering out and aggressive like he does, that's going to happen."

The Bruins promptly greeted Schneider with a Michael Ryder goal off a deflection from the point to make it 4-0 less than two minutes later.

Sandwiched by a pair of third period Vancouver goals, Krejci added a power-play goal of his own, but the final stanza was mostly an afterthought with the game already in hand for Boston.

"We needed to come out hard tonight," said head coach Claude Julien. "I thought our guys responded. We needed to come out hard the last two games before that, because we were trailing, 2-0, in the series. Our guys have responded well. Now we have to make sure we don't get comfortable with our game. We're willing to bring it to Vancouver with us, because that's what it's going to take to win."

Now it all comes down to one game. 

One opportunity. 

One last chance to write a story-book ending to the greatest Bruins season in 21 years. 

No matter what happens Wednesday night, one of the most thrilling roller-coaster rides of our lifetime will come to an end.

Here's to the 2011 Boston Bruins.

Now do us the ultimate thanks and make us proud one last time.

We want the Cup.

It's time for the Bruins to bring it home.