The Bruins' playoff push/chances, Celtics expectations, WBC juice or lack thereof/local ball

Sunday 3/8/26

The Bruins got a much-needed two points yesterday in their matinee win at the Garden over the Capitals. They came into the day a point ahead of Columbus for the final Wild Card spot, with both teams having played the same amount of games (Columbus picked up a point in an OT loss later in the day, so the Bruins are now two points ahead).

It's close to fifty-fifty, I'd say, whether the Bruins make the playoffs or not. You're going to need close to 100 points this year in the East, which is a lot, but this happens from time to time.

The Bruins didn't make any moves to speak of at the trade deadline, which I think was itself the right move. This team didn't need to be invested in, because what, realistically, are their chances this year?

Which doesn't mean I don't like the idea of them getting in as one of the lowest, if not the lowest, seed and taking their chances. Just letting it fly. They could win a round or two. Some team like that always does, it feels like.

I've seen the Bruins be a high seed and get upended enough times to welcome a change. See what happens. You don't know what the playoffs. It could make for an entertaining month. And if they're bounced apace, well, no biggie. What were you expecting? Likewise, I don't see anyone being upset if the Bruins don't make the playoffs. Disappointed, sure, at not being able to watch more games, but the Bruins have done about as well as you could have expected them to do this season. The Panthers aren't making the playoffs, and you can't convince me that this isn't because they prioritized meaningless Olympic games over trying to win a third straight Cup and history. It was as if they punted on the season.

The Celtics have a matinee themselves later today in Cleveland. I wonder if Tatum will play. Not a back-to-back, obviously, but I wouldn't be surprised if they sit him out. If he's in there, I don't think his minutes would be scaled back much, but I guess that's an option, too.

The Pistons blew a big lead yesterday and have now lost four in a row. Probably too late for the Celtics to catch them, and I don't think it matters anyway. You might see the Celtics lose more games here over the next stretch than they would have if Tatum hadn't come back, as a result of working him back in and figuring out all of that. Or you might not at all.

The Boston College men's hockey team lost to a sub-.500 Northeastern team last night to conclude the regular season and continue their slide. BC isn't making the NCAA tournament unless, at the very least, they make it to the championship game of the Hockey East tournament, or win the thing, and I don't think the former would get them in, so they need to win it now, and I can't see a way that happens. They're not a good team and I have never thought Greg Brown was the man to be their coach, and I think that becomes clearer and clearer.

And I know that everyone else says differently, but I just don't see it with James Hagens. I don't see it at the DI college hockey level, and I certainly don't see him being an NHL player of any note. I think, for what it's worth, he's better than his BC teammates, but they don't have any big-time players on that roster, unlike in recent years past (when they nonetheless underachieved).

Didn't mention this last week when it happened--hey, I have a to lot to write/do--but the Patriots have moved in from Stefon Diggs, which makes sense to me. You could see that coming. Both sides got what they wanted out of their year together. Having said that, I wouldn't be shocked if the Patriots brought Diggs back as a possession receiver, if he was amenable and they went out and signed a legitimate number one guy. Diggs isn't the latter, but he could be good in the slot. He'd be better as a slot receiver at this point of his career.

I'm always doubtful the Patriots will actually spend, though, so I'll believe it when I see it. I think Maye is going to regress. Or maybe it's a matter of him not being as good as he seemed on occasion last year. I know that the playoffs caused me to temper my own thoughts about his game. He could be boosted by a receiver who can make plays for you. Drake Maye needs more talent around him right now than a great quarterback would. Perhaps that will be different later. But if they don't add someone, I think Maye will fall back from where he was last year, a significant part of which was how they used him--as a game manager--and the schedule as well as a goodly help of luck and breaks.

There usually isn't much to say about baseball spring training, is there? On and on it goes. You want to say things if you love baseball, but the truth is, not much generally happens during it. I saw that the Red Sox announced--if you want to call it that--that Roman Anthony will be hitting lead-off to start the season followed by Trevor Story and Jarren Duran.

The WBC doesn't have much juice to the Stateside baseball fan. Were it a thing in, say, the 1950s, when baseball was massive, I still don't think it would have this grand scale appeal. Baseball is a sport of cities and towns, if that makes sense. I go back to something like the Brooklyn Dodgers. Those people loved baseball, but a big part of that was that they loved their team from their place. You can't overestimate the impact of that idea of place with baseball. And by place, I mean place within the place, not, you know, the whole of a country as place.