A Sudden End

A good friend of mine texted me late last night amid a saddened conversation about the current state of the Boston Celtics.

"Getting rid of legends blows."

Undoubtedly, he is correct. There's never an easy time to part ways with franchise cornerstones, especially in the case of Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.

Last night as many know, Pierce, Garnett, and Jason Terry were dealt to the Brooklyn Nets in return for Kris Humphries, Gerald Wallace, Marshon Brooks, Keith Bogans, Kris Joseph, and first round picks in 2014, 2016, and 2018 with the ability to swap picks in 2017.

Oddly enough, common sense suggests the fan base would be prepared for a breakup of the aging nucleus. After all, we're finally getting what we want right, a fresh start?  But there's a sudden finality which fans struggle to deal with and a realization that yes, Paul Pierce, will be wearing a Brooklyn Nets jersey next season.

There have been plenty of quick endings for Boston sports fans over the last week and a half. The Bruins let up two goals in 17 seconds to lose the Stanley Cup Finals on home ice, Aaron Hernandez is involved in at least one (potentially two) murder cases, and Doc Rivers now coaches on the other side of the country.

But with Pierce and Garnett, it's a slightly different feeling. What's the famous saying parents always use, "I'm not mad, I'm disappointed?"

I'm disappointed that Boston's second all-time leading scorer will no longer electrify The Garden on a nightly basis. Pierce has endured plenty of peaks and valleys in his time here in Boston which ranged from a near-death experience, the worst losing streak in franchise history, and ultimately a Championship and competitive end.

The Celtics pride themselves on tradition. Fans know the names and the stories of the likes of Larry Bird, Bill Russell, and John Havlicek, but it's been 20 years since Bird stepped on the floor.

Paul Pierce was, for all intents and purposes, my generations Larry Bird. The ultimate Celtic, the scorer, and the franchise leader. And if Pierce was Mr. Celtic, Kevin Garnett deserves endless appreciation for cultivating Pierce's talent and returning true Celtic basketball.

Garnett provided what Pierce somewhat lacked. Garnett brought an attitude to Boston. He knew the original Big Three of himself, Pierce, and Ray Allen was a baaaad crew and made sure to let everyone else know as well. Defensive intensity embedded itself in Celtics basketball and formed a team easy to cheer for. Paul Pierce was the ultimate Celtic, but Kevin Garnett defined Celtics basketball.

In the end, these were Danny Ainge's two biggest gamers. While the mercurial Rajon Rondo often pouted and role players came and gone, Garnett and Pierce remained the rock.

Sure, the deal had to be done. While I don't know if we'll ever actually see Humphries or Wallace in Celtic green, Humphries' expiring contract is an asset to have. The cream of the crop will be the three first round picks, providing the Celtics nine first's in five years. Ainge pressed the detonator, blowing up his roster in an attempt to totally rebuild around Rondo. Granted, the Celtics will still be over the cap next season, but there are certainly welcoming signs for change.

But today is not a today to look ahead. Instead, it's a time to appreciate all that Pierce and Garnett left on the floor for the Celtics. For six seasons, those two led Boston's basketball revival, reminding fans how exhilarating and rewarding championship-level basketball really is.

Ideally, two Celtics legends would be valued more than pawns in Trader Danny's game of chess, and they would get the departure they deserve. But as is life in the NBA, rarely are things done the way it is drawn up.

So long, Grit and Balls. Hopefully there's one or two more bar fights awaiting in Brooklyn.

Winter Sports Continue to Deliver the Heat

It's a mixed bag of Boston sports news this week, a week which supplied enough drama and speculation to last the rest of summer.

While the Bruins have provided an incredible playoff run (albeit stressful), the Celtics and Patriots are making headlines for less-than-celebratory reasons. For the most part, despite rising temperatures, the Red Sox have been relegated to the background even while sweeping a doubleheader against the Rays and sitting atop the standings in the AL East.

Let's jump right into it.

Bruins Finding Stride 

Faced with adversity in both games one and two, the Boston Bruins have narrowly avoided a potentially demoralizing 0-2 hole, instead swinging the series back into their grasp.

For many, a triple overtime loss on the road would spell trouble, and it seemed as if the Bruins were feeling the ill-effects early in Game 2. But Claude Julien reportedly ripped into his team on the bench, challenging his players to play with heart and force Chicago to play Bruins hockey.

What's resulted is a series rich with physicality and short on goal-scoring. The Bruins confidence has returned, in turn providing elevated defensive prowess. Boston looked dead in the water for stretches, which makes it all the more amazing its been able to turn around a series so quickly. Despite only leading 2-1, it feels as if the Bruins are knocking on the doorstep of their second Stanley Cup in three years.

Every strong defense is the beneficiary of superb goaltending and the Bruins are no different. As I wrote earlier, Tuukka Rask continues to excel while making a strong case for the Conn Smythe trophy which is awarded to the playoff's top performer.

Unlike Chicago, a team which is lacking production from their top forwards and seemingly confused on which lines to play, the Bruins have remained committed to their system and are reaping the benefits. The top-six forwards are still playing at a high level, but the emergence of the makeshift third line is lifting the Bruins emotionally.

If the Bruins continue to see high-energy shifts from Daniel Paille and Tyler Seguin, they'll be tough to beat. Chicago's normally uber-aggressive defensemen are peaking over their shoulders, inherently aware of the impending forecheck from Boston. Without their ability to move the puck quickly and confidently, the Blackhawks are struggling to maintain entry into the zone.

And don't forget, The Jagr will get his soon...

We Love you, Now we don't, We love you...

Serious question, is there anybody in Boston feeling more awkward than Danny Ainge today?

With reports that his latest blockbuster attempt, which involved both Doc Rivers and Kevin Garnett, has fallen apart, Ainge must now either mend fences or quickly put together plan-B.

I don't think it's any secret that Doc Rivers wants out of Boston. At this point, despite Ainge saying he would welcome the coach back, there's too much water under the bridge to envision any kind of reunion.

Both Ainge and Rivers are at fault for various reasons. Let's start with Doc, who signed a 5-year contract extension a season ago only to quickly turn heel a year into it.

It's difficult to fault Rivers for not wanting to take part in a rebuild. At 51 years old, owner of a ring and a devoted following, Rivers shouldn't necessarily have to sit through excruciatingly painful down-years. But shouldn't he have anticipated this when he signed his 5 year pact?

While Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul both took criticism for demanding trades while still under contract, Rivers seems to be skating by any heavy abuse. To this, I question why?

Rivers is the Celtics strongest asset. This hasn't changed since last off-season, where Danny Ainge pressed on with the idea the Celtics could compete with their aging core as long as Doc led the way. Doc's presence alone was Ainge's strongest selling point to free agents, a presence which undoubtedly factored into the signings of Jason Terry and Courtney Lee.

Now, after realizing what he had was not enough, Rivers has essentially hog-tied Danny Ainge. Ainge is now forced to try and find a trade partner for Rivers while still dealing with the aftermath of contract extensions to Jason Terry, Courtney Lee, and Brandon Bass. If the Celtics plan to go full-rebuild, none of those three players offer much value, which allows me to believe this will be a lengthy project in Boston.

Which brings me to my next point, how did the Clippers not accept Danny Ainge's offer? Ainge knows the Clippers have to make a splash in order to A)move to the next level of the NBA's elite and B) appease Chris Paul as a free agent. Likewise, the Clippers know the Celtics are somewhat forced to make a deal because Rivers wants no part in a rebuild.

The last reported deal, Rivers and Garnett for Deandre Jordan and two first round picks, makes too much sense for the Clippers. I could choose to focus on how Ainge is giving up a top-5 coach and skilled forward for an athletic specimen who can't score and two low picks, but I'll instead continue to wonder how the Clippers could seemingly deny that deal.

At what point do fans have enough of their owner being "too cheap," to put it simply. Deandre Jordan will never be a game-changing player and late first round picks are about as big of a crapshoot imaginable. The only detractor for Los Angeles was the money in both Rivers' and KG's deals, a detractor Donald Sterling posed to be too large to move forward.

And that is a damn shame.

And while we're on the topic of basketball, how much fun have the Finals been? Granted, I don't see how the Spurs can regroup both mentally and physically in 48 hours after fumbling away a chance to close out the Heat, but these have been some of the most exciting basketball games I've watched in recent memory. Between LeBron's battles within himself to Boris Diaw's emergence as the round mound of defensive fortitude, it's been fun for all types of fans.

Hopefully Game 7 does not disappoint.

Rask Delivers as Stakes Rise

Some will call it karma, others acknowledge the irony.

Still, others will deem Tuukka Rask's concluding save Friday as fitting, the final bow on a series which was anything but ordinary.

As Rask calmly snatched a wrist shot amid a last-ditch flurry of shots and activity from almost-Bruin Jarome Iginla, a crescendo of noise and emotion washed over the TD Garden. On the surface, Rask was only doing what he mastered throughout the relatively painless four game series, save pucks.

In fact, Rask saved all but two Penguins shots over the series, stymieing the "greatest show on ice" in addition to blanking both Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin of any point production. Rask posted a .985 save percentage, stopped 134 total shots, and dazzled many a time, including a dramatic 53 save performance in a potentially momentum-turning Game Three double-overtime thriller.

A performance as impressive as Rask's would be appreciated by any hockey town in pursuit of Lord Stanley's Cup. But it's arguable that Rask's flare for the dramatic came at the perfect time for a team desperate for a story-line to ride deep into the heart of the 2013 playoffs.

There was a time long ago (alright, maybe it was only a couple weeks) where the entire framework of the Boston Bruins hung in suspense.

Fueled by rabid sports talk radio, rumors of Claude Julien's demise and roster overhaul plagued the Bruins. The general scene on social media as the Bruins trailed the Toronto Maple Leafs by three goals in the third period of Game Seven was ugly. Shockingly, the Bruins were ready to roll over on home ice and hand the Leafs the keys to another round of playoff success.

Fortunately for Bruins fans, history was made and the Bruins are still standing today. And while Patrice Bergeron and the offense will receive plenty of credit for turning the tide in rapid fashion, many will forget a play made with 3:37 left in the contest. Clinging to a two-goal lead, Toronto's Matt Frattin had a chance to end it.

Here, Tuukka Rask's playoff run was born.

Rask stonewalled Frattin with a magnificent pad save, preserving the current score and allowing the comeback to proceed.

Since that moment, number 40 has protected the net of the Black and Gold for 32 periods. He's allowed 12 goals and lost only one game.

Hockey is a fickle beast. In no other sport can teams become a beacon of destiny just as quickly as they can be written off as a forgotten foe, an early casualty in a grueling playoff grind. Momentum is real and it is spectacular, often becoming just as important as more tangible factors.

Much like in baseball where momentum is only as good as the next day's pitcher, a lot of carryover success in hockey stems from the goaltending. No team has embodied the play and spirit of their goalie more than the Boston Bruins.

Tuukka Rask is a calm goalie. Late-game losses withstanding, Rask is generally regarded as a cool character, even described as one of the more "normal" goaltenders by coach Claude Julien. On the ice, Rask is confident and capable. His dominance within his crease is a result of calculated movements and steady mechanics.

Rask could not be more opposite than his predecessor Tim Thomas. Despite the contrasting styles, Rask has answered questions and heard comparisons to Thomas throughout his tenure in Boston. Thomas' 2011 Stanley Cup performance will forever be considered etched in Boston lore, which makes it all the more difficult for Rask to operate within his shadow. Up until his most recent series against Pittsburgh, Rask's largest playoff moments of note were his 2010 collapse against the Philadelphia Flyers and his infamous "butt-stumble" against New York.

Now, Rask oozes confidence and is quickly manufacturing playoff success. His play has energized his defense and instilled a quiet confidence throughout the team, providing a steady hand during the most stressful time of year. It's taken only a few weeks for Rask to turn from playoff question mark to budding superstar.

Rask needs only one more series to fully erase any memories of 2010 and anchor his place as one of the game's strongest goalies. And while Rask lacks the highlight reel signature saves that punctuated the 2011 Stanley Cup run, he plans to emerge from Tim Thomas' shadow by writing his own script.

Hopefully he reuses the same ending.

The Original Podcast

Hey all,

In addition to the rather infrequent blogs, I've decided to try my hand at podcasts. This is the original, and there is some definite room to add to it, but it's a start. Let me know what you think and what you want to hear or not hear!

http://chiarellimark.podomatic.com/entry/2013-06-05T06_31_36-07_00