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Hall of a Trade

 When the Boston Bruins acquired forwards Taylor Hall and Curtis Lazar from the Buffalo Sabres on the eve of the NHL trade deadline, many were shocked. The shock did not solely rest in the fact that Hall was finally Boston bound, but the low cost for which he would arrive. A 2nd, a 3rd, and struggling pro Anders Bjork for a former MVP in Hall and an energizer bunny forward in Curtis Lazar is the type of trade any general manager would make without hesitation. Through the first two games post trade deadline this is an absolute win for Don Sweeney. Ultimately it is far too early to give a true verdict on the trade, but the trend and potential impact of Hall already fuels the fire for it being a major W for the black and gold. In his first game with Boston, Hall grew better and better as the game progressed, having his strongest shifts in the later end of the third period. After game number two in the spoked B it is clear Hall can still be a game-changer. His insurance breakaway laser...
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An Absolute Disaster

 Everything seemed to go swimmingly for the 2019-2020 rendition of the Boston Bruins, an Art Ross winner in David Pastrnak, a Presidents’ Trophy win as the league’s best, and plenty of promising developments in the games of their young players. Then the coronavirus pandemic put a halt on a likely Stanley Cup run until a Toronto bubble opened up in late July. Boston was undoubtedly the favorites to hoist Lord Stanley, but got pantsed and embarrassed by the eventual champion Tampa Bay in the conference semifinals. Many have attributed Boston’s failure in the 2020 postseason to the departure of goaltender Tuukka Rask from the Toronto bubble or to the unique circumstances invented by the pandemic, but in truth the 2019-2020 Boston Bruins were a deeply flawed team and that flaw has carried into 2021. The black and gold simply put are too top heavy and reliant on the output of the Marchand-Bergeron-Pastrnak “Perfection Line.” This heavy dependence was admitted by general manger Don Sween...
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The Most Underrated Bruin of the 2000's

In all my years as a Boston sports fan and overall as a hockey fan, never have I seen a player receive as much disrespect as Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask. The Finnish netminder has been scapegoated on many occasions by some for Stanley Cup losses in 2013 and 2019 as well as seasons where the club has missed the postseason entirely. These skeptics push aside the fact that Rask carried the Bruins to two Stanley Cup berths and hauled a rubbish team to the 2nd round in 2010. Rask has had seasons among the all-time best Bruins and has solidly been a top five goalie in the NHL statistically every year. Without a doubt Rask has flourished more by having a strong backup in Jaroslav Halak, but he still is the brick wall for the 2020 Presidents' Trophy winners. Simply put Boston would have not had the success they did this past decade of hockey without number 40 between the pipes. From his time throwing milk crates on the ice for AHL Providence after an outrageous shootout (look that up on ...
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Top 10 Boston Red Sox Games Since 2000

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Undeniably every franchise in sports has its iconic or most memorable games. In the era the has seen the Boston Red Sox win four World Series championships, there is absolutely no shortage of those classic individual games. For my money these are the top ten games that have involved Boston's ballclub since 2000. 10. Buchholz's No-Hitter Vs. Orioles (9/1/07) Injuries at the beginning of September to their rotation forced the Red Sox to recall the then young phenom from the minor leagues. Buchholz was rocketing through the Boston system and had impressed in a solid debut vs Anaheim just weeks earlier. No one could have expected that in start number two the rookie would make history. He made Baltimore Orioles miss all night long and his 1-2 pitch to end it against Nick Markakis sent Fenway Park into an absolute frenzy. 9. Lester's No-Hitter Vs. Royals (5/19/08) Jon Lester is undoubtedly the best pitcher to come up and develop out of the Red Sox minor league system since 2000 a...
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Blessings: The 10 Best Chance the Rapper Songs

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With the Chicago rapper fresh off an appearance at the Boston Calling music festival I got to thinking what songs that feature Chano are the best? Between the three mixtapes, The Social Experiment, various spots on other artists' tracks, and the occasional leak these are the best songs that the three-time Grammy winner has been a part of. (This article was written in May 2017 and is a repost from my old blog) 10. Same Drugs- Coloring Book Same Drugs is unlike any other Chance the Rapper songs, as it offers a clear delicacy, but is not any less brilliant. The stripped down ballad is filled with emotion and it is very apparent that it depicts a very personal relationship of Chance's that has clearly undergone some significant changes. 9. May I Have This Dance (Remix)- Francis and the Lights Chance's latest masterpiece comes via a feature on the remix of a Francis and the Lights 2016 heartfelt and upbeat apology. The biggest reason to include this song honestly, is the epic da...
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COVID Cup Champions?

Tuesday afternoon long-time NHL commissioner Gary Bettman provided all sports fans a remarkable glimmer of hope, a plan for the resumption of play. While there are many logistical and timing details to be sorted out the NHL's plan is a light at the end of a dark tunnel. Premier players such as Edmonton's Connor McDavid and Philadelphia's James Van Riemsdyk collaborated with other players and NHL owners to lay out a blueprint for an incredibly unique 24 team Stanley Cup Playoff. The regular season is officially over. In the east the Presidents' Trophy winning Boston Bruins led by Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy winner David Pastrnak will join Philadelphia, Tampa Bay, and Washington in round robin play for seeding. St. Louis, Colorado, Vegas, and Dallas will do the same for the west. Most intriguing though is the additional eight teams that will have an outside shot at the Stanley Cup that the traditional format would not have permitted. At the freeze due to the...
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The 7 Most Perplexing Things About Owning a Turtle

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I have owned my pet turtle Leonardo since July 14th of 2019 and although I have always loved turtles, I had no clue they were such enigmas. Shell Beavers exuded much more sass, emotion, and intelligence as well as practice more odd behaviors than anticipated. Here are the most bizarre things I have seen from my own weirdo, Leonardo the Mississippi Map turtle with pictures included! 1. Anxiety Almost immediately after adopting Leo I was curious why he was so active because the perception of turtles is that they are slow, boring, and do not do much. After some research on both Reddit and Google I found that some breeds of turtles, like Mississippi Maps are highly prone to have anxiety. Immediately this made me develop sympathy for Leo and his clanging and banging throughout the night. Turtles can experience the same emotional issues as us humans do and it is so pure.  2. Suicidal Dives This was something that gave me a heartattack the first time it happened an...
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