Dane Cook didn't want anyone to livestream his new material.

No such problem here.

Join us to discuss the Red Sox-Yankees game as it unfolds tonight. IThe chat begins at 6:30 7 p.m.

It's all live and free. Send us your questions - and we'll try to answer them.

Meanwhile, it's good to hate the Yankees again.

Four-letter words often carry the most impact.

Envy.

Pain.

Fear.

Love.

Hate.

Dane.

Cook.

Or, when it comes to David Ortiz, Tukkaa Rask, the late John Tortorella or Tony Amonte - the word "f--k."

Those four-letter words, and many more, will be used to define and describe the upcoming Eastern Conference Finals series between the Bruins and Penguins.

Heading into the series, the "Sesame Causeway Street" word of the day is "hate." There's no need to bring the hate, it's already here.

We hate Matt Cooke.

Really, really, really hate Matt Cooke.

(Just ask Don Cherry. Three years later, he's still right. Nothing beats the Wrath of Grapes.)

Cook. Cooke. Something about that surname doesn't sit well with some Bostonians today. At least Matt Cooke lets us watch him play live.

We hate the Penguins.

We hate Cindy, er, Sidney Crosby.

We hate their logo.

We hate the fact they stole the Bruins' team colors.

We hate that Jarome Iginla "chose" Pittsburgh over Boston.

We hate the way Mario Lemieux has run his franchise.

We hate Scotty Bowman, who coached them to a Stanley Cup partly at the expense of the Bruins in 1992, because he used to coach the Canadiens when they killed the Bruins.

We hate that some bars in Pittsburgh won't be serving Sam Adams once the playoffs start.

We hate Penguins fans because they're also Steelers fans.

Our great-grandparents hated the great-grandparents of those same fans all the way back in 1903 because they were Pirates' fans.

For more than a century: Hate. Hate. Hate.

Mainly, we hate the Penguins because they're probably the best team in the NHL. After all, no one hates the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Hate isn't all always bad. (See the Jets.) Just like love isn't all always good. (See carbohydrates.)

Sometimes, it's healthy to hate.

But there's a big difference between real hate and sports hate.

Children may not know the difference between sports hate and real hate, but mature adults do. Even those in Pittsburgh, New York and Philadelphia.

The jury's still out on Vancouver and certain campuses in the SEC.

Real hate was a natural and justified reaction after 9/11, or the Marathon bombings. As it was after Pearl Harbor, and Germany's subsequent declaration of war against the U.S. a day later.

Hate masks pain. Hate provides motivation. Hate makes you fearless.

Hate can be more powerful than Oxycontin.

Time is real enemy of hate. It's nearly impossible to hate forever.

There are exceptions, though. Hitler, Bin Laden, Speedbump and Asshat, Bane, General Zod, the IRS, Cooke.

OK, we won't go that far.

It would be insulting to General Zod.

(Countdown to "Boston blogger compares Cooke to Bin Laden Hitler IRS" headline in three, two, one...)

Jack Edwards immediately knew he crossed the red line last month when he equated Cooke's nomination for the Masterton Trophy with a possible parole of Sirhan Sirhan. Once the Internet got done Googling "Sirhan Sirhan," it was outraged. Edwards quickly apologized via Twitter to Cooke, the NHL and anyone else who was offended. Hatred got the best of him, for a split second, and he did something regrettable. I feel the same way about all those times I gave Reggie Jackson the finger as a teenager at Fenway Park.

Edwards' historic analogy was, gasp, a mistake. But Neckbeards and Trolls allow no such room for error. Such is the life when you're driven by hatred of anyone who is successful. Or live to find fault in those who are better than you at what you wish you could do.

That brings us to this series.

What Cooke did to Marc Savard straddles the line between real hate and sports hate. He is A-Rod with an intent to injure. At least A-Rod's best shot ended up in Jason Varitek's mask. And when he swung his purse at Bronson Arroyo, he ended up being called out for interference.

Cooke's 2010 hit on Savard was vicious, cheap and borderline criminal, not matter what the NHL's Kangaroo Court said. Cooke is supposedly reformed (hence Edwards' sarcasm). The injury he inflicted on Savard went beyond hockey. It was life-shattering. Has Cooke done anything/enough to warrant forgiveness? That's between him and Savard. What angers and continues to fuel the sports/real hate directed at him from Boston and elsewhere is a result from the insincerity of his "reformation."

The rest of the hate surrounding Bruins-Penguins is of the good, old-fashioned, healthy sports hate variety. It's not quite Bruins-Canadiens, but it's getting there. It's been a while since these teams met in the postseason. How long? About 24 hours before Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr and the Penguins swept the Bruins out of 1992 Wales Conference finals, Johnny Carson hosted "The Tonight Show" for the final time.

Heeeeeeeere's Johnny (Boychuk, this time).

Sports hate can be wonderful, as long as it doesn't cross the line into real hate. It boosts TV and sports-talk radio ratings, ticket sales, web-site hits and newspaper circulation. (Kids, you can Google "newspaper circulation.") It unites people who can't agree on anything else. It's passed down through generations, just like the family name, holiday traditions and diabetes.

This series should be sickly sweet.

The Penguins are favored to win it (my pick is Bruins in six) and were nearly perfect against Ottawa. (Just as the Bruins were nearly perfect against the Rangers.) Pittsburgh will win at least one game in this series by four or more goals and leaves Boston less than no room for error.

Much the same was said two years ago before the Stanley Cup Finals about the Canucks, whom the Bruins and their fans grew to hate during that series.

They won't have any such problems starting Saturday night.

You gotta love it.

Speaking of old-time sports hate, join us tonight starting at 6:30 p.m. for our in-game Red Sox and Yankees chat. In case you missed it, this series will be for first place in the A.L. East. Who'da thunk it?

Don't forget to visit our Obnoxious Boston Fan blog. As always, let us know what you think. Post your thoughts here, on our Obnoxious Boston Fan Facebook page, on Twitter @realOBF or e-mail me at obnoxiousbostonfan@hotmail.com.

Titus Ashby's first basketball trick shot video racked up 11.1 million You Tube views and earned the 2-year-old Kansas boy time on "Good Morning America," "The Today Show" and "Jimmy Kimmel Live."

The sequel was posted on You Tube today, and features young Titus nailing shots from all over the house, hitting a few "Dude Perfect-like" Hail Mary's off a bridge over the Arkansas River in Wichita, Kan., and making an early recruiting visit to Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall. The Shockers reached the NCAA Final Four this past season.

Marshall says in the clip he's impressed with Titus' shooting ability but wants someone who can play defense, pass the ball and loves the game.

Done.

Titus then demonstrates some of his defensive ability and ends up on the coach's radar screen, for the 2028 season.

In this age of cynicism and internet trickery, it's hard to believe that this stuff is all real.

But it is.

We just don't see all the outtakes and misses. Kimmel learned the hard way about doubting the young boy's skills.

Enjoy.

Don't forget to visit our Obnoxious Boston Fan blog. As always, let us know what you think. Post your thoughts here, on our Obnoxious Boston Fan Facebook page, on Twitter @realOBF or e-mail me at obnoxiousbostonfan@hotmail.com.

Bugs Bunny's nemesis (who looks like a dead ringer for Matt Cooke) the 1949 classic "8 Ball Bunny" summed it up best:

"Peguins is practically chickens."

Penguins, as a rule, can't fly.

We know the NHL's Penguins aren't practically chickens, they're already there. (See Cooke, the Mario Lemieux who has inhabited his team's the front office or Sidney Crosby any day he's whining about something).

The Penguins of Pittsburgh need not slander by association the penguins of elsewhere. Those flightless, aquatic birds of cold are woven into our hearts, while the skaters who bear their name remain objects of scorn.

There's lots of hatred brewing toward the capital "P" Penguins from hockey fans across New England.

Stay tuned for our list on Friday.

With Boston's Eastern Conference showdown against Pittsburgh and its dreaded Penguins looming, we decided it was time to take a look at our Top 10 penguins - both real and imagined.

The NHL's Penguins got their name when the wife of one of the original owners (Jack McGregor) took it upon herself to by-pass a "name the team" contest and name the team.

Her logic: "I was thinking of something with a P. And I said to Jack, 'What do they call the Civic Arena?' And he said, 'The Big Igloo.' So I thought, ice. . . Pittsburgh. . . Penguins."�

Yeah, there must be millions of igloos in Antarctica.

Any second-grader who has visited the New England Aquarium, or Sea World, knows that penguins live in the South Pole (or in the Southern Hemisphere), save for the rare exceptions living at Sea World or the New England Aquarium.

There was one North Pole penguin of note, who helps to kick off our Top 10 list.

1. "The Skating Penguin" - This Looney Tunes character scores because he allows us to run this awesome seven-minutes of Bugs Bunny in his prime.

"Rabbits is bigger than penguins."

And so are bears.

Love the scene when the crying penguin's tears turn to ice cubes. Look for similar tears from Tomas Vokoun during the Bruins' power play.

We think more tears will be flowing in Pittsburgh when this series is over.

Another gem from this animated classic. Bugs refusing to pay the 25-cent Panama Canal toll, opting to take the long way across South America. Always think of Slim Pickens putting out the call for a "s--tload of dimes" whenever I see that scene.

Way back in the day, Jeremy Jacobs probably passed the hat more than a few times when the team bus was going through the Callahan Tunnel to cover the tolls en route to Logan Airport.

"Great Quivering Jellyfish!" ―The Penguin

2. "The Penguin (aka. Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot)" - The best "Joker" may be up for debate, but there's only one "Penguin" when it comes to "Batman." And he isn't Danny DeVito. Burgess Meredith was a serious actor back in the day, but then he opted for a recurring gig on the short-lived but ever-lasting ABC series. Penguin was always causing Batman trouble by winning the hearts and the minds of Gothamites before unleashing some sort of dasdardly scheme upon them. His umbrella was high-tech when high-tech meant Polaroid cameras and five Xerox copies a minute from a machine the size of a bathtub. Penguin always ended up being foiled but somehow managed to escape from Adam West. His henchmen were part of group called "G.O.O.N." - (Grand Order of Occidental Nighthawks). Another perfect Matt Cooke reference. While Meredith's Mickey Goldmill never lived to see Rocky Balboa reclaim his heavyweight title from Clubber Lang, his "Penguin" lives forever.

3. Tennessee Tuxedo - This was one of the low-level cartoon characters of your parents' youth. (It originally aired on CBS for three years before being regulated to afternoon programming on Channel 56 - always a staple when you were home sick from school). Tennessee (voiced by the inimitable Don Adams) and his Walrus pal Chumley were always getting into trouble after escaping from the zoo on an almost daily basis. Chumley is a dead ringer for Claude Julien circa 2010. The above clip - called the "Rainmakers" - is vintage Tennessee, complete with a visit to Mr. Whoopee and his never-in-doubt 3DBB, which was a 1960s version of the internet. The cartoons were really thinly disguised science and history lessons. Not too bad for a cartoon. Bruins' fans hope to learn as much about good hockey starting on Saturday.

4. "Antarctica - Empire of the Penguin" - You just saved yourself the two-hour wait. You're welcome. The folks at Sea World in Orlando are trying to duplicate the magic of Penguin Encounter with this new exhibit that opened last week to less-than-stellar reviews. Sounds like another good omen to me.

5. "Penguin Diner" - Not much of a video game fan, at least since I ran out of quarters playing Asteroids. You play "Penguin Diner" while the theme of "Zorba The Greek" runs on an endless loop in the background. It has old-school ethnic, potentially offensive stereotype written all over it. Most Greeks, including this one, however, have no problem being linked to the finest eateries anywhere. We love to cook. We love to eat. Bingo.

The object of "Penguin Diner" is to serve as many customers/penguins while racking up sales in the process. Nothing wrong with a good cash business. The game is easily addictive. And it's a great way to kill the rest of the week at work during the eternal wait before Game 1.

6. "Happy Feet" - The lead Penguin in this flick has to be a Boston fan - after all his name is "Mumble." This penguin can't sing but wins over his pals by his ability to dance, all the while saving Antarctica from the evil "aliens." He never says anything about "Varitek splitting the uprights" or "KJ and Hondo." The bad guys in this flick, naturally, turn out to be mankind. (A real shock, for sure.) The animated movie is great fun and makes for a nice escape for the little ones, who will no doubt be traumatized by the litany of curses emanating from the couch as mom and dad watch the Bruins battle Pittsburgh in the next round.

7. "Chilly Willy" - The Pittsburgh Penguins aren't the only ones who screwed up when it comes to penguins and geography. "Chilly Willy" spent about 10 years struggling trying to stay warm while appearing in 50 cartoon shorts made by Walter Lantz - living in Alaska. "Willy" spent most of the time over-matching his skills against Smedley, a somewhat dim-witted mutt. Usually, the two ended up being reluctant pals, since "Willy" was simply too lovable to hate. We won't have that problem with those other Penguins starting Saturday night. "Chilly Willy" often showed up on the back end of the "Woody Woodpecker" show, which pre-VCR people only watched if "Bugs Bunny," "The Flintstones," "Scooby-Doo" or "Speed Buggy" were not on at the same time.

8. "The Penguins of Madagascar" - They are the stars of a TV show on Nickelodeon these days, but they earned fame with their appearances in the "Madagascar" movie franchise. Rico, Skipper, Private and Kowalski are probably the first characters anyone under 12 thinks of when you say "penguins." At least none of them was named Crosby or Mario.

9. Le bébé, Le père, La mère - The three animal leads of "March of the Penguins" were the focus of one of the best live-action nature films ever made. Morgan Freeman, last seen dozing off with Michael Caine during their current promotional tour for "Now You See It," provides the narration. Freeman, who has played God, the president and speaker of the house, automatically elevates this flick's level of sophistication and gravitas. Not so much was its tongue-in-cheek sequel, narrated by Samuel L. Jackson, called "Farce of the Penguins." Expect to see that headline on this site and elsewhere if/when the Bruins ice this series.

10. Jaromir Jagr - Sure, he's here partly because he now plays for the Bruins. But he's mostly here for the mullett.

New Bruin Jagr in 98 with teammate Dan Kesa's nephews Jovan, Nik, and on the left, Milan.Lucic. twitter.com/tsnjamesduthie…

— James Duthie (@tsnjamesduthie) April 2, 2013

He also gets props for the above photo with little Milan Lucic.

Between the two, Lucic has three goals in the postseason.

Jagr could even score one himself before things are done.

The last time Jagr faced the Bruins in the playoffs 21 years ago, the Penguins won the series and finished the season with a sweep in the Stanley Cup finals.

The Bruins need a similar ending for Jagr this time.

(Not making the list: "Mr. Popper's Penguins," namely because Jim Carrey is a Maple Leafs fan, "Surf's Up" and the penguins from "Mary Poppins.")

Don't forget to visit our Obnoxious Boston Fan blog. As always, let us know what you think. Post your thoughts here, on our Obnoxious Boston Fan Facebook page, on Twitter @realOBF or e-mail me at obnoxiousbostonfan@hotmail.com.

Rajon Rondo and Joan Rivers.

And you thought Pierce and Garnett were old.

The Celtics guard did some not-so hard time with Rivers on E!'s "Fashion Police" Friday.

Rivers was uncharacteristically easy on the 6-1 Rondo - "since you're an NBA player I thought you'd be like 7-feet-9" - and saved her venom for a few other NBA targets.

Naturally, she asked Rondo about his fight with Kris Humphries.

"Did you hum a Kanye West song?" she asked.

"He did a dirty play on my teammate, I wasn't trying to start a fight," he said.

Rondo discussed his internship with with "GQ" last summer and said he planned to do another one in the future. Rivers and Rondo also did some spring cleaning. He eventually gave Giuliana Rancic the honors when Rivers told him to "trash" a black, stripped jacket he wore at the podium during last season's NBA playoffs against Atlanta.

"It's a little too old, mostly black and not accomplishing anything, I'm surprised it's not playing for the Lakers."

Zing.

"Even Gary Busey would say this jacket is crazy."

And done.

Classic Joan.

Stylish Rondo.

Don't forget to visit our Obnoxious Boston Fan blog. As always, let us know what you think. Post your thoughts here, on our Obnoxious Boston Fan Facebook page, on Twitter @realOBF or e-mail me at obnoxiousbostonfan@hotmail.com.

First we had the "Butt Fumble."

Now we have the "Tuukka Tumble."

You can watch it again and again here:

Just add your own soundtrack. Thinking the "Benny Hill" theme.

"WTF?" for sure.

2013 has become the year of the "On-Air F-Bomb." David Ortiz got it started at Fenway Park the Saturday after the Boston Marathon Bombings with his "this is our f--king city" declaration. Then we had Comcast Sports Net's Tony Amonte's plea of "they're going to break the f--king glass" during the mayhem after Game 7 against Toronto and Rask's lay off my iPod "are you f--king kidding me?" quip live from the locker room after Game 3.

Thursday, we were treated to Rangers' coach John Tortorella's verbal throw down with one of the linesmen during a third-period time out.

After a Zapruder-like breakdown of the f-bomb timeout clip, Torts can be seen dropping a series of f-bombs, although the actual cursing on the tape comes from the linesman with whom Torts was having a discussion.

It was the first f-bomb heard on CNBC since GE stock fell below $9 a share in 2009.

My favorite is still Amonte's given the sound of desperation in his voice. It has sadly been erased from the interwebs by the folks at Comcast.

There's no doubt the biggest f-bomb of Thursday night came roaring across New England and after the Rangers won this thing in overtime. All of this madness came on CNBC amid Asian market updates and endless plugs for "American Greed."

Torts, obviously relieved his job was safe for at least a couple of days, was also back in form in the post-game presser, telling a reporter that they can "kiss my ass" if they didn't want to accept his explanation for benching Brad "Just Call Me The Carl Crawford of the Rangers" Richards.

The biggest challenge facing the Bruins and their fans in Game 5 may be trying to figure out what channel will air the game. (Actually, it's at 5:30 p.m. on NBC Sports Network - until it's bumped to MSNBC en Espanol). If there's a Game 6 on Monday, it will probably end up on the NBC Shopping Channel or during the 14th hour of the TODAY show.

Game 7? I'm thinking the "Blue" channel from NBC's 1992 Olympics TripleCast.

Speaking of those Asian markets, the Nikkei early today recovered almost half of the 7.3 percent drop it suffered Thursday. Bruins fans and CNBC viewers undoubtedly can breath a sigh of relief.

The Bruins will need a market recovery in Game 5, especially considering how they lost this one.

The clincher-to-choker loss prompted way too many comparisons to 2010. That year the Bruins, thanks in part to a crucial too many men on the ice penalty, got swept out of the playoffs after taking a 3-0 lead against the Flyers. (We had one of those Thursday, too.)

Thankfully, this was Game 4, and not Game 7.

And this is 2013, not 2010.

But Bruins certainly collapsed a plenty in Game 4. When Tuukka fell on his Rassk, it gave the Rangers some hope and an opening to get back into the game, if not the series.

Rask butt-stumbled as Carl Hagelin was backhanding a weak, rolling shot on net. The world moved in slow motion as the puck slipped past Rask as he tried in vain to recover and stop it.

‘‘We need to be more focused, I need to be more focused,’’ Rask said. ‘‘I just took a step to the side in what I think probably was a skate mark or something. I lost my balance and the rest is history. We gave them a couple of gifts and it cost us the game.’’

That goal prompted a lot more "s-bombs" than "f-bombs" among the home viewers, given its bizarre and Stoogesque nature. That will be the GIF that keeps on giving for the Rangers, especially if this series continues past Saturday.

The Rangers took full advantage of it, erasing a pair of Boston leads in the game before blitzing Rask in overtime, with four shots in the first 75 seconds.

In addition to Tuukka's best Shemp imitation, the Bruins committed some major mental breakdowns. Zdeno Chara lost the puck behind the net, which led to the Rangers' second goal, and Tyler Seguin failed to get off the ice in time to avoid the dreaded "too many men on the ice" penalty. The Rangers tied the game at 3-3 off the ensuing power play with 10 minutes to play.

The game-winner was precipitated by the soon-to-be-departed Dougie Hamilton being manhandled in front of the net and failing to push the stick away from Chris Kreider.

Both Rask and Chara have been iron since the final 10 minutes against the Maple Leafs. And Seguin got off the playoff schneid and scored his first goal of the postseason to give Boston a 3-2 lead. Sorry, no rip fest here. It's always better not to choke one away like this, but after the game, to a man, Seguin, Rask and Chara all acknowledged their mistakes and vowed not to repeat them. Empty words until Game 5, but there was no finger-pointing, blame or panic. Not even from cool-hand Claude.

The Bruins had won four straight before Thursday night. The Bruins outplayed New York for much of Game 4, but literally gave the game away. It's unlikely that will happen again in this series. It's borderline preposterous to think they are going to lose four straight to the Rangers at this point, even with their Game 4 buffoonery. No chance.

Let's hold off on the Tobin Bridge analogies, given what happened north of Seattle Thursday. Thankfully, no one perished when a chunk of a bridge on I-5 fell into the Skagit River.

The loudest protestations and groans after Game 4 were heard from those media types (or more likely their significant others) who are probably pissed that they now have to sit in a studio or press box on Saturday, instead of spending the holiday weekend relaxing with their families at home or at the beach.

The rest of us will be treated to another exciting playoff hockey game during the heart of Memorial Day weekend.

Things could be a lot f--kin' worse.

Don't forget to visit our Obnoxious Boston Fan blog. As always, let us know what you think. Post your thoughts here, on our Obnoxious Boston Fan Facebook page, on Twitter @realOBF or e-mail me at obnoxiousbostonfan@hotmail.com.

Jerry Remy in "Playgirl."

Surprising.

The Eck, in "Playgirl."

Surprising.

Not so much.

Baseball Prospectus posted a piece about several ballplayers who posed for "Playgirl" in the 1980s.

Among the notables, our own lovable Rem Dawg from July 1984.

Boston Barstool Sports posted the photo of Remy and raised it with a "Playgirl" photo from the same issue of Remy's NESN pre and post-game host, current Hall of Famer and former teammate, Dennis Eckersley

According to Eck's brief bio in the magazine, he was considered "tightfisted," at least when it came to giving up hits.

The folks at "Playgirl" Baseball Prospectus added their own faux scouting reports for each player it featured, listing Remy's position as an "INF/Sex God" and his abilities as "varied."

Among the other players photographed by "Playgirl" back in the day were George Brett, Danny Ford, Phil Garner and Rickey Henderson.

Nothing was available on Don Orsillo.

(HT: Toucher and Rich/Deadspin)

Don't forget to visit our Obnoxious Boston Fan blog. As always, let us know what you think. Post your thoughts here, on our Obnoxious Boston Fan Facebook page, on Twitter @realOBF or e-mail me at obnoxiousbostonfan@hotmail.com.

"Slap Shot" was rated "R" for excessive violence, profanity, lots of blood on the ice and brief nudity.

The Bruins-Rangers series has been rated "R" for excessive violence, profanity and lots of blood on the ice.

No nudity, thank goodness/unfortunately - depending on your perspective.

This has been Old Time Hockey at its finest. Two "Original Six" teams from two cities that still manage to hate each other despite all that goodwill shared following the Boston Marathon bombings. The Rangers have been overmatched, especially by Boston's vaunted "Fourth Line." They ought to be called the "First Line" since they're doing all the work.

Maybe the "T" can add a special "Merlot" line that runs straight from the Garden to the next Duck Boat parade.

Meanwhile, Boston continues to run on Tuukka Time. And Rask, who has developed a hard-assed edge throughout the playoffs, continued on the offensive during his post-game interviews.

Following in the footsteps of Comcast Sports Net New England's Tony Amonte and Rangers coach John Tortorella, Tuukka dropped an "f-bomb" on live TV after someone (according to 98.5 The Sports Hub's Toucher and Rich) decided to lower the volume on his iPod dock.

After stopping in mid-question, he leaned over and said: "Are you f--king serious?"

Lesson: You do not mess with the Finnish play list.

Speaking of Finnish, or finished, that's where the Rangers stand today. Bruins fans, as they are genetically pre-disposed to do, will be leery of any 3-0 lead following the choke job against Philadelphia in 2010. Of course, the Bruins swept the Flyers in 2011, turning a 3-0 lead into a 4-0 series win. The Bruins are 17-1 in series in which they've led 3-0. I certainly hope so. As long as Rask remains steady, as he's been since the first loss in the Maple Leafs' series, the Rangers simply don't have the horses to keep up with the Bruins.

That was evident every time Daniel Paille, Gregory Campbell and Shawn Thornton were on the ice. Those three, along with grinders like Johnny Boychuk and wunderkind Torey Krug have been the difference in this series. Unless John Tortorella, who when clean-shaven seems like a dead ringer for Al Pacino's "John Milton" character in "The Devil's Advocate," can re-possess their souls, the Rangers are finished.

As far as the violence and gore in this R-rated affair, it was all over the ice at Madison Square Garden. Players from both teams were sprawled, covering various parts of their face and head as the ice turned into a Bloodsicle. Sticks and verbal stones were flying all over the place.

Amazingly, little of the gore resulted in penalty minutes. Maybe Alexander Ovechkin was on to something after all.

Among the officiating lowlights:

• If one single play epitomized the craziness, it happened in the third period when Tyler Seguin fired a shot on net but his stick hit Chris Krieder in the face. At the same time, Steven Eminger’s stick whacked Seguin in the noggin. Seguin was shooting the puck. Eminger was shooting Seguin's head. No call was made on either player.

• Wanna-be thug Ryan Callahan bushwhacked Zdeno Chara in the face with a stick in the first period. Chara was bleeding. This used to be considered a text-book four-minute minor. But nothing was called.

• Dan (No Relation to Mike or Joe) Girardi wound up and went David Ortiz on David Krejci, as he flooded the zone with a 2-on-2 rush. Krejci was taken out at his feet and lost the puck. Tripping? Not tonight, fellas.

• Rangers defenseman Eminger pulled a John Cena on Chris Kelly and took him down at the shoulder in the second period after a similar move by Jaromir Jagr. The elderly Jagr was called, Eminger wasn't. Something was wrong with my DVR during the game, as Jagr was skating at 3/4 speed all night.

These grips are legit from this perspective because they're being aired and the Bruins still won the game. Not a big fan of blaming the refs, but this still could lead to serious injury to the Bruins, who expect to be playing in the next round. The Rangers have all summer to recover on the golf course from any of Boston's illicit misdeeds.

Expect even more mayhem in Game 4. The Rangers, despite the reassuring words of their coach, are in deep trouble. They are throwing everything they have at the Bruins, but nothing seems to stick.

Despite the faux thuggery and cheap shots, this series has been an agonizing joy to watch. Remember the NHL lockout? Me neither. It seems like a 1,000 years ago. Playoff hockey and a 3-0 lead over New York can have that effect on anyone.

The bruised, bloodied but unbowed face of Patrice Bergeron, sitting on the bench in the third period after being cut by a stick said it all for the Bruins in this series.

The Bruins will advance to the next round, or run out of blood trying.

Don't forget to visit our Obnoxious Boston Fan blog. As always, let us know what you think. Post your thoughts here, on our Obnoxious Boston Fan Facebook page, on Twitter @realOBF or e-mail me at obnoxiousbostonfan@hotmail.com.

"Heroes get remembered, but legends never die." - Babe Ruth, "The Sandlot"

During the Red Sox eternal rain delay Sunday, several players watched the movie "The Sandlot" in the clubhouse.

Some players also met a couple of stars from the movie, which celebrated its 20th anniversary this past weekend, at Target Field, where it was remembered.

The guys from the Sandlot with @middlebrooks @15lasershow & @jacobyellsbury #baseballclassic twitpic.com/cra6it

— Boston Red Sox (@RedSox) May 17, 2013

The underlying theme of the movie is a boy (Scotty Smalls) who moves to Los Angeles and ends up on a sandlot baseball team despite his limited skills. There's a fence around the lot and balls hit over the fence are doomed because of the "The Beast." He is a monstrous Mastiff that belongs to Mr. Mertle, who is the"meanest man who ever lived." Mertle was played by Darth Vader's voice himself, James Earl Jones.

After a visit from Babe Ruth - via a dream - one of the boys in the group, Benny, gets the courage to run into the yard and retrieve a "Babe Ruth" signed baseball that ended up over the fence.

Well, the dog escapes and a chaotic chase ensues. Eventually, all ends well with Jones' character telling the boys he would have gladly returned the baseballs if the kids had just asked. Then things get out of hand emotionally, after we learn Mr. Mertle was a Negro Leaguer who knew Ruth. He becomes buddies with the kids. The movie ends with a "Where are they now montage," with Smalls broadcasting Dodger games and his pal, Benny, stealing home.

Meanwhile, "The Beast" (named Hercules) ends up living a long and fruitful life.

Happy endings everywhere.

Among the Red Sox enjoying Sunday's unscheduled matinee was starting pitcher John Lackey.

Lackey has been "The Beast" lurking beyond the Green Monster for Red Sox since the Great Collapse of 2011. He was buried deep in the doghouse, along with his drinking buddy Josh Beckett and the rest of their un-indicted co-conspirators. Lackey saw his effectiveness wilt in September of that year, along with the rest of the Red Sox rotation. The Red Sox lost five of his Lackey's final six starts. His final win of 2011 came on Aug. 23. In his final five starts, he went 0-2 with a 9.13 ERA in only 23.2 innings.

That finish was good enough for Lackey to earn our first-ever "Negative 10th Player Award," earning 53 percent of the nearly 3,500 votes cast.

Dog days indeed.

Lackey was then at ground zero of "Chicken and Beer Gate" and, thankfully for all concerned, underwent Tommy John surgery in the offseason, effectively removing himself from the team's 2012 equation.

Of course, like "The Beast," Lackey was always there, even when he wasn't. Turns out he was with the team on the road for most of last season and even found time to double-fist now and then in the clubhouse. Always a good strategy when you're trying to back in shape after career-alerting surgery.

Boston's "Beast" bore even more of the fandom and media's ire after Josh Beckett and Friends were granted asylum in what is now known as Last-Place Dodgertown.

A slimmed down Lackey arrived at training camp in Fort Myers newly divorced, both of those factors can hinder or help an athlete's performance depending on the circumstances. In Lackey's case, both have appeared to be a plus. His performance this season has been considered a lynch pin on the team's ultimate success in 2013, both here in this space and elsewhere.

Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz are 12-0 combined (heading into Monday night) and counting. Their continued dominance is the foundation for any success the Red Sox will have this season. But for the team to actually contend for the post-season, Lackey needs to lead the way in the back-end of the rotation. That's due mainly due to his Beastly five-year, $82.5 million contract and the often Beastly Red Sox bullpen.

Long before Sunday's game resumed, following three hours of waiting, Lackey's day was finished. Lackey (2-4) lowered his ERA from 4.05 to 3.31 after throwing six innings without giving up an earned run, striking out five and allowing just one hit. Lackey has has plenty of Lackeyesque moments this season and briefly returned to the DL for three weeks.

He's no longer "The Beast" but isn't quite "Lassie" yet, either. He's become like a stray mutt you took in, for $82.5 million, who has finally stopped tearing up the furniture and peeing inside the house. Now, he'll fetch the morning paper (yes, this is a fictional analogy), not bark at the cat so much and ward off a potential burglar now and then.

Sunday's rain delay was blessing and a curse for Lackey. The Red Sox were comfortably ahead when it began in the seventh, but it robbed him of a chance of throwing a complete-game shutout. That would have immeasurably boosted his already high confidence.

Lackey bark has softened this season, but his bite has shown renewed effectiveness. The bad innings are the exception of late. It's risky territory to try and extrapolate a full turnaround from someone who is still 2-4 and is still John Lackey.

First Stephen Drew, Andrew Bailey coming off the DL and now this. Red Sox fans are running out of venom. We might need Bobby V. Day just to fire things back up.

These are heady times again for the Red Sox. Boston's won five straight since Drew's twice-in-a-lifetime grand slam last week at Tropicana Mausoleum.

It was a home run that indeed showed anything is possible in 2013.

Including John Lackey finally escaping from the Red Sox doghouse.

Don't forget to visit our Obnoxious Boston Fan blog. As always, let us know what you think. Post your thoughts here, on our Obnoxious Boston Fan Facebook page, on Twitter @realOBF or e-mail me at obnoxiousbostonfan@hotmail.com.

Missed this one the other day, since we were wrapped up watching the near riot that broke out outside the Ace Ticket Studios on Causeway Street after the Bruins won Game 7 in OT against the Maple Leafs.

Comcast Sports Net New England pre-and-post-game hosts Michael Felger and Tony Amonte were in studio watching the action on TV along with the rest of us. But the Comcast cameras were watching them.

Felger's on-camera reaction to both the game-tying and winning goals from the 5-4 win over the Leafs should provide plenty of fodder for the callers to his "Felger and Mazz" show on 98.5 The Sports Hub. But remember, there's no rule against cheering in the studio, in the broadcast booth or home on the couch, just inside the press box. Felger may have been the only one watching the game on TV who didn't celebrate with a few profane words directed toward the Maple Leafs.

Meanwhile, Amonte, who later dropped an "F-Bomb" during the post-game glass-pounding mayhem, remains calm while taking notes. The folks at Comcast managed to get some reinforcements stationed outside the studio window after Boston's victories over the Rangers Thursday and Sunday. Too bad.

Felger's reactionary clip was shown during this week's CSNNE "Sports Sunday" telecast.

While Felger showed some major Black and Gold fan-blood after Game 7, his reaction was not nearly as intense as the one delivered by Jack Edwards during the NESN telecast.

Felger showed some agility with his ability to jump off the chair while Edwards get major style points for sticking the dagger and "killing the beast."

Too bad neither had their face painted.

Don and Jerry, you're up next.

Don't forget to visit our Obnoxious Boston Fan blog. As always, let us know what you think. Post your thoughts here, on our Obnoxious Boston Fan Facebook page, on Twitter @realOBF or e-mail me at obnoxiousbostonfan@hotmail.com.

Oscar-winning director Ben Affleck returned this week to host SNL for the fifth time, but it may have been Stefon and Kayne West who stole the show in the season finale.

You can sum this show up in three words: "Stefon," "Kanye" and "farewell."

Stefon's real-life counterpart, Bill Hader, was making his final appearance as a cast member. His character's appearance was not a surprise, but his wedding was another story.

Stefon gave us a look a head at what's going on in New York this summer. Time to hits "Pants." Stefon's club review ended abruptly after his pal Meyers once again hurt his feelings. The flamboyant critic told Meyers that he was marrying someone else and stormed off the set. But Meyers chased him down - in a filmed segement - and found Stefon about to wed Anderson Cooper with a throng of eclectic guests from his favorites night spots come to life in attendance.

In true "Graduate" style, Meyers broke up the nuptials by slugging Cooper and raced off with his "bride." The new Mr. Seth and Stefon Meyers ended their getaway with a hug at the "Weekend Update" set while being feted with many of the "Weekend Update" regulars including "Drunk Uncle," "Satan" and Arianna Huffington.

During the monologue, viewers got a surprise appearance by Mrs. Affleck, as Mr. Affleck worked for a do-over of his Oscar acceptance speech when he said his marriage was "work."









Jennifer Garner gave her hubby some marriage tips and advice on tact, while Affleck, who had some deep 11:30 p.m. shadow, replied that their "marriage is a work of love." Her assessment was slightly different. "Why don't we go ahead and mention who does all the work?" she said.

Affleck's introduction to the Five Timers Club was a little less splashy than Justin Timberlake's. The Cambridge native got a song from Bobby Moynihan, who was wearing a t-shirt with the number "5" on it.

Affleck labored throughout the show and was caught reading cue cards in several sketches, and not just by his wife tongue-in-cheek in their monologue. It was as if he was a last-minute fill-in or missed a few rehearsals.

West, the musical guest, continued to show the hostile side that resurfaced with last week's paparazzi run-in and yelled into the microphone twice, debuting a pair of new songs off his upcoming album.

He opened with "Black Skinhead," complete in a studded black leather jacket in front of a screen showing barking Dobermans.









Doutbful all the lyrics of his second tune "New Slaves," rapped in front of flashing images of sale tags and a "Not For Sale" sign, made it past the West Coast censors.







West premiered “New Slaves” outdoors on 66 different buildings in 10 cities on Friday. Saturday he said his new album that drops June 18, featuring both songs, will be called "Yeezus." That's also probably something similar to what the NBC censors were yelling after both performances.

The last time I heard the "N" word that many times live was sitting in Section 22 after watching Reggie Jackson's home run in the 1978 Red Sox-Yankees playoff game. But it wasn't the first time viewers heard the "N" word on SNL. It was also half the punch line in the classic "Word Association" sketch from 1975 featuring Chevy Chase and Richard Pryor.

Here's the other half: "Dead honky"

Before Stefon's arrival, departure and return, Amy Poehler stopped by for another segment with "Really? With Seth and Amy" ripping into the IRS scandal.





"The government only keeps you around to make the DMV look good," Poehler said. "You're the president, we expect you to know the ending of "Breaking Bad," added Meyers.

She then helped Meyers finish his report. On David Beckham's retirement, Meyers said: "Now he'll just spend the rest of his life around the house just bending it."

Fred Armisen, who was also reportedly leaving after this season along with Jason Sudeikis, returned as English punk rocker Ian Rubbish and performed "I Had Lovely Night" with Hader and Sudeikis. Jamming with then on stage were Armisen's "Portlandia" co-star Carrie Brownstein, Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon, Aimee Mann, and even Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols.

Among the show's other highlights:

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (Arimsen) gave us the other side of "Argo" from the Iranian perspective in the HBO documentary "Ben Argo-bleep Yourself."





Ahmadinejad tried his best Boston accent by repeating "park the car in Harvard Yard" before each scene depicting each of Affleck's lies. Affleck even appeared as the sound man. '

Why? "I've longed to appear in a film worse than "Gigli," he said.

If having to attend too many immaculate gay summer weddings is causing stress, you need Xanax For Gay Summer Weddings, featured in a filmed commercial.





"At my wedding, we gave out Cheeze-Its and a mini-bottle of water. Keith and William gave us two tickets to Italy and $40,000." And the pastels were perfect.

The cold opening found Al Sharpton having a little problem straightening out Mitch McConnell and Matthew McConaughey as MSNBC went all-out reporting on the IRS scandal. Hader looked hilarious as a Tea Party member in full-blown Colonial garb.

The show failed to hit the astronomically high expectations it sparked on the Interwebs this past week. Overall, the 38th season of the show offered a few highs, multiple lows and way too many in-betweens.

Expect much change in the offseason.

Don't forget to visit our Obnoxious Boston Fan blog. As always, let us know what you think. Post your thoughts here, on our Obnoxious Boston Fan Facebook page, on Twitter @realOBF or e-mail me at obnoxiousbostonfan@hotmail.com.

"Saturday Night Live" bashing is all the rage on the Interwebs. The show has produced a number of clunkers this season, which ends this week with host Ben Affleck joining the Five Timers Club. Bill Hader, Fred Armisen and Jason Sudeikis are will be making their farewell appearances as a cast members, leaving the options wide open for which of their favorite characters we'll see exit stage right.

Stefon, we'll miss you. The versatility of both Hader and Sudeikis will leave a very talented hole for next season's newcomers.

Seth Meyers was officially tapped as Jimmy Fallon's replacement on "Late Night" but said this week he'll stick around for the first half of next season.

According to the Interwebs, the biggest buzz heading into this week's show is the unpredictability and sour puss of Kim Kardashian's soon-to-be-baby daddy, Kanye West, who is the musical guest, in this week's promos (see above). Nice Band-Aid, Kanye. The bandage is an homage to his incident with the paparazzi-triggered incident last week where he met a street sign head first. West said he won't be doing any humorous sketches on SNL this week. His personal life is often funny enough.

With the season coming to a close, we thought it would be fun and funny to take a look back at the best moments of the season. Not worth it to catalog the worst. Just think "The Californians" and hosts Kevin Hart, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruno Mars.

Here are 10 things we liked about the show season. Expect Affleck to come out tonight in a "Boston Strong" Red Sox or Bruins' shirt and leave us laughing until the fall.

1. Best Overall Show of the Season: Melissa McCarthy:

There's nothing she can't do funny and showed it with her second appearance as host.

Her take on the Mike Rice-Rutgers' basketball scandal in the "Outside the Lines" spoof was the single funniest moment of the season.

And her love of ham was also deliciously hilarious.

The rest of the season's top five in order (pending Affleck tonight): Christoph Waltz, Zach Galifianakis, Justin Timberlake and Seth MacFarland.

2. Best Monologue of the Season: Seth MacFarland

Although the first line fell crushingly flat, Seth MacFarland and the SNL crew saved the best for first. The bit was flat-out funny from start to finish. MacFarland's monologue featured all of pals, including Peter, Stewie and Brian Griffin,and Glenn Quagmire from "Family Guy," Roger Smith "American Dad!" along with George Takei, Droopy the Dog, Marty McFly and Kermit the Frog. In that episode, Jay Pharoah assumed the presidency from from Arimsen as well.

3. Best "Weekend Update" Guest: Ray Lewis.

Kenan Thompson killed it.

4. Best Cold Opening: Silent Night Christmas Show

This one brought out chills, tears and goose bumps. Completely unexpected and 100 percent class. It was the New York Children's Chior signing just days after the killings at Sandy Hook:

5. Biggest Risk: The Obama-Martin Luther King Cold Open

"Saturday Night Live" has a long-faded reputation for pushing the limits of political satire. This sketch came in the wake of Obama's inauguration on Martin Luther King day. Something that could have been tremendously tasteless was absolutely hilarious, especially the Beyonce line.

What was up with those bangs, anyway?




6. Best Cameos: Justin Timberlake's Five Timers Monologue

Any time you can get two original cast members (Chevy Chase and Dan Ackroyd) along with first -season hosts Candice Bergen and Paul Simon in the same sketch (Steve Martin's first of his 15 times hosting was in 1976), you're dropping some solid TV history on the audience.

Affleck has a tough act to follow tonight.




7. Best Live Sketch: It's A Date

The "wild and crazy" Czech brothers (Martin and a slightly larger Ackroyd) battled for the heart of a lovely lady against an overmatched Bobby Moynihan and the "D-k In The Box" brothers (Andy Samberg and Timberlake.)

Three generations of SNL excellence. It shows both the past and potential of this show.




8. Best Political Sketch: The Vice Presidential Debate:

Almost as funny as real life. Sudeikis was spectacular as both Joe Biden and GOP candidate Mitt Romney. The Romney-Obama campaign debates and "Weekend Update" appearances were all excellent. The 2008 campaign turned into the Tina Fay-Sarah Palin show. In 2012, SNL packed a surprisingly bi-partisan political punch.

9. Best Filmed Sktech: "Djesus Uncrossed"

As a Christian, I was laughing like hell the first three times I saw this one to be offended. The "H" is silent. Never knew ex-Nazis could be so funny. The Christoph Waltz episode was No. 2 on the season's best list.

"When you get to heaven, say 'hi' to my dad."




10. Funniest Cast Member: Pharoah

It helps when you've got the president nailed down but his range of characters and this Stephen A. Smith clip might gives him the edge over Kate McKinnon and the soon-to-be departed Hader.

And no matter what Kayne does does, or doesn't do this week, we'll be live blogging this week's show right here and we'll have a full review with legal embeds once they become available.

Don't forget to visit our Obnoxious Boston Fan blog. As always, let us know what you think. Post your thoughts here, on our Obnoxious Boston Fan Facebook page, on Twitter @realOBF or e-mail me at obnoxiousbostonfan@hotmail.com.

It's been fashionable to bash the Bruins, justifiably at times in the past month or so, for not being able to score multiple goals at will.

Their offense finally came to life, briefly, just in time to put the Maple Leafs and their fans our of our misery. But for the most part, the team doesn't seem able to put away opponents early on when they have the chance.

Thursday night, the Bruins pushed around the Rangers just enough to nullify whatever offense the Rangers allegedly possessed. Two out of the three games Boston and New York played this season ended after 60 minutes, with the Rangers winning both 4-3.

This postseason, the Bruins are mastering the art of leaving fans happy, but doing so in an agonizing fashion. That's what we get when hockey season wades into late May and, dare we hope, early June. Watching these games isn't fun, but the outcome can be delicious. Monday night was one glaring example of this. Hell, I'm still buzzed about that win even though Boston is now up 1-0 on the Rangers.

Once in a while, a rout is not a bad thing. But at its essence, all of this is entertainment. A necessary diversion to take us away from all that is necessary in our lives, such as work, caring for loved ones, exercise, shopping or whatever else we do between football seasons. The core of playoff hockey is just that - entertaining.

This whole "wait-to-the-last-minute" thing spread to St. Petersburg Thursday night, as Will Middlebrooks delivered a three-run, bases-loaded game-winning double after he and the Red Sox were down to their last strike. Heady times, indeed.

No one who invests a rooting interest and emotion into the outcome of these NHL playoff games can say with a straight face that they sit back with some Merlot and break down each line change. No, most fans both at home or the TD Garden are on the edge of their seats, perhaps with a chilled beverage in hand, unloading curse after curse at each extra power-play pass or shot that pings off the post.

The Bruins had four pings Thursday night, three more than Jack Ryan needed from Captain Ramius to save the Red October.

Monday, Patrice Bergeron, Milan Lucic and Zdeno Chara re-asserted their playoff presence. Chara nearly replicated Monday's performance with a Bourque-sque 38:40 of ice time against the Rangers in Game 1.

Thursday, the "Little Ball of Hate" felt the love after scoring on a feed from Bergeron 15:40 into overtime after a 2-on-1 rush.

It was Boston's third straight victory coming in overtime. The Bruins dominated this overtime, as they did the other night. Take that into consideration the next time you're inclined to be critical of their inability to score six goals a game. Being able to win consistently in overtime says much about the character of any team.

John Milton and Branch Rickey knew what they were talking about by saying "luck is the residue of design." Some people are made to do nothing until the last minute. The same holds with hockey players.

Boston's momentum came early in the fourth period thanks to a Derek Dorsett interference penalty 2:20 into overtime. In a scene out the 1970s, the Bruins blasted away at Henrik Lundqvist during the power play and kept the puck in the offensive zone for nearly the full two minutes. Chara was stopped point blank and Jaromir Jagr's shot found the goal post about a minute into the power play.

Chara had nine shots and a goal Thursday, in addition to his nearly two full periods of ice time. Who knew that "Zdeno Chara" was Slovakian for "Tony Stark"?

But the thrill of these overtime games, like any intoxicant, needs to be handled in moderation. The Bruins have Friday off. Game 2 won't come until Sunday afternoon, which should be enough time to recover from this angina-producing affair.

Those fans in Toronto don't know what they're missing.

Don't forget to visit our Obnoxious Boston Fan blog. As always, let us know what you think. Post your thoughts here, on our Obnoxious Boston Fan Facebook page, on Twitter @realOBF or e-mail me at obnoxiousbostonfan@hotmail.com.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Watch the first moon landing (they tell me it really happened) on TV. Check.

Survive two organ transplants. Check.

Have a long and wonderful marriage and a great kid. Check

See the Red Sox erase a 3-0 deficit against the Yankees in 2004 and win the World Series. Check.

See the Patriots win a Super Bowl in person. Check.

Watched live on TV both ends of the Bruins' 39-year Stanley Cup drought. Check.

Cover the game when from the press row in the Garden when Larry Bird stole the ball. Check.

Witness Stephen Drew hit a grand slam for the Red Sox. Check.

Bucket List complete.

Bruins' "Miracle on Ice" followed by Drew's "Bop at the Trop."

A "Miracle on Craputurf."

What an incredible week for Boston sports. And it's only Thursday.

The announced attendance at Tropicana Field for Boston's 9-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays was 15,767. They must have been counting toes, not people. But millions no doubt will say they were there the night Stephen Drew dropped the big one into the right-center field bleachers.

Shock and awesome. Clutch home runs of nowhere were in the air at Tropicana Field Wednesday night as former Red Sox outfielder Bernie Carbo was at the Ted Williams Museum signing autographs before the game.

They've already taken measures to mark this historic occasion. The Baseball Hall of Fame has asked for Drew's bat and plants to recreate the scene in Cooperstown by taking the Sweetbay sign from right-center field. The Rays are adding a special red seat to mark the spot just to the left of the 370-foot marker where this historic clout landed.

Jamey Wright meet Ralph Branca.

Construction on the Stephen Drew statute outside the right-field gate of Fenway Park begins today. They're going to squeeze him in between Ted Williams and Bobby Doerr.

One more shot like this and Drew might even knock Tom Brady off the Mt. Rushmore of Boston sports.

In a night when Nomar Garciaparra was in the house (working for ESPN), Drew took a giant step in silencing skeptics, such as the author of this blog and its Twitter feed, who are still haunted by the fact that his name is Drew and he wears No. 7. More importantly, Drew offered some hard-core proof at the plate that the Red Sox might have found someone who can give them stability at the shortstop and not finish the season with 22 RBI and a .179 batting average.

Drew began Boston's eight-run third inning by drawing a walk and not even realizing it was ball four. He would eventually score. Drew's grand blast on a 1-1 cutter in was so majestic and stunning (although my cousin sitting next to me did call it two pitches ahead of time), that he may have slipped next to Nomar on top of the list of "Best Red Sox Shortstops Since Johnny Pesky" with one swing.

Following the ball's trajectory off the bat from my seats near third base brought back the childhood memory of watching Tony Perez's Game 7 satellite launch off Bill Lee from the bleachers in 1975.

Drew also turned a couple of sweet plays in the infield Wednesday. His second career grand slam and a line drive home run off the bat of Will Middlebrooks to right field in the ninth helped power the Red Sox to an easy 9-2 win and give the left side of the Red Sox infield a much-needed spark.

Wednesday night's victory was a steroid-laced shot in the arm for the Red Sox, who had lost nine of 11 and three straight heading into the game. Boston is now 5-9 this month after going a major league-best 18-8 in April. Jon Lester (6-0) kept the Rays dim all night, except for a little rough patch in the third inning. He kept the Rays from doing any damage, despite several threats, and only gave up one hit over his final four innings. Overall, he threw seven innings, giving up eight hits and just two runs on 107 pitches.

Grand slams out of a nowhere are a Drew Family Tradition, much like leading runners in scoring position in the eighth inning. J.D. gave the Red Sox his $70 million grand slam in Game 6 of the 2007 ALCS. The Red Sox were still down 3-2 in that series. But Drew's shot to dead center field in the first inning off Fausto Carmona gave the Sox a super-boost of confidence in that series and emotionally wrapped things up at that point, even though there were 17 innings to go before Boston would win the series and start Riverdancing.

Just a couple of weeks ago, Drew was hitting .119 and providing plenty of fuel for the "Bring Back Jose Iglesias debate." In the past 18 games, Drew is 20 of 63 (.317) with eight extra-base hits and 17 RBIs. So John Henry has now gotten two surprisingly clutch grand slams from the Drew boys for a mere $79 million.

A bargain at any price.

Time to get Tim Drew out of retirement.

The Red Sox could always use another arm in the bullpen.

Don't forget to visit our Obnoxious Boston Fan blog. As always, let us know what you think. Post your thoughts here, on our Obnoxious Boston Fan Facebook page, on Twitter @realOBF or e-mail me at obnoxiousbostonfan@hotmail.com.

The internet kept on giving in the wake of the Bruins gigantic and historic 5-4 overtime victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs.

NESN posted this You Tube video showing Jack Edwards delivering his call of Patrice Bergeron's OT goal.

It comes complete with Edwards bringing home his point with several deep, thrusting and stabbing motions as he describes the Bruins comeback thusly: "With the point of the dagger at their throats, they rip it out of Toronto's hands and kill the beast."

Analyst Andy Brickley gets some major cool points for being the perfect straight man, and avoiding bodily injury.

All this coming in the wake of the "f-bomb", glass-pounding mayhem on the Michael Felger/Tony Amonte Comcast Sports New England post-game show Monday night means it time for everyone to get cable or DirecTV for the rest of the playoffs.

The Edwards clip may be the best 34 seconds of nudity-free internet ever, although Edwards did tell the OBF blog via Twitter that he was "actually naked in this video. Just wearing REALLY GOOD body paint."

We'll happily take his word for it.

There were more Bruins-based gifts from the Interwebs on Tuesday:

A photo collage of the Bruins' post-game celebration and the Boston Globe photo of the three Boston Police officers charging post-Marathon bombing was making the rounds.

Perfect, especially in light of what appeared in this space in the wee hours after the Bruins' win.

"[The Bruins win] came four weeks to the day of the Boston Marathon bombings. In just 28 days, Boston has transformed from a city in stunned shock, pain and horror into a city that literally overnight has fallen back in love back its hockey team.

Something special happened in this game. Something that has to carry past this series and beyond the New York Rangers in the next round. The Celtics were never really in it this postseason. They were lost in the post-Marathon sports shuffle. But the Bruins have been there front-and-center since evil crossed the finish line at 4:09 of the Boston Marathon.

Those same Bruins, who carried the burden of being the first team back in action in Boston after the bombings, found sudden life in sudden death.

Toronto Stronger? Like hell it is.

"It was dead out there," said Rask, who played so solid and consistent throughout this season that Tim Thomas was going to apply for joint citizenship in the United States, Glen Beckistan and Finland in honor of his replacement's performance. "It's do or die. You have to make a save. You're either a hero or an a--hole," he added.

We'll go with "hero."

No, hockey players aren't heroes like policemen, soldiers and medical personnel. But they sure as hell made us feel good on Monday night.

Just like Edwards.

Tonight, it's off to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla., to catch the Red Sox. I'll be the guy wearing the Bruins hat.

Don't forget to visit our Obnoxious Boston Fan blog. As always, let us know what you think. Post your thoughts here, on our Obnoxious Boston Fan Facebook page, on Twitter @realOBF or e-mail me at obnoxiousbostonfan@hotmail.com.

(Fans pound away on studio glass on Causeway Street during Comcast post-game show. More on that down below.)

Jekyll and Hyde.

Dead and buried.

Alive and well.

Unreal and unbelievable.

Welcome to No. 37 Heaven, Bruins fans.

The Bruins benched their best player of the series, and then went on to beat the Toronto Maple Leafs in historic fashion with a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious 5-4 overtime victory at the TD Garden.

Not even Disney or Al Michaels could have dreamed up this "Miracle on Ice."

Even if you don't believe in miracles, it's hard not to believe in the Bruins after what they accomplished Monday night.

With Tuukka Rask pulled for the extra attacker, they scored a pair of goals in 31 seconds in the game's final two minutes that helped to wipe out a 4-1 deficit and forced overtime. Patrice Bergeron's game-tying goal came with 51 seconds left. The Bruins probably could have sat Rask and wrapped it up there. Rich Peverly almost did that anyway.

Bergeron made history 6:05 into overtime with the game-winner. It was the first time ever an NHL team had won a Game 7 after trailing by three goals in the third period.

They may want to think about sitting Rask to start Game 1 against the Rangers.

Tyler Seguin, Bergeron and Milan Lucic all found their inner champion-self at the last and best possible moment and sent the Bruins on to face the New York Rangers in the next round of the playoffs.

After the game, even Lucic admitted that this version of the Bruins was toast had they lost.

Claude Julien was ticketed for unemployment. His first words in his post-game press conference should have been: "Thanks for keeping my job safe for another year, fellas."

Boston had scored just two goals in the previous four days before the start of Game 7 and ended up leading just 4:40 combined during Games 4-7. But they still managed to win two of those contests.

Boston was badly outplayed for a massive chunk of Game 7, didn't have Andrew Ference and had an injured Dennis Seidenberg for only 37 seconds of ice time. The Bruins didn't get to Boston until late Monday morning and looked defeated long before the game was finished. The Bruins even got booed off the ice after the second period. Then there was "the plane" and all the mess that surrounded Boston's trip from Toronto.

So many gave up on the Bruins early in the third period, yours truly included. I now renounce every @RealOBF Tweet from about 8:30 until Lucic's goal a 18:38 of the third period. The TV stayed on, but the venom and disappointment was flowing. At least I didn't leave the Garden.

"Beating the traffic" never sucked as badly as it did Monday night in Boston.

The most important thing Monday was that the Bruins never gave up on the Bruins. And they happened to be playing the Maple Leafs. The players who perhaps personified the frustration of Bruins diehards and bandwagoners - Bergeron, Lucic and Seguin - played the best when it counted the most.

Seguin re-joined his old linemates in overtime, an overtime dominated by Boston, and ended up once again coming out on the better half of the Phil Kessel trade.

Seguin was invisible the entire series until the very end, when he helped to end it by assisting on the game-winner.

Phil Who?

Looks like Charlie Brown to me. Except it was Lucic, and not Lucy, who pulled away the football this time.

Those who stuck it out were treated to the most memorable Bruins' comeback since Espo returned to get his No. 7 sent to the rafters in 1987 and Ray Bourque became No. 77 forever.

Those same fans who stayed until the end also delivered an epic post-game performance on the windows of the Comcast Sports New England post-game show studios on Causeway Street.

The pounding on the clear glass was so loud (video above), show hosts Michael Felger and Tony Amonte had to both yell over it, plea for help from the Burlington studio, and eventually, return to some level of regular television once someone summoned the police to break up the delirious masses.

Viewers were even treated to a passionate f-bomb courtesy of Amonte, who was caught saying "they're going to break the f--king window" after the telecast returned from a Dunkin' Donuts commercial. Felger quickly apologized for the profanity, which was understandable given the mayhem going on outside the window and the noise inside the studio.

The window-pounding madness wasn't even the cherry on to the top of this wonderful night. That came thanks to the internwebs, which brought us photos and videos of the throng gathered outside the Air Canada Center in Toronto watching the end of hostilities on the big screen.

So many drunks, so little video after the goal.

Toronto Star photo of Leafs fans as Bergeron tied it 4-4 twitter.com/pang/status/33…

— Kevin Pang (@pang) May 14, 2013

It's not like they have to work tomorrow.

The only way this could have been any better is if the guy with the "Toronto Stronger" sign in Game 3 got lost in South Boston.

Enough of the Maple Syrups.

This night belonged to the Bruins, and to the ages. It's already landed on the enormous list of greatest Boston sports comebacks. It's probably somewhere behind Kevin Millar, Dave Roberts and Friends against the Yankees in Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS and the Tuck Rule Game, but little more historic and impactful than UMass' win over North Carolina in 1993.

Speaking of miracles on ice, even Mike Eruzione got into the action via Twitter after Boston cut it to 4-2:

Wow wow wow the bruins Have finally realize in order to score you must shoot the puck instead of passing it all around

— MIKE ERUZIONE (@MERUZIONE) May 14, 2013

What made this game unique was that the Bruins had no business playing in it, since they had a 3-1 lead in this series at one time, and no business winning it, especially the way things stood with about 12 minutes to play.

It also came four weeks to the day of the Boston Marathon bombings. In just 28 days, Boston has transformed from a city in stunned shock, pain and horror into a city that literally overnight has fallen back in love back its hockey team.

Something special happened in this game. Something that has to carry past this series and beyond the New York Rangers in the next round. The Celtics were never really in it this postseason. They were lost in the post-Marathon sports shuffle. But the Bruins have been there front-and-center since evil crossed the finish line at 4:09 of the Boston Marathon.

Those same Bruins, who carried the burden of being the first team back in action in Boston after the bombings, found sudden life in sudden death.

Toronto Stronger? Like hell it is.

"It was dead out there," said Rask, who played so solid and consistent throughout this season that Tim Thomas was going to apply for joint citizenship in the United States, Glen Beckistan and Finland in honor of his replacement's performance. "It's do or die. You have to make a save. You're either a hero or an a--hole," he added.

We'll go with "hero."

Zdeno Chara found his inner Ivan Drago again Monday and slugged, hit and chipped his way through the Leafs all night, even when things looked bleakest. He logged 35:46 of ice time. Every second vital.

My son strolled into the family room of the OBF residence when the Bruins were losing 4-1. About 10 seconds later, Nathan Horton cut it to 4-2. OBF Jr. did not move for the rest of the game and he won't be getting off the couch until the Stanley Cup returns to Causeway Street, or the Bruins somehow run out of magic ice chips along the way.

Neither will anyone else not at the Garden, or the other Garden, in the next round.

Whomever said "sports doesn't matter" wasn't watching hockey Monday night.

#BostonStrong, as ever.

And so are the Bruins.

Don't forget to visit our Obnoxious Boston Fan blog. As always, let us know what you think. Post your thoughts here, on our Obnoxious Boston Fan Facebook page, on Twitter @realOBF or e-mail me at obnoxiousbostonfan@hotmail.com.

Don't count on the fans to bail you out tonight, Bruins.

This one is on you.

The crowd at TD Garden earned its "fan points" for the next 25 years with its performance of the National Anthem during the Bruins-Sabres game two days after the Boston Marathon bombings.

There is no way any crowd could manufacture the real emotion and passion of that night - especially when the home team is limping back from a solemn and weak performance in Game 6 at Toronto Sunday night. The Bruins weren't able to return to Boston until Monday morning because of airplane problems.

Bad sign or blessing? We'll know soon enough. The Bruins won't be able to use their travel woes as an excuse for losing tonight, however.

Why? Here's pretty much the only stat that matters with this team heading into tonight's Game 7: In the past 140 minutes and six seconds of hockey your Boston Bruins have scored just two - that's right two - even-strength goals. Guess that whole "turn on the offense thing in time for the playoffs" really doesn't work after all. And there were no airplane problems before games five and six, either.

It really shouldn't matter if tonight's game was being played in Boston, Toronto or South Beach, the Bruins ought to be good enough to come out and play inspired, aggressive and balls-out hockey for at least 60 minutes in a Game 7. Having the home crowd is a nice convenience and a great way for Bruins' fans to help the team with a solid emotional push. This isn't a question of fan loyalty in Boston. Remember, the faithful stuck it out for 39 years of Cup-lessness, the majority of which took place at the old Garden and under the thumb of the Jacobs Family and its warm beers, obstructed-view seats and hot and cold running rats.

If any team specializes in Game 7s, it's these Bruins. In the past five seasons, the Bruins have ended their playoff run in a Game 7 (Montreal, Carolina, Philadelphia, Vancouver and Washington). Four times, that Game 7 was a loss. And when they won the Cup in 2011, it took them three Game 7 victories to do it. The Bruins and Red Sox share something else in addition to State Run Media telecasts - both teams have trouble with their closers.

The Bruins blew two chances to close this thing out over the weekend. The Maple Leafs and yes, Phil Kessel, deserve all the credit in Ontario for being able to pack the net at both ends of the ice, push the puck relentlessly and find the right way to score, or stop a goal, at the most important moments. To wit: the clutch stops James Reimer made on Patrice Bergeron in Games 5 and 6. The big one in Game 6 came on a wraparound that would have gotten the Bruins on the board first.

Let's not kid ourselves. Tuukka Rask is the only reason why the Bruins didn't lose this thing in six games, or even less. Tim Thomas remains an all-time Bruins fan favorite because of what he did in 2011. His refusal to go to the White House and political views are not relevant here, but even Thomas would have to consider Finnish citizenship if the Bruins and Rask manage to win this thing. And it's absurd to think that the 2011 oversion of Thomas would have done any better in this series, considering again it took the Bruins three Game 7s to reach the promised land in Vancouver two years ago.

The "Thank you, Seguin" chants Sunday night were both on point and idiotic. They were on-point given Seguin's horrible play in this series yet foolish because Seguin had nothing to do with the trade that sent him (via the draft) to Boston for Kessel. Of course, these same geniuses found a a way to boo during the American National anthem Sunday night. The dutiful hosts on CBC's Hockey Night in Canada - talk about your State Run Media - told their viewers across North America that the boos were not anti-American, but in response to Zdeno Chara's face appearing on the message board.

Nice try, fellas. Thinking the good folks in Toronto would have the decency to hold back any response during the American National Anthem no matter whose face is shown on the video board. That's like taking a call in the middle of church because it seemed urgent. Some things are more important than others. Demonstrating class and respect during any nation's national anthem, except perhaps the old Soviet Union national anthem ("The Internationale") during "Rocky IV," is something we hope a six-year-old can grasp, never mind a hockey fan in Toronto. Four weeks after the Boston Marathon Bombings it's the least they could do. Somehow, we're supposed to give those same fans credit for not rioting after Toronto's win Sunday night. That was probably the most they could do.

The fake Gorbachev from "Rocky IV" might be the next coach of the Bruins if Claude can't get his lines firing tonight.

The Leafs have nullified Big-Z's mythical slapshot by being willing to lay their bodies on the line every time he winds up. Bruins fans may be the ones who end up booing his face at the end of hostilities tonight.

Not even the Bruins seem to know for sure which version of the "Jekyll and Hyde" team will show up Monday. At least the plane landed safely this morning. For Seguin, Bergeron, Milan Lucic, Nathan Horton and Brad Marchand, to indict a few, it's mainly been a series of "Jekyll and Hide," as the Bruins' offense and ability to set up rebounds, find the open hole and get more than one player in front of the net at a time has disappeared.

This series and John Farrell's defection to the Red Sox has allowed Toronto to join the ever-growing list of cities that have developed a sports rivalry with Boston. Torontonians - or whatever they call themsevles - can get in line behind the unwashed masses from Vancouver, Montreal, New York, Philadelphia and Los Angeles, among other locales.

Bring the hate, people. Boston can handle it, and a lot more. After Speed Bump and Asshat, you've got nothing.

The great thing about Game 7 is that offers everyone one final shot to come through, be the hero, or, in the case of the Bruins, perhaps score three goals in a game.

They get that chance tonight, assuming their plane ever gets off the ground in Toronto.

And it will be up to themselves do to something about it.

Don't forget to visit our Obnoxious Boston Fan blog. As always, let us know what you think. Post your thoughts here, on our Obnoxious Boston Fan Facebook page, on Twitter @realOBF or e-mail me at obnoxiousbostonfan@hotmail.com.

Kristen Wiig was back on "Saturday Night Live" this week, returning as host for the first time since her departure at the end of last season. There wasn't much new on the show, as Wiig brought back many of her trademark characters back for a show that could have been labeled an "Almost Best-of-Kristen Wiig" special. This week's version of the Internet was loaded with posts offering various "Top 10" Kristen Wiig characters and sketches.

The pull to revive many of them this week was obviously irresistible. That also dulled much of what we saw.

Among the many notable Wiig characters who returned for this week's show were "Gilly," "The Target Lady" (above) and the female portion of "Garth and Kat." Wiig is a remarkable talent and was perhaps the funniest comedienne on TV this side of Carol Burnett (Kids, ask your Mom today at dinner about Burnett or check out her legacy on You Tube.) Wiig's comedic big-screen potential is limitless if her incredibly hilarious "Bridesmaids" is any indication of future performance. That movie grossed more than $169 million, making it by far the most-successful R-rated female comedy of all time.

It was clearly an emotional return to the SNL stage for Wiig. Unfortunately, there were not nearly as many laughs as one might have expected, especially with the return of the flat-out funniest female cast member in the history of the show. Tina Fey was a better writer for sure, but became too much of a one-trick Sarah Palin pony in the end. Wiig's diversity on the character front gives her the long-term edge.

Things began with an abysmal cold-opening that tried to get laughs with convicted killer Jodi Arias and accused rapist and kidnapper Ariel Castro as last-minute guests at the Benghazi hearings. Missed the humor in the deaths of four American heroes in Libya - no matter one's political views are. Perhaps the SNL writers will come back with some Sandy Hook or Boston Marathon bombing jokes next week.

Wiig's monologue turned into a snappy dance number that featured a cameo of Jonah Hill making out in a closet with a very pregnant Maya Rudolph, who co-starred with Wiig in "Bridesmaids." Even "Gilly" herself showed up live on tape talking to producer Lorne Michaels.

Here are some of the clips worth watching:

A 1-800-FLOWERS spot that featured a frustrated daughter (Wiig) buying her meddling mom (the always-funny Kate McKinnon) some Mother's Day flowers hit close to home on multiple fronts.

A Disney Channel show where mom becomes a "Korean Water Ghost" called "Aw, Nuts, Mom's a Ghost," scored points for creativity and produced this GIF from SNL's Tumblr page:

Unfortunately, we were brutalized with another episode of "The Californians" early in the show. This regular-sketch might have been funny in the 1980s, but since daily and weekly soap operas have gone the way of afternoon newspapers, this one might be better off as a "web-exclusive." The acting talent continues to be wasted on a sketch that appears to be more of a time-filler than anything else. The only laughs came when the cast members failed to keep it together.

The singing Merrell Sisters, featuring Wiig's Dooneese, returned to the "Lawrence Welk" show. Wiig's man-hungry antics still brought home plenty of laughs. While Welk's show peaked about 30 years ago, this skit has the staying power "The Californians" lost somewhere deep inside the San Andreas Fault.

Post 12:30, Jason Sudeikis' acupuncture session turned into an impromptu blood-letting that allowed Wiig, Aidy Bryant and McKinnon offer a dark interpretation of Lucy and Ethel's candy-assembly line sketch with a gruesomely funny twist. The blood kept coming and they could do nothing to stop it. (Kids, you can ask your Grandmother about Lucy and Ethel today at dinner, as well.)

Wiig and Cecily Strong played a pair of boozy, somewhat-desperate cougars out on a date with a pair of sixth-grade boys, Tyler and Drew (Tim Robinson and Bobby Moynihan). While the girls ordered drinks, the boys ordered "noodles with a lot of butter." Funny and not nearly as gross as it could have been.

Seth Meyers didn't disappoint during "Weekend Update." While remarking on a report that said Finland is the best place to be a mother, he deadpanned that high school is the worst. And citing another study this week that said three children is the most stressful number when it comes to having children. Meyers remarked, "especially if you had four when you got to the mall." Singers "Garth and Kat' returned and once again failed to produce anything in tune.

Ben Affleck hosts next week's season-finale with musical guest Kanye West.

Don't forget to visit our Obnoxious Boston Fan blog. As always, let us know what you think. Post your thoughts here, on our Obnoxious Boston Fan Facebook page, on Twitter @realOBF or e-mail me at obnoxiousbostonfan@hotmail.com.

Hat trick for David Krecji.

Hat's off to Tuukka Rask.

But the juiciest moment of Wednesday's 4-3 Bruins overtime victory at Toronto may have occurred in the significant others' section of the Air Canada Centre.

Actress Elisha Cuthbert, who is the fiancee of Maple Leafs’ defenseman Dion "Big Mistake" Phaneuf, wasn't too happy about her beau's team losing to the Bruins.

And she apparently didn’t enjoy getting a glaring "I can't believe your guy did that" look from April Reimer, the wife of goalie James Reimer, either.

This was either the NHL's version of Gisele's post Super Bowl XLVI outburst or a misunderstanding brought to us by the internet.

My heart screams for Gisele II.

But the head says otherwise.

Here's Mrs. Reimer's version of events:

For those who were thinkin @happyelishas and I were rolling our eyes @ eachother. Was the jerk beside us #rudecomment twitter.com/april_reimer/s…

— April Reimer (@april_reimer) May 9, 2013

BFFs forever?

Just ask the future Mrs. Phaneuf:

Things are not always what they seem. I'm insulted and disappointed by a lot of these Comments. That's real. Not a 3 sec. Clip.

— Elisha Cuthbert (@HappyElishas) May 9, 2013

We'll let this stand until the Bruins win Game 5.

You can't see any visible jerks next to the two hockey queens on this You Tube clip. Perhaps the mystery fan was the same DB who was waving the "Toronto Stronger" sign before Game 3.

The Bruins gave the Leafs and their fans plenty to roll their eyes about during Wednesday's thriller. It was a throwback to the good old days of 2011 and the game generated all the excitement and angina of a Game 7, even though it was just another overtime first-round affair.

Krecji's hat trick demonstrated that the Bruins still have it offensively. But the real star power at the Air Canada Centre wasn't generated by Cuthbert, Mrs. Reimer, or April's mother-in-law. It emanated from the pads and stick of Tuukka Rask. At 26, Rask finally dropped his playoff nut with his stellar performance, especially in overtime.

Rask made 45 saves at the very raucous Air Canada Centre. He stopped breakaways, rebounds, shots to the five-hole, risers, sliders. You name it, he stopped it. He made 14 of those stops in a back-and-forth overtime that saw multiple potential game-winners missed by both sides.

This may have been the playoff game that might finally purge the Bruins from the curse of Tim Thomas. At least for the time being. Rask hasn't dropped any of his political philosophy on Twitter or Facebook. Meanwhile, Thomas was last seen (we'd like to think) stockpiling gold and food insurance in his Colorado bunker. Or maybe it was just legal weed. Either way, Boston fans will always be grateful for his efforts in 2011. Rask showed plenty of Thomas Wednesday night, although his upright style is in marked contrast to Thomas' perpetual Zamboniness.

Even better for Rask, he doesn't have to wait around for Roberta Luongo to pump his tires. We'll be happy to do it here.

By the way, Luongo and the Canucks have lost 10 of their past 11 playoff games and are no longer with us this playoff season. And yes, fans rioted in Vancouver after the Canucks got swept by the Sharks. Luongo is also selling his very awesome Vancouver condo for just $4.2 million Canadian if you're interested, Tim.

We were promised riots in Toronto Wednesday night, if the Maple Leafs lost:

So there's a riot going on in Toronto right now then twitter.com/TdGardenGenera…

— Garden General (@TdGardenGeneral) May 9, 2013

But we got nothing when it came to civil unrest. Once again, Toronto's bark proved much worse than its bite. And it can really bite.

Krecji gave the Bruins a desperately needed big-money offensive game Wednesday. A game that Tyler Seguin and Nathan Horton would be wise to emulate. Despite their continued misfires, there was plenty of 2011 on the ice Wednesday night, especially in the form of an OT game-winner on the road in Canada.

Even the Red Sox got into "Throwback Wednesday" with a 15-8 loss to the Twins. When Boston was down 14-6, NESN was dutifully pimping the Premier League Game of the Week. It was just like old times 2012 style. All we needed was Bobby V.

Rask kept the Bruins viable all evening. He covered up multiple mistakes that occurred both in the Bruins' end and on offense when the Bruins simply dumped the puck in the general direction of the net but failed to force a rebound off Reimer.

And he made sure Phil Kessel would not get the last laugh on his former teammates in overtime.

Rask played his Ask off, no doubt. He showed himself capable of giving the Bruins enough air even in the fourth period of a brutally physically tough road game to allow the likes of Krecji a chance to win it.

The Bruins are still lacking when it comes to the power play even though they converted on two of their 10 chances. Boston had a chance to ice the game with a 3:30 power play in the third period that turned into 210 seconds of frustration. Conversely, the Bruins were up against the boards when Joffrey Lupul earned a best-actress nod for drawing a high-sticking penalty on Chara. That would be, surprisingly, the final penalty of the game.

But Boston turned in its biggest penalty kill of the season thus far and Cuthbert and April Reimer were left at the end of the evening exchanging dagger-eyes, or commiserating about an alleged "jerk" sitting nearby.

Either way, they can blame Tuukka Rask.

And he was a lot hotter than either Cuthbert or Reimer.

As always, let us know what you think. Post your thoughts here, on our Obnoxious Boston Fan Facebook page, on Twitter @realOBF or e-mail me at obnoxiousbostonfan@hotmail.com.

The season's over.

The emotion of Friday's thrilling comeback has faded.

As much fun as the Celtics created by putting a scare into the Knicks, one of the many sullen (as opposed to Sullinger) facts from this brief playoff flirtation was the Boston lost two home games and fell behind by 26 points in an elimination game on the famed TD Garden parquet. For an NBA playoff team that carried such historic cache into the postseason, that's inexcusable.

Grit and balls, for sure. But next time, bring a point guard just to be safe.

The Kevin Garnett/Paul Pierce-led Boston Celtics of the past seven seasons have given fans some memorable moments. They had a tendency to overachieve when it came to entertainment, the raw end of a six-game series never looked this good.

This team, with all of its Hall of Fame talent all of its expectation, all of its Celtic Pride, drama, passion and Tommy Points, with all of Doc Rivers' masterful coaching and Danny Ainge's contortions, still under performed when it comes to history.

One championship.

That's it.

Six seasons with Garnett, Pierce, five of which included Ray Allen.

A Springfield trio.

The Big Three, or Big Four, or Big Three-and-a-half.

However you want to break it down, the only number that really mattered was won, er one.

The original Big Three, the NBA's model for the Heatles, netted one championship.

Coulda/should/woulda been more? Likely. The one that got away came in 2010, when the Celtics had a comfy 3-2 lead over the Lakers heading West. The Celtics got blown out in game six, scoring just 67 points in a 22-point loss. Kendrick Perkins went down with an injury in the first quarter that night, and the Celtics were out-rebounded 30-13 in the first half. Kobe Bryant ripped them apart from all over the place, and Pao Gasol finished them off inside, with 17 points and 13 rebounds.

How bad was it? Bill Russell walked out in the fourth quarter.

Boston ran out of gas inside in Game 7. Celtics fans watching that night began to get a little queasy at the start of the fourth quarter, even though the Celtics had a 13-point lead during the second half.

Slipping away. Even Bryant, who hit just six of his 24 shots that night, managed to get off nine free throws in the fourth quarter as Banner 18 became shredded at Staples Center.

The Perkins trade in February 2011 was Ainge's Watergate. It continues to dog his administration to this day. The Perkins trade forever solidified the starting five of Perkins, Garnett, Pierce, Rondo and Allen as being undefeated in the postseason.

There's no doubt the Perkins trade wiped out whatever shot the Celtics - still the clear favorites in the East at that time - had at winning another title.

Even Rivers admitted after the season the timing of the Perkins trade was a mistake, mainly because it ruined the Cetlics' on-court continuity. Rivers also vetoed an earlier deal involving the moody center.

At that time, the Celtics still held a distinct advantage over Miami because LeBron and Friends had not played together for a full season. A factor handily exploited by the Mavericks.

That team, the Big Three's last, best shot at the title, was never in sync again, even during Shaq's 12 postseason minutes against the Heat.

It's doubtful a healthy Perkins, or a healthy Robert Parish and Kevin McHale in their prime would have been enough to stop LeBron's rampage in Games 6 and 7 in 2012. Although McHale would have been good for at least one clothesline in the second half of game six.

Jeff Green was not the answer then, nor is he the problem now. Green had some moments of brilliance in the playoffs. And J.D. Drew hit a grand slam in the 2007 ALCS.

The reasons for the Perkins trade remain in the eye of the beholder.

It was either a shrewd salary move to free-up space to avoid paying an injury-prone big man or Ainge's way to get the high-scoring Green back into Celtic green after his momentary time with the Celtics on draft night in 2007. Or both. Or neither.

Green might be a key factor in whatever success Boston has in 2014. But the cost of getting him here took away the best shot the Big Three ever had at their next championship.

The biggest question about Boston's future is whether or not Rivers will be back for another run at all this. He's got a great spread in Winter Park, Fla., the opportunity for year-round golf and any TV analyst job for the asking. My bias (Rivers and I attended Marquette University simultaneously for a year) toward the Celtics' coach somewhat distorts any analysis of his shortcomings.

This year's team went about as far as reasonable people thought it would. Although a point guard, any point guard, would have proven beneficial in helping Boston break the 100-point barrier at least once against the Knicks. Danny and Doc can arm wrestle over the blame on that one.

When your team is built around Rajon Rondo and he gets hurt for the season, the season is pretty much lost at that moment. The loss of Sullinger should have been a slap in the face to anyone who still pondered thoughts of deep spring run post-Rondo-loss.

Rivers' best work during his term in Boston has been his ability to keep order among among all those monstrous egos in the Celtics locker room. Sure, the 2008 Celtics were loaded with talent, but being able to massage and coddle the likes of Perkins, Rondo and Allen and keep the team focused on winning for so long is a tremendous skill. No one can set up a play off a timeout better than Doc. He, also, most importantly commands the respect of his players and those elsewhere in the league.

The only coach in the NBA who has longer tenure with his current team is Gregg Popovich of the Spurs. And he's probably the only coach you'd pick ahead of Doc in your fantasy coaching league draft.

If Doc does retire/take a break, that means the team will jettison Pierce. That will trigger Garnett's departure for points west. As it stands, Boston is hardly a destination of choice for NBA free agents, thanks to weather and high state income taxes, among other factors. Without Rivers, Boston will lose its best drawing card. Danny will have a bridge year on his hands spanning the 2012 Red Sox.

After the game, play-by-play announcer Sean Grande told his listeners that next year's Celtics' team will be "built around" Rondo and Green. That's the problem, Celtics Nation. Pierce and Garnett, even if they are back, will lead much more in spirit than they will statistically. On their best days, Rondo and Green scream "eighth playoff seed."

The worse place to be in the NBA is to be in the middle, mediocre or just plain average. You have no real hope of a title, or, if your miss the playoffs, not enough Ping Pong balls to make the draft worthwhile.

That appears to be just where the Celtics are headed.

Especially once Doc leaves town.

As always, let us know what you think. Post your thoughts here, on our Obnoxious Boston Fan Facebook page, on Twitter @realOBF or e-mail me at obnoxiousbostonfan@hotmail.com.

Millions of Orthodox Christians worldwide participated in the sacrament of Holy Unction on Wednesday. The faithful, willing and those kids who are dragged there by their parents, are anointed with oil and God's grace for healing of soul, body and forgiveness of sins. It's part of Holy Week leading up to Easter.

Boston fans continued their healing on Wednesday on a night when the Celtics, Bruins and Red Sox won by a combined score of 106-88.

There were no signs of distress on this May Day.

One night does not a month make, but winning like this feels good, especially these days.

This wonderfully fun and prosperous night came to be due to the grace of Clay Buchholz pitching seven shutout innings for the Red Sox, the grit of Kevin Garnett owning the Knicks' soft underbelly with 18 rebounds and the long-lost offensive flair of the Bruins, who were led by David Krejci and Nathan Horton.

Even Stephen Drew hit a home run.

Miracles everywhere.

Every time the calendar blesses us with a night like this in the spring, the Red Sox are usually relegated to third-team status. Wednesday's top priority was a tough call. The Bruins were opening the playoffs and had a multitude of concerns. The Celtics were on the verge of ending the playoffs before facing a multitude of questions. The Red Sox were sitting atop baseball with an 18-8 record but were in midst of a troubling one-game losing streak.

Not sure how valid TV ratings are on a night like this, when people are bouncing back and forth with the clicker, taking advantage of picture-in-picture or employing a two, or three-screen strategy.

Doesn't really matter.

After Boston was stopped in its track shoes on Patriot's Day, so many turned to sports for a much-needed break from it all.

Boston's spirit has never been stronger. But even on this most glorious of May Days, the Marathon bombings again grabbed the headlines. Three college pals of Speed Bump's little brother were arrested after they allegedly helped to cover up the alleged bombing that left three alleged victims dead and so many other alleged victims in alleged hospitals across the city following their alleged act of alleged terrorism by allegedly throwing a computer and back pack in the trash after they allegedly learned their pal allegedly did it.

Try saying that three times fast.

Come on. Haven't we all thrown out our roommate's computer and backpack after he's blown up a marathon? Most of us would not throw out an empty coffee cup our roommate left on the table.

"LOL"

Much of April's public emotional muscle came courtesy of the Red Sox, who brought us the last smile on Patriot's Day Monday - beating the Rays at Fenway an hour before all Hell broke loose in Copley Square. Even in the numbness of the week that followed the bombings, the Red Sox humbly went to Cleveland, hung their "Boston 617 Strong" jersey and came home with a sweep.

The first dose of civic Percocet. This does not minimize the real-world loss and suffering. Exactly the opposite, nights like Wednesday allow us to continue to function and deal with all of this craziness.

Responsible adults know what's really important and what isn't, but sports helps healing on a civic scale in more ways than many cynics and elitists are willing to acknowledge.

The Red Sox wrapped a seven-game winning streak around Patriot's Day and Lockdown Friday and didn't miss a pitch. It was punctuated by David Ortiz's hydrogen f-bomb on April 20. At a time when human imperfection was magnified on a grand scale, the Red Sox batted 1.000.

The success of the Red Sox and its importance - along with Ortiz's rallying cry - did not diminish the losses of the victims. Rather they offered another way to honor them and help the city and nation bond - and manged to look good on the field all at the same time.

The Bruins carried the burden of offering the first public chance to gather, vent and cry after the bombings. In addition, the team had two games postponed in the final two weeks of the season because of the bombings and the manhunt for Dave Henneberry's boat's ballast.

The play of the team was undoubtedly affected by all of it.

Before Wednesday's 4-1 victory over the Maple Syrups, the Bruins had not scored more than three goals in their previous nine games, seven of which were losses. Six of those games came in a nine-day span. A grueling run in any sport not called baseball.

"It's been draining for players to deal with that stuff," said Claude Julien. "We're all sentimental to what happened to this city. It was just a matter of turning the page and getting a fresh start from the regular season."

The Celtics had disappeared from the thoughts of many during the Marathon mayhem. They had a game canceled and did not return home until April 26, when they promptly lost game three to the Knicks and fell behind 3-0. I was probably the first to write them off via Twitter. I wrongly picked them to beat the Heat in seven games last year but would mind being wrong about this one, too.

But these are the Carmelo Anthony-led Knicks, so "anything is possible" for their opponents. The Knicks planned for Wednesday's game to be Boston's funeral. Instead, they took a dirt nap and Boston won 92-86. New York never led in the second half and shot just 39.5 percent. Meanwhile, the Celtics, who shot 45.7 percent, are doing all this without a point guard.

One thing is certain.

If Paul Pierce comes out Friday wearing a bloody sock in Game 6, the Knicks are doomed.

We can only hope.

As always, let us know what you think. Post your thoughts here, on our Obnoxious Boston Fan Facebook page, on Twitter @realOBF or e-mail me at obnoxiousbostonfan@hotmail.com.

April was unforgettable.

For all the wrong reasons.

And memorable.

For all the right ones.

The Red Sox came though in a big way in April, just when Boston needed it most.

And there's no reason for a mayday on May Day.

April was a watershed month in the history of Boston sports - and not only because the Red Sox finished with a tied-team record 18 wins against just eight losses.

The city was forever moved in every direction on Patriot's Day. New villains emerged (and continue to emerge Wednesday) but they were overwhelmed by multitude of new superstars, heroes and champions whose names are now as well-known as KG, Pierce and Brady.

The Red Sox began the month in full recovery mode from all that was Bobby V and 2011. On and off the field, the talk was all about redemption. Instead, winning took over.

The Red Sox have the best record in baseball on May 1. There's still 84 percent of the season ahead of them. But they are pretty damn good.

And yes, it remains the pitching, stupid.

The Red Sox pitching staff - even after Tuesday night's nine-run calamity, is still fourth in the American League with a 3.58 ERA (just 0.01 behind third-place Detroit) and is first in the league with 255 Ks. More importantly, the front end of the rotation has been stellar. Jon Lester, who got tagged for six runs Tuesday, is still 4-0 with a 3.11 ERA. Clay Buchholz is on track to be starting the All-Star Game at 5-0 (1.19 ERA) and Ryan Dempster has found his inner Nolan Ryan with 43 strikeouts in nine starts. The only starter currently on the roster with an ERA over 4.00 is Felix Doubront and he's still 3-0.

Then there's Ortiz. He's hitting .500 since giving Boston its new motto. His slugging percentage is .917 and his OPS is a Ruthian 1.429 - if they had had OPS back in the Babe's day. Carmine hasn't been this excited since it spit out the name "J.D. Drew."

Nothing typified Ortiz's season more than Tuesday night's bases-loaded, one-out double off Steve Delabar. Ortiz fouled off the second pitch which was a fast ball right down the middle. It was his pitch and Ortiz knew it. He even called time before the third pitch to let the frustration subside. The third pitch bounced in the dirt off the catchers mitt and pitch number four was ball down and away. Ortiz then pounced on a 3-1 fastball - in virtually the same spot as the first pitch - and hammered over the lead of Jose Bautista. The bases were cleared the Red Sox had a 7-6 lead.

Which they promptly blew. But the point was made by Ortiz, who in fairness to the cynics also made the last out of the game.

The Red Sox are going to be in this thing long after the end of May, as well. They've done well - both in terms of play and in the genuine reaction of the players and scripted events of the franchise to help the city heal.

Much has been said about "getting back to normal" in the wake of all that happened in April. No one can say what "normal" means these days.

But given that caveat, there's one sure sign of normalcy around New England in the summer.

The Red Sox being involved in a pennant race.

And it looks like that's going to be the new normal in 2013.

As always, let us know what you think. Post your thoughts here, on our Obnoxious Boston Fan Facebook page, on Twitter @realOBF or e-mail me at obnoxiousbostonfan@hotmail.com.

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