In season or out, here is a look at what is happening in Boston sports.
Patriots (10-0) Undefeated so far this season, the Patriots are not only the best team in the AFC East, but also in the whole league. In week two, the Patriots handed the Jacksonville Jaguars a massive loss 51-17. Similarly, New England also bested the Miami Dolphins 36-7 in week seven. All of the games thus far have been in similar fashion except for week nine’s narrow margin win over the New York Giants 27-26. Despite the Giants being 18 in the league for total rushing yards and being 8 for total receiving, they have been known to give the Patriots a hard time, especially after defeating the Patriots in both the 2007 and 2011 Super Bowls. Anyways, thanks to New England’s clutch kicker Stephen Gostkowski, who nailed a 54 yard field goal with one second left on the clock, the Patriots won the game. During week 10, New England defeated the Buffalo Bills 20-13. The game was tied up with 10 minutes left in the third quarter, but the Pats were able to break away with a touchdown from runningback James White, his second of the game. After that, New England added three more points from a 34-yard field goal from Gostkowski. Despite White’s two important touchdowns, the rest of New England’s offense did not do its job; the defense is to thank for the win.
Bruins (11-8-1) A tough start to the season for the Bruins who lost their first three games to the Washington Capitals (2-1), the Winnipeg Jets (6-2) and the Montreal Canadiens (4-2). The Bruins have not had a worse start since 1999, where they also lost their first three games. The recent off season changes in management and on the roster may have been to blame, but Boston soon found their groove and started to win. The team improved their record to above .500 with a win over both the Minnesota Wild (4-2) and the Toronto Maple Leafs (2-0). On Monday, November 23, Boston defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs again in a shoot out, 4-3. As of Tuesday, November 24, the Bruins have 23 points total to put them in fourth place in the Atlantic Division and seventh in the Eastern Conference.
Celtics (7-6) The month of November has been good for the Boston Celtics, who have won six out of their eleven games this month. In the Eastern Conference, Boston is 5-4, while they are 2-2 in the Western Conference. Additionally, their record places the team just outside the playoff picture as the 9 seed as of right now. Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas has been Boston’s top player as he has 274 total points this season, an average of 21.1 each game. On top of that, Thomas is also shooting 84 percent from behind the line as well as 32 percent from behind the arc. If Thomas can keep producing offensively, the Celtics should have no problem maintaining their success.
Red Sox (78-84) Another season of baseball over and another season that ended in disappointment for the Red Sox. The team finished below average for the second year in a row. After the 2014 season, Boston finished with an average of .438, and after this year they finished with an average of .481 (A slight improvement but still not what Boston fans were hoping for). Along with NESN letting go of long-time announcer Don Orsillo, Red Sox Nation was also hit with the news via his video on The Players’ Tribune that fan favorite designated hitter David Ortiz will be retiring after the 2016 season. As a player for the Sox, Ortiz recently broke the 500 count for total career home runs, many of which helped win huge games. Like in Game Two of Boston’s 2013 American League Championship series, where Papi hit a grand slam to tie the game that Boston went on to win and then the series. In basic terms, this retirement news means that on top of the rebuilding process that must be done this offseason, the Red Sox must also start looking for Big Papi’s replacement.
Revolution (14-12) The Revolution’s season ended a little under a month ago on October 28, with a loss to familiar foe D.C. United in the first Eastern Conference Knockout Round matchup (2-1). The match was expected to be even though, for during the regular season, both teams had 34 wins each. The difference, however, was D.C. had 51 points and the 4 seed, while the Revs had 50 and the 5 seed. The Revolution scored first off a skilled cross from midfielder Kevin Alston that forward Juan Agudelo nailed with a bike into the back of the net. Despite the brilliant goal, the Rev’s unfortunately could not add any more, but D.C. managed to tie the game up before the half was over and then added a second tally in the second half. The 2-1 score remained set for the rest of the game, and D.C. handed New England an early exit from the playoff picture.
