ShareThisToday's topic deals with the home losses in Game Seven of their respective playoff series by both the Boston Celtics and Boston Bruins.
What in the name of Lucky the Leprechaun is going on at the Garden?
The C's and the B's didn't just get pushed around in their house, they sat helplessly by as intruders ransacked the place, making off with the big-screen TV, the stereo system, the Oriental rugs, the appliances, the electrical fixtures, the copper pipes and the family pets.
And it was only a week ago that I thought both teams would be moving on to the next round.
Admittedly, in the case of the Bruins, that may have been a bit of a reach, considering that the B's never had come back from a 3-1 deficit to win a Stanley Cup series.
Their record in such situations was a depressing 0-20. Now it's 0-21.
But, hey, there's a first time for everything, as the Orlando Magic proved by becoming the first team ever to beat the Celtics in the playoffs after trailing 3-2. The Celts were 32-0 in such situations going into Sunday night's game in the Garden. Now they're 32-1.
Nevertheless, I was optimistic about the Bruins, given that they had the best record in the Eastern Conference during the regular season and were 4-0 against Carolina, having outscoring the Hurricanes by a combined total of 18-6 in those games.
"If they can bring the series back to Boston," I opined, "you know they're going to win Game Seven at home."
Well, the Bruins did bring their conference semifinal with the 'Canes back to Boston, winning Game Six in Charlotte , 4-2, but then failed to apply the knockout, instead going down for the count when Scott Walker -- Scott Walker, for crying out loud; the cheap-shot artist who sucker-punched Aaron Ward in Game Five -- scored in overtime, giving sixth-seeded Carolina a 3-2 victory on Boston's home ice.
It was the hockey equivalent of the homer by Bucky Dent against the Red Sox in the 1978 playoff game at Fenway Park. It also was the second win of the series in Boston for the Hurricanes.
So let there be no kudos thrown the Bruins' way. No "Gee, didn't they have a great regular season" rationalizations. No "Well, they won a playoff series by sweeping the Canadiens" comments. No "At least they didn't choke as badly as the San Jose Sharks."
Bottom line, this Bruins team underachieved. Again.
The Bruins haven't won the Stanley Cup since 1972. Contrast that with the Red Sox' two World Series titles over the past five years, the Patriots' three Super Bowl victories -- and four appearances -- from 2001-07, and the Celtics adding a 17th championship banner just a year ago. The Bruins have a lot catching up to do to measure up to the other three major professional sports teams in town.
Going down in a seventh game in their own building doesn't get it done.
The Celtics are a different case.
It's not as if they were going to get by King James and his Cleveland Cavaliers in the conference finals anyway, especially after grueling, seven-game series with the Bulls and Magic.
But everyone would have understood that outcome, would have accepted it. Once Kevin Garnett was sidelined, there was no way the Celts were going to repeat as NBA champions.
To their credit, they battled like champions. And, had they only gotten to the conference finals, they would have heard nothing but praise throughout the offseason.
However, despite their injuries and understandable fatigue due to lack of depth, they shouldn't be let off the hook for becoming the first team in the proud history of the sport's most successful franchise to blow a 3-2 series lead -- and getting blown out on their home court in the finale.
The Celtics had a 17-3 mark at home in playoff Game 7s. Had they lost Sunday night on a buzzer-beater, or gone down to a narrow defeat, it might have been more palatable.
Instead, they trailed virtually the entire game, coach Doc Rivers waving the white flag and pulling his tired, hurting starters a couple of minutes before the final horn sounded, at which point the Celts were an embarrassing 19 points behind.
Winter is now officially finished in New England. And so is the idea that no one comes into our house and pushes us around.
(Contact Jim Donaldson at jdonalds@projo.com.)
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)
columnMust credit The Providence Journal
