Patrice Bergeron and the Bruins have been so dominant in the first half, they can basically coast in the second half and still make the playoffs. Michael Dwyer/Associated Press
This weekend we will usher in a new year. The final days of 2022 are winding down, so it’s the perfect time to take stock of where things stand with Boston’s sports teams.
It was an up-and-down year for sure. We had one trip to the championship finals, two disappointing playoff runs and a last-place team that has confounded the experts with their offseason activities.
The good news is the two winter teams finish the year in first place. While the Celtics have lost four of their last seven games, they showed what they are capable of on Christmas Day with a dominating performance against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics beat the Milwaukee Bucks and lead the Eastern Conference as they try to return to the NBA Finals. Mary Schwalm/Associated Press
Playing in the premier time slot on the NBA’s marquee day, Boston pushed the second-place Bucks off the TD Garden court with a 139-118 thrashing, clamping down Giannis Antetokounmpo with the type of team-wide defensive effort that interim coach Joe Mazzulla has been preaching all season.
The win grabbed the attention of the basketball world and, more importantly, put Boston in first place in the Eastern Conference with a game-and-a-half lead over the Bucks. There’s a lot of work ahead, and undoubtedly more dips in the road, but performances like Sunday’s remind us all why this team is capable of winning the conference again this year.
No one knew what to expect from the Bruins this season. Boston had fired Bruce Cassidy after six seasons – and six playoff appearances — and replaced him with former UMaine Black Bear Jim Montgomery. The move left plenty of fans scratching their heads, but it proved to be exactly what the team needed.
David Krejci returned, Patrice Bergeron signed a team-friendly deal and the Bruins have the best record in the league. They’ve been so dominant in the first half of the season they can basically coast to the playoffs. If Boston plays .500 hockey from now until the playoffs they will finish with over 100 points.
Now the Black and Gold take center stage in the hockey world when they host the Winter Classic at Fenway Park. It’s always a marquee event, and playing in the shadows of the Green Monster will have even more people talking about the Bruins.
Mac Jones and the Patriots suffered another tough loss on Saturday, but they control their playoff destiny with just two games remaining. Charles Krupa/Associated Press
The Patriots, somehow, are still alive in the NFL playoff race. They turned in another miserable performance on Christmas Eve, coming close to an epic comeback after falling behind by 22 points, before fumbling the ball away and falling below .500.
But this is the NFL, where there are very few truly good teams. One of those not-so-good squads is the Miami Dolphins, who blew a lead against the Packers on Sunday night and lost their fourth straight game.
With Miami’s most recent loss, the Pats once again control their own destiny. Wins over the Dolphins and Bills in their final two games would put them in the playoffs. It’s hard to imagine they beat both teams, but one never knows what an opponent’s level of play will be like on a given Sunday.
Rafael Devers is one season away from free agency and the Red Sox are reportedly not close to an agreement on an extension to keep him in Boston. Michael Dwyer/Associated Press
We finish with the Red Sox. It has been one of the most disappointing offseasons in team history. Franchise shortstop Xander Bogaerts is gone, there are reports that cornerstone third baseman Rafael Devers and the team are miles apart in contract negotiations, and a robust class of free agents are mostly gone.
The 2023 AL East might be the deepest and toughest division in the history of baseball. It’s hard to imagine the Sox, as presently constructed, competing for a playoff spot in that group. We’ll wait to see if there are any surprises waiting in the trade market this winter.
In all, it’s a mixed bag of success as we close out the books on 2022. In the City of Champions nothing short of a championship is considered success. We’ll see how much success these teams bring in 2023.
Tom Caron is a studio host for the Red Sox broadcast on NESN. He is a graduate of Lewiston High School.
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