While the Bruins and Red Sox continue to roll along, both the Patriots and Celtics have had pretty awful offseasons thus far.

The latest is of course the two incidents around Aaron Hernandez, who appears to be in some pretty deep trouble, if you believe some of the leaks coming from law enforcement.

And yes, there are many leaks.

While I have my fears, I’ll try to reserve judgement until the facts emerge.

Meanwhile, the Red Sox swept a double-header from the Rays yesterday, including a game winning home run from Jonny Gomes, and the Bruins are set to play game four of the Stanley Cup finals tonight.

Here are some pregame notes, courtesy of NHL Network:

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SNEAK PEEK AT TONIGHT’S ACTION
Chicago @ Boston, Game 4, BOS leads 2-1, 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT, NBC, CBC, RDS

DID YOU KNOW?
* Since going to the best-of-seven format in 1939, teams leading the Final 2-1 have gone on to capture the Stanley Cup 83.0% of the time (39-8). (Elias)

* The Bruins have a 2-0 all-time record when holding a 2-1 series lead in the Stanley Cup Final. The Blackhawks are 0-3 lifetime when trailing 2-1 in the Final.

* The Bruins are 11-2 in their last 13 games (since Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals), with both losses coming in overtime. They have outscored opponents, 40-21, in that span.

* Since tying Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals with 51 seconds remaining in the third period, the Bruins have trailed for just 57:43 of the 850:54 they’ve played (6.8%) and have not trailed by more than one goal in that stretch.

* The Bruins have won seven straight games at home, outscoring opponents, 21-10. They haven’t allowed a goal in their last 186:28 of play at TD Garden.

* The Bruins have won each of their four Stanley Cup Final games contested at TD Garden, outscoring the opposition, 19-3 (17-3 vs. Vancouver in 2011, 2-0 vs. Chicago in 2013).

GAME 4 NOTES
* The Bruins and Blackhawks both are 2-1 in Game 4s this postseason.

* The referees for tonight’s game are Dan O’Halloran (#13) and Wes McCauley (#4). The linesmen are Jay Sharrers (#57) and Pierre Racicot (#65).

ALL ABOUT TUUKKA
Boston goaltender Tuukka Rask hasn’t allowed a goal in the last 122:26 of play dating to the first period of Game 2. He leads all netminders in wins (14), goals-against average (1.64) and save percentage (.946) this postseason.

Rask’s save percentage (.9463, 617 SV/652 SA) also is slightly higher than Jonathan Quick’s record-setting mark (.9461, 509 SV/538 SA) from last year’s playoffs (minimum, 15 games). He has stopped 282-of-290 shots (.972) over his last eight games, posting a 6-2 record and three shutouts in that span.

Series-by-Series Breakdown:
ECQ vs. TOR: 4-3, 2.49 GAA, .923 SV%, 0 SO
ECS vs. NYR: 4-1, 1.86 GAA, .936 SV%, 0 SO
ECF vs. PIT: 4-0, 0.44 GAA, .985 SV%, 2 SO
SCF vs. CHI: 2-1, 1.22 GAA, .960 SV%, 1 SO
TOTALS: 14-5, 1.64 GAA, .946 SV%, 3 SO

HOSSA IN?
After being a surprise scratch for Game 3, Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville said forward Marian Hossa is “likely” to play in Game 4. Hossa is tied for the team lead in points (7-8—15) and game-winning goals (2) this postseason and also paces the club with three power-play scores.

PAI DAY
Boston forward Daniel Paille has scored the game-winning goal in consecutive games, becoming the first player since 2006 – and only the second in the last 17 years – to do so in the Stanley Cup Final (Edmonton’s Fernando Pisani, vs. Carolina in Games 5 and 6).

Paille has four goals, including three game-winners, in 19 games this postseason. He had four goals, none of which were game-winners, in 46 career playoff games entering 2013.

HOME DOMINANCE
Home teams have won a record 58 games this postseason (.699), surpassing the previous mark of 57 set in 92 games during the 1991 playoffs. The last time home teams had a winning percentage of .600 or higher during the Stanley Cup Playoffs was in 1993, when they went 52‑33 (.612).

SPECIAL TEAMS
Boston has killed off 27 consecutive penalties dating to Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, including all 11 Chicago opportunities through the first three games of the Stanley Cup Final. The Bruins have an 88.9% penalty-kill rate during the 2013 playoffs (56-for-63), including an 88.6% mark at home (31-for-35).

Chicago has not scored a power-play goal in its last 20 chances dating to Game 2 of the Western Conference Final. The Blackhawks have an 11.3% power-play success rate this postseason (7-for-62), including a 3.7% mark on the road (1-for-27).

LIFE IN THE STANLEY CUP FINAL
Chicago forward Bryan Bickell and Boston defenseman Adam McQuaid are chronicling their Stanley Cup Final experiences with blogs on NHL.com.

Published by Bruce Allen

Automattician.

12 thoughts on “Bruins/Blackhawks Game Four Notes”

  2. Gang affiliations and off field violence are legit predraft concerns and can rightfully scare off teams. The fact that he smoked weed in college is not and it just seems ridiculous every time a reporter mentions the fact that he “tested positive for marijuana” while at FLorida while reporting on a murder. Smoking weed in college does not lead to homicide investigations.

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  3. The good:

    Even Bill Buckner thinks that Corey Crawford is bad with a glove.

    The REALLY BAD:

    I know none of us want to speculate. Read the timeline on:
    Ted Daniel over at FOX25:

    https://twitter.com/TedDanielFOX25

    @TedDanielFOX2 LAW SOURCE: Forensic evidence places vehicle “driven by” Aaron Hernandez at “crime scene”. Don’t know what scene that is. ‏ 45m

    @TedDanielFOX25 LAW SOURCE: 4 men together in vehicle. Only 3 return to Aaron Hernandez’s home. Odin Lloyd NOT one of them. #fox25 49m

    @TedDanielFOX25 2 LAW SOURCES: Homicide victim Odin Lloyd sent text to a friend that included a reference to Aaron Hernandez.

    Really, really, really, bad.

    It’s a good thing his agent is the same as Ray Lewis..

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    1. This just broke 5m ago…

      @stevesilva: Hearing via law enforcement source that Aaron Hernandez will be arrested in connection with the North Attleborough murder

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  6. To media things:

    Minihane, currently doing the D+C show, is co-hosting the 2-6 s lot with Salk. Let the speculation begin.

    To bad things:

    Looks like Hernandez is going to be arrested on at least obstruction. Greg Bedard, on D+C this morning, said that the Patriots were aware of none of this. There is a clause in every player contract that the player, if in trouble with the law, must inform the team, who then must inform the NFL. Nothing. Apparently, this is “cause” to release a player from their NFL contract alone. Obviously, this offseason would have gone differently if they had known about the things in Florida and RI. This is before we even get into murder or anything more serious. On these grounds alone, Bedard speculated (and, I think this is accurate) he’d be looking at at least 4 games alone on that above.

    “Kick em while your down” Borges leads off our all-star journalism series. At first, I thought this was an op-ed in the Herald from Florio. http://bit.ly/12fodzy

    So much for The Patriot Way.

    Bob Kraft and his New England Patriots have for the past dozen years foisted upon a gullible public the idea that they go about their football business differently than their peers. They claimed to covet haracter guys who play hard, smart football and otherwise represent Kraft family values. –

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    1. I think Curran, as usual, has done a great job of following the story and filling it out with useful information. He wrote one background piece on how police go about investigating a case like this.

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    2. The “Patriot Way” was a media creation that was subsequently embraced by the front office and some ex-players. I honestly don’t think I’ve heard Belichick utter those words ever. Many of the stereotypical “true Patriots” with high character and leadership qualities were originally Parcells’ guys anyway (e.g. Bruschi, McGinest, Troy Brown, et al).

      Either way, the “Patriot Way” mystique–real or perceived–takes a hit from this, no question. Which is why I see Kraft issuing an executive order to cut Hernandez’s ass as soon as reasonably possible, regardless of whether Belichick is willing to wait for the legal process to play out or not.

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      1. I forget who but someone said the same thing.

        Adding/resonating what you said: It was constituted by ex-Patriots, many whom are in the media, and now is being mocked by some in the media and others. Nothing you can do there but they’re falsely attaching it to BB, who has never used the term. Or, as per usual, some are attacking the team because of “Patriots Toadie Media” who used the term in their columns, even though they should attack the writers who used it.

        Also, there has “been a warrant” for Hernandez for almost 48 hours now with no such warrant being drafted. ABC, being one of the main culprits here, seems to be one of the stories quoted. 48 hours to get a warrant and still none? Are these media members auditioning for CNN with their credibility?

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        1. I have no doubt the cops are preparing an arrest warrant as we speak–may not be executed today but it’s only a matter of time.

          My guess? Based on the idiotic actions Hernandez has already taken since the crime, the cops could be willing to let him sweat it out a few more days to see if he does anything else stupid to incriminate himself even further than he already has. Or maybe he gets lulled into a false sense of security, thinks the cops don’t have enough to charge him and starts blabbing about the murder to some of his confidants.

          With the alleged facts thus far, an obstruction of justice charge would seem a given. They’re probably trying to peg him to something far worse, but just aren’t quite there yet. If you’ve ever watched a semi-realistic cop show (e.g. “The Wire”), you know it’s never a good idea to pop a suspect too early for a lesser crime when you’re looking to build a much bigger case against him or a broader organization. Who knows, they might have his phones tapped, or maybe one of Hernandez’s old CT homies flipped and is working him for information. Busting him too early would likely jeopardize whatever undercover investigation may be going on.

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          1. “Or maybe he gets lulled into a false sense of security”

            Someone had a “report” out there that there was some concern among law enforcement that he would run. I put report in quotes for a reason there. Where is he going to run? And, yeah, we don’t know the inner workings but it’s just been amazing that we’re now 48+ hours removed from “about to be arrested” and he hasn’t. Who knows if its a dragnet or gambit trying to fool him into doing “something”.

            On the “legal strategy”, yeah, you can’t help but think there is something at play here. D+C or someone had on a prominent defense attorney on and said he had some of the best/if not the best council here, so who knows.

            I think, at the very least, if the Patriots told him to stay away from the facility, we can think that we won’t be seeing him in a Patriots–or any other NFL–uniform anytime soon. Going back to what Bedard said, he’s probably facing at least a 4gm for not telling the team/NFL about the Florida/RI stuff. Moreover, based on previous stuff like this (BigBen/Steelers) he got a 6gm, reduced to 4gm, for what was basically rape (remember the scathing op-ed their prosecutor wrote, saying basically Ben’s people destroyed the evidence that would have probably convicted him?) One has to think that’s a year alone on top of all of this for that alone. We haven’t even touched a potential involvement in murder yet.

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