The Bruins just got their first win of the playoffs against Montreal, cutting their deficit in the series to 2-1. A gutsy performance by the Bruins, who are playing with confidence, but with the lion’s share of scoring chances the rival Canadiens still look to be the superior team. I think the Bruins need to take the two remaining home games to have any chance to advance, as I don’t see them winning both remaining games in Canada.

I was lucky enough to attend the first game of the Sox-Yankees series on Friday. The series, which is wrapping up tonight, has been a good indication of why Boston is a superior team. In particular, New York’s weak rotation has been showcased, starting believe it or not with Wang’s two hitter on Friday night. While he got the job done, Wang’s stellar box score does not represent his actual performance. There were numerous line drives hit throughout the night which happened to travel straight into the gloves of the Yankee outfielders. The Sox could easily have touched Wang up for three or four runs, but ended up with one. Wang may be an ace, but he is neither a dominating nor intimidating presence which will cost the Yankees in the playoffs.

Mike Mussina gave a performance which I would expect to be about average from him this year, surrendering four runs in five-plus innings. He too got hit hard and has shown no signs of stopping his downward trend of the past few years. On the other end of the age spectrum, Phil Hughes got lit up today and will likely continue to have an up and down season as he adjusts to the major leagues. With a mediocre ace and an aging Pettitte and Mussina, the Yankees will need consistent quality starts our of Hughes and Ian Kennedy, and I don’t think they will get them over the course of the season.

The Red Sox are not without their own concerns, with Big Papi heading up the list. Much talk has been surrounding his off-season knee surgery and, although Ortiz said his knee felt fine during spring training, it is important to note that his struggles date back to the month of March. Had Ortiz shown any power during the spring (0 home runs in 26 at-bats) I would be more willing to brush off his early season struggles as an aberration. Once J.D. Drew cools off the Sox will have some difficulty scoring runs, especially with Lowell still out of the lineup. Nonetheless, Boston’s pitching is strong enough that I am confident that they will finish ahead of the Yankees in the standings.

Encouraging performance from Beckett today, but the Sox as a team need to get their act together after losing three in a row north of the border. Aside from the always reliable Papelbon and Okajima, the bullpen has been a mess so far this season. Mike Timlin cannot return soon enough as Manny Delcarmen continues to struggle.

In the series finale against Toronto today Delcarmen served up a grand slam to Frank Thomas, allowing three inherited runners to score. This makes Beckett’s pitching line pretty ugly, but I am still happy with the stuff he showed today. I am less happy with the fact that he seemed to tire in the fifth inning, leaving after throwing only 92 pitches. While it was encouraging that he was able to hit 98 on the radar gun out of the gate, I can’t help but question whether he tired himself out by throwing too hard too early. Beckett’s main problem in 2006 was mental rather than physical (throwing too many fastballs) and his start today shows he may still have some maturing to do.

As I think many people expected J.D. Drew seems poised for a bounce back year, although let’s not forget that he started pretty quickly in the first few games of last season as well. I am far more concerned about Lugo, a player known for his shaky defense who was downright awful in the Toronto series in the field and has shown no signs of improving his woeful hitting from a year ago. It makes me wonder how close to major league ready Jed Lowrie, the highly touted shortstop prospect, is. Lowrie struggled mightily in spring training, however, hitting just .106 in 47 at-bats and it is highly doubtful that we will see him replacing the excessively paid Lugo any time soon. As long as Lugo can settle down in the field I will be satisfied, as the lineup should be fine once Ortiz and Ramirez inevitably come around at the plate.

After months of speculation, Matt Walsh has finally released a scandalous video, although not of a pre-Superbowl Rams walkthrough.

Apparently fed up with the NFL’s refusal to offer him sufficient legal protection, Walsh decided it was time to embarrass his former employers. In a hidden camera video which is sure to rock Patriot Nation, Coach Belichick and former defensive coordinator Eric Mangini are shown fornicating in a Gillette Stadium office, according to multiple media sources. The video, which starts as an inconspicuous defensive planning session but ends in romance, provides a deeper insight into the mysterious relationship between the colleagues. Much has been made of Mangini’s 2006 departure to lead the rival Jets and the subsequent post-game handshake incidents between the coaches. Walsh’s video suggests that the rift between the two is more than just professional.

“I’d always suspected that something was going on between the two of them,” said Walsh, when asked why he had set up a hidden camera, “They spent way too much time together in the video room.”

While it is still unclear whether Walsh has footage related to Spy-gate, it may be that this revelation is enough to end Belichick’s career.

“The Patriots have a very clear policy against intra-office relationships,” said team owner Robert Kraft, “I have no further comment until we have completed an internal investigation into the matter.”

According to the Patriot Employee Handbook “Patriot personnel shall not engage in romantic relationships without notifying management. Inappropriate relations between employees will be dealt with harshly at the discretion of the organization, including the possibility of termination.”

Belichick, in a brief statement released today by the team, states “The tape is what it is. I know the rules of the team, and my interpretation is that our actions were not in violation. I consider myself part of Patriot management and was well aware of our relationship. I have notified the Krafts of my interpretation and am confident that they will agree.”

The last time Belichick misinterpreted a rule it ended with a $500K fine and loss of a draft pick. Will this one result in the loss of his job? We can only wait and see.

In other news the Bruins will be demoted to the minor leagues at the end of the season, and the Red Sox have traded Clay Buchholz to the Yankees for Alex Rodriguez. Enjoy the rest of Fool’s Day!