The teams are alright...

Both the Phillies and the Red Sox lost today. But it doesn't matter. I am feeling mighty optimistic about both squads. A rematch of the 1915 World Series seems very possible. Or at least a Phillies playoff appearance for the 1st time since 1993. It might just be the Aquafina talking, but I really like the Phillies' and Sox' chances this season.

The Phillies lost to the Reds 9-8 today, but the final score was a result of Phillies' minor leaguers blowing the big lead the Phillies' major leaguers put up. Jon Lieber pitched shutout ball, and may have bumped up his trade value a little. The Phillies have 6 good starters for 5 rotation spots- they could (should) trade Lieber for a young OF with some pop in his bat. (Hmm. That last sentence really seems familiar somehow...) With Brett Myers, Freddy Garcia, and wunderkind Cole Hamels fronting the rotation, and Chase Utley and Ryan Howard powering the offense, Philly should be a force in the NL. The Mets have a strong offense, but a very shaky rotation. The Braves have a strong bullpen, but issues elsewhere. The Phils could very well win the NL East.

The Sox lost today to the Dodgers, 2-1, in a game in which they only had 5 hits. But Josh Beckett (3 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K) pitched extremely well. He is a key component of what should be a very strong rotation. Jon Lester also pitched a hitless inning in a "B" game in the morning.
Kei Igawa, a P the Yankees are counting on for their rotation, got roughed up (1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 3 BB) by Detroit today. While the Yankees likely have a superior offense, the Sox could win the division on the strength of their superior rotation. Which features Papelbon. Ace starter. Ace closer. Duck hunter. And Jedi.

The Bruins are also looking good as of late. Two wins over the weekend have put them 4 points behind 8th place Carolina, with 3 fewer games played than the 'Canes. Tim Thomas has been remarkable in goal (18 consecutive games!), and the B's even won against Brodeur IN N.J. without Thomas in goal. They used Joey MacDonald, last seen being bombed by the Flyers for 6 goals and released by the Red Wings, in goal, and he responded with a 26 save, 1st star performance. In his red and white Red Wings mask. It looks like the 8th seed in the Conference will face a tough Buffalo team in the 1st round, but it would be great just for the Bruins to make the playoffs. And I think they will.

Even the Flyers, with the fewest points in the league, 9 less than the horrendous L.A. Kings, seem to be moving in the right direction. They have made some good trades in recent weeks, picking up a gaggle of draft picks, and some good young players like Scottie Upshall, Ryan Parent, Braydon Coburn, and Lasse Kukkonen. They should have the max number of ping pong balls in the draft lottery, so they should pick up another good prospect with their 1st round pick. (Though no Crosby or Ovechkin or Malkin seems to be available in this draft.) The acquisition of G Martin Biron from the Sabres was an expensive one- the cost being the (likely) 1st selection in the 2nd round of the draft- but, if they can convince him to sign a contract before he becomes a free agent, it could be worth the price. I still think Antero Niittymaki can be a #1 goalie and an NHL star, but it won't hurt to have a #1 goalie in place until Antero gains more experience and consistency at the NHL level. The Flyers have some salary cap room going into the offseason, and with possible free agents like Daniel Briere and Kimmo Timonen available, the Flyers won't be propping up the NHL standings next season.