BSJ Daily Briefing 12.14.17: Sox could fall to 4th behind C's/B's, Steelers Week kicks into gear

Good morning!

A few random thoughts as I try to anticipate what the Red Sox will Tweet out today ... perhaps a new official hot dog?

• The Celtics, as expected, had an easy time with the Nuggets. The C's exceptional play is, amazingly, becoming a tad boring.


• Kyrie Irving does his thing, Jayson Tatum never misses, Jaylen Brown does something that makes you leap off the couch, and Brad Stevens pushes all the right buttons with his bench. Lather, rinse, repeat.


• Meanwhile, the Bruins have the best record in the Eastern Conference in the past 10 games (8-2) and are starting to win games when they don't even show up (mark of a good team).


• The Bruins had TWO shots in the first period against the Dead Wings — none over the final 18 minutes! — and then still came back to force overtime and then won it in the extra session with a ridonk Brad Marchand goal.


• Moving on up:

• The Bruins are now plus-4 in goal differential, and are even over .500 on the road.


• I wasn't kidding when I said last week that if the Red Sox don't watch it, they could be a distant fourth place in Boston when their season starts.


• The Patriots could be back-to-back champs. The Celtics will be cruising toward a clash with Detroit/Cleveland in the East, and the Bruins could be firmly in second place in the Atlantic and threatening the top spot with a team with a great vet/youth mix.


• As opposed to the Red Sox, the Bruins won't just be playing out the string waiting to get demolished in the first round of the playoffs.


• As you might have noticed, BSJ members continue to get great shared content from our older cousins, DKPittsburghSports.com. Yesterday it was CB Joe Haden's possible return. Today: a very interesting story from DK himself on the Steelers' plans for defending Gronk. You'll definitely want to read that.


• We're also planning more shared content, and crossover Saturday chats. So if you want to fully prepared for Sunday's clash, you better sign up. Or, better yet, buy a membership for yourself, and one for a buddy to join you in our exclusive community.

Watch it again: @bmarch63's OT winner ?@EASPORTSNHL pic.twitter.com/QgYYlDRzZG

— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) December 14, 2017

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