Clinging to a one point lead for the final playoff spot in the East, the Bruins faced their closest competition for that spot last night in Atlanta. Tuukka Rask pitched the shutout as the Bruins roared to a 4-0 win, pushing their lead to three points. Couple that with their win over the Rangers on Sunday, and the playoff picture suddenly looks a lot better for Boston.

We’ll go with 15 links from this morning:

Bruins march through Atlanta en route to playoffs - Joe Haggerty with the thorough game story and talking points from last night’s game.

B’s respond nicely to pressure - Dan Rowinski assures Bruins fans that the sky is not falling, after all.

Grinders Starting to Produce as Bruins Beat Up Thrashers 4-0 - James Murphy notes that David Krejci and Milan Lucic showed their form of last season in the win.

Student bodies may be on the way - Fluto Shinzawa’s notebook reports that the Bruins might be signing some college and junior players soon, including 2008 first round pick Joe Colborne.

Life caught up to Antoine Walker – Mike Fine looks at how the former Celtic landed himself in the financial mess of a lifetime.

Nate Robinson and the Art of High Energy Basketball - Jessica Camerato looks at why the Celtics guard is always high-energy.

Celtics unpack, look to get right at home - Mark Murphy has the Celtics hoping that a 12-day homestand can help get themselves straightened out.

Happiness, hope on the diamond - Gordon Edes gets J.D. Drew to talk about as much as anyone has since he’s been in Boston. He recalls making his MLB debut with the Cardinals on the day that Mark McGwire hit home run # 62 in 1998, and talks about his son Jack, who might face more surgery.

10 takeaways from breakfast with Belichick - Tom E. Curran reports on the media breakfast with Bill Belichick at the NFL Owners meetings.

Offseason Workouts a Time for Patriots to Bond, Jell as a Team - Jeff Howe (who was the first to report that Randy Moss and Tom Brady had reported to offseason workouts) tells us what the players are trying to accomplish in these sessions.

Patriots could benefit from draft change - Mike Reiss says that splitting up the draft over several days could help the Patriots ability to make trades.

For Hermida, patience will be a virtue - Brian MacPherson in the ProJo profiles the Red Sox new fourth outfielder, who will have to make a number of adjustments this season.

Sox’ catching prospects are being well-received - Amalie Benjamin has bullpen coach Gary Tuck talking about the future receivers in the Red Sox organization. Tuck is particularly high on Luis Exposito.

Buchholz’ bad habit makes unwanted appearance - Alex Speier has Clay Buchholz reverting to some old ways, showing that he remains more of a work in progress rather than a finished product.

Pedroia suffers wrist sprain - Sean McAdam has a plethora of Red Sox notes from yesterday.

On the downside, Jim Donaldson writes today about breakfast with Bill Belichick being like “dry toast” and that the Patriots coach has no “personality”, says he laughed at an out-of-town writer who asked him if Belichick had said anything “revealing”, that Belichick “is nothing like the colorful and quotable ‘Tuna’” (Bill Parcells) and that he approaches press conferences like a “root canal.”

How long has he been the coach here? Is any of this new? In Tom E. Curran’s piece above, he notes that Donaldson was “dominating the proceedings with even longer questions than mine.” Donaldson says he got maybe one morsel of interest from the session, while Curran came away with 10.

Maybe the problem is with you, Jim.

(Funny, in this picture from said event, the dry-toast Belichick is smiling, while I believe that is Donaldson (top left) happily eating his free food.)

I’m still under the weather this morning, getting ready to head out for a visit to the doctor, but meanwhile, here’s a look at some of the top stories from the Boston sportspages today:

Belichick touches on coaches, signings - Mike Reiss scores a one-on-one interview with Patriots head coach Bill Belichick down at the NFL owners meetings.

Owner of strong opinions - Shalise Manza Young in the Boston Globe reports one what Patriots owner Robert Kraft had to say about the future of Tom Brady and other topics yesterday.

Rivers, Celtics tossed - Julian Benbow has the details of the frustrating 110-97 loss to the Jazz last night.

Just one of those nights - Paul Flannery has a few points from the Celtics loss last night.

Truth sets ‘stubborn’ Paul Pierce free - Mark Murphy has Paul Pierce admitting that he probably should’ve taken more time off this season, especially after insisting on playing in the All Star game and then needing to get his knee drained the next day.

Cloning Crawford: A look at Ellsbury’s breakout potential - Alex Speier examines the similarities between Jacoby Ellsbury and Tampa’s Carl Crawford, and even has Crawford himself talking about how similar they are.

Lock up Red Sox’ valuables - Gerry Callahan says that Theo Epstein needs to get an extension done right now with Victor Martinez.

10 reasons why spring training baseball is the best of the entire season - Ron Chimelis counts down why he loves spring training baseball.

Bergeron concerned about Savard - Joe McDonald has Patrice Bergeron talking about the long uphill climb that Marc Savard is going to face as he recovers from his concussion.

Bonser takes a step back - Sean McAdam’s notebook wraps up the action from Florida yesterday.

Also check out Chris Warner’s Q&A With ECU DL Linval Joseph on Patriots Daily.

On the flip side, Dan Shaughnessy’s column today is a series of fake stories where the Red Sox sign Roger Clemens, Manny Ramirez, Grady Little and Carl Everett to one day contracts so that they can retire as members of the Red Sox. Yes, it is as bad as it sounds.

NESN will air tape-delayed coverage of Fox Sports North’s broadcast of tonight’s Red Sox-Twins game immediately following NESN SportsDesk at 10:30 PM.  Clay Buchholz is expected to start for the Red Sox with Connecticut native Carl Pavano expected to start for the Twins.
                     
The Red Sox game, which is being played at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers, Florida at 7 PM, will not air live on NESN because NESN has live coverage of the Boston Bruins at Atlanta Thrashers game beginning at 6:30 PM with WB Mason’s Bruins Face-Off LIVE.

The attempted to put up a fight last night and extract a measure of revenge for their fallen teammate Marc Savard, but in the end it was, like much of the Bruins efforts this season, too weak, as they meekly fell to the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-0 at the Garden.

To fans, job not getting done - There are times, rare occasions, when Dan Shaughnessy’s nastiness and acerbic writing are just what is warranted for the situation. Dan may actually have not been harsh enough on the Bruins in this one.

Bruins lose more than a game to Penguins - Joe Haggerty says that this defeat “might have just sealed this season as an abject failure.”

Score may be settled with Cooke, but loss to Pittsburgh leaves Bruins unsettled - Mike Loftus says so much “for the hope that the Bruins grasp the severity of their situation, and are determined to act accordingly.”

Matt Cooke, Penguins laugh it off - Steve Buckley has Pittsburgh laughing at the Bruins…and the media…after the game.

10 Red Sox campers who intrigued us, and 5 who haven’t - Ron Chimelis lists out young players and newcomers who have made an impression one way or the other during spring training.

Overlooked superstar: The perception of Kevin Youkilis - Alex Speier looks at why the national spotlight does not shine on Youkilis.

Bowden refines his pitch, to Red Sox’ delight - Sean McAdam has Michael Bowden coming to camp with a new, simplified delivery.

Scutaro, Pedroia blending in well - Peter Abraham has the Red Sox new double-play combination getting along well thus far.

Kelly will pitch in AA-Portland - Daniel Barbarisi’s Red Sox Journal also has an update on Ryan Westmoreland.

NESN is trying to solve a chemistry problem - Chad Finn reports that NESN is killing “Sports Desk” in favor of a new “issues-oriented show” called “NESN Daily” but is having trouble finding the right chemistry for a cohost to go with Jade McCarthy. Great, another show about “issues” and “takes”, just what we need around here.

Slamming this Patriots pair laughable - Ron Borges says that those criticizing Tom Brady and Ty Warren for not being in Foxborough this week for the start of offseason workouts are way off base.

Crumpler Pats’ latest attempt to stabilize tight end position - It has been reported that the Patriots have come to terms with free agent Tight End Alge Crumpler. Christopher Price examines the Patriots latest effort to patch the position.  Tom E. Curran is convinced that Crumpler will be a colossal bust with the Patriots.

Celtics survey playoff picture - Julian Benbow has Doc Rivers looking at first round playoff possibilities.

Danny Ainge: Kevin Garnett can’t do it alone - Steve Bulpett has the Celtics GM saying that others need to step up the games in the coming weeks.

Robert Morris gets excellent credit rating - Bob Ryan looks at the near-upset of Villanova yesterday.

A few others:

State of the Patriots: What the 2009 Film Revealed - Andy Benoit of the New York Times’ blog “The Fifth Down” tells us what a review of the Patriots’ season revealed.

It’s been reported that the Patriots have a workout scheduled with Indiana LB Matt Mayberry. He spoke with Patriots Daily earlier in the week.

Providence not kind to Cinderella - I try and spotlight some writers from the smaller papers around New England. Today Eric Rueb of the Narragansett Times gets a chance to write about the NCAA Tournament games in Providence. Also see ‘Nova avoids upset by Peter Gobis of The Sun Chronicle.

I’m not sure why anyone would be interested in reading Gerry Callahan’s column this morning: “Tiger Woods textbook example of real sicko.”  What’s the appeal? It’s predictable, and Callahan is much too talented a writer to be shoveling this sensationalistic-driven tripe.

With Mike Adams taking over the Big Show this week, my afternoon drive dial has been set solely on Felger and Massarotti, and Felger has been dead-on about the Bruins and this whole Savard/Cooke/Colin Campbell situation.

Mike Adams might be a good fit for the WEEI evening audience, who seem to be well into their nightly six pack by the time the phonelines open each night, but as an afternoon drive host, he’s horribly out of his league. (Though they’re not doing him any favors putting the likes of Larry Johnson and Steve Burton in there with him.) He isn’t current on sports topics at all, most of the knowledge he does have is on the 1970′s Red Sox, (or on Manny Ramirez) and his attempts at humor fizzle quickly. A winning combination.

That seems to be the question regarding the Bruins and their matchup with the Penguins tonight. Will they attempt to retaliate for Matt Cooke’s hit that ended Marc Savard’s season? The pressure is on the Bruins players to make a statement, yet the league will be watching them closely and issuing warnings to both teams prior to the game.

This is the most the Bruins have been talked about since the Winter Classic at Fenway Park. The results might well disappoint, but the anticipation for tonight’s game is high, especially among those in the media.

Time to redefine Bruins hockey - Mick Colageo says that what happens tonight is important to this Bruins team’s identity.

Bruins may stir something up for Cooke - Fluto Shinzawa says that the Bruins have a chance to hold Cooke accountable for his actions, but at this point, they need points more than they need punchouts.

All eyes on Matt Cooke tonight - Stephen Harris notes that this whole situation is a result of Colin Campbell’s “disgraceful job performance,” yet the Bruins will be the ones punished if something happens.

Make the Penguins pay the right way - Ron Borges says that the traditional hockey fight route would be silly for the Bruins in this case.

 Celts take care of Knicks, 109-97 - Bill Doyle has Paul Pierce and the Celtics rolling over the Knicks last night.

Rajon Rondo’s game has its point - Steve Bulpett has Rajon Rondo focusing on his teammates rather than his own scoring.

Walker, Giddens getting their chance - Jessica Camerato has the former Celtics talking about their increased minutes with the Knicks.

Don’t expect talent show - Bill Doyle has commentators calling this year’s NCAA Tourney Field underwhelming.

 Familiar pass Patten for Pats - Glen Farley has David Patten remembering the glory days and explaining why he wanted to come back to New England.

Lackey on Beltre: ‘Dude can play’ - Gordon Edes looks at a spectacular play in the field by Adrian Beltre, who showed what some of the hype about his glove skills is all about.

Helping young players part of Cameron’s game - Daniel Barbarisi has Mike Cameron showing that his influence on a team extends well beyond his statistics.

Quick hits: Mets 4, Red Sox 2 - Edes recaps some of the other action from yesterday for the Red Sox.

In Chris Warner’s Q&A With Kent State TE Jameson Konz, the subject of Julian Edelman comes up, as you might expect.

The Bruins put forth a complete effort last night in a 5-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes down in Raleigh, N.C. It looks like the Patriots will be in Detroit on Thanksgiving to play the Lions, and the Celtics host the Knicks tonight.

Bruins blow by Hurricanes - Stephen Harris calls this one a “dreadfully important” victory for the Bruins.

In win, Recchi also earned a tie - Fluto Shinzawa’s notebook has Mark Recchi tying Guy Lafleur for 22nd on the all-time career goal list last night.

Westmoreland is more than a story to me - Turns out that 10 years ago Joe Haggerty was diagnosed with the same “cavernous malformation” that Sox prospect Ryan Westmoreland had surgery for yesterday. A rare instance in which a media member can actually relate to what an athlete is going through.

Doubront joins line of Sox pitching prospects - Alex Speier has a peek at Felix Doubront, another in the long line of impressive Red Sox pitching prospects.

Red Sox remain calm under pressure - Halfway through spring training, John Tomase looks at what we’ve learned about the 2010 Red Sox.

For Johnsons, a moment to cherish - Daniel Barbarisi has Red Sox first base coach Ron Johnson, and his son Chris, a third baseman in the Astros organization, getting a rare moment to be on the same field.

Mayo hopes to follow Seau’s lead - Mike Reiss has Jerod Mayo looking to step up his leadership on the Patriots defense this season.

Pats name all-decade team - Mark Farinella with a pretty complete account of what went into selecting the Patriots 2000′s All-Decade team.

Celtics bench showing some signs of life - Mike Fine has the Boston reserves providing a spark in recent games.

Rivers flows with confidence - Julian Benbow has the Celtics coach using all his motivational tricks.

On Patriots Daily, Chris Warner has a very engaged Q&A With Wisconsin S Chris Maragos.

Also be sure to check out Chad Finn’s Nomah notes from the other night. Nice smackdown of Andy Gresh in there.

98.5 The Sports Hub announced today it will be the official radio broadcast partner of the 26th Annual Hockey East Tournament semi-finals and finals this Friday and Saturday night, March 19th and 20th..   Live coverage from the TD Garden in Boston will feature Ryan Johnston and Tony Amonte. Johnston is the former play-by-play voice of the Lowell Devils and is a weekend personality on 98.5.  The Hingham born Amonte played 18 years in the NHL for the Chicago BlackHawks, New York Rangers, Phoenix Coyotes, Philadelphia Flyers and Calgary Flames.  Amonte was a member of the U.S. Olympic hockey team in 1998 and 2002. He played his college hockey at B.U.

Hockey fans can hear all three games live on-air or online at 985thesportshub.com.  The schedule is as follows:

Friday, 5:00pm

B.C. Eagles vs. Vermont Catamounts

Friday, 8:00pm

B.U. Terriers vs. Maine Black Bears

The winners will play in the finals on Saturday night at 7:00pm.

The Celtics had another opportunity to make a statement yesterday. Once again a statement was made, but not the one that the Celtics and their followers were hoping for. The statement is that the Celtics are not a championship contender at this time, and until they start playing with a little bit of urgency, they’re not going to be one.

Lack of effort means trying times for Celtics - Julian Benbow has effort the biggest thing separating the two teams yesterday, as even LeBron James said that the Celtics look bored yesterday.

Time for some new math - Gary Washburn says that Kendrick Perkins and Rajon Rondo need to take the mantle of leadership from the Big Three and make this their team.

Practice push might be just what these Celtics need - Tim Weisberg says that it might be time for Doc Rivers to push his team harder in practice.

Concern evident for Sox’ Westmoreland - Peter Abraham reports on the Red Sox concern over 19-year-old prospect Ryan Westmoreland (from Portsmouth, R.I.) who is suffering from a rare brain condition that requires very serious surgery that could lead to brain damage or even death if something goes wrong.

Expert: Westmoreland’s surgery has risks, but full recovery is likely - Daniel Barbarisi has more on the risks of surgery, and the overwhelming odds for a full recovery.

Jed Lowrie checks out OK - John Tomase wraps up many of the other items from camp in his Red Sox notebook.

Sammy Morris has book on free agent Josh Reed - The Patriots running back talks about his former Bills teammate and what he could bring to New England.

Watson leaves with mixed emotions - This is from the weekend, but worth linking here. Mike Reiss talks to Benjamin Watson about his time in New England, and the opportunity in front of him. Watson talks about meaningful conversation he had with Bill Belichick at the start of free agency, and his appreciation for the coach and franchise.  

Names to Know Who Could Be Bargains in NFL Draft - Jeff Howe tries to discover the next Tom Brady or Marques Colston.

They’re all in it to win it, but a final of Kansas-Kentucky would be shining moment - Bob Ryan looks over the NCAA tournament brackets.

When did Mike Breen, Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy become so annoying? I’ve never liked Breen and his Kobe/LeBron loving-style, but that telecast yesterday was just awful. How long did they focus on Jackson’s wardrobe, past and present? I honestly could not listen to them anymore and watched the game on mute. In the past Van Gundy and Jackson were at least a bit insightful on the game and giving us the perspective of a former coach and point guard in the NBA, but now they’re bringing nothing.

But that wasn’t the most disturbing thing to me yesterday. That distinction would go to A. Sherrod Blakely referring to LeBron James as “Bron-bron” on Twitter - twice.

Mark Farinella takes a thinly veiled shot in this direction in his Ask Fearless (only linked so I’m not accused of suppressing criticism aimed at me) feature yesterday.  The “basement blogger” moniker is clever, witty, AND original. I’ll just say that if I did have an “anti-media agenda,” wouldn’t that by definition mean that I would be hating on all media people? The whole idea of the “Top ten” links to highlight the good that is out there, and to stay away from the bad. If I have an agenda, it’s only against the awful stuff out there that shouldn’t be promoted.

I do find it amusing that he does basically admit that there is an anti-Patriots agenda in the media, when he says that I am “as guilty of having an anti-media agenda as the sportswriters and other media members they accuse of being biased against the Patriots.” If he’s saying I’m guilty…which he is…then he is also saying that the others are guilty of their anti-Patriots bias. Or, if those sportwriters and other media members don’t really have a bias against that Patriots, then neither do I have an agenda, because he’s saying the two are comparable.

But as usual, the point is missed completely. I’ve gone over this a million times, lets try it again. No one has ever said that all fans want is for the media to “further enhance their blind love” for their favorite team. Fans do want to know where their team is failing short and what needs to be improved. That type of criticism is not only acceptable, it is welcomed.

What aren’t welcomed are the snide comments, personal attacks, doom and gloom, and glee over failure that is so evident in much of the reporting that we see today in this area.

What is so hard to understand about that concept?