Division Rivals Clash The Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs are both hovering around the .500 mark, but they also both have reason for confidence entering their second meeting in less than a week. The Original Six clubs and Northeast Division rivals face off at Air Canada Centre on Tuesday night.
Author: Anthony Rome
Nets Skidding The New Jersey Nets knew they’d be a different team without Vince Carter. They didn’t expect things to change this much. After dropping their fifth straight game since losing last season’s leading scorer, the Nets look to avoid their first six-game skid in nearly a year when they visit the Utah Jazz in the opener of a four-game road trip Monday.
Public Likes Tennessee This weeks Monday Night extravaganza pits a couple of interesting teams against one another. The Tennessee Titans have gotten off to a better start than mist would have figured at this point in the season, while the Broncos are suffering through one of their worst seasons in quite some time. However, the Broncos snapped a two game losing streak last week against Kansas City, while the Titans dropped their first game since the middle of October when they lost at Tampa Bay.
Sloppy Play Michigan State was fortunate to overcome some sloppy play and beat a lesser opponent in its most recent game. The No. 12 Spartans, though, know they need to improve starting Monday when they face Missouri in the semifinals of the CBE Classic in Kansas City.
Learning Curve After losing each of his first eight NBA games, Kevin Durant helped the Seattle SuperSonics to back-to-back victories, capped by the first game-winning shot of his career. On Saturday, the rookie struggled as the Sonics took a step backwards. Durant and the Sonics look to rebound from another loss on Monday when they visit the Memphis Grizzlies in the finale of a five-game road trip.
Pats Hammer Bills Tom Brady. Randy Moss. Even Kyle Eckel. The New England Patriots are showing no mercy to any opponent, not even the Buffalo Bills, a team for which coach Bill Belichick has publicly expressed affection. Scoring touchdowns on their first seven offensive possessions and getting the eighth on a turnover, the Patriots won their 10th straight game, routing Buffalo 56-10 Sunday night. Brady and Moss, ready to rewrite the NFL record books, led the romp.
Bruins Take on Terrains Although Darren Collison’s recovery from a sprained left knee is going slower than expected, UCLA has gotten exactly what it hoped from freshman sensation Kevin Love. Love and the second-ranked Bruins (3-0) take on Maryland in the semifinals of the CBE Classic in Kansas City on Monday.
Looking to Stay Perfect Playing in the Maui Invitational usually brings out the best in Duke. The No. 13 Blue Devils look to remain perfect in the prestigious event as they open play against Princeton on Monday.
Playing Well at Home The Portland Trail Blazers have to be encouraged by their perfect home record. Their inability to earn a win on the road, however, is cause for concern. The Blazers try again for their first road victory in the finale of a four-game trip Monday when they meet the Charlotte Bobcats, who are looking for their third straight home win.
Blues Take on Preds St. Louis’ Brad Boyes is off to the best start of his brief NHL career. His play against the Nashville Predators is a big reason why. Coming off another strong game against the Predators, Boyes looks to help the Blues post their fourth straight victory and second in a row over their Central Division rivals when the teams meet at Scottrade Center on Monday night.