HARD TO WIN WHEN ITS 5 ON 7 - COUNTING THE ZEBRAS



Yes, the scoreboard said it all. Yes, the Bruins missed shots, and made some bad decisions, and at times played without poise. But also yes, the officiating was atrociously one sided. As indicated in the picture (left - courtesy of the LA Times) there is no way that Michael Jackson lookalike contest runnerup Joakim Noah is not fouling Luc Richard MBah a Moute in this photo. But instead of a whistle we were constantly treated to raves about his great athleticism and how proficient he was at blocking shots. It was not the only thing Noah got away with, either. He traveled at least three times, and committed similar fouls on "blocks" on two other occasions. Similarly, his teammates were each given one extra step at least once through the course of the game, while no such courtesies were afforded to the Bruins. Add this on top of the cavalcade of talking heads universally and unanimously praising Florida and predicting a Gator victory, one wonders whether this- at the very least - played a subconscious role in the officiating?

Still, would more down the middle reffing made the difference? Hard to say for certain. Perhaps not. Still, this bunch of Bruins played well together all season long, and despite the losses of Hollins and Bozeman next year, figure to get even stronger with the anticipated return of Josh Shipp. Here's hoping to see you Bruins in the final game next year, too!