As we transition out of the summer and into the fall, Boston sports fans will start to get back together to root for some of the United States’ most iconic franchises. The New England
Patriots, Boston Celtics, and Boston Bruins will all take the field, court, and ice, respectively, looking to bring championship glory to an area that experienced so much of it during this century.
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins comfortably made the playoffs last year, and their NHL odds to once again play for the Stanley Cup are looking favorable. The franchise will do its best to add another championship to the already formidable resume of Patrice Bergeron, who is 37 years old and will be playing with the Bruins for a 19th season when the puck drops in October.
Despite his age, Bergeron continues to be as productive as he has been in the prior season. He scored 25 goals and had 40 assists in 2021-2022 and won the NHL’s Selke award, which is generally given to the premier defenseman in the league.
Fellow veteran David Krejci will look to maintain his production as well in order to have that experience translate into a deep playoff run in 2022-2023.
Boston Celtics
While there were several teams that had exciting offseasons, perhaps no NBA team had a more productive one than the Boston Celtics. That is a scary thought for the rest of the league, considering that the team made it to the NBA Finals last season and had some terrific talent still in its prime.
Added to the mix in 2022-2023 will be veteran point guard Malcolm Brogdon and forward Danilo Gallinari. Boston was an elite defensive team last year, spearheaded by the efforts of Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, and Jayson Tatum on the perimeter. Frontcourt players Al Horford and Robert Williams also shut down many opportunities opponents had at the rim, and that level of stifling frustrated play opponents.
Boston kept their talented nucleus intact and added veterans who are hungry to experience the ultimate team success. Brogdon and Gallinari give the Celtics the ability to maintain offensive cohesion, which they sometimes had trouble with against some of their tougher opponents in the playoffs last year.
The key for Boston will be to keep both new additions healthy, especially Brogdon, who has had some trouble staying on the court in recent years.
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots will begin their third season navigating life without legendary quarterback Tom Brady. Mac Jones will begin his second year under center, looking to prove that he is the answer that will lead the team back to a new era of glory.
It will be interesting to see how Bill Belichick makes up for the loss of longtime offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. Joe Judge and Matt Patricia have returned to the team after head coaching stints with the New York Giants and Detroit Lions, respectively, and will be tasked with guiding the offense.
Both coaches have defensive and/or special teams backgrounds from their previous time with the Patriots, and their game plans for Jones and the rest of the offense will be closely monitored.
