“It was pretty bad, but both teams had to play on it,” Bruins defenseman Johnny Boychuk told 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Toucher & Rich on Wednesday morning. “You just have to be aware. When you have it on your stick you have to make sure to actually have it on your stick because sometimes when the ice is like that it could bounce over your stick or the snow could slow it down so you think you have it, but you don’t.”

Before the Bruins took Game 3 on Monday night, Milan Lucic and Zdeno Chara collided during pre-game warmups. Chara immediately left the ice and headed into the locker room. Was there any concern from players that Chara was hurt?

They also discussed Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville switching around his lines as the Bruins lines stay relatively consistent. Is it a negative or positive when the opponent keeps switching their lines around? Do matchups really matter that much?

SI’s Chris Mannix joined Toucher & Rich on Wednesday and said there is a chance the deal could be revisited at some point, but thinks Doc’s time in Boston is over no matter what.

“I think we’ve reached the point of no return with Doc. He’s got too far down this road to come back and say he’s going to coach this team,” said Mannix. “He gets a free pass because he’s a great guy, he’s had a lot of success in Boston and the media loves him, but any other coach would be getting eviscerated right now for trying to jump ship for a team staring down the barrel of a rebuilding process.”

Report: Doc Unsure About Returning To Boston

“When Doc and Danny meet, I think this has to come to an end,” he said. “I don’t think Doc can come back to this team, go into that locker room and look at some of those young players and coach them after basically saying ‘I don’t want any part of you’ over the last couple of weeks.”

Mannix called rumors that Rivers may end up in Miami if Erik Spoelstra is fired “laughable.”

“They would never let Doc Rivers walk down to Miami, and if they did the compensation would be enormous,” he said, noting Miami doesn’t have any draft picks this year.

Who could replace Doc if he’s done in Boston?

“I don’t think it’s going to be Vinny Del Negro,” said Mannix. “Boston will go the route most teams are going, and look at Brian Shaw and Lionel Hollins — guys that are out there.”

“Shaw could be the kind of guy that can go through a rebuilding process, and hes a former point guard that Rajon Rondo could learn from,” said Mannix. “He’s excellent at player development; he’s been instrumental in the development of (Indiana’s) Paul George.”

When a team starts to find success the fans start to roll out their songs about the team and usually they are pretty bad. T&R found a few about the Blackhawks that fall all over the map.

They started off with the best of the worst and moved their way up the ladder, these are no Mike “Behind the Mic” jams but they try.

The last song the guys played is written by a true Blackhawks fan that pokes fun at fair-weather Blackhawks fans.

Sit back and enjoy these songs knowing that the Bruins are up 2-1 in the Finals.

Bruins head coach Claude Julien made some line adjustments after the Game 1 loss, moving Daniel Paille up from the fourth-line to the third-line. Paille has since scored two straight game winning goals.

During the warmup skate before Game 3 Milan Lucic and Zdeno Chara crashed into each other and Chara went straight to the locker room following the collision. The national broadcast made a lot of this event, but glossed over the fact that Blackhawks winger Marian Hossa took one shot in the pre-game warmup and left the ice.

It was later learned that Hossa would not play in the game. This absence in such a big game left some to question the 34-year-old’s toughness.

“I try not to question a player’s toughness at this time of year,” 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Bruins color analyst Bob Beers told Toucher & Rich on Tuesday morning. “You don’t know what guys are going through. There’s guys that are playing that shouldn’t be playing and you know there’s always that player that you say, ‘Why isn’t he out here in this situation?’”

“And, if he’s day-to-day, which he said he was after the game and said that he might be ready to play on Wednesday, well then you kind of wonder why he couldn’t play here last night.”

As a result Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville had to shuffle up his lines a bit. Ben Smith, who only played one NHL game this season, replace the injured Hossa in the lineup. What do the Blackhawks lose by not having Hossa?

“Losing Hossa is such a big factor because he’s so good everywhere, all over the ice. He doesn’t get enough credit for being an all around player people see him as an offensive guy, but he’s somebody who hunts down pucks, he’s very good on the back check, he’s good in all zones. So, you lose him behind Toews probably their best all around player.”

Bruins fans will surely be watching to see if Hossa’s status changes come Wednesday’s Game 4.

Fourth-line grinder Daniel Paille was moved up to the third-line as coach Cluade Julien looked to shake things up after Boston’s Game 1 loss. Paille has since scored the game-winners in Games 2 and 3, and the third line is once again producing.

Adolfo was outside the Garden after the game on Monday night to talk to the highly enthusiastic fans as they left the Garden. Adolfo asked one gentleman his thoughts on the third-line and Paille.

He was also asked his thoughts on Jaromir Jagr. The fan admits that Jagr is slow as hell, but what he lacks in speed he makes up for with know-how.

Then the huge crowd noticed the NHL Network was outside, which means Kathryn Tappen was back in Boston. So they serenaded her with a chant that may have lasted all night.

They wanted to know who would give a better answer, the pageant participants or Adolfo? Rich read the questions and Adolfo had 30 seconds to answer it the best he could.

Here they are:

1. A recent report shows that in 40-percent of American families with children that women are the primary earners, yet they continue to earn less than men. What does it say about society?

2. Do you think your career prospects would be affected if affirmative action were dismantled?

3. What’s your feelings on euthanasia?

4. Recent polls have shown that a fifth of Americans can’t locate the US on a world map. Why do you think this is?

Who do you think gave better answers, Adolfo or the pageant contestants?

Lester hasn’t won a game in over a month, allowing 28 runs in 35 innings pitched since beginning the season 6-0. The Boston Globe’s Peter Abraham joined 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Toucher & Rich on Monday, and says Lester’s struggles aren’t from any lingering injury, just poor mechanics.

“I don’t think its something physical based on his velocity. Usually when its physical you see a decrease in velocity, especially in a guy who is  at least to some degree a power pitcher like Lester. It’s clearly a mechanical thing,” said Abraham. “It was actually a little better (Sunday); he didn’t walk anybody, struck out eight guys, and had what looked like decent stuff early in the game before Chris Davis homered off him. As funny as it may sound because he didn’t pitch all that well, I think (Sunday) was a little bit of progress compared to the previous couple.”

Recap: Davis Powers Orioles Past Red Sox, 6-3

Lester looked strong over the first two innings, striking out four Orioles while getting out of a jam, but he surrendered three runs in the third and another two in the fifth.  Lester hasn’t been attacking the zone consistently during his slump, something Abraham attributes to a lack of confidence.

“It speaks to the lack of confidence he has in his stuff when he does that. That has been the key to (Clay) Buchholz this year, he’s been very willing to throw strikes because he thinks his stuff is so good, even if he throws it over the plate it’s not going to get hit. Lester looks like he wants to throw the ball anywhere but the plate,” he said.

Read: Red Sox Recall Beato; DL Possible For Buchholz

So, can the John Farrell and his staff fix Jon Lester?

“They managed to get (Felix) Doubront pitching pretty well, and I think they can do the same with Lester. He’s not hurt, and the pitches he threw yesterday — especially in the first two innings — shows you that something is there. It’s not like he’s lost it or anything like that; it’s a matter of consistency,” he said. “What they need, is Buchholz to be healthy and their rotation to be back to what it was when they have the same five guys going every five days. At some point, on days off, it will give Lester a little more time to work on his stuff.”

“They don’t need to skip him or anything, but maneuver the rotation in such a way that they can spend a couple of extra days to give him a bullpen sessions, because up until now they haven’t had that chance.”

“When it’s all said and done it is one loss,” 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Bruins play-by-play announcer told Toucher & Rich. “And from the Bruins’ standpoint they’ve got a chance tomorrow night to still get a split out of this.”

“They come out here tomorrow night and get a win and they can go back home 1-1 then that triple overtime game you can kind of push that out of your memory a little bit quicker.”

As if the triple overtime loss wasn’t bad enough, the Bruins also lost Nathan Horton midway through the first overtime after shoving Niklas Hjalmarsson in front of the Chicago net. The right winger skated off the ice favoring his right shoulder and did not return.

His return for Game 2 on Saturday is still unknown, as head coach Claude Julien said Thursday afternoon that Horton is considered day-to-day. Does Goucher see Horton making a return in Game 2 or at all for that matter?

“Well the thing that I was concerned about to be honest with you was that he didn’t come back and play in Game 1, a game of that magnitude and a game that goes into three overtimes. That wasn’t really an encouraging sign for me.”

“If he can’t play that a huge loss for them, we remember a couple years ago he got hurt in Game 3 of the Finals against Vancouver, but if he can’t go that’s huge because he’s second in the league in playoff scoring behind Krejci.”

If Horton can’t go how do they fill the hole on his line?

“They would likely put Seguin up there, maybe that could be a shot in the arm for him to get his game going, but who knows?”

The Red Sox have had issues with pitching as of late, bringing guys up from Pawtuckett and throwing them right out on the field. With not many options to go to how will the Red Sox handle pitching moving forward over the next few weeks.

“My guess is De La Rosa comes up today as a bullpen arm and then it’s either Aceves or Webster in a separate move for one of the double header games on Tuesday,” Red Sox insider Sean McAdam told 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Toucher & Rich.

They went on to discuss starter Clay Buchholz who was suppose to start on Friday night, but was originally pushed back to Sunday. Then it was reported that the starter wouldn’t be ready and looked good for a start on Tuesday instead. Why wouldn’t the team just place Buccholz on the DL?

“You don’t want to lose someone for longer than you have to, to put it simply. They’re trying to walk that tightrope between not rushing a guy back and not losing him any longer than they have to.”

“You want to have him on the mound when he’s healthy and ready to go, but not do that too prematurely.”

Adolfo’s parents live in Texas, so they don’t get together that often throughout the year.

One of the last times the two talked on the show Adolfo’s dad expressed his feelings about Adolfo not having children yet. Now that Adolfo is 27 his dad thinks it’s time for children.

T&R tell Adolfo’s dad that his son might needs a pep talk or some inspiring words to get him to have kids.

They also discuss Adolfo’s lack of a Father’s Day gift last year and it sounds like that might be the case this year as well, but grandchildren would be welcome.

The third-year forward, who was bumped up to Boston’s first line after Horton left in overtime with an apparent shoulder injury, has just one goal and four assists in 17 playoff games this postseason.

Recap: Blackhawks Best Bruins 4-3 In Triple OT

TSN analyst and former Bruin Aaron Ward joined 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Toucher & Rich on Thursday morning, and said Seguin is just going through some growing pains at the moment.

“It’s a process. He’s still young and I think, over time, you find that development,” said Ward. “Like everything else, he’s still young and you can’t discount the fact that playing in the NHL is part of the maturing process. You get to understand the game itself and the players you are going against and, over time, you find your niche.”

“I don’t know if he found his niche yet, but I don’t think anyone doubts he’ll become a big-time player.”

Hurley: Bruins Let One Get Away

Seguin played over 29 minutes for Boston and had a team-high eight shots on goal. He looked more confident with the first line, but still wasn’t able to bury his chances.

“I think you saw last night when Horton went down that Seguin got bumped up to that line, the more opportunity — and the realization from his perspective that with the promotion comes more ice time and more chances to score — he gets better,” Ward said of Seguin. “He was up and down the ice flying, stick flailing and fore-checking and doing a great job. (We noted on TV) he’s stepping up his game, yes it was midway through and perhaps he has his legs because he hasn’t played as much, but when he started filling in for Horton it was noticeable he was feeling it.”

Rookie defenseman Torey Krug was another young player who had a rough night on Wednesday, with his second period turnover leading directly to the Blackhahwk’s second goal of the evening.

Could that turnover and other miscues in Krug’s game find him on the bench for Game 2 on Saturday night? Ward doesn’t think so.

“I think one giant turnover isn’t the demise of a player,” he said. “There are some other vet players that make mistakes. I think in the first OT he had three shifts, I think the second OT he was back out there a fair amount. There is a level of confidence in him.”

Read: Daugavins On Missed Shot: ‘It Hurts”

“You have to allow for the fact that he’s young, but he was still jumping up on the plays, making plays,” added Ward. “I don’t know if you sit a guy for one mishap because there were other mistakes. On the winning goal Seidenberg goes back to pick up his glove in the corner and that’s what allowed Shaw to go to the net.”

“I don’t think you ruin a kids contest by sitting him out,” he said.

Tune in to every game of the Bruins-Blackhawks Stanley Cup Final on 98.5 The Sports Hub — the flagship station of the Boston Bruins. Pregame coverage begins one hour before the puck drops, with full postgame analysis after each game!

The Bruins suffered a tough loss when Gregory Campbell took a puck off his right leg in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Pittsburgh Penguins, which resulted in a broken leg. In Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals against the Chicago Blackhawks, the Bruins lost Nathan Horton in the first overtime to an apparent shoulder injury.

It’s still not clear what Horton’s injury is exactly, though he appeared to be in great pain after shoving Niklas Hjalmarsson in front of the Chicago net. Bent over in pain, Horton skated off the ice in the middle of a Boston power play and immediately went down the tunnel to the locker room.

Horton’s status is still unknown for Saturday’s Game 2.

Back in April, Horton suffered an “upper-body injury” when fighting Jarome Iginla, forcing him to miss the final five games of the regular season. Is this the same injury possibly returning?

“Obviously he hasn’t looked hurt most of the playoffs,” Matt Kalman of CBSBostonSports.com said on 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Toucher & Rich Thursday morning. “Maybe he was playing through something and maybe that just aggravated it. It really was a bizarre collision to see too; not a lot of contact there.”

Did the Bruins keep Horton out for fear of further injuring the forward and delaying a possible return?

“I would guess so,” said Kalman. “If it’s a shoulder, like some people are wondering, then that would probably be the case here.”

Kalman is worried that if Horton’s injury is worse than everyone suspects then the B’s could have a harder road ahead.

“If they lose him it’s really going to get down to the bare bones here as far how many forwards you can get off the ‘taxi squad,’” he said.

Every so often Mike will send in a parody song that he wrote. He tackles news and sports stories alike with his sharp wit and unparalleled lyricism.

After the Bruins beat the Maple Leaf in Game 7 of their first round match-up, Mike “Behind The Mic” sent in a great playoff song.

Well Callahan’s at it again, sending a brand new Bruins pump-up song to the tune of Psy’s “Gangnam Style.” Callahan’s version is called “Win It — Bruins Style” and, of course, it’s another instant hit!

Jon Lester is sitting there with a 6-3 record and his numbers over his last few starts are not good. Over his last five starts Lester has given up 38 hits in 30-innings pitched, 23 earned runs, 18 walks and six home runs.

“I don’t think he’s hurt,” Red Sox insider Peter Gammons told 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Toucher & Rich. “I think it’s just he’s gotten out of whack and he’s throwing the way he did last year.”

Gammons is staying positive about things, but thinks the starter might need to relax in order to regain his form from earlier this season.

“I think he gets out of it. I think he can get back to driving the ball down in the strike zone, maybe not trying to throw as hard.”

“He has to relax and get back to where he was because they’re in first place because Buchholz and Lester have had great, great years and they’ve gotten a lot out of some guys that they might not have expected…but they need those two guys to win.”

So Toucher & Rich are doing their due diligence to warn you about these “Armpits of America.” Rich will give a short description of a real news story, and it’s your job to guess where the story came from.

The first story featured a woman who pulled a knife because she was very unhappy that her husband made her leave the rodeo early. Luckily an ex talked her down and she put the knife down, but she still attacked her husband and injured him by biting his genitals. Where did this story take place?

The second story involved a woman calling police about a stolen box of Pop-Tarts. She fingered her son as the suspect and the authorities placed her son under juvenile arrest for the crime. Where did this weird story take place?

Last up was a guy arrested for a DUI, but he wasn’t driving a car. This man drove to his friend’s house on his lawnmower and after drinking a few beers and smoking a bit of marijuana he jumped back on his mower to head home. A sheriff’s deputy passed him and noticed the mower swerving back and forth. The kicker is his mother was called to pick him up from jail. Where did this story take place?

After his tremendous playoff run into the Cup finals, the Bruins know they’ll have to pay him like an elite goalie when the time comes.

“Of course he will. We’ll have to sign him and he’ll get a raise,” Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli said of Tuukka Tuesday morning on 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Toucher & Rich. “He’s had a terrific playoffs and he’ll be paid handsomely.”

“There’s no surprise that we’ll have to pay Tuukka. It’s easier to sign him the more success he has,” added Chiarelli.

Rask is 12-4 this postseason with an NHL-leading .943 save percentage.

But before they can get to anything this off-season, Boston now has the Chicago Blackhawks in their way of raising the Stanley Cup once again. After sweeping the Penguins, the top-seed in the East, the Bruins now face a similar foe in Chicago.

“They’re probably a little more speed than physical than Pittsburgh, so that’s where it’s different,” Chiarelli said of Chicago. “We have to get our fore-check in properly, and if you don’t they’re countering a lot more quicker than Pittsburgh.”

Chiarelli also commented on Boston’s sweep of the Penguins, and the inspiring play of forward Gregory Campbell in Game 3 against Pittsburgh.

Then, the Pats went and signed Tim Tebow.

The NFL Network’s Albert Breer joined 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Toucher & Rich on Tuesday morning to discuss the move, and why Bill Belichick and the Patriots signed the most famous back-up quarterback in the world.

“I think there are a couple reasons. One, I think it’s just the value of the quarterback position,” said Breer. “If you can develop this guy into anything he’ll have some trade value. You’ve been trying to trade (Ryan) Mallett; maybe you try to deal him again at the end of camp to give you an extra layer of depth.”

“Then there is the element of versatility there,” Breer continued. “I think part of this is Bill looking at a player that is different than any other player we’ve seen. Not better, but built differently; we’ve never see a quarterback look or play that way. I think Bill is intrigued to see what he can do once he gets his hands on him.”

Vote: How Will The Patriots Use Tim Tebow?

“We’ll see if it works out. I don’t think he’s any lock to make the team,” said Breer.

One person who will help the Tebow-Patriots marriage is Josh McDaniels, who drafted Tebow in the first round back in 2010 while calling the shots in Denver.

“It’s going to be a challenge to come in here and learn, but there’s not question he’s going to work hard and give it everything he has, and he has a guy in Josh McDaniels who has been in a position to teach him before and knows how to teach him. That will probably give him the best chance to learn the offense.”

Many reports are saying Tebow will likely find himself working in other positions, mainly at tight end.

“No one is shutting the door on things opening on other positions for him. Bill Belichick has done with about every other player except for the franchise, Tom Brady,” said Breer. “The idea that Tebow would come in exclusively as a quarterback and they wouldn’t even tinker with the idea of using him somewhere else runs counter to everything the Patriots have been built on the last 14 years.”

“Every team is like this, but with the Patriots the more you can do the higher the chance of you sticking,” he added.

How long does Breer think Tebow will last with the Patriots?

“I think he makes it to training camp, and I think its a good chance he makes the team. I don’t think Belichick would inherit the distractions without thinking he can someway contribute,” said Breer. “The fact this was talked at the highest level of the organization and signed off on, it tells you the Patriots are going into this with eyes wide open about the distraction that Tim Tebow can bring. It tells you Bill Belichick is not only comfortable with it but thinks it’s worth it.”

Breer noted that if Tebow doesn’t do much on the field, he could help the Patriots off of it.

“I know this is a time when they are looking for the younger set of players to step up and become leaders and make this their team,” said Breer. “I think the Kyle Love and Brandon Deaderick moves played directly into that; they sent a message to all their younger players that this is their team now and need them to become leaders in the locker room. I think that was a message to guys like Brandon Spikes, Aaron Hernandez, Rob Gronkowski, Stevan Ridley, Nate Solder — guys who are going to be part of the future of the team.”

“At the very least a guy like Tebow can come in and ratchet up the intensity in training camp, set an example and out-push everybody,” said Breer. “Maybe in a weird, weird way he helps you find those leaders.”

Some pundits thought the Penguins would at least be able to pull out one win and avoid getting swept, but the Bruins got it done on their home ice and sent the Penguins into an early march to the off-season.

Read: Something For Everyone In Bruins-Blackhawks Finals

So with the Bruins clinching at home, Adolfo was back outside the Garden on Friday night to talk to some of the jacked up fans about the sweep, and approaching Stanley Cup Finals.

Read: Bruins-Blackhawks Stanley Cup Schedule

As you can imagine, the sweep of the mighty Penguins had fans pretty fired up — especially with it coming on a Friday night.

So it should come as no surprise that this edition of “Drunken Bruins Recaps” featured something that has never happened to Adolfo in all his years of doing hitting the streets and talking to less-than-sober fans:

In this second recap, T&R got off track discussing one of Jon Wallach’s tweets from Game 4.

Adolfo also talks with a guy who has a hard time trying to find the words to describe how he felt about the sweep of the Penguins.

The Bruins are fresh off their sweep of the Pittsburgh Penguins, the top team in the Eastern Conference. The Bruins dominated the Penguins, keeping the NHL’s best offense to just two goals over four games, and Lucic said there was some extra motivation thanks to Jarome Iginla’s deadline decision to head to Pittsburgh instead of Boston.

“A lot of teams would have taken it the same way, so it was just one of those things,” said Lucic. “I’m sure it annoyed you guys too. No one likes to be stood up in any way at any time. It’s just one of those things, and I think it did add a bit of motivation.”

Read: Something For Everyone In Bruins-Blackhawks Stanley Cup

While the Bruins had that extra motivation for the Eastern Conference Finals, they’ve been a confident bunch since their miraculous Game 7 comeback against the Totonto Maple Leafs in the first round. Lucic said that win was what really got his team going this postseason — and their 8-1 record since proves it.

“It put confidence in us; it doesn’t matter what the situation is, we can get ourselves out of it and just the belief in one another and the belief in yourself that if you put your mind to it you can get the job done,” he said of the Game 7 victory. “We overcame a big hurdle and everything we went through in that craziness of Game 7. It’s gotten us rolling. The job isn’t done yet; there are still four big wins ahead of us and hopefully we can get the job done against the most consistent, best team of this year.”

Read: Familiar Group Leads Boston To Stanley Cup Finals

The Bruins now face the Chicago Blackhawks in an original six matchup for the Stanley Cup. The Bruins and Blackhawks haven’t met since the 2011 season, but the B’s are aware how good Chicago has been this season.

“They have a lot of great offensive players with (Patrick) Kane and (Jonathan) Toews and (Patrick) Sharp and (Marian) Hossa, guys that have been close to 40-goal-scorers in their career. They also have a real great defensive core that showed they can win hockey games and win big hockey games,” said Lucic. “They have a great power play and penalty kill, and their goalie, if you look at his numbers, has been great all year. They’re a team that is well-rounded and showed consistency in their lineup since the first game of the season. Going up  against a team we haven’t played – you can watch a team as much as you want but until you play them you don’t really know what to expect. It will be an interesting Game 1.”

Read: Bruins-Blackhawks Stanley Cup Schedule

Tune in to every game of the Stanley Cup Finals on 98.5 The Sports Hub — the flagship station of the Boston Bruins. Pregame coverage begins 30 minutes prior to every game!

Sox insider Peter Abraham joined 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Toucher & Rich to discuss the Red Sox being 14 games above .500, Jose Iglesias, Will Middlebrooks and Jarrod Saltalamacchia.

When Will Middlebrooks went down with an injury the Sox plugged shortstop Jose Iglesias in at third base. Soon the Sox will have a choice to make once Middlebrooks is healthy and ready to return, what to do with the .446 hitting Iglesias?

Can you even consider sending a guy this hot back down or do they have to find a place for him to play everyday?

Catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia has also been contributing to the success of this Red Sox team from behind the plate. Salty is a free agent at the end the season, do the Sox lock him up for more years?

Clay Buchholz is one of the best pitchers in baseball right now and he’s working through some neck stiffness. How do the Sox handle this moving forward?

98.5 The Sports Hub’s Bruins color analyst Bob Beers joined Toucher & Rich to discuss this potential series ending game, the injury to Gregory Campbell and the possible plan for Penguins coach Dan Bylsma.

Halfway through the second period of Game 3 the Bruins lost Gregory Campbell after he took a slapshot to the right leg from Penguins’ Evgeni Malkin. Play continued and Campbell had to stay on the ice due to the Bruins being unable to clear the puck. Campbell remained on the ice for 50 seconds before he got the chance to get off the ice and it was later reported that Campbell suffered a broken leg.

Has Beers ever seen this type of thing happen before? With Campbell out for the remainder of the playoffs how will the Bruins fill the vacant spot?

If the Bruins score first will the Penguins just deflate? What is Dan Bylsma’s plan for his Penguins team tonight to avoid elimination?

Click here to find out how to get involved in The 98.5 Sports Hub Search.

When Toucher & Rich heard this contest was taking place, they thought why not showcase some of the talent they’ve found over the years? So after giving Mike “Behind The Mic” Callahan the spotlight, it’s time for a long lost friend of the show — The Gunner — to return.

The Gunner had been gone for quite some time until very recently, and T&R think he’d be a great candidate for this job. So Rich drove Adolfo out to The Gunner’s house to help him with the demo. They asked him to just talk as if he was hosting a show, and of course, drop some red hot sports takes.

What does Gunner think people want to hear about? Horse racing, rugby and what women are wearing, of course. They also asked him to do a quick endorsement of a product, any guesses what he chose?

Sean McAdam joined 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Toucher & Rich to discuss the win over the Rangers on Thursday night at Fenway, what the Sox did in the 2013 MLB Draft, Jonny Gomes and this team winning games late.

This season the Red Sox have come from behind and won games late many times this seasons a lot more than they did last season. Is this a good sign for this season moving forward?

After the Sox recorded a 69-93 record in the 2012 season, the they found themselves with the seventh-overall pick in the 2013 MLB Draft. The Sox used that pick to get Trey Ball, a left handed pitcher from New Castle High School in Indiana.

What does McAdam think of the 18-year-old left-handed pitcher?

Matt Kalman of CBSBostonSports.com joined 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Toucher & Rich to discuss the big win by the Bruins, the injury to Gregory Campbell, Tuukka Rask’s performance and the future of this series.

Halfway through the second period of Game 3 the Bruins lost Gregory Campbell after he took a slapshot to the right leg from Penguins’ Evgeni Malkin. Play continued and Campbell had to stay on the ice due to the Bruins being unable to clear the puck.

Campbell had to remain on the ice for 50 seconds before he got the chance to get off the ice. After the injury to Campbell the Bruins played with just 10 forwards as Shawn Thornton served a too many men penalty then skated to the bench. How were the Bruins able to have more energy in the overtime periods than a team with a full bench?

Does this win mean that the Penguins are done in this series? Will they be able to win Game 4 and avoid a sweep?

After 95 minutes of hockey, Patrice Bergeron slapped one by Tomas Vokoun to send Bruins fans home and into pandemonium.

Adolfo was outside waiting to talk to fans about the big win, and he even got a few hugs out of it.

Adolfo caught up with a fan who was pumped about the performance of Bergeron, and after mentioning the mental toughness of the Bruins the fan made an interesting comparison when discussing the Penguins and Sidney Crosby.

Really though, all this guy wanted to do is hug it out:

Bruins defenseman Johnny Boychuk, who had one of the six goals scored in Game 2, joined 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Toucher & Rich to discuss the way the Penguins have played in this series and the way the Bruins have been defending.

Does Boychuk expect to see the Penguins play a different game tonight? Has he been surprised that the Penguins have play such an overly physical game?

They discussed the how the Bruins have been dominate at keeping the Penguins out of the offensive zone. Does the defenseman think that Pittsburgh will play the puck deep instead of trying to skate it into the zone?

The Penguins were pretty much being called the Miami Heat of the NHL heading into the playoffs. Did the B’s have a chip on their shoulders heading into this series?

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When Toucher & Rich heard that this contest was taking place they thought that they’d showcase some of the talent that they have found over the years. One name that immediately comes to mind is Mike “Behind The Mic” Callahan. Mike has been a frequent contributor to the show over the years sending in his parody songs and even trying his hand at Patriots play-by-play.

T&R reached out to Callahan and asked him to throw together a little demo with a short bio about who he is and then some red hot sports takes.

McCourty underwent shoulder surgery over the offseason and has been watching his teammates from the sidelines.

McCourty joined 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Toucher & Rich to discuss where he’s at in his rehab from shoulder surgery, his opinion of guys who choose not to show up at OTAs and the number of guys from Rutgers on this Patriots team.

Many athletes say that it’s hard to watch their team play or practice while they themselves are injured because they strive to be out there with everyone else. How has McCourty been handling sitting on the sidelines at OTAs as he rehabs from offseason shoulder surgery?

What’s the status of his rehab and when does he think he’ll be able to return to action?

Brandon Spikes is MIA at Patriots OTAs and the guys wonder what McCourty thinks about players who don’t show up to work with the team during this period.

Plus, the guys discussed Devin and Jason McCourty’s bet to help raise money for the Tackle Sickle Cell 5K walk/run at Liberty State Park in Jersey City. Whichever twin finishes second in fundraising has to fly to the other brother’s NFL city and make a public appearance as that team’s mascot. Click here for more info on the event and to donate.

SI’s senior basketball writer Ian Thomsen joined 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Toucher & Rich on Tuesday, and while he thinks the Heat will prevail for their second-straight title, says the series will be a lot closer than many think.

“It’s going to be a lot tighter than we thought. It looked all year they were going to run away with it, but that was when Dwyane Wade looked like he usually does, and he hasn’t,” said Thomsen.

Should the Heat lose to Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and the Spurs, could they look into breaking up their Big 3 of James, Wade and Chris Bosh — who will all be free agents after next season — this summer?

“All this talk about breaking up the Heat, I’m sure they’d look into things if they lost. But I don’t see how they would make the team better and I don’t see how that would convince LeBron to stay after next season,” said Thomsen.

Thomsen also shot down a rumor that Ray Allen is considering opting out of his final year with Miami to return to the Boston Celtics.

“That’s going to come out now when he was getting ready to play a Game 7 for a team trying to win a championship, and the Celtics are in a rebuild, when players of his age don’t want to be in that?” questioned Thomsen. “So he’d be walking away from a team that is probably going to win a championship this year, has a great chance next year, to go play with Rondo – who he didn’t get along with?”

“If he wanted to come back, if he didn’t like the way it ended (in Boston), then maybe so. But my gut feeling is no.”

Just 28 seconds into the first period Brad Marchand beat Tomas Vokoun high to the glove side off a mishandled puck by Sidney Crosby. The Bruins took that early lead and never looked back as they went on to win 6-1.

The Bruins now head back to Boston with a 2-0 series lead and look to make it 3-0 on Wednesday night.

Former Bruin Mike Mottau joined 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Toucher & Rich to discuss the 2-0 series lead the Bruins hold over the Penguins in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Sidney Crosby is a minus three in this series with the Bruins and has only six shots on net through two games. Kris Letang has been on the ice for six of the Bruins’ nine goals this year and he’s a Norris Trophy finalist.

Is Mottau surprised by the poor play of the Penguins in this series? Does it have more to do with the Penguins playing poorly or what the Bruins are doing to the Penguins?

Marc-Andre Fleury struggled against the Islanders in the first round of the playoffs and was pulled in Game 4 for Tomas Vokoun. Well now after starting every playoff game Vokoun was pulled in the first period last night after giving up three goals on 12 shots. Fleury also gave up three goals once he replaced Vokoun.

So if you’re Penguins coach Dan Bylsma who gets the start between the pipes in Game 3? Is there a chance this shaky goaltending improves?

Red Sox insider Peter Abraham joined 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Toucher & Rich to discuss the success this Red Sox team is having, Jose Iglesias and starting pitching.

The MLB trade deadline is still quite a bit away, but the guys wonder what spots the Red Sox might need to fill come deadline time? Would the Sox be willing to give up two top prospects for Cliff Lee? Should they if given the chance?

Jose Iglesias’s defensive prowess was known, but his production at the plate was lacking. The shortstop was called upon to fill in at third while Will Middlebrooks spends some time on the DL and his bat has come alive. Does this mean that he’ll be the Sox starting shortstop next season?

They also discussed Jon Lester and the fact that he has two losses and a no-decision in his past three starts. Why is he cooling off after having such a hot start to the season? Is this just water finding it’s level?

Former Bruin and Penguin, Shawn McEachern joined 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Toucher & Rich to discuss the Game 1 shutout by the Bruins, Jaromir Jagr, the Pittsburgh Penguins trying to play a different game and Matt Cooke’s hit on Adam McQuaid.

McEachern was part of the Penguins when Jaromir Jagr arrived, so of course Fred wanted details of Jagr’s early years.

After that the guys moved on to discuss the Penguins coming out and playing a more physical brand of hockey than they have in the past. Then as Pittsburgh fell behind the frustration level rose and Pitt lost a bit of discipline taking bad penalties. What did McEachern think of Pittsburgh’s plan to play a more physical game?

The guys moved on to talk about Tuukka Rask’s play in net, his great play and the lucky bounces. Has Rask taken the next step toward reaching elite level?

They also discussed the play of Tyler Seguin and the fact that he’s only scored one goal this playoff run. What does this young kid need to do?

Plus, Matt Cooke received a five minute major and a game misconduct for a hit on Adam McQuaid. How effective is Cooke now that the league has tried to take away the chippy type of game that he plays?

Hogan joined 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Toucher & Rich on Friday to discuss the event, a weird meeting with the Iron Sheik at a wrestling convention, and pass along some words of encouragement for the Boston Bruins.

Felger & Mazz producer and wrestling fan, James Stewart, was on hand for this interview and the two discussed Hulk’s role in the upcoming Slammiversary.

They also asked Hogan to flip on the wrestler persona and give them something on the Bruins to get people ramped up for Game 1 on the Eastern Conference Finals on Saturday.

Toucher & Rich: Hulk Hogan’s Message For The Bruins

Listen to the whole interview here: 

That time has been filled not only with hockey, but with a lot of television.

So Goucher stopped by the studio to lend his play-by-play expertise to Toucher & Rich with a brand new round of “Goucher Goes To The Movies: The Television Edition.”

It’s your job to guess which television show the talented Goucher is doing play-by-play for; from a horrible series finale to reality TV.

And what does Gouch watch when he needs some help with his afternoon nap?

Most of those decisions will come on defense. Injured blue-liner Andrew Ference is making strides to a return, which will make head coach Claude Julien decide if he should go back to the veteran or stick with rookie defensemen Torey Krug and/or Matt Bartkowski.

Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli joined 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Toucher and Rich on Thursday, and said those decisions won’t be made until game day.

“It will be last minute probably. We’ve thrown around a bunch of ideas, a bunch of pairs. Coaches have to break down the matchups and situations,” said Chiarelli. “It’s a work in progress, that decision. My guess is it would be closer to Saturday morning – not that you guys will know Saturday morning.”

More: NHL Playoff Coverage

Another change may hit the Boston blue line, thanks to Pittsburgh stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Because of their star power, the Bruins may have to break up their defensive duo of Zdeno Chara and Dennis Seidenberg — at least on the road.

“It is unique in that these are maybe two of the best players in the world on one team,” Chiarelli said of Crosby and Malkin. “It’s a unique type of coaching and scouting breakdown for that reason. I think we have four lines that can be comfortable with defending either of those lines. You saw Claude send out our fourth line at times at home against the Nash line (against the Rangers), and they did a good job. We have a team that can defend well on the matchups. You’ll probably see Chara and Seidenberg together at times, and times – more likely on the road — when they’re apart.”

Bob Beers On Gresh & Zo: Expect A Physical Series

The Penguins took all three of the regular season matchups with Boston, and head into the series heavy favorites to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals.

“We are underdogs, but I don’t mind being in that position. Frankly, if you look at our three games, of the nine periods I really like six of them, so I like the matchup,” said Chiarelli. “I like the way we played in those six, and if we can play that way it will be a real good series and we have a chance to win.”

“I liked our forecheck; I think that was really good,” Chiarelli said of the “good” periods against Pittsburgh in the regular season. “In two of the games they came back when we were leading, so we didn’t protect the lead, but I liked the way our forecheck matched up against their defense. That’s the strength of our game, and we have to make sure we get pucks behind these guys and close quickly.”

As for the three bad periods, Chiarelli said his team was more focused on protecting the lead– something you can’t do against the Penguins.

“We sat back a little bit and tried to protect the lead. When you do that against a team as powerful as them you’re bound to give up chances, and we did. You can’t do that,” he said. “But I saw us close nicely the other night in Game 5 (against New York); we just kept our forecheck going and that’s what we have to do against this team.”

So Toucher & Rich are doing their due diligence to warn you about these “Armpits of America.” Rich will give a short description of a real news story, and it’s your job to guess where the story came from.

Stories this time around feature a sandwich store employee threatening a customer, a man with a unique name involved in a hit and run and a ransom note left for a stolen statue.

According to NFL Network’s Albert Breer, Gronkowski needs back surgery.

Breer reported that the surgery is “tentatively” scheduled for mid-June, and it will force the tight end to miss at least the start of training camp.

Sources tell WBZ’s Dan Roche that the surgery is “likely” but not definite. Doctors will see if two to three weeks rest will change things.

Last week, Gronkowski underwent his fourth forearm surgery, and doctors determined he would not need any more work on his arm. However, a disc issue in his back was considered to possibly require surgery, and Breer’s report Wednesday confirms that.

“The surgery on the back was expected, so Pats have planned for it,” Breer tweeted.

Gronkowski was limited to just 11 regular-season games last season, catching 55 passes for 790 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Breer tweeted that Dr. Robert Watkins will perform the back surgery.

Bert Breer joined 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Toucher & Rich to discuss the situation with the tight end.

Red Sox insider Peter Gammons joined 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Toucher & Rich to discuss the great performance of Cliff Lee, Jonathan Papelbon returning to Fenway, and Alfredo Aceves.

The guys started off discussing Jonathan Papelbon returning to Fenway as a member of the Phillies and the crowd booing him. Why did fans boo Papelbon when he was so liked as a member of the Red Sox?

They also talked about Phillies ace Cliff Lee and whether or not the Phillies might be willing to deal him at the deadline if they continue this mediocre trend.

Would the Sox express interest if they continue to win and think they can make a push this season? Will Boston be willing to pay and deal the necessary pieces to acquire Lee if given the chance?

They also discussed Alfredo Aceves and whether the Red Sox should look to move the pitcher?