Clay Buchholz followed Jon Lester‘s strong performance Sunday with seven shutout innings of his own Monday afternoon, which bodes well for the Red Sox’ starting staff this year.

After sputtering last season, the starters are now under the tutelage of John Farrell in Boston, which many onlookers theorized would result in a return to form that the Sox badly needed. With John Lackey coming off Tommy John surgery and Ryan Dempster getting introduced to the mix as well, there are plenty of storylines surrounding the team’s rotation.

NESN Nation’s Dan Duquette asked our Twitter followers who they think the most important starter will be for the Sox this year. Check out what they had to say in the above video and vote for your choice in the poll below.

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Where they finish this season, however, is anybody’s guess.

With new manager John Farrell at the helm, the Red Sox will attempt to rebound from last year’s last-place finish and make their way back into the playoffs for the first time since 2009. Jackie Bradley Jr., Shane Victorino, and Jonny Gomes are among the notable new faces joining the likes of Dustin Pedroia, Jon Lester and Will Middlebrooks on the Red Sox roster.

Lester will take the mound on Opening Day against the New York Yankees, and the hopes of Red Sox Nation will be riding with him. After the Sox have gotten out to slow starts the past few years, the pressure will be on for the team to start strong — and continue that momentum over the course of the season.

With the Toronto Blue Jays stockpiling talent north of the border, the Tampa Bay Rays poised to continue their success and the upstart Orioles out to prove last year wasn’t a fluke, the American League East might be the most competitive that it’s ever been. It will certainly be exciting to see how things shake up, and to find out how the new-look Sox will fare in 2013.

No team is further than six points out of a playoff spot entering action on Saturday, and the top five teams points-wise in the East are separated by a mere four points. As far as the West is concerned, Anaheim and Vancouver have stayed competitive while Chicago has opened up an eight-point lead in the standings. Each division has been extremely competitive this season, especially with points being at a premium.

The Northeast is certainly the closest of the bunch, Montreal enters Saturday holding a slight lead over Boston, Toronto and Ottawa. The Northeast will more than likely go down to the final week of the season, moving forward with four out of five teams being competitive.

The Atlantic division was certainly the strongest last year, and it remains competitive in 2013. Pittsburgh currently sits atop the division with 32 points, but all five Atlantic teams remain in the playoff hunt. Then there is the Southeast, but the less said about that division, the better. The Hurricanes lead the pack for now, but it’s anyone’s guess who will emerge as the likely No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Out west, Chicago is running away with the Central but the rest of the division still houses some strong teams. Detroit, Nashville and St. Louis all remain competitive with great chances to make the playoffs. Anaheim is leading the Pacific, which is arguably the strongest division out west. The surprising Ducks have 37 points, while the Kings, Sharks and Coyotes are all holding or on the cusp of playoff berths for now. The weakest division out west is probably the Northwest, where the Canucks currently lead. Minnesota is staying competitive, but the division will be lucky if they send two teams to the playoffs this season.

With such parity throughout the NHL, it should make for an entertaining end to this season. While there hasn’t been any cross-pollination between the conferences yet — and there won’t be until the Stanley Cup Final — the six division races are certainly heating up at the season’s midway point.

Fortunately for Toronto fans, the playoff drought has a good chance of ending this season. The Maple Leafs (15-9-0) enter Thursday night as the fifth seed in the East with 30 points. The Leafs are just two points back of division-leading Montreal and one back of the second-place Bruins.

Toronto has gotten terrific production out of their No. 1 overall pick in 2009, Nazem Kadri. The 22-year old has 24 points in as many games and is a plus-12 on the season. Phil Kessel and newly acquired James Van Riemsdyk have also produced for Toronto, chipping in 20 and 19 points respectively.

However, the big surprise for the Maple Leafs has been the success they have had by using two goaltenders. James Reimer and Ben Scrivens have split time this season. They are each giving up under 2.50 goals per game and have identical save percentages of .923.

Even with the early success, it has to be extremely frustrating for the Leafs that they have been unable to beat the rival Bruins since March 2011. The Bruins have won the division three of the last four years and are the obvious obstacle for the Maple Leafs if they want the automatic playoff bid and home-ice advantage in the first round that comes with winning the division.

With a favorable schedule including nine home games in March, the Leafs are in great position to be playing into May this year. Boston fans probably wouldn’t mind seeing Toronto make the playoffs either, so long as the Bruins can still win the division.

With the Bruins in Washington to take on the Captials Tuesday, Ward’s goal will be fresh in the minds of many Boston fans.

However, Bruins faithful are no strangers to heartbreak. Four times over the last five years, Boston has been eliminated in winner-take-all games.

The postseason that brought many Bruins fans back to the TD Garden was back in 2008. Boston trailed the top-seeded Canadiens in the opening round three games to one, and were on the ropes in Game 5. The Bruins fought back to win two straight, including the famous “This building is vibrating!” Game 6 victory.

Unfortunately, the team’s Cinderella quest ended 300 miles to the north at the Bell Centre. Game 7 was an ultimate disappointment, as the Bruins fell 5-0 behind a dazzling effort from Montreal goaltender Carey Price.

A year later, Boston bulldozed the Habs in the first round of the playoffs and were heavy favorites over Carolina. After winning Game 1, the B’s dropped three straight. Boston did battle back to tie the series at three amid some fireworks between Aaron Ward and Scott Walker, setting the stage for another dramatic finish.

Game 7 was a nailbiter, and after a late Milan Lucic goal tied the game at 2-2, it went into overtime. Public enemy No. 1 Walker silenced the TD Garden crowd when he put a rebound past Thomas to send the Hurricanes to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Then came 2010, a memory Boston fans were forced to deal with up until they swept Philadelphia out of the playoffs a year later.

Everything was going right for the Bruins, and they jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. However, lost in the celebration of a Game 3 win, was the injury to center David Krejci. Krejci’s absence, plus some timely Flyers goals, allowed Philadelphia to tie the series at three.

All seemed okay when Boston jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in Game 7. Philadelphia then scored four unanswered goals in what proved to be a microcosm of the series. For many Bruins fans, that loss was the most embarrassing in team history.

This embarrassment did not last very long, however. The most famous Game 7 victory came a year later, when the Bruins won their sixth Stanley Cup during a magical night in Vancouver.

Since his rookie year, Montreal defenseman P.K. Subban has become public enemy No. 1 at the TD Garden. Subban’s history of flopping, coupled with his constant badgering of Bruins players, has ensured he will probably hear boo birds in Boston for the remainder of his career.

Subban is not the only player who has angered Boston fans over the past few years. Who could forget the infamous “biting” in the 2011 Stanley Cup Final? Alexandre Burrows took a chomp of fan favorite Patrice Bergeron‘s finger during a scrum in Game 1. Burrows was booed throughout the Final, and he ended up being mocked by the majority of Bruins players throughout the series.

Matt Cooke is no stranger to being loathed, either. Boston joined the list of cities that had a problem with Cooke after his blindside hit on Marc Savard early in March 2010. When the Bruins and Penguins played just 10 days later, Shawn Thornton fought Cooke seconds into the game as Thornton’s beatdown sent the Garden into a frenzy.

However, Cooke’s teammate Sidney Crosby just might be the most polarizing player in the NHL. “Sid the Kid” is arguably the most talented player, but his “childish” antics have earned him a lot of enemies. Boston is a little more forgiving of Crosby than the crazed fans in division rival Philadelphia, but the TD Garden crowd will shower the forward with some harsh words from time to time.

With 28 points in just 17 games played, Boston has a chance to take sole possession of first place with a win on Saturday.

Unlike the Western Conference, the East is wide open this year, making the shortened 48-game season ever more interesting.

The Penguins (13-8-0) currently lead the Atlantic Division with 26 points. Sidney Crosby has continued his dominance this season, already posting 31 points in just 21 games. Marc-Andre Fleury has also been strong, going 10-5 thus far while posting a goals against average of just 2.40. However there has to be concern for the offensive production in the Steel City moving forward — star forward Evgeni Malkin was recently placed on injured reserve for complications due to a concussion.

Montreal (13-4-3) is currently in first place in the Northeast Division with 29 points. Although the Bruins still have three games in hand on the Habs, Montreal has to be considered a threat given its hot start. Carey Price is quietly having a fantastic season for the Canadiens, and the team also has gotten great production out of forward Max Pacioretty.

Also in the division, Boston became aware of the Ottawa Senators’ talent in a tough overtime victory Thursday. The Sens’ 12-6-3 mark has given them 27 points, good enough to be right on the heels of the Bruins and Canadiens. Despite a flurry of injuries to some key pieces, the Senators have kept on keeping on. However, if Ottawa wants to be considered a contender, they must start putting pucks in the back of the net consistently.

The biggest surprise in the East so far has to be the struggles of the New York Rangers. The boys from Broadway are only 9-8-2 and would not be in the postseason if it started on Saturday. However, New York has shown its ability to shine in big games while posting a 2-1 mark against Boston this season. The Rangers have gotten production out of stars Rick Nash and Brad Richards, but unfortunately captain Ryan Callahan has struggled to put up points this year. Although New York is off to a tough start it is hard to count the Blueshirts out just yet.

With all of these talented teams in the East, it is going to make for a very interesting final two months of this NHL season. Although Boston is off to a hot start, the Bruins are well aware of the Eastern Conference foes likely to stand in the way of their second Stanley Cup in three years.

The Isles ranked dead last in attendance for the 2010-11 season, drawing just over 13,000 fans each game. Last year, New York ranked 29th in the league — only drawing more fans than the Phoenix Coyotes.

So it should come as no surprise that last October, the Islanders announced they would be moving to Brooklyn for the 2015-16 season.

A new arena (the Barclays Center) and an NBA partner (the Brooklyn Nets) to share with make Brooklyn seem like a good fit for the Islanders. However, with the highly successful New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils now in even closer proximity, many must be wondering if the move will work out in the end. The Rangers and Devils have solidified their own fanbases and recently met in the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals, while the Islanders have not made the playoffs since 2006-07.

Many cities throughout North America have been hungry for hockey for many years. Hartford, Conn., lost the Whalers in 1997 and have made various attempts to return hockey to the Nutmeg State. Events like the “Whale Bowl” show that there is still a lot of interest in hockey in the greater Hartford area.

Seattle has not seen professional hockey since the late 1960s, when the Totems called the city home. However, Seattle just found out that an NBA team will likely migrate its way up from Sacramento, which could spark interest in a new arena. With the closest team being the Canadian-based Vancouver Canucks, Seattle would love its own squad.

Similarly, Quebec City has not seen hockey since the Nordiques left town in 1995. The team cited a language barrier and a lack of fan support in comparison to the nearby Montreal Canadiens as reasons for departure. However, former Nordiques owner Marcel Abut says he feels “confident” that a team will return to Quebec City sooner rather than than later. With a rumored $400 million arena potentially being built, that could make a return from the NHL a strong possibility.

With all of these various destinations making their case, it also must be mentioned that the Islanders could always just stay put. They have been located in Uniondale since their inception in 1972. They also build a dynasty on Long Island in the early ’80s while winning four Stanley Cups. Unfortunately for the Islanders, fans seemed rather indifferent following the team’s announcement of a move.

Regardless of where the Islanders play, only one thing will bring fans back: winning hockey games. With a six-year postseason drought ongoing, the Islanders must turn it around. Luckily, there’s hope — they currently sit two points behind Tampa Bay for the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Confernce.

Who would have thought that resident instigator Brad Marchand would be leading the team in goals? Through 14 games, Marchand has nine goals and an assist. The “little ball of hate” also has a game-winning shootout goal under his belt in a victory over New Jersey.

Defenseman Dougie Hamilton‘s early success has also taken Boston by storm. The rookie has played in all 14 of the Bruins’ games, and he has been put on the power-play unit in key situations. Hamilton has taken full advantage of his opportunities; the Toronto native has six points and scored the first goal of his career against the Sabres.

Goaltending was a huge question mark for the Bruins coming into this season thanks to the departure of Tim Thomas. For the most part, people had faith in starter Tuukka Rask. However, a major concern for the Bruins had to be their backup, Anton Khudobin. Khudobin has pushed those concerns aside and has been solid for Boston when called upon. In three starts, he is 2-1 with a .905 save percentage. The native of Kazakhstan also stopped 25 of 26 shots in a 3-1 win over the Sabres back on Feb. 10.

Elsewhere, Nathan Horton has had some tough luck the last couple of seasons because of injuries. After playing the part of playoff hero during the team’s 2011 Stanley Cup run, Horton had many fans wondering what to expect from him before the season. “Horty” has stepped up big time for Boston with six goals and three assists. Horton has also yet to miss a game and seems to have fully recovered from his injury.

The Sox acquired Rubby De La Rosa, Allen Webster, James Loney and Ivan De Jesus in the deal that sent Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, Josh Beckett and Nick Punto to Los Angeles. De La Rosa and Webster are considered to be very solid pitching prospects.

Pedro Martinez placed a crazy amount of praise on De La Rosa, whom he’s known since De La Rosa was a child. Martinez threw out the likes of Roger Clemens and Juan Marichal when talking about De La Rosa’s pure stuff, and he thinks that the young right-hander could become one of baseball’s elite players when all is said and done.

De La Rosa already has some big league experience, even if it’s minimal. The 23-year-old native of the Dominican Republic, who the Dodgers signed as an amateur free agent back in 2007, went 4-5 with a 3.71 ERA in 13 appearances (10 starts) for L.A. in 2011. De La Rosa then missed a significant amount of time because of Tommy John surgery, though, so the hope is that 2013 will be a healthy year.

Webster has no big league experience to his credit yet, but it shouldn’t be long before he does. The 23-year-old was rated the No. 95 prospect in baseball by Baseball America before the 2012 season. The right-hander then went 6-9 with a 3.86 ERA in 29 games (24 starts) at the Double-A level, and he’s now ranked No. 49 on Baseball America’s pre-2013 prospects list.

Perhaps De La Rosa will end up arriving in Boston sooner because of his big league experience, but who will carve out the better major league career?

Allen Webster photo (right) via Facebook/Allen Webster

Xander Bogaerts

The Red Sox endured plenty of injuries last season, and while they hope that isn’t the case this year, you simply never know when an unfortunate turn of events could thrust one of the team’s farmhands into big league action sooner than expected. The Sox would definitely love for Bogaerts and Bradley to get some more seasoning before making the jump to the majors, but perhaps it isn’t outside that realm of possibility that one or both could arrive in Boston at some point this season.

If the injury bug bites, the Red Sox may elect to go in a different direction before turning to their two prized prospects. Even so, baseball’s September roster expansion provides another opportunity for Bogaerts or Bradley to get their first taste of big league action. If they do get called up, the focus then turns to which one could make an immediate impact.

Bogaerts, a 20-year-old shortstop, was ranked the No. 8 prospect in baseball by Baseball America. He hit .326 (30-for-92) with five home runs and 17 RBIs in 23 games with Double-A Portland last season. Prior to that, he hit .302 with 15 home runs and 64 RBIs in 104 games with High-A Salem. His bat is clearly his biggest strength, and many scouts expect him to become a future big league All-Star because of his plate presence.

Bradley, who turns 23 in April, was rated the No. 31 prospect for 2013 by Baseball America. Perhaps he could arrive in the majors sooner rather than later, though, not only because he’s older than Bogaerts, but also because there’s some uncertainty surrounding the future of center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury. Bradley hit .315 with nine home runs and 63 RBIs split between High-A Salem and Double-A Portland in 2012. He also swiped 24 bags, and his defense is what has scouts drooling.

Red Sox manager John Farrell said after Thursday’s exhibition against Northeastern that we got a “glimpse into the future” by watching Bogaerts and Bradley. The question is when exactly will that future arrive, and one has to wonder who will have the bigger impact when it finally does.

Click here to read more about Bogaerts and Bradley >>

Photo via Facebook/Xander Bogaerts

“How do we stop Steven Stamkos?”

The Tampa left winger led the NHL in goals last season when he put in 60 total, which won him the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy. Stamkos’ early-season success this year has put him right back into the running again.

However, with many others getting off to hot starts, there are plenty of contenders looking to take the title away from Stamkos.

Sabres forward and resident Bruins killer Thomas Vanek enters Thursday as the current league leader in goals (12) and points (25). Those numbers are extremely surprising, considering the most that Vanek has ever scored in an 82-game season was 43. It will be interesting to see if the Buffalo star can keep up his pace.

Islanders forward John Tavares is also having a stellar season so far. Tavares already has 11 goals and is on pace to pass his record for a full season (31 goals) in about half the time. As is the case with Vanek, it will be interesting to see if Tavares can continue to put up numbers that he never has before.

Out west, Chicago right wing Patrick Kane is also having early-season success, as is his entire team. Kane’s nine goals lead a Blackhawks team that is averaging over three goals per game. Kane’s plus-nine rating further supports his value playing for a team in Chicago that has yet to suffer a regulation loss.

That list included Paul Pierce, who was reportedly mentioned in a deal that would send Pierce to Brooklyn in exchange for Kris Humphries, MarShon Brooks and a first-round pick.

Pierce, now 35 years old, has spent his entire 14-year NBA career in Boston. He’s the longest-tenured Celtic on the roster by far — Rajon Rondo, now in his seventh season in green, ranks second — and is a lock to have his No. 34 hanging in the rafters of TD Garden someday.

But what if Pierce is moved at the deadline? Many Celtics fans don’t even remember the last time the team hit the floor without him, and The Truth has provided some of the most iconic performances of post-Larry Bird era.

Strangely enough, one of those performances came against the very team that’s reportedly pursuing him. In 2002, Pierce, then teamed with Antoine Walker, led the Celtics to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they faced the New Jersey Nets. The Nets won the series in six games, but Pierce left his mark in Game 3, scoring 19 points in the fourth quarter to bring Boston back from a 21-point deficit in one of the largest comebacks in NBA playoff history.

Pierce finally broke through in his next Conference Finals appearance six years later, where he scored 41 points in Game 7 to beat LeBron James‘ Cleveland Cavaliers. It was the first of several battles between Pierce and LeBron, who met again in the 2010, 2011 and 2012 playoffs, with each winning a pair of series.

The captain was perhaps never finer than during his one successful championship run, when the Celtics topped the Lakers in six games in the 2008 NBA Finals to win their first title since 1986. Pierce needed to be carted off the court in a wheelchair in Game 1, but returned to score 24 points in a Boston win and was eventually named the series’ Most Valuable Player.

Now, Danny Ainge says the Celtics are “unlikely” to make any sort of franchise-shaking deal before Thursday’s deadline. But if they do decide to, and Wednesday night’s game against the Lakers is Pierce’s last in a Boston uniform, what moment will you remember most about his career? Voice your opinion in the poll below.

Bruins fans will proudly tell you TD Garden is the toughest building to get a victory in throughout the league. However, cities like Chicago, Montreal and Pittsburgh are among those others likely to make a claim to that title.

The Blackhawks are an impressive 54-25-7 at the United Center since the beginning of the 2010-11 season. Chicago has also been the No. 1 team in attendance in two of the last three seasons. The Blackhawks used home-ice advantage to assist them in lifting the 2010 Stanley Cup, going an impressive 8-3 at home during the playoffs.

Up north, the Montreal Canadiens also hold one of the best home-ice advantages in the NHL due to the intense crowd at the Bell Centre. Considered by many to be the loudest crowd in the league, the Habs have ranked in the top two in attendance each of the last three seasons. With 21,273 fans chanting and singing, “Ole, Ole,” it can be pretty daunting for opponents.

Pittsburgh has made its case for the toughest place to play thanks to the Penguins’ 57-27-4 record since the beginning of 2010-11. The Pens have averaged 100 percent attendance over the last three seasons and also sported a 9-2 record at home during their Stanley Cup run in 2009.

Vancouver makes a case for the best home-ice advantage due to the team’s record and attendance. The Canucks are 59-21-10 at home since Oct 2010, and they have also had perfect attendance since that time. Opposing players may want to avoid the penalty box at the Rodgers Arena, too. The ever-annoying “green men” have been harassing players in the box for almost three years now.

The youngest home-ice advantage on this list belongs to the Winnipeg Jets at the MTS Centre. Winnipeg was 23-13-5 at home in their first season back in NHL, and have sold out every game since returning to the league. With the Jets playing in the Southeast Division, their arena also provides a special disadvantage to the Lightning, Panthers, Hurricanes and Capitals. After all, those teams must travel across two time zones just to take on an opponent in their own division.

There have been various reasons for the Sabres’ struggles so far, however it is tough to pick the No.1 issue.

Any time a team is struggling, the head coach is usually the first to end up on the hot seat. Already Lindy Ruff knows that the pressure is on. Since winning the Northeast Division title in 2009-10, Buffalo has played sub-.500 hockey and made the playoffs just once, where they were bounced by Philadelphia.

Ruff has not been the only Sabre who has taken criticism, though. Drew Stafford and Tyler Myers have both struggled mightily for Buffalo. Myers has been a healthy scratch for two games this season and is an abysmal minus-9 in the 12 games he has played. Myers’ struggles have allowed the Sabres to give up 3.4 goals per game, and on the other end of the ice Stafford has not been much better. Buffalo’s alternate captain has no goals through 14 games and has tallied just five assists so far.

Another issue for the Sabres — familiar to Boston fans — is the team’s struggles on the power play. Buffalo is converting on the man advantage just 13.5 percent of the time, good for just 26th in the NHL. Bruins fans can laugh at Boston’s power play struggles with an 8-1-2 record. However, since the Sabres are in last place, it’s not quite as funny to them.

Finally, home ice in the NHL must be protected, yet the Sabres are simply not a very good team at home. Through six games at the First Niagara Center, Buffalo is just 2-3-1. They have only gotten five points out of a possible 12, which is not very good. If the Sabres are to turn it around, they are going to have to start getting points in their friendly confines.

Bruins fans certainly love the adrenaline rush that comes when they hear the famous Kahlenberg horns followed by “Zombie Nation.” However, there many interesting and exciting goal songs in the NHL.

Whether it is loud horns, pop culture classics or easy sing-alongs, rinks throughout North America rejoice when the home team  puts one in the back of the net. To eliminate bias, we are taking “Zombie Nation” out of this race, but, outside of the TD Garden, which team has the best goal song in the NHL?

The Chicago Blackhawks may have the most famous goal song in the NHL. Every time Chicago scores, the United Center erupts when “Chelsea Dagger” by The Fratellis he is played. The song is also an international success and is played in various soccer stadiums throughout the United Kingdom.

In Pittsburgh, Penguins fans love a song that has a fairly bizarre name. “Song 2” by Blur is played every time the Penguins score a goal at the Consol Energy Center. It’s one of those tracks which if, even you don’t know it by name, its iconic whoo hoo’s should be instantly familiar.

Madison Square Garden is treated to a nice sing-along each time the Rangers score. Ray Castoldi wrote the song, “Slapshot,” specifically for the Rangers. The song made its debut in 1995 and has been a Garden staple ever since.

Flyers fans are treated to some loud club-like music each time the team scores. “I Like it Loud” by Marc Acardipane resonates throughout the Wells Fargo Center each time the Broad St. Bullies put one in the back of the net. The song also allows for sing-along with its famous “Doop” sound.

Although these are some of the more popular songs, there are many other good anthems throughout the league. Which team provides the best celebratory tune?

Boston will be without Brad Marchand, Daniel Paille and Shawn Thornton as they head to the Bell Centre, after a slew of injuries has beset the B’s.

Marchand traveled with the team, and even participated at the morning skate, but it appears that a nagging shoulder injury will prevent him from playing in the divisional matchup. The means the B’s will have to deal with Carey Price and Co. without the services of their top goal scorer.

They will also be without Paille, who is dealing with an upper body injury and did not even travel north of the border. The fourth-line forward will be replaced by call-up Ryan Spooner, who will be seeing his first action of the NHL season if called upon.

Of course, the Bruins will also miss Thornton, who was ruled out after sustaining a concussion during a fight with Sabres tough guy John Scott. Thornton, like Paille, did not travel with the team, opening a roster spot for Providence Bruins forward Lane MacDermid to hang around with the big boys.

A big theme of Boston’s 2012 campaign was pitchers of whom big things were expected but didn’t didn’t make good on that promise. In a lot of ways, the Red Sox’ campaign was derailed by bizarre maladies to its pitching staff.

Whether it be Daisuke Matsuzaka‘s inability to keep opposing teams in the ballpark or Scott Atchison‘s unidentified elbow issues, problems just kept plaguing Red Sox pitching. However, there are three cases, in particular, who really stand out heading into 2013 — and coincidentally they were photographed throwing together on Tuesday in Fort Myers.

First there was John Lackey, who went down for the season to Tommy John surgery before the year even began. Although he’s never lived up to his contract in Boston, he was an ace-caliber pitcher (and World Series Game 7 winner) in Los Angeles (of Anaheim) for years. So if Lackey can come back strong with a new elbow ligament, it would help stabilize the rotation.

Daniel Bard‘s problems first surfaced at the end of the 2011 campaign, mirroring Boston’s late-season collapse with his own personal crisis. Upon transitioning from the bullpen to the rotation for 2012, Bard’s control issues developed into full-blown Steve Blass disease, with Bard doing his best Rick Vaughn (before he got the glasses) impression. Nonetheless, if Bard can find the strike zone in 2013, it could give Boston one of the deepest bullpens in baseball.

Third, there’s Jon Lester, whose 2012 troubles still remain unidentified. While Lester suffered no physical or psychological ailments that we know about, his ineffectiveness was a big part of the Red Sox’ inability to win consistently last year. However, he’s been an ace-like pitcher in the past, and Boston’s counting on the lefty to lead their rotation in 2013.

So of those pitchers who struggled in 2012, who’s primed for a comeback? Who will help the Red Sox most during the 2013 season?

Photo via Twitter/Peter Abraham

In September of 2009, the Bruins general manager sent forward Phil Kessel (and his six-million dollar contract) to the Leafs for their first-round picks in 2010 and 2011, with a second-round pick tossed in for good measure.

The next year, Boston drafted former Plymouth Whalers forward Tyler Seguin with the second overall pick in the draft. In two-plus seasons in Boston, Seguin has 71 points and is a plus-35 overall.

With the second of the inherited Toronto first-rounders, the Bruins took defenseman Dougie Hamilton in the 2011 draft. Hamilton is already a full-time Bruin and has four points in his first seven games in Boston. Meanwhile, in three seasons with the Maple Leafs, Kessel has matched his highest goal total in Boston only once. His 37 goals last season was the highest total of his career, but the 25-year-old forward is a minus-40 since arriving in Toronto.

However, the Bruins are not the only team to pull off a lopsided trade in the history of Boston sports. At the 1997 MLB trade deadline, then-Red Sox general manager Dan Duquette sent closer Heathcliff Slocumb and his 5.79 ERA to the Seattle Mariners. In return, Boston received catcher Jason Varitek and pitcher Derek Lowe.

Slocumb would only record 19 more career saves in three seasons. Meanwhile, Varitek would go on to catch over 1,500 games and help the Red Sox win World Series titles in 2004 and 2007. In 2005, the Red Sox named Varitek their captain, a title that remained until his retirement in 2012.

Lowe would pitch seven seasons in Boston, and threw his first career no-hitter against Tampa Bay in 2002. In 2004, he became the first pitcher to record a win in all three of his team’s series-clinching games when Boston won its first World Series in 86 years.

In 2007, the Patriots conducted a brilliant trade of their own. During the 2007 NFL draft, Scott Pioli sent the Patriots’ fourth-round pick (110th overall) to Oakland. In return, the Patriots acquired future Hall of Fame wide receiver Randy Moss. In 2007, Moss caught an NFL-record 23 touchdown passes and had 1,493 receiving yards. Moss’ efforts helped lead New England to a 16-0 regular season and appearance in Super Bowl XLII.

For what it’s worth, the player Oakland took with the 110th pick overall, cornerback John Bowie, is currently a practice squad member for the Cincinnati Bengals and has two career NFL tackles.

Back in 1980, Red Auerbach also pulled off a brilliant deal which led the Celtics to multiple championships in the 80s. The Celtics possessed the first and 13th overall picks in the 1980 draft. Auerbach traded them to Golden State for the third overall pick and Robert Parish. Boston would select Kevin McHale with the third pick. Parish would go onto score over 20,000 points and record 3,000 blocks during his Boston tenure.

McHale spent his entire career with the Celtics and scored over 17,000 points. McHale led the league in shooting percentage twice in his career and also helped Boston win three titles.

Which gets your vote as the best trade in Boston history?

Everyone remembers early last November when Milan Lucic barreled into Buffalo goaltender Ryan Miller and the Sabres offered little resistance. This offseason, Buffalo decided to make some moves to bring in guys who have a reputation of being physical. Of these  transactions, one stands out more than any other to Bruins fans: Steve Ott.

Ott has a history with the Bruins from his tenure with the Dallas Stars. On Nov. 1, 2008, Ott was the catalyst in “poking the bear,” as his antics sparked a brawl-filled game that finished with 146 penalty minutes and a 5-1 Boston win. Then in February of 2011, Ott waited just one second before he dropped the gloves with Bruins forward Gregory Campbell in a game that featured three fights in the first four seconds of play.

Ott is not alone among players who have had “disagreements” over the past few years with the Bruins. Look no further than Boston’s longtime rivals from Montreal. Canadiens defenseman P.K Subban is showered with boos nearly every time he touches the ice at the TD Garden. Subban has only been in one fight against Boston, a wash with Brad Marchand in October 2011. However, most of the hatred from Bruins fans is due to Subban’s infamous flop in the corner during Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals in 2011.

Speaking of the 2011 playoffs, who could forget Patrice Bergeron’s best friend, Alex Burrows. The Vancouver forward made national news in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals when he bit Bergeron’s finger during a post-whistle scrum. Burrows was involved with many other Bruins players throughout the series and endured taunting from Marchand, Lucic and even seasoned veteran Mark Recchi.

Finally, who could forget one of the most famous goons in the NHL, Matt Cooke? Cooke is infamously known around Boston as the player who ended Marc Savard’s career. On March 7, 2010 in a game in Pittsburgh, Cooke skated through the top of the faceoff circle and blindsided Savard. The Bruins’ center was diagnosed with a concussion and despite a brief return in the 2010-11 season, Savard has not played since. In retaliation for the fight, Boston tough-guy Shawn Thornton dropped the gloves just eleven days later with Cooke to even the score at the TD Garden.

With Ott’s return and an anticipation of a physical game Thursday night, it begs the question — which one of these players is the biggest nemesis to the Bruins?