5:30 p.m.: The 2013 MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference has come to a close.

Thank you for following the events of the last two days.

Check NESN.com next week for a deeper look at some topics that emerged from this year’s conference.

5:20 p.m.: The Los Angeles Clippers trade for Chris Paul wins the award for best transaction.

5:15 p.m.: The San Francisco 49ers win the award for best analytics organization.

5:10 p.m.: The lifetime achievement award goes to Patriots head coach Bill Belichick.

“We all have different responsibilities,” Belichick said. “I certainly respect the mathematical and statistical ways of looking at the game and trying to use those methods and results to improve our product on the field.”

4:45 p.m.: We’ve reached the end of the last panel of the second and final day of the conference. An awards ceremony celebrating achievements and advances in sports analytics will take place at 5 p.m.

4:30 p.m.: Zarren says “I don’t think there’s any question that we would be better if Rajon [Rondo] was playing.”

He adds that the Celtics are learning a lot from the loss of the star point guard. Other players have to step up and do different things.

“Some of those, they’re good at, others they may not be so good,” he adds.

4:20 p.m.: The panel agrees that the defensive side is the hardest part of the game to quantify.

Pritchard and Van Gundy think that the team’s overall defensive scheme dictates how players perform.

“Unless you know exactly what we want defensively, you cannot possibly determine what’s going on in terms of defensive players,” he says.

Buford says a good way to analyze defenses is to measure how often defenses break down.

4:15 p.m.: Van Gundy argues that players don’t want or need a bunch of numbers. He believes coaches can pour through numbers and data points, but players need to keep things simple.

“Cluttered minds make slow feet,” he says.

4:10 p.m.: Are players ready for a general manager that has no first-hand basketball experience (as players themselves)?

The panel cites the Houston Rockets as an example that it can work.

4:05 p.m.: Pritchard says “10 or 20 percent” of building winning teams involves player selection. The rest is developing them and getting them to buy into the team’s culture.

4 p.m.: Van Gundy says good coaches aren’t the ones who best understand analytics. The best ones get their players to go out and perform.

He stressed the human aspect that’s involved in leading teams in most of his comments, arguing that “this isn’t a video game.” He says coaches build cultures and styles of playing the game, and the exceptions they make (following the numbers) often has a negative impact on the effort.

3:50 p.m.: Van Gundy thinks that eventually every team will have a lot of information. What will separate teams is how they use them.

3:30 p.m.: The final panel discussion of the day will cover the analytics of basketball.

Advanced scouting and analysis has changed the way many NBA teams do business before, during and after games. Moderator Pablo Torre will lead a discussion featuring R.C. Buford of Spurs Sports and Entertainment, Indiana Pacers general manager Kevin Pritchard, ESPN analyst Stan Van Gundy and Celtics assistant general manager Mike Zarren.

2 p.m.: Agoos warns against using data alone to analyze players, as there are too many other factors. He says it has to be part of the decision-making process.

It’s similar to what panelists who represent other sports had to say.

1:45 p.m.: Can the panel use analytics to settle the Messi-Ronaldo debate? No they can’t and neither can hundreds of millions of soccer fans around the world.

Context matters too much in debates like these, according to Wooster. Anderson believes it doesn’t matter on the practical level.

1:35 p.m.: Stein asks the panel what metrics fans should follow to better understand the game.

Larcada says timeliness is more important than specific data points. Anderson looks for team performances, particularly on defense.

Wooster believes the analysts that can measure intangibles and translate that into wins will give teams a competitive advantage.

The panel is having a tough time answering Stein’s question.

1:30 p.m.: Wooster says Michu was scouted by six Premier League teams, but Swansea City was the one to sign him and reap the benefits.

1:25 p.m.: Wooster says that the short-termism among managers and coaches discourages them from changing behavior and adopting a more analytical approach.

Agoos thinks it’s up to ownership to hire and promote coaches that are well-versed in analytics to make that change.

1:15 p.m.: Anderson cites the fact that soccer has gone from having “very little data to mountains of data” almost overnight.

The trick is for clubs to present it to their coaching staff in a way that makes it “actionable.”

Wooster says coaches are starting to lean on analytics in their pregame preparations. He adds that “the paradox in football [soccer] is that the most important things are the hardest to measure.”

1:10 p.m.: ESPN is using heat maps and other forms of data visualization which have been well-received by on-air talent and fans, according to Larcada.

1:05 p.m.: Anderson believes that fans and online media have adopted stats much quicker than the clubs themselves have.

Wooster thinks the long-standing culture in the game has slowed the acceptance of analytics because “that’s how it’s always been done.”

12:55 p.m.: The next panel we’ll watch concerns the beautiful numbers.

Elite-level soccer has been traditionally averse to using analytics, but that is starting to change. ESPN’s Marc Stein moderates the discussion that covers how teams and leagues are using numbers in the game. Joining him will be MLS technical director Jeff Agoos, author and Cornell University professor Chris Anderson, ESPN’s Albert Larcada and Prozone business development director Blake Wooster.

12:35 p.m.: The biggest takeaway from the ESPN panel is that numbers themselves can’t tell the entire story, but they can be used to illuminate certain points.

12:20 p.m.: ESPN is developing a college football power index and a college football QB rating system that helps people quantify the game in a new way.

12 p.m.: The next panel examines how ESPN uses analytics to tell stories.

One panelist referred to his job as being a “professional myth buster.” They strive to educate and entertain the audience.

11:20 a.m.: Del Rio says “sometimes you know — statistically what’s best … but I don’t want to educate the whole league.”

That’s why coaches sometimes choose not to defend their decisions to the media or public.

11:15 a.m.: Edwards says telling a defense to allow an opponent to score is risky. He thinks it sends a bad emotional message, and if a coach does it more than one or two times in a season “you’ve lost your defense.”

Del Rio disagrees. He thinks if making that call gives his team a better probability of winning, the players will support the coach — as long as he explains why he’s doing it.

11:05 a.m.: Burke thinks the game has changed to the point where offenses can “move the ball at will.”

He thinks offenses are much better than they were a generation ago, and that makes coaches much more likely to go for it on fourth-and-short situations.

Being unpredictable is an asset for a head coach. “You gotta be Sadaam Hussein on the sidelines,” Burke says.

Edwards says the best quarterback sneakers are the ones that wait for a little crease to open up and sneak through it.

10:50 a.m.: Del Rio says Maurice Jones-Drew wanted to score on a play when the Jacksonville Jaguars were in a tight game against the New York Jets.

Del Rio, then the Jaguars’ head coach, told Jones-Drew not to score on a play if he had the chance, but the running back said “coach I have to take care of my fantasy people.”

Del Rio managed to convince Jones-Drew to take one for the team.

10:40 a.m.: Burke believes parity in the NFL ensures that any team can compete and execute any one play, but the differences between good and bad teams are an accumulation of the total volume of plays that they run over the course of a season.

10:35 a.m.: Del Rio points to the probability charts that Advanced NFL Stats produces, but he says coaches are drilled in the old-school book that tells them to kick the field goal and take the points.

He adds that the media reads from that same book and judge coaches’ decisions according to it.

10:25 a.m.: The format of this panel follows ESPN’s Around the Horn.

The first play they’re debating was Justin Tucker’s fake field-goal attempt in the early part of Super Bowl XLVII. Edwards says the play was a 4th and nine situation, but the reality was that it was 4th and 17 (because of where he got the ball).

Edwards adds that “football is about personnel.” Numbers like 40 times are great, but the humans on the field are more important to executing the play.

Del Rio points to momentum as a factor in deciding whether to kick the field goal or go for a first down.

10:10 a.m.: We’ll shift our focus back to the NFL in the next panel. “Monday Morning Quarterback: In-Game Decision Analytics” will explore how football coaches and managers gain a competitive advantage using data.

ESPN’s Tony Reali will moderate the panel, which includes Advanced NFL Stats’ Brian Burke, Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio, Atlanta Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitrioff, and ESPN football analyst Herm Edwards.

9:55 a.m.: The pooling of the revenue for MLB Advanced Media was the best business decision the league has made in the last 10 years.

He says it’s akin to the NFL’s decision to pool television money in the 1960s.

9:45 a.m.: The real competition is other forms of entertainment or a technological environment where people grow up with short attention spans.

Kasten says baseball must perfect the “second screen experience” at the ballpark to attract a new generation of tech-savvy fans. The natural breaks in the game allow fans to interact with the teams without missing any of the action.

9:40 a.m.: Skipper doesn’t look at lockouts (or strikes) as one side winning or losing.

Silver says he doesn’t see the deal that gave NBA players a 50-50 split of the revenue as a victory.

“We’re still not at the point where all the teams are profitable, but we’re hoping to work toward that point.”

9:35 a.m.: The job of the commissioner is to be “the steward of the best interests of the game,” Kasten says. “They work for the owners, but their job is to benefit all the interested parties.”

Kraft believes commissioners have to act like a CEO, as they manage brands worth tens of billions of dollars.

9:30 a.m.: Silver says teams want to “kill each other on the court,” but they’re partners in business off the court. They share best practices in business operations.

9:25 a.m.: Kraft says his family bought the Patriots at the dawn of the salary cap era in 1994.

They thought the time was right because they would be able to compete on the basis of their skill and expertise, as opposed to how much they could spend.

9:20 a.m.: Kasten says sports franchises are valued (and priced to sell) on “day-to-day, year to year numbers.”

Owners all believe they can fix, improve and make a return on their investments “down the road, but not necessarily annually or year to year.”

9:15 a.m.: The panelists agree that business operations at the team and league level have grown and gotten more complex.

Skipper adds that profitability is no longer a dirty word in the sports business. It’s become one of the key measures of success, which wasn’t always the case.

9:05 a.m.: When asked if owning a sports franchise is the coolest job in American business, Kasten starts with the dark side of the job.

Media dissecting every minute detail is a tough part of the business and he adds that Forbes’ franchise valuations “drive us [owners] nuts.”

9 a.m.: The first panel is set to begin. The topic is “The Changing Nature of Ownership.”

ESPN’s Peter Keating will moderate the discussion. The panel includes L.A. Dodgers president Stan Kasten, Kraft Group president Jonathan Kraft, ESPN president John Skipper and NBA deputy commissioner Adam Silver.

8:30 a.m. ET: The games people play are changing before our eyes, as those on the inside freely admit. Among the factors driving these changes is a deluge of data.

The second and final day of the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference promises to be full of insights and opinions on how data is changing the sports world.

Owners, staff and officials from the highest ranks of the sports world will be on hand to discuss some of the great changes in the sports and entertainment industry. Managers and coaches will discuss how data is affecting their strategies before, during and after games. We’ll even learn how elite soccer clubs are embracing the data revolution after.

Throughout the day, we’ll be on hand at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center to bring you the highlights of the day’s discussions.

Click here to review discussions from day one of the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference>>

Have a question for Marcus Kwesi O’Mard? Send it to him via Twitter at @mkomard, his Facebook page or send it here. He will pick a few questions to answer every week for his mailbag.

Photo via Facebook/Los Angeles Dodgers

6 p.m.: We’ve reached the conclusion of the first day of the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference. We’ll be back Saturday for day two. Be sure to check NESN.com starting at 9 a.m. to see what topics are covered in the country’s biggest meeting sports data analysts.

5:55 p.m.: When asked about over-saturation of sports on television, Walsh points to increased audience sizes and competition from other outlets as proof that fans are actually underserved.

5:45 p.m.: The common challenge that teams in the NBA and Major League Baseball share is how to make teams profitable, Postolos says. Broad revenue sharing is one way leagues are facing this test.

5:40 p.m.: Walsh says that a lot of research will on concussions will come out in the next 12-24 months. He’s sure decision makers will take notice and act on it.

5:30 p.m.: Media is the biggest international opportunity at the moment, de Picciotto says. The next is taking brands globally (through sports). Finally, the movement of talent across borders gives players and fans a chance to see athletes from around the world.

He also thinks gambling has the potential to generate vast amounts of revenue, but it could kill sports as well.

On the question of performance-enhancing drugs, he says essentially need to keep up with societal values.

5:20 p.m.: Walsh asks how to use analytics to value sports properties — especially in increments of time.

PepsiCo has a proprietary model, according to Storms. “Nobody knows our business better than we do,” she says. The company uses a multi-stage process to evaluate the impact of any potential sponsorship or endorsement.

She concludes that there’s no way to measure the exact amount of product that sports partnerships move, but PespiCo is closer than it has ever been to doing so.

5:15 p.m.: Carter says leagues partner with media and sponsors to try and “surround the fan.” She adds that the old model of signage at a stadium no longer works.

5 p.m.: Walsh says we need innovative thinking about the playing of the game and the experience of the consumer.

He points to the fact that players are bigger, faster and stronger than they were decades ago, yet the size of the playing surfaces (specifically in the NFL and NBA) remain the same. “Why not make fields bigger to provide more excitement for fans,” he asks.

4:50 p.m.: The business of sports is our final panel of the day. Industry leaders will talk about the money side of this multi-trillion dollar industry.

Kraft Sports Group vice president Jessica Gelman will moderate the panel. She will be joined by Soccer United Marketing president Kathy Carter, Octagon president Phil de Picciotto, Houston Astros president George Postolos, PepsiCo vice president of global sports marketing Jennifer Storms, and ESPN executive vice president John Walsh.

4:45 p.m.: Schatz says the most overrated players are the ones whose athletic ability doesn’t translate into football success.

He points to D’Angelo Hall who is fast and has good hands but is poor in coverage.

He says Tony Romo is underrated because he is consistently one of the six or seven best quarterbacks in the league and one of the best in the fourth quarter … “as long as the game is not on national television.”

4:40 p.m.: The 49ers use analytics to better understand the tendencies of coaches — how they manage the clock and when they call time outs.

4:35 p.m.: Pioli says mutual respect is lacking in football when asked how to convince an NFL head coach to listen to an analyst who has never stepped on the field.

He says a coach must have an open mind, but it’s important how analysts present, deliver and communicate their information.

4:30 p.m.: Kremer asks how to quantify injuries and off-field problems. What value do you attach to those events?

No two injuries are the same, but Shatz argues that, en masse, players  are better at recovering from injuries in today’s game than they were in the past.

As for the character question, Pioli approaches it on a case-by-case basis, saying there’s no real way to measure something like that.

Pioli discusses the new player assessment tool being used at the NFL combine. He wants to know as much about a player’s mental makeup — specifically his levels of work ethic and level of selflessness (or selfishness).

4:25 p.m.: Demoff says the middle class is shrinking because teams are better at scouting and developing young players. Teams are now paying a premium for players they call “difference makers.”

4:20 p.m.: Demoff says the salary caps affect the schemes teams use. They “ultimately look for undervalued players and get as many of them as you can.”

He said more teams started playing 3-4 defenses a few years ago because nose tackles were undervalued. Now the best nose tackles command $12 million salaries, so teams are reverting to the 4-3 because the market allows them to get more bang for their buck with tackles to fit that system.

4:15 p.m.: Marathe calls the Patriots the “kings of replenishing.”

In the age of the salary cap, it’s impossible to keep a team together over the long term. “If every player took a 15-percent discount on their market rate, we still wouldn’t be able to keep them all,” he says.

He adds that the Patriots have been incredible at churning players yet remaining successful.

Pioli says that the Pats’ practice of stockpiling draft picks increases their chancing of landing good players. “Every pick is a gamble,” he said before adding that taking more gambles increases the chances of landing good players.

4:05 p.m.: Pioli says it’s tough to come up with a measurement to predict a player’s chance of success.

“Football is such an interdependent game. The success of a play has so many variables and depends on 11 indiviudals.”

Marathe expands on it, saying that trades don’t often work out because a player can succeed in one system, but look totally out-of-place in another.

3:55 p.m.: Pioli is no fan of the combine because there’s a difference between “pure speed” and “playing speed.”

He finds values in measurements. He says Tom Brady is such an accurate passer because he’s got huge hands.

Marathe talks about “hidden value” of 40-yard dash times, citing the case of Jerry Rice. He says Rice had an average overall 40 time, but his speed between 20-40 yards (what insiders call “the flying 20″) was one of the highest ever.

He said it translated into separation speed on the field. Rice was rarely, if ever, caught from behind.

3:50 p.m.: Demoff and Marathe say their teams are looking to hire analysts. The Rams are still working out how to deeper integrate analytics into their organization, while the 49ers have used one on the salary cap side for over a decade and are now using them on the football side.

Pioli says analytics have played a role in the game for ages. “Gut” decisions are based on prior experience and analysis, he says.

We’re just calling it something else now.

3:40 p.m.: Are you ready for some football?

The National Football League is undergoing an analytics revolution of its own. The Football Analytics panel will discuss how NFL coaches and teams are using data to evaluate players, map out strategy and make in-game decisions.

Andrea Kremer will moderate the panel. She will be joined by St. Louis Rams executive vice president of football operations Kevin Demoff, former Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli, San Francisco 49ers chief operating officer Paraag Marathe and Football Outsiders founder Aaron Schatz.

2:40 p.m.: Robin van Persie does his exploring in the half second before the ball comes his way. It’s how he always seems to be one step ahead of defenders (despite not being particularly fast or quick) when he gets the ball in the final third of the field.

2:30 p.m.: Jordet says Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard have the highest frequency of “visual exploratory behavior,” meaning the two stars look around and gauge their surroundings before receiving the ball.

He says the midfield players who complete the highest number of forward passes are the ones who do the most exploring. In other words, they’re reading the game and playing it at the same time.

He bases the research on Sky Sports’ player cameras.

2:25 p.m.: We’re going from one extreme to the other. Baseball and statistics are inseparable, but soccer has been slow to adopt statistical analysis.

Geir Jordet, director of psychology at the Norweigan Centre for Football (soccer) Excellence is presenting some new research on “The Hidden Foundation of Field Vision in English Premier League Soccer Players.”

He explores the concept of field vision. How can some players make the right pass every time they get the ball? We’re about to find out.

1:50 p.m.: The panel discusses how difficult it is to predict how a young player will perform in the big leagues. There’s no exact science or measurement device that will predict which players will overperform or underperform at the top level.

1:40 p.m.: Posnanski says there’s a real divide in the way journalists cover baseball. He thinks younger writers — especially on the internet — are more versed in the “new language” of analytics, while mainstream media still focuses on wins, losses, errors and other 100-year-old statistics.

He thinks baseball coverage is currently changing and will continue to change with the times.

1:30 p.m.: Zaidi says analytics are changing the way the game is played and how managers manage.

McCracken adds that managers tend to want to avoid risk. If he plays a star player and the player doesn’t deliver, “it’s the player’s fault.” If the manager plays an untested rookie and the youngster fails, “it’s the manager’s fault.”

1:20 p.m.: When asked what the newest developments in baseball analytics, Keri says that teams are increasingly privatizing and keeping data in house. McCracken thinks this will slow the growth of the baseball analysis.

He goes on to say that video analysis is the next frontier in the field.

Zaidi says baseball analysis is too tied to outcomes rather than skills themselves. The A’s are trying to move in the direction of skill-based analysis rather than outcomes (which are the results of those skills).

1:15 p.m.: Zaidi drew chuckles from crowd when he said Billy Beane calls him “The Emotional Stat Guy.”

He adds that baseball decisions are very complex and there are a lot of disagreements, but Beane has to make the final call at the end of the day.

1:10 p.m.: Posnanski says that baseball provides new things to measure and quantify almost every day. Where some sports might see diminishing returns from the avalanche of data, he thinks that won’t be the case in baseball.

McCracken thinks the data can be dangerous. Some take a new stat and run with it without “completely understanding” the data that they’re seeing.

12:55 p.m.: We’re getting set for one of the most anticipated panels of the first day — on baseball analytics.

Sabermetrics are gaining influence among baseball’s decision makers. Grantland staff writer Jonah Keri, NBC Sports writer Joe Posnanski, statistical analyst Voros McCracken and Oakland Athletics director of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi will discuss how teams are using analytics to gain a competitive advantage. ESPN’s Lindsey Czarniak will moderate.

11:20 a.m.: Polian and MacMullan talk about the Manti Te’o hoax and its effect on the player.

The former Colts general manager thinks the hoax won’t have a negative impact on his career over the long term.

“The hoax that he was a victim of  is a story, and it’s a gigantic story —  people can’t get enough of it,” Polian says. “Does it affect Manti Te’o the football player? I would submit to you absolutely not.”

MacMullan agrees with that assessment, but she thinks the hoax has had negative effects on his preparation for the NFL combine.

“He was probably not capable of preparing the way he would have liked to have because of all the outside noise and all the outside things that have happened to him.

“I don’t know this for a fact, but perhaps he may have under-performed at the combine because anyone that went through what he went through, regardless of how much you think he was involved or not involved, it had to have been devastating. There had to have been a lot of sleepless nights. There had to have been a lot of days he probably didn’t eat, and I’m sure a lot of days he didn’t work out the way he wanted to.”

11 a.m.: Pagliuca talks about the perspective owners and managers need. The best ones see things over an 82-game season “like a movie.”

Polian talks about a parallel universe we live in. Fans and media expect perfection over the course of an 82, 16 or even 162-game season. Professionals know that perfection is “almost never achievable,” and coaches teach against mistakes that are part of the business.

10:50 a.m.: Burke and Van Gundy have spoken about the most difficult aspect of their jobs as coaches and general managers.

They agree that the hardest part is cutting players — guys that “bleed for you” as Burke says. The human element, specifically the bonds that form in the locker room are tough to break.

10:45 a.m.: Burke likes hard coaches. They’re his favorite ones. But the former Toronto Maple Leafs president and general manager says “the harder the coach is, the shorter his shelf life.”

10:40 a.m.: Pagliuca tells us that one of the best decisions the Celtics have made (since he’s been one of the team’s owners) was not firing Danny Ainge and Doc Rivers in the 2006-07 season.

10:20 a.m.: Van Gundy is discussing the Dwight Howard saga in Orlando. He says Howard asked for him to be fired and was causing a problem in the Magic locker room.

He wished Magic management would come out with a statement — either back him with a new contract or fire him — and end the distraction. They didn’t.

Polian says Jim Finks, Red Aurebach and Branch Rickey are the three greatest executives in history. He adds that coaches are useful for a maximum of 10 years. The ones that are able to “recognize and prepare them [players] are the ones that last longest.”

10 a.m.: “It’s Not You, It’s Me: Break-Ups in Sports” is our first panel of the day. Moderator Jackie MacMullan will lead a discussion about high-profile trades, public disputes over hirings and firings and other media spectacles.

John Buccigross, Bill Polian, Steve Pagliuca, Brian Burke and Stan Van Gundy will explore how high-profile changes affect on-field performances.

9 a.m. ET: In the span of seven years, the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference has become the place to be.

Sports insiders,  executives and leading researchers from around the country and beyond descend on Boston for two days  to discuss role of analytics in the sports industry with each other and thousands of students.

The Boston Convention and Exhibition Center is the site of this year’s conference. Nate Silver, Brian Burke, Adam Silver, Mark Cuban, Jonathan Kraft and Michael Wilbon are just a few of the panelists that will be on hand to give and receive insight into how sports are being changed by “big data.”

We are on hand for the 2013 conference, looking to see where the next breakthrough in sports analytics will come from. Join us here on March 1 for the latest on sports data analysis.

Have a question for Marcus Kwesi O’Mard? Send it to him via Twitter at @mkomard, his Facebook page or send it here. He will pick a few questions to answer every week for his mailbag.

Photo via Facebook/MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference

9:00 p.m.: Two deals have been completed that we have followed since the start of our live blog. 

Zamora has sealed his move to QPR, leaving Fulham in a £4.5 million ($7.1 million) deal. The England international striker signed a contract which runs until 2016. 

Jelavic has also finalized his move to Everton. The 26-year-old penned a contract that will keep him at Goodison park until 2016.

Lest we not forget, LFC reserve goalkeeper Martin Hansen signed with Danish club FC Viborg. 

That will conclude our live coverage of the deadline day dealings. We will report late deals and have some analysis in the coming days, so keep an eye out on NESN.com. 

8:30 p.m.: Tottenham remained busy up until the deadline. The North London club bolstered it's defense, adding Blackburn (and former D.C. United) defender Ryan Nelsen on loan.

The veteran center back has been limited to just one game this season because of a knee injury. Redknapp brought him in on a free transfer to provide cover in the heart of the Spurs defense.

8:20 p.m.: Spurs didn't want to admit it for much of the day, but Steven Pienaar is returning to Everton on loan until the end of the season.

The South African midfielder has only made two league appearances (both as a substitute) for the high-flying Spurs this season.

The 29-year-old midfielder joined Tottenham last year in January, but was unable to secure a regular place in Harry Redknapp's team. 

8:10 p.m.: Roman Pavlyuchenko is getting his wish, and finally leaving Tottenham. He will return to Russia with hopes of playing regular games and nailing down a place in Russia's Euro 2012 squad. 

Lokomotiv Moscow is his destination, as he departs for a fee believed to be around £8 million ($12.6 million). 

8:00 p.m.: The January transfer window has officially closed, but there will be a steady trickle (stream?) of news coming out over the next few hours. We will have it all for you, as it becomes official. 

6:30 p.m.: Pizzaro's move to City is complete. It is a loan deal that will run until the end of the season. 

The Chilean international joins the Premier League leader from AS Roma. Manager Luis Enrique has used him sparingly this season. Roberto Mancini could find his versatility and experience to be useful assets in City's title charge.

6:15 p.m.: Tottenham defender Sebastian Bassong has joined Wolves on loan until the end of the season.

The Cameroonian international has only made one start in the Premier League this season. 

Wolves could have used his services against Liverpool on Tuesday. 

6:05 p.m.: West Ham has signed Manchester United's rebellious teenager Ravel Morrison.

Sir Alex Ferguson was outraged by the soon to be 19-year-old's salary demands. He would have been a free agent at the end of the season, so United let him go for an undisclosed fee. 

5:59 p.m.: Edson Buddle, the former L.A. Galaxy striker, has been released from his contract by German club Ingolstadt FC.

The 30-year-old USA international had a trial with Everton in December.

5:50 p.m.: Zamora's move to QPR may have hit a snag because of his salary demands. 

A basic fee of £7 million ($11 million) — rising to £9 million ($14 million) with performance clauses — has been agreed to, but if Zamora doesn't pen a contract, the move will be off.

5:40 p.m.: With the deadline fast approaching, we can confirm a few moves. 

Saha is off to Spurs. He leaves Everton on a deal that runs through the end of the season. 

4:55 p.m.: What did we miss during LFC's demolition of Wolverhampton Wanderers? We'll round up the afternoon's transfer activity shortly. 

2:35 p.m.: QPR is assembling a real strike force at the deadline. Fulham's Bobby Zamora looks set to join Cisse in a revamped attack. 

2:30 p.m.: As if a ton is not enough, Arsenal has added another teenager to its ranks. 

Borrusia Dortmund's Thomas Eisfeld is going to try his luck at Prof. Wenger's finishing school. The 19-year-old has starred in the youth setup of the German champion, but has not made his first-team debut.

12:55 p.m.: AC Milan manager Massimiliano Allegri said that as of last night, he had "no hope" of signing Tevez.

The Mirror reports Milan and Manchester City were only £4 million ($6.3 million) apart in their respective valuations of the Argentine striker. But it doesn't look like anything will happen on the Tevez front before the deadline. 

12:05 p.m.: David Pizzaro looks like he's heading for Manchester City. 

The 32-year-old midfielder has been granted a work permit, and could help City's title charge in the months ahead. It will be a loan deal that may contain an option to buy him outright at the end of the season.

12 p.m.: With Jelavic looking set to complete his move from Rangers to Everton, the Scottish Champions have set their sights on Norwich Captain Grant Holt. 

Rangers' early bid was turned down, but they could come back with an improved offer. 

11:45 a.m.: Cisse's move to QPR is now official. The French international striker signed with the West London club until 2014.

He should be available to play in Wednesday's trip to Aston Villa.

11:30 a.m.: We have another confirmed deal to report. Roy Hodgson's West Brom has secured the transfer of Birmingham City defender Liam Ridgewell.

The reported fee is £2.5 million ($4 million). 

10:55 a.m.: Sotirios Kyrgiakos (remember him?) is back in England. He was last spotted in Sunderland, looking to seal a loan from German club Wolfsburg.

10:45 a.m.: German club Bayer Leverkusen has no use for the great Michael Ballack. But it has sealed a deal for Tottenham outcast Vedran Corluka. He joins Leverkusen on loan until the end of the season. 

The Croatian fullback hasn't started a league game since August, as Kyle Walker's steady performances have kept Corluka off the field. 

10:30 a.m.: Blackburn manager has told defender Christopher Samba that he is staying at the club for the remainder of the season. 

The experienced defender has pushed for a move away from the relegation contender in recent weeks, but it looks like he may not get his wish.

10:05 a.m.: Arsenal and Bolton have confirmed that teenage winger Ryo Miyaichi has joined Bolton on loan through the end of the season. 

The 19-year-old winger made just two appearances for the Gunners this season. He should return to Arsenal in the summer with some Premier League experience under his belt. 

9:45 a.m.: The Guardian reports Everton is agreeing to let Saha leave for Tottenham six months before his contract expires.

This, of course, is subject to the 33-year-old completing a physical, putting the chances of a move around 10 percent (just kidding, it's likely to happen). 

9:35 a.m.: Staying in Italy, it looks like Tiago Motta is joining Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) from Inter Milan. 

The 29-year-old midfielder was a key figure in Inter's 2010 UEFA Champions League-winning team, but the Italians are cashing in on him. 

He will join PSG for a reported £8.4 million ($13.3), in what looks like a cost-cutting measure. 

PSG will benefit from his experience, composure and versatility. 

9:11 a.m.: Sulley Muntari has completed a loan move from Inter Milan to across-the-hall rival AC Milan. 

The much-traveled Ghanaian has been a spectator for much of the season, and will help ease AC Milan's injury crisis in the midfield.

9:00 a.m.: Anzhi Makhachkala could solve Arsene Wenger's Andrey Arshavin dilemma. The Arsenal manager can't stop playing the misfiring Russian, yet he can't win with Arshavin in the lineup.

The mega-rich Russian club is in talks with Arsenal about bringing Arshavin back to his homeland. The Russian transfer window closes next month, so it does not have to happen before the close of the European transfer window. But Arsenal would need to sign a replacement on deadline-day.

8:56 a.m.: Marcus Olsson's move to Blackburn has been confirmed by the Premier League club.

The 23-year-old moves on a free transfer. His addition might not be enough to save Blackburn from relegation.

8:50 a.m.: Wayne Bridge has found an escape route from Manchester City that takes him to Sunderland. 

The former England left back joins Martin O'Neil's band of brothers on loan until the end of the season. 

8:30 a.m.: Pavel Pogrebnyak, a 28-year-old Russian striker with German club VFB Stuttgart, is in West London undergoing a physical with Fulham, according to numerous sources.

If he joins the Cottagers, Bobby Zamora could be headed to QPR, as has been rumored. Others could be on the move to and from Fulham as well.

8:20 a.m.: This move is confirmed. Kevin De Bruyne is joining Chelsea from Belgian club Racing Genk … in the summer.

The Associated Press reports the Blues signed the Belgian winger for a reported £9 million ($14.2 million), then waffled on his start date. They loaned De Bruyne back to Genk through the end of the season. He signed a contract that runs until 2017, so time is on his side. Yes it is.

8:10 a.m.: Here's another rumor for you: Lois Saha is on his way from Merseyside to North London.

A loan from Everton to Tottenham seems to be a possibility. 

7:45 a.m.: Rumor has it, AC Milan has reopened talks about signing Tevez. 

And it appears Tevez is appealing the fine of six-weeks' pay with which Manchester City hit him back in December. He's taking his case to the Premier League. 

7:30 a.m.: Blackburn is attempting to reunite the band. It has signed Swedish winger Marcus Olsson from Swedish club Halmstads.

Olsson's twin brother Martin has been with Blackburn since 2007.

7:20 a.m.: Expect QPR to be very busy on deadline day. New manager Mark Hughes will throw some money around to strengthen his team as it battles relegation.

His first move is to bring Djibril Cisse to London from Lazio. The former LFC striker will reportedly cost £4 million ($6.3 million).

7:10 a.m.: It looks like Everton will win the race for (Glasgow) Rangers striker Jelavic. He is heading to Merseyside to negotiate a contract with the Toffees, and take that all-important physical. ESPN reports the transfer fee is reported to be around £8 million ($12.6 million). It is unknown where Everton came up with that kind of cash. 

7:05 a.m.: First up, it's all quiet on the Liverpool front with no word of any players coming or going.

 7 a.m.: Good morning, good afternoon and good evening to all of you out there. There's plenty of action to talk about, so we're just going to dive right in. 

12 a.m. ET: Call it the calm before the storm, but the January 2012 transfer window has been a very quiet one so far. But the close of any transfer window is always good for a flurry of deadline-day deals, and we'll have them covered right here.

Manchester City's Carlos Tevez is on his way back to the Premier League leader, but he may not get a chance to unpack his bags. Rangers striker Nikica Jelavic was rumored to be longing for a move to Anfield, but he may land at Everton instead. Arsenal could be adding another young player, Thomas Eisfeld, to its ranks.

Join us right here, as we'll follow all the comings and goings around Liverpool, the Premier League and world soccer. We'll have news, analysis, insight and opinion about the major deadline-day moves starting at 7 a.m. ET.

Have a question for Marcus Kwesi O'Mard? Send it to him via Twitter at @NESNsoccer or send it here. He will pick a few questions to answer every week for his mailbag.

But that rough first 20 in the opening period set the stage for a Montreal victory as the Habs strengthen their hold on first place in the Northeast Division.

The Bruins go 0-2 on their quick road trip against division rivals Buffalo and Montreal, and return home to face Washington at the Garden on Saturday.

Third Period, 18:58, Canadiens, 4-3: The Habs use their timeout now, with another faceoff coming in the Montreal end and Thomas pulled for the extra attacker.

Third Period, 18:22, Canadiens, 4-3: The Bruins call timeout to regroup with a huge faceoff in the Montreal zone coming up after price tied up the puck on a Michael Ryder wraparound.

By the way, that last goal has been changed to Lucic, assists to Bergeron and Savard, who has his first multi-point game of the year.

Third Period, 15:10, Canadiens, 4-3: After struggling to even gain the zone in the first minute of the power play, the Bruins pull within one as Milan Lucic appears to tip in a Patrice Bergeron point shot to make it 4-3.

Bergeron is being credited with the goal for now, but that may get changed to Lucic.

Third Period, 14:06, Canadiens, 4-2: Greg Campbell took a bad penalty earlier, but he draws a key one here, getting tripped up by Roman Hamrlik for what might be Boston’s last chance to climb back into this one.

Third Period, 12:11, Canadiens, 4-2: Johnny Boychuk delivers a hit to rival Subban’s earlier shot on Marchand, as Boychuk catches Benoit Pouliot coming across the middle in the Boston Zone.

Boychuk nails Pouliot, sending his helmet flying.

Third Period, 11:44, Canadiens, 4-2: Milan Lucic with a bid from the left wing off a Krejci setup, but Price makes the save.

Price then denies Seguin and Seidenberg on back-to-back bids.

Third Period, 9:58, Canadiens, 4-2: More good pressure from the Bruins’ top line, as Krejci continues to play with an edge in this one. But they still can’t get anything else past Price to cut into this lead.

Third Period, 7:08, Canadiens, 4-2: Much better effort on the power play, with the Bruins spending almost the entire two minutes set up in the Montreal zone with multiple chances, but none go in as the Habs maintain their two-goal cushion.

Third Period, 5:08, Canadiens, 4-2: The Bruins get another chance on the power play, as Subban is sent off for tripping up Savard.

Third Period, 4:28, Canadiens, 4-2: The Bruins had good pressure from the top line but couldn’t put one home, then Tomas Plekanec is sprung on a breakaway going the other way, but Thomas makes another huge save.

Third Period, 1:30, Canadiens, 4-2: The Bruins can’t cash in on the man-advantage, and now will have to dig out of this hole at even strength.

Third Period, 0:00, Canadiens, 4-2: The final frame is under way, with the Bruins looking to cash in on the power play.

Second Intermission Notes: The Bruins played a much strong period in the second, but didn’t cut into the deficit at all after a horrible first as it remains a two-goal game.

There were positives though, with Blake Wheeler scoring a goal for his first point in six games and Marc Savard adding his first goal in the seventh game of his comeback.

Add in an assist by Tyler Seguin in his return to the lineup, some stellar saves from Tim Thomas, who has already stopped 30 shots in this one, and an unlikely fight from David Krejci (his first in the NHL) and there are some things to build off.

But there’s not a lot of time with just one period left. The Bruins do start with 1:29 left on the power play, and an early strike will be crucial to mounting a comeback in this one.

End Second Period, Canadiens 4-2: It was a much better effort in the middle frame for the Bruins, but the results are the same as the clubs traded goals and Boston remains down by two goals. And now they have just one period left to mount a comeback.

Second Period, 19:29, Canadiens 4-2: The Bruins get a late power play as Mathieu Darche goes off for interference after a hit on Boychuk.

Boychuk sold that pretty good, taking a page out of the Habs’ book, though that kind of embellishment isn’t good to see no matter who is doing it.

Second Period, 16:54, Canadiens 4-2: Montreal makes it a two-goal game again, with Brian Gionta tipping in a shot in front.

Pacioretty sent it in from the left boards with Gionta and Dennis Seidenberg battling for position in front of Thomas.

Second Period, 16:40, Canadiens 3-2: Marchand now out with Savard and Ryder in Seguin’s spot.

Second Period, 15:10, Canadiens 3-2: Seguin gets rewarded with a shift between Lucic and Horton while Krejci serves his fighting major.

Second Period, 14:48, Canadiens 3-2: After Thomas kept them in it with some early saves this period, the Bruins have really turned up the intensity in the second. Just think how things would be if they had played this way in the first period too.

Second Period, 11:31, Canadiens 3-2: Last year it was Wheeler, this season it’s David Krejci with the unlikely fight against the Habs, dropping the gloves with Mike Cammalleri.

After a long squareoff, they come together with the buckets still on, even though both wear visors. Krejci lands the best shot of the fight with a right that pops off Cammalleri’s lid. Cammelleri comes back to win the wrestling match at the end, but Krejci’s earns the decision with that right that drew blood.

Second Period, 9:45, Canadiens 3-2: The Bruins’ momentum gets halted as Steven Kampfer gets called for holding in the corner, putting the Habs on the power play again.

Second Period, 6:54, Canadiens 3-2: The Bruins are back in it, as Marc Savard scores his first goal since his comeback as he tips in a Ference point shot.

Seguin picks up an assist as well with the pass to Ference to start the play. That came just after Seguin nearly scored himself on a tip of a Savard pass in front. The rookie seems to have responded well to his brief benching.

Second Period, 5:18, Canadiens 3-1: Some signs of life from the B’s, as Johnny Boychuk fires in a couple rockets from the point, then Wheeler mixing it up in a scrum in front.

Wheeler, believe it or not, is the only Bruins with a fight against Montreal in the last two years.

Second Period, 3:30, Canadiens 3-1: Good to see Marchand back on the ice for the second period after taking that huge hit from Subban late in the first.

Second Period, 2:00, Canadiens 3-1: Thomas makes another big save, this time on Cammalleri from the right side off a crossing pass.

Second Period, 1:00, Canadiens 3-1: The Bruins have begun this period just like the last one, as they’re back on their heels and having trouble getting out of their own zone.

Second Period, 0:00, Canadiens 3-1: The middle frame is under way in Montreal, and the Bruins have to hope this one will go a little better than that forgettable first period.

First Intermission Notes: It was a very rough start for the Bruins, who are being outshot, outworked and even outhit by the Habs through 20 minutes.

Montreal held a 17-9 edge in shots and only some strong saves by Tim Thomas have prevented this one from getting completely out of hand.

Tough first period for Greg Campbell, who was a minus-2 and took the retaliation penalty after P.K. Subban smoked Brad Marchand with a huge hit. The Habs scored just as Campbell stepped out of the box to go into the second up by two. Campbell was also 0 for 3 on faceoffs, while Boston as a team was 8-13 (38 percent).

New Canaan, Conn. native Max Pacioretty is having himself a night for the Habs, with four shots, a hit and a goal already in 4:44.

End First Period, Canadiens 3-1: That’s a period the Bruins would love to forget, as they came out flat and it cost them with two early Montreal goals.

And just when the Bruins started to get back on track, a retaliatory penalty led to another Montreal score as the Habs go into the break up by two.

First Period, 19:30, Canadiens 3-1: The Bruins kill off the penalty, but Montreal scores one second after Campbell gets out of the box.

Max Pacioretty sends a backhand out from along the goal line that hits off Andrew Ference in front and past Thomas, as the Habs extend the lead back to two goals.

First Period, 17:29, Canadiens 2-1: Marchand tries to make one too many moves, deking around two defenders, but then gets flattened by P.K. Subban with a clean but brutal open-ice hit.

Greg Campbell tries to go after Subban and draws the only penalty for roughing, putting the Habs on the power play. Marchand heads to the bench a bit shaken up from that full-speed collision.

First Period, 15:52, Canadiens 2-1: The Bruins finally strike back, as Blake Wheeler scores on a low-angle shot from the right side that just dribbles in over the line.

That came after Wheeler nearly scored while Mark Recchi provided a screen in front.

First Period, 15:19, Canadiens 2-0: Thomas comes up with another big save, sliding post to post to stop a one-timer by Benoit Pouliot from the right wing.

Thomas is keeping this one from becoming a complete rout, but the rest of the Bruins aren’t showing much to give hope of turning this one around.

First Period, 13:57, Canadiens 2-0: The Bruins still looking sloppy, but Thomas comes up with a huge save to rob Brian Gionta and keep the deficit from getting any worse.

First Period, 10:00, Canadiens 2-0: Lucic lines up Jaroslav Spacek for a big hit in front of the benches. Let’s see if that wakes up the Bruins at all.

First Period, 9:08, Canadiens 2-0: That TV timeout might be just what the Bruins need, as they need some time to collect themselves and regroup after a disastrous start in Montreal. 

First Period, 6:24, Canadiens 2-0: The Bruins are in a big trouble now, as Maxim Lapierre makes it 2-0 with a rebound at the right post.

Poor coverage in front by the Bruins defense, as Boston has come out very flat in this one.

First Period, 5:46, Canadiens 1-0: The Bruins can’t muster much on that power-play chance, and the sides are back at even strength.

First Period, 3:46, Canadiens 1-0: The Bruins finally get some pressure of their own from the Marc Savard, Michael Ryder and yes, Tyler Seguin line.

Ryder draws a hooking penalty on P.K. Subban to give the Bruins their first power play.

First Period, 1:04, Canadiens 1-0: The Habs strike first as Michael Cammalleri beats Thomas on a penalty shot.

Cammalleri was awarded the shot after a Milan Lucic turnover led to a breakaway, which Zdeno Chara was forced to break up with a grab from behind. Cammalleri used a fake to the backhand, then tucked in a forehand at the left post to beat Thomas.

First Period, 0:37, 0-0: First signs of the old rivalry, and a sure sign of the new NHL. Lapierre gives Thornton a shot after an offsides and Thornton immediately discards the gloves, but Lapierre wants nothing to do with it. No penalties called on the play.

First Period, 0:00, 0-0: And we’re finally under way in Montreal, where the Bruins and Habs are renewing their rivalry with first place in the Northeast Division on the line.

7:10 p.m.: Still waiting on the start for this one, but once it gets going the energy line of Brad Marchand, Greg Campbell and Shawn Thornton will start for Boston, along with Dennis Seidenberg and Johnny Boychuk and defense and Tim Thomas in goal.

The Habs counter with Maxim Lapierre, Lars Eller and Mathieu Darche up front, old friend Hal Gill and Josh Gorges on the blue line and Carey Price in goal.

Montreal has scratched defenseman Yannick Weber and forward Tom Pyatt.

7 p.m.: Rest easy Tyler Seguin fans. The rookie forward is back in the lineup against Montreal after being a healthy scratch on Wednesday.

Seguin also missed Saturday’s game with Philadelphia with the flu, so this will be his first game action in a week.

Daniel Paille is back in the press box for this one.

6:30 p.m.: Tim Thomas and Carey Price led their respective teams out for warm-ups, so it looks like the marquee netminding matchup will happen as expected.

Both Tyler Seguin and Daniel Paille are on the ice for warm-ups, just as they were on Wednesday. So still no indication yet which way Claude Julien is leaning for his game-time decision there.

6 p.m.: The Bruins are in Montreal for the first time this season, looking to salvage a split in their two-game road trip after falling 3-2 in Buffalo Wednesday night.

Both teams scrapped the game-day skate after playing the night before, but Tim Thomas and Carey Price are expected to be in goal for this one.

For once, the goaltending question isn’t the biggest issue of the day. Instead, Bruins Nation eagerly awaits the word from Claude Julien on whether or not Tyler Seguin will be a healthy scratch again after sitting out the Sabres game. Julien said it will be a game-time decision whether he goes with Seguin or Daniel Paille.

Feel free to weigh in on the Seguin situation after reading my Instant Opinion on the matter, and check out a full breakdown of this matchup in our Facing Off feature. 

8 a.m.: The Bruins and Canadiens meet for the first time in Montreal this season on Thursday night, and there’s plenty on the line for both clubs.

Montreal holds just a two-point lead on the Bruins for first place in the Northeast Division, so a Boston victory will pull them even at 38 points apiece, with the Bruins still holding two games in hand.

But after a 2-0-1 homestand last week, the Bruins opened their current two-game road trip with a disappointing 3-2 loss in Buffalo on Wednesday. Montreal is also licking its wounds from a Wednesday loss, having fallen to Philadelphia 5-3 at the Bell Centre. The Canadiens rallied to tie the game 3-3 with two quick goals in the third, only to see the Flyers answer with two scores of their own for the win.

Unlike the clubs’ first meeting at the Garden on Nov. 11 when the Habs were waiting and rested in Boston while the Bruins played the night before in Pittsburgh, neither team will have had any extra rest for this one. The Habs won 3-1 that night in Boston, so the Bruins would love to turn the tables and ruin the Canadiens’ night on Montreal’s home ice.

The puck drops at 7 p.m., so check back here throughout the day for updates on all the action.