🏆 Your playoff season primer

It's Wednesday, Boston.

🐾 Katie here. Need a midweek pick-me-up? Take a look at these pups who were supporting the Boston Marathon runners. Instant happiness. 

👀 What’s on tap today:

• A tech issue grounded Southwest

• The last candidate standing

• Kipchoge talks marathon performance

Up first...

SPORTS

A playoffs study guide

ICYMI: Both the Celtics and the Bruins kicked off their playoff runs this week. The TD Garden duo have both had strong seasons, with the Bruins making historic moves on the ice. The city is electric with the possibility of two titles coming home this year.

Here’s what you need to know about the playoffs so far: 

🏀 The Celtics are in the first round of the conference playoffs, and they’re up two games to none against the Atlanta Hawks. They handily beat the Hawks in Game 1, leading by 30 points before the half. They also took Game 2, 119-106, with a particularly strong showing from Derrick White.  Game 3 is set for 7 p.m. Friday in Atlanta. 

🏒 The Bruins take the ice again tonight for Game 2 of Round 1 in the Stanley Cup playoffs. The B’s kept the Florida Panthers at bay on Monday, winning 3 to 1 despite playing without team captain Patrice Bergeron. Bergy was out with an illness and an upper body injury. 

☘️ With two uber-talented Boston teams, nearly every player is one to watch. But it’s no secret that you should keep your eyes on Jaylen Brown. He put up 29 points in Game 1, more than anyone else despite playing with a bandaged shooting hand from a cut.

🐻 If you’re looking for an agitator on the ice, keep an eye on Tyler Bertuzzi. His Game 1 antics included two skull-rattling checks to Panthers players and taking the stick from Panthers’ center Nick Cousins and bringing it to the Bruins’ bench. This isn’t to mention the two goal assists he notched in his first-ever postseason game. 

🚧 The playoffs have taken over Canal Street. Mayor Michelle Wu announced last week that Canal Street would close to cars during home games. The street closes three hours before the start of the game and lasts til after the game is over. This also gives restaurants the ability to extend sidewalk dining. Bars like Hurricane’s are already taking advantage of the on-street dining patio. Scores, a sports bar opening in the former home of The Fours, plans to open April 28 and has already applied to extend their patio when they do.

CITY

Quick & dirty headlines

✈️ Technical issues grounded flights out of Logan. A firewall problem caused Southwest Airlines to delay almost half of all flights leaving Logan yesterday, with over 1,500 delays across the U.S. The airline asked the Federal Aviation Administration to institute a travel pause on Tuesday morning, which was lifted by late morning on the East Coast. If this delay is giving you flashbacks to the holiday season, you’re not alone. But this temporary grounding doesn’t even closely compare in numbers to the over 16,000 Southwest flights canceled in December.

🗳️ A special election race drops to one. Democrat John Moran is poised to fill the open Mass. House of Representatives 9th Suffolk district seat after his primary opponent suspended her campaign last week. There’s no Republican competitor in the race. As the last candidate standing, Moran would take the seat left open by Dr. Jon Santiago after Gov. Maura Healey appointed him to serve as the secretary of Veterans’ Services. The 9th Suffolk district covers most of the South End, along with parts of Back Bay, Roxbury, and Dorchester.  

💉 The FDA cleared an extra COVID booster. Anyone 65 and up or those with weakened immune systems can roll up their sleeves again this spring as long as it’s been four months since their first dose of the omicron-specific shot. The CDC still needs to approve the measure before anyone gets an additional jab. The FDA will decide about boosters for younger Americans over the summer. The FDA also said that the original versions of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are outdated and anyone looking to get a vaccine, whether it’s their first shot or a booster, will get the omicron-specific kind. 

🏃 Kipchoge spoke out about his marathon performance. The world record holder set a quick but comfortable pace for the elite pack in the marathon, but ended up in sixth place. He told reporters on Tuesday that, ahead of the Newton Hills, he found himself unable to lift his left leg properly, causing him to slow down and fall behind the lead pack. Kipchoge said he’d like to try again, but likely not next year because it will be too close to the Paris Olympics.

ONE LAST THING

From the altar to the finish line 

Nothing says relaxing after a wedding like running a marathon… right?

Triathletes Marion Jeanne and Tom De Bruyn married last week in California and opted for a “running moon” to celebrate their nuptials. 

The couple wore bride-and-groom themed outfits as they ran the Boston Marathon on Monday. Jeanne’s look was complete with a short white veil that flew behind her as she ran, and De Bruyn wore a suit vest and tie. Running a marathon is a feat of strength in itself, let alone with a veil and tie.

💍 Thanks for reading! Congrats to Marion and Tom on both their marathon and marriage.  

📺 Also: Check out Boston Globe Today, a new show from our BGM family. It showcases our region and its diverse community, while presenting a thoughtful, in-depth, and nuanced look at stories of the here and now.

💃 Keep up with us @BostonBSide on IG, TikTok, and Twitter. Send comments and suggestions to [email protected].