This time, Tom couldn’t beat time.

Tom Brady and the Patriots were stopped Sunday in their quest to win a sixth Super Bowl when Nick Foles and the Eagles proved to be the better team.

The playoff run captured all of New England’s imagination and attention. Now, as the green and white confetti is swept away in Minneapolis, it’s time for us to take stock of Boston’s other teams. All three feel they are in position to make deep playoff runs, but as we were reminded over the weekend, anything short of a championship is considered a failure in New England.

The Celtics and Bruins each have reason to believe they could be the next team to rev up the duck boats for a spin.

The Celtics’ 16-game winning streak made them the talk of the town earlier this season. They’re 23-13 since that run, a .639 winning percentage that would still make them a top-four team in the East. The Cleveland Cavaliers are self-destructing, meaning the Toronto Raptors may be the team to worry about in the Eastern Conference.

There’s no doubt the Golden State Warriors are still the class of the NBA, with the Houston Rockets right behind. Yet there’s no reason the Celtics shouldn’t be able to make it through the East for a date with one of those teams in the Finals. Then, all bets are off. And just imagine for a moment how much better they might be if Gordon Hayward returned by then? It could happen …

The Bruins believe they are one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, if not the entire NHL. And rightly so. This young team has come together quicker than many of us expected. Their recent run of 18 games without a regulation loss vaulted them toward the top of the standings and renewed faith that they have what it takes to reach the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in five years.

Injuries can change all that. So can suspensions. The Bruins lost Brad Marchand to a suspension after he elbowed Marcus Johansson of the Devils – the sixth suspension of Marchand’s career. There was a time “the little ball of hate” needed to do things like that to make his mark in the game. No longer. Marchand has become one of the league’s top players. He’s a premier forward whose talents will be needed by the Bruins if they are to play deep into spring. You can bet other teams will try to goad him into retaliation hits as we approach the playoffs. If Marchand bites, he’ll be suspended for longer than five games. He’ll have to show restraint, something he hasn’t done enough in recent years. If he doesn’t, Lord Stanley’s famous hardware won’t be visiting the Garden in 2018.

The Red Sox have begun the long road back to work. The equipment truck pulled out of Fenway Park and headed south Monday. Next Wednesday, pitchers and catchers will hold their first workout. Based on pitching alone the Sox are a playoff contender. As presently constructed, that’s all they are. Manager Alex Cora will bring a renewed energy and improved lines of communication to the clubhouse, but he won’t be able to add power to a lineup that hit the fewest homers in the American League in 2017.

We all know there are hitters sitting idly in free agency who could help this lineup. Yet the great free-agent impasse of 2018 continues. If the Sox finally figure a way to sign a slugger like J.D. Martinez, they would have to be considered a championship contender. Without that additional impact bat, they will be in danger of a quick playoff exit for the third straight year.

Here in New England, we are championship driven. The expectations surrounding our pro teams have never been higher. After all, it’s been 12 whole months since we’ve celebrated a championship.

Tom Caron is a studio host for the Red Sox broadcast on NESN. His column appears in the Portland Press Herald on Tuesdays.

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