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Take a Match to Quenneville's Matchups

Chris Johnston, Sportsnet Magazine

Bruins' Major Goal: Don't Give Many Up

Matt Kalman, Boston Herald

Paille, Rask Bookend Bruins' Domination

Jeff Jacobs, Hartford Courant

Bruins Blank Blackhawks, Lead Series

Brian Hamilton, Chicago Tribune

Call It the National Heart Attack League

Joe DeLessio, Sports on Earth

So far, this has been entirely too easy for Claude Julien. On a night where the Boston Bruins coach likened the line matching during the Stanley Cup final to a chess match, it loo...(full article)

His team was about to take on the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup finals last Saturday when Bruins coach Claude Julien incredulously responded to a question abou...(full article)

The T-shirt in support of one of Boston's great role players is as clever as it is profane. "Yippee Paille … !" There's another word following Paille, of course, but this is...(full article)

When the Stanley Cup Final is tied after two games, the winner of the third game historically goes on to win the whole thing 84 percent of the time. The Chicago Blackhawks' chanc...(full article)

"Old people don't watch it, because you might die just watching." -- Jaromir Jagr, on the first two games of the Stanley Cup Final    Jaromir Jagr is exaggerating for effect, of...(full article)

More Recent Articles

Don't Blame Quenneville, Or Bollig

Go ahead and question Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville for having Brandon Bollig on the ice for overtime of Saturday night's 2-1 loss to the Bruins in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup F...

Bruins Win This OT Thriller to Get Even

These Boston Bruins are one resilient bunch. Daniel Paille scored at 13:48 in overtime and the Bruins shrugged off a sluggish start to beat the Chicago Blackhawks 2-1 on Saturday ...

Goaltenders Putting On Stanley Cup Show

CHICAGO -- Corey Crawford and Tuukka Rask were both fantastic in Game 1 of the 2013 Stanley Cup Final. You have to look at not only the number of shots they faced, but a lot of tho...

Blackhawks Win Chicago Marathon

What we had, playing out in front of us on a continuous loop, was crazed, energy drink hockey. Ferocious hockey. It was the first overtime Wednesday night, and players were gladl...

Shaw Ends Drama in Third Overtime

About five hours before the puck dropped Wednesday for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, Blackhawks forward Andrew Shaw posted this on his Twitter feed: "The moment we all dreamed a...

When It Comes to Forwards, 'Hawks in Front

The Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks both have a collection of solid forwards that are great on both ends of the ice and have made a Canucks fan cry at some point. But who has ...

Final Offers Some Original Six Appeal

If this Stanley Cup Final lives up to the expectations many people have for it, we could witness a series that we'll remember for years to come. It has all the ingredients of a t...

A Generation Later, Jagr an Original

Back on the biggest stage in hockey for the first time in more than two decades, Jaromir Jagr looked like a younger man. The 41-year-old Boston Bruins winger arrived at United Cent...

Stanley Cup Promises to Be Annoying

Brad Marchand is called “The Little Ball of Hate,’’ which is just about the greatest nickname ever. It’s borrowed from former NHL player Pat Verbeek, but that’s OK. It f...

Hard Telling Who Holds Edge in Cup Final

Usually the two teams that get to the Stanley Cup Final have had to overcome something. The Chicago Blackhawks and Boston Bruins have both been tested. They've overcome the challen...

Blackhawks Add to an Amazing Story

Seventeen days earlier, the Blackhawks were flatlining. Two measly goals in three maddening games — all losses to the hated Detroit Red Wings — put them on the brink of elimina...

With Golson Gone, Irish' Rees to Step Back In

It’s come down to this for Notre Dame: At an awards ceremony Wednesday in Grand Rapids, Mich., coach Brian Kelly told attendees that Tommy Rees, the Fighting Irish’s oft-mali...

2 Bad Teams, 16 Long Innings - and We Love It

The game survives. It always survives. A routine Wednesday afternoon game on a gorgeous June day in Seattle between two teams rapidly going nowhere can slog along for 13 unevent...

Tough Road Ahead for Blackhawks

LOS ANGELES – It took nearly an hour, but finally Jeff Carter emerged from the Los Angeles Kings dressing room, fresh stitches poking out from under his right lip. Those came...

Lesson of Elite Irish Recruit's Switch to UCLA

Eddie Vanderdoes signed the worst contract in American sports. Now, he'll pay for that signature with a year of college eligibility. He'll also learn a valuable lesson about leve...

With No Goals, No Hope for Kings

The Los Angeles Kings have set the standard for hard-to-play-against, grinding out 24 playoff wins over the last two springs. But does it matter today, if the Kings can’t score...

Chicago's Crawford Saving Goals and Himself

CHICAGO—If the story sounds familiar, that's because it is. It's the one about a goaltender whose first two playoff campaigns as a starter ended with first-round exits, foll...

Hossa Winks, Makes Kings Blink

If you got a kick out of Blackhawks forward Marian Hossa's wink at the NBC-TV camera during the national anthem Saturday before Game 1 of the Western Conference finals against the ...

Stanley Cup Final Prediction: Pens-Hawks

It seems like a lifetime ago that the dominant conversations about the NHL focused on things like industry growth funds and lonely podiums and Ron Hainsey and hockey-related revenu...

Blackhawks Create Instant Classic

If you want to know exactly how Brent Seabrook scored the game-winning goal in overtime Wednesday night, don’t ask him. But if you want to experience hockey’s fog of ...

Irish Coach Wants Golson to Return

Everett Golson intends to return to Notre Dame, and if he can, coach Brian Kelly is ready to welcome his starting quarterback back into the fold.  In the meantime, it's not kn...

Golson to SEC? Let the Rumors Begin

An academic suspension cost Everett Golson his 2013 season at Notre Dame, but while he isn't currently enrolled at the school, he said in a statement released Sunday that he does ...

A Kiel Conundrum: QB Could Return to ND

As the soap opera that is Notre Dame took another turn Saturday evening, there were two equally stunning developments — starting quarterback Everett Golson was no longer enr...

Kelly's New Goal: Build Winner Without Golson

Notre Dame won't miss Everett Golson's 58.8 completion percentage, his 2,405 passing yards or even his six rushing touchdowns. Those numbers are replaceable.   Golson's sizable p...

Irish Must Have Angered the Football Gods

  Notre Dame's aura is gone again. Just like that. It is amazing how every last thing has gone wrong for Notre Dame football dating back to, roughly, opening kickoff of the BCS t...

Near Elimination, Blackhawks Show Up

The power play showed up. Captain Jonathan Toews showed up. The Blackhawks we’ve known showed up. As a result of their 4-1 win in Game 5, the Hawks extended their Western Confere...

Blackhawks' Incredible Shrinking Captain

There was something a tad much about what Jonathan Toews said Thursday morning. Something overboard, something overdone. Something too too, if you know what I mean. “When y...

Contending Rockies Should Target Cubs' Garza

The Rockies are in first place! Go! Crazy! Folks! Quick, somebody post a photograph of the standings! OK, it's May. Inhale. Exhale. Chill pills available, two for a dollar. But is...

5-Star Recruit May Be Souring on Irish

Roughly two weeks after Matthew Thomas expressed his desire to be released from his Florida State scholarship, Eddie Vanderdoes reportedly may want out of his Notre Dame commitment...

For Red Wings, Grit Wins Games

Detroit -- If it moved, the Red Wings hit it. If it bounced, they chased it. The Blackhawks kept passing and pressuring, and the Red Wings kept pressing and pressing, slamming bod...

Sale's Mantra: Food, Glorious Food

On the mound last week, Chris Sale, the 24-year-old ace of the Chicago White Sox, was practically unhittable. In two starts, he threw 16 2/3 scoreless innings, allowed just four hi...

Red Wings Drop the Hammer on Blackhawks

At one point during the general bludgeoning of the Blackhawks in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals Saturday, Jonathan Toews received a particularly robust clobbering. Th...

Red Wings Need to Get Out of Own Way

It is never good, in the sports world, to be worried about your “own end,” not in horse racing, not in sumo wrestling and certainly not in hockey.   But the Red W...

Rose Saved His Knee, But Lost His Reputation

Derrick Rose saved his knee. But what did he lose?   He lost a lot of us, that's for sure. Did he lose us forever? Can't say. Don't know. Time heals a lot of things, but I'm ...

Now Playoffs Turn Real for Heat

Always, for teams climbing the mountain, there are nights like this, when their breathing's labored, and their opponent plays hard, and there's healthy spasms of doubt if they're...

Heat Wading Into Dangerous Territory

Most of the unusually low numbers from this game should delight Heat fans. Those numbers stunk up this city Monday night and all but required the Bulls arena to be immediately fu...

Bulls Wilt Under Relentless Heat

He has heard it all the past few years. Chris Bosh has heard he's too soft and doesn't rebound enough. He's been called the Third Wheel and the half in Two-and-a-Half Men. Even aft...

Trade Derrick Rose? Really?

I don’t think I’ve seen more anger directed at a member of the ­Chicago sports community than I have at Derrick Rose.   Not at Tank Johnson, Jay Cutler, Carlos Marmol or Ada...

Bulls the Real Deal on Defense

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Watching the Bulls-Heat series might make Dan Gilbert pine for two things. One is within the Cavaliers' control. The other is LeBron James. Hoping James will re...

Heat Win Brawl With Bulls

For close to 48 hours, Tom Thibodeau preached composure, saying the Bulls couldn't lose focus to extracurricular shenanigans or officials' calls. After Technicalapalooza in Game 2...

Bulls' Biggest Failing Is Lack of Dignity

MIAMI — If you embarrass a team as good as the Heat in a playoff game, you will pay for it the next time. That’s inevitable — perhaps not death-and-taxes inevitable, but clo...

Heat Rebound in Record Fashion

First came the drive, the first time LeBron James touched the ball. Then came the resolve, as Chicago's Jimmy Butler and Joakim Noah met him in the lane for the first time. Finally...

Rose Critics Can Learn From Grant Hill

The longer the Chicago Bulls stay alive in the NBA playoffs, the louder the clamoring will grow for the return of their injured budding superstar, Derrick Rose. Before the din bec...

Bulls' Rose Smarter Than His Critics

To the electrician who last played in high school, to the gym teacher who once played small-college ball, Derrick Rose appears “gutless,” a “coward” for fai...

He's a Little Man But a Big Entertainer

It's always fun to pull for the "little guy" in sports, and in basketball, this is something of a literal truth. In a sport that prizes vertical motion and therefore naturally rew...

Cubs' Rizzo Delivers in Debut

Eric Karros once said every player should spend one year as a Cub to experience the feeling of playing every day at Wrigley Field. Anthony Rizzo, now in his third organization at ...

White Sox Take a Risk on Youkilis

Ken Williams was smiling Sunday afternoon. The White Sox general manager seemed revved up, if not totally revived, by the Kevin Youkilis trade. Maybe it was just the idea of making...

Bulls Survive With Tough Defense

The challenges have kept coming all season. The Bulls erased an 11-point deficit with 4 minutes left in the season opener to beat the Lakers on Derrick Rose's game-winner. They nav...

Marmol Out as Cubs' Closer

Cubs manager Dale Sveum made it official Friday morning: Carlos Marmol is no longer the closer out of the bullpen. The two met in Sveum’s office before Friday’s game ag...

Cubs Manager Fed Up With Marmol

One day after he talked about his patience as a manager, Dale Sveum reached his limit with combustible closer ­Carlos Marmol. The Cubs manager appears on the verge of demoting ...

Humber Far From Perfect vs. Red Sox

The drama ended with the first batter, and now the only suspense in Philip Humber's life is when wife Kristan delivers the couple's first child in the immediate future. In his firs...

What Next for Canucks, Blackhawks?

Although fans always want a coach, player or general manager to be sacrificed after a disappointing playoff result, the truth is there is more right than wrong with Vancouver. Co...

The Bulls Are Just Fine (Kind of)

Without Derrick Rose, and with Luol Deng struggling to pull off double-duty on both ends of the court, of course the Chicago Bulls were going to be no match for the Miami Heat on...

Heat's Defense Smothers Bulls

In a physical, final regular-season meeting between the Eastern Conference’s two best teams, the Heat defeated the Bulls 83-72 on Thursday at American Airlines Arena. If it...

Blackhawks Tie Series With Coyotes

Patrick Sharp merely chuckled when asked if the Blackhawks practice scoring with six attackers on the ice. The Hawks seem to have perfected the art of late-game heroics as for the ...

Rose Struggles; Bulls' Bench Shines

This time, The Shrug came more out of exasperation than celebration. When Derrick Rose's jumper finally found bottom with 7 minutes, 1 second left in the third quarter, ending a ...

Blackhawks Hold Edge in Talent

The neutral zone will be clogged. Offensive-zone entries will be denied or chased down. The crease will be boxed out. And the Phoenix Coyotes will rely on goalie Mike Smith to do...

Notre Dame Stumbles Down Stretch

Unable to make the winning plays down the stretch, and unable to hold a 12-point second-half lead, the Irish crumbled in a 67-63 loss at Greensboro Coliseum.“I think we ha...

Blackhawks Can't Pin Down Goalie

Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville says he likes having to make tough choices with his roster, but he probably wishes that didn’t apply to his goalies for the third year in ...

Bulls Send Knicks to 6th Loss in Row

Carmelo Anthony was disgusted by what he deemed a lack of hustle exhibited by his teammates Monday night against the Chicago Bulls before reaching one important conclusion. &ldqu...

Magic Get Rare Win Over Elite Team

This is a win the Orlando Magic will remember for a long time. After they squandered a second-quarter lead of 18 points and let a 10-point lead early in the fourth quarter slip a...

Cubs' Samardzija on Mission to Start

After throwing three scoreless innings against Kansas City in his spring debut Wednesday, Jeff Samardzija agreed with Dale Sveum that he's "on a mission" to win a starting spot. ...

Difficult Loss for Northwestern

Was it too much to ask? Was it too much to hope that just one time -- this time -- would be Northwestern's turn as fate's chosen beneficiary? Was it too much to think that maybe,...

Irish Win 9th Straight in Big East

The big, burly Jack Cooley emerged in the paint to deflect the hopeless Jabarie Hinds' shot, Hinds' sixth miss on a Wednesday night that saw him whiff on eight of his nine attemp...

Blackhawks Need to Make a Deal

When Blackhawks rookie forward Jimmy Hayes set up Marcus Kruger's game-winning goal in an invigorating 2-1 victory Tuesday night over the Red Wings at the United Center, admit it. ...

Northwestern Faces Must Win

On the eve of 11th-ranked Michigan's visit to Evanston on Tuesday night, Northwestern coach Bill Carmody did his best to shoot down the idea that this was the biggest game in Wildc...

Bulls Make Statement vs. Celtics

With the NBA's best record, the Bulls know they can beat anybody. Still, there are moments in any season where statements must be made. And, having dropped five of their last six ...

Blackhawks Snap 9-Game Skid

Music blared and smiles were flashed in the Blackhawks' dressing room after a game for the first time in nearly a month. The Hawks' long North American nightmare ended Thursday nig...

Blackhawks Drop 9th in Row

No doubt looking for a little luck, coach Joel Quenneville wore a tie with shamrocks and four-leaf clovers on it as the Blackhawks sought to end their mind-numbing losing skid. Wha...

Oilers' Gagner Nets 8 Points

Hats off to Sam Gagner. The Edmonton Oilers forward not only registered his second NHL hat trick, he added an exclamation point by finishing with four goals and four assists in a...

Rose Exposes Knicks' Backcourt

Amar'e Stoudemire was suddenly back to playing the way he did in the pre-Carmelo Anthony days. His jumper was smooth and his drives usually ended with dunks. “He looks more e...

Deng Vows to Play Through Pain

Hardened by past questions about his toughness and buoyed by the Bulls' championship potential, an upbeat Luol Deng will try to play through a torn ligament in his left wrist that ...

Bulls' Deng Out With Wrist Injury

Changing the official prognosis from "day-to-day" to "week-to-week," Chicago Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau confirmed Tuesday that Luol Deng suffered a torn ligament in his left wrist. ...

Hawks' Kane Breaks Out of Slump

The heavy snow blanketing the area and snarling traffic wasn't the only reminder of Chicago for the former members of the Blackhawks now playing for the Panthers. The 2010 Stanley ...

White Sox Have Identity Problem

The Chicago White Sox are Jerry Reinsdorf’s car, and his whims tend to dictate how it’s outfitted. Last season, Reinsdorf was in go-for-it mode, so he went full &ldqu...

Young Blackhawks Proving Worth

With the kind of play the Blackhawks are getting from their young players, the future looks very bright. The present is pretty illuminated as well. The Hawks vaulted to the top of ...

Martz Decides to Retire

Former Bears offensive coordinator Mike Martz has decided to retire from coaching. "It's time," he told the Sun-Times. Martz didn't elaborate on his decision. But he'll turn 61 i...

Without Rose Bulls Dropped by Grizz

The Memphis Grizzlies shot 54 percent and ended the Chicago Bulls' five-game win streak with a 102-86 victory in Monday's matinee, which Derrick Rose missed because of more trouble...

Cubs Remaking Roster

The new Cubs administration has reached the three-quarters mark of its fertile first 100 days in (front) office and has been nothing short of aggressive with its reformist platfo...

DePaul Hands Pitt 4th Straight Loss

DePaul handed Pitt its fourth consecutive loss tonight, a 84-81 setback at Allstate Arena. The loss marks the longest losing streak during Jamie Dixon's nine seasons as head coac...

Hawks' Carcillo Suspended Indefinitely

Because of an apparent left leg injury, no one was sure Tuesday when Daniel Carcillo would return to the Blackhawks lineup. The injury probably is the lesser of his worries. Carcil...

Blackhawks Cap Big December

One shot. That’s what Detroit Red Wings standout forwards Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg combined for ­Friday against the Blackhawks at the United Center. It embod...

Hot-Shooting Irish Burn Pitt

That wasn't Notre Dame's burn offense on display Tuesday night in a Big East Conference opener at Joyce Center. That was merely the Fighting Irish's young players burning Pitt at...

Hamilton Stellar in Chicago Debut

Point guard Derrick Rose agreed to a five-year, $94 million contract extension on the same night he took the floor with the new wingman the Bulls hope can help him get the only t...

Blackhawks Tie Wild for Best Record

John Scott didn't believe it when first told he was voted second star of the Blackhawks' convincing 4-1 victory over the Ducks on Friday night, but there was the hulking defenseman...

Cubs to Pursue Fielder?

New Cubs manager Dale Sveum has made it no secret about how much he likes Prince Fielder. "He's one of those special guys who comes around once in a while, once in a lifetime," Sv...

Bears Would Be Wise to Sign Orton

During the CBS broadcast of the Bears game Sunday, Jim Nantz and Phil Simms talked about how Lovie Smith believes this is his best Bears team. If the Bears believe they were close ...

Hurricanes End Skid With Shutout

Cam Ward picked up the shutout Friday and the Carolina Hurricanes' goalie was named the game's first star. As Canes defenseman Bryan Allen put it, "He was our calming influence." B...

Sandberg on Way as Manager?

Now that chairman Tom Ricketts has pulled off the biggest coup in recent Cubs history, could his next trick be to pull a Hall of Famer out of a hat? With sources saying Wednesday...

Long To-Do List to Fix Team

Finding a landing spot for Carlos Zambrano won't be at the top of Theo Epstein's to-do list in Chicago. But dealing with him will be one of Epstein's most important tasks as the Cu...

Cubs Stint Will Define His Legacy

Theo Epstein's days in the Boston Red Sox' front offices are over, and for good this time. Epstein agreed on a five-year deal reportedly worth nearly $20 million with the Chicago...

Fire Interested in United's Ferdinand

Chicago Fire want to make Rio Ferdinand the new David Beckham of Major League Soccer. The American team are desperate for a high-profile English player to enable them to compete ...

Francona Wrong Fit for White Sox?

Ask most in the know to describe White Sox board chairman Jerry Reinsdorf in one word, you can bet “loyal’’ will be a frequent response. That’s why the of...

White Sox Likely Spot for Francona

If the White Sox have designs on making Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona their successor to Ozzie Guillen, one important door has been opened. Francona has had enough of his...

Guillen: White Sox Lacked Loyalty

MIAMI — Cameramen lined up like a firing squad. Miami’s finest media members crammed into a space that felt more shed than interview room. All anxiously awaiting the ...

Chicago Sports News

Blackhawks' Hossa 'expected' to pla

Although Jamal Mayers took his spot during the morning skate, Marian Hossa is expected to play Wedne...

If you're a Hawks fan, trend not yo

Steve Rosenbloom: The Blackhawks looked tired in Game 3. The Boston Bruins will do that to you....

Samardzija gem helps Cubs to 4-2 vi

Back-to-back 2-out doubles and 2 homers do in Cardinals ace WainwrightStarter gets 1st win...

Down 2-1, Blackhawks in state of de

Despite all evidence to contrary, they don't believe Bruins outplayed them much in Game 3D...

After loss, Hawks need to save face

Bruins took 40 of 56 draws in Game 3, a huge help in shutting down foes' possession gameBr...