SB Nation - Boston Bruins

Bears Finish No. 2, Cubs Finish No. 4 In ESPN Uniform Rankings

Steve von Horn — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 19:18:04 -0000

For reasons beyond the comprehension of most sports fans, the Chicago Bears have been somewhat arbitrarily awarded the No. 2 spot overall and the Chicago Cubs have earned the No. 4 spot across all major sports (NFL, NHL, NBA, MLB) for the best uniforms over at ESPN. Of the 122 teams across those four professional sports leagues, the Montreal Canadiens, Bears, St. Louis Cardinals, Cubs and Boston Bruins round out the franchises with the top-five uniforms overall. The New York Yankees barely cracked the top-10 and the Chicago Bulls didn't even make the top-50(!). Weird.

Throwback designs apparently did factor into the decision as well, but the Bears and Cubs don't exactly have the best options in that category so it seems the high marks are based on the iconic standards set by the usual threads. Here is the rationale attributed to the decision on the Bears at No. 2:

True, the helmet design is starting to look a tad dated. But the striped sleeves, striped socks (now a rarity in the NFL, alas), unique number font, and even the perma-memorial to Papa Bear all score major points, and the Bears may be the only team in the league who look as sharp on the road as they do at home. The cream of the NFL crop.

The White Sox took the No. 39 spot, the Chicago Blackhawks managed a No. 49 ranking and the Chicago Bulls (No. 67) laughably came in behind the Florida Panthers (No. 64), Tennessee Titans (No. 65) and Indiana Pacers (No. 61). Given the scope of the exercise, I will assume most fans disagree with most of the rankings.

Predictably, Tim Thomas 'Stands With Chick-Fil-A'

Travis Hughes — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 21:39:09 -0000

You've probably seen Delicious Fast Food Chicken Restaurant Chick-fil-A in the news lately. As wonderful as their chicken may be, the company's stance on gay rights has drawn the ire of many recently. Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel have both made public statements opposing Chick-fil-A as a result, and boycotts and protests are taking place all across the country.

Meanwhile, vacationing hockey goaltender Tim Thomas has been holed up in his Colorado compound for the last few months. He left the Boston Bruins back in early June to focus on what he calls the three F's: Friends, Family and Faith. He's also really into right-wing conspiracy theories, and it still seems as though his whole semi-retirement stems from the backlash he faced when he turned down an invite to the White House from President Barack Obama.

We thought it'd be a while before we heard from Thomas again. But then, Thursday happened.

Via Thomas' official Facebook page, a statement of sorts:

I stand with Chick-fil-A.

Chick-fil-A is privately owned by the Cathy family. The company president, Dan Cathy, drew the wrath of gay rights advocates and supporters when he made recent statements that some have alleged are anti-gay.

Cathy told Baptist Press that the company was unapologetically in favor of traditional marriage.

Thomas doesn't really say anything all that provocative in the statement beyond the "I stand with Chick-fil-A" at the top -- the statement reads almost like a news report of the recent goings-on with Chick-fil-A and its ownership's anti-gay views. But he didn't really need to say anything more. He's opened his mouth yet again, and now millions of people will rightfully judge him for it.

I wonder if Mayor Menino is going to urge Thomas not to come back to Boston, too?

CSN Washington To Air 8 Classic Capitals Games From 2011-12 Season

Samuel Chamberlain — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 18:44:08 -0000

Summer is here, and let's be honest, unless you're a child who's just been let out of school, it's not fun. With the exception of this weekend's draft and the beginning of free agency July 1, it's even less fun if you're a hockey fan.

Luckily, Comcast Sportsnet is riding to the rescue with re-airings of eight classic Capitals games from the 2011-12 season.

The re-airings will take place over part of the next two weeks, beginning Monday, June 25 and running through June 29 before picking up again on July 2 and continuing through July 5. During the second week, CSN will air Games 1, 3, 4, and 7 of the 2012 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against Boston. After the jump, the four regular season games that CSN has highlighted.

Monday, June 25 at 7 p.m.

Capitals vs. Hurricanes (October 8, 2011) -- Mike Green scores the OT winner in the Caps home opener.

Tuesday, June 26 at 7 p.m.

Capitals vs. Senators (December 3, 2011) -- Brooks Laich's late winner gives Dale Hunter first NHL win.

Wednesday, June 27 at 7 p.m.

Capitals vs. Bruins (January 24, 2012) -- Capitals rally three times before defeating the defending champions.

Thursday, June 28 at 7 p.m.

Capitals vs. Islanders (March 13, 2012) -- Matt Hendricks shows off his ridiculous moves in a 5-4 shootout win.

Stanley Cup May Never Enter Staples Center During Game 4

Travis Hughes — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 21:55:40 -0000

We'll hear the phrase multiple times tonight: "The Cup is in the building." But will the Stanley Cup really be inside Staples Center at the start of Game 4? No, it won't.

Via the Canadian Press:

Pritchard and fellow Hockey Hall of Fame employee Craig Campbell usually watch the first period of a potential Cup-clinching game at a nearby hotel before making their way to the arena.

In the event the Devils take an early lead in Game 4, "we wouldn't come in the arena, but we'd be at the rink," according to Pritchard.

Pritchard used the 2011 Finals as an example. When the Vancouver Canucks had the opportunity to win the Cup in Game 6 at TD Garden, the Cup remained outside the building. As it turned out, the Bruins blew out Vancouver to force Game 7, and the Cup never found its way into TD Garden until the Bruins were celebrating days later after their Game 7 victory.

If we get to the third period and it's a tie hockey game, the Cup will indeed be in the building. But if the Devils have control of this thing early? We'll see you in Newark, Stanley.

Stick with SB Nation's dedicated NHL hub for full Stanley Cup finals coverage. For more on the New Jersey Devils, check out Devils blog In Lou We Trust. For more on the Los Angeles Kings, check out Jewels From The Crown and SB Nation Los Angeles.

Boston Bruins: Chiarelli Picks Up Bourque; Sends Hamill Away

Biz Jacobs — Sat, 26 May 2012 23:15:53 -0000

Bruins General Manager Peter Chiarelli announced earlier this evening that center Zach Hamill will no longer don the spoked B, and will head south to join the Washington Capitals this offseason. In return, Boston picked up 26-year-old forward Chris Bourque, son of Bruins Hall-of-Famer, Ray Bourque.

Hamill finished this last season with the Bruins with only two points in 16 games. After being drafted 8th overall by the Bruins in the 2007 NHL draft, Hamill had shown some signs of improvement, but it wasn't enough for Chiarelli to keep him around. Along with his two points this season, the 23-year-old had four penalty minutes. He also played 41 games with the Providence Bruins where he picked up 21 points.

Meanwhile Bourque had 27-66=93 point this season with the Hershey Bears, and accumulated 42 penalty minutes. Stacking up at 5'8 and 180-lbs, the Boston native has the opportunity to make himself a new name in Beantown and add even more history to the Bourque name here.

For more Boston Bruins coverage, visit our team page and blog, Stanley Cup of Chowder.

2012 NHL Playoffs: Capitals/Rangers Game 7 Draws 1.68 Million Viewers

Samuel Chamberlain — Tue, 15 May 2012 15:38:17 -0000

Because we're nerds about this sort of thing, we can't help but do one last post about the TV ratings for the Eastern Conference Semifinals between the Capitals and the New York Rangers.

The entire series drew large TV audiences, thanks to the presence of the New York market (as well as, of course, the various Capitals stars). So it was a little disappointing to see that the climactic Game 7 at Madison Square Garden drew only 1.68 million viewers, a tick below the 1.85 million that watched Game 3, which ended in a triple-overtime victory for New York.

The numbers can be explained. The game was played on Saturday night, when many people who might have watched the game at home instead went out to bars, which generally aren't counted in these things.

And even discounting that, NBCSN's numbers do compare favorably with the ratings at this time last year. Game 2 of the Bruins/Flyers series was the most-watched game of the first two rounds in 2011, drawing a smidgen under 1.7 million viewers.

All numbers via the indispensable Puck The Media.

VIDEO: 'Capitals Lunchbox' Goes To The Edge, Previews Game 6

Samuel Chamberlain — Wed, 09 May 2012 17:50:08 -0000

The last time we posted an episode of "Capitals Lunchbox" on the SB Nation DC main page was the day of Game 7 against the Boston Bruins. And we all know how that turned out.

So, with the Capitals' season on the brink once again, we go back to the well to bring you five solid minutes of Capitals playoff talk with Kellie Cowan, Alan May, and our very own J.P. of Japers Rink. The trio take a look back at Washington's agonizing Game 5 loss and discuss what the Capitals need to do to win Game 6. Here's a hint, certain prominent players have to be, well, prominent.

Video's below the jump.

Video via CSN Washington.

For what it's worth, we'll be at Game 6 tonight, and we genuinely have no idea what to expect. We're pretty sure that the Caps will come out flying, but everything else (the vibe of the building, how the Rangers respond, etc.) is a complete mystery.

Should be an interesting evening.

PHOTO: Capitals TV Analyst Craig Laughlin Rocks Caps Jersey In His Hospital Bed

Samuel Chamberlain — Tue, 08 May 2012 00:45:40 -0000

Former Capitals player and current Capitals TV analyst Craig Laughlin called his last game of the 2011-12 season a couple of weeks ago when the Capitals knocked out the Boston Bruins in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.

As is the case with most hockey players, Laughlin went in for surgery as soon as his playoffs ended, this time to deal with a troublesome hip. While the Caps were playing Game 5 against the Rangers in New York Monday night, the beloved analyst tweeted out this photo of himself in his hospital bed.

Even hip surgery can't stop me from rockin the red! GO #CAPS! yfrog.com/oe7iegzj
— Craig Laughlin (@Laughlin18) May 8, 2012

We wish Locker all the best, and we look forward to seeing him back in his blue suede shoes (we're not kidding, he was wearing a pair before Game 3 of the Boston series) at the Verizon Center very soon.

TV Schedule, May 7: Red Sox Travel To Kansas City, US Faces Slovakia In World Championships

sportsgirlkat — Mon, 07 May 2012 11:00:43 -0000

Monday's TV schedule, complete with channels and times, customized for the Boston sports fan. Click on highlighted teams' names for complete schedules, scores, and previews, plus an active community devoted to your team. All times ET and approximate.

MLB

Boston Red Sox vs. Kansas City Royals - 8 p.m. (TV: NESN) The Boston Red Sox hope to rebound after a marathon game on Sunday and a winless weekend. They head to Kansas City to take on the 9-18 Royals. Both teams start 1-1 pitchers: the Sox start Felix Doubront, while the Royals send Jonathan Sanchez to the mound.

New York Mets vs. Philadelphia Phillies - 7 p.m. (TV: ESPN)

NBA

NBA Playoffs: Round One

San Antonio Spurs vs. Utah Jazz - 8 p.m. (TV: TNT)

Memphis Grizzlies vs. Los Angeles Clippers - 10:30 p.m. (TV: TNT)

NHL

NHL Playoffs: Round Two

Washington Capitals vs. New York Rangers - 7:30 p.m. (TV: NBC Sports Network)

Nashville Predators vs. Phoenix Coyotes - 10 p.m. (TV: NBC Sports Network)

World Championship Hockey

United States vs. Slovakia - 1 p.m. (TV: NBC Sports Network) The United States (2-0) take on winless Slovakia (0-2), who are led by Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara. Slovakia needs a win to keep their 2014 Olympic hockey bid hopes alive.

2012 NHL Playoffs: The Mind-Numbing Numbers And Dazzling GIFs Behind Caps/Rangers Game 3

Samuel Chamberlain — Thu, 03 May 2012 12:00:51 -0000

You want to know exactly how long Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals between the Capitals and New York Rangers was? Here's how long it was:

-At 114:41 of game time, it was the third-longest game in Capitals history, behind only Game 7 of the 1987 Patrick Division Semifinals against the New York Islanders (128:47, the so-called Easter Epic) and Game 4 of the 1996 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the Pittsburgh Penguins (139:15). The Capitals lost both of those games as well. Also, since both those games were played at the old Capital Centre/USAir Arena, Wednesday night's game was the longest game in the 15-year history of the Verizon Center.

-This was the fifth-longest game in Rangers history and their longest since March 21, 1939, when the Blueshirts lost Game 1 of their playoff series against the Boston Bruins, 2-1, on a goal by Mel Hill. Hill, who also scored OT winners in Game 2 and 7 of the series, earned the nickname "Sudden Death" Hill for his heroics.

-This was the 20th-longest game in NHL history, and the longest since Brendan Morrow's goal lifted the Dallas Stars over the San Jose Sharks at the 129:03 mark of Game 6 of the 2008 Western Conference Semifinals.

-Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh deserves special recognition for logging 53:17 seconds of ice time. Since the NHL began keeping official track of ice time in the late-1990s, no Ranger has played more minutes in a single game. A few minutes of Googling, which is admittedly an inexact science, tells us that McDonagh's feat of Wednesday night is only surpassed by defenseman Sergei Zubov, who logged 54:09 in the Dallas Stars' triple-overtime win over the Sabres in Game 6 of the 1999 Stanley Cup Finals.

At a certain point, words fail you, so here are some GIFs that encapsulate the entire game. Get ready.

And finally ...