Bruins and Blackhawks players weren’t the only people tuckered out Thursday morning after Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final went to three overtimes.

Fans in the Windy City and Beantown had their sleep schedules altered when the game went well past midnight Wednesday. B’s fans definitely got the worst end of the deal — their team lost the game.

NESN Sports Today‘s Jamison Coyle found some of the Bruins faithful Thursday morning to see how they made it through. Check it out in the video above.

Filling the void on the fourth line caused by Gregory Campbell‘s broken leg will be a top priority for the Bruins heading into what could be a series-clinching Game 4 on Friday.

Head coach Claude Julien has several options at his disposal, with Campbell’s most likely replacements including Kaspars Daugavins, Carl Soderberg and Jay Pandolfo. Only Daugavins has seen time in these playoffs (in Game 1 of the Toronto series), but all three played significant minutes during the regular season and have continued to practice with the team.

For a full preview of Friday night’s tilt against the Penguins, check out the video above.

It has been 22 years since the Bruins and the Penguins have faced off in the Stanley Cup playoffs, but the playoff history between Boston and Pittsburgh dates back even further than that.

It dates back to a time when the Pens were in blue and white, matching up against the NHL’s original black and gold team. Future hall of famer Jaromir Jagr, now 41,  was a part of that history as an 18-year old rookie playing for the Penguins against the Bruins in the 1991 Prince of Wales Conference Championship.

To hear more about the playoff history between the two teams, check out the video above.

Bruins fans have waited seven long days, but we have finally reached the eve of the Eastern Conference finals.

After a week of prognosticating, analyzing and dissecting every possible storyline, the puck will drop Saturday night at 8 p.m. for Game 1 between the B’s and the high-powered Pittsburgh Penguins. As Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask said Friday, “It’s about time.”

Check out the video above to hear from players on both sides as they make their final preparations.

The baseball glove is the piece of equipment that most defines America’s pastime, but surprisingly few gloves and mitts used today are actually manufactured in the United States.

In fact, only two companies currently produce baseball gloves in the U.S.: Texas-based Nokona and Insignia Athletics, which operates out of Worcester, Mass. Insignia owner Jim Devaney took NESN’s Jamison Coyle on a tour of the factory, showing how much care is put into each step of the glove-making process.

Check it out in the video above or on NESN’s YouTube channel.

The Bruins played the role of spoiler on Monday night, rallying from a 4-1 deficit to beat the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals. B’s winger Milan Lucic was spearheaded that charge.

With a three-goal deficit to overcome, Lucic stepped on the gas and assisted on Nathan Horton‘s goal which trimmed the Leafs’ lead to two. Lucic says he told his teammates in the huddle, “we just need one more, you never know.”

Lucic was an important factor in the win, and truly showed his veteran experience.

Check out the video above to hear how Lucic helped his team rally back for the win.

There’s no way around it; the Bruins did not play their best hockey down the stretch.

Playing a lockout-shortened schedule that was condensed even further due to multiple postponements, Boston went 2-7 over its last nine games and lost the Northeast Division title — and No. 2 seed that comes with it — on the final day of the regular season. Dropping to the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference, the Bruins drew old friend Phil Kessel and the Toronto Maple Leafs in the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Storylines abound in this series between Original Six foes, and WEEI’s DJ Bean stopped by NESN Daily on Monday to preview a few of them. Check out Bean’s predictions and more in the video above.

Duy Truong is a standout on the Worcester State track & field team, running the third leg of the 4 x 200-meter relay team that set a school record last month. He may be one of the school’s top runners today, but there was a time not long ago that the ability to even walk was an accomplishment.

During his senior year at Doherty (Worcester) High School in 2010, Truong was hit over the head with a baseball bat while trying to escape a brawl in Amherst, Mass., resulting in severe skull fractures and swelling of the brain. When he awoke from surgery, he was unable to move the left side of his body and doubted whether he would ever be able to compete again.

But Truong was adamant in his rehab efforts, and, after taking his final year of high school off from sports, he returned to the track at Worcester.

Check out Truong’s inspirational story in the video above.

Before Sunday, the Bruins had won just two out of their last seven games.

The B’s are hoping Sunday’s 2-0 win over the Buffalo Sabres was just the spark they needed heading down the stretch of the regular season. While the win was not a cure-all for the team’s issues, it was certainly a step in the right direction.

Coach Claude Julien admitted the B’s recent losses were due partially to lack of hustle and urgency, but it seems his team is starting to turn the corner.

“The goals kind of came out of nowhere,” defenseman Matt Bartkowski said of Sunday’s game, “but it’s just hard work paying off.

See what else the Bruins need to do to stay on top heading into the playoffs in the video above.

Jack Parker stressed several times during his retirement press conference that everyone he has coached and coached with during his four decades at Boston University is a part of his family. Several of his former players were on hand for that announcement Monday afternoon, and they echoed the legendary coach’s sentiments.

“Hockey is a very close, close community, and BU hockey is even closer. And I think that’s because of Jack,” said Mike Eruzione, who played for Parker at BU before going on to captain Team USA to the gold medal at the 1980 Olympics. “He said earlier that we’re all his sons, and he’s right. During my four years here, he was my coach, he was my father at times and he was my friend. Even today, he’s not my coach anymore, but he’s one of my closest friends and a man that I have great respect [for] and love dearly.”

For more from other BU hockey alumni, plus Jamison Coyle‘s interview in studio with Parker, check out the video above.

When Boston University men’s hockey coach Jack Parker announces his retirement, which he is expected to do at a news conference at 3 p.m. on Monday, he will walk away from the game with one of the most impressive resumes in the history of collegiate hockey.

During Parker’s 40-year tenure, the Terriers won three national titles, seven Hockey East championships, 21 Beanpot championships and 894 total games — the most wins ever by a coach at a single school.

NESN Hockey East analyst Jim Connelly joined Jamison Coyle on NESN Daily to discuss what BU fans will remember most about the coach and how Parker’s impending announcement will affect the current Terriers squad heading into the conference tournament.

Check it out in the video above.

The U.S. Olympic hockey team won’t get to avenge its gold-medal game loss to Canada until next February, but another group will be representing the nation against some of the best in the world much sooner than that.

The World Deaf Ice Hockey Championships begin on March 30 in Finland, and NESN’s Jamison Coyle brings you an inside look at the U.S. squad that will be competing. The players, which include several New England natives, discuss the non-verbal tactics they employ to allow them to compete at a high level, as well as their desire to introduce the sport to hearing-impaired children around the country.

Check it out in the video above.

Umass Lowell has a long tradition in Hockey East, competing in the league since 1984. However, up until now it’s been the only sport at the school to compete at the NCAA Division I level.

Well, all that’s about to change, as the school recently announced that the rest of its athletics programs are following suit, and joining men’s hockey in D-I. Lowell will join the American East conference.

Check out a message from chancellor Marty Meehan in the video above.

John Lackey‘s time so far in Boston may not have worked out quite as planned, but the big right-hander looks intent on changing his legacy in Beantown.

Now about 16 months removed from Tommy John surrgery, for the first time in quite a while Lackey is completely healthy, and he’s showed up to Red Sox camp in Fort Myers early to get in some extra work. Moreover, Lackey showed up to Florida a few pounds lighter than in years past, and hopefully for the Sox some of that offseason conditioning will pay off over the long haul.

Check out the video above to listen to NESN Daily‘s Jamison Coyle and WEEI’s Rob Bradford talk about Lackey’s prospects for the upcoming baseball season.

“Skiers know better than anybody; you fall in life and you get back up,” says Eric Topper, the Outreach Coordinator at Maine Adaptive Sports & Recreation.

That mantra of resiliency embodies a no-cost program that Maine Adaptive hosts every year at Sunday River in Western Maine. It’s called “Veterans No Boundaries.”

The program provides recreational activities for veterans and active duty personnel with physical disabilities who require adaptive instruction, equipment and/or support in order to participate in sports.  The Veterans No Boundaries program is held twice a year for veterans to help them either return to a sport or try one for the first time after becoming disabled.  The program also seeks to involve family members and caregivers.  Like all Maine Adaptive programs, the weekend and program is entirely free of charge for all attendees

Since the Veterans No Boundaries program was founded in 2004, it has been made possible through the generosity of various donors and sponsors, as well as by the efforts of dozens of volunteer instructors, guides and medical attendants.  Sunday River provides lift tickets, trail passes and discounted lodging for each winter program.  Veterans No Boundaries receives primary year-round financial support from Disabled Sports USA and Bath Iron Works.  Numerous other local businesses, clubs and individuals have contributed meals, lodging discounts, snowmobiling and evening entertainment for this year’s program.

Veterans No Boundaries also enjoys transportation support from the Hero Miles program of the Fisher House Foundation, a service that provides free round-trip airfare to wounded, injured and ill military men and women, and/or their families.  Five veterans and several of their guests were flown to Maine using Hero Miles to participate in this year’s winter program.

“The veteran community is a tight one”, says Topper. “just like the disability community is also tight.”

“These guys come from different branches of the military but they speak the same language.  That’s what gives this unique program an opportunity to tie into that and allow them to grow, have some fun – and get back up once they fall down. ”

For more information about Veterans No Boundaries or Maine Adaptive, please visit www.maineadaptive.org, email info@maineadaptive.org or call 800-639-7770.

With 10 goals in 18 games this year after 10 goals in his previous three seasons, suffice it to say that UNH’s Austin Block is having a breakout season on the ice. But could he break out in front of the camera, too?

Block’s probably given a few interviews in his day, but he recently tried his hand behind the microphone, querying a few teammates about some colorful topics. However, that kind of loose locker room isn’t just fun for the players, but it may help the Wildcats as they battle Boston College atop Hockey East.

Check out all the fun in the video above.

With the Broncos eliminated from the playoffs, it would be tough for the Patriots not to look ahead and realize that if they beat the Houston Texans on Sunday, the AFC Championship Game would be played at Gillette Stadium. But former Patriots linebacker Matt Chatham says players have to look past that and just focus on the game against Houston.

Even after pummeling the Texans 42-14 in Week 14, the Patriots face a challenge on Sunday evening. Houston will try to get revenge against New England, and the Patriots found out in 2010 that a regular season victory doesn’t necessarily mean the same will occur in the playoffs. New England beat the Jets 45-3 in Week 13, then lost in the divisional round of the playoffs to New York 28-21.

Chatham will be doing color commentary for the BBC on Sunday, and he learned some new British slang for the broadcast. Watch the video above to hear why the former Patriots linebacker thinks the Patriots will be able to focus on the Texans despite the good news about home-field advantage, and to hear the new phrase he’ll be ending sentences with.

This week at Fenway Park, some Red Sox prospects are learning what it really means to play baseball in Boston.

In addition to having the skills to hack it for the Red Sox, part of what that entails is the organization’s spirit of giving back to the community. One of the Red Sox’ biggest initiatives is with the Jimmy Fund, so the team took players like Alex Hassan and Xander Bogaerts to the Jimmy Fund Clinic to help brighten the day of some courageous souls and give the youngsters a taste of the great responsibility that comes with being a major league ballplayer.

Check out Jamison Coyle‘s report in the video above.

The NHL lockout’s impact stretched far and wide, with players, employees, fans and business owners all feeling the effects of the labor stoppage. So now that hockey is back, it’s understandable that people are a little excited.

NESN’s Jamison Coyle caught up with some excited hockey enthusiasts over near TD Garden on Sunday, and he found there to be a common theme among them: The world is a better place with hockey in it.

One fan likened hockey’s return to Christmas morning, which we all know is awesome. Another said that not even a shortened season can take away from his joy, as a shorter season beats no season at all.

Check out the video above from NESN Daily to hear more from fans near the Garden.

Just as the Celtics are finally getting Avery Bradley back from injury, they still may not have their projected starting five on the court at the same time.

Rajon Rondo is nursing injuries that could keep him out of Wednesday’s game against the Grizzlies. Fortunately, it’s not an injury that should keep Rondo out long, and Boston should have their best five together soon.

Rondo and Doc Rivers had some high praise for Bradley as he returns to the team. Rondo said Bradley is the best defensive guard in the NBA, while Rivers said that Bradley is in the top five in on-the-ball defense. You would think that would do wonders for the Celtics’ struggling defense.

Watch the video above to hear how the Celtics think Bradley’s return will help the team.