Behind The Scenes

Cup coverage from ESPNBoston.com and ESPNChicago.com runneth over(time)

ESPN Boston and ESPN Chicago
ESPNBoston.com and ESPNChicago.com

The Boston Bruins and the Chicago Blackhawks are not the only ones working overtime in the 2013 Stanley Cup Final. The staffs at both ESPNBoston.com and ESPNChicago.com are busy working extra shifts delivering quality coverage for fans in both hockey-mad cities.

Through blogging, columns, post-game videos and more, reporters Scott Powers (Blackhawks) and Joe McDonald (Bruins) will be at home and on the road serving fans the latest from all the action on the ice, which through two games has produced two sudden death finishes. Additionally, colleagues from ESPNChicago.com — Jesse Rogers, Jon Greenberg and Melissa Isaacson — and ESPNBoston.com – Jackie MacMullan and James Murphy — provide additional coverage and analysis.

With Game 3 of the 1-1 series tonight in Boston, Front Row spoke to both Powers and McDonald about The Cup and what fans can expect from their coverage on the ESPN Local sites. (Also, SportsCenter has Steve Levy and Barry Melrose on-site for every game. Levy discussed coverage and more in this Front & Center podcast from last week.)

Talk about the diversity of content you and your team produce.
Powers: What I’m looking to do is tell the story of the team I’m covering in whatever way possible. In this case, it’s the story of the Chicago Blackhawks playing for the Stanley Cup. I may do that with something as simple as tweeting a picture of the freshly-painted Stanley Cup Final logo on the United Center ice or typing out a few sentences about lineup changes in practice.

On ESPNChicago.com, our goal is try to keep our Blackhawks blog updated constantly with news stories, features, columns and analysis pieces before, during and after games. There are plenty of stories to be told at this time of year. We also use videos from inside the locker rooms and stand-ups featuring our reporters discussing the team. I think Chicago fans want to devour a bit of everything when it comes to their teams, and it’s certainly a fun challenge as a reporter trying to provide that.

How do you capture the passion of Boston fans in your reporting?
McDonald: Boston fans are passionate and educated about their sports and teams. Growing up in Rhode Island, I was a huge fan of the Bruins and Red Sox, so when I began my journalism career at the Providence Journal I wanted my passion for sports to be reflected in my reporting and writing. Bruins and Red Sox fans keep you on your toes and they’re not afraid to share their opinions with you.

I’ve been extremely fortunate in my career to cover some special events, including two World Series titles for the Red Sox, and now I’m in the midst of my second Stanley Cup with the Bruins. Since both teams have enjoyed success for the majority of my career, the fans’ passion and dedication for their teams in Boston has made it fun for me to hopefully deliver quality reporting.

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