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About Curtis Zupke

Curtis Zupke grew up in Los Angeles and got hooked on hockey (along with thousands of other Southern Californians) upon Wayne Gretzky’s arrival to the Kings in 1988.

He covered the Anaheim Ducks for the Orange County (Calif.) Register from 2006 to 2011.

His work has also appeared in The Hockey News, Associated Press and QMI Agency (a Quebec-based wire service that serves 250 daily and weekly newspapers in Canada).

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Byfuglien's goal has 'Hawks one win from Cup Final Print
Pacific
Written by Denis Gorman   
Friday, May 21, 2010 23:47
Stan Mikita stood and applauded with a smile creasing his scarred face, while the United Center morphed into the world’s largest house party.

 

Mikita and 22,310 of his closest friends had just witnessed Dustin Byfuglien snap a wrist shot from the slot 12:24 into overtime that knocked Evgeni Nabokov’s water bottle off of its perch atop the goal – and put the Blackhawks on the cusp of the Stanley Cup Final.  

 

The Blackhawks are one win away from qualifying for the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1992 after beating San Jose 3-2 in overtime Friday night. Chicago leads the Western Conference Final three games to none. Game 4 is Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m. EST at the United Center.

 

The Blackhawks have won three Cups in their storied history as an Original Six franchise, the last coming in 1961. That team boasted the legendary Mikita and Bobby Hull, among others. The 2009-10 Blackhawks are a coterie of precocious young talent which, as they have done repeatedly the last two seasons, led the way Friday.

 

Antti Niemi was stellar again, only yielding two Patrick Marleau goals on 46 shots. Jonathan Toews (two assists) and Dave Bolland (a goal and an assist) each recorded two points. Patrick Sharp added a goal while Patrick Kane and Brian Campbell chipped in with an assist each.  

 

Nabokov stopped 35 of 38 shots.

 

 

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Last Updated on Saturday, May 22, 2010 00:39