Archives › James O’Brien
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John Tavares put up a great performance for Canada under the dull spotlight of the 2010 IIHF World Championships, but the tournament wasn’t all good for the future of the New York Islanders. He ended up breaking his foot during the competition but fought through the pain in the team’s final three games. The good…
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Going into the Stanley Cup finals, one of the most-hyped matchups was Dustin Byfuglien vs. Chris Pronger (hey, we hyped it up on Pro Hockey Talk, too). Of course, there was that one nagging problem: Byfuglien can be a bit, um, flighty. If the Philadelphia Flyers have their own hot-and-cold answer to Byfuglien, it’s the…
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With all due respect to Patrick Kane and Brian Rafalski, no two people contributed more to American hockey in the last season than goalie Ryan Miller and executive Brian Burke. It shouldn’t be too surprising, then, that USA Hockey is honoring both at its President’s Awards Dinner on June 12, part of its 2010 Annual…
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In case you missed yesterday’s news, CBC personality Ron MacLean helped save a man from drowning (our own Joe Yerdon shared his thoughts/jokes here). The initial mental image is a little misleading, or at least it was in my head, as I imagined some Superman scenario in which MacLean did it all by himself ……
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2010 Stanley Cup finals: Tough defense, not fatigue, slows Mike Richards and Jonathan Toews
Jun 4, 2010, 11:00 AM EDT
It’s natural to throw a quality player under the bus when he’s hit a brick wall. The thing is, sometimes people stumble when they try to identify what, exactly, that brick wall is. Take, for instance, the case of the teams’ two floundering captains. Both Jonathan Toews and Mike Richards were playing incredible hockey through…
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Chris Pronger made plenty of waves for snatching the game pucks after the Flyers lost Game 1 and 2. (Jeremy Roenick even called the big defenseman “bush league” for doing so.) Art by: Deven “Gray” Hoover from the Couch Tarts. Idea By: James O’Brien
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2010 NHL Entry Draft: Early mock drafts favor Taylor Hall at No. 1
Jun 3, 2010, 4:50 PM EDT
When it comes to the NFL Draft, everyone and their crazy Uncle Henry seem to come out with a mock draft. Hockey might not enjoy the same brand of around-the-clock coverage, but that doesn’t change the fact that June’s Entry Draft will fuel debates among NHL executives and scouts for some time. Who will end…
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2010 Stanley Cup finals: Flyers hold big special teams advantage so far
Jun 3, 2010, 4:10 PM EDT
Late into the 2009-10 regular season, I took a look at one of my simple stats: special teams plus/minus. At that point in the season, the Chicago Blackhawks ranked as the second best team in that area (scoring 18 more special teams goals than they allowed) while the Philadelphia Flyers took seventh place. The Blackhawks…
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A year after Dany Heatley forced a messy divorce with the Ottawa Senators, rumors are swirling that talented-but-frustrating center Jason Spezza might want a trade too. After all, he must have a bad taste in his mouth after home fans booed him toward the end of the team’s first round match with the Pittsburgh Penguins.…
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The NHL’s general managers met in Philadelphia for reasons beyond honoring Coyotes GM Don Maloney as the best general manager of the year. As it turns out, they also discussed some of the league’s most pressing issues, including hits to the head and the excessive effect shootouts have on the way teams play. The area…
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The Washington Capitals elected to make a slew of minor moves during the NHL trade deadline. If you look at it strictly from the perspective of playoff success – rather than the fact that they ran away with the Presidents’ Trophy and put up incredible regular season numbers – then it’s hard to say that…
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We’ve been monitoring the ear-splitting decibel levels of the games in Chicago (Game 2 was slightly louder than Game 1) so I thought it would be wise to see if the crowd in Philadelphia could top them. As it turns out, the Flyers fans were just a little less loud according to NHL.com’s numbers The…
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Yesterday, the NHL’s general managers deemed Phoenix Coyotes GM Don Maloney the best GM of the 2009-10 season. This makes Maloney the award’s first recipient. The story states that Maloney beat out two other finalists: Nashville Predators GM David Poile and Washington Capitals GM George McPhee. (I have to admit that I’m surprised Boston Bruins…
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Chris Pronger is one of the most imposing physical forces in the league. He showed that on Wednesday, throwing his body around multiple times (and doing so against the Chicago Blackhawks’ best playoffs). On the first hit, Jonathan Toews weaves through the Philadelphia Flyers defense only to run into the gap-toothed bulldozer known as Pronger.…
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2010 Stanley Cup finals: Flyers get back into series with 4-3 OT win
Jun 2, 2010, 11:30 PM EDT
Comments OffThe Philadelphia Flyers played like they needed to win Game 3 and were rewarded handsomely in overtime with a 4-3 win. All three contests have been one-goal games so far, so it only seems fair that Philly took one from Chicago. Philadelphia Flyers 4, Chicago Blackhawks 3 OT Blackhawks lead series 2-1 The Flyers had…
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The Chicago Blackhawks and Philadelphia Flyers will enter the first overtime of the Stanley Cup finals in just a few moments. Game 3 is tied 3-3 in a game that the Flyers desperately want to win. It was all Philly in the third, that’s for sure. The Flyers’ domination of the final frame is starting…
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After putting up three shutouts against the Montreal Canadiens in the Eastern Conference finals, Michael Leighton is struggling in the Stanley Cup finals. He allowed a fairly weak goal tonight against Brent Sopel (of all people) as the two teams go into the third period tied 2-2. Duncan Keith is credited with the other Blackhawks…
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They’re not blowing the Chicago Blackhawks out of the frozen water right now, but the Philadelphia Flyers have to be fairly pleased with their performance in the first period. The team will take a 1-0 lead into the second period and should have a powerplay to kick off the middle frame thanks to a scrum…
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The Colorado Avalanche might need to look for a new owner soon, as the NFL seems primed to approve the sale of the St. Louis Rams to current Avs owner Stan Kroenke. The football league prohibits an owner of an NFL team from owning competitive sports clubs in the same markets that host NFL franchises;…
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Earlier this week, people were criticizing Jeremy Roenick for not “picking a side” in the Stanley Cup finals since the retired center played some of his best hockey for both the Philadelphia Flyers and Chicago Blackhawks. Well, he might have been antsy when it comes to choosing a favorite, but that doesn’t mean he’s shy…
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To say that the defunct Hartford Whalers franchise still has something of a cult following is, I think, fairly reasonable. So when people see remnants of the team (since moved to Carolina as the Hurricanes) and its distinct logo, the nostalgia comes rushing back. On occasion, a lot of wishful thinking joins that nostalgia. Unfortunately,…
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It’s not the only way to build a team in the post-lockout era, but it seems obvious that getting a lucky break with the NHL Draft is becoming the Express Lane to respectability. Of course, you need the lottery balls to bounce your way – and really, it doesn’t hurt if you get a high pick…
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2010 Stanley Cup finals: Should Chicago consider breaking up Kane and Toews?
Jun 1, 2010, 3:30 PM EDT
Winning tends to conceal blemishes like a crafty woman’s makeup. You forget the defensive breakdowns because your goalie made some key stops. Perhaps the struggles of crucial players can be glazed over thanks to an unexpected contribution or two. Up 2-0 after holding strong with two one-goal victories at home, the Chicago Blackhawks may be…
