Archives › James O’Brien
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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…
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Brandon went over how ridiculously loud Chicago’s Game 1 contest was, so I couldn’t help but wonder if Game 2 was even louder. NHL.com lists those decibel readings here and points out this lesson: going to a Chicago Blackhawks game might not be great for your health, even if you’re not eating deep dish pizzas all night. First, here…
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Despite being in a 0-2 hole in the Stanley Cup finals, the Philadelphia Flyers claim that they aren’t panicking just yet. Here’s what Danny Briere said about the team’s situation and their impressive – yet ineffective – third period. “At this point, we’re still confident; there are two teams standing,” Briere said. “We have to be confident,…
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Ah, Chris Pronger. He’s just one of those players who can’t go long without upsetting someone. The latest controversy caused by the big defenseman came after he apparently snatched what would be the “game puck” after both Game 1 and Game 2. This leaded to a heated (if silly) exchange with Chicago Blackhawks tough guy…
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While the official announcement hasn’t been made, the Detroit News reports that Nicklas Lidstrom decided to return for at least one more season with the Detroit Red Wings. Wings officials will announce later today Lidstrom has agreed to a one-year deal. The exact amount was unknown, but it is believed to be near $6 million. If that…
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Flyers Star Cam highlights: Chicago Blackhawks Star Cam highlights:
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2010 Stanley Cup finals: Live Chat for Game 2 of Flyers-Hawks
May 31, 2010, 10:00 PM EDT
At first I thought that Saturday’s Live Chat had the most readers ever, but it turns out it had the most comments. While that’s not as sexy as sheer reader numbers, what that means is that everyone had a lot to say about that wacky Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals. (And maybe ……
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2010 Stanley Cup finals: Top stars for Blackhawks, Flyers must improve
May 31, 2010, 3:00 PM EDT
The Chicago Blackhawks might have won Game 1 on Saturday, but neither team should be too pleased with their overall efforts. Sure, the Hawks should be happy that their supporting cast contributed so much and the Flyers can at least take some positivity from giving their opponents a good run, but both teams played horrible defense.…
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Just a few moments ago, I discussed a Montreal Gazette story that included an interesting bit regarding hockey agent Rich Winter’s formula for building elite NHL teams. As it turns out, I couldn’t help but find another portion of that story quite interesting. It’s not surprising for teams to go all-out to court star players. Sometimes, in college sports,…
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What defines an “elite” team? Let’s get the generic questions out of the way. Do you need wave after wave of high-end offensive talent? Perhaps the biggest component is a defensive system that can smother your opposition’s attack into submission. Or maybe it’s all about having a goalie who can stand tall when your team…
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Here are some minor injury updates and news for tonight’s Game 2 between the Flyers and Blackhawks. Darren Dreger reports that Flyers super-pest Dan Carcillo is expected to be back in the orange tonight for Philadelphia. Take a look at Dreger’s Tweet. (That sounds a bit dirty, doesn’t it?) Carcillo playing. Says he’s excited. Says he…
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2010 Stanley Cup finals: Dave Bolland's 'checking line' makes a huge impact for Chicago
May 31, 2010, 12:40 PM EDT
The one thing that separates the Chicago Blackhawks from the rest of the league – aside from that horrible, horrible, horrible “Chelsea Dagger” goal song – is their slap-you-in-the-face depth. Say what you will about Brian Campbell, you’re doing pretty well when he’s (maybe) your third best blueliner. After you get past the Toews and…
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While missing a pre-game skate is no guarantee that a player will miss a game, it’s still not a promising sign. ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that Chicago Blackhawks forward Andrew Ladd did not participate in the morning session today. Of course, for at least Game 1, the Blackhawks could live with his replacement Tomas Kopecky. He had…
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Electronic Arts' upcoming Wii game to feature hockey stick controller, Wayne Gretzky
May 31, 2010, 11:30 AM EDT
Comments OffIt’s no secret that Electronic Arts took over the hockey video game genre, at least on the X-Box 360 and Playstation 3, with its NHL series. There’s a reason that Take-Two Interactive decided to pull its NHL2K series off of the consoles that emphasize graphics. Yet now the one advantage Take Two enjoyed – publishing the only…
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Pronger: Byfuglien matchup, underdog talk 'blown out of proportion'
May 31, 2010, 10:45 AM EDT
Comments OffChris Pronger is not a shy player when it comes to mixing it up in the corners … or, apparently, when he is in front of a microphone or a reporter’s notebook. The big brute often provides candid (well, for hockey players, at least) comments to the media and this weekend was no exception. Pronger is…
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2010 Stanley Cup finals: Supporting cast helps Chicago win weird Game 1, 6-5
May 29, 2010, 11:58 PM EDT
Hockey writers might need to dust off a thesaurus or two to describe this one. What’s the correct variation of “strange” to describe this one? Should people refer to it as bewildering? Bizarre? Maybe a car wreck? All of those labels apply, but I think I’ll go with Brandon’s “sloppy” or maybe up the ante…
