Bleacher Report - Articles by Dylan O'Brien

Roberto Luongo Eyes an Early Return: What This Means for Vancouver

Dylan O'Brien — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 18:51:54 -0500

Aside from the Vancouver Canucks' recent slump, most news is good news in the BC.

The Canucks are sitting atop the Northwest Division, and tied with the Calgary Flames at 33 points. Mats Sundin is set to finalize his short list of teams he will consider for his late-December return, and it seems that Vancouver will be high up on his short list of possible contenders.

The biggest surprise, however, has been the lightning-quick recovery of star goaltender, Roberto Luongo. Originally set to miss four to five weeks after injuring his groin on Nov. 22 against Pittsburgh, Luongo has been skating for about a week now, and is expected to return two or three weeks early.

Today, The Vancouver Province reported that Luongo, who had eleven wins and five shutouts before his injury, is eyeing a Saturday return to the Canucks lineup when they face-off against the Edmonton Oilers.

In the seven games since Luongo's injury, the Canucks have recorded an awful 2-4-1 record while still managing to average more than three goals per game, twice tallying four or more goals in losing efforts.

Needless to say, the Canucks miss their captain. Now that the Vancouver offense has found its scoring touch, Luongo's 2.17 GAA and .928 save percentage have been sorely missed for the past two weeks. If Luongo had been around this past week, the Canucks would likely be sitting pretty as sole leaders of the Northwest division.

Only speculation, of course.

Sunny skies lie ahead in Vancouver. A solid return by Luongo will only help their chances to land Sundin and potentially blossom into a legit contender out West. We'll keep an eye on Luongo's situation as the Canucks are a much-improved team with Big Roberto between the pipes.

Around the League:

A few other notables are set to return from injuries in the next week or so—others, maybe not. We will take a quick look around the NHL and analyze a few impact players.

Windy-City Wizz:

Let's face the facts. The Chicago Blackhawks are back with a vengeance.The Hawks roster is absolutely oozing with talent, boasting young superstars Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane.

Equally impressive is the Hawks' depth from the blue line. After signing, Brian Campbell in the off-season, Chicago added to the already solid defensive lineup including Duncan Keith and shut-down specialist Brent Seabrook.

The news just keeps getting better in the Windy City as James Wisniewski is set to return this week after being out all season with injury.

Wisniewski had a stellar season, and emerged as one of Chicago's best defensive players. Wizz showed himself to be a very solid two-way player, posting seven goals and 29 points last year for the Hawks, adding a solid plus-12 rating in 68 games.

Look for coach Joel Quenneville to juggle his defensemen around this coming week as Wisniewski is set to return Friday against Colorado. Wisniewski's presence should strengthen Chicago from the back-end, and look for the young defenseman to help one of the league's weaker defenses.

Some Hope for a Slumping Powerplay:

The Pittsburgh Penguins went one-for-seven with the man-advantage tonight in their loss to the Buffalo Sabres. After failing to connect during a full two minutes of a five-on-three play midway through the second period, the Sabres rallied back from a 3-2 deficit to win the game 4-3 on Tomas Vanek's NHL-best 20th goal.

The burning question for the Pittsburgh Penguins remains the lack of success with the man-advantage. They still hold the league's worst road powerplay, and with all that talent upfront, what's the deal?

Youngsters Alex Goligoski and Kris Letang have been tasked with carrying the offensive load for a team that usually sports the dynamic-blue line-duo of Sergei Gonchar and Ryan Whitney.

Goligoski has been incredibly shaky at times, and coughing up the puck a whole hell of a lot. Letang had failed to tally a goal all season until tonight's game against Buffalo as well.

The Penguins' powerplay woes could be a thing of the past very soon—Ryan Whitney turned in his no-contact jersey over the weekend for the full-contact variety, and will be participating in full practice starting this week.

Whitney is a stud from the blue line, and will play top PP time alongside Malkin on the point. In 2006-07, Whitney posted 14 goals and 59 points, but slumped a little last season while suffering from an ankle-injury, posting only 12 goals and 40 points.

Regardless, Ryan Whitney's presence on the blue line will likely provide more solid rushes from the back end, better passing, and more experience. Look for the Penguins' powerplay to right the ship once Whitney is back in the lineup.

Day-to-Day: A Phrase Quickly Becoming a Joke in the Nation's Capital

Alexander Semin sure started the season off with a bang, posting 14 goals, 13 assists, and a +/-17 rating in a mere 16 games. All the media buzz was about the "new" Alex in Washington as Semin lit up the league.

All the flashbulbs, the interviews, and the Sidney Crosby trash-talk is a thing of the past.

Semin has been "day-to-day" since suffering an upper-back strain Nov. 15 against the Devils. Last time I checked, a month isn't "day-to-day." It's a month. Period.

While Ovechkin has been stellar in his absence, coach Bruce Boudreau sorely misses the second-best Alex on the Capitals to complete the Russian duo up-front. Semin has been skating on-and-off with the team, and there is still no timetable for his return to action.

While overshadowed by the injury to Alexander Semin, the loss of youngster Mike Green on the blue line has been devastating to the Capitals offensive push.

Green possesses the classic hockey "intangibles"—incredible ice vision, blistering speed, nice shot, and solid powerplay quarterbacking make him invaluable to the Capitals. He has been sidelined with a bruised shoulder since being smashed into the boards by Chris Pronger on Nov. 20.

Green is also listed as day-to-day, but according to reports over the weekend, his shoulder is still not 100 percent. Progress concerning Green's shoulder has been very slow, but Coach Bruce Boudreau remains optimistic for a quick return.

Sadly, it seems the Capitals will have to do without these young superstars for the foreseeable future.

Watch for all these players to make a large impact on their respective teams in the near future. Happy watching!

Sean Avery Shown The Door: Stars Are Shining

Dylan O'Brien — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 16:21:36 -0500

So I'm sitting around on a Friday night watching a few Western Conference match-ups instead of going out partying with friends. If I wanted to see drunk girls throw themselves at hockey players, I would try to hang out with Sean Avery. Hockey just takes over my mind like that and never lets go.

Speaking of Sean Avery, today marked what seems like the final chapter in the "sloppy seconds" saga. Not only was Avery handed down a ridiculous six-game suspension plus anger management courses, but his name was removed from the official roster on the Dallas Stars website by the time the Stars took the ice for tonight's match-up against Colorado.

Apparently an off-color comment about some less than reputable actress, and generally acting like a clown on the ice merits anger management. Not even McSorley had to take anger management. And please correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't recall Rob Ray ever mentioning anger management as being an integral part to his "illustrious" NHL career.

Anyway, it looks like Avery is but a fleeting memory for Dave Tippett and the Stars, and they seem like a rejuvenated team in his absence.

The Avery-less stars have won two of three, largely due to the improved play of Marty Turco, who may have had a shutout tonight if it hadn't been for Marek Svatos' goal in the final minute of tonight's contest between the Stars and the Colorado Avalanche.

Turco was solid during overtime and the shootout, and the Dallas Stars came out with their second win without Sean Avery, and third win in their last four contests.

With the circus no longer in town, the locker room can finally be a calm, friendly place where true leaders like Brad Richards, Mike Modano, and Marty Turco can think about the game rather than what half-baked stunt Avery will pull next.

Sean Avery is just like one of those obnoxious ladies on those 'Real Housewives' shows on television. We watch them because we want to see what a complete buffoon acts like when the cameras are rolling. It's fun to watch, but when he's in your locker room, its a distraction.

It looks like the Dallas Stars are finally playing like a hungry team, but more importantly a calm team. Without Avery in the lineup, the team seems more focused, and much more energetic.

Marty Turco stole the show tonight in net, making 25 saves and allowing only one goal. Hopefully this game is a sign of what's to come from Turco, who was absolutely stellar last season, leading the Stars all the way to Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals against the Detroit Red Wings.

Maybe this is one of those re-collecting weeks for Dallas, and Turco and co. are finally ready to threaten in the Western Conference. Maybe. Let's not get excited just yet.

The rest of the Stars' season aside, one big question lingers: Now that the entire Stars' organization all the way down to the lowliest "ice girl" has denounced Avery as the anti-Christ, will any of the other 29 NHL GMs want to inquire to Assistant GM Brett Hull for Avery's services?

I, for one, would love to see Avery remain in this league. As I have stated before in previous work, I think Avery gets more exposure for this league than any other player around. Of course, true Canadien hockey fans won't agree with me, but the fact remains most Americans can only name a handful of NHL players and Sean Avery is one of them.

He's known not for his play as much as his antics. Remember the "Sean Avery Rule"? Those kinds of things happen because he's a classless hooligan, albeit a funny one.

After the whole gamut of slick-haired media puppets for the NHL murdered Sean Avery all week, I don't think any team in this league is willing to take a chance on this so called "PR Nightmare" who, in actuality, is more of a "wet-dream" for the NHL. He gets people interested in the NHL, bottom line.

All that matters now is that the stars have started a new chapter in their franchise's history, one that, in their eyes, won't be marred by the presence of the NHL's biggest star, Sean Avery.

I wish the best of luck to the Stars organization, but remember that old adage: One man's trash is another man's treasure. Picking up what Dallas threw out could turn the tide of some "lucky" NHL team's season, or it could turn out even worse than it did for the Stars. Regardless, people will tune in to see Avery play no matter what color his jersey is.

Some food for thought. Over and out.

What's Next For Steve Mason?

Dylan O'Brien — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 17:34:56 -0500

Steve Mason burst onto the NHL scene last month with a 5-2-1 record, being named the NHL's Rookie of the Month for November.

He also won his first start in December, which he capped off with a diving blocker save against Kyle Wellwood, invoking memories of a young Dominik Hasek.

This kid is the real deal for sure, but his dazzling streak came to an end tonight when he was defeated by the San Jose Sharks in the HP Pavilion 3-2. Now that Mason looks human again, Ken Hitchcock has some decisions to make about his goaltenders.

Earlier in the week, Hitchcock basically said that Mason was the interim number-one goalie for the Blue Jackets due to his stellar play through the month of November, combined with inconsistency from the Jackets' top goalie Pascal Leclaire and backup Fredrik Norrena.

Obviously the Jackets won't be carrying three goaltenders for long, so the question remains: What's next for Steve Mason?

Ken Hitchcock and the Jackets' organization aren't likely to bail on Pascal Leclaire so quickly. He has been poor this year, grabbing only four wins in 10 games while posting a less-than-stellar 87.9 save-percentage and 3.61 GAA. Leclaire had a really solid season last year when healthy, picking up 24 wins and nine shutouts in 54 appearances. He will definitely get a few more chances at the very least to prove his worth to this team.

As unworthy a starting goalie Leclaire has been this season, Norrena has been an even more unworthy backup netminder. He has only one win in eight appearances this season and has posted an ugly 87.2 save-percentage and a 3.16 GAA over that span. Shipping Norrena wouldn't likely be much of a burden to the Blue Jackets, but some other questions remain.

Should Steve Mason stay on with the Jackets in a potential backup role to Pascal Leclaire, or would he be better suited to develop his game in the AHL?

Personally, I believe this kid is ready. He stole the show in November, won his first start in December against a pretty solid Vancouver Canucks team, and could have won tonight in San Jose had it not been for the stellar play of opposing goaltender, Evgeni Nabokov. That's not even mentioning the fluke goal credited to Patrick Marleau, which bounced off a defender's stick and knuckled over Mason's shoulder in the early second period.

Columbus should get rid of Norrena and keep Mason on the roster. He has proven that he is ready for the NHL and if you've seen him, then you know his play just oozes with confidence.

This kid is going to be special. He achieved MVP honors in the 2008 World Juniors for Team Canada and continues to showcase his skills in a starting role.

Like I said earlier, Pascal Leclaire will get his chance to re-solidify his starting job in Columbus, but after the gold we've seen from Mason, expect him to be on a very short leash. Keep an eye on this one, you won't be disappointed.

Some food for thought. Over and out.

The Crosby Show: Raleigh Edition

Dylan O'Brien — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 15:05:12 -0500

Paul Maurice did not have a dream debut for the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday, as they were thumped by Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-2.

Crosby led the way for the Penguins with four assists, while Petr Sykora picked up two goals on the night. Evgeni Malkin also finished the game with two assists.

Crosby had already picked up his third point of the night just 1:53 into the second period when he assisted on Sykora's powerplay goal. He picked up his final assist of the game less than five minutes later when he set up Satan beautifully for a tap-in goal.

Crosby's four assists gives him 13 goals and 26 assists on the season for a solid 39 points, good enough for second place in the NHL behind Malkin, who now has 41 points after a two-assist effort tonight.

Pittsburgh dominated the game almost the entire way through, although Dany Sabourin was forced to make some sparkling saves, including a point-blank stop on Eric Staal during the second period.

With the win, Pittsburgh moves to 15-6-4 on the season, while Carolina falls to 12-12-2. Most importantly, Pittsburgh gained two points on the New York Rangers, who currently sit atop the Atlantic Division with 38 points.

The Penguins have played four fewer games than the Rangers, and many are beginning to question their shaky play after they fell tonight in Montreal, 6-2.

The Penguins remain the favorite to win the Atlantic Division, despite the hot start in New York.

Crosby and Malkin already have their horns locked in a scoring race reminiscent of the Lemieux / Jagr scoring race of 1995-96, the last time two teammates finished first and second in overall scoring.

If these two keep it up, the Penguins should once again be representing the Eastern Conference in the battle for Lord Stanley this June. I can only hope.

The future sure is bright for these young Penguins, but if they continue to dominate teams like they handled Carolina tonight, then the future is NOW.

Some food for thought. Over and out.

San Jose Sharks: Is It Finally Their Year?

Dylan O'Brien — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 19:15:11 -0500

The Sharks handily defeated former bench-boss Ron Wilson and the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-2 Tuesday night, giving the Sharks a record-best 25-game start to an NHL season in history, tying the mark set by the 1943-44 Montreal Canadiens.

Their mark of 21-3-1 gives them a commanding 12-point lead over the Ducks in the Pacific, not to mention that the Sharks boast an NHL-best 43 points. This is good for a five-point lead over Eastern Conference top dogs New York Rangers, with three games still in hand.

It seems Todd McLellan and Danny Boyle were the final pieces of the puzzle necessary to bring these formerly 'sleeping giants' into the limelight and make them the early favorite to be hoisting Lord Stanley's Cup come June.

Some new blood behind the bench and another stud in Dan Boyle weren't the only keys to San Jose's recent success.

Along with the surefire producers like Thornton, certain people are making names for themselves while seemingly-dead veterans are rejuvenating their careers.

This seems to be a renaissance season for Patrick Marleau, playing alongside Joe Thornton and Devin Setoguchi, who is having his coming-out party this season with 13 goals, 16 assists, and a whopping +14 rating thus far.

These factors are helping Marleau make fans forget last year, when he sputtered out a modest 19 goals and 29 assists, with a terrible -19 rating, something very hard to do on a pretty dominant Sharks squad. Marleau looks to be back on his game and is currently on pace to set career highs in goals, assists, and points.

Another name that may have gone under your radar before this season is Joe Pavelski. The former seventh-round pick in 2003 is on pace to have a career year by leaps and bounds. Last year he managed 19 goals and 21 assists for a modest 40 points in 82 games. This year, he is currently sitting sixth on the Sharks scoring list with 11 goals and 11 assists.

Pavelski is seeing top-six forward ice-time in San Jose and isn't letting new coach Todd McLellan down.

Another guy rejuvenating his career before our very eyes is aging blue-liner, Rob Blake. After a couple disappointing seasons in his second stint in a Kings uniform, Blake looks better than ever. He is currently third in defenseman scoring behind teammate Dan Boyle and Nashville Predators' Shea Weber. Blake only managed 31 points last year and already has 21 points so far.

These Sharks sure do look mighty. When you have lesser-known guys like Pavelski and Setoguchi producing comparable numbers to studs like Big Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau, then only good things can come of it.

If the Sharks keep up their dominance of the NHL, then they may finally shake the "underachiever" stigma and bring the Cup back to California this summer.

Some food for thought. Over and out.

Biggest "Star" in the NHL

Dylan O'Brien — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 17:51:58 -0500

If anyone watched the Rangers/Devils series in last year's playoffs or have heard any of Sean Avery's comments in the past, then I am sure you know some of the antics that make a guy like Sean Avery a household name to NHL fans.

Earlier this week after a pre-game skate in Calgary, Avery made some crude comments referencing ex-honeys actresses Elisha Cuthbert and Rachel Hunter and their current NHL studmuffins, Dion Phaneuf of the Calgary Flames and Jarret Stoll of the Los Angeles Kings.

Avery was commenting on the apparent trend in the NHL for "guys to fall in love with my sloppy seconds." The funny thing about the whole incident is that ultimately Avery was right. Certain guys in the NHL, namely Stoll and Phaneuf, feel the need to become romantically involved with Avery's ex-girlfriends.

I'm gonna jump off the "Let's bash Sean Avery" bandwagon for two reasons.

Firstly, I agree with Sean Avery's comments, and I don't really think what he said was all that bad. Guys like Stoll and Phaneuf, and the friggin' media for Pete's sake, should expect to hear garbage flow from the mouth of Avery when they're picking up on his "leftovers."

Secondly, it's not like Sean Avery used any profane language in his remarks. He just made a gritty comment directed at Phaneuf in anticipation of the game later that night. Avery was doing his job; he was brought into Dallas by his former Detroit roommate, Brett Hull to stir the pot with his opponents and bring some "edge" to Dallas.

I guess someone has to stick up for the guy. I guess I'llbear that burden, only because Sean Avery is the biggest star in the NHL.

What, you thought it was Crosby or Ovechkin? You silly, silly people.

ESPN featured the Sean Avery fiasco on Sportscenter for at least five minutes yesterday. When was the last time you heard about the NHL for more than ten seconds on ESPN unless it was Barry Melrose or Matthew Barnaby uttering some "half-baked" 30 second spiel about an entire slate of NHL games.

Please people, Americans don't care about hockey, it's sad but true. People would rather hear about Sean Avery slamming his ex-girlfriend than Sidney Crosby having a hat trick.

If Sean Avery is the guy to get some exposure for the NHL, then leave him to his devices and enjoy some boosted revenue from fair-weather fans who wanna see "that goon they saw on ESPN" who just might be the biggest name in the NHL.

Some food for thought. Over and out.