James O'Brien

I am a contributing editor/writer/troublemaker for NBC's Pro Hockey Talk blog.

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Golden Knights salvage OT win after stunning Ducks comeback

By James O'BrienFeb 24, 2020, 1:06 AM EST

Golden Knights stay hot by squeaking by in OT

Karlsson admitted it as much: Vegas started to run out of gas. After all, the Golden Knights completed a stretch of three games in four nights.

After going 20 games without a goal, Karlsson exploded for his third career hat trick. Shea Theodore‘s overtime-winner pushed the Golden Knights’ winning streak to an impressive six games.

Vegas: 76 points in 64 games played (34-22-8)
Edmonton: 73 in 62 (33-22-7)
Vancouver: 72 in 61 (33-22-6)

As you can see, the Oilers and Canucks rank as big threats to that Pacific crown with games in hand. That only cements the thought that this would have hurt very, very badly if the Ducks rampaged back for a win.

Adam Henrique nearly rallied that victory. He scored the Ducks’ two last goals to send the contest to OT, and also generated two assists for a four-point night. Nick Ritchie also factored heavily into the proceedings with two goals and two assists of his own.

Anaheim is in sell mode, and at a crossroads. But could this once-proud franchise serve as a pesky upset threat down the stretch?

Also, one wonders if Peter DeBoer felt a sense of deja vu. The Golden Knights were collapsing late against a California team, only this time he was behind Vegas’ bench, and his team was facing the Ducks. Oh yeah, and the Golden Knights were the overtime winners this time around.

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James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.

Trade: Red Wings send Mike Green to Oilers

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By James O'BrienFeb 24, 2020, 12:54 AM EST

Assessing the Mike Green trade for both teams

Overall, this seems like a no-brainer for the Red Wings. They need to stockpile picks, so getting a fourth that could become a third — especially in 2020 — is pretty nifty. That’s especially true because, frankly, Green’s perceived value has never been lower.

So far in 2019-20, the 34-year-old only has three goals and 11 points in 48 games.

That’s a far cry from his days as a near-Norris-winning high-scorer. If the knocks on Green’s game were unfair back then, they feel more accurate now. Consider, for instance, his poor showings by Evolving Hockey’s RAPM Charts:

He’s very limited overall, but as a specialist who can potentially boost the Oilers’ offense? That makes him more interesting. There’s no denying that Ken Holland approves of Green’s game, being that he was his GM in Detroit and now Edmonton.

What do you make of the Oilers’ decision to trade for Mike Green? Was the price right or a little too rich? Again, I think Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman did very nicely with this one.

The Athletic’s Jonathan Willis is very much plugged into what the Oilers need, and he provided pretty effusive praise. At worst, it’s not much of an investment for Edmonton, although I’d still argue it’s solid work by Detroit.

This was a pretty good puck-moving defence for the Oilers tonight; Dave Tippett praised both Bear and Jones post-game.

Add a healthy Klefbom and then Green to the mix and this might be the best passing D Edmonton has iced in ages.

— Jonathan Willis (@JonathanWillis) February 24, 2020

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James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.

Blues keep heating up, cruise against Wild

By James O'BrienFeb 23, 2020, 10:07 PM EST

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After a troubling lull early in 2020, the Blues are heating up again. St. Louis soundly defeated the Wild 4-1 on Sunday, pushing the Blues’ winning streak to four games.

Top Central Division teams pushing Blues

Again, the Blues have been heating up — and they haven’t been given much of a choice. At least, if they want to win the Central. The idle Avs are on a nice roll, while the Stars won their Sunday game.

Blues: 82 points in 63 games played (36-17-10)
Avalanche: 79 points in 61 GP (36-18-7)
Stars: 78 points in 62 GP (36-20-6)

Considering Colorado’s games in hand, it looks like the Central race could end up being close. Managing at least one round of home-ice advantage might come down to grinding out wins like the one the Blues managed on Sunday.

As much as Jake Allen and Jordan Binnington credit the play in front of them, goaltending’s been a considerable factor in the Blues’ success. Marcus Foligno ended Binnington’s shutout streak at 142:51, but the larger point remains that it’s tough to score vs. St. Louis.

Wild get an extra push to sell at trade deadline?

The Wild built a modicum of confidence by winning two games in a row before this one.

Minnesota seemed to put forth a pretty good effort, at least early on. Sunday stands as another game where they may shake their heads at missed opportunities. Minnesota’s man advantage went 0-for-4, and also allowed a shorthanded goal that took any steam out of a comeback bid.

The Wild ended Sunday outside of the West’s top eight with 65 points in 61 games played. While this loss doesn’t condemn them outright, you have to wonder if GM Bill Guerin might be a little bit more willing to sell off another piece or two.

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James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.

Trade: Capitals land Ilya Kovalchuk from Canadiens

By James O'BrienFeb 23, 2020, 8:44 PM EST

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The Washington Capitals now have Ilya Kovalchuk and Alex Ovechkin on the same team. The Capitals raised some eyebrows by trading for Kovalchuk from the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday night.

Capitals receive: Ilya Kovalchuk

Canadiens’ side: They receive a 2020 third-round draft pick

Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reports that the Canadiens are retaining 50 percent of Kovalchuk’s salary. This is Kovalchuk’s latest salary we’re talking about, so it’s a small chunk of a small chunk.

That means Washington is picking up Ilya Kovalchuk for roughly $75,000 in salary for the rest of the season.

— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) February 24, 2020

What Kovalchuk trade means for Canadiens and Capitals

Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin made a tough PR choice. Kovalchuk served as a feel-good story during a feel-bad season, coming alive with some overtime magic and a lot of fun energy. It seemed like he had a new lease on life after things ended badly with the Kings.

Frankly, I believe that this was the right choice for Montreal. Getting something for a player with an uncertain future who will turn 37 on April 15 makes more sense than hoping for lightning to strike twice.

The Habs are also doing a nice job “rebuilding on the fly.”

Nabbing another third-rounder means that Montreal will enjoy quite the war chest of picks. Bergevin hit some great notes already by sending the Sabres a fourth-rounder for Marco Scandella, only to flip Scandella for a much better package of assets.

Now, these nice in-the-margins moves don’t solve all of Montreal’s problems. They also don’t guarantee that Bergevin will keep his job, making this a case where Bergevin might just be making life easier for the next Canadiens GM. But it’s still pretty strong, sober work.

There’s also the possibility that maybe the Canadiens try to bring back Kovalchuk in the future, anyway?

#Habs Bergevin trading Kovalchuk for a Cup run with his pal Ovechkin feels like a solid for 17. Habs gain a 3rd and set the table for a potential July 1 return. Kovalchuk really enjoyed Mtl and vice versa.

— John Lu (@JohnLuTSNMtl) February 24, 2020

The Capitals, meanwhile, add an interesting weapon to their arsenal. Kovalchuk naturally doesn’t help Washington in the area where they’ve been most troubled lately — defense — but they did try to address that with the Brenden Dillon trade.

Greedily speaking, I’m just really excited to see Kovalchuk and Ovechkin on the same NHL team. Sure, it would have been more fun to see that happen before Ovechkin’s hair turned gray, but better late than never.

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James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.

Lightning add defensive depth by signing Zach Bogosian

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By James O'BrienFeb 23, 2020, 8:22 PM EST

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With the trade deadline nearing, teams are coughing up picks and prospects, even for sheer depth. By that standard, the Lightning got a deal in merely signing Zach Bogosian off of the scrap heap. The team announced that it is a one-year deal with a prorated $1.3 million AAV.

Tampa Bay locked up Bogosian not long after he parted ways with the Sabres.

Injuries may have played a role in the signing, as the Bolts are a bit banged-up. Looking at the defense alone, Erik Cernak joins Ryan McDonagh and Jan Rutta as blueliners dealing with bumps and bruises. The Lightning didn’t want to chalk up a slight hiccup (two straight losses) to injuries, but they’re worth noting.

“It’s easy to blame that. That’s not who we are,” Victor Hedman said, via the Lightning website. “We’ve been battling injuries for a long time. I think we’ve done a great job of overcoming that. Bottom line is we’ve got to play better and not give up as many goals and just be better as a team.”

Bogosian mainly brings depth to Lightning

Expecting too much from Bogosian wouldn’t be wise. Injuries limited Bogosian to 19 games played so far in 2019-20. When he’s played, the impact has been minimal, with just five points and generally mediocre underlying stats. Gander at his RAPM charts at Evolving Hockey and you’ll gain further evidence that he’s mainly just a depth option.

That said, Bogosian brings experience, size, and a right-handed shot to the table. The Lightning don’t even need to give up a low-end pick for Bogosian, either, so that’s a nice luxury this late into the season.

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James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.