Updated: Waddell says no coaching change this season
Running behind today but here is the news from Thrashers practice.
I spoke with GM Don Waddell this morning. The full interview is below.
Here are the highlights:
*I asked if there was a chance that a coaching change with John Anderson could be made this season considering the six-game slide and slipping playoff chances. Waddell said no. Asked about the possibility of a change following the season, he said everything would be evaluated at that time – including himself by ownership.
*Waddell has not given up on the playoffs, but wants the focus to be the next game on Tuesday. Don’t look any further nor get caught up in numbers or scenarios.
*He said the poor play of the both special teams has contributed to the current slide. He also said missing a key contributor like Evander Kane has had an effect.
*There has been no real movement on signing potential unrestricted free agents. He said he had conversations with the camp of Pavel Kubina and Colby Armstrong, but such talks have been put on hold due to the packed March schedule.
Other news from practice:
Zach Bogosian’s injury is to his right thumb. He is wearing a splint. He briefly took the ice in a warm-up suit but did not practice. I will update when further results are available but to my knowledge he had not had the MRI before I left practice. I wouldn’t be surprised if the injury was not some kind of fracture.
Nik Antropov, Pavel Kubina and Johnny Oduya were at the facility but did not practice.
Q. What are your thoughts about where this team is right now with a six-game losing streak?
A. Back up 10 days ago after the game with the Islanders and we woke up in the eighth spot. Then you go five losses and an [shootout] loss and you find yourself five points out with the games counting down. You go from feeling pretty good about where you are headed, because you like not only where you are headed but you like the way you are playing, six without a loss. Then you hit a road block and it hit us hard. I like the way we played. We played I thought two pretty good periods Friday night against the Rangers and I thought we played very well [Sunday] night. I thought we deserved a better fate.
We’ve got our backs against the wall. We can’t look at who we play on Thursday. We have to look at who we play on Tuesday. It’s one game at a time and all we can do at this point is chip away. I still believe we can get there [the playoffs], but we don’t control our entire destiny. We can only worry about winning our games and we are not going to give up.
Q. From your GM seat, what has gone wrong between the win against the Islanders and your current situation?
A. It’s interesting because you analyze everything. You look at what changed. The one thing that has changed is we lost Evander Kane. It’s hard to imagine I’m going to put that much on an 18-year-old player, but if you just look at what he was doing prior –and if he is in the lineup we might have lost five in a row – I thought he was playing his best hockey when he got hurt with speed and the intangibles. I think that’s a part. Is that the reason? Absolutely you can’t put it all on an 18 year old. But I think that’s part of the reason.
I also think that we were getting away the last few games with our special teams not being as good as they can be. And then they went fully where we weren’t very good. I’ve said from Day One here, special teams are going to win and lose you hockey games and I think it’s starting to cost us games. We are running a fine line because we are still able to score goals five-on-five, but when we start getting shut out five-on-five then not scoring on the power play, and the other team was scoring every game on the power play, I think that’s a big difference.
Q. Is this season a disappointment now [with your struggle to make the playoffs] or will that come once the season is over?
A. I always believe you take the positive approach. Am I disappointed we went through this stretch? Absolutely. Am I happy the way we looked [Sunday] night? Yes. Now we’ve got to build off that. We are not going to dwell on that right now, these last five games. At the end of the year we will break down the months and weeks [of the season]. We had a couple other five-game losing streaks. Obviously, this is going to gain all the attention because when it happens. That’s why we talk about those points in October and November are just as important as they are in March and April. You’ve got to look at the entire season once you are all done.
Q. Is the fact that you are in a position where lines are still getting juggled part of the issue?
A. Some of it is injury. Part of it is trying to find guys that can click. You’d like to think you can be stabilized and have lines for the entire year, but obviously we’ve made some changes. Particularly when we brought [Niclas] Bergfors in, with [Bryan] Little and [Nik] Antropov they went really good. Now they’ve seemed to hit a little dry spell. Max [Afinogenov] looked pretty good with [Antropov] earlier in the year, so I think the coaches are just trying to find the combinations to give us some spark.
Q. You haven’t been consistent all season with putting a winning streak together and you have had a nine-game losing streak. Is there some reason for that?
A. We’ll have to look at that at the end of the year. If it was that easy and I could pinpoint it, it would happen once and never happen again. We’ll have to take a hard look and see.
Q. Will you make a coaching change between now and the end of the year?
A. No.
Q. Will that be something you would look at as part of the end-of-year evaluation?
A. I think everything has to be evaluated. Obviously, if we don’t get to where we want to be all positions need to be evaluated. It’s part of the business. We all want to win and have success and make the playoffs and if we don’t reach our goals that we feel were attainable you have to look at every avenue in the organization.
Q. How about you and your position?
A. That’s up to the owners. Every year you go through an evaluation and see what happens. I expect the same this year.
Q. With several unrestricted free agents, are you working to re-sign any or will you wait until the season is over?
A. During the Olympic break, I did talk to [Pavel] Kubina and [Colby] Armstrong. There was nothing that was pressing to get a deal done. With the schedule that we have going, I don’t want any distractions for these players. If we get into April and it’s gone one way or another, then maybe we can re-visit it. It’s just another month. They can’t go somewhere else in the next month. Sometimes if the player is more anxious, the agent will be more diligent. In this case I’ve talked to both guys and they are fine.
Q. So, Kubina and Armstrong are two players you’d like to bring back?
A. There are a lot of guys we are going to talk about. … I don’t see anything happening any time soon.
Q. In your opinion, to make the playoffs are you looking at a certain number of wins? How do you look at it?
A. I think we got caught up in that a couple of weeks ago, trying to figure out how many points it’s going to take. Right now, we should worry about Tuesday night. That’s what I’ve stressed around here. We are about Tuesday. When we get through Tuesday, we’ll worry about Thursday. Stop watching the big picture. Last week when we had the eighth spot, everyone was trying to figure out magic points. My line has always been, you don’t have enough points to get in right now, so don’t worry about it. Just keep putting points on the board.
Q. Are you still confident with the home games this month that will be a help?
A. I said all along our schedule was set up that if we were going to have success it was a favorable schedule. We’ve got to take advantage of it. This is a huge week for us. It starts Tuesday. We’ve got to take advantage of it.
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
125 comments Add your comment
Russ
March 16th, 2010
12:05 pm
Old Time Hockey – I would agree with you that this team consistently does not play a full 60 minutes. In fact, I stated a few blogs back that the one “identity” this team has had in its’ history is mentally weak teams. However, I think some of this can be put on DW as I believe part of scouting should be to analyze a players ability to play hard every game, not just to evaluate physical talent alone. If a lot of these players take nights off now, I’m willing to bet they took nights off before they were drafted, that’s just the types of players they are. I just can’t believe these are players that have played hard their entire career, wherever they were, and then suddenly become head cases that rarely play hard when they come to the Thrashers. Just my two cents.
rob
March 16th, 2010
12:06 pm
HILARIOUS….seriously man, how you can actually say all of that with a straight face must be a great act. Teams lose and the real fans just take that and continue to support it?!? Ummmm, no they don’t. They advocate that those in charge make the needed changes in order to win again (or in this case just start winning). As a “real fan” how long do you think we should wait for a meaningful season to come along? No need to win the cup to be meaningful, but gotta get past the 1st round. I don’t think that is too much to ask for after 10 years and as a “real fan”. So my question is who are you and what is your whole reason for being on this blog?
ASG…Another Season Gone obviously does not care about this team, or those who pay good money to support them. DW and JA both need to go. Those who say JA should stay really need to evaluate him honestly. He has at no time stood up or challenged any of the players to play harder or changed things when play has faltered. His only excuse is the bouncing puck. We all know the puck bounces funny ways but true teams find a way to overcome those bounces and a well-coached team will still play hard despite bad luck bounces. The Thrashers have done neither… They have shown flashes of things to come, but they need someone to grab the reins and keep them focused as a team.
Vivs,
Thanks for asking a few tough questions there. I am sure that asking them wasn’t exactly easy but it needs to be put in circulation. Whose idea was the whole thing? Yours or DW’s? And when he answered your question about him, did he seem like maybe he was actually concerned about his status or just entertaining questions he already knows the answers to?
rob
March 16th, 2010
12:25 pm
Smoothie,
If we have $12 mil to play with, does anyone really want Pavs in even a backup spot? I say we need 2 goalies. Pavs time isn’t here yet. He needs a lot of work before he is ready to jump up here. His flashes show promise, but his positioning is just awful on a nightly basis. I think he needs a minimum 2 years yet before he’s ready. I think you let Kubina go if he doesn’t want to stay here at a more affordable rate….we have some guys in Chicago who should be ready next year who aren’t named Chelios. Max should at least consider us as no one else wanted him before, and between Pevs and Antropov he has 2 good centers to play with. And as for Armstrong…..ask him to stay as well at a lesser rate, and if he doesn’t wanna stay…. Goalie(s) has to be priority #1 though, we have the Wolves to bolster or fill gaps in the O and D and it is high time we start using them. If they are such a strong AHL team time after time then there must be some players ready for the bigs.
You're All HILARIOUS!
March 16th, 2010
12:47 pm
Curious G, I don’t have all the answers. Nobody does. Much of it hinges on pure luck or fate or whatever term you prefer. There are a couple of things that are not in Atlanta’s favor. It isn’t a major media market, which often attracts the big-name players. And it’s an expansion team. Some cities overcome those obstacles with a given team/sport, while they fail miserably with another. Since they rarely repeat, chance is a key ingredient.
A team has to have quality base talent that fits into the offensive & defensive schemes. Many teams will often be rich on one side, poor on the other. The players must have chemistry. Likewise, it must be a team effort, although great individual performances can often propel a team to a level once thought unattainable. Along this same line, teams can be cited throughout sports history who have practically willed themselves to win. This is not unusual and this year the Caps are a team that seem to believe they will win every time they take the ice. Quite often they’re correct.
Also in the mix are injuries. The Kane injury was a key injury in that it upset the balance and chemistry of this team. Anderson is obviously trying to find balance and chemistry again. It’s tough. Because another element is effort. Teams usually have some mix of effort level from their players and this is something that’s hard to judge before a player actually joins a team. Some often get burned by FA when they sign a player coming off a career season, only to find out it was because they were going to be FAs that they played as hard as they did. Sign the contract, then ask “so how many days off do we get here each week?”
Obviously the Yankees are the poster team for throwing money at the problem. Sometimes it works, often it doesn’t. It just shows it’s one element, not the sole answer. Fans are another ingredient, but simply selling out a stadium or arena doesn’t guarantee a winner either. But it doesn’t hurt.
Some teams have to be the best (by default). Some teams are in the cellar. The rest are in between. If you were a professional athlete, where would you want to play? That’s one of the problems with UFA. The “best” players want to play for the best teams. It makes it very difficult for lower level teams to ever rise up to the top. Some players even take a pay cut to join or stay with a winner to allow more salary room to acquire even more talent. These are envious situations many teams never get to experience.
Didn’t intend to write a paper on the subject and these are things most sports fans already know. But frustrated fans often think the only solution is to clean house as a last resort. At best, it puts the team right back at square one working on acquiring good base talent, forming chemistry, etc. At worst (for an expansion NHL team), the team is sold and moved to another market. Every fan in every sport wants their team to be the best. Clearly this will never happen. Fans often have to be content with cheering their team on in victory or in defeat. Fans without a team in their city can’t even do that.
Every season, things fall into place for a team that eventually becomes champions in their sport. But so many factors are at play, with luck being the true edge. There are a remarkable number of constraints the owners, front offices and coaches have to work within every day. Some self-imposed, others not so much. This makes consistent winning even more difficult because every team is searching for the right combination from the available pool of resources. When it does happen for a team, they’re simply lucky more than anything else. And it can all fall apart just as quickly as it came together.
And I’m not saying Waddell should be fired or retained. I’m just saying posting messages on blogs for 8 years hasn’t worked yet. Also, firing a GM or coach can produce an even more undesirable result and end in another top to bottom rebuilding effort that may last years and still not produce a winner. When I look on my ticket, it says “Atlanta Thrashers vs _______” not “Don Waddell vs _______” I go to see a team play, not Don Waddell skate out in Goalie gear and be submitted to shots on goal (although that could prove to be a lucrative fund raiser and frustration outlet for fans).
I do believe Rick Dudley is more than capable of contructing a top team here, despite obstacles, should Waddell be “promoted” after this season. Luck will still be the determining factor.
Smoothie
March 16th, 2010
12:48 pm
rob – I agree that we have some depth in Chicago that should be tapped, namely Kulda, Machacek and perhaps even Crabb as a 13th forward. If we re-up Arty, then perhaps Boulton becomes expendable. But Arty really isn’t an enforcer. However, it’s not like Boulton ever fights anymore. Apparently he has stopped caring so perhaps Gratton will reconsider us for camp next season.
As for Pavelec though, I’m not sure I agree with you completely. While I think he needs additional seasoning, I’m not sure playing 2 more years in the AHL will do him any good. He needs to work with someone who will correct his flaws during the off-season. If he can’t prove himself in camp with said flaws corrected, then he should go back down to the AHL to work on fine-tuning his game. If we can get Ellis to sign here for $3.25 or $3.5 M per season, then perhaps you bring back Moose as the back-up for one more year at $1.3 – 1.5 M or so. I don’t know, the goalie situation is a tough one, but I fear they are committed to Pavelec. Otherwise, why did they give up on Lehtonen so soon?
AJ
March 16th, 2010
12:54 pm
WHY CAN’T THE OWNERS SEE THAT WADDELL IS A MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR PART OF THE NON-SUCCESS THAT THE THRASHERS HAVE HAD!!!??? HE’S HAD 10 (FREAKIN) YEARS TO “PROVE” HE KNOWS WHAT HE IS DOING-ITS WAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYY PAST TIME TO SHOW HIM THE DOOR!!!!!!
thrashless
March 16th, 2010
1:08 pm
This team will never, never amount to anything but glorified AHL squad as long as the dysfunctional wannabes Atlanta Spirit and their incompetent lackey, Don Waddell, are involved.
the Captain
March 16th, 2010
1:08 pm
Enter your comments here
rob
March 16th, 2010
1:08 pm
Smoothie,
OK I could live with bringing back Moose as a backup. He is capable of that and as such would still be a factor in the locker room as all I ever hear is what a great leader he is. So if he wants to, that would be that for the goalie problem. I just can’t see Pavs here yet though….everyone knows goalies and D-men traditionally take a while to live up to expectations. Let him come to tryouts for the extra work and to push whoever we do get. Like I said he shows flashes of potential but he isn’t ready yet…I just hope those that are in charge see that as well.
R. Stroz
March 16th, 2010
1:12 pm
The Kane injury was a key injury in that it upset the balance and chemistry of this team.
Yep, and shows just how bad Charmin is doesn’t it?
The team sure played well with Charmin in the pressbox.
the Captain
March 16th, 2010
1:14 pm
Sadly as much fun as the “should DW go” conversation is, the simple fact is that he won’t. The coach may change, but DW will still be the nice, but failed GM of a failed team that claims it’s “rebuilding” every year. Why? Well because to do otherwise would require ASG to in some way actually have to think about hockey for a minute. And we all know by now the last thing the ASG want’s to be bothered with is the hockey organization. There is a feeling of institutionalized mediocracy to this team and that starts from the top. But that’s what you get when your owners area all a basketball fans who had to buy a hockey team to realize their dreams of owning a basketball one.
Curious George
March 16th, 2010
2:14 pm
Thanks for your response, Hilarious. Not surprisingly, I agree with some of your thoughts and disagree with others, primarily in the extent to which certain factors affect success.
While luck certainly plays a role in almost any successful enterprise, in most cases I don’t think it plays as large a role as you assert, and in my experience it is frequently the companion of preparation and execution. The effort in those areas often allow one to take advantage of good luck when it is presented and overcome bad luck when it arrives.
I can’t agree that those who win consistently just get lucky more frequently than others. More often, those organizations have well-developed systems with high expectations and accountability for results, along with structure for developing talent.
I do think the smaller markets that lack a history of success have a tougher time of it, which makes it all the more important that you have the right leaders in the organization. Markets like Atlanta, Nashville, Columbus, Raleigh, Phoenix, and the Florida sisters have to have everything going right for them to achieve and sustain success.
And that’s where Don Waddell becomes an issue. While none of us knows everything that goes on behind those office doors at ASG, LLC, we DO know that Don has presided over the Thrashers since day one, and that we have basically been a bottom feeder the whole time. Whatever the reasons, clearly he hasn’t been able to build a competitive NHL team. Whether it’s Dudley or another qualified candidate, I’m more than ready to see if someone else can get this team moving in the “right direction (for real this time, though).”
Oh, and do any of us really think that whining on a blog will have any effect? Maybe a few, but for most of us it’s just a way of blowing off steam with others who share our frustration.
Lee
March 16th, 2010
3:51 pm
HILARIOUS – C’mon man, hockey is actually what people enjoy. The people that are saying “We need a GM change” or “We need a coach change” are just voicing their opinion, that’s how some things change. If you want to give up your tickets then fine, just don’t ruin what other people enjoy.
Lee
March 16th, 2010
3:56 pm
HILARIOUS – Your comment on Don Waddell vs.______ is partly incorrect. Yes, the team is not called the Atlanta Don Waddell’s (thank god) but think about it. How do you think we got the players? Who takes care of draft picks? Don Waddell does, or at least he tries. But anyways, it’s a big role for a team.
You're All HILARIOUS!
March 16th, 2010
4:49 pm
Lee, we’re all hockey fans here (except anyone who spends 8 years posting that DW should be fired and that Thrasher fans are sheep who shouldn’t go to any games just because he didn’t get 3 e-mails answered in 2002).
I have no intention of giving up my tickets. And I know this doesn’t apply to everyone here, but from the Kovalchuk trade up to the Tampa Bay game there were many singing the praises of this team and even Waddell. That’s what a winning streak does. Then they hit a losing streak and it’s all Waddell’s fault. He does have a big role for the team, but he doesn’t play or coach (at least not lately). The winning streak team is the same as the losing streak team (except Kane). Waddell didn’t do anything (this time) to make them start losing again. But he gets most of the blame.
Anyone can choose to buy tickets or not. But to continuously state, sometimes year after year, that someone is not going to go to hockey games and that will cause the owners to fire Don Waddell is counterproductive. It deprives a hockey fan of that which he/she enjoys. And if enough people don’t go to games, then an end result could very well be no more games in this city. If DW or JA get fired, then rejoice! If they don’t, then there’s really not anything you or I can do to make it happen.
Why torture yourself? If you like hockey, buy a ticket and go to a game.
bugman
March 16th, 2010
4:55 pm
Wow Hilarious, your kindergarten logic is stupefying:
“And if enough people don’t go to games, then an end result could very well be no more games in this city”
Dontcha think, that for one eensy beensy moment that if enough people don’t sign up for a bad product (Thrashers) that it might not be so good after all? That if “enough people” can dictate a teams departure, it might not be doing what “enough people” like?
Isn’t it time for your nap or mom to come take you home?
rob
March 16th, 2010
5:04 pm
WOW, so luck is the biggest factor here. I can’t believe all this time we thought it was an organizational idea, which a manager overlooked, a coach and a team, which he, as manager, assembled based on compatibility and talent. Then monitored to see if said pieces worked, and if they didn’t, made changes in an attempt to make it so. All that time wasted practicing when you could have just waited for your luck to come along! Atlanta isn’t a media market? All this time I thought it was such a huge metropolitan city with millions and millions of people in the immediate area!! When does one lose the “expansion team” label? A decade is MORE than enough time to have established a philosophy, an identity, and have at least SOME success with said. So, when you look at all of this, the Thrashers have not emerged from their initial season with anything positive to show for. There is still no identity, no success, no accountability. We have a decent core of players, so tearing apart the top of this monstrosity from the owners to the coach will not be setting us back to square one. There is nothing fresh or imaginative here, it isn’t even stagnant…..it is rotting. Your argument would have maybe held water through about 2005…maybe 2006, but certainly not now in 2010. All we are doing now is wasting 82 games a season, because in reality, those 82 games are nothing but a buildup to the playoffs. No one playing this game will say they go through such a grinding season to play golf while the others are playing playoff hockey. As exciting as any regular season game might be, playoff hockey is what all of those games were meant for. So far in 10 years, the Thrashers have seen exactly 4 of a possible 280 (based on 4 7-game series per year). That isn’t luck, or being unlucky. That is just pathetic management. And based on that, the FANS aren’t “frustrated”, they are disgusted, and rightly so I would say. HILARIOUS?!?!?! no I don’t think anyone is laughing
rob
March 16th, 2010
5:12 pm
Once Kovy was traded, many were singing the praises of the TEAM, and many still support the TEAM, but I don’t recall seeing one person coming out and saying, WOW look at what Waddell has done for this team!!!! He walked into a lucky streak following the trade and rode that for what it was worth, and now that things have soured, I am sure he will say that this season couldn’t be his fault with everything that has happened.
bugman
March 16th, 2010
5:12 pm
“you could have just waited for your luck to come along!”
Rob,
It prolly did, D-Wad just traded it for leftover meatloaf and 2 second round picks.
You're All HILARIOUS!
March 16th, 2010
5:53 pm
Curious G: I also prefer structure in an organization. But I also believe the sports graveyard is filled with talented organizations that produced limited or even no success. For example, most of us remember the Braves from 1991-2004. They were stocked with talent, but finished last in 1990. Then Cox (mid-1990 season) and Schuerholtz took them from worst to first in 91. The Braves were up 3 games to 2 over the Twins in the 6th game of the WS. Puckett hit the homer in the 11th to win. Both teams were in last place in their divisions the year before. Did they all of a sudden become great organizations in the off-season or was luck/fate involved? Did luck/fate have anything to do with Puckett being at bat in the 11th? With the pitch Leibrandt threw? This isn’t to take away from great athletic performances, such as Puckett’s in this series. But if he hadn’t been at bat in the 11th, would the Twins still have won?
Fast forward to the 1995 WS when the Braves received “what they needed, when they needed it” from Dave Justice. Then in May 1996, he tore his shoulder up and never played for Atlanta again. Sometimes things happen. Sometimes they’re good and sometimes they aren’t. Many times a champion is crowned because “something” happened in a certain way. Not necessarily because the owner or GM caused it to happen. They did put their team in a position to win (”chance favors the prepared mind” from Under Seige 2), but they still couldn’t make it happen. Favre’s pass wasn’t caused by the owner or GM…….
The Braves won 14 consecutive Div titles (a feat that may never be repeated) and went to 5 WS in that time. They won it all once. Clearly the organization had put the team in a position to win, but only once did events occur that allowed them to claim the title of Champion. Some call it destiny. It also plays a part in individual games throughout a season.
During their recent winning streak, the Thrashers had everything flowing and clicking plus they got some incredible breaks. During the losing streak, they’ve gotten none of the breaks while the other teams have. I’m not trying to say build your future on fate. Just acknowledging that it plays a part that we often overlook. It isn’t a substitute for talent, effort, great coaching, etc. It’s just that little something extra that makes teams look better than they sometimes are and often worse than they are. It often determines the Champion.
It’s a good discussion over a couple of pitchers of beer!
You're All HILARIOUS!
March 16th, 2010
6:04 pm
rob, don’t go to Thrashers games anymore. Stop watching them on TV. Don’t read about them in the AJC. Don’t visit the blogs. This is not the team for you and you’ve just outlined all the reasons why. Become a Caps or Pens fan.
I go to Thrashers games and have a good time. I don’t expect too much. I don’t get angry about things that are out of my control. When you do, Don Waddell and the ASG own you.
MB
March 16th, 2010
6:38 pm
Hilarious, you bring up a great example in the Braves of the 90s.
A superior manager and general manager molded that collection of talent into a consistent winner. Throughout those years, the Braves were held up as a model organization by the pundits. Thanks to years of failure, they were able to collect talent that finally matured, and those two knew what to do with it. And they kept the farm stocked so that when somebody got too expensive to keep they had a replacement waiting in the wings, or Schuerholtz went out and acquired somebody, more often than not with good results. The team had an identity, they had a system in place to develop talent, and they had, imo, a brilliant GM (or president…can’t remember his title).
Once they got into the playoffs, then yes, luck and/or heroics would play a part in the outcome. But the important thing, and to me the key responsibilities of the GM and even the coach/manager to a large degree, is putting together the team so that it can be in those situations.
Think of players that came up through the Braves organization, guys like Blauser and Treadway and Lemke, etc. They were key cogs, but once they left for more money based on their Braves success, they rarely lived up to their elevated status. It’s my opinion that it’s because the Braves system elevate them to their highest potential because of its strong support structure. When that structure wasn’t in place in their new club, they returned to the reality of their everyday talent.
Given our market, etc., I think most fans would be happy (at least for awhile) if the Thrashers regularly competed at a level similar to the Nashville Predators, usually making the playoffs, challenging the “better” teams, and even winning a series or two here and there. My frustration is not that we’re mediocre, it’s that year in and year out (with one exception) we end up as one of the five worst teams in the entire league…and I would love to see how this town would turn out if, instead, we were one of the five BEST teams in the league.
rob
March 16th, 2010
6:54 pm
Become a Caps or Pens fan? Why? I am from neither, can’t go see them play on a consistent basis, and have no desire to. Did I say something that would have led you to believe that? I won’t stop going to the games, or cheering for them until I’m hoarse. I’ve been watching and playing hockey for 38 years now and ASG/DW, and all their incompetence won’t stop that. I enjoy the games as well. I would however, like to enjoy the excitement that is playoff hockey without having to cheer for someone other than the home team because they didn’t make it ONCE again. So if you want to be a “fan” that doesn’t “expect too much” from the team you watch, that is fine and your choice. I am sure that the LET’S GO THRASHERS chants and cheering for a good hit or goal, booing when the away team does something good, isn’t why you go, and that’s OK, the owners need those kind of fans to fill the seats too. Some of us do that kind of stuff though and would like to do it on a more consistent basis is all. So just don’t come out here and say we are whining or not fans because we would like to see more than a half hearted attempt on the ice. Now as for those who don’t go to any games or put the team down every chance they get, I’m with you, they shouldn’t waste their own time here as far as I am concerned, but……
Lee
March 16th, 2010
7:13 pm
Whooo! 33 seconds into the game Niki scores! See…these are the things that I’m talking about. Hockey is such a great sport, whether you have a good team or bad, It’s always fun to watch. Everyone knows that the Thrashers won’t make the playoffs (90% sure, but I’d love to be wrong), but it’s still great to support the team. Let’s at least have a good finish.
bugman
March 17th, 2010
10:29 am
Hey blog censor guy, howz bout letting my post in…