Archive for September, 2009

First of all, I gotta tell you, living out here in the twin cities area of Kennesaw/Acworth while so much is going on in Duluthland and Philips these past few days has kept yours-truly on the road quite a bit. I’ve been zipping around the top-end perimeter in the big suburban assault vehicle so much that I’m afraid Al Gore is going to send me a nasty-gram about the carbon footprint I’ve been generating.

As you know by now, along with training camp opening up this past weekend, Atlanta and Nashville’s prospects split the two games played at the Duluth Ice Forum…the Thrashers taking Monday night’s matchup by a 6-3 score, Nashville then skated away with a 3-0 shutout win in Tuesday’s matinee. While unable to find the back of the net in game number two, the young Thrashers were able to ring shots off the post four or five times.

Jeremy Morin scored a couple of goals and added an assists in the first game…the first of which was a nifty one in which he took a feed …

Continue reading Thrashers Prospect Games And Town Hall Meeting Roundup »

As the Thrashers players took to the ice at the Duluth Ice forum Sunday, one player that I had my eye on was former Atlanta defenseman Mark Popovic. Recently, the 6’-1”, 210 pound native of Stoney Creek, Ontario was invited back to tryout for a spot on the Thrashers blueline.

When we last saw Pops play at the NHL level, it was during that dreadful 2007-08 season in which Atlanta’s defensive corps  finished last in GA/A, (3.24), last in SA/G, (33.9) and fourth to last in killing penalties, (78.8%). I think we can all agree that was an era of Thrashers history that we all just wish could be ripped out of the hockey record books, shredded, burned and the ashes sent adrift down the river of forgetfulness and sent over It Never Happened Falls.

However, even though the Thrashers finished with a record of 34-40-8 that year, when Mark was skating on the blueline Atlanta played to a slightly better record of 15-15-3.

The 33 starts made by Popovic that year were the most …

Continue reading Can Mark Pop A Surprise? »

Ok…well, maybe the summer isn’t exactly “over” just yet. But it’s sure beginning to feel that way to me given what is on schedule for Thrashers fans…indeed for the fans of all NHL teams…over the next couple of weeks.

The last time we saw the Thrashers skate in a game was last April 11 when they were smackin’ the Buh-JEE-zus out of Tampa Bay 6-2 to end the 2008-09 campaign. Like many of you, I just wasn’t ready for the season to come to a close given the way the team had played down the stretch. But…the hockey gods only give 82 regular season games each year and…barring a trip to the springtime tournament for Lord Stanley’s Cup…to the offseason ye shall go.

Peverley, Kovy, White and all the gang are ready to hit the ice at training camp (AP photo/Gregory Smith)

Since that time we’ve watched as Sidney and The Crosbiteers skated away with the cup…welcomed the re-signing of centerman Marty Reasoner…applauded the acquisition of new Associate GM Rick …

Continue reading My Fellow Thrashervillians, Our Long Summertime Offseason Is Over »

The hot-button rumor topic surrounding the Atlanta Thrashers these days swirls around whether or not the team is pursuing one Mr. Nikolai Zherdev…the 6′-2″, 195 pound free agent forward who will turn 25-years only on November 5. And from these speculations rise from the mouths…or in this case, keyboards…of fans the burning question that asks, “Should the team actually take this course of action or not”.

Sparking a lot of this chatter has been this Zherdev quote last week reported in a Russian news source…

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“I have offers from few NHL teams but nothing has signed yet. I think I’ll find new team within 2-3 days. I would like to play for Thrashers because there are few Russian players there. I talked to Kovalchuk and he really wants to see me at the team. Probably I will sign one year deal with …

Continue reading To Zherdev Or Not To Zherdev »

“He’ll be scary good in a couple of years”…Those are the words of Atlanta Thrashers team captain Ilya Kovalchuk talking about his teammate Zach Bogosian last spring. That’s a fairly powerful assesment given the fact that it comes from a player who’s “scary good” himself.

Indeed Bogey’s 6′-2″, 200 pound frame supplies the “scary” part… especially if you’re a winger caught in his sights for an open-ice check…or a defender who is charged with de-pucking the native of Massena, New York as he smoothly yet powerfully motors his way through center ice.

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As for the “good” part…well, that can be classified as an understatement in my book.

There was little doubt that Bogosian would suit up in Atlanta to begin last season. He had the build and skill to play at this level and the Thrashers defense was …

Continue reading Zach Bogosian – “Scary Good” »

The Thrashers prospects began their play in Traverse City, Michigan with a 6-4 loss to the Detroit Red Wings’ prospects. After trailing 1-0 after the first period, the Thrashers outscored Detroit 3-0 in the second. Andrew Kozek’s unassisted power play goal tied it at 4:13…then Evander Kane gave Atlanta’s prospects the lead at 15:59 with assists from Eric O’Dell and Jeremy Morin. Drew Paris then added another unassisted goal with just 26 seconds before the second break.

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Just 1:43 seconds into the third period the Thrashers power play struck again to put the team up 4-1. This time it was Darryl Smith from Patrick Galivan and Kozek.

However, that’s when it all went downhill.

Travis Ehrhardt tallied a shorthanded goal just two-minutes and five …

Continue reading Thrashers Prospects Fall To Red Wings 6-4 In Traverse City »

I just recieved word that the Thrashers TV schedule has been released. There are 61 of the 82 games that will be televised locally.

Here it is:

DAY DATE OPPONENT TIME (ET) TV
Sat. Oct. 3 TAMPA BAY 7 p.m. – FSSO
Thurs. Oct. 8 @ St. Louis 8 p.m. – SPSO
Sat. Oct. 10 @ Ottawa 7 p.m. – No TV
Fri. Oct. 16 @ New Jersey 7 p.m. – SPSO
Sat. Oct. 17 @ Buffalo 7 p.m. – No TV
Tues. Oct. 20 @ Montreal 7:30 p.m. – No TV
Thurs. Oct. 22 WASHINGTON 7 p.m. – SPSO
Sat. Oct. 24 SAN JOSE 7 p.m. – No TV
Thurs. Oct. 29 WASHINGTON 7 p.m. – SPSO
Sat. Oct. 31 @ Ottawa 2 p.m. – No TV
Tues. Nov. 3 @ Montreal 7:30 p.m. – No TV
Thurs. Nov. 5 COLUMBUS 7 p.m. – SPSO
Sat. Nov. 7 @ NY Islanders 7 p.m. – No TV
Sun. Nov. 8 ST. LOUIS 5 p.m. – No TV
Thurs. Nov. 12 @ NY Rangers 7 p.m. – SPSO
Fri. Nov. 13 LOS ANGELES 7:30 p.m. – No TV
Sun. Nov. 15 EDMONTON 2 p.m. – No TV
Thurs. Nov. 19 BOSTON 7 p.m. – SPSO
Sat. Nov. 21 PITTSBURGH 7 p.m. – SPSO
Sun. Nov. 22 TAMPA BAY 5 p.m. – No TV
Wed. Nov. 25 @ Detroit 7:30 p.m. – …

Continue reading Thrashers TV Schedule Announced »

Most of the time when we discuss visiting fans infesting Philips Arena, we aren’t speaking of them in glowing terms. We’ve all experienced the obnoxious supporter of the away team who has made his way into Philips Arena to root on…insert name of NHL team not named Thrashers here. Sometimes they have traveled from afar to see their team play in Atlanta. Sometimes these are people who live in the area who, under normal circumstances, pull for the home team but when the team representing the town they grew up in pays a visit…they revert back to they original allegiance.

Not that there is anything wrong with that.

There are good and bad fans from each team of every sport, no doubt. Atlanta has their fair share of both sets as well. Normally, though, it’s the one’s who tend to peeve us off the most that we pay the most attention to and gripe about. But rarely do we opine about out-of-town guests that have that special ability to openly support their team while in hostile territory …

Continue reading Caniacs Are Welcome Guests In Thrasherville »