Bizarre goal the difference in Thrashers loss
Thursday night the Thrashers got a pair of goals from team captain Ilya Kovalchuk. They got a two point night from Maxim Afinogenov, scoring a power play goal and assisting on one of Kovy’s. Nik Antropov was good for a pair of helpers…his fifth and sixth of the season… and Zach Bogosian chipped in with a fine short-handed goal as well.
Atlanta held the Washington Capitals to only 28 shots on goal…the first time all season they’ve held an opponent to under 30, (although they did so in Montreal prior to going into overtime), and the defense kept Alex Ovechkin off the score sheet all night.
The power play produced 2 goals on seven chances.
The penalty kill unit was perfect on all seven of the Caps man-advantages.
And they lost…5-4.
The difference in this game…a one-minute and twenty-eight second stretch in the second period in which Washington scored not once…not twice…but three times.
Tough night for Opie (Curtis Compton/AJC)
It all began harmlessly enough as Washington’s netminder Semyon Varlamov moved the puck out from behind his own goal over to Jeff Schultz. Shcultz then proceeded with it into the back end of the faceoff circle to the goalie’s right and flipped the biscuit up-ice out of the defensive zone….through the neutral zone…bouncing it’s way though the Thrashers end of the ice…toward Ondrej Pavelec who was stationed in front of Atlanta’s goal. Pavs crouched to deflect the puck away from the net and….
Oh no…OPIE!
What in the world….OPIE!!
How did that….OPIE!!!
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…OPIE!!!!
It took a bad hop up off the ice just before reaching him…freaky enough play…but really, if you are a goalkeeper in the NHL you just cannot let that wind up in the net. If a goalie allows goals like that too often…then for him N-H-L will stand for Not Here for Long…with apologies to Jerry Glanville.
OK…fine. It’s 3-2 Caps with half a game to play. Twice before the Thrashers found themselves in a one-goal hole in this game and both times they drew even shortly there after.
Washington had taken a 1-0 lead just after the two-minute mark of the opening period as Eric Fehr took a center ice pass from center ice and broke in of the goal. He beat Ondrej Pavelec with the shot as defenseman Christoph Schubert sprawled in an unsuccessful attempt to make up for being beaten.
However, Atlanta knotted it up via the power play…one that lasted but three seconds. Max took the faceoff win by…what’s this? Nik Antropov…and push it past Varlamov to tie the score at one. After falling behind 2-1, Kaptain Kovalchuk evened things up with 2:58 left before the first intermission.
So, two times already they answered goals by the Capitals. Certainly with the way this offense is clicking they can find a way too….
Oh no…what the….$#%@! …now it’s 4-2 just 72 seconds later!
Alright…two goals down and still half a game to play. We’re still in this game…if we can just….
Oh my Gawd…not again. 5-2 just 14 second after the last one as Chris Clark crams home a rebound off the boards! What in the wide, wide world of sports is a-goin’ on out there?
And with that came the end of the night for Ondrej Pavelec. After 31:48 second and allowing five goals on 14 shots, John Anderson made the Moose call. Actually, it was 13 SOG and that…thing…from 180 feet away, but I digress.
Personally, I would have given Opie the hook 14 seconds earlier, although I’m sure some would have liked for it to have happened after the freak-show goal.
Hedberg did his part as he restored order in the goal…stopping all 14 shots he faced and allowing the team to try and claw their way back into the game. Moose now has a 1.40 GAA and a .964 SV% during the game and a half he’s played in.
To their credit, the Thrashers did indeed make a game of it at the end. Bogosian’s shorty at 4:51 of the third gave some hope…then Kovy’s power play slapper with under a minute to play provided an exciting finish.
Atlanta went on the power play…oh sorry, make that the Coca-Cola Power Play… for the last 30 seconds when Ovechkin took a tripping minor. Afinogenov had a couple of whacks at the puck from the right side of the goal in the dying seconds…but he and the Thrashers came up just short.
Who would you put in goal Saturday night?
- Pavelec - He's earned the right to be first in the goalie line (60%, 67 Votes)
- Hedberg - Throw some Moose meat at the Sharks (40%, 45 Votes)
Total Voters: 112
Loading ...Obviously, there will now be some debate and discussion in these parts given to the question of just who Anderson should toss into the goal Saturday when the Sharks swim into Thrasherville. Does he return Pavelec to the goal…telling him he’s the number one guy, just shake Thursday night off? Or does he go with the apparent hot-glove by riding the Moose?
In the past, when the goalie in question was Kari Lehtonen, I’ve advocated putting him back in. A goalie is going to have an off night here and there…but if he’s feels as though one bad outing is going to cost him his job, the pucker-factor is gonna get a tad high for the kid. Opie has done well overall and I don’t think one bad game should cost him the starting job…at least not right now.
But I would have a very short leash on him Saturday.
So, I’ll toss the question out to you. Do you think Pavelec should be the man ‘tween the pipes when the Sharks attack Saturday night?
Or is Opie’s returning to the net this weekend…ahem…a long shot?
Drilled For Two Minutes
Ondrej Pavelec wasn’t the only person in Thrasherville having a rough couple of minutes Thursday night.
During the Two Minute Drill…an in-game contest in which a lucky fan wins a prize if the Thrashers score during a specific two-minute time frame…featured a good friend of this blog. I call him “Pinhead” because the hat he wears sports about 13,852 Thrashers/hockey pins on it. He’s the husband of “Libby”, who opines in the comment section occasionally…she would prefer it if I call him “Mr. Libby” here.
Unfortunately for Pinhead, the plan did not go accordingly as the Thrashers did not score during his allotted time frame.
Washington, on the other hand, did score twice…or was it three times, I lost count… during his Two Minute Drill. I believe Jay Bird told him that because of that, Mr. Libby owed him a prize.
Tough night all around, Pinhead! But hey…you still got to sit next to one of the prettiest ladies in the arena last night!
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132 comments Add your comment
Smoothie
October 23rd, 2009
1:41 am
Put the kid back in but keep him on a short leash. Of course, you don’t tell HIM that. Tell him he’s gonna be ur # 1 and to just forget about Thurs. The Sharks can be reeled in and let Pavy shoot the harpoon gun.
Weird game indeed. Am I the only one sick of Ovy’s filthy, cheap-shotting ways?
Capt Caveman
October 23rd, 2009
2:50 am
I used to skip rocks across the water and they would take that big bounce at the end after a series of little skips, every southern kid knows to watch out for that last biggie. We should take Opie rock skippin just to learn him about that. LOL
Mrs. DWTOO
October 23rd, 2009
5:14 am
Bummer the Thrashers lost – would have been SWEET to have this game in the “W” column and first place in the Division all to ourselves. From what I’ve read, it sounded like quite a game with both the “highs” and “lows” – never a dull moment with these Thrashers LOL. However, we have a chance at payback next week, so let’s learn from the mistakes last night and please take Pavs out to a lake and teach him about the physics behind rock skipping LOL.
Mrs. DWTOO
October 23rd, 2009
5:15 am
By the way, I get BRONZE for being the third poster!!!!!!
Dwayne
October 23rd, 2009
6:49 am
sorry i jinxed the Thrashers, came home from my daughters senior class meeting, turned tv on, the score was 2-2, went to the kitchen to fix a sandwich, came back, 5-2….bummer
Sara
October 23rd, 2009
7:04 am
It was just a weird night. The bad changes in the first period are just as much to blame as Pavs would be. That’s where the 1st two goals came from. The entire team can’t go for a change when the other team has possession of the puck and it’s headed for your zone.
NorthStarsDave
October 23rd, 2009
7:06 am
It’s only one game……OP was GREAT until last night….wasn’t he the reason the Trashers stole a point from the Habs Tuesday?
Let’s see how the kid responds….
Let`s Start the Season
October 23rd, 2009
7:15 am
Didn`t Pavs play shortstop on the first edition of the BadNews Bears?
Riceowls8891
October 23rd, 2009
7:19 am
I think Opie’s rough night is all my fault. I actually started to have some confidence seeing him in goal. He looked so calm and in control in Montreal. Can’t have that!
When’s Kari coming back? Play the Moose!
There hockey karma is restored.
Putting On The Foil
October 23rd, 2009
7:45 am
Pavlec looked liked ECHL material last night, but I say stick him back in Saturday night to verify it’s not a trend being started. Liked the way the team played other than that lapse in the second. Kudos for not giving up. Just wasn’t meant to be. Also Rawhide, everyone has a right to their opinion on the Koslov hit the other night, but don’t sell him out to those Canadian bast*rds on the Hockey Buzz.
five_hole
October 23rd, 2009
7:58 am
I think John Anderson should have called a timeout, after the Caps scored immediately after the “pond-skipper” goal. I’ll defer to people like Glovesave but playing goalie is about having your head on straight. Ondrej was thinking about the last goal, not the next shot.
If you get knocked off the horse, you should get back on immediately. I’d put Ondrej back in goal for Saturday night’s game. But I’d also put Manny Legace on my speed dial.
rightshot
October 23rd, 2009
8:14 am
http://www.rds.ca/hockey/chroniques/284740.html#
That’s the web site (in French). Sorry if it didn’t link. Rumor is Kovy is about ready to sign a 9 year 100 million dollar contract with the Thrashers. If anyone can interpret French better than me, please do so.
AS for Saturday, put in Moose and let Pavs know all he needs to worry about is starting against the Caps next Thurs.
GaVaHokie
October 23rd, 2009
8:19 am
I think Legace and Lehtonen had a little *snicker* last night at that performance from Opie… and then Kari strained another back muscle laughing.
GaVaHokie
October 23rd, 2009
8:20 am
Kari Lehtonen says, “Hahahaha… oh, my back!”
hip czech
October 23rd, 2009
8:23 am
Bummer of a result, but I think the positive trend is continuing for this team. Take away the 3 goal span and that was a pretty solid game. And they came darn close to clawing a point out of the thing anyway.
Bogosian had by far his best game of the season…he is going to be a 25-30 goal scorer in this league (and maybe not in the too distant future). Schubert and Popovic were a little shaky last night, really they were about the only negative (besides THE shot and the aftermath).
Let’s see how they rebound…please let that 9 year deal be true!
The Real Thrash
October 23rd, 2009
8:24 am
The night we really clamp down on SOG and we have 14 giveaways vs only 2 for Washington.
GaVaHokie
October 23rd, 2009
8:25 am
What’s really sickening about last night is how close Max was to putting in that game tying goal.
http://thrashers.nhl.tv/team/console.jsp?hlg=20092010,2,121
Thank God for the strong 3rd period performance, otherwise the team might have hung their heads going into the San Jose game tomorrow.
Shawn@GSG
October 23rd, 2009
8:30 am
I’ve seen Kari let in some odd goals before. Opie will be fine against the Sharks. He said he likes a lot of shots, so maybe that is why he had a rough outing?? Gotta remember he is young and things like this are gonna happen throughout the year.
J.B.
October 23rd, 2009
8:37 am
The guys seemed happy with the performance despite the loss from what I’ve read. Put Pavs back in. I’ve said this before, he’s not going to get better if he doesn’t play. The more experience the better. Again, the whole Viper/Top Gun thing… “Keep sending him up.”
Matt
October 23rd, 2009
8:42 am
Hey Rawhide, the voting machine does not seem to be working!
Very disappointing effort from Mr. Pavs last evening. Youth will make mistakes and lets put him right back in and get a game from him against the Sharks like we got against the Habs.
Opie
October 23rd, 2009
8:42 am
I no like monkey pucks.
DWTOO
October 23rd, 2009
8:44 am
Good Morning Mrs DWTOO. Hope life in Pretoria is treating you well today.
Waddell should be on the phone to Chicago right now and Manny should be on the next flight. Pavs had his shot – reminds of the past two years. Pavs has a couple of good games and goes right in the tank.
Like the fact that the Thrash didn’t fold and finished strong. Oh, so close.
Rawhide
October 23rd, 2009
8:46 am
Hey Rawhide, the voting machine does not seem to be working!
Matt – Yeah, it was “closed” for some odd reason. I have it open now. Thanks.
I used to skip rocks across the water and they would take that big bounce at the end after a series of little skips, every southern kid knows to watch out for that last biggie. We should take Opie rock skippin just to learn him about that. LOL
Capt. Caveman – Yes, and it’s so easy a … oh, never mind.
I think John Anderson should have called a timeout, after the Caps scored immediately after the “pond-skipper” goal.
five_hole – Agreed…if not that, then the very next one as it was apparent Opie and the defense still had it in their head.
I think Legace and Lehtonen had a little *snicker* last night at that performance from Opie… and then Kari strained another back muscle laughing.
GaVaHokie – HA!!
Mrs. DWTOO – G’morning…er, ah…is it afternoon over there now?
Mrs. DWTOO
October 23rd, 2009
8:49 am
“That’s the web site (in French). Sorry if it didn’t link. Rumor is Kovy is about ready to sign a 9 year 100 million dollar contract with the Thrashers. If anyone can interpret French better than me, please do so.”
Rightshot – It’s never indicated if the money is Canadian $$ or US $$. If that amount is Canadian $$, that converts to about $95 million US. That’s a nice sum for 10 years – roughly 95. mil US per year for the Kaptain K.
Zoomo
October 23rd, 2009
8:51 am
Didn’t go to the game last night, but it looked like Opie really should have stopped the 2nd goal as well.
That final seconds flurry was wild. Max almost put it in and on his second attempt it looks like Laich gets his stick in there and puck flys straight up. Ohh so close.
Worse thing about the loss, is it now feels like we have to get a win on Saturday to keep the postive momentum going.
Mrs. DWTOO
October 23rd, 2009
8:52 am
Oops Over 10 years it would be 9.5 mil US – damn dislexia. Oh, over 9 years, of course, it would be roughly 10.5 mil US. Damn ADHD.
Mrs. DWTOO
October 23rd, 2009
8:54 am
Rawhide – G’morning to you, too!! Iin answer to your question, it is now 3:00 PM here and I’m winding down for the day.
Mrs. DWTOO
October 23rd, 2009
9:05 am
Oh, and good morning to my darling husband, too. My workday is winding down and your (and everyone else’s) workday is just beginning…HA!
I think Pavs should go back in goal on Saturday against the Sharks. It will get his confidence back up and, besides, what heppens when you fall off a horse? You get right back on. (And no, I haven’t hit the wine yet!) Maybe start Moose next Thursday, Legace as back-up, with Pavs on healthy scratch. The kid might need a well-deserved break by then, anyway.
GaVaHokie
October 23rd, 2009
9:07 am
RDS has been about as reliable as Eklund’s site lately… they’re the one’s that said Zherdev was going to sign with Atlanta.
Barry
October 23rd, 2009
9:13 am
Opie had a bad game all around. It wasn’t that pond skipper goal.He was out of position on alot of goals. That second goal he’s sliding AWAY from the crease and AWAY from the goal leaving it almost wide open to shoot at. That rebound off the back boards goal he was way out at the top of the crease with players in front and should have been more in the middle of the crease. Because of that he couldn’t get back in time on the “boards” goal. This kid just gives up WAY too many rebounds to the middle of the ice. Opie has been playing good but many times during games he over commits and the defense and forwards are having to pay more attention to cover for him instead of focusing more on getting the puck and pushing it up the ice.
ChippersLoveChild
October 23rd, 2009
9:20 am
Gotta go with Pavs, he will lose plenty of confidence, in my opinion, if we don’t. I’ve liked his attitude so far, I think he brushes this off, forgets about last night, and provides a solid effort for the Thrash on Saturday.
Also nice touch with the Snyder video during the game wish it would have gotten a louder reaction, but oh well. Think they show that on Saturday?
D
October 23rd, 2009
9:25 am
Any talk about the “O” penalty at the end of the game? Heard on XM this morning it was a slew-footing penalty and Artyukhin (Ducks) was just suspended for three games for that. (http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=503123) It will be interesting to see if there is any news from Toronto on that.
Russian
October 23rd, 2009
9:32 am
Last game was good. Pavs lost game for us. He did it before He played one game as Number One NHL Goalie and next game he was out of game. That’s OK, it can be fixed. I like to see him at Saturday. I will give him a chanse to prove. He can do it. But if he will not, he will be number Two rest of the season. Sharks lost yeasturday to Tampa and they come here for two points. It will be good game and Pavs must help us or became back up Goalie.
Smoothie
October 23rd, 2009
9:34 am
Sara – I’m glad someone mentioned the pi$$-poor attention to detail on the first period line changes…SLOPPY, SLOPPY, SLOPPY!! Inexcusable at this level and in a period in which you are changing at your own blueline. I can see a slip up occasionally with the long change in the 2nd, but on both goals it cost us.
However, on goal # 2, Opie should’ve stopped a fairly innocent shot. He powered over to Giroux’s side, but then pushed off with his right leg a second time as if he wasn’t sure if he was covering the post. Then inexplicably, he decided to roll like he wanted to stack the pads and the damn puck goes right over his glove…right then I knew he wasn’t “feeling” it.
But we have got to get these little things corrected by Saturday and take care of a sure-to-be road weary Sharks team. Hopefully JA will pound it into their collective heads that such lapses are not to be tolerated…and it’s time to put Salmela back in the line-up. With Pops.
five_hole
October 23rd, 2009
9:37 am
Different subject; to anyone watching on TV, did anyone else notice how “subdued” Natalie Taylor was last night? Before, she had the perm and the “bubbly blonde” thing going. Last night, her hair was straight and so was her demeanor. I’m gonna hate myself for typing this, but I liked it better when she was more effervescent.
Mrs. DWTOO Kovy may have second thoughts about resigning after last night’s game.
You still gotta love our special teams. The PP scored (twice), the PK didn’t allow a goal, we kept AO off the scoresheet. However, I did notice a reluctance to play more physical. I can’t help but wonder if that wasn’t a result of someone saying something after the Montreal game?
Russian
October 23rd, 2009
9:42 am
Also I like to see some changes on lines. White should suit in Press Box. He was absolutely worst player on the team. I like to bring Slater to Second Center. It might be work as Slava-Slater-Little. I know Jimmy has a problem with puck handle, but he has a speed and he play defensively. Slava can fit him a puck to break away, such as Little. I do not want to break 3-d line. They play very good now. They have chemistry. Also Reasoner give a lot of energy for 4-th line and they keep Ovi off yesterday. I hope Salmanella will play and Shubert will join company with White. Here are my lines to Saturday game:
Kovy-Antro-Max
Slava-Slater-Little
Kane-Pever-Armi
Bolt-Reason-Tromb
Bogus-Tobi
Hainci-Pasha
Salmanella-Pops
Pavs
Paminski
October 23rd, 2009
9:43 am
Pavs should get the start on Sat. In the beginning of the season, I didn’t think he was ready. Some of you said the only way to really tell was throw him out there and see what he does. He’s done well up until now, but Saturday’s game will be his defining moment.
I am cautiously optimistic about Max. But possibly I’ve just been hypnotized by his fancy stick work.
Unless I’m reading soemthing wrong, the stats this morning on NHL.com put us as number 1 on PK% and tied for number 1 on PP%. Depsite the loss, those are pretty encouraging numbers.
sisu
October 23rd, 2009
9:45 am
That was a sloppy game all around, it is one loss and we all felt we deserved better.
So erase that one from memory and continue this hot start Saturday, Opie in net
Midfield
October 23rd, 2009
9:46 am
Anderson should have definitely pulled Pavelec after the 4th – regardless whether it was Pav’s fault or not. Elliott made agood point when he said that when a goalie lets in a bubble, he is left to his own devises to redeam himself. If he does not stop EVERYTHING after that, he needs to sit it over.
Russian
October 23rd, 2009
9:46 am
I read rumor about Kovy contract in Russian news. I do not think that it is TRUE. Yes they are talking about $100 mln to 9 years. Also other point to sign for 2-3 years for same money ($11.3 per year). Kovy said that he is concentrating to Game and he likes Atlanta. They will talk again on next week. It is just Rumor and talking. Do not take it seriously.
jason
October 23rd, 2009
9:47 am
I don’t think you can call it a dirty play or a dirty hit. It looked like a clean hit and the two players got their legs tangled and OV, who is the bigger and strong of the two came out on top.
I don’t think any player in the NHL will tell you OV is a dirty player. He goes hard to the net and to the boards. When you do that on a nightly basis things will happen. It goes along with the game.
Check out the video again; the two players went shoulder to shoulder and when they hit OV readjusted and the guys left went out from under him. Last year that wouldn’t have been called. This year it is and it was well called but I don’t think you can say the he went in with the intent to kick his foot out. Again OV is bigger, stronger and faster he wouldn’t need to do that to beat the man to the puck along the boards.
If you want to know what a real cheap shot slew foot is look no further then Evgeny Artyukhin hit from a few nights ago.
ranallo10 (in AT)
October 23rd, 2009
9:47 am
So you’re saying it’s all “Mr. Libby’s” fault, eh?
Libby — I’m guessing nobody officially started Boulton Time during the entire 2 minute drill? That’s too bad, “Mr. Libby” deserved another pin.
Smoothie
October 23rd, 2009
9:51 am
Pamininski – I have to agree with your optimistic sentiment with respect to Mad Max. Of course, he will always be “Crazy Legs”, but that is his game. Sure he will turn the puck over occasionally, but the important thing is the speed and effort level are at maximum level. With good health, he is absolutely flying out there and he is putting pressure on the other side of the D away from Kovy. But most encouragingly, I have been impressed by his forechecking presence and he’s been doing a very nice job winning battles in the corner and helping to sustain zone time for the top line…that’s HUUUGE!
MashaPlayer7
October 23rd, 2009
9:57 am
I say Opie goes back in net Saturday. Confidence building is a big thing. And with the Thrashers good start, John Anderson has the luxury of seeing if Opie is really #1 material for a few more games. If I was John Anderson I would call Opie in his office this morning and say the following: “Opie, you’ve got the talent to be a #1 goalie. You’ve had a great start. You stole a point for us in Montreal. Every goalie has a bad game. Average goalies have multiple bad games. #1 goalies come back from an average game and pull off another 10 straight stron games. Your mental approach and game time focus will be ultimately determine whether I send you back to the Chicago Wolves or you carry this team to the playoffs. Now go have a good practice and get ready for the Sharks.” (..and JA should have this conversation, not Weekes or any of the assistant coaches)…
Smoothie
October 23rd, 2009
9:57 am
jason – nice try. He may not have done it with intent to harm, but he slew-footed him plain as day on the replay. Much to your chagrin I’m sure, I feel pretty confident there is some burgeoning sentiment that AO is crossing the line too often into being a dirty player. He takes runs at people and leaves his feet for hits ALL the time.
I was very happy to have Kubina in our corner last night as he was playing “hall monitor” to Ovy’s class-skipping mischief. Kuby got him before AO had a chance to line someone up. The Ovy was totally pre-occupied with revenge on Kubina after that. Wise veteran move by the big guy…Pasha wants to be a quiet leader and I’m impressed with his passion thus far.
J.B.
October 23rd, 2009
9:59 am
i know he’s only got 2 Gs and a couple of assists thus far, but i’m loving Mad Max as a Thrasher.
MashaPlayer7
October 23rd, 2009
10:12 am
BTW, I loved Kubina covering Ovechkin last night. I remember Kubina absolutely frustrating Kovy when Kubina was a member of Tampa Bay. He could be that shutdown D we are looking for when we play these superstar teams….
And Ovechkin is a great player and I love his physicality. But he is borderline dirty. He does leave his feet a lot and his hit on Gonchar last spring would have been a suspension for most any other player (and I was happy Gonchar went down because I hate the Penguins). But it was another dirty play.
Alan R.
October 23rd, 2009
10:19 am
I’m a glutton for punishment in a lot of different facets of life. Career-wise. Relationship-wise. Hockey-wise.
Put Pavs back in, because I would be completely flipping the script if I said otherwise.
jason
October 23rd, 2009
10:21 am
I really don’t think so, and I speaking as a X-D1 player and a current high level ref. I have skew footed and been slew footed more times then I can count. Its not good move but it was a different game back then as we all know. The things that are dirty or cheep now aren’t on the same scale, but that’s not the point.
I just don’t see the same picture your painting. Just to put it out, I am a Caps fam. I enjoy the style of play and the young excitement they bring to the game. I don’t see/hear your sediments echoed around the NHL. Let alone on this board. I posed my comment in response to one made last night (I didn’t look at the timestamp before I wrote it). But I think if it was an issue or a talking point the bloggers would have picked up on it. He plays hard and hits hard but you can’t say he is dirty. He has, by my count been involved in 2 maybe 3 questionable incidents over 4 years. Of the 3, 1 was reviewed, last years playoff hit. But they decide because of the speed and angle the intent was never to hurt. I feel that’s the key to putting the dirty label on a guy. Did he go out with the intent to do it or did it just happen. The way I see it is in happened and was not more dirty then a slash to the leg or a crosscheck, just a part of the game……but different people see different things.
iamtheratio
October 23rd, 2009
10:26 am
Guess who is tied for first place in PP% and IS first place in PK%?!
R. Stroz
October 23rd, 2009
10:29 am
RiceOwls – Nice bumping into you, chuckle, chuckle. For those of you who aren’t aware, you usually have to have a really high SAT score (1400 or above) to get into Rice, so the guy willn’t qualify for You Might Be Smarter Than A Fifth Grader.
Anyway, whereas many of you from WNY have issues with Mad Max, I actually enjoy his hustle. As far as Mad Max not getting the buscuit in the net at the end of the game, yes, that sucked. However, Kovy missed two open net shots, Little one that hit the upper crossbar, and Kubina missed one wide as well.
That said, my version of Mad Max is Todd White, aka Charmin. White had a very good season last year, however this season, he has gone back to his Charminesque ways. Charmin is getting pushed off the puck too easily and isn’t willing to get his nose dirty in the corners either. Hopefully, Esposito is ready for a call up because Charmin is just playing too squeezably soft again.
Concerning Pavs, I would have pulled him in a New York minute after the fourth goal. After the third goal, the team and fans just fell silent, well maybe except for those of us calling for MOOOOSE. Anyway, give Pavs the start on Saturday, however, Pavs needs to be on a very short leash. Someone needs to explain to Pavs that the blue ice in front of the net is his home. In the words of Happy Gilmore, GET IN YOUR HOME.
Last point, the only Thrasher that I notices not quitting after the three goal clusterflop was KANE. Keep the kid in Atlanta, our veterans could relearn that being in the NHL is a privilege that must be earned by hard work and determination.
Smoothie
October 23rd, 2009
10:29 am
I don’t care how much hockey you’ve played. If you can’t see that Ovechkin has a reputation of taking runs at people then I don’t know what else to say. The gents on On the Fly, including former goalie Kevin Weekes, discussed the play and said it was borderline dirty. He won’t get suspended because he is the “face” – an ugly one at that – of the NHL now. He may not be Sean Avery, but he instigates most of the “incidents” in which he is involved. Take off your Caps colored glasses. Most here took Kozlov to task for his borderline dirty hit on Gomez so don’t give me any grief about being a homer.
j nes
October 23rd, 2009
10:41 am
Rawhide: “Or is Opie’s returning to the net this weekend…ahem…a long shot?”–love it.
Maybe I am reading too much into one loss, but if the Thrashers did indeed make a long term $100 million dollar offer to Kovalchuck yesterday, then Pavelec’s debacle in goal came at the worst possible time. If #17 cannot be confident in our “goalie of the future,” will he really consider signing?
hip czech
October 23rd, 2009
10:45 am
does this sound familiar?
“I’ll keep this simple, Tampa Bay sports fans.
All you ask is for a quality product, right?
The Tampa Bay Rays are doing the same thing my New York Mets are doing right now – golfing – after missing out on MLB’s postseason by a large margin.
The Buccaneers have a legitimate shot at a winless season in the NFL.
And the Lightning are 3-0-1 at home.
As of right now, you have an 87.5% chance of going to a Lightning game and heading home a winner. (And who doesn’t need that vicarious boost in self-esteem???)
I’d venture to guess that there were roughly 8,000 and change, in terms of actual living, breathing souls in the building last night (and 5,000 or so invisi-fans to reach the 13,000+ announced attendance total).
And I don’t get it.
Cheap tickets, a positive atmosphere, a winning team (and cheap drinks! No, really, half-price postgame beers outside, people! There’s your selling point!)
Seriously, no excuses. Get to the rink. You’re missing out.”
(from the Tampa Bay blogger on hockeybuzz)
The attendance at Philips last night was also announced as 13000+, for sure there were more than 8,000, but I don’t know how much more…
J.B.
October 23rd, 2009
10:47 am
Based on his post-game comments, it sounds like Kovy’s opinion was that it was a bad bounce, and not the only one. He seemed pleased with the effort overall. Ilya’s entirely too smart to have one sloppy (and not even necessarily bad) game lost change his mind about playing here. It’s not like he can tell DW, I’ll re-sign but if we lose a game I’m out of here.
J.B.
October 23rd, 2009
10:50 am
By the way, I read on Dmitry Chesnokov’s twitter feed (@dchesnokov) that he looked into the rumor about Kovalchuk’s contract on RDS is not accurate.
J.B.
October 23rd, 2009
10:57 am
…it’s worth noting that the twitter chatter following Chesnokov’s tweet is that “where there’s smoke, there’s fire” and while not accurate, something’s cooking.
Brendan
October 23rd, 2009
11:01 am
Bob Hartley used to tell Kari Lehtonen, “You’d better play BETTER.” And then … he’d sit ‘im for four games. Which always left me to wonder, “How’s Kari supposed to play better riding the pine?”
So, I agree with Sara and the others, start Pavelec against the Sharks. You’ve got to give him another chance to get right back on the horse. But, I’ll add this … if he falters early on … yank him before the game slips away. If you don’t, it could be 3-0, going into the 2nd period. By then, it’s really too late. I think Pavelec will bounce right back and have a great game against the Sharks.
Time to hop over the Jeff Schultz latest Thrashers item and see what he has to say. I joked, last night, that it was time for another Schultz article. Lo and behold! Right on cue!!
I did also comment, last night, on Natalie Taylor’s new look and more “strictly business” approach. I liked her better this way. Have they “freed” Natalie Taylor? I hope so. I hope so. I think she deserves the chance to become the reporter that she wants to be.
HonkyTonkHero
October 23rd, 2009
11:03 am
Besides Opie having an off night I thought our team played well and just because they fell behind 3 goals they never gave up. At the very least it makes for an exciting game. I was extremely impressed by Kubina last night. He shut Ovechkin down….all the way down. He constantly kept agitating and reminding Ovie that he was being watched. Kubina also had some good shots on goal from right above the hash marks in their zone. We will see those going in soon.
Also Antropov really used his size last night. A few good hits and some solid shielding of the puck. I think he has an assist in every game. Not bad at all.
Armstrong looked confused when he got the puck on a few breakaways and tried to do too much with the puck.
Bogosian…..well….he is just the man. There is no quit in him. That shorty was beautiful and well timed. He carried the puck wonderfully last night and made quite a few good incursions into their zone.
Time to bring Salmela back in. Pops is fine but I enjoy watching Salmela play….much more exiting.
J.B.
October 23rd, 2009
11:07 am
I agree.. I definitely want to see Anssi on Saturday night.
hip czech
October 23rd, 2009
11:13 am
agreed on Salmela for either Popovic or Schubert
J.B.
October 23rd, 2009
11:17 am
Honestly, neither Pops or Schubert stood out to me at all last night. I noticed Bogo, Hainsey, Kubina, & Toby alot but those two seemed invisible to me. Did either get any points on the board? (Could have been all the beer, I guess, but I doubt it.)
J.B.
October 23rd, 2009
11:32 am
Interesting. RDS.ca still has the article about Kovy’s contract up but it now reads that he’s close to signing rather than signed. Here’s the text via translate.google.com:
Kovalchuk, the 100 million man?
Ilya Kovalchuk and the Atlanta Thrashers are close to an agreement of nine years would bring more than 100 million dollars.
His salary would average 11.3 million per season.
First-round draft pick in 2001 for the Thrashers, Kovalchuk has recorded 304 goals in 551 career games in the NHL.
This season, the Russian-born player has scored seven times in six games.
Kovalchuk won the Maurice Richard Trophy awarded to the best scorer in the NHL when he scored 41 goals in 2003-04. He had his best season in 2005-06, scoring 52 goals and 98 points in 78 games.
R. Stroz
October 23rd, 2009
11:53 am
Everyone – Go get some pacifiers for the Heatley homecoming game.
Dwayne
October 23rd, 2009
12:03 pm
i CANT skate, i’ve never played hockey, but i know for a fact Ovi slew/skew/leg whipped/tripped Peverley.
ranallo10 (in AT)
October 23rd, 2009
12:11 pm
jason is not arguing whether Ovechkin did or did not slew foot Peverley, but rather that Ovechkin wasn’t doing it purposefully. Or at least that’s how I interpret his statements.
I think there will be no suspension for the slew foot by Ovechkin because it wasn’t similar to Artyukhin’s in the fact that both Peverley and Ovechkin were trying to play the puck, where as Artyukhin hit an unsuspecting Niskanen who no longer had the puck. There is a difference, but I think the two minute minor and the luck that Peverley was uninjured will leave Ovechkin without a suspension, and at most an NHL imposed fine (though I doubt that).
Libby
October 23rd, 2009
12:14 pm
Hi Rawhide and Ranallo 10,
It was all pinhead’s fault. We do need a Boulton time. At first Rawhide would not speak to us. He just shook his head. Jay Bird thought we should pay for the goals being scored. Still enjoyed the game especially seeing OVI not scoring. Hope Pavs will bounce back very fast. Ranallo, are you going to make it to any games this year?
Jim n Buckhead
October 23rd, 2009
12:17 pm
night in and night out Moose is the best goalie the ice birds have but at his age he cant hold up an entire season…i am not sure why a normal rotation is not set up…..moose one of a back to back games and then every third game regardless…so he knows exactly when he will play and the other guy knows exactly when he will get some time off…..
Rawhide
October 23rd, 2009
12:40 pm
It was all pinhead’s fault. We do need a Boulton time. At first Rawhide would not speak to us. He just shook his head.
Libby – I wasn’t gonna say anything…but since you did, OK…it was all Pinhead’s fault.
I hope you sent him to the corner to think about what he had done!
Nate
October 23rd, 2009
12:42 pm
Yeah, it wasn’t so much the “fluke” goal as it was the two after that. Kovalchuk said in his NHL Live interview the other day how much he liked Pavs’ ability to shake off goals allowed. Well, it was obvious to everyone he didn’t shake that one off. He was shaky to begin the game, settled down, and then the wheels came off midway through the second. That was the Pavelec everyone was fearful of seeing. Hopefully we don’t see that version again anytime soon. I guess we’ll find out Saturday night because I vote for giving Pavs the start to see if he can shake it off for real this time. I assume Coach will feel the same.
ranallo10 (in AT)
October 23rd, 2009
12:43 pm
Not this year Libby, unless the team is playing in June. Current vacation plans do not leave room for a trip into Atlanta during the hockey season, unfortunately. Have you been introduced to David’s lovely wife?
Nate
October 23rd, 2009
12:47 pm
By the way, the numbers being thrown out there about Kovalchuk’s contract are accurate according to my friend Nathan. I know, I know…but here me out on this one. Nathan works as an elevator serviceman. He installed and has worked on repairs for Ilya’s home elevator for years now. His boss is good friends with Ilya’s Russian agent. The 11 mil per year figure is exactly what Ilya’s Russian agent told Nathan’s boss four weeks ago before the season started. And Nathan relayed this info to me when we went to the home opener. I didn’t share because I thought it was bogus. No way 11 mil is accurate, right??? That’s more than Ovie and Crosby make. It could be bull, but the numbers match up. Just what I heard. Take it with a grain of salt.
Libby
October 23rd, 2009
1:00 pm
Ranallo 10, we have met David’s wife several times. She is very nice. We will miss you for the games.
Rawhide, Pinhead’s boss was at the game last night. He also gave him a lot of trouble.
Ilya Kovalchuk
October 23rd, 2009
1:03 pm
Just so you know, as of this afternoon, Nathan is fired. I don’t need elevator servicemen spreading confidential information about me and my family around town.
OmniFan
October 23rd, 2009
1:08 pm
Schubert looked like he was channeling an Andy Sutton pylon on Fehr’s goal and he and Pops were out there for 3 of WA’s 4 non-monkey puck goals. Agree, Salmonella needs to come back in for one of them tomorrow night.
On the plus side, Kane continues to demonstrate that he is a ready out-of-the-box NHL player. Mad Max’s greatest value may be using his speed to win races to the puck to maintain possession in the offensive zone. Thrashers have not had a comparable asset in recent memory.
Let’s hope OP can shake off those 88 seconds if he’s in there tomorrow.
Rawhide
October 23rd, 2009
1:09 pm
Not this year Libby, unless the team is playing in June.
ranallo10 – OK, well that just settles it. The Thrashers will just have to win their way into the Stanley Cup Finals so you can see a game in person this season!
Schubert looked like he was channeling an Andy Sutton pylon on Fehr’s goal and he and Pops were out there for 3 of WA’s 4 non-monkey puck goals
OmniFan – Very good points. That 3rd defensive pairing din’t look gooad at all. Schubie was slow to react on that first one by the Caps and left Opie hangin’ out to dry.
DWTOO – hey buddy…didja see how Mrs. DWTOO said g’morning to me first…snicker, snicker
Sara
October 23rd, 2009
2:00 pm
Jason you don’t get out much on the interwebs if you’ve haven’t seen all the internet chatter about Ovie being a dirty player. Honestly I think some of it’s exaggerated but not all of it. He might not intentionally try to hurt other players, but his reckless physical style does cause a lot of trouble.
DWTOO
October 23rd, 2009
2:08 pm
Yeah Rawhide – saw where Mrs DWTOO spoke, or typed, to you first. See where I rank in the peckin’ order. But she did call me “darling”.
h
October 23rd, 2009
2:12 pm
$11M a year???? I hope that is not true……that would be horrible for the team. Kills the cap. Yikes. Want him signed, but $11M is nuts!
Trixie (Rawhide's Secretary)
October 23rd, 2009
2:26 pm
For those of you joining Mr. Rawhide and his band of Rowdies on the TJ’s Party Bus & to the game tomorrow…please remember to be at TJ’s at about 4:00 pm. The bus is scheduled to depart at 5:00.
Spud Webb
October 23rd, 2009
2:42 pm
Like tom skerrit (?Spelling) said in Top Gun, get em back up there. One game, he’ll be fine. We need to take a deep breath & get ready to kick the sh&t out of the sharks!!!!!!!
Sara said it, cannot make whole sale changes when the other team is in full posession of the puck like that. I saw it numerous times.
Sara
October 23rd, 2009
2:49 pm
BTW, Ovechkin was fined but not suspended for the slew-foot. Shocked he even got that much of a reprimand. http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/2009/10/23/ovechkin_slew_foot_thrashers/
Hockey Biltong
October 23rd, 2009
2:59 pm
apparently everyone calls willy tilly, ‘darlin’!!!!
ranallo10 (in AT)
October 23rd, 2009
3:06 pm
With phrases like “Sources tell sportsnet.ca [...]” and “It is expected the league will [...]” the article you linked is far from anything official.
Waffleboy
October 23rd, 2009
3:51 pm
Since no one else mentioned it, I want to say I enjoyed the “Blazing Saddles” reference Rawhide. Absolutely have to get Opie back out there. If Moose gets a big roll going, Opie could ride the pine for a while and we all know that we need a great number one all year to get to the playoffs. Moose isn’t playing 60 games and Kari isn’t playing for a while. That means Opie is the man we’re going to ride to the playoffs, if we make the playoffs at all. Get him back on the horse and tell Moose to be ready.
stendec
October 23rd, 2009
4:09 pm
Thrasher fans, as usual, miss the point! It is not just important to perform well at home it is damn mandatory! A time tested proven formula for success. Champions are tough in their own back yards. The Thrashers are marshmallows at Loseland! The heartless ones had an opportunity to make a positive home statement. First place was on the line against a despised rival. The Thrashers choked. Big time! It was over after the deficit ballooned to 5-2. I knew the quitters did not have three more goals in them. I was so right. Spare me the close loss bullshet! I have been hearing that crap from Thrasher fans for years. What do a 1-0 defeat and a 5-4 choke job have in common? They result in no points. Zero. Zilch. El zippo. Do ANY of you understand what I am saying? Do not be surprised by an extended losing streak. I will not be! ++STENDEC++ Should have left Canada with that extra point. Will damn sure need it!
Rawhide
October 23rd, 2009
4:29 pm
Reminiscent of last night’s “freak” goal that got by Opie…check out the 95-yard goal scored by SMU frshman Ryan Rosenbaum in the soccer field.
stendec
October 23rd, 2009
4:34 pm
Just ran across the following. This is why I will never cheer for the Thrashers with this (TOO MANY SWEAR WORDS TO FIT IN THIS SPACE) quitter on ice! My thanks to guy who wrote piece.
Goaltender Kari Lehtonen (Sori Letemin) is no closer to returning to the Thrashers than he was soon after (alleged) offseason back surgery (what a damn surprise).
According to Thrashers general manager Don Waddell (still an idiot), Lehtonen again experienced pain (like the kind he causes me?) in his legs (more likely his head) while rehabbing (with plenty of elbow bending) from July surgery to repair a herniated disc. He recently received another epidural injection (of medicine?) to reduce inflammation, and he has stopped skating (when did he ever start?).
Waddell said Friday that Lehtonen is scheduled for another examination by doctors (or facsimilies thereof) to determine the next course (probably golf course) of action (as paychecks keep rolling in to worthless Finn). Waddell said he would not label the current situation a setback (not as long as the quitter is not on ice).
“When you are dealing with the back, everyone heals (or feigns continued injury) at a different rate,” Waddell said. “He is progressing very slowly (nothing like getting paid for not doing a job).”
Lehtonen signed a one-year qualifying offer (theft of the highest degree) with the Thrashers during the offseason.
I would say more but I would drop straight into Hell for commenting on what needs to be said. ++STENDEC++
R. Stroz
October 23rd, 2009
4:47 pm
I hope Kovy understands, to some extent, that he can’t have his cake and eat it too. In other words, if Kovy goes for the maximum salary allowed, the Thrashers will be a revolving door of young talent going elsewhere to procure their fair market value, and as such, the Thrashers will NEVER have an elite team for more than two years.
If I were Kovy and his agent, I would demand an out clause of some sort stating that the ASG must maintain a payroll 6 to 8 million over the salary minimum. If the ASG drops salary, then Kovy can drop the ASG.
hip czech
October 23rd, 2009
5:15 pm
Stendec, check out the Ottawa game last night…they also gave up a couple soft goals (a d-man giveaway, one off of a d-man) at home. You can go to the Ottawa blogs and do the doom and gloom routine there too.
So the question is, will the Thrashers or Ottawa finish in 16th place in the East?
Brendan
October 23rd, 2009
8:12 pm
R.Stroz, I think the line of demarcation is Ovechkin’s $9.5 million cap hit. Wasn’t it $124 million spread across 13 years? I think Sid’s deal was 5 years/$43.5 million, for cap hit of $8.7 million. Remember, Crosby’s deal will surpass whatever Kovy makes on his … just because he’s still a few years away from being eligible to earn that higher salary.
If you ask me, I think Kovy would come at $10.1 to $10.3 million-per-year in cap hit. I know that seems high. And I know that Kovy really doesn’t need the money. He made $32.5 million off this current 5-year deal, and several million more off his capped rookie year contract.
Stop. Imagine you hit the Friday night MegaMillions Jackpot. That might be the reward, either before or after taxes. Do you really ever need to work again, ever in life? I’ll be brazen … and advance that you don’t need to work. You need a butler and a chauffer. And, perhaps, a masseuse. While I understand that this is a matter of pride and respect for Kovalchuk, he’d be tossing us a bone at $9.6 million-per-year. That’d free up $1.4 million for a depth signing. Hopefully, Kovy realizes that.
Hey, Florida’s up, 2-0, on the defending Stanley Cup Champions. That game is being played in Pittsburgh. At 9PM, the Carolina Hurricans play at Colorado. We need to root against the division rivals.
Viking
October 23rd, 2009
8:52 pm
Niclas Hävelid, now playing in Sweden, used his head to block a shot and got his ear severely cut.
Alan R.
October 23rd, 2009
9:10 pm
My best to Havelid, and I really hope he has a swift recovery.
Brendan
October 23rd, 2009
10:07 pm
Hope it’s not serious, Viking. The Pittsburgh Penguins have come back on the Florida Panthers. Sidney Crosby had a PPG and a “shorty” to get it equalized at 2-2. Regulation time has just expired. Florida will get at least one-point. Hopefully, that’ll be all they get. Overtime is about to start. Channel #773 on Comcast, on Center Ice. If you want to hear the Panthers announcers cry, tune to channel #774.
Brendan
October 23rd, 2009
10:08 pm
Carolina and Colorado are still tied at 2-2, with 15:00 left in the 2nd stanza. Go Aves!!
HookyBob
October 23rd, 2009
10:12 pm
All goalies, most notably those in the hall-of-fame, have had really bad nights,..and let in super-soft goals on other nights.
It is how they come back from the bad outing that made some of them hall-of-famers. (Anyone who recall’s Roy’s gaff in play-offs 6-8 years ago would also recall the he came back with a fine shut-down effort.)
Pavlec must start Saturday evening. Goalies aren’t disposable,…..you don’t sit a guy who has carried the team for several games then has a bad outing. Even after a horrendous 5 goals on 15+/- shots he still has over a .90 save %. Could any other goalie in the league have a had night like that and still be over .9? Maybe Moose, who’s had his share of bad-karma goals, should have a talk with Opie.
Russian: The thought of Slater on line 2 is most intriguing. Since Slater has been sitting, none of our other lines would be affected. I am of the opinion that we don’t want to change anything in lines 1,3 & 4.
Kubina’s effort last night was excellent. I’m thinking his addition has had a much bigger impact than noticed. Ovie was frustrated to the point that he was a nonfactor.
I like Max’s work too. Seems to do well until he tries to get too fancy with the puck. I’m willing to give him more chances.
Ovetchkin is a beast of a player,…and plays with soooooo much heart. However, it is in the NHL’s best interest to keep him from crossing the line with “over-ambitious” play.
Stroz,…I hope Ilya realizes what the Thrashers forego (your cake and eat it to) when he insists on bargaining for a high salary. Those who put a priority on winning now need to put less money where their mouth is. Still I could go $10 M a year cap hit for Kovy.
Brendan, if I won megamillions,…a lot of these bloggers would get season tickets in the same section. Wish me luck tonight.
Rawhide: Are the “busriders” sitting in section 121 tomorrow night?
Viking
October 23rd, 2009
10:18 pm
Hävelid’s head is fine, but his ear got cut badly by the helmets ear protector!!!
His comment later, was something like “the ear is still located where it should be” (very losely translated). 15 stitches and lots of lingering pain.
Brendan
October 23rd, 2009
10:30 pm
W2G, Penguins! Sidney Crosby added the only shootout goal to give the Penguins the win over Florida. Man, what a 3rd period and extra session for Crosby! One PPG, one short-handed goal, and a shootout tally, to give Pittsburgh the win. I think this makes the Penguins the #1 team in the NHL for points. What are they now, 9-1?
Hey, hey, whattaya say Colorado!! The Aves have scored four straight goals after trailing the Hurricanes 2-0. It’s 4-2, Colorado, with 9:00 left in the 2nd period. Come on, Colorado! Hold on for the win!! Lots of time left, however. It’s on Channel #776 and #777 on Comcast’s Center Ice. I think Comcast has the free preview until October 28th.
Brendan
October 23rd, 2009
10:53 pm
Good luck, Hookybob! I hope you win it all! The most I’ve ever won in MegaMillions was $7. Anytime I play it, I just consider it a donation to the Hope Scholarship. Though, people are tellin’ me that’s not really the case.
But I digress.
Carolina has tallied to make it, 4-3, still in favor of the Colorado Avalanche. The 2nd period is over. I much prefer watching this game on “Altitude” than listening to the Carolina broadcast crew, on Fox SportsSouth Carolina.
Confession time. I’m getting a little tired of this “early bird” Center Ice commercial repeating ad nauseum. I thought it was cute-n-funny the first few times around. The Chicago guys upset over the lack of Deep Dish pizza in Boston. The Maple Leaf fan who misses his old high school girlfriend, now that he’s in Akron, Ohio. The two relatively cute Sabres girls, living in Ocala, FL. But enough, already!! I’ve seen this commercial 400 times now.
The second period intermission interview is with Matt Duchene, the 3rd overall pick in the draft. Duchene said Sakic was the idol of his life, growing up an Avalanche fan. He felt very prideful watching Sakic’s number being retired to the rafters earlier this season. Duchene would have been awesome here. But hey, we still did well to get Evander Kane. I think Colorado got a “perfect fit” player in Duchene. They’re KEEPING him, too. He’s not getting the 9-game audition. He’s here for the duration. I suspect Kane is, for Atlanta, as well. If I were Tampa, I’d keep Viktor Hedman. And the Isles would be stupid not to keep Tavares. How is Braydon Schenn doing in Los Angeles?
js
October 24th, 2009
12:20 am
100th – Thrashers 6 – Sharks 3 Once the Thrashers score the first goal the place will go crazy!!
R. Stroz
October 24th, 2009
9:56 am
Due to the AC/DC concert last night at the arena, expect the ice to be a little rough tonight. The crowd at Philips last night was a little red in more ways than one.
Darkhorse
October 24th, 2009
11:04 am
Looks like Hedburg gets the start tonight per Ben Wright’s tweet. I assume it’s reward for coming in and playing well after Pavs was pulled the other night. The Sharks offence scares me a little with Moose in net, but hope to see the guys all respond well from that sloppy effort against the Caps.
Rawhide-Sorry we can’t make the party bus, but the wife and I will be there cheering from somewhere in the club. Bring the good Karma and drinks with everyone!
Smoothie
October 24th, 2009
12:13 pm
I wonder if the Moose decision has as much to do with Pavelec’s physical well-being as it does his mental state of mind. He got drilled pretty good in his crease during the 1st period by a Caps player after Kubina slid along the ice to neutralize him on a breakaway. Or was it Kuby that slid right into him pinning his left leg against the post?
Adam
October 24th, 2009
1:11 pm
Did anyone see the hit Ruutu put on Tucker last night? I’m not a fan of either player & their both known for this type of play but that hit was way late & about as dirty as I’ve seen this year. This is exactly what I worried about when Carolina signed Ruutu. I’m glad he didn’t lay a hit like that on a Thrasher.
Anyone care to guess how long the league suspends him?
Adam
October 24th, 2009
1:38 pm
Wow, only 3 games!!!
I believe that players that deliver illegal hits like that should suspended for the amount of time it takes the injured player to return. If the hit is career ending then a lifetime ban is in order. ie Bertuzzi
Maggie
October 24th, 2009
2:08 pm
“if you are a goalkeeper in the NHL you just cannot let that wind up in the net.”
You are an idiot Bill. Nuff said.
HookyBob
October 24th, 2009
4:47 pm
Bill,…in my mind, you are a fine hockey blogger with a respected opinion. Please keep on keepin on,… just as you have been.
San Jose in 2 hours. Go Blue.
ranallo10 (in AT)
October 24th, 2009
7:12 pm
45 seconds…ouch.
ranallo10 (in AT)
October 24th, 2009
8:07 pm
At least in the second period they delayed the first goal against by 10 seconds…that’s incremental progress.
ranallo10 (in AT)
October 24th, 2009
8:17 pm
Per the SJ peeps, Kovalchuk is out for the rest of the game after “taking a shot off the foot”. The replays showed that Marleau should’ve gotten the goal, the puck was rather clearly in the net before the net was dislodged (which was before the whistle).
Brendan
October 24th, 2009
8:26 pm
San Jose’s announcers are crying a river of tears that Marleau’s rush to the net, where the puck winds up under Hedberg, in the net, was a disallowed goal. They’re utterly flabberghasted. “Toronto’s wrong. They’re just wrong. How can they not rule that a goal? How? When you have conclusive evidence of a puck in the net? That’s why we go to review. I’m not buying it. I’m not buying it, at all.”
Ay, aye, aye. It was 3-0, San Jose, at the time. “And now, look! Todd White scores. That MISSED CALL is now a 2-goal swing.” Waaaaah.
If I owned the Kleenex Company, I’d ask this San Jose broadcast crew to be my spokespeople.
Sharks score. It’s now 4-1. It was a fluke goal, that caromed in off Marty Reasoner. The shooter? Atlanta’s Ron Hainsey. So, that’s Reasoner, from Hainsey, for the Sharks. Hedberg’s night is over. Andre Pavelec is now over.
Brendan
October 24th, 2009
8:29 pm
Ondrej, even. Sorry. That’s a big mea culpa.
Tom
October 24th, 2009
8:29 pm
ugh…
Brendan
October 24th, 2009
8:31 pm
So, all of a sudden, the Thrashers have lost three in-a-row? 4-1 is a big hill to climb. So, Kovy’s out, too?
Brendan
October 24th, 2009
8:56 pm
Florida’s David Booth may have sustained a very serious injury tonight when he was drilled by Philly’s Mike Richardson. Richardson caught Booth with his head down, entering the Flyers zone. Booth saw him at the last possible second but couldn’t really brace the impact. After the collision, Booth took a face-plant directly onto the ice. He did not appear to move. Booth was carried out on a stretcher. The hit was so noteworthy, that the Flyers fans, who once booed Santa Claus, stood and cheered for Booth’s well-being. I hope David Booth can make a full recovery from this. He’s a big part of the Florida Panther’s core nucleus. If Booth is lost for an extensive period of time, that’s going to potentially cripple their chances for reaching the playoffs this year. Not that those odds were good in the first place. By the way, Richards was tagged with a 5-minute MAJOR and a game misconduct.
ranallo10 (in AT)
October 24th, 2009
9:05 pm
Look at that…40 seconds into the third and ATLANTA scores a goal. Like I said, incremental progress.
Brendan
October 24th, 2009
9:08 pm
Way to go, Evander Kane! Is that his third on the year? It’s 4-3, now. Maybe there’s still a point in the standings to be salvaged?
Brendan
October 24th, 2009
10:05 pm
Hey, Atlanta outshot somebody! 27-25. Moose yanked this time in favor of Pavelec, who did pitch a shutout in relief.
I think Philly beat Florida. Buffalo has scored with just 8 seconds left in regulation, to force overtime with the Tampa Bay Lightning. With some luck, the Sabres can pull out a win. I believe Washington won its game with the Islanders, in overtime. Carolina and Minnesota are tied, 2-2, with 15:21 left in the third.
Brendan
October 24th, 2009
10:07 pm
Here’s the box score from tonight’s game, in case anyone’s curious or interested. http://www.nhl.com/ice/boxscore.htm?id=2009020134
Brendan
October 24th, 2009
10:10 pm
Hainsey, Kane, and Kubina were the only Thrashers who were +1 for this game vs. the Sharks.
Tom
October 24th, 2009
10:38 pm
Hey Rawhide, you have your headline written, just add Part Deux.
stendec
October 24th, 2009
10:44 pm
I will spit on and call a sorry son of a betch (or betch whichever is appropriate) the first nutcase on here who praises poor little Thrashers for another valiant home loss. BULLSHET! The real Thrashers are back. Heartless losers who act like damn compliant betch dogs in their own f#cking arena! Make more excuses for the commode residue if you must. There are no damn excuses! I said an extended losing streak would commence. The streak is now three and counting! No end in sight. Moose surrendered one damn goal during warmups! Two fans remained when the deficit reached an insurmountable 4-1! Captain Illya Kovalchuk inspired the boys by a heartless example. He feigned an injury early in the first period then joined Sori Letemin for a few drinks! What the Hell? Both the uncaring bestards are getting well paid anyway. Gutless quitters. Untalented frauds. F#ck this uncaring bunch of prima donna giveups! Close loss my a$$! So tired of all you damn apologists. Hope the losing streak continues until your exhaulted goaltender savior returns. No more single defeat choke jobs. Then the lopsided losing will really begin! Come to Loseland NHL. Paradise awaits. A team with no fight or heart is waiting. A certain two points! To Hell with em. ++STENDEC++
Brendan
October 24th, 2009
10:50 pm
Well, the Wild pulled it off, in overtime, over Carolina, 3-2. So, Tampa and Carolina left points on the board tonight, but the Islanders didn’t help us out any. The Isles had the Caps, 2-0, with 13:58 left in regulation. Capitals won, 3-2, in overtime. Dagnabit! Mandy Sutton had an assist.
In other news, Ottawa collapsed tonight. They had Boston, 3-1, late in the third. But Bruins rallied for two late goals, then won it in the shootout. I think it was Bergeron with the lone S/O tally.
The Leafs are 0-7-1 on this young season. They had a WEEK to prepare for this game vs. Vancouver. The Canucks won, 3-1, with the empty-netter at the end. Toronto’s in trouble. They need Kessel. They need a lot of things. The Islanders might be the better team between the two of them. Straight up, the Isles are 1-8 and Toronto is 0-8. But the Isles actual record is 1-4-4, for 5-pts.
Answering truthfully, at the conclusion of last season, which team did you think was in WORSE shape, the Islanders, Avalanche, or Maple Leafs? I might have been tempted to say the Avalanche. But just look at them! They’re kickin’ tail and takin’ names so far this year.
Sara
October 24th, 2009
11:53 pm
Well if “To Hell with em” is your final word on the subject, Stendec, I hope that’s the final word from you. This team – any team – can do without “fans” like you. It’s one thing to point out screw-ups or weaknesses with a team, it’s something else entirely to dump a heap of crap all over all of them. Guess what – teams all across sports get down by a score or two or sometimes more and battle their way back into the game. Sometimes those battle-back efforts come up short and sometimes they don’t. But only when you completely give up on the game after you get down are you truly heartless. And that’s something we’ve all seen out of the Thrashers of the past and I for one am very proud of this team we have that they show more faith and guts and heart than you do.
Sara
October 24th, 2009
11:56 pm
Now that I have that out of the way – it was an exciting game tonight though the final score and loss of Kovy (whether for the night or longer) were sure bummers. And I had the pleasure of finally meeting Smoothie as well as Paminski tonight which was great! Slowly but surely I’m getting to put faces with names around here. Hopefully one of these days I’ll manage to make it over to TJs and meet more of you.
stendec's doctor
October 25th, 2009
12:26 am
CVS, Walgreens, Publix, Kroger, Walmart, and Rite Aid are out of his medication.
Does anyone have a two by four?
stendec's proctologisty
October 25th, 2009
1:59 am
Doc, there’s no medicine that can help him. I’m afraid we need to perform surgery.
Alan R.
October 25th, 2009
2:02 am
That was a bad loss. I couldn’t watch the game tonight, but I was watching the box score. I don’t know how the players looked, but seeing the score 4-1 in the second period made me really cringe. Seeing it was Hedberg at the helm for it made it even worse. I’m happy Pavelec kept them from scoring anymore, but we needed to capitalize on whatever other chances we had.
We need to do more to come back from these highly uneven scores, or we as fans will be sorely disappointed throughout the year.
Tony C.
October 25th, 2009
4:59 am
Funny.
This guy wrote this like two weeks ago:
http://snidesports.blogspot.com/2009/10/thrashers-report-hainseys-own-goals-in.html
Tough luck loss, was surprised that Coach didn’t put O-P back in as the starter…. See yall Thursday???
Smoothie
October 25th, 2009
11:00 am
After last nite’s disappointing loss to a tired Sharks team, I’m beginning to realize that Kozlov needs to be reunited with Peverley and Armstrong. There isn’t enough size on the Kahlua line to maintain puck possession and Kozzy doesn’t jibe well with Afinogenov because Finny likes to dominate the puck before passing or shooting.
And if Kozzy isn’t going to have the puck on his stick for the purpose of setting up other players then he is rendered rather ineffective. Moving him to the “third” line might get him going. And Kane showed last nite he can play with anyone due to his speed, reach and puck savvy.
Move Kaner up to the 2nd line and let he and Max terrorize teams with their speed and ability to get to the net. White is the perfect defensive complement for their risky tendencies. But Kane has demonstrated the ability to get back on D and break up plays / rushes with his superior back-checking.
This allows Little to move back to the top line where he needs to be handling ES face-offs. Also, playing up the middle would allow Little to get more opps to score from between the circles as Kovy and big Antro demand so much attention from the defense. Antro needs to shoot more and I don’t think if will at center where he feels the incessant need to set up Kovy.
If we don’t make adjustments like these to capitalize on the natural talents of our forwards, then puck possession, lack of scoring chances and poor transition D will continue to plague this team.
Maggie's Doctor
October 25th, 2009
11:03 am
It’s that time of the month again.
Rawhide
October 25th, 2009
12:02 pm
Maggie – Yes…you are absolutely correct. 185-foot goals are not only acceptable, they are in fact common place in the NHL. It was a blistering shot that he had absolutely no chance on