Archive for October, 2009

Sheeze! Has the Thrashers schedule early on been aggravating or what?

Five days in between the first game and the second game…then our patience was rewarded with a pair of games toward the end of last week…but now we are dealing with six days in between the 4-2 loss in Ottawa and the next game scheduled for this Friday in New Jersey.

Thrasherville won’t host another home game until the 22nd when the Caps come to town.

However, I do have my NHL Center Ice…and for that, I am truly thankful. Without this wonderful gift from the hockey gods, I might just have gone stir-crazy by now.

Continue reading Thrasherville NHL Team Adoption Center »

So far after three games played, the Atlanta Thrashers’ offense has performed, as many would have expected, very well…scoring a total of 12 goals, four goals per game on the average.

Ilya Kovalchuk has led the way as he’s been involved in exactly half of those dozen scores…five goals and an assist. Fellow linemate Bryan Little has yet to notch his first tally of the season, however he has already contributed with four assists. Throw in last Saturday’s assist by Nik Antropov and the players that make up the first line have 5 goals and 6 assists between them…one of those goals and two helpers have come via the power play. Little is a +3, Kovy and Antropov are each a +2.

That’s some pretty good production so far, eh?

Dropping down to the third line you’ll find some decent numbers as well. Rookie Evander Kane has already found the net once and chipped in with an assist. Rich Peverley has a pair of goals…one on the power play… and four overall points, while Colby Armstrong has one …

Continue reading Thrashers second line on the schnied »

Three games played…five goals and six points for Ilya Kovalchuk. Let’s see, that puts him on pace for…what…137 goals and 164 points?

Yeah, I’ll take that!

Unfortunately, unlike the first two games, the captain’s efforts did not help the Thrashers to a win as Atlanta fell to the Ottawa Senators 4-2 on Saturday night. Video highlights can be seen here.

Things did not exactly start off swimmingly in Canada’s capital…the Thrashers falling behind 2-0 with only 145 seconds having elapsed from the game clock. Alex Kovalev was first to score only 43 seconds in when, according to Dan Kamal, Ondrej Pavelec was “out of position”. Jarkko Ruutu then made it 2-0 Senators at the 2:25 mark of the first…it was just Ottawa’s third shot of the game.

For the night Pavelec stopped 30 of the 34 shots faced in the loss…for the season he has allowed 9 goals on 104 shots faced, (.913 SV%).

But give Opie some his due…the kid stymied the Sens for the rest of the period, stopping the next seven before …

Continue reading Kovy scores again in loss to Senators »

What do I begin with? Ilya Kovalchuk’s 300th career goal?…Evander Kane’s first ever NHL goal?…Pavelec’s performance?…Heck, what about the penalty kill?

Let’s start with the captain, shall we?

In his 547th career start, Kovy notched his 300th goal by way of the power play. It was a classic Ilya goal as he took the puck just inside of the blueline and wormed his way through the St. Louis defense… then beat Chris Mason. The goal put the Thrashers up 2-1 at the time. He almost made it two power play goals, but his blast in the second period clanked the iron.

However, he did later get number 301 with an empty-netter at the end…his fourth goal and fifth point of the young season.

Then in the second, it was Evander Kane’s turn to make some history. On a play that was another beauty to watch, Kane took a pass from Rich Peverley as he powered his way up the middle and snapped off a winner from between the circles. That one put Atlanta up 3-1…a lead they took into the second …

Continue reading Kovalchuk and Kane score milestone goals in Thrashers win »

Unlike the last couple of seasons, when game number two followed right behind game number one the very next night, we are being forced to endure five days in between Saturdays 6-3 romp over the Bolts and Thursday’s game in St. Louis. And I don’t know about you…but it just seems like it’s taking an eternity to get from there to here.

Of course, it’ll take even longer before we get to head back down to Philips Arena for the second home game of the year. After playing the Blues, the Thrashers make their way to Ottawa for a date with the Senators, then we wait again for next weekends games in New Jersey and Buffalo on Friday and Saturday nights.

Lot’s-o-gaps in the schedule early on, eh?

Then there is a return trip to Canada the week following…Montreal will be the destination this time…before finally welcoming the Washington Capitals to town on Thursday the 22nd.

Yup…nothing like a nice five-game roadie toward the beginning of the season to provide a nice test for the team. A lot …

Continue reading Thrashers set to face first big test of season »

Remember the pouring rains that came our way a couple weeks ago that were almost of Biblical proportions? Well, on that soggy Monday afternoon I engaged the 4-wheel drive of the big, gas-guzzling suburban assault vehicle and trudged my way through the flooding deluge down to Hudson Grille in Brookhaven. The reason I was traveling through such a mess was to have lunch with my good friend John Kincade who, along with former UGA quarterback Buck Belue, handles the afternoon drive show on the Thrashers flagship station 680 AM The Fan.

We had attempted to get together to break bread all summer long… however, our schedules just couldn’t seem to sync up. But we had agreed to do so on this day and, by golly, if John wasn’t gonna let a few trillion-gazillion raindrops stop him that day…well, I wasn’t going to either.

So, what is a fan blogger for the Atlanta Thrashers and an on-air sports personality going to chat about over grilled buffalo chicken sandwiches? Well…the weather, of …

Continue reading John Kincade: ‘Cautiously’ optimistic Thrashers fan »

Six year ago today the Thrashers’ community lost one of their beloved citizens. On October 5, 2003, Dan Snyder pass away from the injuries incurred during the car accident five days earlier. Teammate Dany Heatley was at the wheel of the Ferrari 360 Modena as it collided with a wall on Lenox Road the night of September 29.

We will always remember the feeling of great loss and sorrow during that time as a young man’s life was taken far too soon and we will always remember the tears we shed during the tribute to Snyder before the season opener just a few days later. To that point, the Blueland Chronicle’s Razor Catch Prey offered up these fine words to mark the 6th-year anniversary of his passing.

Never forgotten (Photo via Thrashers.com)

Since that fateful day, we in Thrasherville have always recalled the life of Danny Snyder…and that is as it should be. However, I hope that you will also remember the example of mercy and grace that was displayed at that time by his parents, …

Continue reading When remembering Dan Snyder, don’t forget his parents »

There have been a few very memorable opening night games at Philips Arena over the past decade. First there was the 4-1 loss to begin their first ever season in 1999…hockey was officially back in Atlanta that night. Then there was 2003 when the team and the fans paid their respects to the late Dan Snyder before a very emotional 2-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Last year saw a 7-4 win over the Capitals in which John Anderson earned his first NHL coaching win over his good friend Bruce Boudreaux.

Look everybody…I score goal (AP Photo/Gregory Smith)

And now, ten years and one day after that initial opening night against the Devils, the Thrashers kicked-off season number ten with a thrilling 6-3 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning in front of an electrified crowd announced at 18,545. The game played out much like last years opener when they got off to a 4-0 lead…saw the caps come back to tie…then pulled away in the third. This time, after building a four-goal lead, the …

Continue reading Good start to Thrashers tenth season »