Thrashers collect themselves then bag Leafs
Wasn’t it about a year or so ago that the Toronto Maple Leafs came to town, built a nice lead after the first period…only to see the Thrashers steam back to win? In fact, I believe that was the game that I asked if alien beings had abducted the players from the home locker room, took over their bodies and returned to the ice in the second period…because the team that played the last 40 minutes plus overtime was not the same one that played the first twenty.
Well, although the Thrashers did not play as bad this time during the first period….they still went into the locker room trailing 2-0, thanks to a pair of goals by Alexei Ponikarovski.
Evander Kane celebrates his game-tying goal against Toronto (AP Photo/Gregory Smith)
However, just like last year, they came out in the second and kicked it up a notch in order to net a win. The final score was exactly the same as last years comeback win…4-3…and just like last January, Ilya Kovalchuk scored twice while Rich Peverley chipped in one himself.
Kovy scored first for Atlanta with a bullet from the left point to cut Toronto’s lead to 2-1. His second goal of the night gave the Thrashers a 4-2 lead in the third after Chris Thorburn intercepted a wayward Leafs pass in center ice. Kovy took Thorburn’s feed into the attacking zone and rocketed the puck past Vesa Toskala from the right circle. They were goals number 29 and 30 for Ilya and his assist on Peverley’s power play goal gives him 56 points on the season.
Assuming he plays in the Thrashers 33 remaining games, Kovalchuk on pace for right at 99 or 100 points.
The captain’s play caught coach Anderson’s attention. “That was the best game I’ve seen Kovy play in two weeks”, Anderson said. “I guess he felt good…he always plays good but that was special”.
As for Kovalchuk, he was more than willing to deflect much of the credit to Ondrej Pavelec, who had another fine start…stopping 37 of 40 Maple Leafs shots. “Pavelec made some unbelievable saves and the penalty kill stopped them in the final minute,” Kovalchuk said. “It was a team effort. If we work like we did tonight, we’re going to win a lot of games”.
Captain Ilya Kovalchuk celebrates the win over Toronto with his teammates (AP Photo/Gregory Smith)
Indeed.
Also scoring for Atlanta was Evander Kane. His nifty wrap-around job halfway through the second tied the game at two. It was his first goal since New Years night in Buffalo.
Atlanta’s penalty kill unit was successful on all five Toronto man advantage opportunities. The Thrashers went 1 for 7 on the power play…however, Kovalchuk’s first goal of the night came just three seconds after Ponikarovski has exited the sin-bin after his hooking penalty 40 seconds into the period.
With the win, the Thrashers leapfroged back over Florida into second place in the Southeast…both teams now having played 49 games. They remain tied with Philadelphia…who thumped Columbus 5-3… in the ninth and tenth spots in the Eastern Conference. Both teams have 51 points, though Philly has played one less game, and they trail the eighth place New York Islanders by one single point…New York having played 50 games.
This was a great win by the Thrashers tonight, one that they really…and I mean realllllllly…needed in a bad way.
Viewing Party at TJs
So…whatcha doin’ Saturday night? Well, how about joining us at TJ’s bar and grill located on Holcomb Bridge Road to watch the Thrashers take on the Tampa Bay Lightning. As they normally do, the Atlanta Thrashers fan Club will be putting on quite the party and Tim, Mark and the entire staff will certainly be providing their normal top-notch service.
Is the opportunity to hang with yours truly and other regular posters around here not enough to persuade you? Well, how about 15% off your food and beverages?
Uh-huh….That’s what I thought. See ya’ll there.
And Finally…
So…I’m walking out of Philips Arena last night and holding the door for me was James Brown.
No…not that James Brown. He’s a self-described “lurker” on this blog and it was very, very nice to make his acquaintance…along with the three lovely ladies he was with.
I guess it’s only natural that I would meet someone with the name James Brown on a night like this, because after such a nice win by the Thrashers….
OWWWWwwwwww….I feel good!
sigh…sorry
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135 comments Add your comment
Smoothie
January 21st, 2010
10:35 am
J.B. – I think he liked playing here fine. He didn’t like getting scape-goated for the playoff debacle by Waddell. Another dumb move by DW, but that’s pretty much what we’ve come to expect from the man, eh?
I would love to have Johnsson and Poni at the deadline if both Minny and TOR fade and we’re fortunate enough to be in a position to deal as a buyer.
And Schroeder’s right, if we’re anywhere close (within 6 or so points of the 8 seed by 3/2), not trading for playoff pieces would be sending Kovy the wrong message.
GaVaHokie
January 21st, 2010
11:17 am
You stay classy Montreal…
Montreal to buy out George Laraque’s contract.
“To do this in the midst of all I’m dealing with in Haiti, the timing is awful,” Laraque said angrily. “I’m not going to sugar coat anything.”
http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=307080
Christoph Schubert
January 21st, 2010
11:28 am
Scheiße! Ich sitze wieder mit Todd White im Pressekasten.
KovyRules
January 21st, 2010
11:33 am
Schoobie, can you cause Todd to have an unfortunate accident up there to keep him out of the line up?
Darren
January 21st, 2010
11:38 am
Georges Laraque might be at or near the top of my list of “players I wouldn’t want to piss off”
For what it’s worth, I think Todd White might be at or near the bottom of that list.
TableHockey
January 21st, 2010
11:49 am
Firesale for the Canes? I’m hearing buzz that the Canes have asked Whitney and Wallin to waive their NTC. If this is true I wonder what effect that will have on those player’s performances tonight?
J.B.
January 21st, 2010
12:12 pm
tablehockey – that negative my be evened out by the positive of having staal as the new captain.
TableHockey
January 21st, 2010
12:38 pm
JB – Agreed. I’m not even sure the request to waive an NTC would generate a negative attitude. May fire them up to play harder. I believe Wallin has been asked before and declined. I see the Canes as a very dangerous team tonight that the Thrasher’s need to beat soundly to carry momentum from the Leafs game.
If the boys are going to make a play-off run they need to stop the win 1, lose 1 pattern.
World Be Free
January 21st, 2010
12:54 pm
Montreal’s management is horrible. They haven’t made a good move in a long time. Don takes alotta heat here but Gainey should be taking more.
Don’t know how hiring Jacques Martin has helped Montreal.
KovyRules
January 21st, 2010
1:06 pm
TH – Remember late last year there were about a dozen teams that got thrashed taking a non-playoff Atlanta team too lightly. We need a 60 minute effort.
TableHockey
January 21st, 2010
1:25 pm
I do remember that KovyRules. Hopefully the Thrashers also remember that
Daculafan
January 21st, 2010
1:35 pm
Update: Schubie fails to make team Germany
http://www.ctvolympics.ca/hockey/news/newsid=27181.html?cid=rsstsn
R. Stroz
January 21st, 2010
1:48 pm
Rawhide – If you’re going to be hanging with Todd White in the pressbox on January 26, I have a few items that I’d like you to share with him:
First: A roll of Charmin
Second: A white flag, so he can retire gracefully.
I bet that will fire him up.
Zoomo
January 21st, 2010
1:50 pm
Rawhide, if you wear your lovely “Media Blazer ™”, maybe Whitey won’t recognize you!
Zoomo
January 21st, 2010
1:58 pm
After reading your Hockey Buzz blog, maybe you need a full on disguise.
GaVaHokie
January 21st, 2010
2:07 pm
Daculafan… Interesting… That’s actually a fairly respectable German roster.
alex
January 21st, 2010
2:42 pm
ok on last check negotiations between egypt and jordan for peace treaty with israel took less time than contract negotiations between asg+dw with grossman, also even in dark times cold war negotiations between usa and ussr about reducing nuclear arms took less time. please get stendec to solve this problem by sending besterd E captain in subiria or sign him and move on. everybody in hockey world laughing. why we in atlanta cursed with this ridiculous asg.
Christoph Schubert
January 21st, 2010
2:55 pm
Scheißen Sie. ..not nur macht ich sitzen muss im Pressekasten mit Todd White, aber jetzt ich lerne, dass ich nicht eingeladen werde, mit Mannschaft Deutschland in Vancouver zu spielen.
Ich brauche eine Umarmung.
ben
January 21st, 2010
4:35 pm
I was wondering . . .
If Atlanta makes damage in the playoffs, and I know that’s a huge if,what are the odds that the Canadian media would just ignore us?
R. Stroz
January 21st, 2010
4:42 pm
Rawhide, on second thought, just wrap some Charmin around a stick and hand it to ToddWhite on January 26, that takes care of two issues with one wipe.
World Be Free
January 21st, 2010
6:29 pm
I just as guilty as the next person for paying attention to the Canadian media. We are just feeding their obsession. I took TSN off my Blackberry-screw ‘em
LAC
January 21st, 2010
7:26 pm
Well did EVERYONE see it… AGAIN, this zach b. idoit on the first Carolina Goal… He just stands there, does NOTHING to confront Stall, if he just skated toward him he cuts off the angle and makes him hurry his shot, But OH NO, not little old zach b. This punk just stands around like ALWAYS and allows a clear shot and a goal. Like I have said before he is responsible for a GOAL against about every game, watch
the reply. This kid needs to be released, traded, sent to the ECHL.
But Get the HELL rid of him, No hustle, NO toughness, NO heart and no caring about the team one bit.
Oh boy it’s 2-0 now. The WORST Team in the NHL is going to make an
EXAMPLE of us tonight. I’ve turned it off, time to watch The Weather Channel, maybe a Tornado story I’ve seen a dozen times will be on, better than watching this CRAP !
Darren
January 21st, 2010
7:32 pm
Schubert’s not playing for Germany? Shoot.. that means their chances of not finishing better than 6th haven’t changed at all!
12345
January 21st, 2010
8:16 pm
Glad I quit watching too, Boxcar Bertha is far more bang for your
TV buck, These guys stink.
stendec
January 21st, 2010
9:19 pm
Heartless. Gutless. Ball-less. Prideless. Pointless. Talentless. Brainless. Ridicu-less. Fightless. Punchless. Senseless. Ludicr-less. Those are the GOOD points of the Atlanta semi professional hockey team. Sieve Pavs Lehtonen was up to his old sorry tricks again. Early marshmallow goals galore. Bad bounces my ###! Sounding like Finn waste Sori Letemin now. Glad he is on way back. Fit right in with other quitters on current squad. Commode residue El Kapitan Ilya “Pay Me Big Bucks For Absolutely Nothing” Kovalchuk is counting down the days until the Winter Olympics. The Siberian #### will then exit Maryann Hossa mode. Until the second the Olympics are complete. Then it is figure eight time. Plus missed open nets galore once back in that uniform with chicken on front. A Loseland blowout loss to the Carolina Panthers. How embarrassing was this total lay down and get ###### on job? Would be akin to the Falcons having lost to the Detroit Lions the season those Michigan scum went winless. Yes. This debacle was that ####### unacceptable. If any help is needed to load up for trip to Hamilton I will gladly donate a day. Just want these worthless #### the #### out of Atlanta. The sooner the damn better. COME BACK FLAMES! Resurrect the Knights. Bring CARING hockey players back to Georgia. Spare me any excuses apologists. In no #### mood for that ########. ++STENDEC++ Refuse to even shoot on ####### power play being four goals down. These quitters have not packed it in for season? Spare me!
World Be Free
January 21st, 2010
9:28 pm
Glad I stayed home tonight. Changes must be made, this team is going nowhere.
stendec
January 21st, 2010
9:29 pm
Guess apologists will dazzle us with ######## in an effort to explain how wonderful the team in blue was at Loseland tonight. Yardbirds showed upstart Hurricanes. Atlanta team is worst in NHL! Bar none. ### scumballs! ++STENDEC++ May not have fewest points but definitely have fewest hearts than any other NHL assembly.
stendec
January 21st, 2010
9:35 pm
Congratulations Hurricanes! Nice empty netter. Oh course, you did not beat anybody worth a flying ####! ++STENDEC++ ##### dogs from start to finish. Apologists must be SOOOOOOO proud.
R. Stroz
January 21st, 2010
9:36 pm
Put KOZLOV on the milk carton, NOW.
Michael B. Shapiro
January 21st, 2010
9:44 pm
Jeez, the guys with the WORST RECORD in the NHL arrive and we just offer up the net to them. Three PowerPlay goals?? And our own PP is invisible, just like Todd White and Kozzy. Sigh, this is a very long season.
LAC
January 21st, 2010
9:45 pm
This was an I QUIT game, No Heart, No hustle, No Toughness and NO DEFENSE, which is killing this team.
WAIVE zach b. By morning PLEASE this kid $UCKS like no other defenseman in the entire NHL !!!!!
Hey zach, NON-tough guy, in the game Saturday, why YOU will be playing I cannot figure, Please show us your skills and score a goal for Tampa, We ALL know it will happen, so just shoot it in early and get it over with.
You are TERRIBLE, and I hope you are waived, traded or sent DOWN, you do NOT know how to play a lick of defense, you ARE the worst Defenseman in the NHL.
This game ended it this season, a game we needed to win and we QUIT.
Where is Worthless waddell ? Hiding for sure, Where is beau turner drunk tonight, or where is rutherford STUPIDnel ??????? he’s a strange one for sure. This team needs to MOVE and let’s get an AHL team here, new OWNER and have something to cheer about, this team is CRAP !
Bob
January 21st, 2010
10:03 pm
We stink.
R. Stroz
January 21st, 2010
10:23 pm
Did anyone else interpret Anderson’s post game comments, such as:
“We’re the easiest team in the world to check”
and
“We have to get bodies in front of the net.”
as the team is too small and the players are unwilling to fight for the puck?
Michael B. Shapiro
January 21st, 2010
11:10 pm
Coach says “Our special teams, I don’t want to use the word horrific, but that’s the first word that comes to my mind. Umm, Coach, the fans agree with you. The special teams STUNK tonight. Three goals to the ‘canes on their PowerPlay and we could generate none on how many?? SIX tries and we came up without even a bag of pucks.
So, what does Coach say to that? “The power play is not generating a lot.” Yeah, we already figured that one out, what else ya got Coach?
“If we have to change personnel, we’ll have to look at it [Friday]…Maybe we dumb it down a little bit. Take some skill off it. Put some grit in front of the net and just pound away.”
Well, that might be a start since EVERY FRIGGIN’ team in the NHL knows that our power play means pass it around a bunch, watch Kozzy continue to forget how to shoot and eventually the puck will wind it’s way to Kovy for the one-timer. Heck, a chimp from Yerkes could defend against that!
Sit Kozzy, sit Bogo, waive Doris for the bag of pucks and bring some grit up from Chicago, cuz you won’t find it in the likes of most of the guys not named Peverly, Slater or Thorburn these days.
Brendan
January 22nd, 2010
12:00 am
Here’s your boxscore. http://www.nhl.com/ice/boxscore.htm?id=2009020748
Michael B. Shapiro, very well observed. That postgame presser was pathetic. Anderson is dumbfounded by how the team conducts itself.
Philly banked 2-points, as did TB, and Ottawa, and the Islanders. Florida and Toronto picked up a “pity” point. Annnnnnnd, Atlanta got zip, against the 30th place team in the league. Is this how to DRIVE for the playoffs?
When will “accountability” emerge with this club? Look at OTTAWA, since they were humiliated by Atlanta, and consequently FIRED their goalie coach!! Doesn’t that say it all??? That was Ottawa’s sixth straight loss, and their season was rapidly unraveling.
I’d ask for a quote from ownership, but I if I got one, I’m sure it’d only make me throw up in my mouth a little bit. Ready for Bruce Levenson’s reaction? “We’ve got 32 games left, and I have every confidence that we’ll win most of them, make the playoffs, and win a round or two.”