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
World Be Free
January 20th, 2010
8:49 am
First! Beat stroz!
World Be Free
January 20th, 2010
8:50 am
You could say they burned the Leafs too.
Jimmy and Salmela looked good last night. That’s right, I said Jimmy looked good. Competition was the best thing that ever happened to Slater. He’s pulled his head out of his —- since sitting in the press box for the first few weeks of the season.
Time for Kovy to sign so we can shut Eklund up!
Eileen
January 20th, 2010
8:52 am
Philips is really rocking lately. A small crowd (which is sad), but very loud and festive. Great come back by the Thrashers!
Hockey Biltong
January 20th, 2010
8:55 am
Slava has been hit hard the last three games. I hope he will survive the bashes…..
rightshot
January 20th, 2010
8:56 am
Thought OP was shaky in the first but really played better the rest of the game. Liked the overall team effort and that they to win tried pretty much the whole game. I think if we can play like this, and better, we will see playoff hockey in Atlanta. Well, here’s hopeing.
Hockey Biltong
January 20th, 2010
8:56 am
TSN had Toronto highlights and the first thing the announce said was “and 10,000 fans bothered to show up at Philips tonight.” OUCHY
Hockey Biltong
January 20th, 2010
9:12 am
DWTOO- McConnell[sp]also has a habit of calling Boris “Big Bo” which drives me batsh$t.
ANybody from Ohio remember the Cincinnati Mohawks?
ben
January 20th, 2010
9:16 am
good game. I remember all the excitement when the team played their first game against New Jersey and lost. I remember how rockin’ the place was for Pasi. I just wish the team’s ownership would get creative on how to fill the seats. Like, maybe move the seats to a different arena. Like say the one up I-85. I go up to Alpheretta and see a lot of sub-30 year-olds wearing thrashers jerseys. Maybe demographics is destiny, or maybe they should find a way to get up there.
R. Stroz
January 20th, 2010
9:30 am
WBF – It’s not always good to be fast, but Congrats!
Cup Guy
January 20th, 2010
9:34 am
It was a great game tonight. I did laugh at one point tonight before Kovy’s second goal. He was just doing his usual lazy skate in a figure 8. Then i was like watch this guys lazy lazy, now we have the puck, now he skates a little, now he has the puck and skates a lot watch this goal here it comes here it comes…. GOAL!!!! Lol. He is so freakin lazy but whatever. They will pay him that ridiculous amount and he will stay. I did laugh when Natalie asked him about him leading by example and i just laughed. Sure he leads 1/3 of the ice but the other 2/3 he sleeps. I thought he played alright but not great like JA said.
last it was good to run into you bill. Twice. It was a much needed win and i always get excited when we win and people get excited. see you all on thursday.
Hockey Biltong
January 20th, 2010
9:37 am
High praise, indeed.
LAC
January 20th, 2010
9:38 am
Yes the TSN announcers also made a BIG point about ENTIRE SECTIONS available for seating and one said, How can this Atlanta team stay here
and simply not draw ? TSN blogs calling for “relocation” like never before… Maybe it is over here ?????
Well if we had a commited OWNER, it would thrive, winning does that.
But with the collection of misfits & liars what else can we expect ?
Good game, but this zach kid is a complete BUST on defense, responsible for goals two & three, go to the game replay and what his LAZY LAZY play behind the net, gets stripped of the puck, one pass and Toronto GOAL. This is now a regular thing with this guy, he gives the other team a goal a game about and several chances, in other highlights, he can be seen wandering or just staning around watching when he should be
confronting their players… I have simple seen all this kid I want too, he STINKS, sure he has some offense, but he had NO defensive skills and has turned into a marshmellow. Trade his to Edmonton or someplace, he is TOAST here.
Otherwise important game to win, and Carolina will be likewise.
StateBird
January 20th, 2010
9:42 am
Kubina steamrolling Ponikarovski was nice but for me the turning point was Kovy steamrolling an unidentified Leaf (couldn’t catch the number). Kovy played like a “max” player last night. Unfortunately the track record shows that while he is capable of those efforts they are few and far between.
Paminski
January 20th, 2010
9:46 am
Does McConnell get paid extra every time he says “it’s the hockey way”? I can’t blame anyone for doing this tho. Market, market, market. Especially get those kids while they’re young. By the time they have disposable income, southern children will already be hockey fans.
I’m in 305 tomorrow behind the attack once net I think. And I thought 307 was far away. Also, some friends have asked to meet at T-Mac for a beer after the game, so I should be visiting there.
Let’s go, Slater!
Tom
January 20th, 2010
9:47 am
I was about to send an ambulance to the Stroz house? Thanks God he showed up.
Rawhide
January 20th, 2010
10:28 am
You could say they burned the Leafs too.
WBF – True…but I think I’ve used that header before. Good to see ya last night!
Philips is really rocking lately. A small crowd (which is sad), but very loud and festive. Great come back by the Thrashers!
Thought OP was shaky in the first but really played better the rest of the game.
rightshot - Agreed. It’s good to see Opie able to shake off early goals these days.
Kubina steamrolling Ponikarovski was nice but for me the turning point was Kovy steamrolling an unidentified Leaf (couldn’t catch the number).
StateBird – Both were great hits! Kovy was playing really great last night…actually, make that, the last several games.
Eileen - Yes it was! Sorry I missed ya last night! Please give my best to your two tax exemptions.
Slava has been hit hard the last three games. I hope he will survive the bashes…..
Hockey Biltong – Indeed. If he doesn’t and has to sit in the press box, that means Todd White skates again. shudders
last it was good to run into you bill. Twice. It was a much needed win and i always get excited when we win and people get excited. see you all on thursday.
Cup Guy – Nice to see you again as well.
DWTOO
January 20th, 2010
10:33 am
Damn good and entertaining game last night. And since I was there I didn’t have to listen to Matt call “Big Bo” (Thanks Hockey Biltong). Because most nights Big Bo needs a the Big Seat. Shame to see to those Leaf fans spend all that money to see their team jump to a two goal lead and fold. Hope they enjoy the aquarium.
Am I’m tired of Canadian fans harping for relocation. Get over it!
HB – MRSDWTOO brought some biltong back from SA, but, the kids ate it all before I had the chance to sample. She was not sure of the laws regarding what she could bring back so only brought one bag. Was in your native land in Novemember and it is truly beautiful, especially Kruger NP, where I did get to dine on Kudu (sp?).
Alan R.
January 20th, 2010
10:33 am
Whoa whoa whoa… hold the phone. The Toronto Sports Network and their esteemed and knowledgeable “bloggers” are calling for a southern market re-location??? I’d have never guessed!
World Be Free
January 20th, 2010
10:34 am
Hey folks, what TSN and the other idiots do not realize is that THEY DON’T OWN THE THRASHERS. You can’t relocate something you don’t own.
Maybe we should relocate the Toronto Blue Jays to Gwinnett because they only draw about 20-22,000 per game?
Those people all sound like Keith Brooking.
Smoothie
January 20th, 2010
11:00 am
I prefer a headline referring to how we “smoked the buds”! In fact, that’s what I used on my short blog entry last night:
http://thrashingbirds.blogspot.com/2010/01/thrashers-smoke-budstotally-awesome.html
WBF – ’twas indeed a pleasure to finally meet you after the game last night. Next time, we’ll take it to the “Mac” and have a few brews. But 10-Spot and I needed a break from the late hours “celebrating”; not to mention it’s hard to feel THAT excited to beat the lowly Leafs. I hope this was just a case of being a bit road weary and saving their energy for the 2nd two periods. Still a LOT to work on.
I figure they’ll be right in the thick of things if they can go 2 – 0 – 1 in the next 3 games. Hell, winning all 3 is possible, but this team just can’t seem to put it all together right now. Seems like there is always one period in which they play miserably or one facet of their game that is severely lacking such as the POWER-less PLAY-around with the puck too long.
Rawhide
January 20th, 2010
11:07 am
Whoa whoa whoa… hold the phone. The Toronto Sports Network and their esteemed and knowledgeable “bloggers” are calling for a southern market re-location??? I’d have never guessed!
Alan R. - Yeah…who-da-thunkit?
I prefer a headline referring to how we “smoked the buds”! In fact, that’s what I used on my short blog entry last night
Smoothinator – Niccccccccccccccccce!
Smoothie
January 20th, 2010
11:09 am
I don’t know, will they give Marty Booker another chance? If you ask me, they didn’t throw to him enough and instead forced too many throws to TG and Roddy. But then again, if Harry Douglas is healthy, our offense should be pretty damn tough to stop!
Oh wait a minute, what blog am I on?! Too many blogs, make it stop!
World Be Free
January 20th, 2010
11:09 am
Smoothie-I totally agree, the 3 of us need to hit the Mac next time for some recreational beverages.
One more point on the Canadian media-I really doesn’t matter if the house was half empty or totally full last night, the TSN idiots would complain. The Canadian media is the BIGGEST group of whiners I have ever encountered. If you think the Liberals in America have an entitlement mentality, then you need to listen to the Canadian media. The simple-minded hockey fans that adore Don Cherry chime right in.
How Cherry stayed on the air past his first season is a mystery to anyone who has an IQ above Forrest Gump (ID 44).
Smoothie
January 20th, 2010
11:11 am
Rawhide – Yeah dude. Totally.
Smoothie
January 20th, 2010
11:15 am
WBF – I think the only reason Cherry is on TV is because IT IS ABSOLUTELY HYSTERICAL to watch that ruddy-faced drunk ramble on and on and on aimlessly like a senile old war vet in a nursing home mumbling about the good ol’ days after the War. Remember, Candadians also love the movie Strange Brew!! That says it all. Oh wait a sec, I LIKE that movie too. Oh well, I’m just a closet hoser eh?
MASHAPlayer7
January 20th, 2010
11:24 am
@Hockey Biltong – I’m not from Ohio, but I’m a big AHL fan – didn’t the Mohawks play in the 50s or 60s?
MASHAPlayer7
January 20th, 2010
11:25 am
Didn’t Andy Sutton and Pascal Dupuis play a season together here in ATL? Looks like there was no love lost after that cheap Sutton hit (surprise) on Dupuis last night.
Bob
January 20th, 2010
12:01 pm
You can tell Kovy’s contract is moving forward now, his play has been much better the past couple weeks. I think they sign him now and it’s pretty funny how you can tell the contract per his play, I guess he’s an emotional guy and it reflects in his effort, reactions to goals, etc.
I know that’s just the Buds (smoke the buds, nice!) but that’s the kind of game that can get you on a roll. Hate to say it, but our playoff chances are going to rest on Kari’s shoulders, Moose and Opie aren’t going to get us there.
GaVaHokie
January 20th, 2010
12:02 pm
After Kovy’s second goal last night, he scribbled his hand across the ice… does that count as a signature?
GaVaHokie
January 20th, 2010
12:06 pm
Here’s the proof.
http://thrashers.nhl.tv/team/console.jsp?hlg=20092010,2,736&event=ATL454
Mooseberg
January 20th, 2010
12:08 pm
Damn Canadian’s….haven’t they figure it out yet that you need Corporate Sponsorship to keep a team…fans in the seats help but a team cannot survive on that alone….this is why they lost their teams to US cities in the first place. With all those “Big” Corps moving there office to Canada they shouldn’t have any problem with that…right? Molson can only sponsor so many teams, then what? MooseDroppings, Inc? FrozenBrains Corp? Clueless in the Tundra, LLC?
James Brown
January 20th, 2010
12:15 pm
Well Rawhide I just had to blog……………yes folks…………….I was the original JB on here a few years back……………….great comeback for the Thrash last night…………….I say we are still in the thick of things with the schedule being a lot kinder from here on out……………….Kovy did look good last night and I hope Kozlov can play better on the power play…………………………..after those two hits he took last night I just don`t know……………………..nice to be back………..I enjoy this blog
Paminski
January 20th, 2010
12:32 pm
GaVaHokie – You might be on to something!
J.B.
January 20th, 2010
12:32 pm
Does this mean I need to go back to using ‘The Other JB’? I thought you’d passed the torch
(meaning of course I just got lazy and started typing ‘JB’ instead of ‘The Other JB’).
World Be Free
January 20th, 2010
12:35 pm
Hope Charlie Daniels is OK. He lost alotta weight so I was surprised to hear he had a stroke.
Bob-nice post, you are right on on all counts.
Smoothie-haven’t seen Strange Brew in awhile, but it’s a great movie.
Don Cherry reminds me of John Madden. Bobby Orr is to Cherry what Brett Favre is to Madden. Someone needs to tell Cherry that he doesn’t need to dress like Liberace.
Masha-Ex went after Kozlov last night, Kubina nailed Ponikorosky. Guess the old buddy network has a time limit.
CEO of MooseDroppings, Inc.
January 20th, 2010
12:52 pm
GaVaHokie: Wow, I didn’t notice that last night, but I think you’re on to something!
DWTOO
January 20th, 2010
12:53 pm
Think Don Cherry is entertaing – kinda’ like political talk radio in the states. You get ratings by being bombastic and outrageous. How many talk shows, outside of NPR, actually have serious discussions? About Zero.
Now that Smoothie brings it up think I’ll go smoke a bud (in a previous life).
James Brown
January 20th, 2010
1:02 pm
No JB…keep it……I`ve got James typed in now……………..that works for me………
TableHockey
January 20th, 2010
1:04 pm
MASHAPlayer7 – saw that cheap hit by Sutton. Bet he gets a game suspension at least. It was odd how he laid on him afterwards – I was trying to figure out if he had some remorse but nah…
Schroeder
January 20th, 2010
1:06 pm
Am I the only one that wishes we would claim Petr Sykora and waive Todd White? Any takers? Would that make sense to any one? Or would the cash implications w/#12 contract make it impossible.I would have thought after picking up the Pevs dispenser,DW would jump at that chance or is he gambling that Sykora will get through re-entry and pick himup on the CHEAP!
J.B.
January 20th, 2010
1:07 pm
thanks. i’ve gotten used to just the initials. not sure if i could handle going back to typing two extra words every time i wanted to comment! LOL
Just to keep on topic – that was a really entertaining game last night. i was pretty miserable after the 1st, but the last 40 were just awesome. my only complaint is these guys REALLY need to work on their passing!! I saw some BAAAAAAAADD passing near the blue lines…
Dwayne
January 20th, 2010
1:11 pm
LOL at Mooseberg!!!!
What was White’s, Kozlov’s and Little’s numbers at this point last year compared to this year???
I’m not researching it. To much work to do.
Any takers??
Hollywould
January 20th, 2010
1:18 pm
Man, I agree with LAC. I sat there with my son watching Bogosian and wondering “what the hell is he doing?’. He was awful. I don’t know what has happened but someone(coach) needs to light a fire under him. happy to win but our PP sucks. Change it up sometime/are they trying to see how many passes they can make before they lose the puck?
Hockey Biltong
January 20th, 2010
1:18 pm
DWTOO – I have an Atl connection for my favourite treat! Only beef though, no wild animals like Ostrich or Kudu or Waterbuck. $20. /lb
MASHA7 – you are correct sir! My old man played on the team then coached in the mid- 60’s.I don’t know when they started life though. I think they morphed into the Cincinnati Swords … just a guess.
Schroeder- I think Sykora has head injury problems, combined with overall well being.
Look for Edmonton or the likes to be a source of a pickup….
GaVaHokie
January 20th, 2010
1:20 pm
Sykora cleared waivers… phew!
Just relieved that if we DO claim him on re-entry, it’s half price for a guy suffering from concussions.
Rawhide
January 20th, 2010
1:22 pm
James Brown – Good to see ya posting again…and that you and J.B. have the whole “handle” issue under control.
Oh, and I got your e-mail with the pix. very nice…thanks. I’ll have Trixie post ‘em up on her part of the blogosphere later on!
Am I the only one that wishes we would claim Petr Sykora and waive Todd White? Any takers?
Schroeder – raising hand…jumping up and down….OOOOOOOOH, ME ME ME ME ME ME ME MEEEEEeeee!!!!!
Smoothie
January 20th, 2010
1:26 pm
I think Sykora can only be claimed on re-entry waivers IF he is assigned to the AHL. But he has a clause in his contract that allows him to go to Europe instead of the AHL. Looks like he’s gone until free agency this summer?? Damn.
Paminski
January 20th, 2010
1:26 pm
Rawhide – Maybe the real Rawhide was abducted by aliens because I know the he would have said he was glad James and JB got a handle on that problem.
J.B.
January 20th, 2010
1:27 pm
bet they’ll try and get him on re-entry. bob mckenzie tweeted at least one team is talking to the wild about trading for him.
Zoomo
January 20th, 2010
1:27 pm
>> Or would the cash implications w/#12 contract make it impossible
I would have to think so. I can’t stand the througth of White coming back to the line up either. Slater has earned the right to play through grit and hustle. He always skated hard, just not with the purpose he seems to have right now.
Nice to see kane get back on the tally sheet. The kid may have hit a bit of a mid season wall, but I can’t really think of any games when his effort hasn’t been there.
What player do you think Kane will resemble in 3 years? Mike Knuble in his prime? A slightly smaller Dustin Penner?
Smoothie
January 20th, 2010
1:30 pm
TSNBobMcKenzie
“For all asking why trade for Sykora when he was free on waivers, very simple — acquiring team wants to unload a body/contract.”
3 minutes ago from UberTwitter
“While Sykora cleared, at least one team, maybe two, talking to Wild about trade for Sykora. Sykora wants to stay in NHL, not go to Europe.”
Hmmmm, is Waddudley working the phones in Minnie-SO-ta? Perhaps. Doesn’t he have a good relationship with what’s his face of the Wild?
World Be Free
January 20th, 2010
1:33 pm
Biltong-The Cincinnati Swords!?! That’s going back, Swords were the Sabres’ farm team in the 70’s. Saw them win the Calder Cup in Buffalo. They had to move the finals from CIN to Buffalo because somebody had the arena booked. Floyd Smith was their coach.
One of my favorite all time AHL players was on their squad; Keke Mortson. Talk about an old time minor leaguer that would have played if he was born just a little later. He was just a little dirty, probably kicked Don Cherry’s ass at some point during his career.
The old days.
Hollywould
January 20th, 2010
1:38 pm
Hey World, Is that the same KeKe who played for the Macon Whoopee in the 70’s. I used to go to those games at the macon Coliseum.
Hollywould
January 20th, 2010
1:40 pm
World, After racking my feeble brain I think Keke Mortsen was the player coach of the Macon Whoopee
in the 70’s. for a couple of years. Man, those guys were tough. We would have a blast going to see them at the Macon Coliseum. And yes, they were the WHOOPEE.
Rawhide
January 20th, 2010
1:48 pm
Maybe the real Rawhide was abducted by aliens because I know the he would have said he was glad James and JB got a handle on that problem.
Paminski – Well played!
GaVaHokie
January 20th, 2010
1:54 pm
Smoothie… would we send White to Minney? Would Minney take him? After all, they let him go and signed Belanger to replace him.
…hmmm.
Eileen
January 20th, 2010
2:19 pm
The attendance remarks are legit. It is a double edged sword. I just hope we are not on the losing end of a relocation due to attendance. It would be such a shame to lose hockey in Atlanta. I really feel for the players. Overall, they give it their best. I think they would be even more motivated by more LOUD fans like last night.
Hey Rawhide, I saw you through the glass from another section. I will give my 2 tax exemptions your best. Thanks.
Wayne stuck in AL
January 20th, 2010
2:21 pm
I’m still trying to figure out what “The Hockey Way” is…
Dwayne
January 20th, 2010
2:29 pm
Wayne….isn’t that a cluster of stars in our galaxy?
Alan R.
January 20th, 2010
2:30 pm
Several teams had attendance issues in the late 80s and early 90s. Vancouver immediately comes to mind, as does Calgary and Edmonton.
Atlanta isn’t going to relocate. Not due to attendance alone, anyway.
World Be Free
January 20th, 2010
2:36 pm
Keke played for the Whoopees in 73-74.
He also played for my beloved Buffalo Norsemen of the North American Hockey League in 75-76. The guy played pro hockey from 1952-1978 for 19 different teams, not counting the number or teams he left and came back to.
Jimbo
January 20th, 2010
2:46 pm
Am I seeing things but is Valabik starting to look like he belongs? Put Kozzy on the Milk Carton to get him going.
Smoothie
January 20th, 2010
2:52 pm
Hokie – I doubt Minny would want Whitey back because they are prolly looking to shed some salary. Before PMB went on LTIR, they were right up against the Cap with very little wiggle-room. That’s why I was so surprised they even went after Sykora in the first place. They might be interested a defenseman for depth, but I doubt it. I don’t really see how we’d be a good trading partner unless Minny is already looking to shed some additional salary in an early pre-deadline firesale trade. But they are barely alive in the West so I don’t think they’ll do anything until after the Olympics.
Rawhide
January 20th, 2010
3:03 pm
Taking a look at tonight’s schedule…we have Florida playing NJ and Montreal hosting St. Louis. Both the Habs and Panthers are 1 point behind us and Philly. Rooting for
MontrealSt. Louis is a no-brainer…so too is pulling for the Devils.In fact, unless they are playing the Thrashers or a Western Conference team, I’m gonna be pulling for New Jersey and Buffalo…and maybe even Washington… from here on out.
Why?…you ask. Simple. The caps are going to win the SE, (DUH5)…someone has to win the NE and Atlantic, and I think NJ and Buffalo will take those two divisions…so go on and let either of those teams win if they play someone else in the conference.
Basically, the Thrashers are battling both New York teams, Philly, Boston, Pittsburgh, Montreal, Florida, Ottawa and the Bolts…even Toronto. Carolina is out of it.
Pittsburgh could catch NJ, given there is only a 2 point difference right now, but whomever does not win that division is probably the 4th seed. So, in all reality, the Thrashers “best case scenario” is landing anywhere from 5-8.
Still really think we finish around 88 points and just out of the playoffs…but hey, I’d love to be wrong.
TableHockey
January 20th, 2010
3:12 pm
Will be interesting to see how we do against the Canes tomorrow night. Wonder if Staal’s new captaincy will have any effect on how they have been playing. Probably a sign of the end for Rod.
Smoothie
January 20th, 2010
3:21 pm
And why should I ever pull for the Habs?
Trix – I think Bill forgot to proof-read again.
Rawhide
January 20th, 2010
3:31 pm
Smoothie – Yeah, yeah, yeah…I fixed it, thanks. Trixie had me…distracted…when I was typing.
GaVaHokie
January 20th, 2010
3:44 pm
Rawhide… agreed… Atlanta and Montreal have the most favorable schedules ahead. So look for us to battle it out with them for the 8th spot.
Smoothie
January 20th, 2010
3:51 pm
Yes, the dangers of the workplace are indeed many.
Guess who the most efficient forward is when it comes to not only goal scoring, but also preventing goals at ES?
I’ll be right back with the answer in a few minutes.
Smoothie
January 20th, 2010
4:24 pm
Top 3 Efficient Players (first forwards then defensemen):
1) Antropov
2) Kovalchuk
3(t) Reasoner & Thorburn
1) Enstrom
2) Kubina
3) Salmela
Keep in mind that this does not factor in Quality of Competition, which would surely affect things. Looking at Desjardins numbers from http://www.behindthenet.com, which does factor in QOC, the rankings aren’t too much different meaning the above players are doing their jobs well and performing their roles effectively.
The worst three forwards? Little, White and then Kozlov. No surprises there. Although I would say White & Kozlov were dragging Little down earlier in the season. If Bryan were scoring a bit more (say 5-10 goals more), very few would be criticizing him. He will need to catch fire down the stretch if the Thrashers are to make the playoffs.
Somaatl95
January 20th, 2010
4:34 pm
Happy they came alive last night. Hope December was just a bad dream.
Red Light
January 20th, 2010
5:16 pm
Sutton got a two-game suspension.
Brendan
January 20th, 2010
5:25 pm
I gotta tell ya, it felt GOOD to see Kane and Peverley score in the same game. While I’d bet that’s happened before, it needs to happen more OFTEN.
Someone look it up. How many times have Kane and Peverley scored in the same game?
Brendan
January 20th, 2010
5:31 pm
Maybe Dupuis “stiffed ‘im” on a lunch tab in Mid-town? Those places can get pricey?
rob
January 20th, 2010
5:42 pm
Glad to get the win, don’t get me wrong, but if that was Kovy’s best game…… How awesome would it be to see Kovy come back on defense with his skating ability, take the puck away and then go end to end? Kozlov obviously is having a lot of difficulty concentrating on the PP and I would expect someone of his stature who has nothing to prove anymore to ask someone else take his place there until he can figure it out. Liked Kubina playing PP w Kovy on the point, mostly because a few times he went away from Kovy who was begging for it, and went to the net after dishing it just for a different look. Keep the momentum and let’s see more PHYSICAL HITS like against the Leafs. Good to see Kane get the goal for his hard work.
NASCAR Dave
January 20th, 2010
5:54 pm
Is that R. STROZ with the annoying bullhorn that bleeds thru on the TV and Radio broadcasts? I can’t tell because I don’t go to games anymore. But that will definitely change after they FIRE WADDELL…
Red Light
January 20th, 2010
6:28 pm
Staal replaces Brind’amour as captain in Carolina. An interesting take on the situation…
http://hurricanes.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=514357
World Be Free
January 20th, 2010
6:33 pm
I think Rod is on his last legs in Carolina. Too bad, good player, great guy.
Mr. Heat Miser
January 20th, 2010
6:49 pm
Eric Staal=Still not daddy’s favorite
World Be Free
January 20th, 2010
8:42 pm
Now Eklund has Kovy going to the Leafs. I think Cherry must have told him to say that one.
James Brown
January 20th, 2010
9:22 pm
Relocation?……just don`t see it…Atlanta is the 8th or 9th largest TV Market in the league. This is not 1980 Atlanta. It is a whole different animal since the Flames left town. Nobody was as sad as me when they left. It was a well run framchise from day one and sellouts were the norm. Cliff Fletcher would have already put a Cup here if he had DW`s job in 1999!! What these Canadiens don`t understand is advertising numbers and expectations are always built on potential. Bettman wants to set the league up for the next TV contract and you don`t trade a top ten market for a small city full of rabid fans in Canada that would be 20-25th in the NHL in local TV numbers. Granted the Thrashers are an afterthought for the current ownership but you always look to what can happen when the right group runs this team. The team is tied to the rights of the arena and the longevity of this deal in years is “multiple” per DW……………… So folks…..we aint going anywhere……
Miami Screaming Eagle
January 20th, 2010
11:18 pm
I had a future dream last night-DW was still GM of the Trashers.
I guess you could call that a nightmare.
Brendan
January 20th, 2010
11:35 pm
Marty Brodeur breaks his own shutout record, and now stands at 108 career shutouts, including 7 this season. He also got his 30th win, which makes the 13th time in his career that he’s won 30 or more games. That ties him with Patrick Roy. And the hits just keep comin’ for Brodeur. But better than that, Florida got ZERO points, to go along with their zero goals. Which is important, considering the Cats only trail Le Thrash by one-point.
Segue, the St. Louis Blues did not do us any favors tonight. They were up, 3-1, going into the 3rd period against Montreal. And, with Carey Price pulled from the net, they got the equalizer in the final 20 or so seconds of regulation time. That gave the Habs a point, dagnabit. But the Blues did prevail in overtime, for the win, denying Montreal the other point. A regulation time win would have really helped the Thrashers, by St. Louis.
Thrashers27
January 21st, 2010
1:26 am
WBF, yeah, what a crock…what does Toronto even have left to offer up? They have jack. Unless, they want to give up their first round pick for the next ten years. Pfftttt…whatev…Go Blue!
World Be Free
January 21st, 2010
6:31 am
Brendan-no idea what happened to the Blues this season. I looked to them to challenge in the West, 5th maybe even 4th spot. Lots of young talent, maybe it’s the lack of a real #1 center. That’s the only part of the puzzle they don’t have.
Thrasher27-Canadian media makes me laugh. They act as if everyone wants to play in Toronto, for nothing! Truth is nobody was to be in that situation, unless you get overpaid or have nowhere else to go. Toronto is not a preferred NHL destination anymore.
I watched Luke Schenn the other night; he’s supposed to be Toronto’s rock on defense for the next 15 years. Trust is he’s OK, way behind Bogo or the other defensemen drafted high last year. He has the Leafs’ curse of trying to be the next Tim Horton.
Florida likes to block shots as they did against us on Monday. I have the remedy for any team that likes to stand in from of shots-SHOOT HIGH! That will get them out of the way.
The Real Thrash
January 21st, 2010
7:36 am
Kovy, third in goals scored in the league. And this while yahoos say the Thrashers would be a better team without him. Yeah, that’s hockey sense.
GaVaHokie
January 21st, 2010
8:45 am
Unless Burke wants to trade us Kessel, I don’t see how Toronto has enough assets to get the deal done.
Ponikarovsky, Kadri and Kaberle, maybe? But they’ve got no draft picks to offer up.
GaVaHokie
January 21st, 2010
8:49 am
Kovy, third in goals scored in the league. And this while yahoos say the Thrashers would be a better team without him. Yeah, that’s hockey sense.
Again, you’re confusing talent with money… the team is better “off”… financially… without him.
GaVaHokie
January 21st, 2010
8:50 am
Unless, they want to give up their first round pick for the next ten years. Pfftttt…whatev…Go Blue!
I think the Bruins already have all those.
KovyRules
January 21st, 2010
9:11 am
Yes, I’ve been as absent in January as Kovy’s competitiveness, but with a nickname like this I just couldn’t post again until Kovy was really playing again…
In returning, I felt I needed to bring some gifts, so here’s a couple for Dwayne (What was White’s, Kozlov’s and Little’s numbers at this point last year compared to this year???) and Brendan (Someone look it up. How many times have Kane and Peverley scored in the same game?)
Dwayne (or should I say ++DWAYNE++), the real answer is too much trouble for me to figure, especially when it will just be depressing, but projecting this year’s productivity and comparing to last year, Little will be down 36%, Kozy down 49%, and White will be down a pathetic 57%. Any chance we can get 57% of his salary back?
Brendan, that was a little easier to find. Citizen Kane and the Dispenser have tallied in the same game 4 times (TO 1/19; Canes 11/27; SJ 10/24; NJ 10/16), and we’ve won three of those. It’s a solid observation that with the waning of the Little White Russian, we need those two participating on the score sheet if we’re going to make it to the playoffs.
I am liking the sprinkling of the Greek God line on to three separate lines, and I think it has really helped Slats. Not sure any of the new lines have a lot of chemistry or familiarity yet, but I think it will come. See ya at the bulb tonite!
Schroeder
January 21st, 2010
9:27 am
WOW,White’s production off 57%,I know this horse is sufficently dead but I will repeat,Sykora has a drastically better chance of recovering from a concussion, than #12 suddenly becoming a tough-in-the-corner,hard to ride off the puck,clog up the crease kinda forward.Sorry,I just think that he filled a need last year,but that need has passed.TRADE OR CLAIM FOR SYKORA AND WAIVE #12!!!!!!!
Paminski
January 21st, 2010
9:28 am
Maybe Dupuis “stiffed ‘im” on a lunch tab in Mid-town? Those places can get pricey?
Brendan – Thanks for the laugh.
GaVaHokie
January 21st, 2010
9:41 am
Maybe Dupuis “stiffed ‘im” on a lunch tab in Mid-town? Those places can get pricey?
Or maybe Dupuis was the one who told Sutton and Kari that “the whole team is going to dye their hair blue for the playoffs, be sure you go home and do it tonight.”
Rawhide
January 21st, 2010
9:58 am
WOW,White’s production off 57%,I know this horse is sufficently dead but I will repeat,Sykora has a drastically better chance of recovering from a concussion, than #12 suddenly becoming a tough-in-the-corner,hard to ride off the puck,clog up the crease kinda forward.Sorry,I just think that he filled a need last year,but that need has passed.TRADE OR CLAIM FOR SYKORA AND WAIVE #12!!!!!!!
Schroeder – While that drop off is surprising…it also reinforces the argument some of us were making that White’s trade value was at it’s highest last summer. Now…seeing that Waddell could only hope to get little more than a coupon for 6 cheese Krystals for a player with his stats and another year left on a $2.4 million per year contract…waiving #12 is about all DW can do with him right now.
Oh brother…seeing that I’m going to be in the press box Tuesday, I’m sure I’m gonna get another frosty scowl from Whitey.
Smoothie
January 21st, 2010
10:03 am
Schroeder – Amen brother! Preach it from the mountain tops!
Popovic still has AHL options, along with Salmela I’m pretty sure. Plus, if Opie doesn’t maintain his recent level of play AND Lehts comes back with a vengeance, then Opie can go back down to Chicago as well.
We should’ve sent Pops down (needs conditioning anyway) and claimed Sykora. If Sykora plays well, then you can investigate trading White if anyone is crazy enough to take a chance. If nothing else, waiving White would make room in the press-box for Slava Kozlov. Hell, I’d much rather see Joey Crabb or even Brett Sterling over both of them. Sterling may not score like he does in AHL, but he hustles more and draws more penalties than Slava does.
KovyRules
January 21st, 2010
10:03 am
Take the Sykora story a step further – let’s say we’re buyers at the trade deadline. Which UFAs would be good to pick up off one of the non-playoff teams?
IMO, no one from the Canes or Oilers. I still like Eric Belanger and I think his skating fits JAs style. Perhaps Raffi Torres if the Blue Jackets become sellers. On D, Johnsson or Zidlicky might be worth the money…
h
January 21st, 2010
10:21 am
Hokie- I’m a big fan of Ponikarovski (although he’s a UFA next year), but you “could” add in Schenn, Hagman (RFA next year), and Komisarek (locked up for 3 more years)….but still……
Smoothie
January 21st, 2010
10:28 am
The Iceman Bloggeth well. I would’ve loved to see a checking line of Stuart – Reasy – Crabb! But then we wouldn’t have Kubina I suppose. But I’ll be damned if DWad shouldn’t have thrown in Slater (grittier than White certainly) who might have actually had a snowball’s chance in hell to play in TOR. Stuart never got a serious shot in TOR. Calgary needs offense eh? White & Salmela for Stuart and Moss?
Schroeder
January 21st, 2010
10:30 am
KovyRules: I agree 1000% on your choices,I don’t think we have any choice but be buyers.Any hint of being sellers would be tatamount to waving a white flag at #17 and with him being unsigned we should all wave bye-bye to him come July. Eric Belanger would also be a great fit on Offense,and Johnson on D.I love what Slava has given to LeThrash,But I think his play paired w/White’s disappearance justifies a move on both NOW!
J.B.
January 21st, 2010
10:30 am
Belanger isn’t coming back here again. Much like Recchi, if i recall correctly, I believe he was pretty open about not liking playing in Atlanta during his brief stint here. However, I did see an interview with him where he considered one of his most memorable shots the one where he broke the glass during the marathon shootout the last game of the regular season.
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.”