Stick a fork in them and pull them off the playoff grill – The Thrashers are done
Ah, yes…late March-early spring in Atlanta. It’s a beautiful time of year in these parts…a time when we, among other things, pull the cover off of the grill that’s weather through the winter on the back deck and prepare it for another season of outdoor cooking.
You name it, it gets flamed up on the grill here in the south…burgers, hotdogs, steaks, chicken,chops, ribs…mmmmmmm, meat is good!
Carolina goalie Cam Ward denies Pavel Kubina during the Canes 4-1 win Monday night (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
But ya know what else got grilled around here recently…the playoff chances for the Atlanta Thrashers. Yup, with the giant flameout on the ice of Philips Arena Monday night they all but went up in smoke in the night skies of Thrasherville. And I assure you, the smell that permeated around the intersection of Marietta Street and Centennial Drive did not smell as sweet as what will surround the cul-de-sac I live on this weekend.
Oh sure, the Thrashers are not mathematically eliminated and technically they remain within “striking distance” of Boston, Philly and Montreal…but the 4-1 loss to Carolina last night pretty much puts the Thrashers on the side of the NHL grill where ya put the “done” meat…no, make that the “well done to the point of charred” meat.
Put a fork in ‘em, folks.
Although the box score will show their only goal was via a power play, for the most part of the evening the Thrashers performance while enjoying the man advantage left the paying customers at Philips steamed and sizzling mad. After Nic Antropov put Atlanta up 1-0 on the first power play of the night, they simply looked lost and confused on the subsequent five they were afforded the rest of the way.
The penalty kill, however, continued it’s strong work of late…killing off all three Carolina power plays. Over the last seven games, Atlanta has gone 20 for 20 when facing being down a man.
Southern hospitality was again the order of the day as the visiting team won …as was the case in the previous five matchups between the Thrashers and Canes. Atlanta took all three in Raleigh by a combined score of 15-7 while the Hurricanes took all three here and outscored our team by a total of…now get this…13-3. In the last two it was 8-1.
Just ouch.
Making matters even more frustrating was the fact that we got a nice serving of “help” smothered in Buffalo sauce as the Sabres downed Bahhh-ston for us…the score of that game hovering above us all night like the blue light of a bug zapper that served only to illuminate Carolina’s grilling of Thrasher meat below.
I tell ya…rooting for the Sabres sorta gives me the same feeling in my gut as eating a jar of potato salad after it has sat out on the back deck in the sun for an entire week…but it’s worth it when they take care of the Bruins for us like that. Of course, it wouldn’t feel so bad if the Thrashers had done more to help themselves. But right now, I think I need a stomach pump.
And so, if last night’s game was considered a “must win” in regards of keeping hope alive for the playoffs…the one tonight in Toronto has to be considered a “must-er win”. Because after that we are down to those final five with three of the top four teams in the Eastern Conference…three teams that the Thrashers are collectively 1-8-0 against so far this season.
Ugh…there goes my stomach again.
And Speaking of Southern Hospitality…
I met a pair of fairly cool Caniacs last night…Liz and Sydney who had driven down from Carolina to enjoy the game, (and unfortunately, “enjoy” the game is just what they did). They sat a few rows in front of myself, Rightshot and “Lola the Lurker”.
When chatting with the pair, Liz showed me a picture of her favorite Thrashers fan…it was none other than our very own Mr. Heat Miser. The picture was taken last weekend during the Thrasherville invasion of Carolina. After the game, MHM was gracious and kind enough to chat with them, even though it was obvious he was still seething from the outcome.
Cool, classy guy that Heat Miser.
Anywhooooo…Liz and Sydney share our passion fro hockey and agreed with me that the two fan bases always have a good time together when visiting the other. We can go, cheer our team, and enjoy the good times in and around the arena without being a group of obnoxious %$#&#@!.
Nice to meet ya both, Liz and Sydney.
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138 comments Add your comment
erock
March 30th, 2010
7:38 pm
I HATE TO SEE THE THRASHERS TREAT KOZLOV AND BOULTON THIS WAY BY MAKING THEM SCRATCHES. THEY HAVE DONE ALOT FOR THIS ORGANIZATION TO BE DONE THIS WAY. I HOPE THEY SIGN ELSEWHERE NEXT YEAR.
kracker
March 30th, 2010
7:43 pm
Thanks, but it’s not on my Charter cable. I’m calling them….
Smoothie
March 30th, 2010
8:00 pm
Another breathtaking effort by the Thrashers featuring a whopping four shots. Good Lord how much more pathetic can we be?
kracker
March 30th, 2010
8:01 pm
erock, Are you watching the game? What cable system are you on? All I get is a black screen on Sportsouth and on Center Ice, what I normally see if a sports game is blacked out.
stendek
March 30th, 2010
8:05 pm
Four shots in 20 minutes. An average of a shot every five minutes! With a power(less) play factored in. Way to go quitters! I know. You are afraid you might score if you shoot because it is, after all, the Maple Loafs! Just throw a few towards the net so the one remaining fan (Branden) will still believe you all give a shet. The rest of us know you are so far in the tank it will be August before all of you climb out! Heartless uncaring scumballs. ++STENDEK++
R. Stroz
March 30th, 2010
8:05 pm
Darren Eliot denigrates himself, as well as Cornell, when he refers to the first period as “playoff hockey.”
Eliot needs to maintain some form of integrity, regardless of the source of his paycheck.
kracker
March 30th, 2010
8:12 pm
Ha! Got the game now. Something is screwed up on Charter cable for this feed. I switched to the TV tuner and I get it fine. Just in time to see Max and A-train score!!!!!!!! All they needed was me watching, hehe GO THRASH
R. Stroz
March 30th, 2010
8:17 pm
Would someone clue Matt McConnell in that the following statement is an oxymoron.
“Army races for the puck.”
Smoothie
March 30th, 2010
8:17 pm
Wow, the consummate “puck tease” finally pulls the trigger and scores around a nice screen by Bergie. And a goregeous feed by Reasy to Arty gives them that oh so coveted 2 goal lead we love to squander! I sure hope I’m wrong on that statement. Already starting to sit back a bit.
Smoothie
March 30th, 2010
8:23 pm
Stroz – ha, LOL! Army couldn’t even outrace Exelby on that turnover, wow. And u r right about Eliot…assinine comments for a team that can’t win a big at home during said playoff race!
How ya feelin’ big fella?
Smoothie
March 30th, 2010
8:31 pm
The disaster tandem of Tobo Bogo strikes again. Horrible decision to pinch at the wrong time by Enstrom and a complete failure by Bogosian to do the one thing a D-man is supposed to do: and that’s to take away the passing lane.
Smoothie
March 30th, 2010
8:33 pm
…on a 2 on 1 that is. Just damn.
stendek
March 30th, 2010
8:37 pm
Stage is set! Thanks to Pavs Lehtonen. Plus that worthless piece of commode residue who made a pitiful half-hearted attempt to cover his man on the Maple Loaf goal. Whoever the scum is! Thrashers set for another choke. Will either lose 3-2 in regulation or in shootout. Nobody gives a crap about any garbage pity point at this stage. Would like to be wrong. But…these ARE the Thrashers! ++STENDEK++
A fan
March 30th, 2010
9:04 pm
Smoothie: How can you be so obtuse?
Sage: What? What did you call me?
Smoothie: Obtuse. Is it deliberate?
Sage: Son, you’re forgetting yourself.
Smoothie
March 30th, 2010
9:07 pm
Nice deflection by Big Nik to give them the lead back. How long before the choke? It’s pucker time in Tronna!!
Smoothie
March 30th, 2010
9:21 pm
Oh Lawdy! Huge PK in the last 2 mins! Goalie pulled!
Smoothie
March 30th, 2010
9:24 pm
Wow! Huge kill for the win. Marty with 3 consecutive clears before the final mad scramble. So who wants to bet Kovy chokes if it goes to a S/O vs Boston?
Jason
March 30th, 2010
9:25 pm
Even in New Jersey, Ilya finds a way to bring the Thrashers down….
Blueland Buddha
March 30th, 2010
9:31 pm
Ilya didnt need to choke in the SO. His giveawa in OT led to the Bruins goals with 20 seconds remaining in OT. What an a-hole
Smoothie
March 30th, 2010
9:42 pm
OMG too funny Buddha! Well, not really. Have fun chasin’ that Cup Koval-choke!
Tom (Capital T Tom)
March 30th, 2010
9:42 pm
It was even better. Ilya gave away the puck, then ran into his own guy knocking away the defensemans stick, and then guarded the blue line to make sure no one moved it as the play was on the other side of the ice…
If I was Ilya though, I would do everything I could to make sure the Thrashers did not make the playoffs. Think about it, our boys make the playoffs without him that would lower his stock even further.
Tom (Capital T Tom)
March 30th, 2010
9:46 pm
If the Thrashers did not have the horrible schedule that they do for the final 5 games I would be excited. They are only 2 points behind Montreal, Philly, and Boston right now.
Lets hope the three teams we play pack it in and try to get healthy during the upcoming games…
Smoothie
March 30th, 2010
9:54 pm
Well, if Theodore impersonates a sieve like he did 2nite vs Ottawa, perhaps we can steal one. Sure!
kracker
March 30th, 2010
9:56 pm
May be too late but it’s very nice to get a win!!! I’m hoping the Pens, Caps and Devs tone it down a notch for their remaining games.
Brendan
March 30th, 2010
10:01 pm
I haven’t had a chance to read any of the poster comments, but I will. First, I wanted to post a boxscore from the big win over Toronto. http://www.nhl.com/ice/boxscore.htm?id=2009021133.
At +2 was Mark Popovic, who played 16:47, picking up the slack for Kubina.
At -1 were: Little, Enstrom, MacArthur Park, Peverley.
25:57 … were the minutes played by $4.5 million-per-year Ron Hainsey. So, he earned it, tonight. Oduya played 22:21, Enstrom played 21:30.
Finny, +1, with a goal and an assist, was the team leader in shots, with four, while logging 14:58. Antropov, 14:24, had a GWG and a helper. Artyukhin, who only played 10:05, had a goal and was +1. Jim Slater had 3 shots, played 15:46, and was even, but flirted with disaster with that “late” penalty. Which John Anderson, once again, dropped a minimum of two (2) “F” bombs. A WTF … and a F’me. CLEARLY. Someone has got to talk to him about that. There are lip readers out there.
Thorburn, who had a helper, was a +1, at 10:08 of ice time. Peverley played 17:32, but was a -1. Bergfors, who had an assist, was a +1, at 14:11 in ice time. Reasoner played 15:01, was a +1, with an assist.
What a job by Pavelec. Folks, he hasn’t played badly down the stretch. It’s always to good to win in Toronto.
The Red Wings led Edmonton, 4-0, tonight. The Oilers rallied to tie it, 4-4. An apparent “high stick” deflection goal STOOD, very late in the 3rd period, to give Detroit the win.
stendek
March 30th, 2010
10:11 pm
Bill. Pink uniforms were in Toronto Tuesday night but never unpacked in third period. Blue ones prevailed. Thank God! Thrashers had opportunity to go bellyup after hosts tied score in third period. Pavs refused to allow that to happen! A win is a win. Even over the Maple Loafs! Glad I was wrong! Thought prediction was right on when Maple Loafs tied game in third period. Relieved next goal went to visitors not home team. Do not believe Thrashers possess heart of playoff team. A team with fire in its gut would have rolled opponents during these last few weeks. Glad to see Kane back. He reminds me a lot of that guy who plays for Flames. Stanley Cup? Anybody except New Jersey (Ilya Kovalchoke) or Chicago (Maryann Hosegag). I am fine with anyone else. Except perhaps Montreal. Have ALWAYS hated those guys! Before I forget. Way to go Pavs! Saved butts of lazy teammates in final period. Kudos! ++STENDEK++
Joe Friday
March 30th, 2010
10:11 pm
Worried that Kubina may be done for the year. Devils looked like crap tonight.
Lee
March 30th, 2010
10:15 pm
HAHA!
http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Blackhawks-fans-snort-in-disgust-at-Toews-pig-no?urn=nhl,231193
Smoothie
March 30th, 2010
10:23 pm
Joe F – didja see how Kubes got hurt?
Brendan
March 30th, 2010
10:38 pm
Here’s the updated standings. http://www.nhl.com/ice/standings.htm?type=con#&navid=nav-stn-conf.
Los Angeles Kings went into Nashville, with their rookie “prospect,” Jonathan Bernier, and got a 2-0 shutout. That’s a big win for L.A., to get off the schneide and keep them in 7th spot, ahead of Colorado. Unfortunately for Nashville, it means the Red Wings have 3 games in hand, with only a 3-point lead.
C’mon. I want the Coyotes and the Preds in Round I. It’ll give me some “late” games that are worth staying up for.
Stay Thirsty My Friends
March 30th, 2010
10:55 pm
Does anyone have an update on why Kubina did not play the 3rd?
kracker
March 30th, 2010
10:58 pm
So close, Brendan. Too bad we have a really tough schedule for the next five games, unless they all decide to rest a lot of folks. Either way it looks tough.
Also too bad Kubina got injured. Hopefully it isn’t too bad. GO THRASH!
bandwagon fans
March 30th, 2010
11:17 pm
Uh, is this the AJC’s Thrasher Fan Blog or the I Hate The Thrashers Blog? How DISGUSTING is it that the team is in the thick of a playoff race and the title here is “…The Thrashers Are Done”?!?!?!
They are 2 pts behind 3 teams and the entire 1st page of this blog is like an “I told you so” contest! They may make it in and they may not make it in. Thank goodness it’s not up to the “Fans” here because they would be “done” even though there are games left to play……Take a bow you BANDWAGON FANS……YOU QUIT before your team did this year!
Badger Bob
March 30th, 2010
11:34 pm
Um, bandwagon, yes we are two points behind 3 teams, but each of them holds the tie breaker over us, and a game in hand, and we’re going into a stretch of five games against 3 teams with a combined record of 230-106-44. Three games against teams still fighting for a Division title that will help them avoid the Caps until the conference finals and two games against a team fighting for the President’s Trophy and an assurance of Stanley Cup finals home ice advantage. We’ll need to go 4-1 and have one of MTL, BOS or PHI go 2-3-1. Not impossible, but a realist might call it as he sees it.
And for the record, our team quit on December 3. And on March 6. And again on March 23. Yet we were still there on March 29, hoping and cheering for the best.
On the bright side, we just officially eliminated the Laffs from the playoffs!
Brendan
March 30th, 2010
11:36 pm
So many comments. I finally finished reading them all. I am most piqued about what M. Gearon said on 680TheFan. I missed his comments. Did anyone catch them? I have always thought that, of the Octocluster, Michael Gearon, Jr. was the most competent of the group. It seems to me, therefore, that if coherent thought and a rational approach is to take place, it will be lead by him. I think it’s too premature to announce a Waddell firing or promotion upstairs prior to the conclusion of the season. But those events are probably merely “wishful thinking” on my part.
But once the season is over, playoffs or no playoffs, a press conference, in any other reality than that found in Atlanta, would be held to announce that the Thrashers will have a new GM for next season. I don’t care if Waddell does manage to see his team win a playoff game, that’s not nearly enough success over a decade to justify renewing him. A career civil servant with his track record would be fired, even in the most liberal of Administrations.
Being a GM … in my view … is a privilege. It is not a right. It’s not an entitlement. It’s not some “lifetime” commitment. Any organization that offers a “lifetime” contract to an employee has just bend over and grabbed its ankles. It’s simply the wrong approach. I wouldn’t give Lou Lamoriello a “lifetime” contract. Even Lou has to know … that he’s still accountable. Even Lou … makes mistakes.
Somaatl95, glad to hear it. I look forward to the press conference, but given the track record of the organization … I don’t think Waddell is going anywhere. We simply cannot look at the results and think they, alone, will get Waddell fired. If that were the case, he’d have been fired long ago. No, this ownership will stand by him, I believe. He is a “useful idiot” to them. Waddell is a guy who, God love ‘im, never stops believing in himself, despite the results. Waddell is always willing “try, try again” in the face of failure. Waddell doesn’t get discouraged. He doesn’t complain about his working conditions, which are terrible. He doesn’t get angry if the budget is cut. Waddell, likewise, uses the AS, LLC as “useful idiots.”
Stop. Who’s the bigger idiot? The inept, incapable employee … or the owner who keeps paying the inept, incompetent employee? Waddell doesn’t want his paycheck to stop. Waddell won’t resign. And the AS, LLC can’t or won’t “man up” to fire him. It’s one of the oddest situations I’ve ever seen in sports. On the basketball side, Billy Knight would still be here … if the AS, LLC hadn’t told him, “You cannot fire Woodson.” That’s what made Billy Knight depart the organization.
Light bulb moment! Eureka!!! The AS, LLC should tell Waddell, “You cannot fire John Anderson.” Uhhh. Hmmn. No, that won’t work. I’ll tell you why. Waddell will shrug his shoulders, then say, “Okay. We won’t fire him. My paycheck comes every week.” Well, then, I hear you say, “The fans will chant Fiiiiire Wad-dell and Fiiiiire An-der-son!”
No, they won’t. I’ll put money on that one. Atlanta fans are too polite to chant, “Fire (supply name here)!” The fans in attendance … are those who take the “My team, come Heck or High Water. Through thick and thin. No matter WHAT” approach. They’ll fail to express angst and concern at the Town Hall Meetings. They’ll renew strictly on the fact that Atlanta will beat Kovalchuk and the Devils when they meet. They’ll renew because Atlanta beat Pittsburgh down the stretch. And Bruce Levenson will actually count it as a “playoff” victory, since we can argue that all these games in March are “playoff” games.
Rawhide
March 30th, 2010
11:41 pm
bandwagon fans – Yes…I, along with everyone else in here simply “hates” the Thrashers. How perceptive of you. That’s why so many of us who post here also attend many games, and it’s why so many of us spend as much time as we do discussing the team here…and it’s why I personally devote so many hours during the week to put this little blog thingy together.
All because we simply “hate” the Thrashers.
shaking head in disbelief
Yes, we are but 2 points out, but given the schedule coming up…I think we may very well look back on Monday’s loss as the one that “cooked” us because we just missed the playoffs. hope I’m wrong…we’ll see.
Anyway…here is a much rosier blog that maybe you’ll enjoy.
bandwagon fans
March 31st, 2010
11:28 pm
Rawhide, perhaps I wasn’t specific enough in my previous post. Or maybe your defensive posturing prevented you from “getting it”? Regardless, probably the 3rd most common complaint on these blogs about this team is: we’ve only been to the playoffs once in 10 seasons (sell the team and fire DW are clearly 1 & 2, in no particular order). So understandably, you’re pretty NEW to this playoffs thing. Allow me to assist.
We are Thrashers Fans. We cheer our Thrashers on in victory or defeat. With 6 games to go and our Thrashers 2 pts (technically 3) out of the 8th playoff spot, it’s simply NOT the time when we declare them “done”. This is a particularly grievous error by a mere fan of a team in the middle of a playoff race and is in fact the direct opposite of what one should be doing to support their team’s efforts. However, it is an appropriate action by, say, a Rangers fan or Bruins or Philly fan to prematurely declare the teams chasing them as “done”.
Thus, your “witty” little blog thingy here takes a normally indefensible action by a fan who calls it quits on their team with games still to be played and significantly raises it on the suckatude meter because you are presumably a Thrashers fan that we should all strive to model: You attend many games, spend time discussing the team here and devote many hours per week to run this blog. On second thought, that’s probably sufficient for this particular “give-up” on your part to register as a “suckatude squared” on the meter (a quite rare event).
There’s a reason WHY they play all 82 games in a season: Neither you nor I know who will win any given game on any given night…..especially in a playoff race where it took 77 games to mathematically eliminate the first team in the Eastern Conference. To assume otherwise makes you appear rather silly, uncommitted and in a hurry to be the first to declare your team the loser in a wide-open race. Where’s the glory in that? It puts you in the same class as those who jumped on the bandwagon in the past month and it’s just not an appropriate or responsible act by a fan blog.
Rawhide
April 3rd, 2010
11:49 pm
bandwagons fans – Appriciate your repsonse, but if I may return in kind…
First off… as the host of this little blog-thingy, I simply state things as I see them. When they lost to Carolina Monday, IMHO…they were done. Mathematically…no. reallistically…oh yeah. I even stated that in the blog itself.
Reason why…I saw the schedule coming up and believed that in order to have a chance they had to win against the Canes and Toronto. We blew our second chance in as many weeks to finally get over the hump…and I did not believe they were going to succeed after that failure. As things are playing out, unfortunately, looks like I was right….even though they have played well in the last two games.
So, with Monday’s loss…they were done. That’s how I saw things and that’s how I posted it. True…no one knows how things are going to pan out, but my honest assessment was what I posted. Yes…it took 77 games to mathematically eliminate Toronto, but we’ve known of their fate for weeks, if not months.
Now, if you feel that expressing my belief as such as “raising the suckatude level”, or it was “silly”, then I would simply disagree with that assement. Again…with the loss to Carolina, given the circumstances…my opinion was that they were done. If I had said anything different, that would not have been being honest with my readers. The last thing I’m going to do is come here and post up some “rah-rah”, “come on boys we know you can do it”, “we belive in you” type of folly. That you can find in other places. I call it like I see it…good or bad.
You mentioned me being “a Thrashers fan that we should all strive to model”. I would disagree with that as well. I’m not here to be a “role model”…I’m not here to be an example of how you or anyone else should be a “fan”. I am here to tell it as I see it, even if some may disagree with it, and keep the conversation rolling. Am I correct all the time? Nope. But I promise you what you read from me is what I sincerely believe to be true.
As far as a “defensive” posture is concerned…my friend, anyone who calls what I post as “disgusting”…simply because they take issue with it….should expect to be responded to. I’m sure you can understand that, even if we do have to agree to disagree on this subject.
Finally as I type this, the Thrashers still are not “mathematically” eliminated from the playoffs…but it is looking grim. However, I plan on being there Tuesday night and, like you, I will be rooting for, pulling for and hoping the Thrashers win…regardless of the circumstance. I do that because I am a fan.
And I would still love nothing more than to be proven wrong in my “Thrashers are done” statement…but I simply don’t belive it’s gonna happen. And I don’t think exressing that belief here is irresposible.
Now…with all that, I do thank you for reading as well as sharing your thoughts.