Perfect ending to Thrashers 2009-10 season
While it may only serve to ease the fact that the Thrashers once again will be ending their season after only 82 games played, Sunday 1-0 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins to close out the 2009-10 campaign was a perfect way wrap things up.
Well…as “perfect” as it can be, I suppose, without a trip to the post-season.
First, the win itself gave Atlanta a 35-34-13 record for 83 points…which in the NHL world is considered a “winning” season. It is third-highest point total in franchise history…2005-06 they had 90 and the next season they won the Southeast Division with 97. In the Southeast Division they end up as the second place team, albeit 37 points behind Washington, who still have one game against Boston today.
Johan Hedberg makes one of his 33 saves against Pittsburgh Saturday night (Hyosub Shin, hshin/AJC)
Two players that may have played their final game in Thrasher blue came up big in this finale. Johan Hedberg kicked out 33 Penguins shots for his third shutout of the season…his career fourteenth. Moose finishes the year with a 21-16-6 record, .915 SV% and 2.62 GAA. And Slava Kozlov helped set up Bryan Little’s game winner in the second period. It was Kozzy’s shot from the left side that was batted around in front of Marc-Andre Fleury’s goal that was eventually but into the net. It was Kozlov’s 18th assist of the year and he finished up with 8 goals and 26 overall points.
“Even though we are disappointed [in not making the playoffs], I think we did a lot of things better this year than last, Hedberg remarked afterwards. “You have to keep building…Rome wasn’t built in a day”.
Not to be overlooked here is Evander Kane’s right cross that put Matt Cooke on the ice in a flash. Cooke had elbowed the rookie early on in the second …possibly taking exception to Kane’s audacity to actually play physical hockey with Sidney Crosby…and offered to take a dance with Kane.
Evander obliged.
“He challenged me and asked me to fight, and I was not going to back down”, Kane said. “It’s part of the game”.
Coach John Anderson address the fight and what lead up to it may saying, “If they take exception to who gets hit out there, does that mean you are supposed to start a fight?”. Continuing he added, “I don’t get it…Crosby is so great for the game, but when you are always around the puck, you’re going to get hit a little bit. Every time he gets body checked, does that mean somebody is going to get attacked”?
“Cooke came around an 18-year old. What goes around comes around. That’s all I can tell you”.
Matt Cooke is helped off the ice after Evander Kane's right cross put him there (AP/John Amis)
I guess coach was alluding to Cooke’s blind-side elbow of Marc Savard last month. And while I happy to see Cooke make his way from the ice on his own power…I also hope Savy has gotten a chance to enjoy the replay.
Karma and all that, ya know….
With the loss, combined with New Jersey’s 7-1 pounding of the Islanders, the Penguins will finish behind the Devils in the Atlantic Division, fourth in the Eastern Conference and will face Ottawa in the first round of the playoffs. New Jersey leads Buffalo by one point going into today’s final day of play in the regular season…both they and the Sabres have games to determine the second and third seeds in the east.
But to me…the best part of the festivities that took place on the ice of Philips Arena came shortly after the game when the Benning’s…a.k.a. The Kiss Cam couple…was presented with the 7th Fan Award. This was made even that much better when Mrs. Benning was able to walk out with her husband to receive the award fro Darren Eliot and Nik Antropov, who earlier was named the team’s MVP.
Mrs. Benning asked for the #4 jersey off of Zach Bogosian’s back…but she also quick to let Antropov know she liked him too.
Last month, we discussed the Kiss Cam couple and the possibility of seeing them named as 7th Fan. Immediately I began to hear from so many of you in your comments, e-mails and discussion in person at the games at how you too would like to see this happen. You wrote your letters and sent in your email and saw that it happened.
You should reach around and give yourselves a nice pat on the back because it helped make for a perfect ending to this Thrashers 2009-10 season.
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125 comments Add your comment
Badger
April 12th, 2010
3:14 pm
Why not try the Swiss . . . lol . . . Ryan Johansen plays on the Portland Winterhawks with Nino Niederreiter, is ranked higher and is from Canada. The last couple first rounders were North Americans, lets keep the trend going.
GaVaHokie
April 12th, 2010
3:30 pm
Smoothie… I think Dudley will be trusted with this one. I’m sure he’s WELL prepared for this draft. Can’t see him making a stupid decision on Kabanov.
Neidereiter is a great pick! Good size, with great hands.
I like Emerson Etem personally for his speed and size.
Both are great north/south players. Neidereiter might be better rated in his own end.
Tears for Beers
April 12th, 2010
3:32 pm
Donnie moving up to be president? What a way to reward ten years of failure. A promotion.
Nice work if you can get it.
GaVaHokie
April 12th, 2010
3:33 pm
Tampa is a world class team?!
World Be Free
April 12th, 2010
3:36 pm
LAC is on a roll today. Can’t wait until Calgary does their purge after missing the playoffs.
Will Torts keep his job in New York? The Rangers’ fans are not forgiving when missing the playoffs. And they call this the “off” season!
Smoothie-I was on TSN this afternoon and Nino looks like the guy, if he isn’t taken higher.
Badger
April 12th, 2010
3:37 pm
Getting back to the Swiss . . . only one player from Switzerland ever went in the first round by the name of Michel Riesen. He was drafted 14th overall in 1997 and played 12 games for the Oilers of which they are still talking about!!!! He is still playing in the Swiss league . . . maybe Don could pick him up cheap!!!! The best Swiss player to date has been Mark Streit and he was a 9th rounder. Even Jonas Hiller wasn’t drafted. Lets stay closer to home.
GaVaHokie
April 12th, 2010
3:45 pm
Well, Neidereiter is playing in the WHL, so it’s a little safer bet than Hiller and Streit.
As for Riesen… A little Thrasher player trivia… Oilers actually traded Michael Riesen with Doug Weight to the Blues for Reasoner, Hecht and Horacek.
Joe Friday
April 12th, 2010
3:49 pm
Yea! fans of 16 teams are gearing up for the real season to start later this week, and we get to talk about who we’re drafting. Can’t wait till Don gets a promotion and still gets to oversee the GM, woo hoo!
If it wasn’t all so sad, it’d be funny. Get your tickets for the 2010-11 Atlanta Thrashers, Unleash The Futility!
Cliff Fletcher
April 12th, 2010
3:54 pm
Joe, getting him away from the hockey decisions would be a significant victory. I’ll take Dudley in that role anytime.
GaVaHokie
April 12th, 2010
3:55 pm
Notice two things… One there is an OWNER, not a group of IDIOTS running Tampa and World Class Team… Commitment and positive changes, meanwhile here the same garbage that will never change until waddell is FIRED, not moved up FIRED, He SUCKS !
Um… they have brand new owners, where do you get commitment and World Class from? They haven’t really done anything yet except fire the coach and GM… fairly standard for new ownership… no different then the Koules group firing Feaster.
Badger
April 12th, 2010
3:58 pm
Sweet trivia . . . probably the highlight of Riesens career. I totally agree GaVaHokie that Nino is a safer bet, I watched him play this year in Saskatoon at the World Juniors and he is impressive. I just don’t see him being a gamebreaker and remember, he wouldn’t have been at the world juniors if he was from Canada or the USA.
Rawhide
April 12th, 2010
4:03 pm
6 months ago I would have been totally in favor of DW being “Rich McKay-ed” upstairs. But now…after two 35-win seasons and a 34-win seasons before those…I simply have to say a clean break from the past is needed.
Would I take a Waddell “Rich Mckay-ing” over staus quo? Oh sure…but if there is going be a shake up, let’s shake it all upside down, inside and out.
Pittsburgh Pirate Fan
April 12th, 2010
4:20 pm
Rawhide-we are beggers in “beggers can’t be choosers”.
Agreed, but I’ll take getting the key away from DW and to Dudley if that’s all we can get.
Lloyd Christmas
April 12th, 2010
4:25 pm
Wait, so Don Waddell still has a job…?
LAC
April 12th, 2010
4:39 pm
Well gava YET another STUPID post from YOU !
Read the artical in RAWHIDE’S like… They have a brand new OWNER… not “owners”
gava, and their new OWNER states in the release and it is a DIRECT QUOTE,
We want to become a World Class team.
Gee Whiz gava HOW STUPID ARE YOU ????????????????? They want to get better Atlanta does NOT and you continue to rag me for my comments and posts, GO STICK it gava, You are as worthless as used dishwater on this blog !
GaVaHokie
April 12th, 2010
4:46 pm
Ohh… a direct quote… amazing. A new owner wants to be a World Class Team. I’m sure that’s never been said before.
Joe Friday
April 12th, 2010
4:51 pm
Cliff, the rumored scenario doesn’t get him away from the hockey decisions. I smell a PR move being made to try to sell tix, but Waddell still would be Dudley’s direct superior and don’t think for a minute he won’t micro manage everything Dudley does. No, we need a complete new hierarchy and new blood running the team, new direction, new uniforms, new marketing, new everything.
Mr. Heat Miser
April 12th, 2010
5:01 pm
Anyone heard anything more about a new sponsor for the arena? Place is looking shabby and needs a facelift.
Somaatl95
April 12th, 2010
5:15 pm
Coca-Cola Arena?
I never give up!
bstn briun
April 12th, 2010
5:20 pm
thank you…………briuns fan
Flagstaff
April 12th, 2010
5:28 pm
Who’s Briun?
Coca-Cola Zero Marketing Dept.
April 12th, 2010
6:31 pm
How’s this for a slogan Somaatl95?
If Coke Zero can give us the real taste of Coke with no calories, surely they can sponsor a team with Zero playoff wins!
Twisted Wrister
April 12th, 2010
6:59 pm
Anyone heard anything more about a new sponsor for the arena? Place is looking shabby and needs a facelift.
Heat Miser – There is a new retail store in Atlanta called The Dump. Maybe they could be the new sponsor.
Brendan
April 13th, 2010
12:01 am
I must echo Rawhide’s comments. Promoting Waddell is not the same thing as riding the organization of Waddell from GM decisions. Remember something, folks. In the infinite wisdom of the Octocluster, they believe in a “by committee” approach, where everyone has a voice in decision-making.
Do you know a Camel is? It’s a horse … drawn up by a committee. If Don Waddell has oversight over Ric Dudley, nothing has changed. And all the informal power will belong to the guy who’s been here from Day One. And guess what happens when Dudley quits? Guess who’s BAAAAACK!!!
Ay, ay, ay. Look, there’s only one way to begin a new chapter. Fire Waddell. Make him clean out his desk. Period, the end. The man isn’t desitute. He’s made $9 million over the past 11 years. Lest he squandered it all, the Waddells won’t be homeless. And as for, “isn’t that a bit harsh?” The correct answer is, “No, it isn’t. That man had his chance. Times 20. GM’s get fired for far less. It’s supposed to be about winning. Or, at a bare bones mininum, making money for the owners.” Did Waddell do either????”
Okay, that’s a long answer. But it’s a truthful one. Playoff revenues are 100% pure profit for the owners. In the case of the Thrashers, playoff revenue would offset regular season losses. But that’s still good. It’s better than the alternative, which is no playoff revenue to offset the losses. But, ostensibly, to these owners … the losses are welcomed. It must be some sort of fortunate accident for them, taxwise. Gee, isn’t it great to know that the Thrashers woes are a fine bit of “serendipity” for the ownership?
I sincerely wish the NHL would step in. I know this much. If I were the Commissioner, I wouldn’t want any team to be bleeding my league of $17 million of revenue-sharing money. I’d sit there, look at the 5 million people and 8th largest TV market in the nation, thinking, “You guys should be a MONEY MAKER, not a $17 million drain on the league.”
Harry Sinden
April 13th, 2010
7:45 pm
THE PERFECT ENDING WOULD BE READING ABOUT DON WADDELL’S FIRING TODAY!!!