Buffalo enjoys brutally good time in Thrasherville
Wednesday night the Buffalo Sabres provided the opposition for the Atlanta Thrashers at Philips Arena. It’s just too bad that the Thrashers couldn’t return the favor. The beat-down wasn’t even as close as the 4-1 score would indicate as the Sabres simply outplayed the home team all night long.
It was bad…brutally bad.
If you were fortunate enough to miss the Sabre-slapping in Thrasherville, really all you need to know is this: When Cody McCormick scored 2:34 into the second period, the Sabres had more goals scored than the Thrashers had shots on goal. Buffalo led 3-0 and were out-shooting the Thrashers 14-2 at that point.
There was a lot of action going on around Chris Mason's goal Wednesday night. The Thrashers goalie managed to stop 38 of 42 shots faced in the 4-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
On that goal, Chris Mason had bobbled a save, Ron Hainsey tipped the puck back into the crease where McCormick tapped it home.
Overall, the Sabres took 42 shots on goal to the Thrashers 18. Atlanta could muster but 2 SOG on Ryan Miller’s goal in the opening 20 minutes.
“We didn’t do anything to make [Miller] work,” Mason said. “We didn’t test him”.
Looking for excuses for this debacle? Well, don’t look to head coach Craig Ramsay as he’s offering up none. “Attention to detail was almost nonexistent,” he said after the game. “We had a couple of days off, we had two good practices and there’s no reason for them not to come and be able to play”.
During the course of an 82-game season, teams are going to drop a steamer on the ice like this one occasionally. It is what it is. But what’s more alarming to me is this continues a season-long stream of games in which the Thrashers defense allowed an unacceptable amount of shots to get through on goal. Last night it was 41…Saturday it was 39 in San Jose…41 the night before during 65 minutes of play in Anaheim.
In fact, not once in the six games have they allowed below 30 SOG. The 31 allowed to Washington on opening night is the “high mark” of the season so far. And while many questions about this team are still yet to be answered, one thing we all know for sure is that no team is going to play past game number 82 if they allow 37.3 shots per game to be taken on their net.
37.3 SA/G… I don’t care if it’s only six games into the season, that’s shocking even by Thrashers standards.
…sigh…
OK well, it’s over and done with. If you wish to analyze or break down last night’s craptacular extravaganza in any more detail…be my guest. I’d rather just put in behind us and look forward to Friday night’s engagement with the Tampa Bay Lightning. It’ll be the first time in this young season that the Thrashers will have a chance to avenge a previous loss.
The second time will be next Friday when the Buffalo Sabres return to the scene of the crime…the brutally bad beat-down at Blueland.
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132 comments Add your comment
Old Time Hockey
October 21st, 2010
10:36 am
I’ve said before, you tell a lot about the character of an athlete by how they handle those aspects of the game that they are totally in control of. Fitness, diet and effort are the big three. The first two are usually recommended by the training/coaching staff, although there are a few smart enough to go beyond that. The effort level, though, is all on each player. There is NO excuse for poor effort. As others have stated, you won’t win every one, not even close. But you should COMPETE in every one, no question. I don’t think anything pisses off fans more than poor effort. Simple rule from my days of playing hockey…keep your feet moving. If you are standing still you are lost. You can’t wait for the game to come to you, you have to be the aggressor. That’s what Ramsay has been saying, just didn’t happen last night. If I were coaching this team, todays practice would be one they would not forget for the rest of the season…lot’s of sprints and some handy puke buckets.
Tim
October 21st, 2010
10:42 am
I was up in 317, not the guy in the third row, but I’ve never seen a game where absolutely everything was done so wrong in so many new and creative ways. Out side of Chris Mason, our effort was grim and bleak. Like the poster above, its hard not to keep them at arms length when they play with no heart whatsoever. Lose, fine, but play like you give a damn that Miller coulda hit the CNN center for a beer for most of the first period and wouldn’t have been missed.
Savannah Blueland Fan
October 21st, 2010
10:49 am
Someone should remind Ron Hainsey that he can get home to his new baby just as quickly by winning a game as he could by just standing around like a tree.
Smoothie
October 21st, 2010
10:49 am
“Lose, fine, but play like you give a damn that Miller coulda hit the CNN center for a beer for most of the first period and wouldn’t have been missed.”
LOL, indeed he could have taken a nap in his crease at the very least if he wanted to. Can’t remember a game (at least in person) where the ice was tilted for so long in our end.
Also, character will be revealed Friday nite. It will be interesting to see who has it. My gut tells me most of the guys will respond well. Just don’t know if we have the talent to overcome another slow start against an offense as potent as Tampa’s.
Lastly, Dawes needs to go. That first goal was solely his fault for not gettiing over to his RW position in time. His primary responsibility is to get to the wall and cut off a long 2-line pass for an easy break-in. He must’ve thought he was still playing LW?? No excuses. He’s been dreadful in just about every game and he’s been on the ice for 6 ES goals against…most of any forward save for Stewart. Lucky for Stewie he scored that hattie to buy some time. Dawes has done absolutely nothing offensively and doesn’t seem to have any chemistry with anyone. Bring me SuperFly!! Now. At least his give-a-crap meter always seems to be set on hyper-care.
Thrashers Rule-Some Fans are losers
October 21st, 2010
11:02 am
There Smoothie I have changed my name for you, not being sarcastic, you are one of the people on this site that I admire for your in site on the game and this team.
Adam
October 21st, 2010
11:11 am
Rammer should have had them put their equipment back on and had them skating laps once the arena was empty.
I’ve said all along that I didn’t expect this to be a winning month but I expected the team to fight and play hard. They may lose by a goal, maybe two, but play hard the whole game.
This better have been a one night anomaly or there is serious trouble ahead.
Lastly if Antropov wasn’t at least 80% and getting better at the start of the season he should have been on IR. If he was and the hip has gotten aggravated over the last week then I think it’s time for him to sit. They don’t need to be pushing him at this point. If he is going to be a key player for this team then he needs to get healthy. I surely don’t want to see his carrier cut short.
Adam
October 21st, 2010
11:12 am
carreer…
Dwayne
October 21st, 2010
11:23 am
********Rammer should have had them put their equipment back on and had them skating laps once the arena was empty********
Wasn’t it half empty during the game????
Joe Friday
October 21st, 2010
11:25 am
“Rammer should have had them put their equipment back on and had them skating laps once the arena was empty.”
“Again!”
Guys, they got outplayed out West and were pretty fortunate to pick up those 2 wins. I thought they’ve been outplayed in every game I’ve seen, except for that opener against the Caps. Mabye Pavelec can faint every game.
When you’re giving up this many shots every night, something is wrong and that will burn us in the long haul.
Adam
October 21st, 2010
11:47 am
Another thing that I am completely fed up with is the Thrashers being the whipping boy for teams in a slump. It seems that every year when we face a team with a multiple game losing streak we’re the ones that get our a$$es handed to us and the other team goes out and wins the next several games. This also usually marks the start of an ungood streak for us.
Red Light
October 21st, 2010
11:58 am
Here we go again…it’s always one, two or three guy’s fault that they lost the game right?
Uh no, this was a complete failure from all 20 guys and the coaching staff. Game is over. Move on, or would you like to create your own lines and d-pairings for the 826th consecutive Thrashers’ game?
Smoothie
October 21st, 2010
12:06 pm
R/L – Dawes and Modin have been consistently bad in just about every game. Not saying last nite was their fault alone, but time to cut bait with Dawes IMO. They also need to let Antro rest and make sure Modin is paired with two speedier guys who can make up for his lack of wheels. Also, Big Buff has been okay on D, but he’s taking too many chances at the wrong times. There, is that more fair and balanced?
ThrashersRule – I appreciate your passion and some of your sentiments, but I was simply begging you to take it easy on this blog since most of the comments have been appropriate considering the piss-poor effort last nite. It’s okay to vent a little bit after a game like that. But I think most of the regular posters here are quite level-headed in their assessment of our team and its chances this season. Yes, it’s a long season and we can’t truly evaluate till probably game 15 at the earliest, but there are some tell-tale signs that we’ve become all too familiar with in the past several years. That’s all I’m sayin. And I apologize for being a bit harsh. Just don’t like it when our passionate fans get picked on for voicing some frustration. If you were there last nite, you’d see that half the 9,000 fans were pulling for Buffalo. We can’t afford to eat our own so to speak!
Bad Beer Smell
October 21st, 2010
12:26 pm
This new guy seems really famaliar.
Russian
October 21st, 2010
12:40 pm
Nigel on Waiver today!
Russian
October 21st, 2010
12:41 pm
This is a reference;
http://twitter.com/TSNBobMcKenzie
Alan R.
October 21st, 2010
12:51 pm
Great news!
Red Light
October 21st, 2010
12:57 pm
Nigel hasn’t played well and probably deserves to be waived. Modin hasn’t shown much either. Antropov is a shadow of his former self so far. In fact, like Joe Friday, I have seen little to like so far. Kane’s cocky play has bothered me. Little has been a non-factor at center. In fact, I think Thorburn has been the Thrashers best, or most consistent player through the first two weeks, with Ladd a close second. Every time I see Byfuglien skate forward, I think like many have said, he might be a great answer up front. But as R. Stroz has said time and time and time again, this unit was gotten on the cheap, and last night they played like it.
And yes, Smoothie, although I was only partially calling you out, that is much better. If you’re at the game Friday, I’ll let you buy me a beer! LOL
Simon
October 21st, 2010
1:06 pm
For those who are interested…
http://www.hockeysfuture.com/articles/12416/atlanta_thrashers_depth_analysis_fall2010/
kracker
October 21st, 2010
1:07 pm
Coming out flat and uninspired causes all these problems. This is why you need a fighter on your bench, not in the press box: Boulton would have gotten their blood pumping or at least he would have tried to. So, I am askng, why didn’t Thorburn, Eager, Stewart try to get some noise going last night by dropping the gloves w/ someone??
As far as Rammer teaching and commenting after the game, well, that is all well and good — but it appears that Lindy did his teaching before the game.
Simon
October 21st, 2010
1:08 pm
Oh, and its great news that Dawes was put on waivers!!! Bring on Freddy P
Dwayne
October 21st, 2010
1:09 pm
Hey, whats yalls thoughts on Kincaide with the intermission questions? Better than the goofball blondies? questions, not looks
stendek
October 21st, 2010
1:09 pm
I honestly don’t mind losing if we’re going out with a fight. Last night, there was no fight. There was no punch. There was negative effort. There wasn’t even so much as a whimper. This has got to change…Thanks for this. STENDEK
Smoothie
October 21st, 2010
1:13 pm
With respect to Nigel, I hate being right…sorry Mr. Dawes, but you were positively uninspired and, to quote a wise man, UN-GOOD!
Smoothie
October 21st, 2010
1:16 pm
“I honestly don’t mind losing if we’re going out with a fight. Last night, there was no fight. There was no punch.”
Exactly. No need to hold back today because that team absolutely, positively stunk beyond recognition. And Rammer knows it. They will pay the piper like Nigel Dawes just did. In fact, that should get their attention that pre-season performance guaranteed nothing.
Now sit Big Nik down, let him rest. If they’re that unhappy with Bergfors, go to LouLam and make him an offer for Travis Zajac that he can’t refuse. Remind him of the fact that Zach Parise is gonna have to GET PAID next summer or he’ll get so many offer sheets that he’ll have no choice but to leave Hoboken. Get it done Duds!!
ThrasherTim
October 21st, 2010
1:35 pm
I haven’t seen all the games due to the Dish blackout and haven’t honed in on Dawes’ specific performance — but putting this guy on waivers so quickly sends a message to everyone in that room. Lack of effort will not be tolerated. This is a great outcome after such a poor effort.
Over the last 2-3 years it seems, every time the Thrashers seem to gain any kind of momentum – they came home and lay an egg. Sure, an an empty building doesn’t help the team get it’s legs – but the fans aren’t coming during the week until this team eliminates these performances and starts winning more conistently. It’s really that simple.
jimbo
October 21st, 2010
1:37 pm
Rawhide- you captured the game or Buffalo;s bashing us perfectly. It was a morgue and let’s see if the boys have any pride and come out the next game to prove that this one was a fluke. We left with 10 minutes left, about the earliest my wife and I have ducked out. It was the worse game that I’ve seen in many, many years. No hustle, no grit, no emotion.
alex
October 21st, 2010
1:37 pm
i like to ask asg, llc what they exspect from the team with the second lowest parol in nhl or how many people in the stand they hope to be to watch the team where no stars just roll players and they are cheap. i am not going to surprised if after couple more similar losses crowd be in hundreds not in thousand. ram should be a hero after winning evry game with this roster. to survive hockey in atlanta asg gang should sell the team asap, thy are disgrace
Smoothie
October 21st, 2010
1:51 pm
FROM WOLVES WEBSITE: Heat netminder Leland Irving (3-2-0) thwarted all 13 of the Wolves shots on the way to handing Chicago (3-2-0-0) its first blanking of the season.
“We were real flat and had no physicality tonight and they are a young gun, hardworking team,” said Wolves Head Coach Don Lever. “I guess this has been coming after we were able to come back in two straight games. We can’t let them outwork us.”
Looks like this mid-week malaise is an organization-wide affliction!!
Wayne stuck in AL
October 21st, 2010
1:52 pm
From BuffaloNews.com:
“7:26 p.m.: The next commercial comes with 8:16 to go, and the Sabres have a 9-0 shot edge. The Thrashers can do little. Two fans sitting in the top five rows started a “Let’s go, Buffalo” chant that echoed through the arena. The crowd count might be up to 3,000 or so now. I’d count them all, but I’m terrible at math.
[...]
8:26 p.m.: Kiss Cam is on, and I feel kind of bad for the camera guys. There’s not enough people here to find couples. They put the camera on a few folks, and they obviously weren’t dating.
[...]
8:57 p.m.: The organization knows how to make it loud in here with music, horns and sirens. Fans would make it even louder.”
Hockey Biltong
October 21st, 2010
1:56 pm
The boys in blue made extra dough on account of the NHL telling them to take a night off against the Slugs….so don’t all y’all get yer panties in a wad…just sayin’…
LAC
October 21st, 2010
2:03 pm
There goes “smoothie” yet again blowing up over my comments and others.
Your comments are almost exact “smoothie”, you should try understanding others comments, before you make an A$$ of yourself… Gee Whiz !!! get over it !
Tom Lysiak
October 21st, 2010
2:06 pm
Dawes was a good place to start, but other candidates have emerged as well. Keep whittling them down as people get healthy and/or prove they will put in the effort up here.
Sit Antro down until he is game ready.
Cut ties with Modin unless something changes real soon.
Figure out which Stewart is the one you will see all season. Cut him if it’s the same old Stewie.
Bring Pettersson up now.
Never, ever pair up Sopel and Hainsey again.
That is all for now….
Cornbread
October 21st, 2010
2:08 pm
It was a bad game by a good team. It happens. They made it easy for Buffalo and in that gave up their biggest strength.
Dawes has been bad. A message from the coach needed to be sent early on. No more irresponsible play and no more nights off. Good move.
I have to agree with much of what Thrashers Rule is implying: preseason, the team was going to finish 15th; Sunday, playoffs; today, worst team ever. I have seen a lot worse Thrasher games than last night’s loss and an awful 0-6 start a few years ago. That was a bad team back then and one bad game from this good team is not time to throw in the towel.
They will respond this weekend with much better efforts. Let’s see if the fans do.
Hockey Biltong
October 21st, 2010
2:11 pm
Poor Nik did look like he is still hurting…we are so shallow at centre that they don’t want to bring anyone up while he sits and heals…..even if he had every third game off, that would significantly improve his rate of recovery….
Hockey Biltong
October 21st, 2010
2:13 pm
I’d like to buy an argument…..
Smoothie
October 21st, 2010
2:14 pm
LAC – I feel very, very sad for you. As Mr. T says, “I pity the fool”.
Thrashpuppy
October 21st, 2010
2:32 pm
The thing that bothered me most about last night was how many players seemed to showed little effort. Many people, including me, have been talking about the character of this team, the character that led them to fight back on the games of their road trip even when down. But the lack of effort last night did not show character.
I too am one who didn’t really expect a winning Oct. just because of all the changes in personnel and the changes in the system. But this lack of showing of character bothered me a lot. I hope Ramsey and Mason both let the rest of the team know how unacceptable that lack of effort was in no uncertain terms. Waiving Dawes was probably a good move at this particular moment in time, to make a statement to the rest of the team. Hope they got the message, even the ones who have been here and/or in the league for a while.
Thrashpuppy
October 21st, 2010
2:47 pm
I’ve seen it so I know a key to a down team beating someone better and/or hotter is to come out hot and fast and put the other team into shock. Buffalo did that last night. I didn’t get home in time to hear the first so I don’t know for sure. But I felt like that is not all that happened here with the Thrashers last night. From what I heard, we didn’t seem to be playing shocked, we seemed to barely be playing at all on the parts of too many players on the team. Ramsey has got to let the guys know that such lack of effort will not be tolerated, even if it means we lose a player or two because they need to be sent down to Chicago and get snatched by someone else in order to bring up some guys who want to play in EVERY game.
Of course, after reading the comments about the game in Chicago, we may have to go to Gwinnett to get players who want to play!?!
Wish we would hear that the flu is going through our ranks both here and in Chicago but I doubt that is the case or we probably would have heard by now.
Thrashpuppy
October 21st, 2010
2:50 pm
The only way a low payroll team is going to succeed in this league is to have a whole cast of players that show up and try hard every night. I hope the Thrashers can still show that they have that character. Otherwise, I’m very concerned for this team and it’s future.
Yet, I’m a diehard fan (and have been from the Flames days back in high school) so I’m not ready to throw in the towel. I’m discouraged but not out. I still believe Ramsey is a coach who can make a team even of a low payroll organization if anyone can. So I’ll keep listening (and wishing I could afford to watch, especially live) and waiting and hoping it won’t be too long until we are being a good team and a good character team on a regular basis. Go Thrashers!
Nate
October 21st, 2010
3:18 pm
Smoothie wrote – “I can think of one other game when I was this disgusted…okay, two. Feb of ‘09 against NJ when we were outskated and outclassed by Kevin Weekes and his mates and lost by the count of 5 to 1. I actually walked out of the arena after 2 periods I was so pissed with the lackluster effort and constant parade to the penalty box.”
Funny, that’s the exact course of action I took last night. Fans should be entitled to a refund when the home team tallies less than half the shots on goal of the opposition. That’s a direct result of lack of effort. So is this line change business. If players are hustling and doing what they’re supposed to do bad line changes don’thappen.
Red Light
October 21st, 2010
3:25 pm
Byfuglien quote from Buffalo News…
“I think we can get the fans to come behind you. It’s a tough environment around here. People, they don’t know their hockey, but they’re willing to support it. We’ve just got to have a winning team and make the game fun for them to watch.”
DWTOO
October 21st, 2010
3:36 pm
R/L – The Big Buff hit the nail on the head. When you think about it most folks really don’t know the game. See colby’s remarks quoted above – good fans, but, they’re a small group. Buf is right – win and they’ll come out of the woodwork. We’ve seen it before.
JR
October 21st, 2010
3:43 pm
here is the answer that i received from NHL center ice when i questioned the west coast blackouts:
Thank you for your email. Based on your location, you are in the Atlanta Thrashers local television territory. Atlanta Thrashers’ games are televised locally on the regional sports networks – Sports South and Fox Sports South; however, on a handful of nights Atlanta’s regional sports networks – Sports South/ Fox Sports South – will not be televising Atlanta games in the local market.
In past seasons, blackout lifts were implemented within NHL Center Ice so that the Thrashers games could be seen in their local television territory when Sports South/ Fox Sports South was not televising at home.
At midnight on September 30, Dish Network dropped FOX Sports South, Fox Sports South and 17 other Fox Sports regional networks and has refused to reach a fair agreement to distribute Fox programming.
As a result, Atlanta Thrashers’ fans with Dish Network service will miss Thrashers’ games this season until the dispute is resolved.
Also due to this dispute, we are not permitted by Fox to allow blackout lifts, at this time. Thrashers’ games will be unavailable in the local market on the NHL’s Center Ice package, regardless of your cable or satellite service provider.
For more information, please contact Fox Sports. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Thanks,
NHL TV
doesn’t make a hell of a lot of sense to me.
Smoothie
October 21st, 2010
3:46 pm
Certainly good to see Buff speak up and take a realistic stance on the attendance issue rather than bemoan the fact that the Bulb was half-empty last nite. I’m so sick of athletes blaming the fans for not being there to “pump them up”. It’s their job to play well so we have a reason to get excited and fired-up before coming to a game. Like DWTOO said, if they build it, they will come. Egg. Chicken.
Brendan
October 21st, 2010
3:48 pm
Look, I can’t honestly tell you what happened. But if it was some “Love-in” reunion between Lindy Ruff and Craig Ramsay & Ric Dudley in the pre-game hallway, I can see how something like that would make the players feel like this game was more of a “social gathering” than a game.
I doubt that was the case, however. And it damn sure won’t be the case the next time around. Craig Ramsay has pride. Ric Dudley has pride. And the last thing any of them really want to do … is make a mockery of themselves in front of their former organization (Buffalo). Buffalo, if you keep up with them, began the year with 5 straight losses. For them, a bad loss at Atlanta might just result in some roster changes. The Sabres got their much needed win, and Atlanta got a reminder that every game counts in the standings. Let’s see how it all turns out at the end of the month, when they meet again.
Folks, give this team until Thanksgiving, or Veteran’s Day at the earliest, before you decide that it’s some utter waste of time. Truthfully, the Thrashers are AHEAD of where I had them, after six games. I had them with five points, at this juncture. They have six. Obviously, the shots against is still a problem … and Byfuglien, for the 20th time, needs to be playing forward, not defense. All in due time.
Smoothie
October 21st, 2010
3:50 pm
Makes sense for the NHL to value the sports telecast distributor (FOX) more than the carrier / provider (in this case DISH), but the failure lies in their unwillingness to value the end-customer MORE. Anyway, thank goodness SS is broadcasting 65 games this year in HD. Almost makes up for the loss of the other 16 games (1 on VS).
Zombie Steve
October 21st, 2010
3:52 pm
My beer league team could’ve taken the Thrashers last night. Pick it up, boys!
Brendan
October 21st, 2010
3:53 pm
JR, that was some sort of political spin, by NHL TV. They should contact FOX SportSouth to tell them to lift the ban on Comcast, which has nothing to do with their dispute with DirectTV or Dishnetwork or whomever.
Brendan
October 21st, 2010
3:55 pm
For me, I enjoy Center Ice, even when the Thrashers aren’t playing. (I watch the Oilers, Canucks, and Kings during late nights.) So, unless I want to ditch Comcast altogether, I’m stuck with missing out on 27 Thrashers games this year.
JR
October 21st, 2010
3:57 pm
i agree and will contact fox. my experience with them in the past is that they put forth a lot of spin, much bordering on untruth.