Doing the little things consistently contribute to big Thrashers wins
Ding-dong, the streak is dead.
Before Sunday night, Atlanta had not beaten these Bruins since December 29, 2007 when Kari Lehtonen shut them out 5-0. Since then, they have lost ten straight to the Big Bad Bruins.
But behind another stellar performance by goalie Ondrej Pavelec as well as goals by Evander Kane, Dustin Byfuglien, Jimmy Slater and Nic Bergfors, Boston became just the latest victim to fall to the Atlanta Thrashers.
Byfuglien also contributed with 3 assists on the night.
Jim Slaters scores in the first period of Sunday night's game against the Boston Bruins. He was quick to credit Dustin Byfuglien for setting up the play (AP Photo/Gregory Smith)
But there are other factors contributing to the Thrashers success besides quality goaltending and highlight reel goals…things that head coach Craig Ramsay wants to make sure do not go unnoticed.
Just as the post-game press conference was wrapping up Sunday night, Ramsay wouldn’t let the reporters assembled leave without making one final point. Obviously the focus of most of the questions circled around the continued great play of Pavelec and Byfuglien…but the coach wanted to make sure that other important contributions got their fair share of attention too.
Plays like Chris Thorburns blocked shot early on in the game as well as the one by Rich Peverley late when the Bruins were on the power play…as shot that came from defenseman Zdeno Chara. Ramsay’s always been one to point out these are the small things that are necessary to win individual games. Doing them consistently, as the Thrashers have, and individual wins turn into five game win streaks.
Ramsay’s players have certainly taken note as well. As Rich Peverley told me before the game, “We’re doing the little things right and that’s going to be the most important thing [as we continue throughout the season]”.
“We’re playing a full 60 minutes…we’re really playing together as a team, as a unit. We are playing with a lot of confidence right now and you can see it in our game. No matter who we’re playing against we seem to have some offense”.
Offense indeed. During this current five game run, the Thrashers have outscored their opponents to the tune of 19-3. Three of the teams kicked to the curb by this up-and-coming Thrashers juggernaut have been division leaders and a Boston team that came into the game with a 12-7-2 record.
The Thrashers attack has found not only potency, but balance as well. Tonight it was Evander Kane, Dustin Byfuglien, Jimmy Slater and Nic Bergfors twisting the twine. Friday night it was Peverley twice and Toby Enstrom and the game before that it was Thorburn, Andrew Ladd, Bryan Little, Anthony Stewart and Byfuglien.
You get the picture.
And these Thrashers players understand that it’s the little things coming from their teammates that are contributing to the recent success. The gritty play along the boards, the ability to keep pucks in the zone, the battles in mid-ice and the blueline that disrupt the opposition’s breaks…these are the small items that teams do throughout the course of a game that make them winners.
Rich Peverley, seen here racing past Boston's Matt Hunwick, feels the Thrashers success has been due to attention to the little details during games (Michelle Rivers)
And like their coach, they are quick to point out the smart plays by their linemates that lead to their successes.
Such was the case when Jim Slater discussed his goal after the game, making sure credit was given to Byfuglien for making the right choice on how to play the puck. “It was a good play by Buff”, he told me. “Instead of just dumping it into the corner he found me streaking through the middle.
“I think they were on the line change and that’s how I got open”, Slater continued. “Once I saw the open ice I just tried to turn on the speed, pulled it to my forehand and beat him up high”.
Right now, this is a team playing as if they have totally sold themselves out to the kind of play their coaching staff has been teaching and preaching. And just as Ramsay likes to highlight his players achievements and work ethic, they too seem to have a great deal of respect for the men behind the bench.
Of course, it helps when those men come to the team with a track record of success themselves.
As Peverley put it when discussing the influence Ramsay and John Torchetti have had on the team, “Well, obviously the pedigree they have…they’ve both won Stanley Cups…they’ve been around the league for a while and know what it takes to get the job done”.
“They are two smart individuals and we’re luck to have them”.
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144 comments Add your comment
Brendan
November 28th, 2010
10:33 pm
Despite being outshot by about one and a half times, this was still a great win. Another PPG! Another upper echelon club was put away by your Atlanta Thrashers. This is one of the best winning streaks the franchise has ever had. Sure, we’ve had winning streaks of this length before, but this one has been SO DOMINANT, and the opposition has been of a very high calibre, aside from the NY Islanders. (No disrespect meant to the Islanders.) Let’s keep ‘er going!
SomaAtl95
November 28th, 2010
10:36 pm
Man, this has been some good Hockey we have seen our boys play. Anyone else catch Mike Millbury saying “This is the best Hockey the Thrashers have EVER played, not that that matters much…”
JackA$$.
Go Thrashers!!!! We may not win every game but if we play like this we will be under everyones radar long enough to make a difference this year! TSN.ca commenters are actually starting to notice and it seems strange to see so many good things about our team for once!
BLUELAND PRIDE!
ThrashFan80
November 28th, 2010
10:38 pm
Go Thrashers! Let’s make it 6 on Tuesday!
Rawhide
November 28th, 2010
10:40 pm
SomaAtl95 – I’ll love it when I here Millbury say something like…
“This is the first playoff series the Thrashers have EVER won, not that that matters much…”
Or…
“This is the first Stanley Cup the Thrashers have EVER won, not that that matters much…”
Whatev, Millbury…
Brendan
November 28th, 2010
10:44 pm
Rawhide, if the Thrashers keep getting this kind of “depth” production, this kind of success will continue in December. With Pavelec playing so well, I almost wonder when Mason’s next start might be.
Dwayne
November 28th, 2010
10:44 pm
Impressive
Alan R.
November 28th, 2010
10:47 pm
Byfuglien now has a league-leading five GWGs. Now that’s what’s awesome!
Rawhide
November 28th, 2010
10:49 pm
Rawhide, if the Thrashers keep getting this kind of “depth” production, this kind of success will continue in December. With Pavelec playing so well, I almost wonder when Mason’s next start might be.
B-Man – Could be you see Mason again on Dec. 11 against the Islanders. That’s the tail end of a back to backer. The Thrashers have 4 in December.
English Teacher
November 28th, 2010
10:49 pm
Is it bad that I like to lurk on the blogs of teams we’ve beaten on this streak and revel in their misery? It’s almost as much fun as watching the game feed from the opposing team’s broadcast. It’s good to know that Darren Eliot isn’t the only homer out there calling games.
HonkyTonkHero
November 28th, 2010
10:51 pm
Wonderful home stand….not that long ago we were struggling to even put up an effort at home. The crowds seem to be growing a bit too. Was fun to watch the Bruins faithful depart the game early and have the organ guy lead us in a chant of “Hey Hey Hey…Goodbye!”. The Boston fans in my area went from boisterous to silent by the end of the 1st period. Love it!
I have never seen our team play with this tempo and skill. I said it after last game and I will say it again…the patience they have with the puck is amazing. The days of an Exelby clearing attempt seem to be a thing of the past. THis kind of hockey will energize the fan base and bring new fans in.
Love how Eager was all over the Bruins after they boarded Burmi. THere was no second thought…just Eager literally flying across the ice and jumping the offender and then the other boys getting involved as needed. Bolts and Kane both had some good fights. Kane’s baby face now has a new battle scar.
Good job boys! Keep it rolling!
Dwayne
November 28th, 2010
10:56 pm
Watching the walking dead mini series that was filmed in Atlanta, most of the zombies have boston, redwings, caps, canadiens and islander jerseys on
cousin Eddie
November 28th, 2010
10:59 pm
This is just me thinking hypothetically, but what if the Thrashers finished off the season with winning the Stanley Cup and we signed everyone back that was RFA or UFA. We have so much room in cap space that we can afford to keep these guys for the long haul and still compete for Lord Stanley for years to come. This is very different from most clubs, that are already maxed out in salary spending. Talk about the potential for years of domination. This could be the Islanders of the early 80’s or the Wings of the late 90’s. Holy cow, I’ve been levitating this whole time while typing this.
Hockey Biltong
November 28th, 2010
11:01 pm
Very good win!!!
cousin Eddie
November 28th, 2010
11:02 pm
Gotta give props to Hainsey. He has gone unnoticed for awhile now and that is a good thing. Bruins commentator said Hainsey used to be sort of a wild mustang and now Ramsay has him tamed.
Taylor
November 28th, 2010
11:02 pm
@Rawhide Can u PLEASE! find a way to get the Thrashers mentioned on the AJC front page! We are playing amazing and we deserve to be there!
Until we start getting a lot of media attention we will keep on having a low attendance at the games
Rawhide
November 28th, 2010
11:06 pm
Taylor – Don’t know about the “front” front page…but they are atop the sports front page right now.
How’s that?
Taylor
November 28th, 2010
11:08 pm
@Rawhide Better than nothing!!!
thrashersfan
November 28th, 2010
11:09 pm
Whoa, you guys are getting “way” too ahead of yourselves. Believe me I am loving this, but considering I’ve had season tickets since day one, we’ve seen this before! Yes, it’s different this time and the team’s confidence is off the charts, but they play 82 games and we’re only 24 in! So, let’s just relax, enjoy the ride for the moment, or better said the last five games, and hope/expect their effort continues.
Nuts for Boults
November 28th, 2010
11:09 pm
We got media attention tonight. Thrasher were third on the list of upcoming sports. 5 games streak (Falcons), 3 game streak (Hawks), 5 game streak, but… (Thrashers). When they finally decided to mention the Thrashers it was they have a 5 game winning streak but are 38th in the NHL in tickets distributed. Someone on a radio station in Canada discussed it today and if there was not improvement, the league would have see if the franchise would stay in Atlanta. Thanks for the support Fox5.
HonkyTonkHero
November 28th, 2010
11:11 pm
@Cousin Eddie….Had the same thoughts about Hainey tonight. Ramsay seems to have almost everyone accepting their roles and playing the system.
Nuts for Boults
November 28th, 2010
11:12 pm
@Rawhide–I don’t think paying for space counts. We want in color, above the fold…..
Thrashy Thrashy
November 28th, 2010
11:16 pm
It’s easy to get excited about the recent play we’ve seen from the Thrashers. The good thing is that we have good coaching, a good system, and some players who don’t mind selling out to win. I don’t expect to see these guys follow up this homestand with four or five clunkers. If they do that, we can get mad. If not, maybe we’ve really turned a corner.
jcwhitingjr
November 28th, 2010
11:27 pm
Bill, any word on Burmistrov’s condition? After that hit into the boards he started the 3rd but I noticed about halfway through that he was no longer on the Thrashers’ bench.
As for the play of this team, the consistent level of play is something that we have not seen from a Thrashers team, ever. Sure, they’d put up wins but they’d always seem to fall apart. The key to that was one player. When he was hot, the team soared. When he was cold, the team suffered. The problem was that teams figured out this and focused on shutting him down. The team couldn’t really respond to that and lost more often than not when it happened. Now, teams can’t focus on one player to shut down. As you pointed out in your blog, 10 different Thrashers with goals in the past 3 games alone. We have a team now that opponents don’t know how to play against allowing the Thrashers to play their game and take advantage of their opponents indecision, taking payment in goals and wins.
It’s early but if this type of play from the Thrashers continues, we’ll win more than we’ll lose.
Nate
November 28th, 2010
11:28 pm
I was at the game today. Fan support was pretty could for a Sunday game post-Falcons. And the team played great again to start. Maybe a little fatigue set in midway through the second into the third. Overall, awesome home stand. Couldn’t be happier with the Thrashers right now. And I’m eating my crow and then some for saying Byfuglien shouldn’t be used as a defenseman. Oops.
cousin Eddie
November 28th, 2010
11:30 pm
thrashersfan- I’m not saying plan the parade. I’m saying we are set up for years of domination if this continues and we sign all the RFA’s. This time is different, in that we have a reason for the losses early on (Rammer not teaching defense for first month) and now we have a roster full of players designed for the system that is in place. The teams we beat on this win streak are no bottom feeders. The coach is one of the best coaches to ever coach and teach the game. He has the respect of every single player and he respects every single one them. I dont think Im getting ahead hear, I think I am trusting what this team is doing and having faith in there development as a team. Every game since the start of season has been a learning process for these players and each game has been an improvement over the one before. For once since 2001, I have faith that this team will come out every game and make every team question whether they have what it takes to hang with these Thrashers.
Alan R.
November 28th, 2010
11:30 pm
Whoa, you guys are getting “way” too ahead of yourselves.
No one is getting ahead of anything. Reading is fundamental.
Thrashers27
November 28th, 2010
11:34 pm
Good call Thrashy. Sure, there’s a long season ahead, but this coach and the new blood on the team make it a completely different situation.
Milbury is a tool. Can’t believe how the NESN guys couldn’t give credit where due.
Brendan, I noticed in the previous blog you mentioned the announcer team complimenting the move of Buff to “D”. I got the feeling that was more in homage to Ramsay, not respect for the Thrashers as a team. It’s pretty crappy when hockey people can’t appreciate good hockey and good hockey culture.
For the second period and some of the third our boys reverted to their panicky habits from earlier in the season. It’s good to see they can have a bad period and still come away with two points.
Doesn’t it feel good to be a PROUD Thrasher fan!!!
Rawhide
November 28th, 2010
11:38 pm
Bill, any word on Burmistrov’s condition? After that hit into the boards he started the 3rd but I noticed about halfway through that he was no longer on the Thrashers’ bench.
jcwhitingjr – I haven’t heard anything official, but Ramsay said in the presser he had the infamous “lower body injury”. He added that until he hears anyting further, he assumes he can play Tuesday.
Burmistrov was walking with a very slight limp on the way out of the building…but he was smiling.
sisu
November 28th, 2010
11:45 pm
I love it, no negative posts from some that are here most of the time. Great win streak…
LAC
November 28th, 2010
11:57 pm
It’s ALL ATLANTA on NHL.com and “On The Fly” Amazing !!!!!!
Another Great win, but it appeared we did not maintain the intensety, as in other games, we gave them the 2nd period.
Now three TOUGH road games. But great to see ATLANTA getting the press ahead of Washington and Detroit tonight.
Lastly, the NESN announcers are AWFUL ! and mike milbury… well how he keeps his job in the game of hockey is a lot like don waddell, he brings NOTHING, says NOTHING and Knows very very little about the game itself, because instead of prasing Atlanta, it was an Atlanta win because of Boston mistakes…
Good Evening !
Yes sisu. when we play near perfect games and WIN, there is little negative to say !!!
Sara
November 29th, 2010
12:11 am
Actually the two NESN broadcasters doing the game gave a lot of credit to the Thrashers – Milbury was the only one being a tool. Those in fairness to him as well, that quote of his, while snarky, was actually more of a “that’s not saying much” thing – as in this team has performed so poorly over the years the bench was set pretty low.
What I want to know was why the hell every employee of Atlanta Spirit wasn’t standing outside the Georgia Dome at 4:05pm handing out free tickets to the Thrashers game. It’s not like they were going to be sold anyway and that was some prime marketing opportunity there.
By the way, that latest story out of Canada has some legs to it – since the damning quotes came right out of Bill Daly’s mouth. Puck Daddy has a blog posting about it on Yahoo.
Thrashers27
November 29th, 2010
12:26 am
Holy Crap, people!!!
If this isn’t cause for a pat on the back for our boys at this point in the season, I don’t know what is. Check out the latest TSN.com power rankings!!!
Our boys in blue are #4!!!
http://tsn.ca/fantasy_news/rankings/nhl/
kreedham
November 29th, 2010
12:31 am
To Sara…the Thrashers did try to lure the Falcons fans in….they passed out fliers offering them reduced price tickets and quite a number of them took advantage of the deal.
cousin Eddie
November 29th, 2010
12:39 am
Holy Shenannagans! 4th Some GT student must of hacked the TSN website. I have never seen us that high.
HonkyTonkHero
November 29th, 2010
12:42 am
I saw a good handful of Falcons fans in my section. They were getting into it and really enjoyed the fights. Wish more of em had come though. With all this talk about the Thrash being moved to the arctic circle I just want to see our team continue to do well, gets buts in seats and hush the nay sayers.
Alan R.
November 29th, 2010
12:58 am
Our boys in blue are #4!!!
I’m actually amazed. I’ve never seen the Thrashers appear that high on any power rankings chart. Ever. I hope the boys can keep it up!
Wish more of em had come though. With all this talk about the Thrash being moved to the arctic circle I just want to see our team continue to do well, gets buts in seats and hush the nay sayers.
It’s all about marketing. Atlanta is huge. Market the team everywhere, not just to the northern suburbs.
I know, broken record, I say it all the time. Still, you can’t expect to get all 5+ million in the metro area excited about a team if you’re only marketing to 1.5m-2.5m of ‘em.
injunjoe
November 29th, 2010
1:46 am
Sara is correct. The NESN commentators were complementing the Thrashers and lamenting the Bruins poor playing as well. But one of them actually said that the hit Burmistrov took was a clean one and the boarding foul called on Paille was a bad call?!??!!! Unbelievable! Kudos to Eager for having Burmi’s back……even though he was half way across the ice at the time. These games lately have been fun to watch. Even more so when they dominate top tier teams like they have been. Winning is just gravy on the cake!!!!
Pinball34
November 29th, 2010
3:08 am
Jack Edwards of NESN is horrible! He sounds like a mix of auctioneer and cheerleader. I don’t remember him being that bad at ESPN..
Wayne stuck in AL
November 29th, 2010
5:26 am
It should be pointed out the Bruins, along with the Red Sox, own NESN.
I wish we had regional sports channels that good.
World Be Free
November 29th, 2010
5:36 am
Pinball, I dislike Edwards too, but he can never be as bad as Fred Cusick the old Bruins announcer. Cusick was the ultimate homer.
Hey folks, what a GREAT homestand. Any notice that nobody is complaining about Ron Hainsey these days? Rammer has found a home for Hainsey, in a place where Ron can contribute-he is playing to his capabilities right now and very comfortable. Good for the coach and the player. That’s what good/great coaches do with the players they have on their roster.
Evander Kane pounded Matt Hunwick. Wonder when apposing players are going to stop messin’ with The Real Deal?
Can’t resist saying RIP Leslie Nielsen – and “don’t call me Shirley”.
World Be Free
November 29th, 2010
5:39 am
Milbury was horrible as a player, he was a Bruin cuz he was a total hack.
He was horrible as a coach and a total nightmare as a general manager.
Why is this guy still in hockey? What has be done positive in 30+ years in the NHL?
Networks hire him because he is the new Don Cherry-as if we needed a replacement for the current version.
Sara
November 29th, 2010
6:47 am
injun joe – Rammer defended Paille too and made the exact same observation the NESN guys did which is that Burmi turned at the last second and put himself in the vulnerable position. It was more just an unfortunate bit of luck and timing.
As to the Falcons fans … I’d be curious to know how many were regular Thrasher fans that just came over after the Falcons game and how many were potentially new fans. I’ll give them some cred for the flyers but quite frankly I think free tickets would have been a better choice and would have gotten them more response (duh5). Atlanta Spirit is going to have to be more aggressive in getting word out about how solid this team is. The AJC, while giving us quality coverage with Rawhide and Viv, still isn’t giving much quantity … ie nothing on the home page about the 5 game winning streak. Kincade and Shaffee are the only two that I know on the radio waves that talk Thrashers hockey and it’s hit or miss on local TV coverage.
If you walk around the Atlanta area and go up to most people and say “Thrashers” they likely are going to still reply with, “the hockey team? yeah man they suck.” That’s what everyone assumes and until they are told different, they won’t know. And all talk of relocation aside, the guys on the ice more than deserve the support of this city with the kind of effort they’ve been bringing.
Alan R.
November 29th, 2010
7:05 am
Kincade and Shaffee are the only two that I know on the radio waves that talk Thrashers hockey and it’s hit or miss on local TV coverage.
And sometimes, getting Kinkade to talk about them for more than 10 minutes a week takes an act of congress.
EA
November 29th, 2010
7:12 am
So much fun at Philips yesterday. This team is a treat to watch lately. Keep it up boys! Buff is a blast to watch. I hope Burmie is doing well today. What a cheap shot on a great kid. I watched the Boston delayed broadcast when I got home. They “did not like” the hit. The Thrashers did him justice by not only coming to his defense, but also scoring a PP goal. What a team effort all the way around. Pavs–unbelievable!
World Be Free
November 29th, 2010
7:28 am
We keep forgetting how the house was fun in the early years, before so many fans got turned off and turned away. Every game you see out-of-town fans that live here that need to come out to more games. we have said before, there are 5mil people in Atlanta, alotta transplants that grew up with hockey. There’s no difference between hockey, football, baseball and basketball fans that are from other cities-put a winner out there and people will come.
glovesave29
November 29th, 2010
7:51 am
Totally agree Sara…freebies would have been the way to go. Think that’s another issue Alan and I put out there months ago. The team is playing fantastic and the timing was perfect to bring over a few converts. Damn…opportunity lost.
Tom
November 29th, 2010
7:53 am
Remember when the Falcon’s could not sell out their home games? Then Arthur Blank bought the team from Rankin Smith and focused first on marketing the team. He just about gave away tickets the first year, but the effect was to create demand going forward and make the Dome the place to be on Sunday afternoons. He created a ticket base where there was none for a number of years.
The present Thrasher’s ownership group is a great deal like Rankin Smith. Good ol’ connected boys that have no real idea how to market a sports team. When a hustler that is motivated and understands marketing buys the team we may start to see sell outs again.
Red Light
November 29th, 2010
8:08 am
World Be Free
I actually thought the smaller Hunwick, much shorter reach, gave a good account of himself against Kane. Obviously, Kane was the winner, but that kid showed a lot of heart in that fight. Tapping stick on ice for both combatants.
You can thank our own R. Stroz and Co. for the “Hey, hey, good bye” chants last night!
You know things are going well for Buff when he fans on a shot and it goes right to Bergfors stick for the fourth goal of the night, and the big man gets another assist. If he’s not the player of the month in the NHL then no one is paying attention. This guy is the real deal.
R. Stroz
November 29th, 2010
8:12 am
Ladies and Gentlemen, you just witnessed the best week of “team hockey” this city has seen since the Flames played in this town.
Pavelec has proven me incorrect. Pavelec doesn’t suck. A tip of the hat to Red Light for nailing that call correctly.
You know if this team would have had a “goalie consultant” for the past ten years instead of the GMs former college dormroom broomball goalie buddy as the goalie coach, just imagine where this franchise would have been years ago.
If Buff keeps up the current pace, he’ll be looking for a really BIG contract extension. Hopefully, Dudley will get this guy signed as soon as possible.
Also, for the first time I remember, the Thrashers literally attacked a player who took a rather questionable hit on one of our players. The “team attack” after the hit on Burmie shows this team is no longer made up of a bunch of powderpuffs.
On a side note, nice to meet you “Lurker Travis” at the game Friday night. He recognized me by the BULLHORN in the bag. Travis wade in the pool and post. YOU CAN DO IT.
After years of pain as a Thrashers fan, this past week tastes SOOO GOOOOOD.
The Real Thrash
November 29th, 2010
8:14 am
Free tickets!? How would you feel of you spent serious money for season tickets and heard the team was giving away tickets? That’s not what Blank did. He LOWERD the price of season tickets in the worst sight areas to 100.00 per seat. That began to fill the seats and caused a waiting list for season tickets. The Falcons had several spots at the games Sunday for signing up for a season tickets waiting list. Those 100.00 tickets are gone now.
You don’t help the brand by lowering its value to zero. You place a winning team on the ice, offer great deals and watch the fans come in. Of course you have to have fans that like the sport.
DWTOO
November 29th, 2010
8:17 am
Darn WBF – you beat me to the Leslie Nielsen line. Great comic actor – will always remember him in the body condom in the Naked Gun movie. That movie series was preceded by the Police Squad TV series, which also was very funny. Nielsen’s deadpan delivery was priceless. He’ll be missed.
As for the Thrashers – this is a good streak, but, we’ve been teased before with streaks only to see the team go in the dumpster. I remain cautiously optimistic.
World Be Free
November 29th, 2010
8:23 am
DTWOO-I remember Leslie Nielsen as a stiff when I was a kid. Wasn’t until Airplane! came out that he got his chance to be funny. “Hospital, what’s that? It’s a big building with patients but that’s not important now”.
Red Light-Hunwick came of the ice with a nice cut over his right eye, so I gave the decision to Kane. These aren’t the big, bad Bruins anymore. Kind of sad cuz I always liked the fights when the Broones came to town.
Do you all remember when nobody went to Falcons’ games, in a football town?
jimbo
November 29th, 2010
8:27 am
We had several Falcom fans move into seats behind us at the end of the first. They were talking about hockey being far more exciting to watch than the Birds. There’s hope for us in ATL. Great to see good forechecking and back checking with checks being finished not faked. Can Pavs be any hotter? I’m sure that Ramsey will follow the NHL rule and “ride the hot goalie”.
Flames
November 29th, 2010
8:27 am
The Thrashers are playing excellent hockey. I want everyone on this blog to know that the Thrashers are NOT GOING anywhere soon. That’s to Canada or the Arctic Circle. The Canadian Media is always hoping that no one comes to the Thrashers. The more success we have here in Atlanta, the less their chances of getting this franchise to move to Quebec or Winnipeg. Have you ever noticed that the minute this organization starts to put a couple of wins together and the fans start to get a little excited about the team, that there is a story or rumor that someone up North is trying to purchased this team and move them. That is the media’s way of trying to keep people from falling in Love with this team. No one wants to put their arms around this team and embrace it, if you think it isn’t going to be moved. Stop falling for the Canadian media’s B/S. Embrace this team and tell all the Canadians to kiss our A$$es.
DWTOO
November 29th, 2010
8:35 am
Listened to OTF on the way home last night and there’s a rumor the Sabres are for sale. And guess who’s the leading candidate to purchase the team – Ballsille (sp?). Some things just never end.
Also as Hockey B. pointed out a good interview with Buff.
glovesave29
November 29th, 2010
8:43 am
Hockey vs. Football in the south is just not a comparison that can be made. Selling a bad Falcon team was easier than selling a bad Thrasher team. Football is much more established and naturally has a sizeable advantage in the fan base. That is why you need to go the extra mile and offer the free tickets. I am not saying you do it every game, but when you have a pool of 72K geeked up Falcons fans just a block away, you do whatever is necessary to bring them into Philips. We all know how great hockey is live, so all that is needed is the incentive to get them into the building just once. Those who are paying out the big bucks for tickets I am sure can appreciate what the team would be trying to do by giving away some free tickets…get both a big, loud and boisterous crowd to see the game, and to make more converts to hockey. The Falcons reach out to the hockey community (we in the local beer league get nice discounts for BOTH the Falcons and Thrashers) – I would have been wise for the team to reach out to the NFL team to try a tie in with both games being downtown yesterday.
Spud Webb
November 29th, 2010
8:51 am
Interesting to read some of the posts for sure! Buff on the fly last night, said he preferred playing D. I don’t see anyone posting to move him back to forward! I love it. Team is playing hard, winning the small battles. Great hockey!!! Good job.
World Be Free
November 29th, 2010
9:01 am
Glovesave-no doubt that football is king in our region. But people still stayed away when the product was bad, even though the sport is far and away the #1 sport in our region.
DWTOO-that rumor has been around for some time. Bettman protected the Sabes when they were for sale before. I would imagine the same would hold true today, too good of a market to move the team.
Engelbert Humperdinck
November 29th, 2010
9:08 am
What an awesome doubleheader sports day in ATL. Walked from one HUGE win by the Falcons to see the Thrashers close out a GREAT homestand. TOO bad ASG showed once again why they do not deserve to own a pro sports franchise. YOU had 70,000 extremely happy fans outside your door at 4pm and you had NOTHING outside that rink promoting this hot hockey club. You missed a GOLDEN opportunity that should have been planned for the second the schedules came out. SELL this team to the Hollywood producer who cares, stick your marketing degrees back into the Cracker Jacks box you got them from and then get your tails out of town !
rob
November 29th, 2010
9:23 am
Anyone watching the Bruins feed yesterday heard the announcers there praising the team and what is happening here……..and also heard them blast how quiet the place was through large amounts of time. I have said it over and over but we have GOT to get this through to the music people and Thrash. Get the FANS INVOLVED with cheers, chants, whatever. The bass pumping through the LET’S GO THRASHERS chant completely ruins it…..please stop it! The FANS and the PLAYERS need something to feed off of. Not many FANS chanting get more than a few peole or a section going. Our “Brutally Good Time” highlights need revamping, showing more than just Zach hitting a few people. Some Pavs saves like the outstreched glove save a few games ago and Kane’s penalty shot goal, and any of Buffs, along with some of Eager’s hits…..and how about Burmi’s most recent goal where he dismantled the defender and the goalie with his cuts? Marketing here SUCKS. Dumwad MUST be in charge of that aspect. The players and coaching staff have now been taken care of and the team is on the right track……now it is time for someone who understands the hockey culture to grab hold and steer this in the right direction so this takes off and becomes the talk of the town! It has the potential, it just needs a push in the right direction instead of the direction it has been going for so long.
Incredible homestand!!! Thank you to ALL the PLAYERS and COACHING staff for bringing a hockey spirit back to the Atl! The next two weeks should be interesting to see as we hopefully keep this attitude up!
LET’S GO THRASHERS!!!!
rob
November 29th, 2010
9:37 am
R.Stroz,
HATS OFF TO YOU TO SIR IF YOU BEGAN THE “HEY HEY…..GOODBYE” last night. Watching from home, hearing that chant going was AWESOME because it is high time we start letting the visiting teams know they are NOT welcomed in our house, and that when you are beaten here you can expect to hear about it OVER and OVER! Keep up the yelling and give the visitors grief! HAHAHAHA Love it.
waffleboy
November 29th, 2010
9:57 am
A lot of impressive hockey on this homestand. Watching Enstrom break up two-on-ones and breakaways with ease make me wonder when more knowledgeable hockey commentators will give credit to him for Buff’s play. Buff can improvise out there knowing Toby’s back there. This team is better at clearing pucks out of the crease than any in Thrashers’ history. The d pairs have finally gelled. We have a legit #1 pairing in Buff-Toby, but Oduya and Bogo are playing lights out right now. We all knew that Bogo had the talent but injuries to him and other defensemen have meant his partner last year was changing on a weekly basis. Now that he has Oduya with him every night, you can see those two have worked it out. I honestly think they are a shutdown pair.
14 different players scored in the homestand, would’ve loved it could’ve been 17 for Kaptain Kovy.(retch!) This team is legit: balanced scoring, smart defense and outstanding goaltending. While the pk is struggling, when you’re only getting 4 minors a game called against you, the other team’s pp can’t get much momentum.
Let’s take this show on the road!
rob
November 29th, 2010
10:04 am
waffle,
Ramsey game Toby props in the post game about that very thing. Smart hockey being played by the Boys In Blue and it is a glorious thing to see!
Alan R.
November 29th, 2010
10:13 am
Free tickets!? How would you feel of you spent serious money for season tickets and heard the team was giving away tickets?
Pretty damn good, if it meant I had people sitting next to me in empty sections.
Even better, if it meant the curtain comes down off the 400s.
I’m no STH, but I’d prefer we fill the barn. After the inept way this team has been run since day one, they’ve GOT to get tickets to people and seats filled up any way possible.
Alan R.
November 29th, 2010
10:18 am
Football is much more established and naturally has a sizeable advantage in the fan base.
Bingo. At some point, you’ve got to get those people to know that there is a game starting right next door, and why not make a day out of it? Tailgate at 11am, Falcons at 1pm, Cheap hotdogs at 4pm, and Thrashers at 5pm. If you can’t get them to come to the sport, bring the sport to them.
More probably would have shown up last night if the tickets were free, but I think convincing the Falcons fans to come in at a reduced rate helped a little, at least. Maybe word of mouth will spread?
If the marketing department won’t market the team, maybe we as fans need to post a call to arms, and market the damn thing ourselves.
Alan R.
November 29th, 2010
10:24 am
While the pk is struggling, when you’re only getting 4 minors a game called against you, the other team’s pp can’t get much momentum.
PK only allowed one goal during this homestand, and it was against the Wings. I’d say the PK is much improved. The PP numbers, on the other hand, only came down because of the Montreal game. Seven attempts, and only one goal.
Still, I see a lot of improvements being made on this team. The best is yet to come.
Tom
November 29th, 2010
10:28 am
Alan R, Great points,
Imagine if someone with the Thrasher’s marketing department had offered a $10 ticket deal to the Falcon season ticket holders in a special email. Market it as a double header deal or “Miss the Traffic and See Some Hits”.
Anything to bring these folks with disposable income who are sports fans and who have already committed to buying season tickets to a sport.
That is the right demographic, isn’t it???
Imagine a full house of already lubricated fans coming off the high of the Falcon’s win. With how well the Thrashers played the joint would have been out of control.
jen
November 29th, 2010
10:53 am
Must say, after suffering through some very bad hockey over the years, watching this team has been a real joy. My thought going into this year was that it would take until Nov. for the team to figure out how to play with each other, but I didn’t think they’d be able to string something along like this. Now the hardest part is deciding if I want a Buff or a Kane jersey for Chanukah this year. Pavs has been beyond belief….I remember when he was whining about not being given a chance to play behind Kari and Moose and threatened to hold out. He’s come a long way since then.
I read the Puck Daddy article….but I think everyone remembers how packed the building was. October hockey in the middle of college football is always going to be a challenge when the team has played like crap for so long. If we can make the playoffs this year and build on it next year by re-siging the majority of this team the attendence won’t be an issue. I seem to recall the begining of the 07-08 seaon having very good attendence, as the team was relatively intact following the playoff run. I don’t think at the time anyone thought Zhitnik was going to fall off the map or that we’d have a 6 game losing streak that cost Hartley his job and basically signed the trade papers for Hossa. You can put a team in east bumble Canada and they’re going to draw, but there just isn’t corporate sponsoship money, not in the current econmic climate. And another Canadian team is going to hurt potential media growth in the States. Let’s face it, no one south of the border except some really die hard hockey fans are going to tune in to Winnipeg/Hamilton vs. another US team. The NHL is finally generating more media buzz about the league, in part thanks to Sid and Ovie (who, incidentally play for teams that were bankrupt or close to it a decade ago), and thanks to the rule changes that made the game more exciting to watch in general. The Glads do very well (which isn’t surprising condering they have a great arena, reasonable concessions, free parking, and close proximity to a good demographic for hockey). The Thrashers really need to work on making hockey fans out of the local media outlets. Mark Hayes (Good Morning Atlanta) does stuff with the Glads throughout the year and makes appearances at the games, etc. They used to do more local level marketing events….there was one time where they had Thrash come out to Krispy Kreme and made Blueland doughnuts.
World Be Free
November 29th, 2010
10:53 am
It was funny to see Toby guard Lucic yesterday.
Rawhide
November 29th, 2010
11:03 am
Regarding the subject of free or discounted tickets to Sunday’s game…
While I certainly understand the STHs concerns about paying full price for seats only to see others around them who paid less than they did for the same section, the fact of the matter is that the Thrashers need to do whatever they can to fill that arena. Discounting happens in all sports and other businesses as well.
I use the examples of airlines and hotels. Any given flight there are some people who paid X for a seat while someone else paid Y. It all depends on when they bought the tickets. Same with hotels rooms.
I would have liked to have seen the Thrashers contact the falcons to offer some sort of deal…say show your Falcons ticket stubb from the 1:00 game vs. Packers at the window and get 50% off any seat in Philips. These folks were already down there and why not try to grab as many as you could at that time.
Also, there were a lot of Green Bay fans there…as is to be expected. These people come from hockey country and would have been easy pickings if given a bargain, I would think.
But, alas…
Anyway…I had 2 tickets I had bought in 205 sitting for me at will call yesterday. After I bought them, the Thrashers invited me to some pre-game events and to sit in the pressbox during the game. So, I took my tix outside and offered them to a couple wearing Falcons gear. They were all but too happy to accept them and I’m sure they had a good time.
Maybe they had a good enough time that they’ll return someday.
Red Light
November 29th, 2010
11:10 am
A little historical data about the current five-game win streak!
The Thrashers first four-game win streak came in the 18th thru 22nd games of the fifth season (Games 329-332)
The Thrashers first five-game win streak came in the 43rd thru 47th games of the sixth season (Games 453-457)
The Thrashers only six-game win streak came in the 65th thru 70th games of the ninth season (Games 721-726)
The current five-game win streak, only the sixth ever in franchise history, is the most dominant in terms of goals-for and goals-against.
Nov. 19-28, 2010 Thrashers 19, Opponents 3
Jan. 6-18, 2006 Thrashers 21, Opponents 12
Nov. 25-Dec. 5, 2006 Thrashers 19, Opponents 7
Dec. 19-27, 2006 Thrashers 19, Opponents 7
Feb. 26-Mar. 8, 2007 Thrashers 20, Opponents 9
Nov. 2-14, 2008 Thrashers 22, Opponents 14
During the six-game win streak, March 6-14, 2009, the Thrashers outscored their opponents 23-9. And, I am almost positive that the three goals allowed in a five-game span also is a record.
Joe Friday
November 29th, 2010
11:12 am
Milbury simply stated the obvious. It stings when the truth hurts, but quit yer bitching and deal with it, he spoke the truth. We have accomplished nothing, but that is in the past and the future is all we have to deal with. Dudley and Ramsay have the reins now, Waddell is screwing up marketing now, apparently, but move forward and just move on.
We will start to fill the stands now going forward with h/s and college football winding down. The Falcons being so hot will get the most buzz, but there’s lots of us former season tix holders that watch the club. With this recent 5 game stretch, a lot more eyes are watching and the seats will start to sell. There is one thing and one thing only that sells tickets in this town . . . and that’s winning. They need to market the heck out of Big Buf, his enthusiasm is contagious, the boys a bonafide star. I just wish they’d move him back to forward so he can start scoring . . .
Red Light
November 29th, 2010
11:14 am
R Stroz: It was indeed Modry who had the only other four-point game by a Thrashers defenseman! Ooops.
Alan R.
November 29th, 2010
11:20 am
Waddell is screwing up marketing now, apparently, but move forward and just move on.
Preach it, on all counts. Don’t look back, just keep looking forward!
World Be Free
November 29th, 2010
11:24 am
I thought Milbury was an idiot before yesterday’s comments, wo what he said didn’t have much impact on the 30+ years of having to put up with him.
Vivs talks about the Buff trade with Chicago. While he has a good point, none of these trades mean much of anything if we don’t sign all 4 guys to extensions. Ladd, Buff, Eager and Sopel have been improvements over the players they replaced. Now let’s get at least Buff and Ladd on long term deals. You want people in the barn every night? Show THAT type of commitment.
Engelbert Humperdinck
November 29th, 2010
11:28 am
Didn’t have to be free tickets. It could have been something as simple as having Thrash out there with a stick in his (talon ?) in the common area between the dome and philips so maybe some kids leaving the Falcons game with their parents would say .. hey Dad , who/what is that… lets go check it out. Or maybe maybe the Ice crew hotties standing outside the door passing out some info on how good this team is inside. Every guy from 18 to 80 would have walked over there if nothing more than to get a look at those two blonde twins close up.
Red Light
November 29th, 2010
11:30 am
The play of Buff and Ladd during the last two weeks (the whole season for that matter) have done nothing but improve their negotiations for a long-term, high-priced deal. Just think what could happen if they both opt for arbitration? There will be no worries about avoiding the Cap floor next season!!!
Rawhide
November 29th, 2010
11:46 am
Per C-Vi tweet: “Thrashers will call up player to meet team in Denver. Announcement could come today. Burmistov will make trip.”
Russ
November 29th, 2010
11:49 am
Who are these guys playing in the Atlanta jerseys and what have they done with our Thrashers???
Seriously, I have been a Thrasher fan from day one, so it is hard to get too excited about a five game stretch, but this team has never looked as good as it has lately. I hope they can keep it up. They are looking good against good competition and playing as a team, which is great to see after years of trying to build around 1 or 2 “superstars”.
Red Light
November 29th, 2010
11:50 am
The potential attendance problems for the rest of the season, if the Thrashers continue playing well, are limited to the following mid-week games:
Mon Dec 6, 2010 vs Nashville
Thu Dec 16, 2010 vs Carolina
Thu Jan 20, 2011 vs Tampa Bay
Wed Jan 26, 2011 vs Washington
Tue Feb 1, 2011 vs NY Islanders
Thu Feb 3, 2011 vs Calgary
Tue Mar 1, 2011 vs Montreal
Thu Mar 3, 2011 vs Ottawa
Thu Mar 17, 2011 vs Philadelphia
Note: All others are on weekend nights or days or during the holidays.
R. Stroz
November 29th, 2010
11:53 am
Red Light – That’s TOO funny about Modry.
rob – Yes, that was Section 222 that started the singing right after the two minutes remaining mark in the the third period. However, we shared our singing talent at the Dead Wings game on Wednesday as well. For the Canadians game, we alternated between the Nah..Nah…Goodbye and the Ole..Ole..Ole toward the end of the game.
Red Light – I hope you enjoyed our vocal talent yesterday afternoon.
Engelbert Humperdinck
November 29th, 2010
11:57 am
I hate to say anything negative about these last six games other than a marketing SNAFU in the front office because it was REAL fun but when I see Kane get boarded and hurt and NOBODY does a thing about it, especially when they were up a few goals, it makes me realize we’re missing a key piece of the puzzle vital to any good team.
Alan R.
November 29th, 2010
12:09 pm
but when I see Kane get boarded and hurt and NOBODY does a thing about it
Not sure which game you were watching.
a. Alexander Burmistrov got boarded, not Kane.
b. Ben Eager skated in hard from over half the rink away to lay in some punches. That’s why Eager received a penalty for roughing, along with a second Bruin player.
EA
November 29th, 2010
12:27 pm
I am watching NHL Live. The talk is all about the Thrashers success. Pavs #1 star of the week. Buff is #2.
Smoothie
November 29th, 2010
12:27 pm
RO-EN-ICK, RO-EN-ICK, RO-EN-ICK……YOU SUCK!!!!
When it comes to assessing players’ talents and judging what position they should play. Stick to fishing or whatever the hell you’re doing in retirement. Perhaps you and Milbury can start a business or something since you’re both so intelligent and astute!
EA
November 29th, 2010
12:31 pm
I forgot to mention Pavs was interviewed Total team guy. Ladd interview is coming up.
Alan R.
November 29th, 2010
12:33 pm
Roenick’s retirement is all about spewing forth garbage on the radio, much like Milbury’s is all about spewing forth garbage on television.
They make a cute couple, don’t they?
Alan R.
November 29th, 2010
12:33 pm
EA – Can you possibly provide some quotes? I’m not in a position to listen, but would love to know what they have to say!
Thanks in advance!
LAC
November 29th, 2010
12:43 pm
NHL Live has been All over the Thrashers today… In a GOOD way.
Had Pav’s on and Ladd will be on later. Carl Alzner of Washington, said Washington is having
“issues” with Atlanta and has to get this… “Figure out how to beat them.”
Also like reading the comments on TSN. Nobody saying where will Atlanta move ?
Gee WINNING makes it all go away. I am glad Dudley seems to have a rather free hand with the team, NONE of this would have ever have taken place with that waddell still in charge…
Nice to be winning, but it MUST continue, three TOUGH teams this week, Colorado/Pittsburgh/D.C.
If we win all of those, we are for REAL !
Red Light
November 29th, 2010
1:02 pm
LAC: “If we win all of those, we are for REAL!”
Gretchelby
November 29th, 2010
1:09 pm
Raw Hide! Love this article. Can’t remember I went to the games not just expecting to win but thinking there was no other alternative. The guys look just great…and besides the nightly score by Buff you never know what treat you are in for and who will light the lamp. I have not been so X cited about hockey since X was here…so thanks Thrashers, for giving me a reason to show up. And Atlanta fans will grow with play like this. My dad and some other friends of mine are talking about season tickets, which he has refused to purchase in the past…this looks like play-off hockey and it is only November. My guess for next scorers lighting the lamp…Alex, Boultz, Bogosian, and of course Buff (no pressure)…:)
World Be Free
November 29th, 2010
1:10 pm
Roenick and Milbury have been hit in the head too many times.
Alan R.
November 29th, 2010
1:11 pm
It’s gonna be hard to beat Washington and Pittsburgh — especially in their own buildings. Thankfully, this is the last time we play in Washington this year. Those are two clubs I’m just hoping for a solid effort from the team.
Colorado? I want nothing less than a win.
EA
November 29th, 2010
1:12 pm
Re comments. One can tell Pavs is very tired of being asked about the fainting incident. Basically he talked about how well the team is playing. He said he can handle the first shot if the defensemen clear the rebound. The goalie coach Clint is very helpful. He kept stressing how it takes a whole team to win. Ladd said he is honored to be the captain. He thinks this team is showing Atlanta a new kind of hockey. He said it is imperative that the team not let up and continue to get points. When he could not hear Stan Fishler’s comment, he said “what Sir?” He is very well spoken and respectful. He has become a Falcons fan. He enjoyed winning the cup in Chicago a little more than Carolina because he was more involved in the process. LAC, did you hear anything else I am missing? I was a little surprised to hear Stan Fischler say Atlanta is one of his favorite teams. A nice congrats e-mail was read from a Rangers game giving kudos to the Thrashers for their improved team.
cousin Eddie
November 29th, 2010
1:15 pm
Did you know that Buf and Enstrom are both 8th rounders. One of the top defensive pairs in the NHL are both from the 8th round of the draft. There is no 8th round anymore!
Smoothie
November 29th, 2010
1:15 pm
During the six-game win streak, March 6-14, 2009, the Thrashers outscored their opponents 23-9.
R/L – I believe the biggest difference this time around is the fact that we beat DET, MTL and BOS during the current stretch as opposed to the 2009 stretch when our win streak was ended in a$$-whoop fashion by the Red Wings and Penguins, was it not? Hope people don’t whine and bitch if we lose 2 of the next 3 on the road. Our sked has been brutal, but as long as we keep hovering around the #8 spot by the end of Dec, we will be poised (much easier sked in 2nd half) for a scary good run I think.
Alan R.
November 29th, 2010
1:34 pm
EA – Thanks so much for the recap! I’m happy to hear the comments from Pavelec, and Ladd especially. He’s really becoming a major part of this organization, and really needs to be locked up ASAP!
Maybe the Thrashers should capitalize on Ladd’s becoming a Falcons fan, and try to get some of their people in our building.
Smoothie
November 29th, 2010
1:39 pm
We need Jason Heyward, Roddy White, John Abraham and Tony Gonzalez to tweet to all their followers what a great experience hockey can be and tell them to get out and support all the Atlanta teams!!
Seriously, when is ASG marketing going to wake-up and use other pro players to cross-promote hockey? Shouldn’t there be some local commercials running that feature Brian McCann, Jason Heyward, Tim Hudson teasing Dustin Byfuglien about how bad the Cubs are? And if Laddy’s becoming a big Falcons fan, then Matty Ice should be approached about doing an Air Tran ad with Ladd and Kaner to create some creative marketing synergy.
Red Light
November 29th, 2010
1:42 pm
Smoothie: Thrashers beat Montreal, Colorado, Calgary, Edmonton, Buffalo and Washington in that 6-game streak. Three were at home and three were away. And, you’re right, the Penguins ended the streak beating the Thrashers 6-2, and Detroit beat them 6-3 in the following game. Mtl, Cal and Wash made the playoffs that season.
cousin Eddie: Enstrom was picked six spots ahead of Byfuglien in the 2003 Draft. Shane O’Brien, Matt Moulson, Tanner Glass, Jaroslav Halak, Nick Tarnasky, Brian Elliott and David Jones (who you will see tomorrow night for the Avs) all were drafted behind Enstrom and Byfuglien that year.
Pro and college teams are very protective of the season ticket holders. Few want to share those resources with the other teams.
Zombie Steve
November 29th, 2010
1:48 pm
I was almost ready to give up on Pavs; it’s really awesome to see him turn it around like this
Smoothie
November 29th, 2010
1:48 pm
Oh, and why not Stewart Cink doing some type of commercial with Ron Hainsey (avid golfer) and Craig Ramsay (very good golfer as well)? Cink can give Rammer some tips on golf and Rammer and Hainsey can tell Cink how valuable the “chip shot” off the boards can be from off the fairway when there’s a handy grandstand nearby. There are so many possibilities and surely more creative minds than mine can come up with something!
Alan R.
November 29th, 2010
1:51 pm
This is exactly the kind of thinking Glovesave and I were trying to promote when we mentioned our bouncing of ideas off each other a few months ago, Smoothie.
Keep the good ideas coming. I know Thrashers personnel read these blogs. Maybe they’ll wake up and start promoting the teams, for once!
Smoothie
November 29th, 2010
1:54 pm
“cousin Eddie: Enstrom was picked six spots ahead of Byfuglien in the 2003 Draft”
R/L – how cool is that!? And now they’re fixing to be the next coming of Rafalski & Lidstrom (I know, a bit of a stretch) on the blueline.
Does anyone else think some commercials featuring Enstrom & Big Buff (think Rob Dyrdek and Big Black) hanging out in the ATL or even sharing a house (remember Enstrom was / is hosting Oduya and Freddy P this summer during camp)…hilarity could certainly ensue. Tiny Tobes & Big Buff: Livin’ Large in the ATL!
cousin Eddie
November 29th, 2010
2:02 pm
That could be a cool commercial. Buff walking around with Toby hanging on his back. All they need is a miniature horse and a bulldog. It should be a series of commercials with them going around doing pranks.
Alan R.
November 29th, 2010
2:04 pm
It should be a series of commercials with them going around doing pranks.
The series of images I got of that were priceless. You, sir, owe me a new monitor!
Smoothie
November 29th, 2010
2:08 pm
cousin eddie – love it! Perhaps there’s a popular mini-creature from Sweden they could use. It could be a real nuisance eating all of Buff’s snacks from the pantry and chewing up his rap CD’s. Also, since Tobes is a big fan of rap (he likes “sick flow”), it would be hysterical seeing Toby try to convince Big Buff that he actually knows Ludacris or Big Boi and prove it by having T-Pain invite Enstrom onto his boat party with other rappers, but giving Big Buff the cold shoulder cuz he’s a Cubs fan or something silly like that.
Spud Webb
November 29th, 2010
2:09 pm
ahahhahaha WBF, agreed, Millbury always has been a moron, not sure there is much more he can say or do to make him look worse!!
cousin Eddie
November 29th, 2010
2:16 pm
How about they have a dog that they try to teach to play hockey with a stick in its mouth. They could drive around Atlanta and have some impromptu street hockey and then have security chase them away. Man, is ASG hiring, I could do this, for real.
Tom
November 29th, 2010
2:20 pm
Cousin Eddie, or have the boys show up for a beer league game at the Cooler like Max did in Birmingham last year. That would get some media attention and make a great show.
Alan R.
November 29th, 2010
2:20 pm
Man, is ASG hiring, I could do this, for real.
I’ve posted on more than a few places my offer to do marketing work for them. I’m even willing to work for cheap/free, so long as it gets the name out there.
I don’t even get a herpty derpty from them. It’s a raised nose and a scoff. Because the Thrashers marketing department is doing such a good job getting the word out right now, amirite??
Hoof Arted
November 29th, 2010
2:21 pm
Is this a dream? Somebody pinch me.
What the Thrashers have done lately is amazing. But there is still too many games left before we start allocating our money to playoff tickets. Gotta keep it going!
I love how they are forcing the NHL On The Fly guys and other media types to say nice things about us!
cousin Eddie
November 29th, 2010
2:29 pm
Alan- you need to write a script and hand it to Buff personally. I think he is the personality that would enjoy that and get the idea started.
DWTOO
November 29th, 2010
2:29 pm
CE, Smoothie, et al – You guys are either 1) very creative and talented, 2) have way too much time on your hands, or 3) dropped the good acid.
Keep it up!
World Be Free
November 29th, 2010
2:45 pm
spud-remember Milbury as a Bruin? Np way that hack could play today.
HookyBob
November 29th, 2010
2:52 pm
Brendan: Have you been giving any thought to “Thrasher of the month” for Nov? That would be a good poll,..eh?
For me it is either Big Buf or Pavelec. Pav’s recent .98 save percentage is incredible. Had it been a middling .92 we’d have given up 10 more goals,..and probably wouldn’t own a 5 game win streak. His late 3rd period save definitely gave us a chance to win against the Islanders. On the other hand,…how do you argue with Bufs #s,..5 GWGs, leads NHL in points for a D-man, made JR eat crow, etc. If he continues to improve his D,..you may be hearing the words “Thrasher’s” and “Norris” in the same sentence. Bloggers,.. who is your Thrasher of the month? (Does Rammer count?)
And to think there were folks blogging that Pavs didn’t belong among the NHL’s starting goalies. That kid matured in a hurry didn’t he?
On the free tickets,…why not open up the 400 sections and sell them for $2 or $3. That may get some folks to take a look at our “grand old game.”
Larry E
November 29th, 2010
2:55 pm
Everyone call and email the local TV stations and demand that the Thrashers be given better coverage since we need and want to keep our hockey team in Atlanta. This team is putting on a great show, and I know it’s a long way to go, but give them credit for turning this season around.
Smoothie
November 29th, 2010
2:58 pm
DWTOO, Alan, cousin ed – indeed, I’ve got an overactive mind when I’m supposed to be doing other things. But hey, we’re just pointing out the obvious really. They (ASG) copied the Sopranos for their current in-house Blueland hype machine, why not copy Rob & Big…Tob(es) & Big, DUH! This is so obvious that even some internet bloggers could do it!
But seriously, impromptu street hockey game on Alabama St would be too freakin’ funny and I would PAY money to see that commercial. Buff already has a dog he’s started (or tried to) to train (see his youtube feature from his CHI days) and that could be used in the spots too. Peverley was in that adopt-a-dog PSA and it was priceless. Speaking of Pevs, or as we like to call him, Ten Gallon Dick, the boys over at TBC (well, Morty most especially), put together a whole screen play / script for an in-house Blazing Saddles meets Tombstone film: the Saga of Ten Gallon Dick and the Russian (although Kovy will need to be replaced with Burmy or something or other). Check it out if you haven’t already! http://bluelandchronicle.blogspot.com/2010/05/sometimes-youre-better-off-dead-scenes.html
BlueLander
November 29th, 2010
3:09 pm
Missed Opportunity – Nice of my season ticket rep to send me a note on Friday to allow extra time since there would be a Falcon game going on immediately prior to the Thrash-Bruins. The reps do try hard to take care of the STH’s. However, you have got to wonder what’s up with the marketing efforts of the Atlanta Spirit. 70,000 people walking right by your arena….many of whom would have gladly come in to watch hockey and have a beer…or even try out the sport for the first time…and the best you can do is pass out a few flyers…For months now they knew about the “doubleheader”…the potential to get a few thousand extra seats filled was there…may they got a 100 or so…what about an ad on the jumbotron at the Dome during a timeout…what about a promotion like show your Falcon ticket and get 2 for 1 that runs on the Falcons pre and post game shows. I took my boys to both games and it was a day that they will remember the rest of their lives. What a day! Unfortunately the arena was half filled again. The lack of concerted effort to cross-sell was a big missed opportunity.
R. Stroz
November 29th, 2010
3:10 pm
HookyBob – Give the award to Buffelec.
Alan R.
November 29th, 2010
3:16 pm
I’ve been a long time reader of the Chronicle, though I don’t comment much on their blog itself (and don’t ever get responses from them on Twitter). I love the screenplay idea. It’s really entertaining, and it’s something that should definitely get some use in the arena.
Screw the “marketing department.” We should just take over. At the very least, nothing would get done, which is a hair better than what we have today
Thrashers27
November 29th, 2010
3:17 pm
It’s almost scary to see so much positive press and overall positive feeling surrounding the team right now.
I can’t help but have an uneasy feeling in the back of my mind like, okay, when are the wheels gonna fall off.
Keep working hard, boys!
Thrashers27
November 29th, 2010
3:21 pm
…oh yeah, I see Colorado’s Stewart is now injured. That’s a shame. Would have been fun to see the brothers play against one another.
SomaAtl95
November 29th, 2010
3:43 pm
Recently I have tried sending suggestions to 11alive and Fox5 about watching the Thrashers more. Brought up how there are more men of color on this team than any other team and how they are making an extremely positive impact (Thinking it may help attendance bringing in an urban as well as suburban flow of new fans) and even suggested if NBC picks up the Thrashers/Pens game late in season as their “NBC Game of the Week” it would be huge for 11alive IF they start planting the seed now. That takes effort though and takes away from the relentless coverage of Football (NFL, College and High School) I just don’t understand Atlanta media, Vick comes along and the media eats it up and all the sudden the Falcons start selling out games (granted vick sold out the falcons, fans and Atlanta overall with his out and out lies about “not doing anything illegal”) – you would think between Big Buff, Stewart, Johnny O, and Kaner the Media would focus on the fact that its a sport for everyone and they could use the support of more fans. Maybe V-103 could truly be “The Peoples Station” and interview Big Buff each week. Aside from the AJC getting any hockey coverage in Atlanta is NEXT.TO.IMPOSSIBLE.
We hafta push WSB, WAGA, WXIA and WGCL to SUPPORT ALL SPORTS IN TOWN.
Anyone have any ideas on how we can push a demand for more local media coverage?
Thrashers27
November 29th, 2010
3:48 pm
I hear what you’re saying Soma, and I’d love to see the extra coverage you’re pushing for, but I don’t like it when people pay extra attention to someone because of something they have no control over. Skin color should be ignored, not treated as a marketing gimmick.
If they pay extra attention to the team, because they’re playing well and creating a buzz, then I’m all for it.
@not_CThorburn
November 29th, 2010
3:55 pm
note to self: scoring goals is less painful than blocking shots.
Also, go back and watch Kane’s fight again. See Hunwick pulling up on the leg of Kane’s shorts half way through the fight trying to dump him? He clearly had had enough long before Kane was through with him. What a loser!
World Be Free
November 29th, 2010
4:13 pm
$1 hot dogs were a good idea
SomaAtl95
November 29th, 2010
4:20 pm
Thrashers27, I more than understand that skin color doesn’t matter, however this is Atlanta where the Mike Vick debacle was made into a race issue when he caused his issues. It wasn’t that he lied to the owner, coaching staff, fellow player and city about his off field activities, his troubles were vilified as racism and you’ll still find people in the Falcons blogs who beat that dead horse.
Listen, I could care less if we had a player from another planet who was purple and green with orange polka-dots, if he scores, backchecks and plays well with the team, I welcome it… the sad truth of it is that hockey is not considered a sport for fans of African heritage in Atlanta because of the perception that no black people play the game. I don’t see it is a “Marketing Gimmick” showing our players of color to an area known for its strides in Equality and Civil Rights, I see it as a way for these guys to say to citizens of a city that would otherwise look them over “Hey, this game is for everyone, and you’ll be surprised at what you see”
The only way to get more fans from a city that is a melting pot is to show that the team itself is a very hard working (and successful as of late) melting pot of players from all backgrounds.
And I seem to remember when the All Star game was here there being a ceremony about diversity in the game. I saw THAT as a marketing ploy, simply because the game was in Atlanta – ground zero of the civil rights movement.
Point is without more media coverage and without showing ALL citizens of Atlanta what they are missing we will not see a whole bunch of sellout games – and we need a full arena every night.
Am I wrong?
World Be Free
November 29th, 2010
4:22 pm
The Thrashers are listed 21 out of 30 on The Fourth Period’s Power Rankings. Four of the Thrashers’ recent victims, Boston (#10), Montreal (#5), Washington (#3) and Detroit (#1) place alot higher than our current slot-I think that will change this week.
What makes me real happy? New Jersey is 28 out of 30. Hope Mr. First Class Organization is happy!
Thrashers27
November 29th, 2010
4:41 pm
Yeah, I hear what you’re saying and I understand that you’re wanting to boost the AIS factor. (Asses in Seats.) I agree with you there, but one of the things I love most about hockey is that race really isn’t a factor in the sport. Everybody is welcome and skin color is just not an issue like it is in the rest of the world.
I think we’re on the same page. I just don’t want to see race become an issue in hockey. It’s great that we have players like Kane, Iginla, Subban, Buff, etc, etc, but it’s not really an issue. They’re just part of a team and part of the league.
Alan R.
November 29th, 2010
4:56 pm
The Thrashers are listed 21 out of 30 on The Fourth Period’s Power Rankings.
They’re also listed at #18, I think, on The Hockey News.
#9 on ESPN and #4 on TSN evens things out considerably.
Thrashers27
November 29th, 2010
5:01 pm
They’re listed at #13 on Sportsnet.ca
Joe Friday
November 29th, 2010
5:28 pm
If they keep winning, the seats will be full, don’t sweat it. Winning = ticket sales in Atlanta
kracker
November 29th, 2010
5:56 pm
Interesting……tweet – BenThrashers @mirtle Byfuglien scores more, shoots more, hits more, has more gwg and has same +/- as Lidstrom. No way Lidstrom should be ahead of Buff.
Obviously, people in these parts agree w/ James Mirtle. And that is the same +/- on a team w/ a lot of new parts still coming together as on the veteran Wings team, giving the advantage to Buff, one might suggest.
kracker
November 29th, 2010
6:13 pm
Oh, wait…that was Ben’s comment, not Mirtle. duh …Anyway, they are batting it back and forth. But there is not much chance Buff would get more votes than Lidstrom. He would have to win the Hart, too
glovesave29
November 29th, 2010
7:00 pm
I think a cool local TV ad campaign with some humor would get some buzz…how about this. All the Thrashers players all having their clothes custom tailored to have “ATLANTA” down the arm like on the home blues. Buff going down to some Buckhead Life restaurant with it down his polo shirt. Ladd could be at a wedding with it down his tux sleeve. A player could be at a tattoo parlor getting it inked on…
cousin Eddie
November 29th, 2010
7:25 pm
I like it glovesave29- Just saw Matt Hunwick got traded to the Avs. I guess round two of Kane vs. Hunwick is Tuesday.
cousin Eddie
November 29th, 2010
7:28 pm
They could do ads with players working at Home Depot or going to the Georgia Aquarium and freezing one of the tanks and playing hockey on it. Get the corporate sponsors involved. I still like the Rob & Big Black spoof idea. My dad has 4 miniature horses. Just need to find a bulldog and we could get it started!
HooBob
November 29th, 2010
7:44 pm
Guess the “k” and “y” keys weren’t working on the sign-in eh?
If Dudley were in charge of marketing he’d make lemonade out of lemons. This is what I would have expected at yesterday’s Falcons game,..jumbotron Thrasher ads (during the game) featuring Kane distorting Cooke’s face and Big Buf going coast to coast, scoring, and pointing to the “Atlanta” on his arm. Then Thrash and the Ice Girls at the exits selling $3 tickets, with a coupon for either “one free beer” or “$5 off on food.” Get them in the building,..the game will sell itself. Also think $3 tickets for the 400’s will bring folks out,…and then back,..in the higher price lower bowl.
Smoothie, don’t forget Evander Holyfield and Tom Glavin in your marketing. Possibilities are endless for ads featuring the two Evanders.
Liked Alan’s line of “The best is yet to come.”
Rammer’s post game press conferences on the Thrashers website should be mandatory reading. His comments show what a great teacher he really is. Makes me think Stroz and I could be a shutdown D-pair, and we are both shorter than Koby, if we listen to him. Stroz do you want to be the “stay at home” or the “rush up the ice” guy?
Rumor has it Milbury and Roenik are starting a consulting company,..it’ll be called “Loose Cannon Consulting.” With their mouths,… a LLC would be the best business format. They would then be the “LCC LLC.”
We are now ranked somewhere between 4th (TSN) and 24th (CNN/SI) according to the power-rankings. Some folks just take longer to come around.
One other thing not to be overlooked in this team coming together (JF mentioned it a blog or two ago) is naming Andrew Ladd captain, along with A’s for Buf and Toby. So now can “Andrew and the Laddies” or is it “Laddie and the Boys” take this show on the road and make it work. I have to believe so. We were strong on the road earlier this year.
Go Blue,..beat the Aves.
Alan R.
November 29th, 2010
7:45 pm
Apparently, Mr. Hunwick wants a rematch with Evander Kane so badly, he got traded to the Avs today.
http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_16736392
Round 2… FIGHT!
UniversalDawg
November 29th, 2010
7:58 pm
It is actually fun to watch this team. It is a blue collar team with no star power but they will play you hard for 60 minutes. Finally, we are able to witness 5 on 5 hockey instead of 4 on 5 while #17 skates around the blue line looking for a break away pass. It looks like the Thrashers made more than one trade with the Devils. We traded places in the standings too.
Rawhide
November 29th, 2010
10:47 pm
OK…I think you guys have had enough fun with this blog. So here’s another one to kick around while we wait for Tuesday night’s game.
backcheck
November 30th, 2010
5:07 pm
Sometimes it takes a Ducks fan. Told you guys this Thrashers team was better than you all thought a month ago, lol.
Dudley and Ramsey are the real deal. Enjoy the ride guys.
R. Stroz
December 1st, 2010
9:09 am
LAST!
Rawhide
December 6th, 2010
2:10 pm
R. Stroz – Nope.