Thrashers shuffle off to Buffalo in desperate need of a win
Tonight the Thrashers will take on the Sabres up in Buffalo and are in desperate need of coming out western New York with a pair of points. Break it down however you like, tonight’s matchup is just the latest verse in this seasons, “Thrashers Need A Win Real Bad” song.
To illustrate this point let’s turn our attention to the Eastern Conference standings, shall we…
Atlanta and Buffalo both find themselves sitting in the ninth and tenth position in the Eastern Conference. Each has 60 points but the Sabres have two games in hand. Right above them are Carolina and the New York Rangers with 65 and 68 points respectively. The Rangers are coming off a shootout win against the Canes last night. And after their 3-2 win in Vancouver last night, Montreal sits in sixth place with 71 points.
Lurking just below is Toronto, Florida and New Jersey. Thanks to a 2-1 win over the Islanders, the Leafs are but a single point behind the Thrashers while the Panthers have 57 points. The Devils are sitting now at 56 points after Johan Hedberg turned aside all 19 Stars shots faced during a 1-0 win in Dallas.
New Jersey is now an amazing 16-1-2 in their last 19 games.
While the Thrashers attempt to rattle the Sabres tonight, Florida will be in Ottawa to play the Senators. Toronto plays in Montreal tomorrow. On Friday, Carolina hosts Pittsburgh, the Rangers are in Washington and the Devils are in Tampa.
It’s Not Easy Being Green in Blueland
Normally when the Buffalo Sabres are our opponents, I find myself with a serious case of goalie envy. I’ve always been a big Ryan Miller fan and have wished we could have someone like that manning the Thrashers nets over the past several years. But today, as the two teams prepare to square off, I find myself turning green because that organization is preparing to begin a new era under the ownership of Terry Pegula.
It appears Sabres fans will have an owner who not only is a huge fan of the team and the sport, but it looks like he has an understanding of what it takes to run a franchise.
Speaking at HSBC Arena yesterday, Pegula stated, “Starting today, there will be no financial mandates on the Buffalo Sabres hockey department”. He later added, “Starting today, the Buffalo Sabres’ reason for existence will be to win a Stanley Cup”.
Wow…imagine that.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman had words of praise for the Sabres new owner adding that it was “a dream come true for the league because we know this franchise is in great hands”.
…sigh…
And Speaking of New Owners…
While is seems ownership issues will not be a problem up in Buffalo any time soon, we here in Thrasherville can still only hope for such a day. To help move that process forward, season ticket holder Chris Ciovacco is looking to get the attention of local elected officials in this video which he has asked me to share with you.
Ciovacco is the person who has started up the Keep The Thrashers movement and is planning a gathering at the Taco Mac next to Philips Arena Sunday afternoon. I’ll be there and hope to see you as well.
Where else I hope to see you is in the seats of Philips Arena come game time Friday and Sunday. Voicing concern is great and all that, and I support every fan’s efforts to show their support for the team. But nothing trumps butts in seats when it comes to showing any would-be investor that may be “kicking the tires” exactly what NHL hockey in this town can be again.
If you’re still looking to procure your tickets for this weekend and other upcoming games, again I invite you to click –>HERE<– and use the promo code RAWHIDE.
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234 comments Add your comment
Donovan McNubb
February 24th, 2011
9:44 am
I’m sure the coach deserves some of the blame… but considering he has the second-lowest payroll in the league, is he really the scapegoat here? Do you honestly think Torchetti or an outsider could take this team right now and get them winning consistently? Come on mayn, This roster is too young and too thin. Don’t be fooled by our three-week hot streak way back in November. Almost every team in the league — even the freakin Islanders and the Oilers — have went on some decent winning streaks this year. That doesn’t mean they’re truly ready for primetime.
kj
February 24th, 2011
10:01 am
Rob Ray, the former Sabre said it best on the 4th goal when he noticed that the Thrasher D was “Just standing around, not finding anyone”. That was Byfuglien and Enstrom. “Buff” is more like “Puff”, he is playing so soft in his own zone it’s pathetic. You’d think he’d be a force, one that teams would not want to be in front of the net or in the corner to face. Not so much. If he’s going to think he can play like Lidstrom, he better get WAY better at his stick and positioning in the D zone.
When our guys were in front of the net and a rebound was there, at least one of them ended up on their arse. Rebounds in front of our net? Did you see Sabre’s getting knocked down? Not much if any. I agree that Rammer’s instilled some kind of non-aggressive style or damn voodoo but I thought Torch would at least get in the D’s face and DEMAND some physical, hard nose “you’ll pay for trying to sit in front of our net attitude” and it’s simply not there. Not everyone can be a physical defenseman (Enstrom, Hainsey) but guys like Puff and Bogo HAVE TO BE. Thank God for Stuart, at least someone will occasionally pay the price now.
Joe McGrath
February 24th, 2011
10:06 am
I don’t buy into the low-payroll-is-our-problem idea. I look to Nashville as an example. They’ve had one coach in their entire history and they compete. Barry Trotz, year after year, takes young, low paid players and teaches them how to play solid, tough, defensive minded hockey.
Smoothie
February 24th, 2011
10:07 am
“Buff” is more like “Puff”, he is playing so soft in his own zone it’s pathetic.”
The double standard has been there all season. Prior to the injury to Toby’s hand, the deficiencies in Buff’s game were somewhat masked AND he was scoring consistently to offset his minuses. However, the more your highest paid player is coddled and held to a different standard, the more it screws up the mental aspect of the team. You can overcome this when you have guys like Slater, Burmy, even Eager busting their rears to get back and help out the D. But lately that help has been waning. Either they are giving up because they have not been able to get over the hump on all of these one-goal games, or they are just playing scared waiting for someone else to save the day. I don’t know, but when I see Ramsay over on the bench with his arms crossed looking forlorn, it makes me very, very sad and angry.
Joe Friday
February 24th, 2011
10:12 am
“You want to name those “elite” pieces for me Joe Friday? Ready go…”
Been there, done it. Feel free to go back and read the blog where we discussed it right after Dudley made the comment. And Dudley’s right, there are 14 solid pieces here in place. We have players, we need a top line center and top 6 scoring winger, and a dman to replace Sopel/Stuart. Put those key pieces in place, and a real head coach with the ability to lead an NHL club, and watch it all happen (right here in Philips Arena–got good news from a birdie yesterday) next season.
Red Light, I love you, man and you’re very knowledgeable about the game. But you’re letting your friendship or whatever with Ramsay cloud your judgement here, in my opinion. He has been a problem all year, from his inability early on to manage game situations (which is a major reason we give up so many back to back goals, he doesn’t make the proper line changes, get centers in to take key faceoffs, etc.), and now it’s his inability to change up his system when other clubs start countering our scheme.
Another great guy, like Waddell, that just isn’t cut out for the job he currently has.
Alan R.
February 24th, 2011
10:18 am
In just a couple short hours, we find out who won the Zherdev lottery.
Smoothie
February 24th, 2011
10:19 am
Joe F – and you forgot his failure to improve zone entries on the PP, the lack of creativity on the PP with seemingly no set plays other than a F/O win for a quick Buff blast, a failure to go into an aggressive NZ trap when up by a goal after the mid-point of a game, a lack of physicality by our d-men in front of our own net because we’re fixated on making the “smart” play with our sticks, and a stubborn reliance on wall plays that every team is taking away from us — how many times did Buffalo d-men pin our forwards to the wall last nite when we did carry it in? I could go on and on and on, but the point remains that Ramsay has not really done anything to improve this team in the 2nd half of the year despite the fact that many of the players were showing improvement early on and responding to his teaching. Head coaching is a chess game and for Ramsay lately, checkmate keeps coming between the 38th and 42 minute of play. Not a coincidence anymore.
World Be Free
February 24th, 2011
10:19 am
kj-nobody kicking Buff inthe ass when he goes back to the bench.
Nobody getting on Toby for his giveaway on the first goal.
Fan-I think Bettman’s recent remarks and his tone show that he is more than aware of what’s going on here. If there is work being done, you be certain we will not know about it until something concrete has been determined. The world is already full of too many distractions.
kj
February 24th, 2011
10:20 am
Smoothie, I agree. The forwards have not been helping in our zone like they need to be and losing Slater started the slide. Not saying it’s a direct correlation but the tide definitely turned.
With Puff, he’s more concerned with his offense and having the energy to attack when he’s on the ice. He plays like if he gives too much effort in the D zone, he won’t have it to make a rush up ice.
Maybe the team needs to be forced to watch video of teams that know how to play both ways, like the Red Wings. Watch a game and pay attention to the way their forwards skate back HARD every shift. And while they’re at it, make sure Puff watches Brad Stuart more than Nick Lidstrom.
Joe Friday
February 24th, 2011
10:22 am
Oh, and you want to question Buf’s toughness? Big picture and perspective, fellas. It’s something that helps, don’t look at one game, or one play, look at the whole picture here.
Last year Buf went toe to toe with this puscatore of a dman Philly had in the greatest series in hockey, some schlub named Pronger. I hear Prongers a real Nancy, eh? Lets guys camp in front of his goaler?
Lots of guys on our club have banged in the past. But how many hits do we have as a team this year? How many times have you seen one of our guys go after an opposing player for getting in our goalies grill? How many times have you seen one of our guys go after an opposing player after Kane or someone gets their clock cleaned?
How many times? I saw Eager do it once and I never saw Eager put a Thrasher sweater on again.
That comes from the head coach. It’s patently clear that his edict to the team is to not take penalties and to not retaliate. If you recall, he was quoted early on this year as saying he didn’t like that style of play, so guess what, our players don’t play that way (or they go to hell holes like San Jose to play that style, eh?).
Buf can bang, Buf can clean clocks, he proved it against Pronger. His current coach won’t let him . . . or suffer the fate of Eager.
New coach next year, couple more key pieces added by Dudley, who has proven his ability to do so, and we will be competitive. Right here in Philips.
Joe Friday
February 24th, 2011
10:26 am
“the point remains that Ramsay has not really done anything to improve this team in the 2nd half of the year despite the fact that many of the players were showing improvement early on and responding to his teaching. Head coaching is a chess game and for Ramsay lately, checkmate keeps coming between the 38th and 42 minute of play. Not a coincidence anymore.”
Gotta get some work done but wanted to say one last thing . . . B.I.N.G.O., the most spot on comment I’ve read in quite some time from you (and ya didn’t even use the words Buffy or Laddy, talk about in season improvement!).
Zombie Steve
February 24th, 2011
10:28 am
If Ramsey pulled a “Jim Playfair” he’d probably die of a heart attack
Smoothie
February 24th, 2011
10:34 am
Joe – you must not be paying careful enough attention to my posts then!
And it’s not fair to defend Buff because of what he did against Pronger. He had one job and that was to stand in front of Pronger and take his elbows and cross-checks. He did it very well, but this is a whole different kettle of fish. Buff has been deficient in many ways on the defensive end for the entire season. It’s not just a recent development. Now I fear it will get worse now that he has his money guaranteed for 5 years. Who will be the one to maximize Buffy’s potential, cuz it sure as hell won’t be Craig Ramsay.
kj
February 24th, 2011
10:35 am
Buf can bang, Buf can clean clocks, he proved it against Pronger. His current coach won’t let him . . . or suffer the fate of Eager.
You don’t even see Puff get pissed at anyone out there, he’s not sticking up for anyone or answering a hit with a (clean) hit that would still send a message. Where’s the emotion? Hell, he’s got an extension, Rammer’s not stopping him from being an emotional, physical leader out there. Standing in front of the net on the power play is a lot easier than playing 24 minutes a game and being a force and a leader. If he wants just to score, move him to forward and put him in front of the net on the power play.
I never felt more like that needs to happen than while watching the game last night.
Mooseberg
February 24th, 2011
10:39 am
Ramsey’s “system” of no real offensive except dump and chase(which is really, dump and turn it over) doesn’t work. Ramsey’s “toned down” physical game doesn’t work at the other end of the ice either…..CHANGE IT UP OR GET OUT. Atlanta Thrashers…NOT, Atlanta Candy@sses..YES.
LAC
February 24th, 2011
10:39 am
Joe, problem is, I seriously doubt the Thrashers will be in Atlanta next season… Just don’t think so after all this MESS this season.
ThrasherTim
February 24th, 2011
10:39 am
3 words: Time to Sell.
Move Sopel or Oduya and pick up some assets to build for next year. Get Ladd signed, get another top 6 forward who can also kill penalties. Move Stewart down to the 3rd line next year and get guys healthy for next year. Maybe Mason can bounce back too.
Right now, Buff isn’t playing D very well and we have 2 AHL lines going…and Stewart has hands of steel. It is what it is after all.
Smoothie
February 24th, 2011
10:44 am
“Where’s the emotion? Hell, he’s got an extension, Rammer’s not stopping him from being an emotional, physical leader out there”
kj – well stated. I highly doubt Ramsay wanted his players to play like emotionless droids who only try to win puck battles by lifting sticks and being crafty with the blade. Watch how Burmy plays and you’ll see exactly how Ramsay wants them to play. The kid bangs when necessary, isn’t afraid of contact and will do whatever it takes along the wall to keep the puck. It’s a damn shame Bogey had to break his foot with what was probably another slapshot wide of the net!
Iron League 13
February 24th, 2011
10:49 am
Joe McGrath – good point on Trotz, I do think payroll to some degree determines the quality of a player, but I see a lot of merit in your observation.
Smoothie – RIght on about Buff and Enstrom, AGAIN. Buff DOES NOT play to his size AT ALL. He should be a a much more intimidating presence than he is. If he wants to play offensive minded hockey so much, why is he on D? Better question for Rammer about Buff is, with all the mind numbing experiments in line pairings and the bottom feeder play and the Stuart acquisition and the need for a more scoring and the lack of help coming and Buff’s PROVEN talent at his office in front of the net, why, why, WHY hasn’t he been moved up front?
Smoothie
February 24th, 2011
10:55 am
IR13 – as bad as our defense has been since, well, most of the year, tell me this line-up wouldn’t fare a little better at getting some loose pucks and scoring a coulple more goals:
Kane – Litts – Buffy
Laddy – Wheeler – Bergy
______ – Burmy – Antro (oh yeah, Eager would look pretty good there!)
We were already pretty bad with Burmy, now where are totally imbalanced with really no talent or skill at all on the bottom 6. Antro needs a puck possesser to make up for his bum hip and slowness and Burmy and he seemed to be meshing well last Nov/Dec even with Eager as a LW. Hell, I’d be fine with Antro-Burmy-Thorbs since Thorbs loves to get greasy, but the Kane-Antro-Stewy line is proving to be a disaster again, like it did briefly earlier in the year.
Sage of Bluesland
February 24th, 2011
10:57 am
“You don’t even see Puff get pissed at anyone out there, he’s not sticking up for anyone or answering a hit with a (clean) hit that would still send a message. Where’s the emotion?…”
This is the comment which is spot-on. “Puff”, indeed.
I predict Joe-Bob-Friday will tell us he knew “all along” that “Puff” was a waste of money….Blaming “Puff” not doing something on the ice in the heat of a game on the head coach is quite a reach. Then again, I’m used to seeing this type of lunacy from certain elements of Thrashersland.
Where is the PRIDE, then? If the answer is “he has none now that he got his money”, then that’s not the player to build around….This is so obvious it’s not even funny anymore. It will be interesting to see how many years it takes before the peanut-gallery resoundingly criticizes the signing of “Puff”. I’ll start the bidding at this time next year. (i.e. one-year)
There is also a serious failure to misunderstand the trends/patterns which are obvious to me. Who here remembers our winning streak when Donald Audette was here…yes, it was only a brief time but, guess what, it was ALSO in November/December. Haven’t we had numerous “hot” streaks EARLY in the year? Funny that we don’t seem to have too many such “hot” streaks to conclude a season, isn’t it?
A wise hockey man once told me that it wasn’t until January till the ‘real’ teams start showing up, gearing up for the stretch run….i.e. they spend the first couple of months tweaking things and getting their “sea-legs” under them. He was right. The (regular) season is a marathon, not a dash.
So, Joe-Bob-Friday-Revisionist-Historian, you are putting far too much credit on the brief streak thinking it was against top teams at the top of their game. I’m not buying it at all.
(Please remember where you heard that first, ok?)
Tom
February 24th, 2011
10:57 am
If you have any of the games saved on Tivo from the winning streak, take a look and compare them to the February Thrashers.
The biggest difference?
Rammer put the Greek Gods together and the team responded. These guys went into the corners, made plays, wore down the oppositions d-men, and created havoc. Plus, we were able to roll 4 lines regularly.
Remember Bolton did not have a negative game for the first third of the season.
The Thrashers had the formula, Slater was a HUGE part of it.
Now we roll 3 lines and they are tired by the 3rd period trying to play Rammer’s uptempo style. The opposition concentrates on our point guys taking away the outside shot. And we have lost that edge in front of the net.
We have the skill players for the long term minus a scoring forward. What we need now is getting our checking line put back together and getting mean in front of the net. Iron League and Smoothie have it right. Let’s get Buff hitting again and clearing space.
Let’s look back and find the formula for success and try to finish out the year. Then really implement it for next year.
Iron League 13
February 24th, 2011
11:00 am
Smoothie, damn skippy. That top six could be tough and I dig it.. Imagine if we could somehow even get Antro to pretend he’s actually as big as he is as a 3rd line center too and get Thorbs on the 4th and that’s better than nothing. Of course Ramsay would have to put the kibosh on his alleged “let’s play nice and fair, boys” strategy.
Tom Lysiak
February 24th, 2011
11:01 am
Now that Dudley got a 4-year extension, we will see if he is either running or just part of a “good-old-boys friend network” here, or if he intends on building a winner. We all heard him say what type of players he wants here, what type of game he wants played here. What we don’t know is what type of deal Dudley, Ramsay and Torch had worked out when they all signed. Maybe he was just giving Ramsay a year to see how it went. There WAS some reason Torch left the Hawks to come down here. To me, the way the second half of the season has gone, if Ramsay remains it smacks of a buddy thing. If Torch takes over or someone else comes in, it means he’s serious about icing a winner. Plus, Dudley has his own work cut out for him reworking this roster.
Sage of Bluesland
February 24th, 2011
11:01 am
Interesting points, Tom…I interpret what you’re saying is that, figuratively, the chef ran out of ingredients to make the same meal.
I think there is truth to that, in many ways. I think the ingredients aren’t long-lasting, either. I think the ingredients have only so much ceiling.
But, I also think the kitchen is destined for failure and should be condemned….but that’s something else entirely.
Try as you might, “system” changes don’t make silk purses out of sows’ ears…You’ll pull the “1980 miracle” occasionally–but not in a marathon…
Iron League 13
February 24th, 2011
11:06 am
I hate to admit, but I like Sage’s marathon analogy. That said his roster fooled me and reformed my past persistent naysaying, if only for a moment, but it did.
Rawhide
February 24th, 2011
11:06 am
…sigh…
To all of you who have called for coach Ramsay to be let go, I have to say I’ve come to the conclusion that you may be right.
And here are about 1,300 words that explain why I think that should happen.
Fair or not…a change needs to be made.
Iron League 13
February 24th, 2011
11:06 am
this roster (rather)
Smoothie
February 24th, 2011
11:08 am
The saddest thing is that this team has outshot its opponents over the last 7 games by a margin of 257 to 212, and many of them were close games until the 38th minute of play or early 3rd period. This isn’t so much a failure of the system as it is a failure to teach guys how to neutralize an opponent. Too often, after a good offensive flurry (and no goal again), we fall back into “safe” mode using nothing but our sticks and trying to clog up shooting lanes, but no one attacks the puck or attempts to neutralize the man with the puck even after he passes it.
If you don’t make the other team pay the price even when you’re tired, what good is it to sit back and wait for a loose puck? Even when we do get to the loose puck, we make a weak, half-hearted attempt at a clear on our backhand because our D-men are on the wrong side with their forehand to the outside. That’s killing us when it comes to loose puck battles IN FRONT of our net. So many issues, not enough time left in the season. Poop.
Joe Friday
February 24th, 2011
11:09 am
boys, how ’bout dem apples:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxBKae8sfu0&feature=fvw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pe7wVr-eSg0&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gms04nF3l74&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwntJlNNcKg&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90AxgY_jWK0&feature=related
Tony C
February 24th, 2011
11:09 am
In a desperate attempt to change the subject….I really enjoyed Jake Snyder’s color commentary on the radio last night-what did yall think?
Frosty the snowman
February 24th, 2011
11:31 am
“Puff” (ha ha, love it!) Just won a stanley cup and is now on a 5 year paid vacation in booland. Players come here to get paid and play mediocre. They can come here and put in a half effort and be rewarded.
This franchise is a joke! I will NOT be going to any game(unless I get free tix) until a new owner comes in a revamps the ENTIRE franchise. Starting with the removal of Don Wadell. Do not be fooled, he still has his hand in the team, he was at the draft, probably has the final say in trades.
If another investor is added to current owners, it would be like dropping another terd in a clogged toilet.
Everything has to change– owners gotta go, president gone, get a real head coach, scouts need to be overhauled, get rid of the fluffer Darren Elliot, Dudley says we have 14 solid pieces… he’s gotta go as well, sounds like Wadell and his many blunders of our young talent. This team has 14 solid pieces to finish in the bottom of the league.
The only thing that changes with our franchise is the players who want to win leave.
Tony C
February 24th, 2011
12:30 pm
I could see where Dudley gets the “14 pieces”-let’s look at guys who truly can play (maybe not dominate, but play) in the NHL:
Pavelec
Ladd
Enstrom
Kane
The Byfuglien
Little
Bogosian
Bergfors/Hopefully we can get equal value
Wheeler
Antropov
Hainsey
Oduya
Stuart
Slater
Burmistrov (after a cycle or two this summer)
Postma (see above)
Kulda
While I’ll be the first to admit most of those name do not strike fear in the hearts of mortal men, it’s not as bad as some of the lineups we’ve iced. problem is, @ most positions we’re 1-1.5 players deep all those guys are capable of being solid-to-noteworthy NHL players…a few could even become “star”-level players…Now, if you can hold onto those guys and replace or add some legit NHL players around them-you’ve got a solid squad. We’re still lacking a game-changing scorer, but I see much potential for that in Kaner.
my $0.02
Hockey Biltong
February 24th, 2011
12:47 pm
400th!