Outside of losing to Canucks, ‘it was a wonderful game’ for Thrashers
I didn’t make it to last night’s game…instead I attended my son’s JROTC annual military ball. However, I have viewed the highlights and read some of the write-ups about it and from what I gather, it pretty much came down to Vancouver making the most of the chances afforded them and one Mr. Roberto Luongo.
Well, there’s a reason why the Canucks have the best record in the NHL I guess. Good teams find a way to work out Ws and make their goalie’s efforts stand up.
With the 3-1 win in Atlanta…their seventh consecutive on the road… Vancouver set an all-time franchise record with 24 wins away from home this season. Their 49-17-9 record for 107 also sets a new high for that organization.
Bryan Little streaks past Vancouver's Mason Raymond on his way to the Thrashers only goal Friday night. Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo stopped the other 30 shots he faced in the 3-1 win over Atlanta (Photo Michelle Rivers)
For the Thrashers, it was another game in which they played well but allowed things to slip away during a short window of time. Two second period goals by Vancouver was pretty much all the scoring needed by the visiting team. Mason Raymond started things off 5:08 into the period and Alexandre Bolduc doubled the lead 7:16 later …the first going five-hole on Chris Mason, the other zipping over his glove on a breakaway.
Bryan Little’s solo-effort tally was the only goal that beat Luongo, who saved the other 30 he faced.
Thrashers coach Craig Ramsay pointed to that small stretch of time as the deciding factor in the game. “Five minutes”, he lamented. “Five minutes where we tried to do a little too much and we got trapped. Against a good team you can’t get trapped where you are stuck on the ice.”
“Other than that it was a wonderful game.”
Ramsay’s had a lot of chances to make that kind of evaluation after games in the last two and a half months.
Moving forward, the Thrashers will go from facing the best the league has to offer to the last place in the east Ottawa Senators. The Sens will be in town for a Sunday afternoon matinee tomorrow and with a win, coupled with a Panthers loss to Pittsburgh, would actually climb out of the east’s basement.
Then the Thrashers will begin their 2011 Spring Spoiler Tour to close out the 2010-11 campaign. Tuesday night they’ll begin a five-game road trip that will take them to Montreal, Philadelphia, Boston, Nashville and New York to face the Rangers. All of those teams are currently jockeying for playoff positioning.
They’ll close out the season at home against the Carolina Hurricanes and Pittsburgh Penguins.
Following their 4-3 win in Tampa last night, the Canes remain three points behind the Buffalo Sabres who hold the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Buffalo topped the Florida Panthers 4-2 Friday night.
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126 comments Add your comment
Red Light
March 28th, 2011
9:09 am
Size, skating ability and skill is a pretty good start for a young defenseman. Awareness, reading the play, positional play can be taught if the player has the mental capacity to learn. Those are traits shared by Bogosian and Coburn.
The question for the panel: Can you learn to play with heart? a) Yes, b) no, c) explain
R. Stroz
March 28th, 2011
9:34 am
Red Light – The right coach can add “heart” to a player, however the player must have a certain level of desire to demand “heart” from himself.
I’ve coached alot of young men. In tryouts, I had a knack for picking out the players who had “heart” and letting the “talented” soft players move on. A player with heart and a brain can be “coached up,” unfortunately a soft player usually stays a “tin man”.
AtlFlamesFan
March 28th, 2011
9:42 am
“Tin Man”. Did someone mention Patrik Stefan?
Smoothie
March 28th, 2011
9:42 am
Juniors in college usually stop making so many mental errors. Just wondering when Z-Bo is going to show a little more consistency in his decision-making. Progress is being made and we can only hope he is a scintillating senior if he’s still with the team next fall.
Swede
March 28th, 2011
10:13 am
Why is even burmi out there? He doesnt contribute much at all, playing with boulton and thorby on the 4th line. WHY isnt he playing in ohl and getting alot more TOI including alot of PP.
So why does burmi play in the nhl? Because we dont have anyone better on our roster or prospects. Lets say he would have been drafted by detroit, would he have been rushed to the nhl first season? NO.. Cause they have better players playing on his position and they WOULDNT rush him. Same with bogosian and kane. It comes to the organisation, it´s their fault…
Bag of Turds
March 28th, 2011
10:16 am
“We never had enough time to breal down Coburn’s play before he was traded for a bag of turds”
I take great exception to that comment and I am deeply offended!
AtlFlamesFan
March 28th, 2011
10:28 am
I wouldn’t go as far as saying Burmi does not contribute, but yes, he would have been better off playing Jr. And why is he skating with guys who cannot skate with him?
World Be Free
March 28th, 2011
10:57 am
Bag of Turds-even Sabres’ fans were smart enough to know Zhitnik was a stiff, before we traded a prime prospect for his “talents”. Something else a defenseman needs to acquire to be good-discipline. Bogo has very little of this trait.
Good time to talk about Burmi, as long as we are talkign about bringing up Bogosian too soon. Burmie started strong, then had a lull in his play before breaking a bone in his foot. This guys is just coming off a broken wheel! His play has been better since his return.
Dipping Sauce
March 28th, 2011
10:59 am
Mmmm yumm! A bag of turds!! Gimme!
Red Light
March 28th, 2011
11:04 am
Burmistrov is filling a need and is not playing the role he will be assigned in the very near future. Compared to Skinner, Marchand, Grabner, etc., Burmistrov hasn’t had the opportunity to play with other skilled players very often this season. Don’t give up on this kid! He’s a player.
Zombie Steve
March 28th, 2011
11:08 am
Impressed with Little’s play lately – I hope he breaks 20 goals…
Red Light
March 28th, 2011
11:14 am
Burmistrov is 15th of all NHL rookie forwards in even strength points, but 33rd in even-strength ice time. He has no power play points at all this season and has averaged just :19 per game on that unit, but is 16th among rookie forwards in shorthanded time on ice at 1:03 per game.
One area that he needs a lot of work is in the face-off circle. He has taken 600 draws and has won only 292 of those.
Red Light
March 28th, 2011
11:15 am
“One area that he needs a lot of work is in the face-off circle. He has taken 600 draws and has won only 292 of those.”
Sorry, it is only 242 wins, not 292.
Bag of Turds
March 28th, 2011
11:16 am
“Bag of Turds-even Sabres’ fans were smart enough to know Zhitnik was a stiff, before we traded a prime prospect for his “talents”. Something else a defenseman needs to acquire to be good-discipline. Bogo has very little of this trait.”
Which is exactly why I take such exception to being compared to Zhitnik and demand an immediate retraction!
Smoothie
March 28th, 2011
11:17 am
Burmy’s gonna be a stud. He’s the closest thing we’ll have to Capt Serious. Kid is all about hockey and winning in the NHL. Loved how he trashed the KHL this spring after he was drafted (a league for old men). Alex will eventually be our top C, I honestly believe that. And I don’t think it’ll take as long as Zach’s development. Assuming he can add the requisite 10-15 lbs to get up to and stay at 195-200, he should blossom by his 3rd year barring an injury-free run.
Zombie – Amen brother, Little has been relentless and he has worked his butt off all year. He doesn’t seem to let adversity get in the way as much as he did last year. The idea of he and Burmy anchoring our two top lines for years to come is okay by me. Get some more talent and skills on the wing and we’ll be okay.
World Be Free
March 28th, 2011
11:25 am
B-O-T
Makes it even scarier that we would trade more than a 4th round pick for Zhitnik, talk about a panic move!
World Be Free
March 28th, 2011
11:26 am
Red Light – agreed on Burmie, he needs to hit the weight room.
Russian
March 28th, 2011
11:27 am
**to Smoothie**
You read my mind. I just spoke to my friends in Russia and they asked me about Burmy. I told them, that he can be moved to Second line Center for next year. Kane and Burmy can be good pair, but Dudley has to find good and expirience Winger with 20-25 goals per season for this line.
Thrashers
March 28th, 2011
11:32 am
We are not out of the playoffs dammit!!!!
Thrashers
March 28th, 2011
11:33 am
………playoff contention yet. damn
Smoothie
March 28th, 2011
11:37 am
WBF – can’t believe you’re conversing with a Bag of Turds!!
Russian – no doubt my friend, get that kid a big vat of borscht to soak in all summer long!!
Red Light
March 28th, 2011
11:45 am
Not sure beet soup will help Burmi put on weight Smoothie. Give him large doses of Pelmeni!
Rawhide
March 28th, 2011
11:50 am
This is your official 10-minute Ranallo Warning. New blog to be posted in ten minutes.
World Be Free
March 28th, 2011
12:02 pm
Just in time for lunch….
R. Stroz
April 1st, 2011
1:23 am
LAST
Rawhide
April 1st, 2011
11:23 am
R. Stroz – Nope.