Tim Stapleton knows he has to keep proving himself
When Tim Stapleton reported to the Thrashers squad last fall he knew he had a chance to prove himself. But he also knows he cannot afford to take his playing days in the NHL for granted.
After 25 games played, things weren’t going quite as he’d hoped. He had zero goals and only one assists…a secondary helper on a Nik Antropov goal during an overtime loss to the Rangers in January. Then, late last month, the Atlanta Thrashers placed Stapleton on waivers.
But the 5’-9”, 185 pound native of Illinois didn’t hang his head about the situation. Instead, after going unclaimed by the other 29 teams, he just decided to play his best and see what happened.
Tim Stapleton understands he'll have to work hard to earn a spot on this roster again next season. But he likes the Thrashers future (Photo by Michell Rivers)
“I didn’t really blame anyone for that”, Stapleton told me recently regarding being waived. “I mean, it’s part of the business. If you had to look at my production, I was working hard but wasn’t really [producing].”
“It was kind of a situation where I just had to not worry about it”, he continued. “I was just kind of like, ‘OK, I’m going to play like I can play’ and that was the game I scored against Toronto.”
That goal tied the score at 2-2 late in the third period and the Thrashers went on to win 3-2 in overtime. Four games later, he’d double his goal production for the season with an OT winner in Carolina. Including those two tallies, he lit the lamp four times in a stretch of nine games. Prior to that time, he had all of three goals in 35 NHL games.
His scoring spurt helped the Thrashers to a record of 5-3-1 during that stretch. That’s the best string of games the team has experienced during the second half of this season, and for the time gave them another chance at a final postseason push.
Stapleton credits his run to more playing time and his teammates.
“I think I started playing a little bit more, and was kind of put in more of a scoring role, and just tried to take advantage of the opportunity”, he explained. “I was just put with some good players and was in the right place at the right time.”
One thing that’s always struck me about Stapleton is the fact that he works hard every shift. His lack of offensive numbers weren’t due to any lack of effort or hustle. And if there is one thing he clearly understands, it’s that his spot on the roster is anything short of a guarantee. So he plans to work hard to remain at this level.
“I do have another year [left on the current contract], and I’m going to treat it like I’m still trying to make the team”, Stapleton said. “The thing about this business is anyone can be replaced at any time, so it’s a situation where I’m going get in the best shape I can this summer, and come in [to training camp] and look at trying to make the team first, and just go from there.”
As for what he can do to help his cause in the mean time, that answer is very simple.
“Hopefully I can keep scoring”.
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78 comments Add your comment
Portage and Main
March 29th, 2011
11:03 pm
Looking like ATL is coming to the peg… i suspect the jokes will be going to QC. NHL back in Canada!
Hoof Arted
March 29th, 2011
11:06 pm
The only thing it’s “looking like” is that Portage and Main has hit the crack pipe again.
Donovan McNubb
March 29th, 2011
11:21 pm
Stendec’s back!
hockeygoon79
March 29th, 2011
11:36 pm
In Vivlamore’s game report he says the 2 goals in 11 seconds were the 24th time back to back goals have been scored on the Thrashers in under 2 minutes. 8 times its happened in 39 seconds or less.
You would think by this point in the season somebody behind the bench would know to say, “OK guys, watch out and don’t give up another on quick”.
kracker
March 29th, 2011
11:54 pm
So that is 64 goals given up in bang-bang fashion, 2 goals in less than 40 seconds. Would halving that number have equaled another 8 points or so? Those extra-quick goals (either the first one or the second one) had to have cost us some games/points.
And it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Get a name for giving up back-to-back goals and the other players begin to look to score the second goal real quickly.
Brendan
March 30th, 2011
12:38 am
We have a few more eliminees in our AJC.com Thrashers point total contest with this regulation time loss. Anyone with 89 or 90-points is now eliminated. Those posters would be, at 90-points, Hokie P. Clisters, rightshot, Rob, Denny, and DWTOO. At 89-points, Thrashers27, FIF, Puckhead, Baldheaded Thrasher Fan, and Hip Czech.
Still alive, at 88-points, are: Darkhorse, Flagstaff, Tablehockey, and Rawhide. At 87-points are: HookyBob, Thrashdawg, Smoothie and 3stripes. At the bottom end, there are only two eliminees: LAC (71-points) and East Point Bob (60-points). Still alive at 75-points, by virtue tie-breaker criteria, is Chippers Love Child. At 77-points is Badger Bob. Nate and Jethro are next, at 78-points. At 79-points are Zoomo, Joe Friday, and Curly. No one guessed 76-points.
Likewise, no one guessed 82-points, which is seemingly what this team is on pace for. If it finishes with 82-points, we’ll go to tie-breaker criteria of (1) rank within SE division and (2) Conference rank. Still tied? We’ll declare multiple-winners this year.
World Be Free
March 30th, 2011
6:50 am
On to the next sport-so who is going to be the Braves’ closer this season?
Did not see the 3rd period, happy to have watched Dancing With The Stars instead. Doesn’t ABC know Chris Brown is a veteran of domestic violence? Oh yeah, he paid his price to society.
Dedication and determintation-two key elements to being a einning NHL team. this team does not have either, even with Stewart off the ice last night they looked no better. Nobody going to the net.
Just imagine how good a team you could field if you took all the former Thrashers currently playing int he NHL and put them on one team? Make it better by adding all the guys we passed up in the first round of the draft alone, you might be hoisting a Cup!
Swede
March 30th, 2011
8:01 am
When watching highlights, it looked like montreal had the game, best chances.
Why on earth are they falling so damn low in their zone???? They have to be more agrresive on blueline and not let them pass like they do, just like other teams…
World Be Free
March 30th, 2011
8:11 am
Swede-lack of confidence maybe? Stuart is about the only d-man that hits on a regular basis. Bogo had a better game last night, sorta
SportsFan
March 30th, 2011
9:43 am
Sure is frustrating as a fan, no doubt. 11 years in ATL and ONE playoff appearance (a four game sweep too!
)
Sage of Bluesland
March 30th, 2011
9:59 am
Don’t worry, folks—even if our “incremental progress” may be threatened by silly things such as won-loss records, we’re still well in our third “Five-Year Plan” with Don Waddell significantly involved. He even said we were “ahead of the Flyers’ progress”, so please continue supporting him and his ilk…They’re “nice” guys, anyway….
Now where-oh-where is that wittle spweadsheet which pwoves that we actually draft better than the league average? It MUST be around here somewhere?
Oh well, when still in doubt on the problems which are rife with this wretched organization, just blame it on the coach….It deflects from the true causes and allows the pitchforks to get some work out of the closet….
(When will you learn? When will you actually LISTEN?)
Cliff Fletcher
March 30th, 2011
10:12 am
sage of bluesland/////
the question is, when will YOU listen? we all know what you have been repeating constantly every 2-3 days over the past few years.
show some imagination
Tom
March 30th, 2011
10:22 am
Cliff, Sage is not here for the conversation, he is here to pontificate.
Like the guy screaming on the corner that the world is coming to an end, just duck your head and walk on by…
glovesave29
March 30th, 2011
10:26 am
Give it up Cliff – you got as much chance of talking sense into him as he does talking to a (gasp) girl. Take Tom’s advise and skip ahead to the next comment when you see his posting.
WBF – for watching DWTS…you owe a me a beer next time we meet up to watch a game. Severe loss of coolness points for that one!
Thrashers27
March 30th, 2011
10:28 am
Stuart was laying the lumber last night! He’s been a fantastic pickup!!!
blistering barnacles
March 30th, 2011
10:46 am
“But the 5’-9”, 185 pound…”
rrrrright, maybe with his skates on, in full equipment and carrying 2 bags of pucks.
LAC
March 30th, 2011
10:53 am
Disappointing game last night, felt it was within our grasp, since Montreal had not scored in 185 minutes.
Simply put, We MUST aquire a solid NHL goalie for next season. The two we have now are not
good enough to carry us to the next level.
Aslo, this up tempo offense is killing us. Leaving us exposed on defense, Look at the teams who WIN, they have LOW GA. Take Washington this season, they changed their style/system and the are scoring less, I think we have more goals than they do, BUT… look at the GA. We are Once Again at the Bottom of the NHL. I said before the season started we needed to cut down
about 60-70 goals and we would be in the playoffs… IF we HAD, we would, we DID NOT and are NOT going to be in the playoffs, Yet Again ! WHEN is this franchise going to fix itself from the GOAL OUT ? We need defense first around here, gee whiz after all these years of failure, can the people running this thing see it ? Where are you DUD dudley, could have had Cam Fowler, playing here now… But you pick some little guy who has done, frankly NOTHING, I hope you have learned, if not please RESIGN !
Zombie Steve
March 30th, 2011
11:05 am
I disagree, LAC. Pav’s is good enough and has proved it all season. He needs a decent defense corp in front of him.
litz
March 30th, 2011
11:26 am
“But the 5’-9”, 185 pound…”
Have you seen the goal celebrations? He’s standing next to Bfuglien and Antropov …
He looks like their kid brother … you almost expect one of them to reach out and muss up his hair.
OTOH, his charges through the center — with a VERY surprising burst of speed — have several times caught the opposing defense totally flat.
When Kane was dishing those cross ice passes to him, the result was devastating to the opposition.
SomaAtl95
March 30th, 2011
11:29 am
How about we just learn to clear a puck somewhat faster? I’m sure someone has been following the number of games that the Thrashers played this season where they efficiently cleared the puck and what the margin of victory was. Its hard to score on a team when you can’t establish offense in their zone. What was in the water that the Thrashers were drinking from October to December? Whatever it is sure helped them clear a puck out faster.
Red Light
March 30th, 2011
11:52 am
I believe this to be true, that the Thrashers Nik Antropov has had the largest plus/minus swing from last season to this season, edging out San Jose’s Patrick Marleau by -1. On the flip side, Milan Lucic has improved by +36 this season over last season. Here are the lists both negative and positive. Surprising to see Patrick Sharp on the negative list. Interesting!
Wrong Way: 09-10 to 10-11
Antropov +13 to -17 -30
Marleau +21 to -8 -29
Alfredsson +8 to -19 -27
Hejduk +6 to -21 -27
Simmonds +22 to -4 -26
Foligno +6 to -19 -25
Elias +18 to -7 -25
Sharp +21 to -3 -24
Bozak -5 to -29 -24
Ovechkin +45 to +22 -23
S. Koivu +14 to -8 -22
Clarkson +3 to -19 -22
Positive Jump: 09-10 to 10-11
Lucic -7 to +29 +36
Horton -1 (Fla.) to +30 (Bos.) +31
Backes -4 to +25 +29
Korpikoski -10 to +19 +29
Horcoff -29 to -1 +28
Giroux -9 to +18 +27
Carter +2 to +28 +26
Umberger -16 to +8 +24
Abdelkader -11 to +13 +24
D. Brown -6 to +17 +23
Kesler +1 to +22 +21
Briere -2 to +19 +21
Legwand -5 to +15 +20
Red Light
March 30th, 2011
11:54 am
Bryan Little: -6 to +9 + 15
Red Light
March 30th, 2011
11:55 am
Blocked shots by forwards
Outside of Chris Thorburn, who had 65 blocked shots this season, only Andrew Ladd (42) ranks in the top 95 in the NHL in blocks. Antro (35) comes in at 96th, but the young kids do nothing in that regard.
Anthony Stewart, Evander Kane, Bryan Little and Burmistrov have a combined total of 107 blocked shots this season.
And please don’t tell me that “offensive” forwards aren’t supposed to block shots. Kesler has 78, Callahan has 71, Mike Richards has 69, St. Louis has 64, Pavelski-63 and Couture-61, Backstrom -58, Bergeron-52, Duchesne and Moulson even have 46.
All have more points and blocked shots than the four Thrashers mentioned.
Eon Rodeo
March 30th, 2011
11:58 am
But on a bright note, the Leafs won again! This time over Buffalo, a team they HAD TO beat! How did the Thrash do against Buf … oh yeah … never mind.
Go Leafs Go!
Phyllis
March 30th, 2011
12:03 pm
We are as good as the flyers and penguins, dont look at the standings and how many games we lose, look at the effort of our superstars and future superstars, oh wait there effort has us 7th from last in the nhl.
Rawhide
March 30th, 2011
12:03 pm
And the winner of today’s Ranallo Award goes to…rips open envelope…Red Light, for his very fine 11:52am post and two follow-ups just prior to this new blog being posted!
…thunderous applause…
R. Stroz
April 4th, 2011
10:34 am
LAST
Rawhide
April 7th, 2011
9:17 pm
R. Stroz – Nope.