Archive for April, 2011

Over the course of the next day or so I’ll be performing my annual spring chore of converting this on-line Thrashers forum into one where the NHL playoffs are the primary focus of discussion. But before I do, and before the recently wrapped-up season fades into a distant memory, let’s take time to review the good, the un-good and the ugly of the Thrashers season.

I’ve paired the ‘good’ and the un-good’ down to just a few, but I’m sure many of you will have others to add to each column. As for the most aesthetically unappealing aspect of this past Thrashers season…well, I think there is only one clear item worthy of that honor.

We’ll begin with…

The Good

Fantastic First Half: Speaking of distant memories…there was the good start that we witnessed here in Thrasherville last fall. Given the way things eventually tuned out it’s somewhat hard to believe that at one time this team was at one time 19-11-5 and sitting a top the Southeast Division. In fact, after 43 games played they …

Continue reading The good, the un-good and the ugly of Thrashers 2010-11 season »

Instead of typing out words that could properly describe last night’s heaping, steaming pile of FAIL that the Thrashers left on the ice of Philips Arena, I wanted to try and find something positive to write about. And one “positive” that came to mind was Bryan Little…specifically speaking, his team-leading plus/minus stat.

Now, like many of you I always take the +/- numbers with a healthy dose of salt. It’s a stat that can sometimes be misleading as it doesn’t factor in such things as if the individual is playing top-line minutes against top-line opponents and if a defenseman is being paired with another who might be weighing him down.

However, sometimes a player’s +/- rating is indeed well deserved. For instance, take Zach Bogosian and his -25 for the season. I don’t think you’ll find too many Thrashers fans who’ve been paying attention that would argue he doesn’t deserve that negative stat hanging around his neck.

Bryan Little scores one of his 18 goals this season against …

Continue reading Little positive found in Thrashers lost season »

In most cases, when you lay an egg on Broadway it’s considered a bad thing. But not when your goalie lays one up on the scoreboard in New York, as was the case Thursday night.

Behind Ondrej Pavelec’s shutout performance, the Atlanta Thrashers played one of it’s best games in many, many moons and beat the New York Rangers 3-0 in a game that was very important to their playoff chances. It was the fourth shutout of the season for Pavelec…the first since blanking the Washington Capitals 1-0 just prior to the All Star break… and the sixth of his career.

Pavelec stopped 29 Ranger shots to drop the goose egg on the ice of Madison Square Garden.

The Rangers, on the other hand, looked like a team playing with their Pucker Factor Meter cranked up to 11. The loss leaves them sitting with 91 and only one game left, Saturday afternoon against the New Jersey Devils.

Ondrej Pavelec makes one of his 29 saves Thursday night against the Rangers Ruslan Fedotenko (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

It …

Continue reading Rangers left hoping Thrashers can repeat their Broadway performance against Canes »

With the Thrashers 2010-11 season coming to a merciful end this week, we once again set our sights ahead towards a new season and fresh start next fall. One of the first steps in doing this is to take a look at those on the current roster who are scheduled to become unrestricted free agents on July 1 and consider whether or not they should be re-signed or allowed to skate off into the Thrasherville sunset.

There are three such Thrashers players slated for UFA status this summer…Eric Boulton, Radek Dvorak and Freddy Meyer. No, they’re not exactly the types you expect on the top of anyone’s UFA wish list. But nonetheless, they become our participants in this year’s “Should They Stay or Should They Go” free agent debate.

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Eric Boulton:Finishing his sixth season as a Thrasher, Boulton has found a niche as the team’s enforcer over the years. He’s been involved in some …

Continue reading Thrashers UFAs: Should they stay or should they go? »

Over the course of the past several weeks, there have been many different words Thrashers fans have used to describe the way this 2010-11 season has turned out. Some have even been fit to print here. But Nik Antropov’s comments following Saturday’s 3-2 loss in Boston, one that officially eliminated them postseason play, seems to contain the word most appropriate.

“It’s frustrating, that’s the feeling right now”, the Thrashers forward said after the game. “Nothing else but frustration.”

The key word there would be frustrating…or frustration, take your pick.

Indeed Antropov’s words could accurately sum up the feeling after losing yet another close game. They led 2-1 early in the second period after Evander Kane’s 19th goal of the season. However, the Thrashers failed to convert their early success into a win.

Boston Bruins' Daniel Paille scores after intercepting a Zach Bogosian pass. The score tied the game in the second period. Another Bogosian turnover led to the Bruins' game …

Continue reading Thrashers prepare for final week of frustrating season »

He stands silently in the chilly, damp mist that has blanketed Thrasherville for the past several days. In his hand, he holds a hockey stick with a sharply curved blade instead of a scythe.

Robed in black, he makes his way through the NHL’s landscape to gather up 14 of the league’s poor unfortunate souls. One by one, as they are mathematically eliminated from postseason contention and their playoff aspirations expire, he gathers them up and takes them away.

He is hockey’s Grim Reaper…the angel of the dark light that the Atlanta Thrashers have become very well acquainted over the past eleven NHL seasons.

Thursday night, the Reaper traveled to Philadelphia knowing that a loss to the Flyers would cause the Thrashers playoff hopes to finally flat-line and be declared officially, if not mercifully, dead. Oh, their fate has been known and accepted for some time now and the team’s fans have gathered around the deathbed awaiting the inevitable.

But on this night, death would be …

Continue reading Mason throws goose egg at hockey’s Grim Reaper as Thrashers blank Flyers »