Practice - 2007/12/10

You know, when the Thrashers usually acquire a new player, us fans are used to the idea that there is always a price to pay. Some feel that after last year's trade for Keith Tkachuk, we traded away everything but the kitchen sink. We didn't stop there and obtained Pascal Dupuis from the Rangers for one of our picks, Alex Bourret. And then there was the "at the time it seemed like a good idea, but..." trade for Alexei Zhitnik, which led to Braydon Coburn's departure. Other than those transactions, the only other "main" trade is the one everyone falls back on when the Thrashers are mentioned - the Hossa/Heatley deal. So as a Thrashers fan (at least in my limited awareness of these kinds of deals), I've grown accustomed to the idea that in order for us to gain anything in terms of players, the team usually gives up a little more than they bargained for.

For once, history did not repeat itself and the upper management team of the Thrashers shocked the NHL world and picked up veteran forward Mark Recchi off of re-entry waivers from the Pittsburgh Penguins. Because of this kind of signing, the Thrashers only pay half of his salary, while the Pens pick up the other half.

So you're gonna tell me that we picked up a player who, in his career, averages almost a point per game for only six figures? This is a great move by our GM and it already showed this morning when I attended practice up in Duluth. Rex was all smiles it seemed and got his mouth flowing with his teammates. I often saw him hang around Todd White, but he spent some time with Brad Larsen and (to my knowledge) shared a line with Bryan Little and Eric Perrin. Tom over at Talkin' About Practice (a Thrashers practice blog) has some more information on the types of drills that were run and what other players Recchi teamed up with.

Like what Ben mentioned in this morning blog post, I couldn't help but think of the similarity between Recchi and Brett Sterling. The body type was pretty similar and I feel that some of the facial features were close as well. The whole reason why I made my way up there was because of Recchi, but when I saw him on the ice about 10 minutes early and with the number 8 on the back of his helmet, I kept telling myself that Sterling usually wears number 21 and he's in Chicago... what's going on?! Good thing I was solo and kept my mouth shut there. :)

With regards to the Sterling thing and the pairing with Little, I think it's gonna be great that Recchi will spend some time with the young'uns and I know that the kids will be all ears whenever Recchi has some words in their direction. What will be interesting is the moves that will transpire because of Recchi's spot on the roster. George over at Talking Thrash speculated about what roster moves might occur, but here's to hoping that kids like Little and Haydar aren't affected by the signing of Rex.

For now, take some time to get used to this new face in Blueland:



For more pics from this morning's practice, just check the ol' reliable Flickr.

"You're doing WHAT?!"

You gotta love last-minute decisions. After getting about four hours worth of sleep last nite, I'm gonna hit the hay right after I hit "PUBLISH POST" because I just made the last-minute decision to make the trip up to Duluth tomorrow morning to get the first glimpse of new Thrashers forward Mark Recchi. While I certainly cannot guarantee anything monumental in terms of pics, I'll do my best and come back in the early afternoon (before work!) to hopefully put up something about practice.

WE WANT... A HIATUS?

Image courtesy of inkdesigner.

Well, well, well - look what's going on here!

The past month has been pretty intense here at Camp WWD. I went to a few shows in the past month (The Smashing Pumpkins mostly), went to a hockey game here and there, and definitely kept myself in the loop of all that is Thrashers hockey. Hell, I even attended a meeting here a few weeks ago to (hopefully!) participate in the volunteer program for the NHL All-Star Game next month.

What's really consuming everything is my upcoming wedding! Yeah, you heard it right - I'm happy to say that I'm getting married in February and that's what's had most of my attention for the past few weeks. Granted, we've been engaged since June, but the reality of it is starting to kick in and it seems like every decision is life-or-death at this point.

So while I hate to be completely slack-ass with my posting and the bloggings, right now the wedding is the absolute priority. I'd really love to update more about the resurgence of Le Thrash (who are now quite close the .500 level, yay!), the (hopeful) ascension of Ilya's All-Star status, the almighty Kari Lehtonen (!), or the shows I've attended in the past couple of weeks. Sooner or later I'll get to those kind of things.

What's certain to come before the new year is a list of my 10-20 absolute favorite songs that were released in 2007. I don't normally do "Best of" sort lists with albums, so I'll just post about songs that I actually love lots and possibly make a downloadable playlist for y'all to enjoy. Keep a lookout for that if that suits your fancy... and if you're like me, an die-hard fan of hockey and the indie rock.

But in the meantime, I can't be any more pleased with how the Thrashers have performed. Sure, the recent losses have soured things a bit, but who would've thought that this team would've dug themselves out of the oh-and-six hole that they dug themselves to start the season? I had plenty of faith in the Birds, but this kind of turn around was rather impressive and inspirational, even. And how ridiculous is Ilya Kovalchuk right now? I feel bad for anyone who ever has to face his shots this season, for reals!

Posts TK, pinky swear! I thought I'd take a minute (or, well, 10) to make a quick post about what's going in here at Camp WWD. The Camp is about to grow (with the wedding!) and we couldn't be more excited about that!

And you better believe that there's gonna be a groom's cake that's Thrashers themed.

LET'S GO THRASHERS!

Photos: vs. 'Canes, 2007/11/11 (clicky)

More @ the flickr!

vs. 'Canes - 2007/11/10

This was by far the most exciting game, at home, of the season. The Thrashers ran out of the locker room, flew through their warm-ups, and just owned the first 10-15 minutes of the first period. One after another, the shots added up and Cam Ward was certainly tested. Things finally broke a little when Slava Kozlov beautifully set up the first goal behind Cam Ward.

The play started in the Carolina zone as the puck was dumped in and Jimmy Slater was chasing. Slater ended up doing one of the things he does well - stumble to the ice in pursuit of the puck - but he didn't quit there. He stayed with the play and kept the play deep while Kozlov fought for possession. As a result, Kozlov gained control, swept a great pass to Eric Perrin who was waiting for the action right in the slot and took advantage of a gorgeous setup.

However, the team playing against the Thrashers were the 'Canes, a team who has a tendency to give us some weird, flukey games. So, anything can happen against this team because it just seems that that's the norm. For example, when Carolina stumbled out of the gate last season and struggled to be offensive following their Stanley Cup victory in '05-'06, the 'Canes came into Philips in early October winless and ended up pulling out the win with a few theatrics in the third period and overtime that were the results of last-second attempts to get the puck into the Thrashers net.

Such was the case last night. While the Thrashers had a 1-0 lead and were ready to enter the locker room after the first period with a little bit of an energy buzz (because they pwned the 'Canes for a majority of that period), taking a penalty against one of the better power play groups in the league at the end of the first wasn't the best idea and I just knew that nothing was a sure thing against this 'Canes team. Even with 10 seconds left in the period, I knew that, even if the Thrashers held their own, the 'Canes always had something left. Such was the case as Zhitnik's tripping penalty resulted in the Rod Brind'Amour goal with about SEVEN SECONDS left... in the period.

For the most part, the Thrashers did alright in their 3-5 loss to Carolina. It started out powerful and ended on a slightly exciting note, with the feeling that the Thrashers "might could" pull this game out of nowhere. But in the end, Carolina's three power play goals did the Thrashers in, contributed with a little bit of fatigue on Pavelec's end.


You absolutely have to figure the alertness of Pavelec with this game, but you simultaneously understand Don Waddell's decision to go with the rookie in net. In his three previous starts, he got a little rattled against Tampa Bay and held both Washington and Florida to one goal a piece. For a kid who's basically making the jump from juniors to the NHL, and is succeeding at this kind of rate, you want to ride that for a while just to see what might become of him. I certainly don't regret the decision because Pavs did a great job in his first NHL stint, and did everything he could in this game.

My three stars of the game? Number three went to Hossa, just because it's Hossa. I kinda had my doubts about his play as of late, and I still do, but last nite's two-goal performance has to do wonders to his confidence. As I mentioned earlier, when the Thrashers meet up with Carolina, strange things happen. You can definitely apply this to Marian Hossa's performances, too. Back when we visited Carolina last season, Hossa got the Thrashers' scoring started there when he put a weird shot on Cam Ward, shorthanded, the puck deflected off of Ward's skate from the impossible angle and into the net. Hossa's second goal was eerily reminiscent of that moment from February. A bunch of stuff going on right by the net, and Hossa tries to create something from nothing, puts the puck on goal from behind the net and it results in a 3-4 game, closing the deficit to one goal now. I don't know what it is about Marian Hossa, the Hurricanes, and especially Cam Ward, but he finds odd holes in Ward's game when it's completely inadvertent and I appreciate that mindset from Hossa.

Star number two, hate to say it, was Carolina's Cam Ward. Let's face it - the Thrashers had several legitimate chances to break this game open. Great shots from Hossa, Kovy, Todd White, and even Mark Popovic were all cast away or snatched out of the air by Wardo and I have to give him credit for keeping his team in it. As Atlanta Thrashers fans (and fans of hockey in general), we all know how important it is to have strong goaltending. We found that out in the Washington game from this past week, with OND-REDGE's fantastic performance being the difference-maker. Pavelec wasn't on top of his game, while, on the other end of the ice, Ward was lookin' mighty good. Kudos to you, Cam Ward, for being able to give your team the win that they needed to maintain Southeast Division dominance.

And this is kinda surprising (but not after last nite), but Eric Perrin earned star numero uno. His vision to be where he was for the first goal was great and he just knew that Kozlov was gonna make the pass. Incredible. Also, good for him for making the shot. I've seen enough times this year players squander these fantastic chances they have either right up in the goalie's grill or in the slot. Hooray for Perrin for cashing in on one of these opportunities. And I must mention the shortie that he created in the second. Just watch the video of the game and you'll see what I mean. Chasing down the puck in the Carolina zone, Perrin beat one of the Hurricanes to the puck, took him down in the process, created some open ice when the Thrashers were SHORT-HANDED, moved Ward around a bit, and make Ward commit to the play. Hossa caught notice of this, moved to the right a bit, and Perrin made the pass over to him and capitalized on the play that made Cam Ward sprawl over the ice in a feeble attempt to do SOMETHING. Eric Perrin's sense of what was developing was keen and commendable. I, for one, applaud you for your performance and stamina last nite, Mr. Perrin.

The next game is on Tuesday, against the Panthers in Blueland. I'll see you there?!

A Tale of Two Goalies, or Three

As previously mentioned, starting goalie Kari Lehtonen went down on October 18 with what was a muscle strain, somewhere near the groin area. Fire Wagon Hockey might as well be "Kari Central" and they have an informative post on the extent of the injury which has him out until probably mid-December.

In the time being, though, the goaltending situation has become very interesting. "Moose" Hedberg played the first few games after Kari went down and did an OK job - not game-saving, but just OK. Granted, Hedberg was facing probably somewhere around 35 shots per game (at least, put I'm just throwing numbers out there with zero research) and his defense didn't help him out that much in his little run of a few games that he started. With that said, Moose did just OK.

The first game of the road trip, Moose got pulled after letting in five-too-many goals and Mr. Ondrej Pavelec took over and performed just OK... but, considering he's pretty much a rookie without any real professional experience (only a couple of games with the Chicago Wolves doesn't cut it), I'd say that OND-REDGE did just fine, considering he was up against Gnat St. Louis, Lecavalier, Richards, and Prospal.

Then, after a couple of days off, Moose was chased out of the net (or given a rest) to sit against where it all started, Tampa Bay. OND-REDGE came in, let in a few goals, then was rock solid. Keep in mind that this guy is basically coming directly from the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles to the Atlanta Thrashers. He collected his first NHL win on the road, in the division rivals' 'hood. He followed that performance with a great game on Tuesday, almost posting a shutout against another division rival, the Washington Caps. The ONE goal he let by wasn't even a softie or anything that would be considered as such. He kept bringing quality save after quality save and endured the ridiculous first period that yielded 16 Caps shots, compared to the six that the Thrash brought on.

Surely, as things are when hot, they are "ridded" (or is that "ridden"?) for a while. Case in point with OND-REDGE. He did a good job in his first stint against Tampa, certainly held his own the second time around against the 'ning, and was phenomenal versus the Caps. Odds are that he will get the start on Friday against the Panthers in a nice duel with Tomas Vokoun. It should be a pretty good matchup.

And now the "problem" stands as this: when Kari returns, and if Pavelec keeps up his current level of play, which goalie gets the shaft? We all know that Kari has some serious talent in him, but ever since the playoffs from last season, he's been off. Hedberg can play the role of starter, but he's definitely reliable enough to be a good backup. And then there's his whippersnapper in Pavelec. The easy move is to bring Pavelec back down to Chicago to develop a bit more, but what if he's going well enough to gain the NHL experience? Or with our lacking in defensemen (or quality defensemen, that is) or a true number one center, do we attempt to deal Kari out to someone who can fill our needs or Moose and someone else? It's certainly an odd predicament to be in if you're part of Blueland Nation. But, in reality, it's not that bad of a spot to be in.

Returning to the Fold - Thrashers Are 6-9!

Well, well, well - look who's back? Forget about your blogger, let's talk about those Atlanta Thrashers! When I last left the Thrashers (or maybe when they left me for a couple of weeks), they just collected their first victory over the New York Rangers, Eastern Conference rivals ever since the Rangers swept the team out of the playoffs last season. Also, Bob Hartley was just canned, or "relieved of his duties" as some might say. There was also the dismissal of Kari Lehtonen, via his groin struggles. The "kid" line of Brett Sterling, Bryan Little, and Darren Haydar was coming into its own and providing a great deal (not that that was saying much at the time) of spark for the team.

How would this squad respond to these events?

After, uh, "busting" out of the gates with a sparkling oh-and-six record and causing all havoc in the Atlanta area about the status of this hockey team, interim head coach (and general manager extraordinaire?) Don Waddell transformed this team into a winner, going 6-3 in the nine games since Hartley's dismissal, including that barn-burning victory against the Rangers.

The games in that span haven't been the best hockey, but six of them have provided the best results possible - wins! At times during the nine-game span, the team has looked sloppy, sluggish, and a little discombobulated. The morose Thrashers returned promptly after that last win at home, suffering a deflating 2-6 defeat in Tampa. A messy shootout win in Toronto was followed up with a performance that was mailed in to Nashville, losing 0-3 to a backup goalie's first start. Things were looking up for a minute when we collected wins against a young Blackhawks team and a fairly decent (just not that evening) Canadiens team. However, many wondered how the Thrashers would respond to these victories when faced with real game-time adversity for the first time all season; the Thrashers then met the league's best team, the Ottawa Senators, at the ScotiaBank Place in Ottawa.

Things didn't fare well, or did they? The Thrashers played a good first period of hockey in that game, then completely collapsed in the second, facing four-goal deficits twice. However, this oddly didn't signal the end of the game. In games earlier in the season, when the Thrashers were like zombies on the ice, they didn't play for pride and certainly didn't attempt to show up in losses to Tampa (2-5), Buffalo (0-6), and Philadelphia (0-4). During those "games", the team faced one-goal deficits early and backed down immediately, providing absolutely no sense of hope for anyone in Blueland Nation. This was when Ilya Kovalchuk was medicated and kept caged up. Apparently his time spent in a figurative choke-hold was long enough and he came out charging more than ever. Recording a hat trick in the Ottawa game, the Thrashers made the last 10 minutes of that game very interesting for the league's premier team. After being down 0-4, the Thrashers made a game of it and came within one goal in the final minutes. While the end result of the game was one for the loss column, the game itself was surprising. The morose Thrashers returned, but the real team was turned on with the flip of a switch, seemingly. This team had the potential to stomp the best team in the league on their own ice. Was there something the fans didn't know about, but Donny Waddell did? Could he actually be hailed as a hero? The early signs of that were possibly manifesting themselves.

The end of the road trip was met with the same team that appeared in Ottawa. No matter the time of the season, it always sucks to play three games in Tampa Bay in a 15 game span, forget about the struggles we're going through. The Thrashers never seem to have any kind of luck in the St. Pete Times Forum. The terrible combination of Tampa players raising their game (Vinny Prospal in particular), Thrashers players not showing up, and our losing ways didn't provide any promise. But apparently the Thrashers (or hockey gods) felt otherwise. Down 1-4, the No Quit Thrashers reappeared and were once again led into battle with the superhuman Ilya Kovalchuk. The 6-4 comeback victory was capped off with another hat trick from this human-machine hybrid.

While I hate to say it, but it seems that this team is all Ilya, all the time right now. I don't like the thought of that one bit. I, like the rest of us, want more contributions from the team. There are others out there who are doing their part in the scoring. Dupuis, Little, and Perrin are all throwing their two-cents into the mix and having some say in the matter, and even Kozlov is starting to wake up from his early season slumber. The logical question after naming those names is, "What about Hossa?" Game after game, the same theme repeats itself - all Hossa needs is a big game and he's back. Sure, that could be true, but I'm not too sure if I believe it. I know Marian Hossa's potential, we all do, as evidenced by his 100 point campaign from last season. This time last season, Hossa was getting recognized for his play and was mentioned by several analysts as a possible MVP candidate for his leadership and play. He can turn it on, but when will this happen?

What's interesting is that because of our record, Ilya is getting almost no recognition for his role in the team. He has been by far the best player this team has ever had at any given moment in their history. Career year doesn't do it justice and franchise player is like an understatement. I'm waiting to see when this guy takes off his jersey and unveils a Thrashers shield over his chest. Either that or a tattoo on his arm. But in all seriousness, the play from Ilya is remarkable and no one is paying attention. I guess two hat tricks in a row gets a bit of praise from The Hockey News and the NHL. It's about time and it's obviously overdue. This guy needs to be paraded around town for a while because he's almost single-handedly pushing this team forward and pwning the competition.

Up next - the Florida Panthers in Sunrise on Friday. With our recent win over the Washington Capitals, we hurdled over them to escape the basement of the Southeast Division. Depending on the result of tonight's Lightning/Hurricanes game, with a win on Friday, we could be tied for second place in the division! It's unfortunate that the game won't be broadcast by any local media outlets, but definitely make your way to the local bar that has CenterIce (Taco Mac is a good alternative, but I always make my way over to Y-Knots in Peachtree City) or to a friend who has it, if you don't. While the Panthers have never scared me, this game is a big one because of the possibilities.

vs. Rangers - 2007/10/18

Here we go - Coach Waddell has evened out his winning record behind the bend and the Thrashers did what hasn't been done yet this season - win. I mean, everything was in place for this night to be a success.

Power play goals? Check.
Penalty killing and even a shorty? Check.
Physical play? Check.
Leads into the second AND third periods? Check.
High energy and passion? Check.
Game-breaking goaltending? Check.

You name it, it was there. Granted, the Thrashers got a little sloppy towards the end of the game with a little goal barrage by the Rangers, but this 5-3 victory was a great one for Le Thrash.

The crowd was into it for the first time all season, which felt so appropriate. After the team went up 5-1 in the third, the "LET'S GO THRASHERS" chants were ridiculous and Philips Arena was rocking for the first time since the puck dropped on October 5th.

What really impressed me this evening was the play of (OMG) Todd White. I'm still not sold on the guy to be our main center, but he played a solid hockey game today. That goal he scored while Sterling was chilling out in the box was just incredible. It seemed like for the past six games, the Thrashers came out flat, without any sense of urgency, and appeared to throw in the towel even when the cards were slightly stacked against them. The heads-up and never-die play that White showed on that goal was great. He took the shot, thought the play was dead, but didn't stop there, where that kind of activity might not have occurred a few games ago. He realized that the puck was not stopped, and made a second effort to flick it into the netting to put the Atlanta team up for a third goal.

The only negative of the experience this evening was the fact that it appears that Kari Lehtonen cannot catch a break. During the preseason, he tweaked his groin that caused him to sit out of play for about a week or two. Then the 0-6 slide began and Kari was looking kinda dismal, even questioning his play and talents. And now, he suffers a groin strain in the game, not even halfway into the first period. Waddell makes it sound awfully similar to the injury that took him out of play for a few months at the beginning of the '05-'06 season. I hope that they are over-exaggerating the severity of it. Tomorrow we'll find out whether Freddy Brathwaite or Ondrej Pavelec get called up from Chi-town to ride the pines for a while.

Would it be beneficial to bring Pavelec up or give the opportunity to Brathwaite, who has several years of NHL experience under his belt? Time will tell, but it'll be quick because the Thrashers will meet the Lightning in Tampa tomorrow evening.

Back to the game, though... it's hard to determine whether this win feels so good because it's the first win OR because the Thrashers actually played well. The Thrashers were still outshot by eight shots, 36-28, so it might be of concern that the Thrashers aren't taking that many quality shots. It shouldn't be dismissed, however, that the team looked more offensive than they have been all season. There were fantastic opportunities all throughout the first period and some of the second. Posts were abused, Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist was sprawling in the crease left and right, and there was plenty of pressure on the Rangers in their zone.

All things aside, it feels damned good to get two points. It's even a little sweeter because Tampa, Washington, and Florida lost. You see, all is not lost just yet, believers. Up next on the agenda is Tampa and we'll see how the team responds to their first road trip without Mr. Hartley. Hopefully, come November 6th, the team will collect a few more points and gain a new leader.

Everything's about to change.

LET'S GO THRASHERS!

On Waddell, the Rangers, and a Fresh Start!

Tonight is the last night that the Thrashers are in town until November 6th. That's 19 days away from Philips Arena, 19 days away from Blueland, and 19 days away from familiarity. Well, familiarity is kinda tossed aside because there's a new coach in town.

General Manager Don Waddell resumes the pose tonight for another shot at coaching. Don't even begin to think that this is a possible permanent position though. Jennifer at Southeast Shootout provides a list of candidates to take over once everything's been said and done. Waddell is apparently seizing the moment, too. While some might question whether this massive early-season road trip is a prime time to look for a new head honcho, Waddell said that the timing couldn't be better... and he might be right (for a change). During the 19-day absence from Philips Arena, the Thrashers stop in Tampa (one too many times), Nashville, Montreal, Toronto, and Ottawa. Traveling to Canada will provide the team's think-tank time and a bunch of miles to come up with great ideas on how to get the team on the tracks for success and who's gonna provide direction from here on out.

As for this evening's tilt against the New York Rangers (remember them?), Blueland Blog's Micah posted Waddell's slotting of forwards to deal with Drury, Gomez, Shanahan, etc. Considering that the Rangers were picked by some to bust out of the gate early and be quick contenders, the Rangers have stumbled themselves (although they do have two more wins than Le Thrash) and are probably looking to come to Atlanta and do what they did best back in April - pwn the Thrash. Hopefully the Thrashers will be able to combat against the Rangers' depth as well as King Henrik and collect their first two points of the season.

I'm planning on going to the game, and hopefully I'll be able to get seats. For every Thursday home game this season, the AJC is offering 2-for-1 tickets in certain sections of the Arena. I'd like to take advantage of this, so please forget I just mentioned anything about it.

Speaking about tonight's game plan (again, here), Marian Hossa stated that the team plans on playing with the puck some more, as opposed to doing the trademark Bob Hartley dump-n-chase game that generated a bunch of criticism throughout his time here. Hopefully the players will respond to some kind of game plan (or create their own - Holik, you're the captain, come up with something!) or everyone will do whatever they want and zhit's gonna get disorganized and out of whack quick. Waddell assembled this squad, and now it's his turn to coach.

It's time to get something started in Blueland and what better time than now? Let's go Blue!

LET'S GO THRASHERS!

THIS JUST IN: Hartley Out, Waddell In?

Well, this is a sight Atlanta Thrashers fans and players won't see anymore:



Just after the noon hour today, various media sources declared that Atlanta Thrashers coach Bob Hartley was relieved of his services to the team. With an oh-and-six start, terrible offensive statistics for his team, and the unforgettable exit from last year's playoff appearance, apparently Hartley was the source of it all and the first to take a hike.

Is this really the right move? Or should there be other measures taken that will improve the team?

More clarity will be revealed when Mr. GM himself (and interim coach, too) steps up to the podium and addresses the media formally about this change of face and what the plans are for the immediate future. Press conference is coming up at 2PM.

Sources: TSN, Blueland Blog, AJC

Lineups-R-Us, or How the Thrashers Determine Their Future

With all of the talk about today's announced lines and changes in the defensive pairings, I figured I'd chime in with my amateurish drivel.

At this morning's practice, the trio that had the most energetic impact on the ice during both the Devils game and this morning's workout was the "kid line", which consists of Haydar/Little/Sterling. Everyone's buzzing about this line and its potential for success. I certainly agree with that. Bryan Little didn't spend much time in Chicago last season, but I'm assuming that while he was there, he did share some shifts with either one of those two gentlemen, if not both. It's certain that Haydar and Sterling have something going on because you can't end up AHL MVP and AHL Rookie of the Year - respectively - without having much help. In all honesty, they tore up the scoring last year with Chicago. All three know each other and two-thirds of 'em have spent significant time playing together. I see no reason to speak out against these three fellas and what they can bring to the table. I don't care that they are "AHL players" or "rookies" or whatever! I'm thinking it's guaranteed that they won't play much against a top defensive pairing of any team that they face. With their talent and what they've brought to the table already, I think that, in time (meaning, in a few games, which I can handle waiting that long), these guys will seriously bring some depth that this organization has lacked for a long time now.

As far as who chills out in the press box for the game, I'm in favor of giving Chris Thorburn a legitimate chance to prove his size and worth. It's no secret that the Thrashers are not in the upper third of the league in terms of dominating figures on the ice. I'm pretty sure that they aren't even in the second third. Everyone's concern entering the season was that the defensemen were small, the forwards were small, and that they wouldn't be able to match up against the more commanding teams of the league. As of right now, that's kinda true. Enstrom has done a great job at being a defenseman, but he's more likely to get knocked around than, say, a Greg deVries. Putting Thorburn out there with Eric Boulton and possibly Bobby Holik is a line that's a good bet on mixing things up on the ice and throwing the body around, something that probably wouldn't hurt (in theory).

But who to bench? First season aside, Jim Slater has been nothing but, well, annoying and frustrating. From watching him play, I can tell that he really has the passion to play in the league. I'm just not sold on his abilities. Even in today's practice, there were some missed passes and some skating errors. This kind of play definitely occurs in high-pressure situations (i.e. penalty killing) and that's not acceptable. I wouldn't have a problem of benching Slater or even Brad Larsen in favor of adding Thorburn.

Defensively speaking, I'm surprised no one has brought up the idea of pairing Mark Popovic with Enstrom. The kids are represented in the forwards, so why not paid them together on the blueline? I think that a pairing like this, with other pairings like the announced pairing of Zhitnik/McCarthy and, say, Havelid/Exelby. Exelby's physical game could be something that Havelid appreciates... but the other announced pairing of Havelid/Enstrom doesn't sound that bad either. With my lines, Klee would sit and that's ok.

Perhaps my rookie pairing is too inexperienced to handle the NHL full-time. I don't know. But at least it's somewhat encouraging that Hartley is willing to change things around. Then again, we all know that he's rather apt to change things at the flip of a switch.

I'm not a hockey coach and I certainly have no formal education with regard to establishing hockey lines and creating chemistry from scratch. I just wish that we stuck with the opening nite lineups for about three games, determined how well they worked, and then make the necessary changes. Hartley, as I mentioned, makes changes as he sees fit and benches players for whatever reason. Give things a chance and maybe things will develop, and maybe they won't. At least some options were exercised and that's all that matters.

LET'S GO THRASHERS!

Practice - 2007/10/15

I woke up early enough to make the 1+ hour drive up to Duluth this morning to watch the Thrashers practice. The statement about "Moose" Hedberg and practice will always ring true - first on, last off. While he wasn't the last lad on the ice, he was getting his head together and flinging pucks up and down the ice at least 10 minutes earlier than anyone else.

I tried to take some pictures but I realized that I was missing the bigger picture, i.e. the practice. I was kinda surprised to see Mr. Hossa with the squad, but apparently that's a good sign that he made an appearance today. Considering the rumors that circulated about Hossa's disapproval with the ice at the IceForum, I noticed a little slip-up by the boards. I'm sure that didn't win over Hoss.

There was some early work with the power play/penalty killing units. Started with some 5-on-4 action, which led to 5-on-3. The first PP team consisted of Hossa, Kovy, Kozlov, Bryan Little, and Tobias Enstrom and the second unit involved Todd White, Darren Haydar, Brett Sterling, McCarthy, and Zhitnik. While I'm glad that he's getting time on this, Bryan Little's appearances on groups like these is surprising. It's proof that he's ready for whatever comes his way and that he's being rewarded for playing some smart hockey, something that's kinda a rarity these days in Atlanta.

Penalty killers were pretty predictable - Ken Klee, Exelby, Dupuis, Slater, Larsen, Havelid.

It's times like these that make me wonder what's the priority here. Obviously you want both units excelling to the most of their potential. But our power play is terrible, along with the penalty killing. Maybe it's because I'm a more offensive-minded person and I always have a tendency for looking out for plays that generate some kind of goal-push, but it felt like there was more importance when the power play units were doing something right as opposed to the PKers.

What's unsettling is that Kari looked a little shell-shocked. Maybe these games are getting to him, and how can you blame him? When faced with 30-40 shots a nite, you can't save every single one. Sure, Kari has to step up if that's the case, but it really shouldn't be. Those high shot totals are the result of an inept defense. All of these things must be creeping into his head because he just didn't look that into it today.

Then there were some odd-man plays going on in the offensive zone. And some face-off work. And some dump-n-chase tactics.

It's also clear to me how significant the number nine is for whoever is wearing it for the Thrashers. I don't know about earlier in the team's history, but I remember Marc Savard and I certainly remember Glen Metropolit. I seem to remember Savard being a jokester with the team. Metropolit definitely had personality in the few times I saw him up close. And now there's Pascal Dupuis. I'm glad we have him on the team simply because he's a character, plain and simple. Some would take this as immaturity or forgetting about what's really at stake here but I interpret it as someone who's able to lighten up the situation that the Thrashers find themselves in right now. No. 9 was trying to hold people up with his stick while the warm-up skate was going on. He was making remarks to other players in line for drills that would result in some light giggling. And then as he's about to get off the ice at the end of practice, he takes his sticks in both hands and kinda slams 'em into the boards like he's about to lose his balance, only to be met with some laughter and smiles from teammates blocking his way and the fans who are seeking autographs of their heroes. While we're still oh-and-five, you can't hang your head in disgust 24/7. Looking for a pity party doesn't get you out of the basement, it just keeps you there longer. Guys like Dupuis don't necessarily put up the points like others on the team do/should, but his personality goes a long way during stretches like this. I commend him for that.

I don't know if it was contagious either, but I did notice that there were some other players trying to have a little fun out there. Yeah, practice is serious business, but you have to know how to go about it to be truly effective. It's good that some guys on the team have the ability to push out the negatives for a bit and just play.

I surely hope they figure their zhit out before tomorrow's tilt against those damned Flyers with public enemy no. 3, Danny Briere (behind gnat Marty St. Louis and fathead Sean Avery). Last season, the Flyers had us on a leash and we did whatever they wanted us to, which was apparently to play like crap and lose in the worst ways to the worst team in the league. I say a bit of revenge is due in the next couple of games. We either go to Philly and beat the pants off the Flyers and that damned Finn, Antero Niittymaki or we come home on Thursday and beat those effin' Rangers for the first time in a loooooong time. I'm hoping it's not an either/or type deal, too. Derian Hatcher and Elisha Cuthbert, I'm coming for y'all! Taking Hatcher out of Philly's, uh, arsenal means that the physical play gets a little evened out (sigh) and taking Ms. Hottie out of the picture means that Mr. Avery gets a little too retarded for humanity and gets banished from society for doing something way too dumb to mention. I guess it's a good thing that he's out for a while.

LET'S GO THRASHERS!

New Blog Alert - Thrashers Times

George, over at Talking Thrash, decided to create a spot online that automatically records updates to the Thrashers blogroll. It's called the Thrashers Times and, as of right now, this blog isn't a part of it, but will soon be as I've contacted George to include this blog over there.

Thrashers Times

Thanks for doing this, George!

Photos: The Octopus Project, 2007/10/11 (clicky)

Thursday nite I attended a show at Atlanta's Drunken Unicorn to take in some bleeps, some bloops, and a bit of theremin courtesy of Austin band The Octopus Project. They have a new record out and it's a keeper. Considering they won a contest just last year (2006) to open the Coachella Festival and that they were unsigned (that was part of the competition methinks), they've kinda ballooned since then, playing sold out shows across the country and getting more and more recognition on a daily basis. Here are some pics I took of the indietronica spectacular:







More at my flickr >>> GO NOW! :D

SKY IS FALLING?

Let's look at this first, all courtesy of the NHL.com stats section.

Points: 0 (30th in NHL, and only winless, and pointless, team in the league)
Goals per game: 1.8 (Tied for 19th in the league with Chicago, last)
Goals against per game: 4.6 (Tied for 18th in the league with Los Angeles, last)
Power play %: 9.5 (third worst in the league, with only Minnesota and Edmonton trailing)
Penalty kill %: 68.8 (second worst in the league, with only Calgary trailing)
Shots per game: 22.0 (last in league)
Shots against per game: 34.6 (third worst in the league, with only Toronto and Washington trailing)

Well then. Actually, there's no need for these stats and other numbers; just look at the results on the season up to this point.

Is this team as hopeless as they appear on the ice? Absolutely not. In the Thrashers lineup resides premier NHL forwards like Ilya Kovalchuk and Marian Hossa. While he isn't exactly premier material, Slava Kozlov definitely has the ability to put up some serious offensive numbers, as noticed last season throughout his 80-point campaign.

After that, however, we kinda drop off the cliff. It was mentioned during the off-season that Coach Hartley, General Manager Don Waddell, and Bobby Holik all expect Mr. Captain (i.e. Holik) to become more offensive this season. Has that happened? One goal and one assist have been added to his career stats, and that means he's played a role in two of the Thrashers' nine goals. Yeah, you don't expect this guy to put up monster numbers, or even rival Kovalchuk, but you do plan on him setting up some guys for the goals. His best offensive season was ten years ago with the Devils (29g, 36a). Granted, he's 10 years older now, but you'd think that with help from some of either the more marquee guys (i.e. Kovy, Hossa, Kozy) or some of the younger fellas (i.e. Little, Sterling, Enstrom, etc.), he'd be able to have more of a say in the point production and set more plays up, especially with his experience.

Then we have players like Todd White, Eric Perrin, Pascal Dupuis, and a few other players who have been around the block for a bit. Now I don't expect massive numbers from any of those guys, but I'm most surprised by the play of White. Considering he was our first signing in the off-season, signaling that he was a priority from the get-go, and the fact that he's locked up for a few more years in Atlanta, I'm not excited about him AT ALL. I know that he has tallied two assists in the 0-5 place that Atlanta is in, but he's been unnoticeable in the games that I've watched. When I think of Todd White, I think of soft and invisible. You don't plan on your "priority" signing during off-season as either one of these two descriptors. He was initially put with Kovy and rookie Brett Sterling to center that line and be the center that Kovy hasn't had since Marc Savard departed before last season. In the five games that we've played (and I've watched most of 'em), I haven't noticed Todd White at all. This is a problem. If he's already this far off the map, I can't dare to imagine how it'll be throughout the rest of the season... forget about the upcoming years he's with us.

And what can be said about the mouth-dropping numbers of grinders like Jim Slater and Brad Larsen? Looking at their offensive numbers is pointless (punnery!), but just glance at their plus/minus rating for five games into the season. I said glance because if you actually look at them for too long, they'll burn into your eyes and you'll never see the same again. Minus six and -5, respectively. Weren't these guys supposed to be the next great penalty killers that the Thrashers had? Well, not exactly that, but that's kinda what they were billed as during the summer and throughout training camp. Larsen's fair at killing penalties, but I'd rather have him out there than Slater. As far as I'm concerned, he's no better than Bambi on the rink, please note:



Now this is turning into pessimism central. I don't want it to be that way, I really don't. I could go on and on - about how the defensive corps looks tiny, frail, and immovable, how the rookies are surprisingly holding their own rather well despite the fact that they certainly didn't want to start out their NHL careers with a team that's oh-and-five. There are other blogs for that (look to the right!).

I'm just saying that I, as well as everyone else who has a share in Blueland, am completely baffled at how poorly the team is playing right now.

My parents suggested to me that, after reading about last nite's score, the Thrashers "look like they're turning this around." Sure, getting five goals looks nice, considering they've only scored four in four games prior to last nite's tilt, but compare that to five goals on 17 shots... one goal in threeshots. I don't care how good of a team you have, you cannot anticipate a winning result with opportunities like those. That third period (the one I did not witness, BTW) must've been a screaming fest between yourself and the team/TV.

There's a practice tomorrow morning at 1030AM. I'm gonna see if I can make it. We'll see how things turn out during and after that. Hockey Buzz' Stan Hauseman brought up a nice point about the Thrashers' next game in Philly:

If you remember last year, a stronger Thrashers team lost to Philly in the shootout. You remember the game. It was the one where the Thrashers switched goalies for the shootout. Philly was 1-6-1 entering that game. The Thrashers were 7-1-2 landing in Philly for their first time that season. The Flyers are a strong 3-1 entering this game. So maybe revenge will be a dish best served cold for the Thrashers.

I clearly remember sitting in a parking lot in Tyrone, trying to break through the poor signals of AM radio and listening to the game and the outcome of it and wondering why Hartley was basically "subbing" Kari in for Hedberg, who played a wonderful game (at least that's what came across over the airwaves), for the shootout. Kari's record during the shootout was actually pretty good at the time, so the game was for him to "come in relief" of the Moose and close out the game (i.e. the Yankees' Mariano Rivera, who Hartley actually compared Kari to after the loss). It ended up (as I just mentioned) that the Thrashers blew it and I think that was Philly's only shootout win all of last season.

Something's gotta give. I never knew it would be like this, but it just felt weird and creepy to have a lead last nite, especially when it blew up to a two-goal lead during that second period. Sure, it was awesome, but I felt pretty uneasy about it, basically because of the play of the previous four games, because the team never played with a lead in the previous four games, because who could know how the play would've turned for the worst during that third period that only yielded three shots.

Could a win really kick-start the season for this team that appears to be free-falling? Most definitely! It would be awesome to finally get some points and something to show for in the wins column. I'm tired of every other analyst in the hockey world speaking the truth about the current state of the Thrashers. I'm exhausted from the misery that I constantly put myself through by reading the various Thrashers blogs and media reports from the losing games. I hate to think that I'm going to turn off the TV or question about going to a game because the team is playing so poorly. I don't want it to have to come to that point... ever. But this losing business must stop immediately.

LET'S GO THRASHERS!

Fixation Focus: Radiohead

I mean, really, does anything else need to be said about this band? I just got home after a nite out on the town (i.e. Wal-mart) and discovered that Radiohead's seventh LP, In Rainbows, was emailed to me just as prescribed.

After all of the hub-ub about how they are screwing over the record industry by releasing an album themselves, how they are not charging a thing for a pre-release download, how they are not DRMing it (meaning you can burn it as much as you want, there are no restrictions) - after everything that was said in the past 10 days, the "finished" product is finally here. There was no doubt in my mind that I had to stay awake until it was in my inbox. I was dragging home on the drive, but I never forgot about what potentially waited for me. While I was all sleepy-eyed minutes ago, as soon as the zipped file finished its business and In Rainbows opened in iTunes, I knew I was set for the next hour or whatever it takes for this album to finish playing.

I really feel like I'm a part of something special right now because of the hoopla surrounding this release.

For those who aren't into this, here's the deal. One of the world's mega-bands, without being a "mega-band", Radiohead, announced last week that their seventh album, In Rainbows, was complete and ready for the world. As a result, the band, without a record deal right now, decided to take everything into their own hands. On their website, they let anyone pay whatever they want for the download that would take place 10 days later.

Twenty dollars? Ten? Fifty cents? Nothing?! Any way you want it, you can have it. Completely unprecedented. I mean, we're talking about RADIOHEAD here - like this was really that unexpected. Sure, the concept is just nutty, but leave it to the wackiest band in the universe to do something like this.

Now that October 10th has arrived, the album is here. I'm currently on track five, "All I Need", and with the first four tracks (as well as this one, apparently), I'm taken aback. Maybe it's the drowsiness, maybe it's the fact that I haven't been this excited about a release like this EVER because, actually, there hasn't quite been a release like this, well, EVER. Either way, this is just an incredible listen at 355AM.

The Left of Center channel on Sirius (channel 26) has been prepping this record for the past week, saying that throughout this week, they will feature tracks from In Rainbows. Well, sorry LoC and Sirius - as much as I love ya, you're taking a backseat for a few days, possibly weeks.

Certainly there is more to come on this topic. Let's face it, it's all I'll hear and read about for the next few days/weeks/months, so I'm definitely gonna write my fair share on the matter. This blog was once devoted to my indie music after all!

Photos: vs. Caps - 2007/10/05 (clicky)

Here are a few pics I snapped from section 317 of the opening stuffs, mainly the raising of the banner:







More @ flickr!

vs. the Caps - 2007/10/05

Of course, of course, the game result wasn't desired, but I loved being back in Philips for Opening Night last night. The banner raising ceremony was fantastic. All of the festivities for the celebration were great and got the crowd riled up for sure. Even the handing out of miniature banners to every fan was a nice touch, and I instantly know that it's going up on the mirror of my car. Really, win or lose though, it was definitely important to revel in the success of the performances of the previous season. While our showing in the playoffs wasn't exactly ideal, we still got there, we got a city ready for some playoff action, and the city, as a result, caught on and recognized that another professional sports team in the Atlanta area was ready to take charge.

Unfortunately, the banner provided the main reason for Blueland to "get on their feet". We just saw this with a bit of frequency:



I'm sure that Nylander enjoys pwning us some more after how he kinda man-handled us during the playoffs (with his old team, the New York Rangers). Here are my takes on the game.

• Offensively, we couldn't get anything started. Things weren't meshing and pucks were going everywhere, except it was a rare occurrence that these traveling pucks ever met their intended target - whether that be the back of the Capitals net or to another Thrashers player. Honestly, it was sloppy play that dominated the evening for the Thrashers. Sure, some players had strong showings, but they were brief and too abrupt.
  
• Defensively, things weren't tied together either. Players like Enstrom and Zhitnik were all over the place. This kind of play is expected from Mr. Zhit as he is a seasoned player, but with Enstrom, this was surprising that he could handle the load. If I had a defenseman of the game award for the Thrashers though, I'd give it to Havelid. I didn't notice him too much during the 5-on-5 action, but he was marvelous during the two 5-on-3's that the Thrashers had to endure. I also spotted him trying to move the puck around whenever he was in possession of it in the Caps' zone. I thought he did a great job.
  
• Despite three goals against, I still feel that Kari played well. I liked his movement, I liked his reaction time, and I loved his confidence. Maybe it was just me, but I could tell that Kari was ready to redeem himself after his last NHL action (the blowout at the Garden during game three last season). Even on the smallest of saves that me made, he steered the puck away with his blocker with authority. He meant business and that's great to have in a goalie. The first goal was spotty and Kari couldn't do much against it. The second goal, he was pretty much hung out to dry because of a defenseman's strong desire to hit behind the net, and that obviously left someone open for a good shot (which, I believe was the Nylander goal). But the third goal Kari could've seen, but I think there was too much of a screen going on in front of him to have enough vision of the play. As a whole, though, I'm still pleased with how Kari played. I hope he gets the start tonight in Tampa.
  
• The rookies were kinda unnoticed. Sterling did some nice things here and there, but he quickly got dumped in favor of Bryan Little. For some reason, Hartley changed his preseason lineups almost immediately. This was one example of that. Maybe it was Hartley rewarding Little for some good plays that caused him to go on the line. I even noticed that toward the end of the game, Little was put on the main power play unit. But back to Sterling... he created some turnovers that were admirable, but, as I mentioned earlier, things never set in and these turnovers would be for naught when there was an errant pass in the neutral zone. Enstrom was all over the place, was put in the "quarterback" position on the power play from the start and (let this theme ring again) couldn't get much together to create anything legitimate. I thought he played well in the Thrashers end (and he should!) and created a few hassles for the Caps in the corners that I liked. And then there was Bryan Little...
  
• For a while in the second, I forgot where Little was. I spotted him on the ice during the first period, but for some reason, I couldn't see him playing at all for a while. I was wondering if he was benched. Thinking about this silently to myself, I notice that he's back on the ice and with Kovy. Then, before you know it, he scores a die-hard (but flukey) goal with Kovy for his first NHL tally EVAR. As a whole, I was pleased with Little's performance, especially coming from someone as young as he is. Throughout the third, he was a fixture on the ice and that was something. However, aside from his goal, I think he was like every other Thrashers rookie and worked, but it wasn't enough.
  
• Twenty-eight shots against Brent Johnson isn't enough. We needed more pressure on him because there were a few times throughout the game that he didn't make the best decisions or the best saves. He was sloppy and questionably came out of the crease on occasion, and as a result, the Thrashers should've capitalized on this and potted a few goals to make the game interesting.

Those are my opinions of the game. I had a great time returning to Philips for some real game action and the banner ceremony was an awesome way to kick off the season. It's a shame that the team kinda came out a little flat, but I don't expect that to last for too long because we all know that every single game matters.

< 24 hours!

Can you feel it? I mean, really? Does that question even apply anymore? The reality of it is if you're reading this blog, you're super-saturated in everything that is Blueland. For a few minutes (hopefully an evening!), the predictions are thrown out the window. All questioning regarding the Baby Thrashers (enter Little, Sterling, Enstrom, and Popovic) is silenced. The pressure that's weighing on the newcomers' shoulders (i.e. White, Perrin, Thorburn, Klee) is lifted. Every little minute (well, that's debatable) detail that's been brought up over the off-season will be forgotten.

The only thing that will matter, for a matter of minutes, is that the '07-'08 Thrashers are taking the ice for the first time. The scene within the Arena will be electric.

And then, before you know it, THAT takes a backseat to remember what was accomplished last season - Southeast Division Champions. A banner will rise to the Philips Arena rafters in the name of the Atlanta Thrashers. Finally, a Widespread Panic banner will take a backseat and hopefully get buried in future accolades of the Legends of Blueland. This will be a great start to something fantastic for this franchise.

Once again, fans will lose it. Tears will simultaneously fight with celebratory yells to the heavens, all in the name of victory, in the name of one cause, one team - our Atlanta Thrashers.

What was brought up today by Stan over at Hockey Buzz was a dedication for Dan Snyder, who passed away four years ago. Hopefully this will be addressed, and it really should be. A couple of big milestones in the history of the Thrashers will coincide for one evening and I really feel that one would not happen without the other. Sure, division titles might've occurred with Snyder still in the lineup, but they never would've been as significant as this title. It's really like tomorrow will be reason enough to celebrate his life and his heart and his passion for the hockey he played, the organization he played for, and the city he called his home. I'll never forget the day I heard about the tragedy and Dan will always live on in the hearts and minds of Thrashers fans, players, and hockey supports all over.

We'll never forget you, Dan, and we know that you still play a tremendous role in the team we support.

Regarding the actual game tomorrow night, it's going to be a battle. The Caps are nothing to take lightly. We all know that the Caps love to play spoiler and Friday night should be no exception. You take that, the unspoken rivalry between Ovechkin and Kovy, and the brawls and you've got one hell of a matchup. Washington has possible rookie phenom Nicklas Backstrom and new center Michael Nylander - we all know that they have something to prove in their new roles with their team. And you better believe that AO wants to erase all memories of his "off" year last season. What better time to start a new campaign than game one, right?

The Thrashers better have their A-game. We learned last season that, down the stretch, there are no "gimme" games in terms of relaxing/coasting/etc. Every game matters. Every game should feature everything on the line for the most success possible.

Two points or nothin'. That's what the Thrashers should have on their minds tomorrow evening. Forget about the critics who are denouncing them. Forget about the last four games. Forget about attempting repeat performances and winning big in April. We need to focus on the now.

I absolutely cannot wait for the game. I'll get there super early and be right by the Thrashers bench for the warmups, cheering for each and everyone of 'em as they take the ice. There's no holding back for the Thrashers and there's no holding back for myself or any other believer in Blueland.

I'll be in 317, row E. Come and say hey! I'd love to meet new fans. I've always been hesitant about it but now I know I'm part of a community. I'd love to meet each and every one of you and discuss our common bond, the Thrashers.

My jersey's ready. My Blueland scarf is out. My blue shoes will be worn ALL DAY. My tickets will stare me in the face for hours once I get off work tomorrow afternoon.

Seriously, let's get this started already!

LET'S GO THRASHERS!

Do you believe?! Because you better!

vs. Panthers - 2007/09/28

No pics, but don't worry. My annual preseason trip up to Philips wasn't too late as I made it up there last Friday for the preseason finale against the Ice Cats, er, Panthers.

All day, I was thinking about the game. I couldn't help myself from going, really. So I ended up doing the 40+ minute drive up north, strolling casually up to the box office, and securing a $10 ticket in 413.

It was oddly comforting returning to the Arena. The sights, the sounds, the smells - it really is such a relief to come back to something so familiar. Even looking around, you could tell that I wasn't the only one reveling in this sentimentality. Season ticket holders were reuniting in their usual seats and meeting locations, some discussing their summers with their families, with conversations eventually leading to what really mattered inside the Arena - the hockey.

I decided to make the trip because I knew this was it. The players on the ice Friday were the players who were going to dress on October 5th. There was no questioning anyone's play, no high pressure situations leading to big mistakes (that really had no consequence anyway), and no one was scared to walk into the locker room afterwards because everyone on the ice had a guaranteed spot on the roster. This included rookies Bryan Little, Brett Sterling, Tobias Enstrom, and Mark Popovic. And because of these players, I was definitely chomping at the bit to see exactly what they were about in a game situation.

Usually preseason games are sloppy. Kids are joining the big guns of the team/league for however long the ride will last, leading to poor plays, questionable decisions, and comments to alleviate the pain, like, "He needs time in the minors, but he's gonna be great in x-amount of years!" Players are also sluggish from their summer break. These games just leave a lot to be desired, and they also have zero ramifications on the future (i.e. standings). The only thing players are playing for is practice, and the new guys are trying to deal with the pressure of trying to make the team. Missed passes, whiffed shots, and goaltending blips occur with frequency. Did any of that occur on Friday?

There are ways to interpret that. The Thrashers ended their preseason run with a 1-0 win over a division rival who was still trying to work out their own kinks with their roster. Scoring was infrequent, but that is not to diminish the quality of play. Sure, there were sluggish times as players were still attempting to acclimate themselves to the elevated style of play. Jim Slater was one who stood out with regards to this. There was a fanned shot that happened early in the first period that was courtesy of "AC" Slater and there were some other times during the matchup that Slater was witnessed stumbling down to the ice because of skating errors. There were also some plays that occurred with the rookies that demonstrated some mistakes that could've yielded goals from the opposition. Brett Sterling and Bryan Little demonstrated this a few times, passing through highly congested areas with the hopes of reaching their desired target and ending up turning the puck over.

However, with the "eh" comes the pretty good. Sterling made some fantastic moves with the puck and clearly demonstrates some puck-handling skills. There was one play in particular that really got me jazzed (yeah, I said it). In the third, when I moved down to 119, I had an excellent viewing position behind the Panthers' goal, which featured the great Tomas Vokoun. The puck was dumped into the Florida zone and Sterling was chasing it down. As he came around the net, Vokoun got there first and had possession. While Vokoun was going to steer the puck aside by lightly flicking it in the air to his right, Sterling noticeably caught up with the action, put his stick in the air, and took advantage of Vokoun's lack of strength here. Sterling plucked the puck out of the air, gained possession in an excellent spot in front of the net, and, with little threat around him, he took the shot and instantly wowed me with that kind of play. It was remarkable, actually.

It cannot go without mention that Kari Lehtonen returned to form... well, at least for that evening. Even though he had 30+ shots against him, I felt like he was barely tested throughout. That's definitely indicative of the defenders in front of Kari, and they definitely did a great job steering the action away from our franchise goalie. Kari had excellent movement, temporarily putting to rest the groin talk that always plagues him.

Was Kari's shutout against the Panthers noteworthy though? Absolutely. He's only played two to three preseason games and had nothing short of success throughout his time on the ice. The 1-0 victory he could log was also an excellent goalie duel because Vokoun is nothing to sneeze at (hm). While the Thrashers were outshot, I felt that our scoring opportunities were more, eh, "legitimate" and threatening. Note the Sterling play I mentioned earlier.

During training camp and the earlier preseason tilts, all I kept hearing about was the passing skills of Enstrom and his time on the power play. While his passing does look crisp, I didn't notice anything worth mentioning. He needs some more time, in my eyes, to really form an impression. He also displayed swift and quick movement on the ice, and also dispelled a bunch of scoring opportunities the Panthers might've had in the scoring lane.

The game was enough to bring me back to hockey, which really wasn't in doubt to begin with. Almost everything I love about the sport was on display Friday evening in Philips. The sounds of the National Anthem, the skate blades digging into the ice to gain another ounce of speed to create that breakout, the crowd rumbling "SHOOT IT!", the smell of a fresh sheet of ice in between periods, the last time I'd see three banners on the Thrashers side of the Arena (two of which are LOGO banners).

I'm so ready for this coming Friday though. The Arena was probably 1/2 full (if that) for the Panthers game and you could tell. Nothing will compare to the energy inside for the opening night. Well, there were those playoff games last season. This will come close to that, for sure. But it'll be the most intensity in that arena since those games that occurred so long ago. Bring it on already!

Tonite's the Night... Kinda!

Tonight marks my return to Philips Arena. I'm not exactly a fan of preseason hockey games, but I think tonight is kinda different. Yesterday, the Thrashers trimmed down their roster to 22, strongly suggesting that these are the guys who will have a spot on the bench come October 5th.


Photo courtesy of Women, Fire & Dangerous Things.

After waking up at 445AM this morning for work, the only thing I could think about was the line combinations... how the "real chemistry" begins now... now Kari will work out after a scare from last week... hell, the only thought on my mind was the game this evening! Tonight is a test run for the first month of the season, or at least the first few weeks.

The new acquisitions are in place. Four Baby Thrashers earned promotions. And apparently Kari's groin woes have gone to the way-side.

...

And I just realized I need to get my crap in gear because the game's in 45 minutes! Be prepared for the blog recap tonight... or tomorrow evening... or sometime this weekend!

LET'S GO THRASHERS!

WE WANT FAN-TUH-SEE! (clicky)

For the last time, I just wanted to state a reminder to the readers of this here blog that my fantasy hockey league will be closing it's registration this Saturday - the 22nd - before noon. The live draft occurs at noon, and I can tell you that after doing a live draft last year, it was intense.

We're looking for about six more players to take part in the league and we'd love to have anyone aboard. It's all about fun, no money is involved (there's no betting in hockey!), and we're all a bunch of hockey-lovin' nuts, that's it!

Once again, here's the details:

• League ID#: 41211
  
• League Name: Small Market Hockey League
  
• Password: dellacamera
  
• Custom League URL: http://hockey.fantasysports.yahoo.com/league/smallmarket

See you at the draft on Saturday at noon!

Photos: Training Camp, 2007/09/14 (clicky)

I went to the opening day of the Thrashers training camp up in Duluth on Friday morning and took a few pictures. I love going up there for practices because, to me, it's so informal, you get so close to the players, and you get so close to the action - it's unbeatable.

Small Market Hockey Returns! (clicky)

As I said in the previous post, I've started a fantasy hockey league and I want to let the open invitations begin! If you're a reader of WE WANT DUNHAM! and want to engage in some addictive tendencies (i.e. fantasy hockey) for the next few months, go to this website and fill out the following details when signing up for a league:

• League ID#: 41211
  
• League Name: Small Market Hockey League
  
• Password: dellacamera
  
• Custom League URL: http://hockey.fantasysports.yahoo.com/league/smallmarket

There you have it! We only have about five teams now and I'm hoping that some others will show up, but I'd love to have your participation, too!

If you're kinda clueless about what this fantasy sports thing is or how fantasy hockey works, check out Adam Poirier's (he also runs the awesome holypuck.com website) neato helper to assist you along the way. If you have any more questions after reading that, feel free to ask me! I've done fantasy hockey for the past three seasons and once I started, I got hooked (obviously). I guarantee the same for anyone else who has any doubts.

GET YR FANTASY AWN!

Fantasy Hockey!

I just started a league and I'm looking for some people to join up. If you've never participated in fantasy hockey (or fantasy sports), I can answer any questions you might have about how it works and how super amazing it is. If you think you might want to join up (and I strongly encourage you to do so!), either comment here or send me an email at foocow@gmail.com.

Training Camp Opens Tomorrow! (clicky)

And so it continues - the soap opera that is the upcoming hockey season. This all happens is stages, you know.

June starts with the Stanley Cup and ends with the NHL Draft. Then there's the free-for-all free agency grab in July. August comes around and brings the baby Thrashers to town for a few days to get a taste of the big leagues for a change. And now that we're nearing the halfway point of September, training camp starts up and everyone invited has that chance of making the team.

Of course, players like the Kovys, the Hossas, the Karis, etc. don't have to worry much about making the opening day squad. But the great thing is seeing the younger bunch of players trying for their shot at a full-time membership of an NHL team. This season, unlike others in recent memory, offers the best chance for the young'uns to show up on October 5 and know what's at stake (i.e. the raising of the Southeast Division Championship banner) and more.

What really matters the most to the casual (or any, really) hockey fan is the notion that the fans are one more day closer to the start or another professional hockey season in North America. The game we all love is about to return and the opening of training camp tomorrow morning is one more step closer to that.

All of the subtleties are becoming apparent now and aren't distant memories anymore - they're simply reminders of what's to come. For example, if you're crazy about the Atlanta Thrashers and have attended a game (or 23) at Philips Arena last season, I'll list some things that will get you excited about the upcoming '07-'08 season. If you don't feel a thing from these little snippets, then God help you.

• the beeping of the ticket scanning machines, granting you entry into the Arena.
  
• drowning in a sea of BLUE as you make your way throughout the Arena.
  
• a temperature difference once waking through your designated portal.
  
• getting the first over-priced beer... or that huge brew before the game in the CNN Center.
  
• the smell of the ice.
  
• scrolling text messages (and apparently the over-abundance of Chuck Norris shout-outs).
  
• the sound of the Zamboni.
  
• the booing that meets the referees.
  
• Steve Craig.
  
• Rabid Fans, Heatmisers, and the entire Nasty Nest.

You know, the list is actually pretty endless. I had to stop myself because I was getting tons of chills down the spine and I couldn't put words to my thoughts and the visions that have danced in my head for the past few months.

The same also applies to hearing Blur's "Song 2" on the radio during the summer. Or GNR's "Welcome to the Jungle". Or that damned Tom Petty song that plays whenever the Thrashers get scored against. (Note to self: I HATE that Tom Petty song... because of hockey?)

Tomorrow, all of these things come closer to repeating themselves all over again. The thrills of victory, scoring the OT winner, watching Kari sprawl in the crease to stop that shooter in the shootout to preserve a winning outcome, Ilya going on one knee after he burns the back of the net by his low-percentage (bew-hew!) slapper from the point and the agonies of prolonged stays on the IR, the opposition ending the game by scoring with .5 seconds left (thanks, Carolina!), and ridiculously bad breaks from our own boards are about to be reinvented and revisited (hopefully none of the agonies will return!).

Who's gonna be the playmaker this season? Who's gonna be the rookie to steal the show for the Thrash? Or will ANY rookie step it up?

What's the story going to be for this season? Only time will tell and I'm so excited to know that the Thrashers will keep on improving and become even stronger than before.

You better believe I'll be there tomorrow, with tons of other supporters cheering on the team as they take the ice collectively for the first time since crap went down in April and new additions started trickling in in early July. I'll be one of the many sporting some sort of winter-weather wear (!), my Blueland scarf, and my camera.

See you there! And...

LET'S GO THRASHERS!

Nasty Nest: Redux!

I just noticed that everyone's favorite Atlanta Thrashers crew, the Nasty Nest, have reworked their own website to make it more informative/appealing/WTF-evs. Needless to say, Billsen (site mod) made it look fantastic and everyone should check it out!

Let the floodgates open - fantasy hockey!

If you're a hockey fan (and you better be, if you're reading this blog semi-frequently), this is something that will definitely interest you. Ever try fantasy hockey, or fantasy sports, before? It's a ton of fun - you play the GM and pick your players, rag on your friends/competition a bit, and hopefully come out on top by the season's end! It's really simple, low-maintenance, and you really learn a lot about the league while you actively engage in your favorite sport.

I was just wondering what the reaction was to this. I'm thinking of creating a league for friends or any WE WANT DUNHAM! readers. If anyone is interested, please let me know by either commenting to this entry or email me at foocow@gmail.com.

For some nice introductory words on fantasy hockey (and the same applies to other sports, I assume), check out Adam Poirier's blog (from last season, but still fresh) on the subject and feel your inner hockey prowess!

Oh, and by the way, Yahoo! will host the league - it's free and it's so simple to pick up and digest almost immediately. For more on Yahoo! fantasy hockey leagues, just click the linked text.

Dates to circle, puckheads

Craig Custance posted dates in his Thrashers beat blog for the AJC - some important, some trivial. Here are the dates that I find noteworthy:

Fri., September 14 - Training camp commences! I'll be there as often as I can to provide pics and some informal commentary on the happenings at the Ice Forum in Duluth - y'all should definitely make it out there, it'll be worth the trip!

Sat., September 15 - Preseason and regular season tickets go on sale to the general public. Seeing that my season ticket holder days are ahead of me, this is a big day for me to stockpile a bunch of tickets, mainly the season opener and closer. Any other games will immediately depend on whether or not there are specials going on for certain games/days of the week/etc.

Fri., October 5 - The Thrashers '07-'08 season opener vs. Washington. You better believe that I'll be there. Aside from game one of last season's playoff run (I never made it to game two), this game will probably result in total celebratory mayhem. Not only do the Birds already have some intradivisional beef with the Caps, but the crowd will go absolutely bonkers when the Thrashers raise the first (OF MANY) championship banner to the rafters of Philips Arena. DO NOT MISS THIS MOMENT.

Fri., January 25 to Mon., January 28 - All-Star Weekend. I anticipated this sooooo much back in '05 when it was originally supposed to come to Atlanta. I looked forward to having the best NHL talent in this city for a few days. I wanted to be immersed in hockey at the Georgia World Congress Center. I made a wishlist of players old and new who would sign autographs. I salivated at the possibility of hockey collectibles on display. I wanted it all. Then, the lockout came. This time, the whole shebang isn't going to get canned. And I'll be there. So excited.

Tues., February 26 - Trade deadline @ 3PM. At this point in the season, we'll know where we stand. Last season, we definitely made some important moves to get us into the postseason, but where did those moves get us today? Tkachuk moseyed back to St. Louis, Belanger traveled up north, Dupuis resigned, and we have Zhitnik for a little while longer. Hopefully we won't need to clean shop just to make it into the playoffs this season. And if Hossa doesn't have a contract extension by then, does he get moved as this is his last season, under contract, in Atlanta? Hmm...

Wed., April 9 - Let the playoffs begin! Surely, we cannot have a teensy-tiny sip of playoff fever and then miss out on 'em entirely the following year. While the roster for this season has some more question marks than I'd like, I'm betting that between things coming together (i.e. team chemistry, rookies' performances, etc.) for us, acquisitions during the season, and the folding of the competition within our division (yeah, I said it!), we'll start gnawing on postseason yumminess in March and won't loosen our grip for some time, including well into April!

Mon., June 9 - Absolute last day of Stanley Cup playoffs. By this time, the world will know who will be etched onto the Cup of Greatness for all to see and discuss for the, uh, upcoming '08-'09 season. Who will be the surprises of the season, with regard to both the players and the teams? Who will be the biggest let downs? Will the off-season moves (Briere, Smyth, Gomez/Drury, I'm talkin' to you!) prove beneficial or will teams have to deal with blights on their team payrolls? Also, what rookies will be far and above the rest of the young'uns?

Heatley/Hossa - Two Years Later

After coming across a few posts about the topic (one at the Nasty Nest and another at Hockey Buzz), I feel like I need to chime in a few words about the whole thing - you know, the trade that is still talked about to this day (obviously).

I became connected to Dany Heatley during the season following his triumphant run at the Calder Memorial Trophy. After the '01-'02 season, the Thrashers were boasting two great young talents, Heatley and Ilya Kovalchuk. This was right around the time I started following hockey again on a more regular basis. I never followed the Thrashers and I was only attentive when the once-terrible New York Islanders made a playoff run right around that time.

Needless to say, I had no knowledge of anything in the Atlanta hockey sphere, so when I finally decided to come back to the sport, it was exciting to know that some of the sport's up-and-coming stars were in town. In '02-'03, Heatley just about owned everyone at the All-Star Game, even coming up with the MVP award for his performance in the game. No one could forget the gap-toothed smile from when he captured that title. By the season's end, Kovalchuk had 38 goals and 67 points while Heatley amassed 41 goals and 89 points.

Then September 29, 2003 happened - Heatley wrecked his Ferrari while doing 80+ MPH on Lenox Road in Atlanta and tragically ending the life of his friend and teammate, Dan Snyder.

There is no way I can even comprehend what Heatley must've went through during the recovery process. So when he suggested to Thrashers General Manager Don Waddell that he'd like a trade out of Atlanta, it really shouldn't have come as a shock. To drive down Lenox Road and always remember that's where the death of your friend happened, that you were responsible, that 37's hung all around Philips Arena, that 37 was a constant reminder on your jersey - he couldn't escape the consequences of his actions in Atlanta and wanted a fresh start.

It came as a tremendous shock to the fans of the Thrashers. The fans that backed him no matter the cost, that provided endless amounts of support and forgiveness for his actions, that just wanted the best for Heatley, experienced a gamut of emotions. People sympathized with Heatley, others considered it a slap in the face to the community who was there for him. A lot of people simultaneously held both sentiments toward Heatley.

Regardless, Waddell obliged Dany's request and dealt one of the most promising starts of the NHL to perennial contender Ottawa for an elite player in Marian Hossa and journeyman defensemen Greg deVries.

As I said, the outcomes of the trade are still being discussed, argued, and overanalyzed to this very day. It was one of the bigger trades in the past few years in NHL player transactions. Two elite players were moved in the blink of an eye. Hossa was coming off productive seasons with the Senators and was pushing for more money with the team he hoped to finish his career with. Heatley was just returning to the game after his horrific accident and was a big question mark.

Would this trade ever equal out? Trading a "soft" Marian Hossa and an over-paid defenseman in Greg deVries to the Thrashers for a forward who had his best years ahead of him, but would his past and his injuries allow such promising talents to emerge?

Today marks two years after the pen met the paperwork. In those two years, Hossa was apparently worth the money he sought after in Ottawa while he's had breakout seasons for the Thrashers. Heatley has been stellar in the red and black, quieting all of those who doubted him and his abilities. But there are still the arguments as to who got the better of the deal. More so, I find a bunch of what ifs that linger on. I think the comparisons about who's career has flourished since the trade are getting a little stale, but the what ifs clearly remain.

Back when the trade occurred, I just couldn't believe the news. It was I think my first day back at Georgia State and Lindsey and I were driving around Atlanta after classes to find some dinner. I ended up getting a call on my phone from my friend Zack who informed me that "our German sensation was traded today." Instantly I tuned in 680 on my car radio and heard the truth myself. I couldn't believe it. Here's a player I'm just starting to get attached to, who I really embraced following his accident and he's gone. I had to know the circumstances behind this. We ended up eating at Mellow Mushroom and watching ESPN to know more about this historical day for the Atlanta Thrashers. Eventually I found out like everyone else about Dany's reasoning for asking to be traded, who we got in return, and then Dany's response to leaving.

I definitely had Hossa on my radar in terms of fantasy players to pick up that season, but to actually have him as a Thrasher was a big deal. It was the best outcome possible for a trade and no team was getting worse after the fact. It was just a bit heart-breaking when Dany Heatley arrived in Ottawa and publicly announced at how ecstatic he was about ending up in Ottawa. I think that's where the current debate lands, at least in Atlanta - still support Heatley's efforts or consider him a traitor?

As far as I'm concerned, yes, I was a little angered over Heatley's excitement about moving out of Atlanta and to an instant contender. It bothered me that he made the transition so easily. It got under my skin that he was as good as he was at the beginning of the '05-'06 season following the lockout. But I got over it. I wish him the best in Ottawa and I hope he's able to win a Cup while there. During these playoffs, I felt awkward wanting to root for the Sens because of Heatley - did I really want him to succeed so well even though he really didn't have much to say (out loud) when it came to the Thrashers organization? Fortunately, they played the Ducks, who I liked since day one of last season. It just doesn't sit well with me that he was so excited moving to a bona fide hockey community and that he got up north as quick as he could upon his trade out of Atlanta.