So all the Thrashers had to do was hold a lead for a little less than nineteen minutes. I mean, we're talking a THREE GOAL lead... in front of a SELL OUT crowd... at HOME... against one of the LOWER RANKED teams of the high-and-mighty Western Conference. With Exelby back in the lineup (and Steve McCarthy sitting out for a few due to injury), the defense should've been raring to go, chomping at the bit, ready to tear the 'Yotes a new one. And it started out that way. Slowly, slowly, slowly things tricked into the Thrashers' net and 18,545 fans, old and new, felt betrayed and let-down.
There are issues all the way around with the team. I mean, from one penalty after another and repeating this process, oh-I-dunno, three times at the end of the second period (and bleeding into the third for a minute or so)... you just can't do that... against ANYONE. Imagine if that happened against, ugh, the Hurricanes or Buffalo? We would've been lucky to leave with a point after all of that. Fortunately, Phoenix's power play wasn't that much to talk about last night. Then there was OUR power play unit... or lack thereof. With an opportunity of a lifetime in the third (i.e. five-on-three), and a man-advantage late in the third, surely something should've happened to put the game away... a game that was our's with 18 minutes to play. But whatever...
And then there's the always-dicey play of Johan Hedberg. You know, I really adore his style of play. He really puts it out there whenever the game's on the line and he's incredibly passionate about what he does. He's a quick thinker and is not afraid to take the initiative at all during awkward situations. But as many times as this kind of thing works for you, it'll bite you in the ass as many, for sure. And there were at least two Phoenix goals that were due to Hedberg's risky-business puckhandling. A botched pass/clear/WTF-ever behind the net resulted in a goal that gave the 'Yotes something to cheer about in a game that had ROUT written all over it. And the OT killer? Hedberg did a move that works 50% of the time - a high-pressure situation that involves a one-on-one breakaway and a split-second decision that determines where you're gonna take the shot. Moose thought it was beneficial to come out of the crease and take one for the team and see what happens... in other words, he wanted to cut off the shot as much as possible and hoped to make the save out in between the circles. We all know what happened next.
Cue pic @ top.
I mean, I love this hockey team. I couldn't be any more passionate about them - unless I delve into the season ticket world. But there are aspects that I love about them that do not even manifest themselves. I mean, I know I could love their potential power play manhandling of the opposition. I know I could love the tandem of Kari/Moose. I know I could love this team all over when they play like the talent that's on their roster. But with craptastic games like last nite's, they definitely make it hard for me to talk about the team with pride and try to engage new fans and even comiserate with current die-hards.
After the disappointment, I overheard a group of new fans. Apparently they were brought from someone who was quite familiar with the team, sporting a jersey to boot. But one of the new girls says to her other girlfriends, "You know, he said that there's no way they could lose that game, being up that much... And before I knew it, I was getting back to my seat, and the score was 4-4! What was up with that, dude?!"
Atlanta Thrashers - that's how you win fans.
So disappointing. They have to make up for it tonite in DC - there is no question. If they lose, it's a huge downer for the squad. We'll see what happens.
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