Ah, the fabled west coast road trip. This time of the year for the Thrashers usually brings much displeasure and a slipping in the standings. While that's mentioned, that could easily happen. With the resurgency of division rivals (eh, and Stanley Cup Champions) Carolina, and the way that Tampa has brought things to the table (finally), the Thrashers' division lead that was once a fair amount away from the competition is now is jeopardy. As I just mentioned, this "circus swing" usually casts a crappy spell on the Birds and this critical part of the season happens to arrive at just the right time for a fight for supremacy in the Southeast. (Note: When this road trip happens, it's a the same time the circus comes to Philips, hence, "circus swing".)
At least things were silenced for an evening against the once-almighty Colorado Avalanche. A team that was extremely rich with talent and winning in the forms of Sakic, Hejduk, Roy, Blake, Forsberg, and Tanguay (among others) is now reduced to a pile of rubble and anything left over from that era. Joe Sakic is a legend and a dynamic force to reckon with, so that piece of the puzzle is still there. But all other aspects of those amazing teams that ruled the NHL for a few years are in shambles. After trading away David Aebischer for Jose Theodore, the Avs are still trying to figure out their goaltending situation. And, while promising, their young kids do hint at brighter days ahead, with Stasny, Wolski, and Svatos. But this team isn't even a shadow of what they once were.
All of the things mentioned above were the ultimate downfall of the Avs at the hands (wings?) of the Thrash. Shaky goaltending from Theodore (and nice playmaking from Le Thrash, too!) resulted in a quick 3-0 lead... and it's unfortunate that leads like that after the first period cause a Thrashers fan to wonder, "How long is THIS lead gonna last?" There's no denying it, everyone had to be thinking it. After blowing leads against mediocre teams in the past, a three-goal lead against the disappointing Avs was nice, there was the possibility of it reversing. However, the Thrash didn't quit and continued to play a pretty good game in Denver.
I guess the same could apply to the Canucks, too. They never had great success in the playoffs, but during the season, they were a very strong team a few years ago (I'm thinking of immediately prior to the lockout). It's like they could tear through the opposition with the likes of Bertuzzi, Naslund, Morrison, and with strong defense from Ohlund and Jovanovski, and reliable goaltending with Cloutier. With past disappointments in the playoffs and the new CBA in place, the team changed its appearance. While retaining the extraordinary Sedin twins (they are unstoppable) and still hanging onto Naslund and Morrison, Vancouver shipped out the problem-child in Bertuzzi and the unfolding Cloutier and the stalwart defensemen in Jovo. They also decided that Anson Carter, who had a career year with the Sedins (who also had great seasons themselves), wasn't worth the money and let him loose to come back to earth over in Columbus. Instead, the Canucks aimed to correct the problem that plagued them the most during the post-season - goalies - and welcomed ex-Florida netminder Roberto Luongo into the fold. He was viewed as the man who could turn things around for a squad that really relied on its goaltending and it was never there when the team needed that presense the most.
Saturday night, Luongo was the difference-maker. It was games like that that Luongo was brought into Vancouver. While he wasn't consistently tested throughout the game, the last few minutes could've led to a Thrashers come-from-behind victory as opposed to what was a Canucks win. He kept the team in it and ultimately won the game for Vancouver. I'm sure it was a little nice to win over a team that had your number a bunch in the past, as a former member of the Southeast Division.
It was a complete relief to see us convert on a 5-on-3 opportunity. For a while, I thought it wasn't going to happen. In instances like that, you have to keep the puck moving to throw off the three players that are somehow going to stop the play or at least try to have a say in it. Several times during that minute of the two-man advantage, there was too much hesitation with the puck and it looks like nothing was even going to get started. There was even a bit of a struggle to even set up the plays in the Canucks' zone. But for Kovy to get the second Thrashers goal, that was redeeming. There was good puck movement and it resulted in revving up the team.
The game didn't move as fast as other games (like against Buffalo or Carolina), but the spirit was there. The last minutes of the game made up for it as the Thrash tried any kind of opportunity to beat Luongo for a point in the matter. Now, that didn't happen, but it was a nice effort from the team. The Thrashers know what's on the line - a top-three seed in the playoffs - and they know the consequences if they don't play .500 hockey on this road trip. So this team needs to perform the entire way through these games. Faltering and losing sight of the game in a mere 10 seconds can cause the team the game (it did). This is hockey we're talking about here. But these next games against the Oil and the Flames are no walks in the park.
The Oil game could be like the win against the Avs. I'm certain that Hedberg will have the start in the nets tonight to rest an over-worked Kari Lehtonen (finally!). So Moose needs to have a big game to go against the bigger names in the Edmonton lineup like Smyth, Lupul, Hemsky, and, of course, Dwayne Roloson.
And I have little doubt in my mind that it'll be another Finnish matchup on Tuesday, with Kari battling it out against Miikka Kiprusoff in Calgary. They are a team that is trying to make a push for a number one seed in the extremely tight Northwest Division. While a team like Edmonton is on the outside looking in at this point, Calgary is in the midst of a three-way tie for first in the Northwest, along with Vancouver and a Minnesota team on the rise with the return of Gaborik. With the recent acquisition a heralded defenseman in Brad Stuart from Boston, the team looks ready to make a charge away from the others in their division. I mean, Dion Phaneuf cannot do it alone for the Flames. I'm sure that Calgary has some depth in their defense, but Stuart sures it up some more and also tells others in the Northwest that Calgary is serious. It'll be interesting to watch the rest of their season unfold and see where they end up at the end.
No comments:
Post a Comment