LET'S GO... TRASHERS?

My first viewing of the Atlanta Thrashers this season featured a tough loss, but a good one (?) to swallow, against one of the league's top teams, the Boston Bruins. It was a 2-1 loss, but you figure if you keep the Bruins to two goals in a game, you did a good job. Unfortunately, the Thrashers couldn't get much going that evening and that resulted in the L. Not bad, but not exactly the preferred result.

And that was fine. I mean, kinda. You always want your team to make an appearance and do it to the fullest extent. That didn't quite happen on the 28th of December, but I was somewhat satisfied that we weren't blown off the rink against one of the league's elite. I think that I was more excited that it was my first game of the season and I couldn't have really cared about the end result - I was finally at a hockey game this season and that's all that mattered at that point. And it was free. And we had great seats. But that's beside the point!

My second appearance at the Bulb was this past Sunday, against the Lightning. We all know how that went. Needless to say, it was terrible. There was zero effort in the game from the Thrashers and even my parents noted Kovalchuk's absence.

Keep in mind that Kovy logged almost 24 minutes in the game.

Defensemen just stood there with cinder blocks attached to their skates. Scoring chances were blown constantly because no one could touch the puck when it came to them in the slot. And Kari was just a goalie. Also, several players not named Jim Slater fell during critical plays. Usually that is Slater's specialty (or speed), but that behavior was constant that evening.

For the first time in five years of truly supporting the team, my family and I were able to sit in a suite. It was completely overshadowed by the Thrashers life-sucking performance... and the lack of a lock on the restroom door in said suite. That's neither here nor there though.

After watching last nite's game against the Pens, this team couldn't get more lifeless. I mean, I guess that they could if only John Anderson was behind the bench... AND THAT'S IT. It sure seemed like that for the past two games, only with pylons on the ice providing obstacles for the opposition. And the question everyone's asking is WHY IS THIS TEAM SO LIFELESS?

It was games like Sunday's affair versus the Lightning that seriously made me question the future of the franchise. It's deteriorating rapidly. With casual fans (such as my parents) wondering where Kovalchuk was on Sunday, that said it all. The face of the franchise logged the most ice time, yet remained unnoticed. Fans come to the game to see the wonder that is Kovy and he has been a non-factor this season. Don Waddell (originally typed as DOWN Waddell, but whatevs) brings in non-factor players year in and year out and none of them do anything memorable. The team was a non-factor last year and is even worse this season and it's not getting noticed... or it is, but for the wrong reasons.

In terms of hockey, the people of Atlanta have nothing to cheer for, nothing to support. This organization is running itself into the ground and it appears that no one wants to save it. Yet, simultaneously, no one has any other ideas. People blame the ownership debacle that is the Atlanta Spirit, but who else would provide better ownership? Everyone that's an Atlanta Thrashers fan wants FIRE WADDELL tattooed on their forehead for recognition, but no one has any other ideas. Sure, it's so much fun to toss around names like Mark Cuban and Pat Quinn for replacements, but who's to say that they'd have more of an effect than the current squad of higher-ups? Maybe the naysayers are right and any other figurehead would be better than what's currently in place. But who's to say?

There's just too much disarray going around for my liking and I absolutely hate the current state of things. It's leading to nowhere positive. Ok, if we tank enough, we can luck out and draft phenom Tavares in June. Personally, I don't care. I want the team to win. I want the team to have energy and radiate it to the masses that also want it. I don't want Tavares because then he, too, will be poisoned by the hockey product in Atlanta. I don't want anyone. I just want a team that competes night in and night out. We can lose the same amount of games that we've lost all season - but if we actually gave a damn in each and every one of them and they were ALL competitive ALL THE TIME, I'd be ok with that and that would provide plenty room for promise. I see zero evidence of that and I haven't seen much effort all season. It's just dying and I'm becoming more and more crushed as the season progresses.

I apologize for the lack of blogging throughout the season. I'm not big on writing about negativity and I am rather silent about the Thrashers because it's too hard to justify or rationalize it to other fans or especially to outsiders. With that said, it's even harder to focus on the positivity or the light at the end of the tunnel. Normally, I'd be eager to write about my experiences at the games I attended. That is one of my favorite parts about blogging about the team. But when it's overshadowed by a franchise that just doesn't give a damn, why bother nitpicking about Mathieu Schneider's costly penalties or Bryan Little's skate blade breaking or another one of John Anderson's listless post-game press conferences when it's for naught? Everyone shares the same opinion at this point. It doesn't seem beneficial, to me, at this juncture to type about my unique and interesting experiences with the team. It used to give me a rush to run to a computer and type all things Thrashers and see how my sentiment compared with those in the internets and blogosphere. I loved the similarities, but I soaked up the differences and things that went unnoticed by my eyes. I learned new things that led to appreciating other elements of the team or the game that I was passionate about.

This isn't a letter of resignation or me disowning the Thrashers. After Sunday's (lack of) effort and the game last nite, I only posted what was right. If Don Waddell somehow finds his way back with the organization after this season (in ANY capacity), I seriously think about how this team affects me. If the big shots in the front office are apathetic towards his management of THEIR franchise, it makes me wonder how much they care about the fans and the city of Atlanta.

Eh, that's all I got for now.

Citizens of Blueland...

I present to you, your Atlanta Thrashers:



I also present to you, head coach John Anderson:



Lastly, I proudly bring to you Kari Lehtonen:



I seriously contemplate quitting on the team if Don Waddell returns next season.

Waxing Thrash

Right now, the Atlanta Thrashers sit with a league-worst 19 points. That's what a record of 8-14-3 gets you. Really, is there anything promising about this team at this point in time? I'd love to provide the light at the end of the tunnel, but this is the worst I have felt about this team since I started my fandom of the Atlanta Thrashers. The apathy is at an all-time high point and that realization is quite unsettling. You know it's bad when one of my cats starts heaving during a Thrashers game on TV.

Well, that hasn't happened... yet.

You won't find anything here that provides insight into the matter. I won't break down the logistics of a Kovalchuk trade or why our power play is great on the road (I think I heard that somewhere). I also won't whine about goaltending "issues" or defensive lapses or how the team only shows up to play competitive hockey for one minute of a 60-minute game. I've never claimed to be a hockey statistician and I've never stated that I have complete understanding of the game of hockey. I'm just one passionate fan of hockey and an undying supporter of the Atlanta Thrashers. And that's what makes the present so hard to swallow.

It seems like when the Thrashers win, they are put on a pedastal; everyone suddenly believes that Marty Reasoner is an offensive force to be reckoned with and that Erik Christensen finally tapped his potential and this game will be his start to a 25+ goal tear for the season. When they lose, however, it's worse than receiving news that the world is about to implode. TRADE KOVALCHUK FOR, UH, SOMEONE tirades run rampant and everyone seems to wonder why players like Eric Boulton or Eric Perrin have zero effect on the team what-so-ever.

The reality of the situation is that, UNFORTUNATELY, if you thought this current roster that makes up the Atlanta Thrashers is worthy of competing every night for something substantial (i.e. the playoffs AND BEYOND), you were dead wrong. The off-season leads to this kind of behavior because everyone thinks that their team is golden and ridiculously over-hypes players who are probably not worthy of that kind of talk. What the worst part about this is that a bunch of this unwarranted hype comes from the highest levels of the team - the owners and general managers. It's these people's job to sell the team and provide the absolute best product on ice. Judging from the reactions from fans, the Atlanta Spirit and Don Waddell did an AMAZING job of shining the spotlights on players like Erik Christensen and Brett Sterling.

While the Sterling thing is an attempt at me kinda-sorta reaching out there a bit, a majority of fans right now are up in arms about Christensen and how he's a non-factor in anything. This guy had tons of pressure on him early on, with talk about becoming the next great center that would finally click with Ilya Kovalchuk and provide a bunch of scoring that was lost in the Marian Hossa departure. This same player has also been a healthy scratch for several games in an effort to "try to get some competitiveness in him" perhaps. When an overhyped player like EC receives that kind of treatment in the first quarter of the season, it's drastic.

Basically, the point of my rambling here is that while I have a lot of displeasure with the team, I really cannot blame the players (that is if they actually show up to play a competitive game for 60 minutes). At least 10 to 15 games into the season, the team appeared and flashed moments that made you consider that this team was a little more than what was predetermined prior to the season. But the fact of the matter is that outside of Ilya Kovalchuk, serious secondary scoring candidates drop off quick. Bryan Little is having a fantastic season and so is, uh, Todd White? After that, who picks up the slack for a missing 90-point scorer like Marian Hossa?

With that, you also have to add in a new coach into the mix and the Thrashers are, well, really not that good on paper. Chemistry and some lucky breaks could come into play and have a nice effect for a while, but a NHL team cannot carry that for 82 games. Sad to say, but the Thrashers simply do not have the skill to compete with the rest of the league and, as fans, we've been had. Upper management made moves that hoped to plug holes in the ever-leaking dam and those moves have proved to be like a band-aid for problems that were apparent years ago after Marc Savard departed for greener pastures.

It absolutely sucks to write something so passionate and, ugh, bitter about your favorite team, but you cannot deny the glaring holes of this team and make ridiculous claims about who's going to play a certain role and who's going to produce, etc. Blueland deserves better than what is on display.

Here's a scenario for you to enjoy. Friday is my last day working retail. I spot a customer I've seen before because whenever he comes into the store, he wears an old Thrashers home jersey (the one that was replaced by the old "third jersey"). I've always wanted to strike up a conversation with him or just mention something Thrashers-related, but I never could because of something else going on at the time. But I finally had my chance now and I wasn't going to blow it, seeing how it was my last day. What do I say to the guy, hoping for a reaction?

"That's a sorry team right there."

He hesitantly agreed and asked who I pull for and I pointed right back to his jersey. That was met with a smile, but I guess I had to kill the moment and remark about how "I'm a glutton for punishment." He didn't like that too much, murmured something like, "Oh, c'mon now", and the conversation was over.

This conversation either mirrors other Thrashers fans' thoughts or means I'm a terrible conversationalist. Definitely a combination of both, I'd say!

Get to Know: Mike Hoffman

The Thrashers announced yesterday that after three cuts to the roster, everything appears to be set for opening nite in terms of the lineup. Gone are two notables - Colin Stewart and Boris Valabik. These players were definitely in the plans for opening nite when last season ended due to their strong play last season. Apparently their play during camp didn't win anyone over, which is unfortunate. However, do not count these guys out as they are strong contenders for roster spots later on in the season.



Of the three guys who appeared safe, the one who has most people scratching their heads is Mike Hoffman. He was signed this past summer by the team after spending an eternity in the AHL, bouncing around the farm teams of St. Louis, Los Angeles, and Anaheim (to name a few). Now he's finally getting his shot at some primetime NHL action. I only found two useful links for people to peruse, so that people can familiarize themselves with Hoff prior to opening nite... and that you can actually have an answer when the casual fan asks, "So, who's this HOFF guy?" If you have any other information on him, let us know!

Bargain pickup lands in Portland - Portland Press Herald

Hoffman continues to fight his way to the NHL - theahl.com

hockeyfights.com profile



Also, here's something interesting that actually gives the guy personality. During the Portland Pirates' playoff run last season, he made an appearance with the local radio station there, trying to get fans to the arena for the games. While I'm not sure that he accomplished that goal, he sure is a goofball (and I appreciate that).



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Ondrej, what about Ondrej?!

Yesterday, The Sporting News' Craig Custance reported that Atlanta's goalie prospect Ondrej Pavelec's agent voiced disapproval of Pavelec getting sent back down to their AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves.

What do we make of this news? Everyone knew this was happening back in June when the Thrashers resigned The Moose of moose(es?), Johan Hedberg, to a two-year deal. When THAT happened, it came as a shock to me.

When Kari went down last season for a brief period, Pavelec finally had his shot at NHL play and made the most of it, winning three and losing three in the seven games that he was involved in. His play during that stretch won him a lot of praise, a bit of credibility that he missed ever since he was drafted by the Thrashers in the second round of the 2005 draft.

So, when Pavs received these glowing reviews and promise from both fans and the team, why did the Thrashers want to bring back Hedberg, who some say his best years are behind him? Clearly, Kari needs a veteran to learn from as he's only 24 years old. Also, Hedberg is a great presence in the locker room. He has a tremendous work ethic and possibly one of the best attitudes in the game.

But what about Pavs? In all honesty, I thought that it would be a battle between Kari and Pavs for the starting role. We know that Hedberg wasn't going to push Kari out of the number one position, but Pavs could easily do that. He's young, he has the skills, he just needs the time and experience to put him ahead of the rest. With some competition between the two, I'm sure that both of their games would rise to the occasion and one-up each other. It would be great for both goalies to compete for the same opportunity.

Now that this news came out yesterday, the problem that everyone saw coming is finally manifesting itself in what could be the worst way possible. Do we really think that Pavelec is behind all of this? He could be. I remember when he was resigned a few years ago, there was some doubt about him remaining a member of the team because he wanted a shot at the big team then and he had the skills, but he was incredibly unproven at the next level. When this was going down, I believe he was still playing for the juniors in Cape Breton. Fortunately, that worked out and some sense was talked into Pavs and his agent then. This time, Pavs has a little more to work with in terms of getting to the next spot, which is inevitably a full-time place on an NHL team, preferably the one he is currently with. But to make claims that he should suggest a trade to get what he wants or, even worse, jump ship and an ocean and play over in Russia is exactly what the Thrashers do not want.

Who knows exactly what's going on here? Pavelec needs to get his stuff together and make his way back to Chicago, suck it up, and just play. His time with the Thrashers will come. It happened last season and it will happen this season as well. If he thinks he has the game to call the shots like this, that's absurd. Players like Ilya Kovalchuk, Marian Hossa, Marian Gaborik, etc. have the right to push the limits and make these kinds of demands - BECAUSE THEY ARE PROVEN. Pavelec is still a prospect goalie and he needs to sit tight just a minute and let things play out. I understand that he wants the best and that is as a starting goalie in the NHL. Realistically, unless he plays for Los Angeles, he doesn't have that kind of opportunity just yet. LA's tried going full-time with new kids and see how that's turned out (i.e. LaBarbera, Bernier). They are getting put through the ringer and not getting the chance that they deserve.

Honestly, what did Pavelec expect at the beginning of this season? For him to bitch and moan about having to deal with ANOTHER season in Chi-town is crazy. You don't see Brett Sterling BEW-HEWING about going back down to Chicago (if he does, that is). Brett is a proven AHL winner, attaining scoring titles and team championships. That's essentially the same stuff that Pavs has - great goalie stats and a Calder Cup (for one year's time in Chicago, mind you). If Brett gets assigned to Chicago for the beginning of the season, you better believe he won't go crying about it.

This is what happens when decent players get involved with jerky agents. Do I think this all sources from Pavs? To a degree. I mean, I'd be pretty bummed out that I wasn't making the big squad when I know that I really should be considered. But... THAT'S LIFE, ONDREJ. I'm sure that his agent is playing more of a role in this than Pavs, but you still have to place some of the blame on Pavs.

Hopefully this will work itself out in the coming weeks and the right thing will happen here. Someone needs to talk some sense into Pavs and he should report back to Chicago and wait for his time to come. Didn't Scott Clemmensen cry about constantly having to be Marty Brodeur's backup? And didn't he get picked up by Toronto, with the hopes that he'd actually get a shot at playing more than 10 times a season? See how that turned out? I don't even think he rode the bench during that stint and he was stuck in the AHL. Maybe Clems and Pavs need to exchange numbers and have their own conversation, hm?

On the Schneid?

Dan Boyle, please take note of how you treat the other teams in the NHL.

So last week, the Thrashers traded Ken Klee, Brad Larsen, and one of the babies (Chad Painchaud) to the Anaheim Ducks for Stanley Cup-winner, two-time All-Star, two-time Olympian, and flat-out ridiculous defenseman Mathieu Schneider. It came as a surprise to me and, at the same time, it wasn't that much of a shock. Everyone knew that Schneider was getting shipped, but I never expected him to end up in Atlanta. I especially didn't plan on sending Klee, Larsen, and Painchaud for him.

Really, three-for-one seems like a lot. And maybe it is. But we're talking about Mathieu Schneider for an aging defenseman who wasn't exactly the most mobile on the ice, an aging forward who really didn't belong on the team (because he rarely produced and was mildly effective on the penalty kill), and a prospect who may/may not pan out. I'm surprised that's all that we gave up for Schneids. I guess that Anaheim wanted Teemu Selanne that bad.

But back to the point. Blueland Blog's Ben Wright recently got together with Schneider and discussed some aspects of Schneid's game and his attitude toward the trade that sent him to the right (as opposed to left) coast. Apparently, he's liking what he's seen from the Thrashers defensive corps and that's nice. What really struck me, however, was the following comment:

Atlantathrashers.com: I'm sure Thrashers fans would be thrilled if you were able to start your career wearing 18 and end it in 18 if it meant you were staying here in Atlanta.

Schneider: "That would be tremendous. I would love to see that happen."

Throughout the entire feature, Schneider doesn't sound disappointed in the trade or the end result (i.e. ending up in Atlanta). Remember when Dan Boyle, upon hearing that he could've been on the waiver wire, commented that he'd rather get traded than getting picked off of the wire... by a team like Atlanta?


Original picture is linked!

Take a page out of Mathieu Schneider's book, Danny B. Schneids is a class act and I'm thrilled to have someone like him on this team. Sure, the ownership may suck. And perhaps we don't have the best general manager in the league. But what remains is hockey and especially some respect for the players who play it. I'm hoping that Boyle doesn't disrespect the Thrash (though he did play for the Bolts, so the possibility is there), but when you put the Thrash down, you put the entire organization down, too. Because of the rivalry, I cannot stand the Bolts and that's because of what they represent (at least in the past) - leadership and their winning ways. They always created problems for us in the past, whether it be in "simple matchups" (like there is such a thing when each game against divisional opponents means something) or pushing for the playoffs. It's fun to go to Tampa/Atlanta games because there's a ton of tension there. But that doesn't mean I have zero respect for them.

Mathieu Schneider, welcome to Atlanta! We're thrilled to have you here and we cannot wait to see what you bring to the team in terms of production, leadership, and a fantastic teammate.

Yesterday In Thrasherdom

Let's see here, this is pretty bad ass. Toby-o signs a little extension that helps kick-start the THRASH0RZ 4 LYFE campaign that he is apparently spear-heading (let's keep Kovy out of this for now, mmmk?). Methinks this is a good thing. Wait, scratch that - it IS a good thing. Toby (originally typed as TONY) is one of those players who really gets his job done and that's quite shocking as he's a member of the Thrashers. Let's see if we can name the last great defenseman of the Atlanta Thrashers, shall we?

Speaking of Toby, it looks like he wants to bring out the Niko Kapanen haircut. Please take note:


Exhibit A - Toby Enstrom as of September 24, 2008. Clicking on that pic enlarges it like woah, so be prepared. But please notice the poofiness that's slightly protruding out of the sides of his helmet. There's no mistaking those Swedish blonde locks. And now...


Exhibit B - uh, Niko Kapanen.

All I'm saying is compare the hair (ha!), not the play, not the player, and certainly not the game. I hope I'm not the first to say it aloud and, by doing that, I hope that I'm not the gypsy who puts the Kap-Kurse on poor Toby-o. Shhhhhh!

With that said, I guess I misled, like, everyone by saying that I was going to practice on Saturday. I was all gung-ho about it all week long, and then corn dogs and funnel cake took over my body the nite before and I couldn't muster up the courage to make the trek to Duluth the following morning. Really, it just came down to gas prices and making multiple trips up to Atlanta in one day that was the kicker. BUT! But I finally made it up there on Wednesday morning and had a great time. At long last, I was able to really check out Mr. Bogosian and note that while he wasn't the best player on the ice on Wednesday morning, he definitely looks like an NHL player. Is this manchild really only 18? That's INSANE. He's a lock for the team, mark my words, but I just pray that he gets over the overwhelming part of the NHL quick. Once he does that, I think he can have a very solid season for the Thrashers.

I also caught a glimpse of Jason Williams, and was I shocked when I initially assumed that he looked like Justin Williams (why does he have an official website, BTW?). They are quite the opposites. Didn't keep too much of an eye on Marty Reasoner and definitely didn't peek at Ron Hainsey, but I guess I'll just save that for either another trip up later on or game time (woo, it's soon!).

Can I also say for the record that it was instantly odd to know that Marian Hossa wasn't there? I dunno, but I felt very... empty... that he wasn't at camp. I just had to say it. But as Filburt Turtle once said, "You turn the page, you wash your hands..." Bew to that! :(

Enough of my chatter about the practice, here are what you really want - pics!







For 26 more pics, check out the album at the Flickr.

It was unfortunate that Erik Christensen was not in attendance at this morning's session, but I guess that all is not doomed for our mystery center. I only say that because he had such a limited time with the Thrashers last season (due to injury) and now there's this strike against him when there are a lot of hopes for this guy to pull through and produce for the Thrashers. Let's hope his body can get things together!

Hmm, what else? I think that covers it for my Thrashers Wednesday.

On another topic, I'm kinda confused about how I should feel about this next issue. I'm in two fantasy leagues this year - a first for that - and while the second league hasn't drafted yet (sign up NOW!), the league I'm running is all set to go. The only thing is that one team, uh, lucked out (?) and secured the two goalies who are dearest to me.



You see, my wife and I have the two absolutely adorable kittens who I'm fairly positive will dominate the world. Seeing how we're kinda goalie fanatics (especially from the Finland region of the world), we named these two cats Miikka (red, obv) and Vesa (grey). Seriously, y'all, I'm kinda torn about this. The guy who drafted 'em did it through the auto draft, so I'm sure it was fate that led him to these guys. But really? I mean, if I go up against him for a week, how can I find it in my heart to root against Mr. Miikka and Mr. Vesa? Sure, you can make the completely logical argument that I'm only "facing" the human goalies and that has zero relation to our cats. But I counter your logic with my illogical standpoint that while these two goalies are indeed human, our cats are mere extensions of their awesomeness and if they do bad, ill-will could ensue towards these seemingly innocent felines. And if I DO root for them during that week, I end up losing in fantasy. It's a lose-lose situation, you see. It puts a whole other spin on fantasy for me this year and I honestly don't know how it will play itself out.



These cats are fucking adorable, y'all - don't even try to deny it!

SIgnificant Dates

No, I'm not getting all emo over here and reminiscing about "What might've been..." with certain women I've interacted with. Psht. Here are some dates that I have (virtually) circled on my calendar in the immediate future and that you should also pay attention to.... if you asked me (and you should!).

September 15 (ooh, that's today!) - Early sale for individual tickets (hey, that password is BLUELAND.)
September 20 - Training camp opens (free for the public and fun for all!)
September 25 - Preseason action starts in Nashville!
October 1 - Preseason games continue as the Thrashers come home for three preseason match-ups, starting against Detroit.
October 10 - Time to open the season at home, against Alexander "The Ocho" Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals! I haven't purchased my tickets yet, but I'm planning on doing so in the next few days!

Yeah, that should do it for the next few weeks, I'd say! I'll be at training camp at least for the opening day stuff (along with tons of other people who have, uh, great advice about our beloved hockey team), maybe for another session if I can pull that out.

Thrashers Update A-Roo

It's like the calm before the storm, really. There was a flurry of activity in June, with the draft taking place and then the free agency wackiness of early July. Now, it appears as if things have settled down a bit. Sure, the Thrashers signed some players (we all know this) and these players weren't the ones we had in mind initially (likewise), but the roster was finally taking shape for the upcoming season.

With the hiring of Coach Anderson, and the departure of Associate/Assistant Coach McCrimmon, many wondered who would help out the Coach behind the bench and try to rally with the team. The answer to this question revealed itself last week as it was stated that Randy Cunneyworth and Todd Nelson will now play the roles of assisting to the Coach. It was an interesting move simply because Cunneyworth's name has been tossed about with NHL head coaching vacancies lately and he's now secured an assistant spot with the Atlanta Thrashers. Nelson arrives because of his ties to Anderson in Chicago, which is a bit reassuring. Anderson knows Cunneyworth through his time in the AHL and he directly worked with Nelson on the Wolves' staff. It's good to know that there aren't three question marks that will be coaching the Thrashers next season (and beyond!).

Also, take this as you will, it was noted on the highly reputable (hmm...) hockey rumors website Hockey Buzz (OMG MATS HASN'T SIGNED WITH THE HABS YET, OMG) that there are plans for more jerseys, league-wide, for the upcoming season. This blurb fortunately isn't deemed an E3 or anything, so that's nice. The source of this is actually from Howard Berger, a top-notch radio persona and writer for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Apparently, he has seen a number of new third-jersey designs for some teams, including our Atlanta Thrashers. Here's what he had to say about these new "sweaters":

ATLANTA: The club will introduce a dark red jersey with the word “THRASHERS” on the front, just above the player’s uniform number, which will appear on both sides of the design. A broad white stripe will adorn each arm of the jersey with a dark red number in the stripe. A broad white-and-dark blue stripe will run down the sides of the jersey.

For more on this (as well as descriptions of a few other teams), the link is here.

As I said, it's getting slow, news-wise! Hopefully we'll hear of a trade in the coming weeks that will simultaneously bowl us over and bring some temporary disappointment (in that one of our favorites is sure to leave).

McCrimmon Out, Bodily Functions Back To Normal

Wouldn't you prefer to bleed red? And cry "blue" tears? How realistic is it to even bleed blue anyways? Brad McCrimmon apparently feels the same way. Either that or he noticed the chance of a lifetime at his doorstep and decided to take advantage of it.

A favorite of many of the Atlanta Thrashers, last year's associate coach Brad McCrimmon is officially out of the South and making the move from Blueland to Hockeytown USA. He's joining the Detroit Red Wings as their Assistant Coach, replacing Todd McClellan, who left for greener (or tealer?) pastures in San Jose to seize their head coaching position. This is a nice move for "Beast" and is most certainly a promotion. While he retains nearly the same title as he had in Atlanta, becoming an assistant is a bigger deal than it is here in Atlanta. I mean, let's be serious here.

Good job for Coach McCrimmon for landing a possible dream job (that's not a head coaching position) and we wish him the best of luck in Detroit!

Obligatory Thrashers Updates That You Were Already Familiar With

I'll start with what's already been written about and I'll finish with something of personal relevance and, possibly convenience, mmmkay? Let's go!

The Atlanta Thrashers announced their schedule for the '08-'09 season. Yahoo! Now it's time to pinch pennies so that I can make my annual purchase next month for the home opener and the season closer.

The Atlanta Thrashers also signed the following players to contracts for the immediate future: Joey Crabb, Nathan Oystrick, Kari Lehtonen (yay?), Marty Reasoner, Brett Sterling, and Angelo Esposito. I question the Kari signing because I hope it's not a prelude to him getting dealt. It's no secret that I enjoy Kari's presence between the pipes for the Thrash, so I'd hate to see him shipped away. The Thrashers are lookin' good in goal for the short-run, though, with the re-signing of Da Moose and Ondrej Pavelec waiting in the wings. Just like everyone else, I'd hate to see my one of my favorite players shipped away. My favorite Thrasher was (and possibly still is) Marc Savard, so while I didn't like the idea of him moving north to Boston, I understood it because he was a UFA at the time and he controlled his destiny. Kari, not so much. Let's hope he sticks around Blueland for this season and that everything works out swimmingly well.

Former 99x DJ and Thrashers announcer Steve Craig will leave Atlanta for a new radio job in New York in the coming weeks, meaning that the voice of Blueland will be replaced come October. Steve's one of those guys who had a fantastic voice and had genuine passion and knowledge of hockey as opposed to some random filler guy who could possibly butcher last names at the drop of the hat and not know the difference between a power play and off-sides. Steve's presence in Blueland will be missed and we hope he does well in all of his ventures in New York!

Lastly, something that was tossed around lately is the idea of a practice facility moving down south... south like Peachtree City. Considering I'm a resident of a neighboring town, this is cool news. While I don't expect there to be a full move from Duluth to PTC, the prospect of a rink on the southside of Atlanta is awesome. I wasn't around when there was a rink in Newnan (and it's now an aquatic center, I think), but I visited the IceForum in Morrow back in '01, right before it closed. If there's one thing I really hate about living on the south side of town is that the closest rink is in Duluth, which is about 90 minutes north of me (roughly).

Basically, I'm not too sure about this idea simply because it will be in Peachtree City. I honestly don't think the residents of the bubble town would approve of it because of the failures of the previously mentioned rinks. While I'm overwhelmingly in favor of it, it will be hard to convince the casual golf cart riders of the world to approve of something that doesn't look promising... and to fund it with tax money for years and years. I remember when the tennis center was sparkling new and how there was talk about hosting some local and possibly national tournaments there. When I worked in that part of town at that time, I only remember one, maybe two, tournaments occurring there. As of right now, it's simply a members only club without any prospect of anything more becoming of it.

Unfortunately, I could see the same thing happening with this new ice rink/fitness facility. There's hints that it could provide revenue to the residents of Peachtree City and Fayette County and prospective tournaments held there, but who's to say that will actually happen? I'm sure that the rink would create interest and that all of the transplants (myself included) would flock there early on, but what about in the long run? I know of the existence of a roller hockey league in PTC, but is there enough interest for an ice hockey league to sustain such a place? I like the argument that this new PTC facility is closer to the airport than the rink in Duluth, and I think that even a place like PTC's Falcon Field could be used in a similar argument. And it's common knowledge that transportation is a little smoother on the southside as opposed to the tightly-congested northside of town. We'll see. It proves exciting for me, but probably not so much for PTC residents and Delta families.

Coming up next week - an unforeseen trade that has everyone scratching their heads, ticket prices are reduced and somehow revenue increases, Kovy gets the captaincy, Don Waddell steps down, the Atlanta Spirit Group gets bought out by members of the Nasty Nest, and the proclaiming of "KNIGHTS!" during the National Anthem is deemed illegal with jail-time for repeat offenders. Oh, who am I kidding here?!

Thrashers Snag Williams (and I Wax Skeptic)

Last nite, the Thrashers added another piece to their team, signing forward Jason Williams to a one-year deal.

I was mildly surprised to see not that Atlanta inked Williams, just that Atlanta acquired anyone period. We've been conditioned (up to this point) to think that significant moves may not be a reality. Of course, that's really not the case. Just because the Thrashers signed (or overpaid?) d-man Ron Hainsey, added a few kids, and signed Eric Boulton for another two years doesn't rule out anything. It just seems like this is the off-season from hell, something that certainly wasn't considered on June 30.

I'd lie if I said that I wasn't disappointed with the lack of players flocking to Atlanta's hockey hotbed.

Er, mask your sarcasm!

I think this summer really brought things into perspective for Thrashers fans. Last season, we were so misguided (just like the rest of the team) and had no idea what lay ahead. A superstar in Marian Hossa departed because winning wasn't a number one priority to the Atlanta Spirit Group. Who knows how much truth there was to that, but Hossa was probably on to something with that kind of gesture. Having a select bunch of individuals own a hockey team (few with hockey expertise?) and simultaneously involved in a battle over ownership with a cast-out figurehead really takes the energy away from the product that matters - our Atlanta Thrashers (and those Atlanta Hawks, and our Philips Arena...). However, isn't the ownership group in Tampa Bay similar (involving a handful of guys, sans courtroom battles)? Look what they accomplished in the past two weeks. (Some could argue that they haven't achieved much as they've signed forward after forward and let their number one defenseman out to dry... and their head coach is a Mullet.)

Truth be told, I'm skeptical. I'm a skeptic by nature. When life hands me lemons, I wonder why I was handed them in the first place and who handed them to me and what the condition of the lemons was, etc. You bet I was disappointed by the lack of signings on July 1st, and then July 2nd, and so on. Sure, the Hainsey signing has a lot of potential and it could be a great move. But there's just too much hanging on that for me though and, like everyone else, I wanted an instant "YES!" moment. I wanted the marquee name at a decent price that expressed an overwhelming desire to sport the Thrashers crest and proudly call Blueland home for the coming seasons.

That never really came. And it wasn't even a realistic notion. To say that Brian Campbell was modestly rewarded for his time spent in the league, his talents, and his recently highlighted skill sets is an understatement. I'm thrilled that Atlanta didn't sign him for the compensation he received from Chicago.

When it comes to free agency and a team's needs, the best team needs to win. This past off season, no team won anything; it was a player's field day. Does Brian Campbell really think that Chicago can get into the playoffs and be a serious contender this season (or the next)? Perhaps, but when a player of his caliber signs an eight-million dollar a season contract, I'm sure he wasn't completely motivated by winning. Who even knows if someone like Brian Campbell feels like he rightfully deserves that kind of money? I mean, I think he's making even more than Ilya Kovalchuk at this point. How much does that make sense? And if that's the case, how ridiculous is that?

Now that it's realized that the Thrashers are in a bind with signings, I'm grateful for anyone that comes their way now. With two weeks into the free agency period and a decent sample size of suitable players remaining, the act of overpaying someone to play here reduces. Players simply want to play hockey in the NHL come October and they'll dress for anyone who has an interest in their skills. When the Thrashers target their next free agent, I'm positive that they aren't planning on getting the paycheck of their lives. They just want to play and they will be thrilled at the opportunity. But are these kinds of players the difference-makers?

We'll see. It's all about chemistry. Coach Anderson is all about that. (And what hockey coach isn't, really? Except Don Waddell.) There's something about Coach Anderson that says that this kind of chemistry isn't unrealistic. Players come together and play as a unit, not individuals. Wins matter, not running up the scores. When one guy gets knocked down, another reciprocates. And it's all in the name of sport and fun. Or so it seems.

Long story short, I'm just glad to see a player come this way. I'm hoping that Jason Williams gets a fair shot in Atlanta and that he also gives Atlanta an opportunity to wow him. Atlanta isn't as terrible as you might think, Dan Boyle. Given our set of circumstances that we're currently caught up in, anyone new is welcome.

Either I'm just apathetic at this point or I'm really bleeding blue. I'm really hoping it's the latter. Regardless, I'm ready for the puck to drop in October!

Prospect Camp, 2008/07/10 (in words)

As you can see through my previous post, I went to Duluth to take in the yearly prospect camp that the Atlanta Thrashers host. What's so awesome about these events is that you're seeing into the future. At last year's prospect camp, Toby Enstrom, Bryan Little, and Ondrej Pavalec were featured and we all know how their run-ins with the NHL were. Toby was a serious contender for the Calder Memorial Trophy (rookie of the year), Little started the season in the bigs (but couldn't quite fit into the system, or whatever you could call it as there was no "real" coach, more-or-less, all season long), and Pavalec stepped up big time while Kari was out with injuries early on. So you know that the players you're watching at these camps have great potential to be the real thing.

This year, tons of focus was given to the Thrashers' most recent draft pick, Zach Bogosian, who was drafted third overall. There is a lot of talk that he's soon-to-be the eventual savior of the Thrashers' blueline. For a kid who isn't even 18 yet, he has a lot of weight on his shoulders. But after watching him skate, like everyone else, I was impressed with how he was on the ice and how the ice seemingly belonged to him. His skating was smooth, his passes were money, and his shots would result in a lot of ducking and cowering. He's clearly a defenseman with an offensive edge to him, someone the Thrashers needed for a long time now. As soon as he was drafted, Blueland should've just rolled out the red carpet for this guy because he's getting that kind of fan-fare. It's insane. People to the left and right of me were talking him up and down and it was crazy. Naturally, that's all I wanted to watch was Bogy. But with other highly qualified skaters on the ice, it was hard to just cast them aside for the wunderkind.

My focus eventually strayed from Bogy (who was sporting number 44 for the camp) and just tried to absorb the big picture, paying more attention to guys who were standing out in their own ways. Angelo Esposito was a highly-touted draft pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins and I wanted to pay attention to him because of that and because of how he was talked-down up until the the 2007 draft. Riley Holzapfel's abilities warranted some discussion at last year's camp and I tried to keep an eye on him for a while. Defensive favorites of mine include Grant Lewis and Chad Denny, both of whom I watched last year.

So while I had my list of highlighted names to look out for, and my actual list to match numbers with names, it was damned near impossible to keep track of these relative unknowns. Because I'm exposed to these types of players once a year, it's hard to leave a lasting impression with me, especially when I only see them one day of camp (and the camp runs about a week). I'd try focus on Holzapfel's passing, but while I'd do that, I'd miss some insane skating from someone who I never heard of. Then I started watching the new guy, and then I'd realize that I'd miss what's going on in the corner over there (like a Bogosian hit or something).

With that said, I sadly cannot provide great objective descriptions of these players that other sites have recently. What was interesting was that I was fortunate enough to watch the teams scrimmage and attempt a few shootout maneuvers. The scrimmage ended up in a rout, something like 6-2, in favor of the blue team (that featured Bogosian and Holzapfel). Lucky for me, most of the scoring was by my end of the rink, so I witnessed most of the goals as they happened, instead of trying to figure out what happened across the rink. Esposito's passing set up at least one of the goals, and two guys managed to score twice each. One of the players who scored twice was recent draft pick Zach Redmond, another defenseman. One of his goals was a result of a ridiculous move through several members from the white team.

It's players like Redmond that make the prospect camps so worthwhile. You start paying attention to the bigger names, the higher profiled guys, and the kids who really end up standing out are the lesser-known ones, like Zach Redmond.

Something that I never noticed in the past was the presence of the head coach at the prospect camp. Granted, Coach Anderson is very familiar with the youth and some of the players that were at the camp. I'm unsure if this played any role into his appearance at this. But it was refreshing to see the new head coach of the Atlanta Thrashers directly getting involved with the younger members of the organization, something Bob Hartley seldom did.

Also, while Bogosian simply dominated the day I went (and I've heard similar reports from other days of camp), I'm still skeptical about him. The kid's 18 in a matter of days and people are already penciling him on the opening day roster. I don't question his abilities at all, but I'm just wondering how he'll perform with guys that have played hockey as a career. How will Bogosian fit onto a team that features players like Kovalchuk, Kozlov, Hedberg, etc.? More importantly, how will he play against ridiculously-skilled players like Lecavalier, Ovechkin, Crosby, Malkin, etc.? To make comments about his play that suggested otherwise, that would be cause for concern. Bogosian is supposed to dominate these other prospects, apparently (according to the hype), and he's achieved that. But is he really ready to be a full-time NHL player? Time will tell. I'm sure that after his performance with this past week's camp, however, he earned an invite to training camp in September.

Prospect Camp, 2008/07/10 (clicky)

Here are some pics from Thursday's prospect camp in Duluth. More are on the flickr.

Up Next - Thrashers Prospect Camp!

While this off-season isn't that satisfying to some Thrashers fans, the next best thing is actual hockey, which is going on up in Duluth this week for the annual prospect camp. I have yet to make the trip there, but I fully intend to jet out of work and make my way to the Ice Forum.

Ben at the Blueland Blog is writing every single day about the happenings over there, and provides a great, well, introduction to how prospect camps work. Typically, I'm not big on researching the young'uns prior to these kinds of happenings, so, needless to say, it's very confusing to find out who's who and by the time you might have things figured out, it's time to pack up the pucks and resurface the ice. What I basically do is hang out in the same spot and try to pick up on what others are saying about the kids on the ice. Now that we're a couple of days into the camp, I'm sure the regulars in the crowd can differentiate between the Zach Bogosians from the, er, Scott Bartletts.

I'll do my best to report what I could make out and I'm going to do what I usually do and attempt to get some decent pics (at the very least). As hockey season starts back up, expect more updates - and that's a promise!

Hey, if anyone knows if the kids tomorrow need anything like, say, deodorants, mouthwashes, or aspirin, gimme a holler and I'll do my best to hook up some young Thrashers! I guess that's one upside working retail... ugh.

All's Quiet On the Thrash Front

Wow, has it really been more than five months since I've blogged about the Thrashers? That's mildly depressing, but given how the season ended, I'm not all that surprised, really. I mean, le Thrash handed over Marian Hossa and Pascal Dupuis (PWEE!) to the runner-up Pens, finished in the bottom three teams in the NHL, and pretty much bottomed out.

By the beginning of April (i.e. the end of the season), the Thrashers had zero identity. There was no coach to speak of, with no real hints as to who the replacement would be. One of the league's superstars (Marian Hossa) decided that Atlanta wasn't close to providing the winning environment he wanted dearly and departed. The "captaincy" of Bobby Holik was nonexistent. And no one on the team had anything to play for. Hell, they couldn't even play the role of spoiler because Washington was the real deal after the trading deadline in March and all other Southeast Division "threats" were nowhere to be found. It was terrible.

Needless to say, this off-season left a lot of room for changes. Literally. With the departures of Hossa, Holik, and the recent buyout of defensive pilon Alexei Zhitnik, the Thrashers had tons of money to spend with free agency signings occurring, starting on July 1. To add to that, the salary cap increased yet again for this upcoming season, and with that increase, the Thrashers had to spend a good amount just to reach the salary floor of $40 million.

So when July 1 came and went, nothing was accomplished. Sure, we probably attempted to bring in some of the bigger names that would've provided instant gratification (i.e. Wade Redden or Brian Campbell), but all was quiet. After July 2nd, all that we could muster up was a younger defenseman from Columbus, Ron Hainsey. Gone were the Campbells, the Reddens, the Rozsivals, the Commodores, and the Streits from the defensive pool that could've helped strengthen our blueline. To add insult to injury, we needed a good forward to help out Kovy (something that he's missed since Savard left two seasons ago). Did I mention that the only player we signed as of right now is defenseman Ron Hainsey?

Two areas that hint at promise for next season are the hiring of John Anderson as head coach and the drafting of defenseman Zach Bogosian. Anderson will attempt to coach the youth of the Thrashers, something that wasn't a priority while Bob Hartley was calling the shots. Considering how things have gone in the AHL with his old team, the Chicago Wolves (i.e. the Thrashers' farm team), I think Anderson is in a good position, along with most of the younger guys who attempt to land themselves a roster spot come October. Bogosian appears to be the next Ray Bourque, Scott Stevens, Bobby Orr, and/or Chris Pronger. For a kid who isn't even close to being past his teen years, he has a lot of weight on his shoulders already for this organization. With someone this young, there's absolutely no telling what's next for Bogo. He could bust out of the gates early and validate every bit of hype or he could take a while to mature. But considering that Anderson is the new head coach, I'm positive that the necessary steps will be taken for this kid's development into a full-time NHL defenseman for the Atlanta Thrashers. If Hartley was still in charge, I'd be terrified. I mean, look what happened to Braydon Coburn. Ugh.

So now that a few things are actually shored-up for the team, there are still holes that need to be addressed in order to calm the masses. Before noon on July 1st, there was a TON of promise with this team. While some had their doubts about the prospective dollars that could be handed out to certain free agents, the sky was the limit for the Thrashers. Technically, we could've signed two BIG NAME players on Tuesday and still probably had room for another slot, or maybe two, to fill. The real problem with this is, as The Falconer wisely stated on his blog, no one wants to come to the Thrashers. The ownership is in shambles and hockey isn't viewed as high on their radar. There isn't much respect (hockey-wise) for our General Manager, Don Waddell. And I'm sure that the drawn-out process of getting Hossa to re-sign last season (which led to his departure) didn't help things at all. Atlanta is not perceived as a winning franchise. As a result, no bigger named players want to come here because why play for a team that isn't committed to winning? It's a good point, and this is what makes signing players so difficult for the Thrashers. You then are at the point of baiting players with tons of money and open promises. If the Thrashers made the playoffs in the past few seasons, I'm sure that free agents wouldn't be so hesitant to sign with us because of that winning reputation (or at least hard-working). But with one post-season appearance in the team's history, no post-season wins, and nothing else to really show for it, it's incredibly difficult to persuade elite players to play here. It's a terrible position to be in, but the Thrashers have to make the best of it now and try to bring in the real players, the ones who will instantly make a difference, in the coming seasons.

So we'll see what happens in the coming days and weeks as the fall draws nigh. We still need to address the holes at defense and land a GOOD forward. Who from this list do you think provides the "best fit" for the Thrashers at this time? Personally, I wouldn't mind a Brendan Morrison, Paul Mara, or even trying to go after San Jose RFA Christian Ehrhoff (depending on how their cap situation is).

I don't know what to think anymore. I was definitely one of the people who was checking online constantly on Tuesday to see if we signed anyone notable. Then I was checking sporadically on Wednesday, only to find out about Hainsey. It's still non-stop checking just to see if we added ANYONE.

A bunch of drafted kids from last month (as well as older fellas from previous drafts) will attend the upcoming prospect camp next week in Duluth. I'll do my best to make it up there for a day or two and come back with some pics of the new-uns.

Happy Fourth of July!

vs. Pens - 2008/01/30

A-ha! It seems as if the Thrashers have returned to their winning ways, collecting two points against the Pittsburgh Penguins last nite at Philips Arena. For the first time in much too long, I was actually able to catch the entire game via the television broadcast. It's been fairly difficult to balance hockey with everything else going on and, needless to say, the girl and I haven't been to a game in, like, forevers. So when we realized that we had a free evening ahead of us to sit down, relax, and pay attention to the game, it was nice to return to normalcy for a change.

Personal things aside, I thought that the Thrashers played a great game. I don't think I can really add any more positive words about Kari's performance last nite. Seriously. It seemed like he was in the right place at the right time for every shot on him. The "no-goal" was a good call with all of the added examination, but I wasn't too happy about the defensive positioning during that play. If that Pens rookie would've made some "stick-and-puck" contact, it definitely would've been a different story. Zhitnik's rear got to see more of the action on that play than Kari, which clearly wasn't beneficial at all. Fortunately we caught a break and an off-ice ruling went in the Thrash's favor.

It's definitely unfortunate about the Kovalchuk injury. Initially, I thought Kovy was hamming it up to influence the severity of the call against Ruutu. I figured that the so-called "knee-on-knee" injury wasn't that much of a big deal and that Kovy would return later on in the period and continue to wreak havoc. Apparently I was incorrect when I made those assumptions... kinda. While Kovy did return later on (something that I expected), it was apparent that the injury he suffered was more of a bigger deal than both he and I envisioned. I'm sure it was more noticeable in the arena, but it was made clear to me when Malkin tried to take advantage of Kovy's lack of speed and attack the net. Kovy wanted to correct the situation and go after Malkin, but he just didn't have the extra "umph" that he normally possesses to continue on with the play. He subsequently left the ice after that play and wasn't to return again.

Don Waddell provided the news to the media this morning that Kovy would be out for the games against Buffalo and Washington this weekend and that he would hopefully return to action next week. This news absolutely affects the Thrashers as Kovy has been the player that has carried the team basically all season long. Early on when the Thrashers would go down four-too-many goals in a game, it was Kovalchuk who rallied the troops and potted a few to start momentum. The power play was looking incredibly weak in the first few games, then Kovalchuk's ridiculous slapper from the point often burned holes into the back of the net and between his goal-scoring and the amazing passing of rookie Toby Enstrom, the power play (before last nite's game) was ranked very close to the top 10 in the league.

When Kovalchuk disappears from the lineup, it's huge. Remember when he was out for that suspension against the Rangers immediately prior to the All-Star break and how the team responded? The score was 2-1, Rangers. Granted, Kovy's goal-scoring was staying a bit in the games leading up to that point, but I'm sure that it's a safe bet to assume that when Kovy is absent from the Thrashers lineup, the offense struggles to either gain control of the puck or create any kind of offense, often both.

Even though the struggling Sabres are in town tomorrow nite, they are nothing to take lightly. Recall when the Sabres didn't have a victory in the New Year... that is, not until they crossed paths with the Thrashers in Buffalo, which regrettably resulted in a 10-1, uh, thrashing of our beloved birds. Since then, Buffalo has still struggled and is nothing close to the team that they were last year. It will be interesting to see how the Thrashers (along with Moose Hedberg, who will get the start tomorrow) respond to such adversity as no Kovy.

Let's not forget about a crucial divisional tilt against the surging Caps in Blueland on Saturday. AO and Kovy are virtually neck-to-neck in the scoring race and when these two teams pair up against each other, it's a treat to watch two of the best players in the game battle it out because you know they both love the spotlight. This game is an even bigger deal as I just mentioned, they are divisional rivals. The playoff race within the Southeast Division has been quite the tag-team affair lately. Three to four teams all want the top spot because, in reality, it looks like that will be the only Southeast representation in the Eastern Conference when the playoffs arrive. Carolina is barely holding on, with the Thrashers, Caps, and Panthers all wanting to have their say in the battle for number one. Right now, Washington is pushing hard for it and we all know what the Thrashers have dealt with in the past couple of weeks. Everyone knows what's at stake and this game will be a crazy one. It must kill Kovy to be in the position that he's in and to watch such a highly competitive game from the press box as a non-factor.

Let's hope this Thrashers squad gets it in gear and keeps the greater end in focus. While every member of the Thrashers roster will tell you that it's best to concentrate on "one game at a time", they all know what they are aiming for and what is the common goal. Concentrate on the wins against Buffalo and Washington - yes - but collecting four points in those games is essential for gaining any ground in the playoff race.

State of the Thrashers?

A Temporary Remedy?
While the NHL event is long gone (bew!), I somehow found an airing of the AHL All-Star Game on CSS this evening. Initially I figured that the broadcast was live, then I found out that this was merely a taping of the event from last nite. And even though I know the outcome of this so-called "Triple A" exhibition, I still feel compelled to watch. A few Thrashers prospects were involved in the game, including those who received some NHL exposure earlier in the season (Brett Sterling and Joel Kwiatkowski).

After watching the first period (it's in between periods right now), the thing that stands out to me so far is the goaltending. Of course, the tempo of the game is a litte mixed (some lax play because of no consequences and some entertaining moves because of the same), but the goalies in the first played rather well. Toronto prospect Tukka Rask and Carolina journeyman Michael Leighton exhibited some strong play, with Rask actually coming out of the net at one point during the action to take the puck from the right circle while surrounded by a few players to gain control of the puck and clear the zone. Basically, it was like a move that Hedberg would do during a typical game situation. Something like that would garner some criticism because of the goalie coming so far out of the crease during what should be a pretty intense situation. In an All-Star Game setting, however, this is met with comments like, "Oh, what a showman!" It probably wouldn't be that "showy" if he bumbled the puck and that play yielded a goal. Either way, it's clear that the players know that all-star games are for the fans and they play up to that completely.

As the second period gets under way, I'll update some more tomorrow (fingers-crossed!) on how I feel about the rest of this game. It makes for pretty neat watching though.

Returning to the Fold
Tomorrow nite the Thrashers start to unravel the second half of the season. Well, maybe that wasn't the best of words to use. As of late, the Thrashers' play hasn't been the best... or even close. After an incredible win in Detroit a few weeks back, the Thrashers haven't been the same since. Actually, it seems that inconsistency is quite a consistent theme for our birds. They'll play mightily against some of the strongest teams in the league (as shown during matchups against Ottawa, Pittsburgh, and obviously Detroit) and then fold completely against weaker opponents, teams they should either matchup fairly evenly with or teams that they should really dominate (i.e. Columbus, Edmonton, Toronto, etc.). Team chemistry somehow went AWOL a few weeks after Don Waddell assumed the throne behind the bench. Kari Lehtonen was left out to dry in several of these matchups and was actually a good reason why the Thrashers defeats weren't complete washouts and complete massacres. Ilya Kovalchuk's hottness has definitely cooled in the few games prior to the All-Star break and then there's the omnipresent cloud hanging over Marian Hossa's head of "TO RE-SIGN OR NOT TO RE-SIGN?"

It's really not that hard to be a Thrashers fan. I mean, the team has some of the most potent offensive players in the league with Kovalchuk and Hossa. When the goaltending is on, Kari Lehtonen is up there with the league's elite between the pipes. And there's the bright star that is Toby Enstrom on the Thrashers blueline squad. There is always a bunch of promise with this team and when they perform, they are top-notch. However, when the other players appear sometimes during games (or not at all), it's more difficult to rush to put your Thrashers sweater over your head prior to walking into Philips Arena for a game. With the current state of the team, you often wonder which Thrashers team will show - the team that can easily win the Southeast Division or the team that will get crushed by the local Mites.

As the calendar flips to February and there is no re-signing of Marian Hossa, trade talks will certainly escalate as the trade deadline draws nigh. He is probably the most appealing free agent to the league once the season ends and July 1st arrives. But what to do with this sitation? Do we trade Hossa to a contender and hope and pray that we get equal (or greater?!) value for our superstar or do we pick up the play so that re-signing in Atlanta doesn't seem like a chore? Is there even "equal value" in the league to trade with to make something like the possible Hossa trade seem fair?

What is certain is that the Thrashers absolutely need to pick up the caliber of play and make a push for the playoffs. Eric Perrin has proved his worth during shorthanded opportunities, but what about even-strength play or even on the man-advantage? For a while there, Todd White was racking up points like woah. His production has since dropped and it appears as if he has plateaued. And what about Slava Kozlov? These players definitely need to pick up their game in the next two months in order to play a little longer in April. I know they can do it just as much as you do. Do these guys feel the same fire though? We'll see, starting tomorrow nite against Pittsburgh.

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?!