vs. 'Duhs - 2007/02/01

After responding from some great mishaps (against the Isles - but with a win - and against the Flyers), the Thrashers had the momentum carry over from their great win over Jersey the other night... at least, you would think that would happen. Granted, I did get to the game about 5-10 minutes late, so I definitely cannot attest to how they came out of the gate. With Jon Sim coming up with an early goal though, it seemed as if the Thrash could finally get something started and perhaps finish it. Walking into Philips, I discovered that the score was already tied up even though I just heard the goal on 680 from the parking lot across the street.

Finally getting a seat, I was able to assess the situation and witness the game for what I thought it was worth.

For all the Dunham haters out there, the guy was the second star of the game and pretty much deserved it. Granted, the Isles played some trusty defense and killed off a bunch of penalties. That's not to say that the Thrashers had their chances though.

With five power plays (including an early 5-on-3), the Thrashers' power play unit that includes Hossa, Kovalchuk, and Kozlov - three guys you think would be able to outplay opponents' PK units and score in numbers - once again proved inept at the chances handed to them.

There were several moments during the game that the Thrash should've been up a few goals. There were fantastic opportunities to cash in on. There were attempts by Kapanen with great shooting angles - but this was quickly minimalized by Niko's lack of puck-handling in some intense situations. There was a penalty shot from Hossa that could've started something in the Thrashers' favor - but the goalpost let off a resounding "NOPE!" And Kovy had shot after shot that could've hit some kind of twine in the back of the net - but it seemed like for every shot fired, Dunham had an answer.

Yes, THAT Dunham.

Did he play outstanding tonight? Not necessarily, as there were moments (but not many, unfortunately) that he would find himself in poor positioning or unsure as to what to do with the puck. For the vast majority of the game, however, Dunham was everything that he was not during his tenure with the Thrashers last season - a reliable asset that the Isles pretty much banked on for the duration of the evening. Did he play solid hockey for close to 60 minutes? I'd say so.

And with his history with this Atlanta team, for the Isles to get that kind of win in our building, with him manning the nets - it's really unforgivable. It makes you very angry as a Thrashers fan. After all of the misery and hardships the team and its followers had to endure last year, the one person we hoped would pull through would be the back-up goalie. Mike Dunham really gave no evidence of that to the team last season. And for him to just casually walk out of Philips knowing that he played his heart out to prove himself in front of probably close to 13000 people (maybe I'm being generous? It was a week night) - it just boggles my mind how this kind of player didn't show up AT ALL last season.

So looking at the game from that viewpoint, I'm pretty much disappointed, frustrated, and pretty pissed. I'm disappointed that our team, with as much fire-power it possesses, cannot get itself started on any kind of roll lately. I'm frustrated because it's really appearing that our team isn't used to being in the position that they are currently in - as one of the top teams in the NHL - and that they can't seem to handle it (or that kind of respect) in game situations. And I'm livid because of Dunham and how this kind of talent and promise didn't present itself during a season when we needed it the most... and now he seems to be thriving in the role as someone who can be relied upon.

We'll see how things turn out against the Flyers on Saturday.

vs. 'Duhs - 2007/01/26

So the last entry started out how I intended it, but then it just turned into a retread of the blog night... which is fine, because that definitely deserved to be put out there. And since this wasn't mentioned ANYWHERE in that entry, I just wanted to thank Ben, Micah, and anyone else of the Thrashers who was responsible for putting together the blog night because it was something that I'll always remember whenever I go to a game or event at Philips. Not all teams are doing things like that for their fans/internet contingency, so for the Thrash to take the next step is just great and I hope it happens again.

As for the game, it started off somewhat akin to how the first Islanders game this season began - DiPietro turns to swiss cheese and coughs up a few softies to give the Thrash a decently-sized lead. A few things were not similar to the first meeting though - the soft goals did not hold up and DiPietro got yanked in favor of the much-loved, appreciated, and celebrated goalie in Thrashers history, Mike Dunham (uh, note the sarcasm).

Yes, yes - everyone knows the significance of this, but we'll get past that.

I wished Ted Nolan stuck it out with D.P. for a little more because, unlike most everyone else, this season I really do have a bit of fear in Dunham. Last season's stay with the Thrash was more of an aberration on his career. While never a true, reliable number one goalie in the league, he definitely did have some power years with Nashville and even with the Rangers. Somehow, things were off last year, including injuries, and Dunham was cast out of Atlanta in favor of Johan Hedberg. But with comments like, "Just put the puck on Dunham and he'll take care of the rest," or, "Get him moving and he'll be out of position like he usually is," or really anything negative, this isn't the year to say that about Mike. Unfortunately for us Thrash fans, Dunham is having an average year and being a suitable backup.

After letting in three goals on five shots in about six minutes' worth of play, DiPietro's bad work was negated by solid work by Dunham. The Thrash put on some quality shots and Dunham was there to answer. With a combination of a little slacking off after the three-goal barrage in the first, Hossa's absence throughout most of the second, and Dunham, the Islanders were able to creep back into the game and made it more exciting than it should've been. The game should've been over after the third goal of the night and the Thrashers should've kicked their game into high gear. Fortunately, there were only two penalties against the Thrash, so the Isles PP units weren't able to apply that much pressure.

As a whole, started the game off with a bang, but the team hesitated to either jump start themselves or jump over a few hurdles between the astonishing start and incredible end.

What still amazes me is the HOSSA chants that blow off the arena's top each time he does ANYTHING noteworthy. When he goes down with an apparent injury, HOSSA heats up. When he comes off the ice with an injury, HOSSA. After coming back from what appeared to be a career-ending (sarcasm, *knocks wood*) injury, HOSSA. After he scores a goal 19 seconds after coming back... eh, that's implied. I mean, it's getting to the point that if Marian Hossa has exact change when paying for a hamburger, a HOSSA party will ensue. It's ridiculous... but you know it's true. There's no denying the passion and the energy that Hossa brings to the lineup and it's even more amazing that the fans bring that same spirit right back, trying to get him off the ice, trying to get him to score that game-winner, trying to get him to do anything for the win. He's the true team player and he deserves any kind of HOSSA (yeah, respect works here, too) he can get.