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!

vs. Panthers - 2007/03/06

Even though the newly-revamped Blueland Blog used the above pic to capture the essence of last nite's game, I really have to follow suit.

First off, yeah, welcome back, Thrashers. I mean, really. Last nite's game wasn't a great game by any means. Truth be told, I did feel uneasy after the first period - but that was probably due to the fact that I weakly attempted to slam down a huge Amber Bock from the food court prior to the game. But the early play of the Thrash (against the underestimated - true - but still weak Panthers) did cause concern, especially after their recent winning ways.

Oh, and how one streak picks up where the other left off!

As I was starting to mention, last nite's game wasn't a perfect Thrashers victory. In fact, it wasn't that pretty, or that great. What matters the most, however, is the reality that the Thrashers are back in first place. They are playing some consistent hockey right now and that's what's going to win games. You don't have to always outplay your opponents for 60 minutes. Then again, that's been some of the team's struggles - showing up early and not finishing. I think a safe ratio is to play for about 55 minutes, and maybe cruise a little for five. Note that cruising is not synonamous with "falling apart completely."

Things really looked great in the second, when Kovy made a great open-ice pass up to a streaking Tkachuk and made the play count. The trades Waddell & Co. conjured up are proving valuable RIGHT NOW, and that's the point. Even though I loved the guy, can you really imagine Metropolit and Kovy getting together for a goal like that? Despite Tkachuk's tendencies to crash the net and really cause a goalie havoc in front, the guy can still move and score like a champ.

Hossa's goal in the third really brought the team back after a really poor Panthers goal that was just sloppy on our end. What was even worse was the blown coverage from Sutton that resulted in the wide-open Kolnik to wine-and-dine at the Thrashers' expense.

It was the picture that decided it all. With a great combination of Mellanby and newcomer Alexei Zhitnik, Kovalchuk made the strategizing count and put a dagger in the Cats' evening. I will never tire of Kovy's goal celebrations, and last nite's was perfection. I even fantasize about getting on one knee and pumping my fist as hard as possible after I get a strike whenever I bowl, but I always seem to get the timing off (i.e. plan out the celebration, only to be left with another open frame).

Bowling aside, the game last nite was a great display of a team that is ready to take charge of not only their own game, but their own destiny. We all know what's on the line - a playoff spot. Last year, I would've said that the team assembled in October was playoff-bound, but definitely not a first place team. When they didn't make the playoffs, it was a disaster. This season, I really felt that this team could win the division. After the recent acquisitions, I'm certain that this can happen. But for me, getting into the playoffs is not the goal here - it's to win, and really make a statement at doing such. Winning the Southeast Division does this. And even though we know that the team isn't exactly the strongest at home (especially in front of capacity crowds), home-ice advantage is tremendous. I've also read in the past (cannot provide sources at the time, but please refresh my memory here!) that Philips is one of the loudest arenas when it's rocking. I truly feel that this team can make a sizable run in the post-season and do the organization, the fans, and the city proud.

So while I go aside and say that, for me, first place or bust is the goal, essentially the playoffs are what is at stake. Yeah, we can sneak in as an eight-seed. If we make it to the finals as an eight seed, I really won't be complaining, only pointing my fingers at any nay-sayers, telling them, "I told you so!" Deep down, I want the team to make it into June at any cost, but a first place position would really make me happy and show the rest of the league that we're not to be laughed at anymore. Besides, with all of the hills we've been up and down this season, it would be AMAZING to come out on TOP and prove to the world that's where we belong, now and in future seasons.

Last nite's game really showed me that solid hockey always wins. It doesn't need to be Champions on Ice stuff, it just needs to BE. Even the special teams weren't that fantastic against the Panthers. In other games, it will need to step up. But we're in a transition period where new elements are incorporated into the grand scheme of things. Time will make the transition hopefully easier and I know we're only seeing glimpses of what this team can represent. I just can't wait for April to come around and see where we are among the top eight in the Eastern Conference.

It's good to be at the top again. Let's just keep it that way. See y'all on Thursday!