All Points West - Correction!

In an earlier post, I mentioned the All Points West music festival that's "set" to take place in New Jersey in early August. What I had wrong is the website, apparently. Here's the correct link:

http://www.apwfestival.com/

I signed up for the mailing list when the website was first online and I have yet to receive anything from Goldenvoice about it, so we'll see what actually happens with this website. I'm pretty excited about the prospect of the event though. I mean, I went to the two Radiohead shows there in 2001 and I have to say that the venue for this festival is amazing and the views from Liberty State Park are speechless. Usually, with Coachella, the scenery is a crucial part of the event. Tucked into the San Jacinto Valley, the Empire Polo Fields are surrounded by palm trees and mountains are the backdrop to just about everything. It's ridiculous. So it comes as no surprise to me that the "Eastern" Coachella boasts scenery that includes an amazing view of downtown Manhattan... and the ass of the Statue of Liberty. I mean, if you want scenery for a New York/New Jersey music festival, you just cannot beat this:



Needless to say, I'm hoping that this event does happen and doesn't turn into another Field Day fiasco that occurred in 2003. (Wait, it happened in 2005! Psych.) If Radiohead had two mindblowingly good shows in 2001 without a hitch, why wouldn't a music festival have the same luck, right?

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.

Update in Un-Deux-Trois... and Quatre

NHL All-Star Weekend
So this weekend was the All-Star Weekend in Atlanta. While I wasn't able to attend any real events, I did make the trip up for the trading card and memorabilia stuff yesterday. It was just awesome to walk into CNN Center and just know that hockey is all around you... and food, as the event was oddly held in the middle of the CNN Center food court. Regardless, the atmosphere was that of a card collector's convention, something I haven't revisited since my teens. Looking at various rookie cards, the game-worn jersey cards (and quickly realizing how ridiculous that concept is), and other hockey-related goodies brought me back a few years and I was beginning to feel like I wanted to haggle a little bit and get a few bargains. Seeing how I didn't do any of that, really, I did make a few purchases, which Maal over at Fire Wagon Hockey would certainly approve of. This will be a nice treat for the soon-to-be Mrs.!



Trading cards aside, I took a few pictures of the memorabilia show as well as some of the surroundings of Philips Arena, including bunches of All-Star-related garb. As is the norm, they are at the flickr site.

Coachella 2008 - Let's go?
Last week, a bunch of chaos circulated around this year's Coachella Festival lineup. Because of the veteran that I am, I certainly had an interest in how it would shape up even though I wasn't flying across the country this year (at least not for Coachella). Apparently there was some press conference in Mexico City and bit-by-bit the lineup started leaking to the masses. This year's headliners include Jack Johnson, Portishead, and Roger Waters (performing Dark Side of the Moon).

Can I just say that while it's exciting that Portishead is coming to the desert, it's a bummer that they are headline material? They would be a great warmup for an amazing headliner (i.e. how Pixies into Radiohead worked in '04). And the other two are pure throw-aways for me.

With this festival, it's typical that the second-tier acts and anything less than that make due for an amazing event. In past years, Air, the Arcade Fire, Broken Social Scene, Bloc Party, etc. often made the biggest impressions on show-goers because of their standing in the music community or because of the strength of their set. This time around, there are definitely some strong acts, but nothing that makes you want to really fly five hours to California. I love some of the bands playing this year (Stars, Metric, the Breeders, Spiritualized, Les Savy Fav), but their presence at Coachella doesn't make me want to get on a plane and jump across three time zones for an abbreviated set in the desert.

I don't know, maybe it's damned maturity or something, but this year doesn't do that much for me. Maybe it's also because there's the completely uneven scale of "Hawaii vs. Coachella"... or, better yet, "HONEYMOON vs. Coachella, Round Five". Thanks for trying, Goldenvoice, but I'll have a little faith in your so-called "All Points West" (website down at the moment) festival that is apparently slated to run in New Jersey's Liberty State Park in August.

Either way, have a look at the Coachella 2008 poster and see what you think of this lineup.



Weddings-r-Us!
With less than a month before the wedding, things have actually calmed down for a change. We're waiting on responses to boomerang back to Georgia and then time to freak out in a couple more weeks and then, just like that, we're hitched! I can't wait. This is something we've worked towards for 4+ years and, while things aren't exactly how we planned them to be by now, the timing couldn't be any better. I'm just glad that this is all happening and I'm with the best girl possible. I really don't know who else would put up with my schtick for this long and, now, a lifetime. Crazy how these things work out, eh?

Fixation Focus?
To a milder extent, the Fixation Focus returns. Since the end of July, I've seen this band start it up and play a few gigs. They're like nothing I've heard from the Atlanta area and they are just great people that are doing this. The band is Today the Moon, Tomorrow the Sun and you should definitely keep a lookout for them in 2008. Described to me as "indie-guitar-electro-fuzz rock", this band is completely awesome. They've already opened for The Comas, Great Northern, Fiction Plane (Sting's son's band), and IAMX and are poised for more recognition. They are currently putting down tracks for a seven-song EP that will probably get out there in April or May (fingers crossed!). They have a show at the Star Bar in Atlanta on March 1st, so definitely mark that on your calendar and be ready for a complete aural assault!

Practice - 2007/12/10

You know, when the Thrashers usually acquire a new player, us fans are used to the idea that there is always a price to pay. Some feel that after last year's trade for Keith Tkachuk, we traded away everything but the kitchen sink. We didn't stop there and obtained Pascal Dupuis from the Rangers for one of our picks, Alex Bourret. And then there was the "at the time it seemed like a good idea, but..." trade for Alexei Zhitnik, which led to Braydon Coburn's departure. Other than those transactions, the only other "main" trade is the one everyone falls back on when the Thrashers are mentioned - the Hossa/Heatley deal. So as a Thrashers fan (at least in my limited awareness of these kinds of deals), I've grown accustomed to the idea that in order for us to gain anything in terms of players, the team usually gives up a little more than they bargained for.

For once, history did not repeat itself and the upper management team of the Thrashers shocked the NHL world and picked up veteran forward Mark Recchi off of re-entry waivers from the Pittsburgh Penguins. Because of this kind of signing, the Thrashers only pay half of his salary, while the Pens pick up the other half.

So you're gonna tell me that we picked up a player who, in his career, averages almost a point per game for only six figures? This is a great move by our GM and it already showed this morning when I attended practice up in Duluth. Rex was all smiles it seemed and got his mouth flowing with his teammates. I often saw him hang around Todd White, but he spent some time with Brad Larsen and (to my knowledge) shared a line with Bryan Little and Eric Perrin. Tom over at Talkin' About Practice (a Thrashers practice blog) has some more information on the types of drills that were run and what other players Recchi teamed up with.

Like what Ben mentioned in this morning blog post, I couldn't help but think of the similarity between Recchi and Brett Sterling. The body type was pretty similar and I feel that some of the facial features were close as well. The whole reason why I made my way up there was because of Recchi, but when I saw him on the ice about 10 minutes early and with the number 8 on the back of his helmet, I kept telling myself that Sterling usually wears number 21 and he's in Chicago... what's going on?! Good thing I was solo and kept my mouth shut there. :)

With regards to the Sterling thing and the pairing with Little, I think it's gonna be great that Recchi will spend some time with the young'uns and I know that the kids will be all ears whenever Recchi has some words in their direction. What will be interesting is the moves that will transpire because of Recchi's spot on the roster. George over at Talking Thrash speculated about what roster moves might occur, but here's to hoping that kids like Little and Haydar aren't affected by the signing of Rex.

For now, take some time to get used to this new face in Blueland:



For more pics from this morning's practice, just check the ol' reliable Flickr.

"You're doing WHAT?!"

You gotta love last-minute decisions. After getting about four hours worth of sleep last nite, I'm gonna hit the hay right after I hit "PUBLISH POST" because I just made the last-minute decision to make the trip up to Duluth tomorrow morning to get the first glimpse of new Thrashers forward Mark Recchi. While I certainly cannot guarantee anything monumental in terms of pics, I'll do my best and come back in the early afternoon (before work!) to hopefully put up something about practice.

WE WANT... A HIATUS?

Image courtesy of inkdesigner.

Well, well, well - look what's going on here!

The past month has been pretty intense here at Camp WWD. I went to a few shows in the past month (The Smashing Pumpkins mostly), went to a hockey game here and there, and definitely kept myself in the loop of all that is Thrashers hockey. Hell, I even attended a meeting here a few weeks ago to (hopefully!) participate in the volunteer program for the NHL All-Star Game next month.

What's really consuming everything is my upcoming wedding! Yeah, you heard it right - I'm happy to say that I'm getting married in February and that's what's had most of my attention for the past few weeks. Granted, we've been engaged since June, but the reality of it is starting to kick in and it seems like every decision is life-or-death at this point.

So while I hate to be completely slack-ass with my posting and the bloggings, right now the wedding is the absolute priority. I'd really love to update more about the resurgence of Le Thrash (who are now quite close the .500 level, yay!), the (hopeful) ascension of Ilya's All-Star status, the almighty Kari Lehtonen (!), or the shows I've attended in the past couple of weeks. Sooner or later I'll get to those kind of things.

What's certain to come before the new year is a list of my 10-20 absolute favorite songs that were released in 2007. I don't normally do "Best of" sort lists with albums, so I'll just post about songs that I actually love lots and possibly make a downloadable playlist for y'all to enjoy. Keep a lookout for that if that suits your fancy... and if you're like me, an die-hard fan of hockey and the indie rock.

But in the meantime, I can't be any more pleased with how the Thrashers have performed. Sure, the recent losses have soured things a bit, but who would've thought that this team would've dug themselves out of the oh-and-six hole that they dug themselves to start the season? I had plenty of faith in the Birds, but this kind of turn around was rather impressive and inspirational, even. And how ridiculous is Ilya Kovalchuk right now? I feel bad for anyone who ever has to face his shots this season, for reals!

Posts TK, pinky swear! I thought I'd take a minute (or, well, 10) to make a quick post about what's going in here at Camp WWD. The Camp is about to grow (with the wedding!) and we couldn't be more excited about that!

And you better believe that there's gonna be a groom's cake that's Thrashers themed.

LET'S GO THRASHERS!

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?!

A Tale of Two Goalies, or Three

As previously mentioned, starting goalie Kari Lehtonen went down on October 18 with what was a muscle strain, somewhere near the groin area. Fire Wagon Hockey might as well be "Kari Central" and they have an informative post on the extent of the injury which has him out until probably mid-December.

In the time being, though, the goaltending situation has become very interesting. "Moose" Hedberg played the first few games after Kari went down and did an OK job - not game-saving, but just OK. Granted, Hedberg was facing probably somewhere around 35 shots per game (at least, put I'm just throwing numbers out there with zero research) and his defense didn't help him out that much in his little run of a few games that he started. With that said, Moose did just OK.

The first game of the road trip, Moose got pulled after letting in five-too-many goals and Mr. Ondrej Pavelec took over and performed just OK... but, considering he's pretty much a rookie without any real professional experience (only a couple of games with the Chicago Wolves doesn't cut it), I'd say that OND-REDGE did just fine, considering he was up against Gnat St. Louis, Lecavalier, Richards, and Prospal.

Then, after a couple of days off, Moose was chased out of the net (or given a rest) to sit against where it all started, Tampa Bay. OND-REDGE came in, let in a few goals, then was rock solid. Keep in mind that this guy is basically coming directly from the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles to the Atlanta Thrashers. He collected his first NHL win on the road, in the division rivals' 'hood. He followed that performance with a great game on Tuesday, almost posting a shutout against another division rival, the Washington Caps. The ONE goal he let by wasn't even a softie or anything that would be considered as such. He kept bringing quality save after quality save and endured the ridiculous first period that yielded 16 Caps shots, compared to the six that the Thrash brought on.

Surely, as things are when hot, they are "ridded" (or is that "ridden"?) for a while. Case in point with OND-REDGE. He did a good job in his first stint against Tampa, certainly held his own the second time around against the 'ning, and was phenomenal versus the Caps. Odds are that he will get the start on Friday against the Panthers in a nice duel with Tomas Vokoun. It should be a pretty good matchup.

And now the "problem" stands as this: when Kari returns, and if Pavelec keeps up his current level of play, which goalie gets the shaft? We all know that Kari has some serious talent in him, but ever since the playoffs from last season, he's been off. Hedberg can play the role of starter, but he's definitely reliable enough to be a good backup. And then there's his whippersnapper in Pavelec. The easy move is to bring Pavelec back down to Chicago to develop a bit more, but what if he's going well enough to gain the NHL experience? Or with our lacking in defensemen (or quality defensemen, that is) or a true number one center, do we attempt to deal Kari out to someone who can fill our needs or Moose and someone else? It's certainly an odd predicament to be in if you're part of Blueland Nation. But, in reality, it's not that bad of a spot to be in.

Returning to the Fold - Thrashers Are 6-9!

Well, well, well - look who's back? Forget about your blogger, let's talk about those Atlanta Thrashers! When I last left the Thrashers (or maybe when they left me for a couple of weeks), they just collected their first victory over the New York Rangers, Eastern Conference rivals ever since the Rangers swept the team out of the playoffs last season. Also, Bob Hartley was just canned, or "relieved of his duties" as some might say. There was also the dismissal of Kari Lehtonen, via his groin struggles. The "kid" line of Brett Sterling, Bryan Little, and Darren Haydar was coming into its own and providing a great deal (not that that was saying much at the time) of spark for the team.

How would this squad respond to these events?

After, uh, "busting" out of the gates with a sparkling oh-and-six record and causing all havoc in the Atlanta area about the status of this hockey team, interim head coach (and general manager extraordinaire?) Don Waddell transformed this team into a winner, going 6-3 in the nine games since Hartley's dismissal, including that barn-burning victory against the Rangers.

The games in that span haven't been the best hockey, but six of them have provided the best results possible - wins! At times during the nine-game span, the team has looked sloppy, sluggish, and a little discombobulated. The morose Thrashers returned promptly after that last win at home, suffering a deflating 2-6 defeat in Tampa. A messy shootout win in Toronto was followed up with a performance that was mailed in to Nashville, losing 0-3 to a backup goalie's first start. Things were looking up for a minute when we collected wins against a young Blackhawks team and a fairly decent (just not that evening) Canadiens team. However, many wondered how the Thrashers would respond to these victories when faced with real game-time adversity for the first time all season; the Thrashers then met the league's best team, the Ottawa Senators, at the ScotiaBank Place in Ottawa.

Things didn't fare well, or did they? The Thrashers played a good first period of hockey in that game, then completely collapsed in the second, facing four-goal deficits twice. However, this oddly didn't signal the end of the game. In games earlier in the season, when the Thrashers were like zombies on the ice, they didn't play for pride and certainly didn't attempt to show up in losses to Tampa (2-5), Buffalo (0-6), and Philadelphia (0-4). During those "games", the team faced one-goal deficits early and backed down immediately, providing absolutely no sense of hope for anyone in Blueland Nation. This was when Ilya Kovalchuk was medicated and kept caged up. Apparently his time spent in a figurative choke-hold was long enough and he came out charging more than ever. Recording a hat trick in the Ottawa game, the Thrashers made the last 10 minutes of that game very interesting for the league's premier team. After being down 0-4, the Thrashers made a game of it and came within one goal in the final minutes. While the end result of the game was one for the loss column, the game itself was surprising. The morose Thrashers returned, but the real team was turned on with the flip of a switch, seemingly. This team had the potential to stomp the best team in the league on their own ice. Was there something the fans didn't know about, but Donny Waddell did? Could he actually be hailed as a hero? The early signs of that were possibly manifesting themselves.

The end of the road trip was met with the same team that appeared in Ottawa. No matter the time of the season, it always sucks to play three games in Tampa Bay in a 15 game span, forget about the struggles we're going through. The Thrashers never seem to have any kind of luck in the St. Pete Times Forum. The terrible combination of Tampa players raising their game (Vinny Prospal in particular), Thrashers players not showing up, and our losing ways didn't provide any promise. But apparently the Thrashers (or hockey gods) felt otherwise. Down 1-4, the No Quit Thrashers reappeared and were once again led into battle with the superhuman Ilya Kovalchuk. The 6-4 comeback victory was capped off with another hat trick from this human-machine hybrid.

While I hate to say it, but it seems that this team is all Ilya, all the time right now. I don't like the thought of that one bit. I, like the rest of us, want more contributions from the team. There are others out there who are doing their part in the scoring. Dupuis, Little, and Perrin are all throwing their two-cents into the mix and having some say in the matter, and even Kozlov is starting to wake up from his early season slumber. The logical question after naming those names is, "What about Hossa?" Game after game, the same theme repeats itself - all Hossa needs is a big game and he's back. Sure, that could be true, but I'm not too sure if I believe it. I know Marian Hossa's potential, we all do, as evidenced by his 100 point campaign from last season. This time last season, Hossa was getting recognized for his play and was mentioned by several analysts as a possible MVP candidate for his leadership and play. He can turn it on, but when will this happen?

What's interesting is that because of our record, Ilya is getting almost no recognition for his role in the team. He has been by far the best player this team has ever had at any given moment in their history. Career year doesn't do it justice and franchise player is like an understatement. I'm waiting to see when this guy takes off his jersey and unveils a Thrashers shield over his chest. Either that or a tattoo on his arm. But in all seriousness, the play from Ilya is remarkable and no one is paying attention. I guess two hat tricks in a row gets a bit of praise from The Hockey News and the NHL. It's about time and it's obviously overdue. This guy needs to be paraded around town for a while because he's almost single-handedly pushing this team forward and pwning the competition.

Up next - the Florida Panthers in Sunrise on Friday. With our recent win over the Washington Capitals, we hurdled over them to escape the basement of the Southeast Division. Depending on the result of tonight's Lightning/Hurricanes game, with a win on Friday, we could be tied for second place in the division! It's unfortunate that the game won't be broadcast by any local media outlets, but definitely make your way to the local bar that has CenterIce (Taco Mac is a good alternative, but I always make my way over to Y-Knots in Peachtree City) or to a friend who has it, if you don't. While the Panthers have never scared me, this game is a big one because of the possibilities.

vs. Rangers - 2007/10/18

Here we go - Coach Waddell has evened out his winning record behind the bend and the Thrashers did what hasn't been done yet this season - win. I mean, everything was in place for this night to be a success.

Power play goals? Check.
Penalty killing and even a shorty? Check.
Physical play? Check.
Leads into the second AND third periods? Check.
High energy and passion? Check.
Game-breaking goaltending? Check.

You name it, it was there. Granted, the Thrashers got a little sloppy towards the end of the game with a little goal barrage by the Rangers, but this 5-3 victory was a great one for Le Thrash.

The crowd was into it for the first time all season, which felt so appropriate. After the team went up 5-1 in the third, the "LET'S GO THRASHERS" chants were ridiculous and Philips Arena was rocking for the first time since the puck dropped on October 5th.

What really impressed me this evening was the play of (OMG) Todd White. I'm still not sold on the guy to be our main center, but he played a solid hockey game today. That goal he scored while Sterling was chilling out in the box was just incredible. It seemed like for the past six games, the Thrashers came out flat, without any sense of urgency, and appeared to throw in the towel even when the cards were slightly stacked against them. The heads-up and never-die play that White showed on that goal was great. He took the shot, thought the play was dead, but didn't stop there, where that kind of activity might not have occurred a few games ago. He realized that the puck was not stopped, and made a second effort to flick it into the netting to put the Atlanta team up for a third goal.

The only negative of the experience this evening was the fact that it appears that Kari Lehtonen cannot catch a break. During the preseason, he tweaked his groin that caused him to sit out of play for about a week or two. Then the 0-6 slide began and Kari was looking kinda dismal, even questioning his play and talents. And now, he suffers a groin strain in the game, not even halfway into the first period. Waddell makes it sound awfully similar to the injury that took him out of play for a few months at the beginning of the '05-'06 season. I hope that they are over-exaggerating the severity of it. Tomorrow we'll find out whether Freddy Brathwaite or Ondrej Pavelec get called up from Chi-town to ride the pines for a while.

Would it be beneficial to bring Pavelec up or give the opportunity to Brathwaite, who has several years of NHL experience under his belt? Time will tell, but it'll be quick because the Thrashers will meet the Lightning in Tampa tomorrow evening.

Back to the game, though... it's hard to determine whether this win feels so good because it's the first win OR because the Thrashers actually played well. The Thrashers were still outshot by eight shots, 36-28, so it might be of concern that the Thrashers aren't taking that many quality shots. It shouldn't be dismissed, however, that the team looked more offensive than they have been all season. There were fantastic opportunities all throughout the first period and some of the second. Posts were abused, Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist was sprawling in the crease left and right, and there was plenty of pressure on the Rangers in their zone.

All things aside, it feels damned good to get two points. It's even a little sweeter because Tampa, Washington, and Florida lost. You see, all is not lost just yet, believers. Up next on the agenda is Tampa and we'll see how the team responds to their first road trip without Mr. Hartley. Hopefully, come November 6th, the team will collect a few more points and gain a new leader.

Everything's about to change.

LET'S GO THRASHERS!

On Waddell, the Rangers, and a Fresh Start!

Tonight is the last night that the Thrashers are in town until November 6th. That's 19 days away from Philips Arena, 19 days away from Blueland, and 19 days away from familiarity. Well, familiarity is kinda tossed aside because there's a new coach in town.

General Manager Don Waddell resumes the pose tonight for another shot at coaching. Don't even begin to think that this is a possible permanent position though. Jennifer at Southeast Shootout provides a list of candidates to take over once everything's been said and done. Waddell is apparently seizing the moment, too. While some might question whether this massive early-season road trip is a prime time to look for a new head honcho, Waddell said that the timing couldn't be better... and he might be right (for a change). During the 19-day absence from Philips Arena, the Thrashers stop in Tampa (one too many times), Nashville, Montreal, Toronto, and Ottawa. Traveling to Canada will provide the team's think-tank time and a bunch of miles to come up with great ideas on how to get the team on the tracks for success and who's gonna provide direction from here on out.

As for this evening's tilt against the New York Rangers (remember them?), Blueland Blog's Micah posted Waddell's slotting of forwards to deal with Drury, Gomez, Shanahan, etc. Considering that the Rangers were picked by some to bust out of the gate early and be quick contenders, the Rangers have stumbled themselves (although they do have two more wins than Le Thrash) and are probably looking to come to Atlanta and do what they did best back in April - pwn the Thrash. Hopefully the Thrashers will be able to combat against the Rangers' depth as well as King Henrik and collect their first two points of the season.

I'm planning on going to the game, and hopefully I'll be able to get seats. For every Thursday home game this season, the AJC is offering 2-for-1 tickets in certain sections of the Arena. I'd like to take advantage of this, so please forget I just mentioned anything about it.

Speaking about tonight's game plan (again, here), Marian Hossa stated that the team plans on playing with the puck some more, as opposed to doing the trademark Bob Hartley dump-n-chase game that generated a bunch of criticism throughout his time here. Hopefully the players will respond to some kind of game plan (or create their own - Holik, you're the captain, come up with something!) or everyone will do whatever they want and zhit's gonna get disorganized and out of whack quick. Waddell assembled this squad, and now it's his turn to coach.

It's time to get something started in Blueland and what better time than now? Let's go Blue!

LET'S GO THRASHERS!

THIS JUST IN: Hartley Out, Waddell In?

Well, this is a sight Atlanta Thrashers fans and players won't see anymore:



Just after the noon hour today, various media sources declared that Atlanta Thrashers coach Bob Hartley was relieved of his services to the team. With an oh-and-six start, terrible offensive statistics for his team, and the unforgettable exit from last year's playoff appearance, apparently Hartley was the source of it all and the first to take a hike.

Is this really the right move? Or should there be other measures taken that will improve the team?

More clarity will be revealed when Mr. GM himself (and interim coach, too) steps up to the podium and addresses the media formally about this change of face and what the plans are for the immediate future. Press conference is coming up at 2PM.

Sources: TSN, Blueland Blog, AJC

Lineups-R-Us, or How the Thrashers Determine Their Future

With all of the talk about today's announced lines and changes in the defensive pairings, I figured I'd chime in with my amateurish drivel.

At this morning's practice, the trio that had the most energetic impact on the ice during both the Devils game and this morning's workout was the "kid line", which consists of Haydar/Little/Sterling. Everyone's buzzing about this line and its potential for success. I certainly agree with that. Bryan Little didn't spend much time in Chicago last season, but I'm assuming that while he was there, he did share some shifts with either one of those two gentlemen, if not both. It's certain that Haydar and Sterling have something going on because you can't end up AHL MVP and AHL Rookie of the Year - respectively - without having much help. In all honesty, they tore up the scoring last year with Chicago. All three know each other and two-thirds of 'em have spent significant time playing together. I see no reason to speak out against these three fellas and what they can bring to the table. I don't care that they are "AHL players" or "rookies" or whatever! I'm thinking it's guaranteed that they won't play much against a top defensive pairing of any team that they face. With their talent and what they've brought to the table already, I think that, in time (meaning, in a few games, which I can handle waiting that long), these guys will seriously bring some depth that this organization has lacked for a long time now.

As far as who chills out in the press box for the game, I'm in favor of giving Chris Thorburn a legitimate chance to prove his size and worth. It's no secret that the Thrashers are not in the upper third of the league in terms of dominating figures on the ice. I'm pretty sure that they aren't even in the second third. Everyone's concern entering the season was that the defensemen were small, the forwards were small, and that they wouldn't be able to match up against the more commanding teams of the league. As of right now, that's kinda true. Enstrom has done a great job at being a defenseman, but he's more likely to get knocked around than, say, a Greg deVries. Putting Thorburn out there with Eric Boulton and possibly Bobby Holik is a line that's a good bet on mixing things up on the ice and throwing the body around, something that probably wouldn't hurt (in theory).

But who to bench? First season aside, Jim Slater has been nothing but, well, annoying and frustrating. From watching him play, I can tell that he really has the passion to play in the league. I'm just not sold on his abilities. Even in today's practice, there were some missed passes and some skating errors. This kind of play definitely occurs in high-pressure situations (i.e. penalty killing) and that's not acceptable. I wouldn't have a problem of benching Slater or even Brad Larsen in favor of adding Thorburn.

Defensively speaking, I'm surprised no one has brought up the idea of pairing Mark Popovic with Enstrom. The kids are represented in the forwards, so why not paid them together on the blueline? I think that a pairing like this, with other pairings like the announced pairing of Zhitnik/McCarthy and, say, Havelid/Exelby. Exelby's physical game could be something that Havelid appreciates... but the other announced pairing of Havelid/Enstrom doesn't sound that bad either. With my lines, Klee would sit and that's ok.

Perhaps my rookie pairing is too inexperienced to handle the NHL full-time. I don't know. But at least it's somewhat encouraging that Hartley is willing to change things around. Then again, we all know that he's rather apt to change things at the flip of a switch.

I'm not a hockey coach and I certainly have no formal education with regard to establishing hockey lines and creating chemistry from scratch. I just wish that we stuck with the opening nite lineups for about three games, determined how well they worked, and then make the necessary changes. Hartley, as I mentioned, makes changes as he sees fit and benches players for whatever reason. Give things a chance and maybe things will develop, and maybe they won't. At least some options were exercised and that's all that matters.

LET'S GO THRASHERS!

Practice - 2007/10/15

I woke up early enough to make the 1+ hour drive up to Duluth this morning to watch the Thrashers practice. The statement about "Moose" Hedberg and practice will always ring true - first on, last off. While he wasn't the last lad on the ice, he was getting his head together and flinging pucks up and down the ice at least 10 minutes earlier than anyone else.

I tried to take some pictures but I realized that I was missing the bigger picture, i.e. the practice. I was kinda surprised to see Mr. Hossa with the squad, but apparently that's a good sign that he made an appearance today. Considering the rumors that circulated about Hossa's disapproval with the ice at the IceForum, I noticed a little slip-up by the boards. I'm sure that didn't win over Hoss.

There was some early work with the power play/penalty killing units. Started with some 5-on-4 action, which led to 5-on-3. The first PP team consisted of Hossa, Kovy, Kozlov, Bryan Little, and Tobias Enstrom and the second unit involved Todd White, Darren Haydar, Brett Sterling, McCarthy, and Zhitnik. While I'm glad that he's getting time on this, Bryan Little's appearances on groups like these is surprising. It's proof that he's ready for whatever comes his way and that he's being rewarded for playing some smart hockey, something that's kinda a rarity these days in Atlanta.

Penalty killers were pretty predictable - Ken Klee, Exelby, Dupuis, Slater, Larsen, Havelid.

It's times like these that make me wonder what's the priority here. Obviously you want both units excelling to the most of their potential. But our power play is terrible, along with the penalty killing. Maybe it's because I'm a more offensive-minded person and I always have a tendency for looking out for plays that generate some kind of goal-push, but it felt like there was more importance when the power play units were doing something right as opposed to the PKers.

What's unsettling is that Kari looked a little shell-shocked. Maybe these games are getting to him, and how can you blame him? When faced with 30-40 shots a nite, you can't save every single one. Sure, Kari has to step up if that's the case, but it really shouldn't be. Those high shot totals are the result of an inept defense. All of these things must be creeping into his head because he just didn't look that into it today.

Then there were some odd-man plays going on in the offensive zone. And some face-off work. And some dump-n-chase tactics.

It's also clear to me how significant the number nine is for whoever is wearing it for the Thrashers. I don't know about earlier in the team's history, but I remember Marc Savard and I certainly remember Glen Metropolit. I seem to remember Savard being a jokester with the team. Metropolit definitely had personality in the few times I saw him up close. And now there's Pascal Dupuis. I'm glad we have him on the team simply because he's a character, plain and simple. Some would take this as immaturity or forgetting about what's really at stake here but I interpret it as someone who's able to lighten up the situation that the Thrashers find themselves in right now. No. 9 was trying to hold people up with his stick while the warm-up skate was going on. He was making remarks to other players in line for drills that would result in some light giggling. And then as he's about to get off the ice at the end of practice, he takes his sticks in both hands and kinda slams 'em into the boards like he's about to lose his balance, only to be met with some laughter and smiles from teammates blocking his way and the fans who are seeking autographs of their heroes. While we're still oh-and-five, you can't hang your head in disgust 24/7. Looking for a pity party doesn't get you out of the basement, it just keeps you there longer. Guys like Dupuis don't necessarily put up the points like others on the team do/should, but his personality goes a long way during stretches like this. I commend him for that.

I don't know if it was contagious either, but I did notice that there were some other players trying to have a little fun out there. Yeah, practice is serious business, but you have to know how to go about it to be truly effective. It's good that some guys on the team have the ability to push out the negatives for a bit and just play.

I surely hope they figure their zhit out before tomorrow's tilt against those damned Flyers with public enemy no. 3, Danny Briere (behind gnat Marty St. Louis and fathead Sean Avery). Last season, the Flyers had us on a leash and we did whatever they wanted us to, which was apparently to play like crap and lose in the worst ways to the worst team in the league. I say a bit of revenge is due in the next couple of games. We either go to Philly and beat the pants off the Flyers and that damned Finn, Antero Niittymaki or we come home on Thursday and beat those effin' Rangers for the first time in a loooooong time. I'm hoping it's not an either/or type deal, too. Derian Hatcher and Elisha Cuthbert, I'm coming for y'all! Taking Hatcher out of Philly's, uh, arsenal means that the physical play gets a little evened out (sigh) and taking Ms. Hottie out of the picture means that Mr. Avery gets a little too retarded for humanity and gets banished from society for doing something way too dumb to mention. I guess it's a good thing that he's out for a while.

LET'S GO THRASHERS!

New Blog Alert - Thrashers Times

George, over at Talking Thrash, decided to create a spot online that automatically records updates to the Thrashers blogroll. It's called the Thrashers Times and, as of right now, this blog isn't a part of it, but will soon be as I've contacted George to include this blog over there.

Thrashers Times

Thanks for doing this, George!

Photos: The Octopus Project, 2007/10/11 (clicky)

Thursday nite I attended a show at Atlanta's Drunken Unicorn to take in some bleeps, some bloops, and a bit of theremin courtesy of Austin band The Octopus Project. They have a new record out and it's a keeper. Considering they won a contest just last year (2006) to open the Coachella Festival and that they were unsigned (that was part of the competition methinks), they've kinda ballooned since then, playing sold out shows across the country and getting more and more recognition on a daily basis. Here are some pics I took of the indietronica spectacular:







More at my flickr >>> GO NOW! :D

SKY IS FALLING?

Let's look at this first, all courtesy of the NHL.com stats section.

Points: 0 (30th in NHL, and only winless, and pointless, team in the league)
Goals per game: 1.8 (Tied for 19th in the league with Chicago, last)
Goals against per game: 4.6 (Tied for 18th in the league with Los Angeles, last)
Power play %: 9.5 (third worst in the league, with only Minnesota and Edmonton trailing)
Penalty kill %: 68.8 (second worst in the league, with only Calgary trailing)
Shots per game: 22.0 (last in league)
Shots against per game: 34.6 (third worst in the league, with only Toronto and Washington trailing)

Well then. Actually, there's no need for these stats and other numbers; just look at the results on the season up to this point.

Is this team as hopeless as they appear on the ice? Absolutely not. In the Thrashers lineup resides premier NHL forwards like Ilya Kovalchuk and Marian Hossa. While he isn't exactly premier material, Slava Kozlov definitely has the ability to put up some serious offensive numbers, as noticed last season throughout his 80-point campaign.

After that, however, we kinda drop off the cliff. It was mentioned during the off-season that Coach Hartley, General Manager Don Waddell, and Bobby Holik all expect Mr. Captain (i.e. Holik) to become more offensive this season. Has that happened? One goal and one assist have been added to his career stats, and that means he's played a role in two of the Thrashers' nine goals. Yeah, you don't expect this guy to put up monster numbers, or even rival Kovalchuk, but you do plan on him setting up some guys for the goals. His best offensive season was ten years ago with the Devils (29g, 36a). Granted, he's 10 years older now, but you'd think that with help from some of either the more marquee guys (i.e. Kovy, Hossa, Kozy) or some of the younger fellas (i.e. Little, Sterling, Enstrom, etc.), he'd be able to have more of a say in the point production and set more plays up, especially with his experience.

Then we have players like Todd White, Eric Perrin, Pascal Dupuis, and a few other players who have been around the block for a bit. Now I don't expect massive numbers from any of those guys, but I'm most surprised by the play of White. Considering he was our first signing in the off-season, signaling that he was a priority from the get-go, and the fact that he's locked up for a few more years in Atlanta, I'm not excited about him AT ALL. I know that he has tallied two assists in the 0-5 place that Atlanta is in, but he's been unnoticeable in the games that I've watched. When I think of Todd White, I think of soft and invisible. You don't plan on your "priority" signing during off-season as either one of these two descriptors. He was initially put with Kovy and rookie Brett Sterling to center that line and be the center that Kovy hasn't had since Marc Savard departed before last season. In the five games that we've played (and I've watched most of 'em), I haven't noticed Todd White at all. This is a problem. If he's already this far off the map, I can't dare to imagine how it'll be throughout the rest of the season... forget about the upcoming years he's with us.

And what can be said about the mouth-dropping numbers of grinders like Jim Slater and Brad Larsen? Looking at their offensive numbers is pointless (punnery!), but just glance at their plus/minus rating for five games into the season. I said glance because if you actually look at them for too long, they'll burn into your eyes and you'll never see the same again. Minus six and -5, respectively. Weren't these guys supposed to be the next great penalty killers that the Thrashers had? Well, not exactly that, but that's kinda what they were billed as during the summer and throughout training camp. Larsen's fair at killing penalties, but I'd rather have him out there than Slater. As far as I'm concerned, he's no better than Bambi on the rink, please note:



Now this is turning into pessimism central. I don't want it to be that way, I really don't. I could go on and on - about how the defensive corps looks tiny, frail, and immovable, how the rookies are surprisingly holding their own rather well despite the fact that they certainly didn't want to start out their NHL careers with a team that's oh-and-five. There are other blogs for that (look to the right!).

I'm just saying that I, as well as everyone else who has a share in Blueland, am completely baffled at how poorly the team is playing right now.

My parents suggested to me that, after reading about last nite's score, the Thrashers "look like they're turning this around." Sure, getting five goals looks nice, considering they've only scored four in four games prior to last nite's tilt, but compare that to five goals on 17 shots... one goal in threeshots. I don't care how good of a team you have, you cannot anticipate a winning result with opportunities like those. That third period (the one I did not witness, BTW) must've been a screaming fest between yourself and the team/TV.

There's a practice tomorrow morning at 1030AM. I'm gonna see if I can make it. We'll see how things turn out during and after that. Hockey Buzz' Stan Hauseman brought up a nice point about the Thrashers' next game in Philly:

If you remember last year, a stronger Thrashers team lost to Philly in the shootout. You remember the game. It was the one where the Thrashers switched goalies for the shootout. Philly was 1-6-1 entering that game. The Thrashers were 7-1-2 landing in Philly for their first time that season. The Flyers are a strong 3-1 entering this game. So maybe revenge will be a dish best served cold for the Thrashers.

I clearly remember sitting in a parking lot in Tyrone, trying to break through the poor signals of AM radio and listening to the game and the outcome of it and wondering why Hartley was basically "subbing" Kari in for Hedberg, who played a wonderful game (at least that's what came across over the airwaves), for the shootout. Kari's record during the shootout was actually pretty good at the time, so the game was for him to "come in relief" of the Moose and close out the game (i.e. the Yankees' Mariano Rivera, who Hartley actually compared Kari to after the loss). It ended up (as I just mentioned) that the Thrashers blew it and I think that was Philly's only shootout win all of last season.

Something's gotta give. I never knew it would be like this, but it just felt weird and creepy to have a lead last nite, especially when it blew up to a two-goal lead during that second period. Sure, it was awesome, but I felt pretty uneasy about it, basically because of the play of the previous four games, because the team never played with a lead in the previous four games, because who could know how the play would've turned for the worst during that third period that only yielded three shots.

Could a win really kick-start the season for this team that appears to be free-falling? Most definitely! It would be awesome to finally get some points and something to show for in the wins column. I'm tired of every other analyst in the hockey world speaking the truth about the current state of the Thrashers. I'm exhausted from the misery that I constantly put myself through by reading the various Thrashers blogs and media reports from the losing games. I hate to think that I'm going to turn off the TV or question about going to a game because the team is playing so poorly. I don't want it to have to come to that point... ever. But this losing business must stop immediately.

LET'S GO THRASHERS!

Fixation Focus: Radiohead

I mean, really, does anything else need to be said about this band? I just got home after a nite out on the town (i.e. Wal-mart) and discovered that Radiohead's seventh LP, In Rainbows, was emailed to me just as prescribed.

After all of the hub-ub about how they are screwing over the record industry by releasing an album themselves, how they are not charging a thing for a pre-release download, how they are not DRMing it (meaning you can burn it as much as you want, there are no restrictions) - after everything that was said in the past 10 days, the "finished" product is finally here. There was no doubt in my mind that I had to stay awake until it was in my inbox. I was dragging home on the drive, but I never forgot about what potentially waited for me. While I was all sleepy-eyed minutes ago, as soon as the zipped file finished its business and In Rainbows opened in iTunes, I knew I was set for the next hour or whatever it takes for this album to finish playing.

I really feel like I'm a part of something special right now because of the hoopla surrounding this release.

For those who aren't into this, here's the deal. One of the world's mega-bands, without being a "mega-band", Radiohead, announced last week that their seventh album, In Rainbows, was complete and ready for the world. As a result, the band, without a record deal right now, decided to take everything into their own hands. On their website, they let anyone pay whatever they want for the download that would take place 10 days later.

Twenty dollars? Ten? Fifty cents? Nothing?! Any way you want it, you can have it. Completely unprecedented. I mean, we're talking about RADIOHEAD here - like this was really that unexpected. Sure, the concept is just nutty, but leave it to the wackiest band in the universe to do something like this.

Now that October 10th has arrived, the album is here. I'm currently on track five, "All I Need", and with the first four tracks (as well as this one, apparently), I'm taken aback. Maybe it's the drowsiness, maybe it's the fact that I haven't been this excited about a release like this EVER because, actually, there hasn't quite been a release like this, well, EVER. Either way, this is just an incredible listen at 355AM.

The Left of Center channel on Sirius (channel 26) has been prepping this record for the past week, saying that throughout this week, they will feature tracks from In Rainbows. Well, sorry LoC and Sirius - as much as I love ya, you're taking a backseat for a few days, possibly weeks.

Certainly there is more to come on this topic. Let's face it, it's all I'll hear and read about for the next few days/weeks/months, so I'm definitely gonna write my fair share on the matter. This blog was once devoted to my indie music after all!