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Friday, February 16, 2007
Thrashers crumbling right now
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Jeff Schultz
On the chance you checked out during the Kamil Piros era and haven’t been following the Thrashers, this should serve as a brief recap of their season:
They went 8-2-3 in October, 8-5-1 in November, 7-4-2 in December and 6-5-2 in January. We call this a downward trend. In retrospect, the mild slippage might now be likened to what happened when Scooby Doo tried to ice skate across a partially frozen lake, only to hear a slight crack, look down and utter, “Rut-roh.”
Because now, in February, it’s no minor crack. The Thrashers are 1-5-1 and about to plunge into the abyss, where they no doubt will bump into floating corpses of past expansion draft picks.
“We threw the cushion away,” Thrashers coach Bob Hartley said of his team’s division lead. “Now we’re sitting on plywood.”
Sitting.
Drifting.
Decomposing.
Hello?
“We’re still in first place,” general manager Don Waddell said Friday.
I’m still not sure if he was trying to set up a punchline.
The Thrashers have played 60 games. You can split the season in almost equal halves and see the problem: 18-7-4 in the first 29, 12-14-5 in the last 31.
They are four games under .500 (7-11-3) since being a franchise-best 13 over (23-10-6). Should this trend continue, turn back the clock: Steve Guolla will be back on the power play by March.
Some are waiting for Waddell to make a significant pre-deadline trade. Welcome to Groundhog Day. Peter Forsberg was traded to Nashville, the closest team to Atlanta geographically but light years away in perception. The Predators have the second-best record in the NHL and suddenly are a Stanley Cup favorite.
Waddell can’t be criticized too much for not getting Forsberg. He said Friday what he had whispered previously: Forsberg would waive his no-trade clause with Philadelphia for only four potential trade partners — all in the Western Conference.
But this team is crumbling right now, and the four corners of woe start in the front office:
Waddell: The team’s weakness at center has not been significantly addressed all season (Eric Belanger: a nice penalty killer). A puck-moving defenseman is needed for the declining power play. The Thrashers are $2.6 million under the salary cap, so at this stage of the year that shouldn’t be an issue. Taking on salary in future seasons is another matter, given ownership is in limbo. But Waddell acknowledged only what he has said in the past, that any deal “that might financially impact the franchise” must get clearance. Regardless, it’s on him to do something, and he’s not ducking that: “The pressure sits right here. I’m aware of that. I’ve been here from day one.” But, no, he’s not close to a deal.
Kari Lehtonen: In hockey, it always starts and ends with goaltending. Lehtonen’s play has fallen off. He’s allowed 25 goals in his last seven starts, leading Waddell to state the obvious: “He hasn’t been good.” Lehtonen is talented but there are lingering questions about his mental and physical toughness. He has never been through the pressure of a playoff race. This is when goalies are defined.
Hartley: If you watch enough games, you see the same special-teams breakdowns you’ve seen for weeks. Hartley is a teacher. But whatever he’s teaching isn’t working now. The man won a Stanley Cup in Colorado, but old stories don’t get you contract extensions. He’s not absolving himself of blame, but that didn’t stop him from issuing a mild threat: “I’m not going to just allow some of these things to go on. Some guys will sit out.” (Comment: That sounds better when there are worthy replacements.)
Resolve and toughness: The team has become soft. Your would think there was widespread contamination in front of the net the way forwards have avoided going into the slot. They’re losing battles in the corners and along the boards. This is supposed to be when guys like Bobby Holik and Scott Mellanby take over in the locker room. But it’s not happening.
Slava Kozlov, whose play also has dropped off, admitted: “It seems like in the last five games or so we’ve been watching opponents, just hoping we would win. It doesn’t work that way.”
Yes, we know. This is the seventh season. We’re well acquainted with what doesn’t work.
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