Thrashers

By Matt

December 14, 2005 04:22 PM | Link to this

It’s great to see these guys put up a crooked number on an unbelievable good team. However, the defense is really scary. If we can keep a net-minder healthy, I think they can develop some consistancy. But the defense really needs to put the clamps down. This team has great potential, we see on a regular basis with the offense. I believe that at some point the light bulb will come on and the defense will get working. If this does happen, the Thashers can contend.

By Thrashy Thrashy

December 14, 2005 04:35 PM | Link to this

I’d say it’s a troubling win, but it’s a win. If they win enough troubling games this year to get in the playoffs, I won’t complain.

By Jay Wilson

December 14, 2005 04:49 PM | Link to this

I think the NHL has to do something to stem the tide of 5-on-3 powerplays. While I like most of the rule changes, in the old days someone had to die on the ice for a second penalty to be called during a power play. The 5-on-3 at the beginning of the third period really started the avalanche of goals.

That said, we should all be lighting candles for our injured goaltenders.

By Bob

December 14, 2005 06:40 PM | Link to this

Until we get goaltending back, Shields doesn’t count, then it feels like a reprieve from the chair. Blowing the 4 goal lead in 8 minutes in the 3rd wouldn’t have happened with Lehtonen or Dunham in the nets.

Let’s see what this team can do with a good goaltender behind them.

By RC

December 14, 2005 06:53 PM | Link to this

It is still troubling. It again showed me that this has one hell of a power play and one hell of a horrible defense. i was happy for the win however I was not pleased the way it was won. There seems to be little if no defense on this team, which always seems to bring up the goaltender comments. It should not matter who is between the pipes when there is solid defense. Other teams in the NHL have had trouble with goaltenders yet they have won games. John, to answer your question I do not think that this team will make the playoffs they would have to win at least 5 to 6 straight to get them back and with the history of the thrashers never getting past four in a row it is unlikely. I would love to see it but when you can only really score on the power play and you have a young goaltender in the net who is going to give up 4 a game with no defense to help it’s gonna be tough.

By Mick

December 14, 2005 06:57 PM | Link to this

I was peering in on the NHL scores every half hour, and when I saw us up 6-2, I said “thats the way its done boys”, then just prayed our defence would feel the momentum…guess not. It was acutally a surprise win to me, since I was expecting us to only have 6 goals in us. But FINALLY Stefan contributed and saved the game. Lets see how long we’ll have to wait for that to happen again.

As for if it would have happened if we had a different goalie. Thats difficult to give a ‘yes/no’ answer to. I personally blame the defence. I don’t think the score would have been as close, but if Dunham was in there, I wouldn’t see a different outcome. With Lehtonen however, he probably could have held the Wings’ offence to a could less goals, but in the end it boils down to defence (Waddell should be lucky I’ve decided to exclude any comments on him today).

Bottom line: our defence needs to sharpen up, gets it legs moving, block some shots…ya know the general things most succesful defensive groups do.

By John

December 14, 2005 07:52 PM | Link to this

Overall our defense is very slow….

By dj

December 14, 2005 09:20 PM | Link to this

Why don’t we bring up Coburn or Popovic and bench Sutton, Hnidy, or Modry? Please bench Modry. He is just too slow.

By lee

December 14, 2005 09:33 PM | Link to this

Having Sutton healthy would have helped but I don’t think the other goalies could have done much better facing all of those 5 on 3s.

The DefenSe was supposed to be upgraded this year. I am not seeing it.

By Paul Hamilton

December 14, 2005 09:59 PM | Link to this

I think its time to call up some of our young defensive guys and shake up the team a bit. Getting our goaltenders back for the new year will be great, but the defense needs a good kick in the butt. Maybe the young guys will come up and play well, maybe they will wake up the guys here before its too late. The Thrashers still have plenty of time to get the season back on track but the time is NOW! I would rather see us go down in flames getting some young guys experience than allowing the veterans to call it a night after one period every night. Our defense is at the bottom of the league already what can it hurt to infuse some new young blood into the team!

By sodapants

December 14, 2005 10:18 PM | Link to this

whoever said “it doesn’t matter who’s between the pipes” should be watching badmitten (sp),. not hockey. That’s probably the dumbest thing i’ve ever heard.

By sodapants

December 14, 2005 10:24 PM | Link to this

I don’t mean to preach…but uuuuh.. anyone who’d been around this game long enough, or played it…. knows that EVERYTHING starts between the pipes. Goaltending is the single most important position in hockey. Not Kovalchuk… not Hossa.. it’s the goalie.

How do you think a mediocre team like Jersey won all those cups? It sure as hell wasn’t their offense or defense. It came from the guy who got the MVP’s… and for a reason.

We can score…sure.. but we need a goalie…. and bad. Playing the 4th or 5th guy in line will NEVER get you a winning streak. Those players are 4th and 5th for a reason.

Maybe it’s just bad luck.. but that doesn’t change s**. The biggest problem this team has is comfort in the net. And discomfort in the net means hesitancy and lower octaine play from everyone else.

Someone buy Lehtonen a fcking thigh-master, please….

By TonyC

December 14, 2005 10:52 PM | Link to this

It was an exciting win, especially since the boys had the opportunity to hang their heads and say “boo-hoo the Red Wings are just better than us, we can’t win”. The fact that they didn’t and were scrapping all the way to the end, was HUGE. Don’t forget they also had to hold off a mad charge from one of two teams in the whole league that can actually play the Soviet-Sasketchewan hybrid style of puck possesion hockey. They are the only team in the league that always plays that style. They hardly ever dump and chase. Watch the replays of the reaction on the bench when #27 scored. Look at Coach’s reaction. The expression of his face speaks volumes. He expected the boys to roll over and there was no one in the building more excited than he when the breakaway goal came.

I think it is also important to note that it was #27 who scored. Not #17 (who I find to be pouting a wee bit too much lately) or #18! This has to be a serious boost to his confidence and also for the team overall. For Patty to come back from being hurt, be productive and then be plucked from the crash line to the scoring lines and increase his production is great! Petro is also playing with a greater sense of urgency, I like the direction the forwards are going in.

But the D….what to do with these guys? On a PK, once they collapse down to the net, the never “push” back to their original box, the spacing is just not there. I think that Mick is on point with the “move their legs” comment. I think just that little tweak would make life at lot more enjoyable in blue(s)land.

By TonyC

December 14, 2005 10:53 PM | Link to this

oh yeah, anybody else notcie that the good games lately have come with Sutton out? Just a thought.

By Brendan

December 15, 2005 12:52 AM | Link to this

It’s a combination thereof, John. I can’t say that it wasn’t exciting to get a win versus the Red Wings. The Stefan goal was electrifying. But it was an 11th-hour call from the Governor’s mansion to power down the “deep fryer.”

Both John Manasso and Jeff Schultz have pointed out time and time again how “inconsistent” and “undisciplined” this team really is.

32-games into a season, and they “still” can’t figure out that the refs are going to call hooking penalties?

I can’t help but notice that the goaltenders stopped playing the pucks in the corner boards within the 1st week of the season. When was the last time you saw that infraction committed?

Right. The goalies adjusted. They learned. They adapted. But Atlanta’s skaters can’t seem to get a handle on the new rules. Or, they’re just too slow and can’t adapt to the new rules, so they are FORCED into taking penalties, unable to hide their poor performance.

Well folks, the Thrashers defense folded like Superman on laundry day.

Jeff Schultz has consistently pointed out that “it’s not the goaltending.” I still say “he’s right.”

If the Thrashers defense is playing like the net is empty, then they’ve got to stop doing that. There IS a goaltender in the net. His name is Michael Garnett.

Michael Garnett is not yet an NHL goalie, but his play has improved. He has made big saves in his 10-12 games in the bigs. He has shown “instances” of being capable of playing at an NHL level.

There’s a lot more “wrong” with this team than goaltending. Jeff Schultz says it’s a “lack of personality” after 31-games, according to his column.

Maybe. Or maybe it’s just that this team, hand-picked by Waddell, is too old or too slow. Or both. Worse yet, it’s “overpaid.”

I’d love to be wrong! I’d love for Lehts to come in … and for the Thrashers to simply blaze a path through the rest of the league like a blow torch through butter.

I bet that doesn’t happen, however. At various times, both Manasso and Schultz have said that Patrick Roy cannot save this team.

No team, and I do mean, NO TEAM, can win consistently, or otherwise, while playing short-handed.

And that’s the truth, with no sugar-coating.

Would Patrick Roy fare any better while facing 5-on-3’s?? Period after period. Game after game.

He’d probably request a trade. And if he’d been a car wreck, Don would probably honor the trade request, while sending the Hall of Fame netminder to Tampa Bay, a divisional rival, and direct obstacle to our playoff hopes and dreams.

By RC

December 15, 2005 02:01 AM | Link to this

Hey there sodapants thanks for the positive words. Goaltending was important in the old NHL. Looking at the “new” NHL it doesn’t matter who is in goal. Think about it, In Ottawa are you saying that Hasek is the most important player on that team. In the 20 or so games he has played he is only facing an average of 25 shots, as opposed to Ott. taking double the shots. If they are scoring on average 6 goals a game is Hasek the most important player on the team? In the old NHL, I’ll agree with you, traditionally goaltenders got MVP honors. Now it is’nt a defense minded game anymore. the game is for the power play, offense, and offensive skill. The reference “it should not matter who is between the pipes” was for the new NHL. If it were the old, I would agree that goaltending is the most important position. However, a goaltender is only as good as the defense in front of him and the offensive output at the other end of the ice. Would Garnett have better numbers if there was a defense in front of him? I think so, but that isnt happening. By the way if you’re gonna insult someones comments have better grammar!

By David

December 15, 2005 07:23 AM | Link to this

The rules changes have gone too far. Sure, our defense is as horrible as it always has been; but even Detroit’s, which is very good, gave up seven goals, at least four of them, cheap! There’s more hitting in a peewee game these days!

By Joey

December 15, 2005 07:52 AM | Link to this

Hartley needs to tape Modry’s bottom hand to his stick during practices. Maybe this will at least get him to stop with his holding penalties. That’s one down, then he has to figure out how to prevent the hooking Modry also gets called for constantly at BAD times. Honestly, I’d bench him for a few games when Sutton comes back, let Popovic stay up here and play. Maybe then Modry would wake up. Hartley has benched higher paid players before for dumb play, just ask Kovalchuk.

By Dave

December 15, 2005 07:56 AM | Link to this

Yes the defense could play better, however its the penalties that kill us. I like J.P., but he takes some stupid penalties at all the wrong times. Stop taking stupid penalties and watch the wins start mounting.

By Mark

December 15, 2005 08:33 AM | Link to this

I don’t think it’s troubling at all - this is what the league wanted with more scoring and games that don’t end when a team gets up by 2. There is always hope.

We scored 4 goals in less than 5 minutes and Detroit scored 4 goals in less than 9 —so what’s the difference? Both teams got caught with foolish penalties that led to 5 on 3 power plays and multiple goals. But we didn’t quit, we kept skating and charging the goal and Patrick came through. His play these past 3 games has been exceptional - more for his digging along the boards and intercepting passes and making passes than for scoring.

As far as goal goes - did you hear the transplants scream when Osgood came into a 3-2 game? They thought all their troubles were over and we quickly scored 3 more goals on Osgood. Goal is not our problem, it is defense and the new rules - but we are getting better dealing with them.

I, for one, think that Tuesday’s game just reminded these guys that hard work and SOG can overcome any deficit and turn any momentum.

By Bob

December 15, 2005 09:01 AM | Link to this

To answer John’s second question above, the results of these next three games will show us if it’s more of the same ol’, score, but lose 6-5. Or, if this is the start of a run.

Here’s a big if: If the Thrashers can win 2 out of the next 3 games, then get Lehtonen back, then I think we’ll see that this is the start of a run that gets us back in the playoff hunt. The next three games are against the Devils, Panthers, and Capitals. Surely this team can take 2 of 3 of those games. Then we get Lehtonen back for Christmas? If he can stay healthy, he will compensate for much of our defensive woes.

By James

December 15, 2005 11:51 AM | Link to this

That was a replenishing win after a couple of okay games. But the defense is starting to scare me that they cannot win hockey games with a 4+ goal lead. Michael Garnett needs to step up and not give up 5+ goals every game. The defense won’t help Garnett, so he has to make unbelievable saves. If we get Mike Dunham, Shields, or Lehtonen back, and the defense steps up, we’re right back in the playoff picture with top-notch teams. Especially that we have a fairly easy stretch coming up. GO THRASH!

By Jessica

December 15, 2005 12:29 PM | Link to this

It’s not all Garnett’s fault. He’s improving immensely each game. We need the defense to kick into high gear. More consistency. I know they have it in them, we just want to see it every game. Still playoff bound, I believe.

By E.

December 15, 2005 01:32 PM | Link to this

It was both electrifying AND troubling. It was easily one of the most EXHAUSTING games I’ve been to in ages…I was totally worn out when it was over, after all of the worrying and yelling I had to do to be heard over all of the Red Wings fans (but that’s a whole ‘nother subject - what was up with that anyway?).

Anyway…we have GOT to stop taking stupid penalties, start playing defense, and start HITTING people! Why don’t they play tough? Whatever happened to good old fashioned body checking? Other teams play that way with us, but we never seem to return the favor. And it happened SO many times during the Detroit game…the Wings would start down the ice toward the Thrasher goal, and there would be NO resistance from our guys AT ALL. A little checking sure would have come in handy. Just look at teams like Ottawa and Buffalo…they’re constantly checking people. Wish we’d do the same!

By Jim

December 15, 2005 02:07 PM | Link to this

A win is a win and this is a big one. If we had lost, who knows how the team would react from here on. Anyone who saw the game on Tues. saw Garnett make some good saves after the Wings came back to tie the score. It was the dumb penalties (questionable officiating on 2) that gave the Wings too many 5 on 3’s combined with some really bad defense by Mowdry that enabled them to come back. In LA the fans tagged Modry with the nickname “Slowdry”. He is really slow. We bemoan the fact that too many big leads are being squandered but that seems to be the case across the league. Tough to sit on a 1 or 2 goal lead and shut down anyone.