AJC > Sports > Thrashers > Blog > Archives > 2005 > December > 23 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USShooting blanks
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Thrashers continue to play their best hockey of the season, earning a point on Thursday to earn a point in their sixth straight game, a franchise-record.
Nonetheless, the Thrashers surrendered five goals to the team that ranked last in the Eastern Conference in the 6-5 shootout loss. In three of the past six games, they have played well defensively, allowing two goals or less. In the others, they have given up too many power plays, which is their Achilles’ heel.
But now to the point. The shootout loss was their fourth of the season against no wins and their second, in particular, to Washington. In 13 attempts, they have only scored twice. Steve Shields was in goal for one, Mike Dunham for one and Michael Garnett for two.
Coach Bob Hartley always says in the shootouts the advantage goes to the goaltender. The Thrashers have lost three of those shootouts to top goaltenders: Olaf Kolzig, Jose Theodore and Nikolai Khabibulin. But on Thursday, they lost to Brent Johnson.
What do you make of the Thrashers’ inability to win the shootout and do you think this loss of points will hurt them come playoff time? (They drew within four points of Toronto on Thursday.)
Comments
Commenting is now closed for this entry.
By Bob
December 23, 2005 04:04 PM | Link to this
I’m not overly concerned with the loss of a couple of points, best we could hope for is to split the shootouts.
But only scoring twice in 13 attempts is awful. They need to try to deke the goalie out instead of coming straight in and taking a quick wrister. Other teams deke more, our guys don’t seem comfortable. This is something they need to work on in practice until it improves.
By jason
December 23, 2005 04:06 PM | Link to this
The shootout loss to the Blackhawks came with us tied going into our final shooter, and Greg de Vries was the man. Greg de Vries? All that talent, and de Vries was the man to take what could have been the game winning shot?
We do still have to realize at times that we’re using a guy who should be a second string goalie in the minors as our starting goalie. But that said, with the supposed amount of offensive skill this team has, there’s no way we should be losing shootouts by not even getting a shot on goal.
The fact is that if we had won two of those shootouts, we’d be at 35 points and four points out of second in the division. We just can’t afford to keep giving up points like that.
By sodapants
December 24, 2005 01:49 AM | Link to this
c’moooooon, girls…. a frenchise record set for consecutive games getting a point,,, and getting 12 of the last possible 14 points?
That’s a streak even Ottawa would gladly take.
Shootouts are for public drama….. period. Sure they should be doing a little better… but give some credit to the goalies too…. Garnett is doing well… but he aint Patrick Roy, eh..
By Brendan
December 24, 2005 01:56 AM | Link to this
Jose Theodore absolutely robbed Hossa in the game vs. Montreal to preserve the win. Kozlov, 0-2, has looked lame in the shootout.
I believe Greg deVries got a shot because he ended an overtime game vs. Philadelphia, earlier in the season, on a break-a-way. I think that made Hartley want to try him in a shootout.
I suspect practices will entail more shootouts. Shootouts can go much longer than three rounds. So every player should be practicing penalty shots.
Sooner or later, Atlanta will win one. I thought that would be against Brent Johnson.
Kolzig, Khabibulin, and Theodore are going to win a lot of shootouts this year.
By kracker
December 24, 2005 10:38 AM | Link to this
For a team needing every point to first get into the playoffs [that’s looking more lilely now] or to move up in the playoff seeding, YES winning 50% of SO games should be the minimum & second goal for contending teams.
The first goal, of course, is to avoid the SO by winning the game outright.
By Nouah
December 24, 2005 03:24 PM | Link to this
Good afternoon folks, I am from Quebec City (Former Colorado Avalanche city). I am agreeing with Sodapants, The Thrashers are in a real good streak. I think the shootout are for the show only, this is s that they give a point to the loosing team. I think the fans are to worry about the playoff spot. It is better to have and awful beginning of the season than a start that we had 2 years ago and melt down in the second half of the season. Don’t worry Montreal, Buffalo, Toronto, Ny Islanders don’t have a playoff team. These team had a good start but watch team melt down before the Olympic break. Can you imagine how strong will be the Thrashers with a Leths in good shape? It is a question of time to see how strong are the Thrashers……..remember what the Lighting did two years ago in the second half of the season………..same thing will happen with our time….