Thrashers

By Russian

January 18, 2007 04:32 PM | Link to this

Habs is still very fast team. It will be interesting game. I hope we can take 2 points and continue winning stike.

By Rawhide

January 18, 2007 04:49 PM | Link to this

Yes, we need two points to excercise our “Habs demons” much the same way we did earlier in the year with those of the Maple-Creeps!

Plus, at this stage of the game, we need to be viewing every 2 points we gain as 4 the Hurricanes need to catch up to us….and NO, I do NOT think it is too early to start thinking that way.

GO THRASHERS!

By Geoffrey Paul

January 18, 2007 04:54 PM | Link to this

I’m re-posting this here simply b/c it was the last post on the last blog, which probably means there won’t be any more commenting, and I want to hear what people think about this idea.

Columbus would be a good trade partner… They are in the West, are going to be a “seller” at the deadline, and could use young prospects for the blue line and between the pipes. We have plenty of cap room to be able to absorb Federov’s pro-rated salary at the deadline. The cap is projected to go up next year, so I don’t think it is a given that we couldn’t afford to keep him around next year. How about Vishnevski/XLB/DeVries (take your pick) and Michael Garnett for Federov?

By Russian

January 18, 2007 05:04 PM | Link to this

To Geoffrey Paul It will be great deal. But I do not think that Columbus let Fedorov go. He is playing with young forwards: Nash and Zherdev and they learn a lot from him. But I am telling you, if this deal possible, our GM needs to take it.

By michael

January 18, 2007 05:21 PM | Link to this

Interesting about Burke being put on waivers and claimed. Hockeybuzz.com has Eklund with a trade rumor that Tampa wants Khabibulin back, and that Richards would be the perfect fit for Havlat. I dont think Wadell is going to trade prospects or draft picks, they are our future. Like I said in a post on the last blog teams are very tight in the standings and want nhl player for player trades. This is according to Wadell from the town hall meeting before the Kings game. If anything goes down it will be right around the deadline.

By Geoffrey Paul

January 18, 2007 05:32 PM | Link to this

Of course, we could always just resign ourselves to this year being a learning experience to get our youngins used to what it takes in the playoffs, and plan on going for broke next year.

By Tony C.

January 18, 2007 06:25 PM | Link to this

Federov would be cool, but there is no chance we’d take him @ $6M/yr or that Columbus would trade the Veteran Russian just when their Young Russian (Zherdev) Has finally decided to play…

Big game tonight…vs. a playoff team-we need to handle them-and get 2 points.

LET’S GO BLUE !!!

By russian

January 18, 2007 08:50 PM | Link to this

What is that???? Shoot a puck from your zone to Montreal zone and made F* delay game. I never seen something like that. Hnidy, freaking Monster. Idiot!

By Bob

January 18, 2007 08:56 PM | Link to this

What the heck was Hnidy thinking? That just broke their backs, but they were playing like crap anyway.

Tonight, you got Hossa, Kovy, Kozlov, Holik and then a bunch of guys playing like absolute crap, don’t know that I fault Lehtonen much tonight.

I’d like to see them at least play a better period in the 3rd.

By russian

January 18, 2007 09:48 PM | Link to this

I could not say that they play bad. First and Trird periods were very powerfull. Montreal goaltender was perfect. Of cause two goals on PP that reason why we lost a game. I think Corbun will take a sit for next game.

By Midfield

January 18, 2007 09:52 PM | Link to this

I tell you: right up to this game I thought this team is in the play-offs. I am taking it back now. It is a toss. A play-off team can ill-afford this many morons on the team. JP - I thought his occasional slips are ok, as long as he works his a* off on a forecheck. Senior citizen Devo hangs in by the tip of his teeth falling back on his experience. Coburn - he’s young enough to learn the ropes as he goes. But Hnidy’s s** is that proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back. This is about the same quality game they played against LA. Only LA is a mediocre team with no goaltending. Tonight you had a better team with a decent goaltending, and Atlanta folds on itself - like a bunch of retarded armatures. I thought I was going to throw up. Wait, I still am. Where’s the restroom?

By thrashersfan

January 18, 2007 10:35 PM | Link to this

Bottom-line, the Habs out played the Thrashers. Yes, mistakes were made, but you have to give credit to Montreal. Huet was “phenominal”, and he had plenty of help from the D. I’d say we had at least 10 shots partially blocked and plenty of passes too.

Our offense had a “plethora” of chances too, but not scoring on the 5-3 was unacceptable. Isn’t that “always” unacceptable!

Sure hope we can go into the break on a winning note this weekend.

By Brendan

January 18, 2007 10:52 PM | Link to this

I thought Atlanta had a lot of good chances in the 1st period. Huet stood on his head. Holik finally broke through in the waning moments of the 1st period. I thought that might have turned the game for the Thrashers. But Huet was just as solid the rest of the way. The 5-on-3 did the Thrashers in. Montreal hadn’t scored in two games coming into tonight’s action, so you knew they’d be due, statistically, for about 3-4. They got it. I’m sure Hnidy feels terrible about that play (delay of game penalty). Habs PPG’s looked decent though. Like Bob said, I don’t blame Lehtonen. Coburn was trapped behind the net on the third Habs goal. He’s got to take that guy.

Well, with one game left, does Hartley give the Moose a start vs. the Rangers? Or since there’s a nice break coming up, does he play Lehtonen again? Lethonen is scheduled to play in the “young stars” game. I think Kari’s played the last six or so games. Might be nice to give Moose the start. Kari had better not friggin’ get hurt in that “young stars” game. Last year at this time, Lehtonen did not go play in the Olympics to heal his groin.

By Bob

January 18, 2007 11:11 PM | Link to this

Coburn just looked awful on that one goal. Just awful.

I think Huet played solid, but most of those shots were weak. They created no traffic in front of him all night, no one was on the rebounds. Just a lousy effort.

By Tony C.

January 19, 2007 01:53 AM | Link to this

other than Cap’n Rat…who d we have that goes to the net? Sim? sometimes…Huet played a pretty good game, he’s the type of guy who thrives on work…that and his D just pushed our guys around…whic seems to be the book on our guys.

shut down Hoss, and just slam everyone else out of the crease….

ugh. what a crap game.

NYR on nat’l TV…gotta win it

LET’S GO BLUE !!!

By Tony C.

January 19, 2007 04:56 AM | Link to this

thought yall might enjoy a laugh

By Lew39

January 19, 2007 05:26 AM | Link to this

So, we found yet another way of taking a solid offensive effort against a hot goalie and giving it all away on two dumb,undisciplined, stupid mistakes.

There is X going along the backboards with his man. The positioning I saw didn’t indicate to me that Montreal was in any way going to shoot. So what does X do, he grabs the guy on a penalty Stevie Wonder could see. Was X tired? Had he been on the ice for 2:00+ minutes? Why take a LAZY, STUPID penalty like that against a team that has one of the best offensive penalty usits in the league when you play for the team with one of the worse penalty killing units in the league.

Then to make matters worse, Hnidy decides to have a brain flatuation or he was day dreaming about being the next field goal kicker for the Falcons, and puts one over the net on the opposite side of the rink. He then has the nerve to skate past the referee as he is going to the box and asks “was that a penalty?”. You should have seen Hartley’s expression when the TV camera panned on him. Even the announcers were beside themselves

Well the game is over and on to NY. This is a good team, all good teams make mistakes. But there was no excuse for the two that literally cost us the game last night.

By Sara

January 19, 2007 07:23 AM | Link to this

Tony C., that was awesome … it’ll have me chuckling all day.

As for the Thrashers … they haven’t looked good in a while frankly. The passion is gone, the chemistry is gone … the first half of the season it was all about energy and synergy. Everything clicked. Now everything stinks. I mean, you’d at least think our PK would be good since we get so much practice at it, but even it isn’t going so hot.

The time has come for all of our “veteran leaders” to step up and take charge of this situation and get this team back on the same page. Otherwise, this team’ll be lucky to hang on to any playoff spot.

By Bill

January 19, 2007 08:06 AM | Link to this

Frustrating defeat. Though the #’s will show the Huet was outstanding - he was fighting the puck for much of the first 2 periods. Only in the 3rd did he really settle in. The Thrashers just couldn’t find the net on the rebounds to make him pay.

They got 2 on their 5 on 3, we got none. Tough to bounce back from that.

Sim was in the middle of things all night, I’m sure BH appreciated the effort even if it didn’t result in any points.

Chalk that one up to one of the 10 or so duds that are guaranteed to come with playing 82 games a season.

By B. Thenet

January 19, 2007 08:27 AM | Link to this

Can someone explain why Jim Slater is still allowed to be on the ice with our talented players?

The passing was abysmal last night, it was as if the Thrashers thought they would be able to make their passes magically pass through the Canadiens players in the passing lane.

By Bob

January 19, 2007 09:15 AM | Link to this

Bill, i had the same thought. When you play 82 games, which is too many in the NHL, you get duds. I feel sorry for the fans that bought full season tix packages, drive through awful Atlanta traffic to make a 7pm start, and get treated to that display.

I agree about Slater. He is useless. If he’s not falling down, he’s whiffing on a puck or mis-stick handling it.

I also agree with Sara. The Thrashers have not looked good in a while and the trend has gone on too long to not be concerned. A couple of trades need to be made to shake things up. We have some pretty serious weak links that Hossa, Kozlov, and Lehtonen’s play glossed over for us during the early game.

Rucchin, Kapanen, and Slater are all completely worthless. We have to get a center in here to play with Kovy and Coach has to let Metropolit center the other top line. Holik does a great job on his line. Rucchin can go down and center the 4th line. Kapanen and Slater can get sent down or sit in the penalty box.

Hnidy’s play has run out of steam. Coburn is not ready yet. Those two problems should be solved when Sutton and McCarthy are back. But it still would be nice to get a defenseman.

But this club would be much improved if we can just get a solid offensive center in here.

By Hip Czech

January 19, 2007 09:33 AM | Link to this

Bob, I disagree with this assessment: “Rucchin can go down and center the 4th line. Kapanen and Slater can get sent down or sit in the penalty box.”

Ruccin is the one who should get sent packing. He is poetry in motion, slow motion, real slow motion. How in the world that guy plays on an NHL team I will never know.

He is not only slow, but has no desire at all. The illusion that he is loafing is not because he is such a fluid skater.

Gimme a break…get a center in here!

By Thrasher_Ed

January 19, 2007 09:48 AM | Link to this

Tony C. That link to the Waddell thing was awesome. Laughed my butt off. Sad to say, but it seems to be a real possibility that Don W. will wait too long to make a move to actually help this team. Our 5 on 3 is wasted because these morons pass the puck too much instead of shooting it and pounding the freakin net area. Just SHOT the darned PUCK! I know I am a fairly new Hockey fan(really just last 5-6 years since Thrashers came to town)but darn it’s bad when fans seem to grasp what needs to change more than some of our players and coaches. We limit the penalties to 4 and they still cost us the game. Stupid mistakes like Exelby’s and Hnidy’s last night kill you in the new NHL! When does Andy Sutton get back? Hurry back McCarthy we need some options for Hartley. Maybe a few more healthy scratches for mistakes, might wake up some players! Gotta take down the Rangers on Saturday, Go Thrashers!!!

By Bob

January 19, 2007 10:33 AM | Link to this

Hip Czech, I have 0 love for Rucchin. He is beyond worthless and I said that the day Waddell signed him. Old, slow, injury prone. Some numbnut kid, Nathan, argued with me all summer on these blogs telling me I was wrong about Rucchin. I told him to just watch and see, but the kid never come back to post.

I guess I’m picking the least of 3 evils between Rucchin, Kapanen, and Slater. Mabye Slater’s speed makes him for usefull on the 4th line?

Whatever, this club is destined for 1st round and out unless Waddell makes a serious move for a center.

By Hip Czech

January 19, 2007 10:47 AM | Link to this

I keep wanting Slater to score, I really do…the guy goes a million miles per hour but just cannot get the puck in the net. Keep him on the Mellanby and Sim line.

I still wouldn’t mind seeing Kozlov go back to center. That might free up some space for him to create.

In a perfect world:

Hossa-Kozzy-Sim Kovalchuk-center to be obtained-Metro Larsen-Holik-Vigier Mellanby-Slater-hmmm out of ideas here, maybe Kapanen at center and Slater on the wing or give Haydar a shot.

By drew

January 19, 2007 11:49 AM | Link to this

tell me how can nashville can acquire kariya and arnott in successive off seasons? and look what we bring in. and where are the players we have drafted, developed and are now nhl ready? just thought i’d ask.

By Bob

January 19, 2007 12:10 PM | Link to this

Waddell’s 5 year plan was to “build through the draft”. A bunch of naive fans bought into it. Waddell built such a crappy team the first few years that he had the worst record in the league and got some #1 and #2 overall picks that netted us Heatley (who turned into Hossa), Kovalchuk, and Lehtonen. Beyond that, Waddell can’t draft worth crap, and we’re watching the results. Who’s the only other two guys on the team he drafted? Exelby and Slater? See the problem here? I guess Coburn too but he’s obviously nowhere near ready, while Phaneuf, who Waddell passed over to draft Coburn, tears it up for Calgary.

Obviously the build through the draft 5 year plan didn’t work. Luckily we got new owners willing to spend some cash and that freed up Waddell to go out and sign all of these guys.

I still contend we’d be much better off with a different GM, I was really hoping that wouldn’ve canned Waddell a while ago and made a run at Brian Burke when he became available. But, oh well. There’s a lot of UFA’s and RFA’s on this club who’s contracts are up at the end of this year. A good GM could really rebuild it around Hossa, Kovy, and Lehtonen, don’t know that Waddell is up to that task, but I’d love him to finally get it right one offseason.

Replacing Savard with Rucchin was ludicrous. A bunch of the same naive fans bought into bs about Savard not being worth it and hurting us with penalties. Sure he did. Watched some of the Bruins game again last night, Savard just killing his team putting up 3 points again in a win. We have Rucchin.

By Hip Czech

January 19, 2007 12:28 PM | Link to this

All because DW would not talk contract with Savard during last season, right?

What kind of policy is that? Except it meant that rather than possibly signing Savard at a workable number, he’s allowed to test FA and get a huge contract.

If Waddell negotiated during the beginning or middle of last year, maybe we can sign Savard for 3.5 Mil/year or something. That would have made Rucchin and even Metropolit unnecessary signings.

What would have been the final salary hit difference? Who knows, all because of the refusal to negotiate. Brutal…

Then there is the Kunitz situation.

By Midfield

January 19, 2007 01:36 PM | Link to this

Yeah. Yeah. Same people were crying for Sutton’s head - until he got hurt. Enough already with the Savard knee-jerking. He’s been with the team and he did not do much for the team in the crunch time last year, except for putting some impressive time in the box, of course. Atlanta is not hurt by the lack of passing. It’s hurt by same reckless penalty taking and lack of action in front of net - with the rare exception. Savard is no answer to this predicament.

By Hip Czech

January 19, 2007 02:19 PM | Link to this

Savard would definitely be an improvement over Rucchin, you have to agree on that!

My point was not so much signing/not signing Savard, but the policy of refusing to negotiate. Let’s hope we don’t lose other players strictly because of that.

Granted, Savard is water under the bridge. We need a center in here before the trade deadline.

By Midfield

January 19, 2007 02:31 PM | Link to this

I believe, GM leaked out that there is a player they are looking at, yet there’s no word on who that player is.

By Bob

January 19, 2007 02:35 PM | Link to this

Savard is water under the bridge, but to still pooh pooh him after what he’s doing this year in Boston is just silly.

By Midfield

January 19, 2007 05:46 PM | Link to this

What is just silly is to keep drooling over Savard every time we lose a game, which is what goes on here month in, month out.

By Bob

January 19, 2007 05:59 PM | Link to this

this is also true

By Brendan

January 19, 2007 06:31 PM | Link to this

I urged. I nudged. I begged. Savard should have been offered a 5-year deal in November of 2005. Perhaps, and this is “wishful thinking,” 5-years/$20 million could have been reached in the 3rd week of November. That’s just speculation, of course. Savard could have been thinking, “I want to see what the market determines my value to be” this Summer, anyway. We’ll never know what Savard might have thought, or been willing to accept, contract-wise. But I’ve never thought Savard was worth $5 million. I’m glad he’s having success in Boston. He’s a good player. But I fear that GM’s will be offering contracts based solely on point-production, rather than the “overall package” that the player brings. It is a “mistake” to do so, in my opinion. Defense is part of hockey, too.

It might come down to the final game of the season, the Bruins are trailing by one goal, with 2:15 left on the clock. The other team can successfully target Savard to romance into a stupid penalty, and potentially blow Boston’s season. He’s like that. For most part, I liked Savard. When the team needed a spark, he ignited it. He has excellent instincts. Offensively, what’s not to like about Savard, in general? You can cite his 2G and 3A for 5-points at “even strength” on the road last season, however. The Thrashers, of course, would benefit from Savard’s presence. But there are better ways of spending $5 million. You can get two $2.5 million guys. You can get a $3 million center and $2 million defenseman. You could get three very capable blueliners for $5 million. Do you see what I’m getting at? I don’t think Waddell is blameless. He should have at least TRIED to re-sign Savard during the season. If he failed, and Savard’s price tag went above Atlanta’s cap, then that’s the way it goes. But then, he also could have tried to move Savard at the trade deadline so that Atlanta got at least “something” for his loss. Instead of nothing. Which is what happened. Then again, without Savard, would the Thrashers have come as close as they did (2-points away) to making the playoffs? That’s a tough call. But I think, probably not. So, Waddell gambled, and lost, that hanging on to Savard would at least get his team into the playoffs. That’s how I see it. That was then. This is now. And Waddell can find a center. It’s not too late.