AJC > Sports > Thrashers > Blog > Archives > 2007 > April > 02 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USFocusing on the division
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Thrashers have to share the spotlight a little bit today as word is traveling that they’ve made the playoffs. You’ve got the National Championship tonight, the Braves opening day, The Masters - it’s a busy time. But really, clinching a playoff berth didn’t seem like a real big deal today at practice. Some, maybe most, of the players didn’t even know it was official until they saw a note written on a dry erase board in their lockerroom this morning. Even the league was a little slow in recognizing it. The official standings printed out by the team didn’t give the Thrashers the coveted X next to their name in the standings.
The truth is, this team is focused on winning the Southeast division. Carolina travels to Tampa Bay on Tuesday - if the Hurricanes beat the Lightning, the Thrashers can clinch the division at home on Wednesday against the Caps. So, as much as you guys hate the Hurricanes, it might be time to get out your Cam Ward sweaters and root on the ‘Canes. As one fan told me - every time they say the words “Go Canes” they throw up a little in their mouth. But for one night, you’ll have to suck it up and root for Carolina if you want the Thrashers to clinch against Washington.
So now, do you want to discuss who the Thrashers might play in round one?
Before we get into that, how about this? The Devils fired coach Claude Julien today in a surprise move. General manager Lou Lamoriello is moving behind the bench, according to the Canadian Press. All the Devils have done this season is set themselves up to win the No. 2 seed in the East, and have won four of their last five. I’m curious to see what the deal is here.
Practice update: The most interesting thing was chatting with Jon Sim, who had his stitches removed on Friday and has a doctor’s appointment this afternoon to get an update on when he can return. If he can somehow get back for the first round, that’s a big plus for the Thrashers. Scott Mellanby will be the first to tell you that he’s not a guy who wants to play 15 minutes a game. Ideally, you plug Mellanby in for about 8-10 minutes. Well since Pascal Dupuis was put back on the Holik line (where he’s a better fit), Mellanby has been logging serious minutes in Sim’s old spot with Tkachuk and Kovalchuk. He played 16:27 against Toronto and 14:25 against Boston. Sim has been working out for almost a week now, so maybe he’ll be able to come back sooner than Knuble was able to with a similar injury. I’ll keep you posted.
Comments
By BG33Brown
April 2, 2007 2:33 PM | Link to this
If Cap can’t handle the minutes put Slater on the wing. Didn’t he play some right wing last year and do pretty well. His speed would be great on that line.
By Ryan
April 2, 2007 2:37 PM | Link to this
Craig, nice to hear that the boys are focused on the division. Playoff birth has happened no more stress. Focus now is on the division.
On a side note Craig, any word why NJ let go of Julien? Not like they were having a poor season. Keep up the good work.
By LouIsNuts
April 2, 2007 2:40 PM | Link to this
There must be something major behind the scenes for Lou to fire Claude. This firing makes no sense, 102 pts, winners of last 4 out of 5. Or Lou’s ego needed boosting again.
By westcoastbird
April 2, 2007 2:46 PM | Link to this
nhl.com has finally put the X next to Atlanta
By Gjdevs
April 2, 2007 2:53 PM | Link to this
Trust me it has nothing too do with Ego boosting of Lou Lamorillo. And who can judge a guy who has 6 conference finals, 4 stanley cup appearances and 3 championships. It has too do that the Powerplay didn’t work, some players were not playing well, Elias, Gomez & Gionta and Lou knows for this team too succeed he needs 2 scoring lines. Why wait and still have a team having problems scoring with the same core of guys they had the year prior. Gionta had almost 50 goals last year and this year has 25, gomez 13…there is guys on this team that have not preform the way they did last year under Lou.
If the Devils had no Broduer they would be no where close to the second position with the way this offense has preformed.
By Brian
April 2, 2007 3:23 PM | Link to this
Craig - We mentioned this on your last blog that this has happened before and seems like Lou doing what Lou knows best.
By Matthew At The SLC
April 2, 2007 3:50 PM | Link to this
Craig, there are times when I wonder just how important a hockey coach really is to his team. I mean, this kind of stuff goes on all of the time. Coaches get fired for making the playoffs, but not high enough, and the team still goes on to win Cup. Coaches get fired for making the Conference or Cup Finals, but not winning, although they won the Cup already (see Colorado; Bob Hartley), and then the team goes on to win without him.
So sometimes I wonder if, much like baseball, a hockey coach can only get in the way of a talented team and keep it from winning (see Bobby Cox) as opposed to actually help a less talented team win or mold a talented team into a juggernaut (like in football and basketball).
Then I remember Curt Frasier, not the greatest coach. A coach who was saddled with some really bad teams by a (even still) maddeningly inconsistat GM, but also did nothing to make those teams even marginally better, even after the inconsistant GM drafted Benedict Arnold and Ilya Kovalchuk.
Hockey coaches are a weird animal. They’re either essential, like Scotty Bowman, Jacques Lamaire, or Mike Keenan (no way the Rangers win in 1994 without the combination of him and the Hockey Jesus, er, Messiah, I mean Messier), to capitalizing on a team’s talent, or they are largely forgettable, like the guy who won with Dallas, or the other guy who won with Colorado.
Such a weird dichotomy for what is usually an important position.
By kracker
April 2, 2007 3:58 PM | Link to this
Gjdevs - Wasn’t last year Gionta’s contract year?
Coaches can only do so much, so if the scoring is down due to losing a player or two, even though the main guys are still there, that could be on the GM as much as on the coach.
By Thrashersfan33
April 2, 2007 4:05 PM | Link to this
Tomorrow will be the first night I ever root for the Canes. Go Canes! Also, I don’t think Slates fits as well as others may on the Two-Buck-line. I think the Chuks need someone who will be in the right position and be in control at all times, something Slates doesn’t do all that great. I know this sounds crazy, but I would actually like to see Krog brought up to help out and McKenzie sent back down. (BTW, Would Krog be eligible for the playoffs if he was brought up?)
By Bob
April 2, 2007 4:16 PM | Link to this
Great to hear that the guys are focused on what’s important, winning the division.
Wonder if we’ll hear what the story is behind Julien’s firing, trouble with some players? Tell Lou off?
By Brian
April 2, 2007 4:26 PM | Link to this
Thrashersfan33 - I think Craig said that there is no intention to play McKenzie, he is just up to have an extra guy in practice as other players are taking more days off to rest up for the 2nd season.
With that said, keep Krog in Chicago where he can serve as a good linemate to help a prospect develop.
By Craig Custance
April 2, 2007 4:29 PM | Link to this
Ryan — I wish I had some insight as to why Julien was fired, but if we’re being honest here, I was as surprised as anybody when I heard the news.
By Brendan
April 2, 2007 4:31 PM | Link to this
Lou must see something wrong to have made a move like this. I mean, it’s not like he can’t evaluate the roster from the executive suite. Shoot, Lou probably already knows who he’s keeping this Summer and who he is gonna let walk.
Lou must feel like an early exit is looming. Or, maybe, he’s mad that the Devils didn’t close the gap with the Sabres to be the #1 seed? Believe it or not, it was within the Devils’ reach. I wouldn’t have put money on it. But hey, I’m not a gambler. Lou must think this Devils’ team is under-performing.
Last year, the Devils were 17-points out of first place in the Atlantic Division and won it on the final day of the regular season. They never led the division they won. And that’s something of an anomaly. They swept the Rangers and then lost to Carolina. Well, at least they lost to the eventual Cup winner. How bad can Lou really feel about that??
Hopefully, we’ll here Claude Julien’s side of the story.
By Christy
April 2, 2007 4:38 PM | Link to this
Lou L was just on with Mike and Mad Dog on wfan in New York. Fairly pointless interview by two guys who don’t really follow hockey. Essentially the answer to everything was “I have information you don’t have, and if you knew what I know then you would understand. But it’s not personal, Claude is a class act and will remain with the organization.” I’m still trying to understand what I heard… Not even DW can be accused of that level of obscurity and if I was a Devil’s fan I’d want to know, if it was not personal or illegal, WHY my team’s coach was fired.
By Zanarkand
April 2, 2007 4:40 PM | Link to this
It’s about time they added our “X” in the standings! And why isn’t ATLANTA’S FIRST BERTH EVER not all over the front pages of NHL.com and AJC.com?!
By Tony C.
April 2, 2007 4:52 PM | Link to this
Last time The Best GM In Professional North American Sports (yes he is, by any measure-just ask The Prudential about the naming-rights contract for the new Newark arena) fired his coach a week before the playoffs, he had Hall of Famer Larry Robinson poised to fill the void immediately…he doesn’t have that this time-this strikes me as kind of weird because if you look at the job Julien did working with a depleted roster for about 1/3 of the season, you would think that would warrant an extension at most, or a public “‘atta boy!” at least. But if there is one thing you can realibly say about Lou’s style and tenure, it is that he will do things against conventional wisdom, and much more often than not, he is right. Now there is certainly a case to be made that if The Last Stand-Up Goalie (yeah it’s official title day, be thankful I haven’t figured out how to do the “tm” sign on here yet) wasn’t having perhaps his best season to date, then NJD would not be in the lead of the Atlantic Division.
However look beyond that, Elias was out for something like 40 games or more, their next most realiable scorer Gionta, also spent time on the IR list…Zajac and Paraise(spl?) have been much better than expected, so how much of that is natural maturation of talent and how much of that is inspirational coaching?
I suspect there were/are extraneous issues at work here, off-ice or philosophical clashes…We all know it’s Marty’s team-maybe Julien didn’t get the memo? Who knows? Still, it’s tough to bet against Lamareillo(spl?) no matter how off-the-wall he seems to be at the moment.
But let’s get back to the really cool hockey club in the East-your own Atlanta Thrashers! One thing I love about Captain Mellanby is the honesty he presents to the public. How many people do you know that not only admit to their weaknesses/deficiencies, but in fact point them out? You may say it’s excuse-making, but the comments CC noted above seem to me to be the candid assesment of the Captain of a team acknowledging that the current “replacement” winger is not as comfortable in their new assingment as one would hope. Notice he wasn’t complaining about the role (maybe he was, it’s not a direct quote), just about his ability to execute. I like to see that sort of accountability, it’s especially nice to see it in professional sports, where so many times accountability is the last attribute you can honestly ascribe to someone (be they management, operations, players or otherwise).
I personally think that Coach is looking to re-kindle some chemistry from Cap’n Rat’s play with #17 last year, as well as his relationship with Walt. However, if he is already questioning his ability to execute, maybe we should explore some other options before the playoffs begin.
Just fr the record, I cannot say “Go Ca…” ugh anyway, no I won’t cheer them on, but I do wish them well, and hope they help Le Thrash out.
LET’S GO BLUE !!!
By Russian
April 2, 2007 4:54 PM | Link to this
It was shocking News about NJ. But I think we need to concentrate on our team and our problems. I hope Sim will be back soon, because Scotty Captane is going to die next time if he will run 14-15 minutes on game. I think Kari needs to start with Washington and if we win that game, give a rest for two next games. We have a big chanse to get 3 spot on Eastern Conference. We will see that happend tomorrow and after tomorrow. :-)
By Brendan
April 2, 2007 4:59 PM | Link to this
That’s a good point, Christy.
I shouldn’t speculate. (But you’re going to anyway, aren’t you, Brendan? Yep.) But there are all kinds of league rules about behavior. Perhaps some of these were violated?
Last year, there was a probe into gambling by Rick Tocchet and Janet Gretzky. Then there were rumblings of steroid distribution, potentially reaching the NHL. None of it substantiated, as far as I know.
There are also certain and various ethical standards to which the league expects its managers to adhere. I can’t imagine what Claude Julien might have done. I won’t speculate on that.
By Brendan
April 2, 2007 5:16 PM | Link to this
Folks, Islanders owner Charles Wang fired Neil Smith, after only 41 days, because someone improperly hired an equipment manager. Apparently, there was some debate over whose jurisdiction such a hire falls, the coach’s or the GM’s. Or maybe even the owner’s.
Neil Smith apparently felt that “personnel decisions” fell within the scope of the GM position. Charles Wang felt that Neil Smith couldn’t operate within the scheme of his management plan. Namely, that all decisions are made “by committee.” Translation: Wang told someone (possibly Ted Nolan) he could hire the equipment manager.
Well shoot, folks. If a team implodes over the hiring or non-hiring of an equipment manager …. Actually, I invite you to finish the “then” clause. Consider it an exercise in “creativity.”
Hmmn, how far away is New Jersey from Long Island? Maybe it’s in the water?? And the contamination has reached the tri-county area.
By Brian
April 2, 2007 5:18 PM | Link to this
In other news of hockey hirings & firings, Brendan has officially made an offer to Tony C. to join his blog staff…
By Brendan
April 2, 2007 5:29 PM | Link to this
Tony C. would be a fine hire. Unless Charles Wang disagrees, then fires me.
By Brian
April 2, 2007 5:31 PM | Link to this
Brendan - as an original Nolan supporter from Buffalo, I have since learned that Teddy is synonymous with GM trouble. If you look at the facts since then you will see that there are too many myths supporting Teddy…
By Ryan
April 2, 2007 5:33 PM | Link to this
We got off track here, the news out of NJ was crazy, however the Thrash are in and time to focus on the good news. I hope the Thrash can make the transition well. I love this time of year…….playoff hockey Go Thrash!
By Tom
April 2, 2007 5:56 PM | Link to this
“Stan the Man” Fishlers comments on Claude’s abrupt departure. Very much the company line…
http://blogs.msg.com/themaven/2007/04/proactivelou.html
By Matt H
April 2, 2007 5:59 PM | Link to this
Just bizarre about New Jersey.
I echo Bob’s sentiments in that I’m happy the team is more concerned with winning the Division than merely making the playoffs. As it should be.
I’m not surprised Atlanta isn’t turning cars over on Peachtree at the news of the playoffs. As a non-native Georgian, I have to say that the most excited I’ve seen most people around here get is around college football, or the opening of a new Chik-Fil-A or Ikea; all of which still kind of boggle my mind, ;). Here in Athens, there were 4 spotlights at a new Zaxby’s which packed the parking lot to bursting for a full week. Spotlights.
But I digress.
Bear in mind that this news would be presented in a more dramatic fashion if the Thrashers had clinched this berth with an exciting, televised win.
Also, expect a bigger response the second time around, after a number of new fans have caught both hockey and playoff fever. In order to win those fans, the Thrash seem to be taking the right course and concentrating on the SE Div. win.
Mats Sundin can shove it.
By Tom
April 2, 2007 6:19 PM | Link to this
I was here when the Braves went to the World Series the first time (91) and we closed the streets of Buckhead with the celebration.
If we win the Stanley Cup I will be out in the street probably to be run over by some drunk. But I will be out in the streets.
By Tony C.
April 2, 2007 9:29 PM | Link to this
Brian nice to see the brevity patrol is still in order, but good looking out, I didn’t realize how long that one was ‘til I read it…BTW anybody else watching the Stars-Blues game? Metro just had a real nice goal short-side, top shelf on Turco. He looks good at winger-I hope we bring him back this summer-I like his game.
LET’S GO BLUE !!!
Maybe Marty really wants Parents’ record?
By Brian
April 2, 2007 9:56 PM | Link to this
Tony C. - sorry but I just couldn’t pass up a wise @ss remark like that, I had to take it. Besides, I think it was more of a jab at Brendan than you if you think about it. We’ll just blame it on the playoff excitement…
By Brendan
April 2, 2007 11:13 PM | Link to this
Matt H., thanks for the link to the Scott Burnside article. It was a good read, as Burnside always is.
By Hanson Brothers
April 2, 2007 11:24 PM | Link to this
CC: Let us know if you get word that McCarthy is playing Wednesday. If he does not play in one of these last 3 games, then something is up that BH is not telling us about.
By ATLhockey
April 3, 2007 12:22 AM | Link to this
LET’S GO THRASHERS!!! LET’S GOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ALL THE WAY BABY!!
By David
April 3, 2007 2:41 AM | Link to this
Was hoping somebody could shed some light on the Rucchin situation? I haven’t heard any news in quite some time.
By wristshot
April 3, 2007 8:54 AM | Link to this
Waddell mentioned on 680 The Fan yesterday that there is still no improvement in Rucchin. He said Sim is getting used to a face cage but Rucchin hasn’t gotten any better.
By N2Hockey
April 3, 2007 9:58 AM | Link to this
hey craig custance, i just found out, im your neighbor! Hope Sim comes back for the first round…we need hiM!
By Ryan
April 3, 2007 9:59 AM | Link to this
Anyone live in Athens besides me, I found out that Charter Cable is dropping Versus from the channel lineup. Need to know if there is a place in town that will have the playoffs on…….Please help! I cannot believe this.
By Matt H
April 3, 2007 10:01 AM | Link to this
Sure thing, Brendan…
I wanna see Simmer back ASAP. Grit for traction.
It would be tough to play his game without risking further injury though…
By Sean
April 3, 2007 10:11 AM | Link to this
How exciting playoff hockey returns to Atlanta for the first time since the Atlanta Knights were here.
By Craig Custance
April 3, 2007 10:25 AM | Link to this
Hanson — I’ll find out today.
I’m at practice right now, and Jon Sim is practicing with his cage on. Doctor’s appointment must have gone well yesterday. I’ll get you guys an update after practice.
By Matt H
April 3, 2007 10:27 AM | Link to this
Ryan, I live in Athens too. And as far as I know this is not a done deal.
Click on this link to call, write and complain. Tell them you want Versus or will cancel your Charter Services.
When I talked to Charter yesterday, their take on it was that they are in normal re-upping negotiations with Comcast (the rival cable company that owns Versus) and that Comcast is using this as a strongarm tactic to raise the price of the new contract.
The Charter Rep also said that this should be resolved in the next couple of days.
That could be true, or it could be a false story to cover Charter’s a*. Whatever the case, again, the fans are getting screwed due to s** politics. First it was NHL vs. NHLPA, now it’s Charter vs. Comcast.
By Matt H
April 3, 2007 10:29 AM | Link to this
Also, your best bet to find someplace to watch hockey is a bar with a lot of TV’s. That new wing joint at 5 points has individual tv’s at each booth, and they give you the remote to watch what you want.
Despite having a club team at UGA, Athens has always seemed to me to be an unsympathetic town for hockey fans.
By Craig Custance
April 3, 2007 10:32 AM | Link to this
N2Hockey — Glad to see the neighborhood represented on here. You’ll have to excuse my lawn, it’s been a busy spring so far.
By gretschdrum
April 3, 2007 10:34 AM | Link to this
RYAN - The Versus/Charter debacle is yete another slap in the face to hockey fans. A LOT of the Atlanta area depends on them so I’m very curious to find out how the Thrashers will be televised during the playoffs.
CRAIG - Can you help us with info regarding the playoff television schedule? The NHL and the Thrashers should do something with a local broadcast channel if this Versus situation implodes. I know for a fact that the Falcons televised regular season games on local channels when they were broadcast on the NFL network.
By Brian
April 3, 2007 10:36 AM | Link to this
Ryan - Matt H & Kracker brought that up on the last blog in regards to Charter in Athens…
By Brickhouse
April 3, 2007 10:38 AM | Link to this
Ryan - I’m in Athens but on satellite, so don’t have to worry about Charter. I do not think they have had many Thrashers games on yet (mainly due to basketball) but one place you could try is WOW in Five Points. They have televisions on cable and on satellite and often get many of the sports packages.
By Ryan
April 3, 2007 10:45 AM | Link to this
Matt H, thanks for the tips. I also know that the owner of Kingpins is from south of Buffalo, NY and is a huge Sabres fan. Earlier this season he had some of the Thrashers come in for a “fan Day” He might have something going.
By Brian
April 3, 2007 10:48 AM | Link to this
gretschdrum - I can’t imagine a playoff game not being covered in any city unless it’s the NFL and their sellout rules. Every Buffalo Sabres & Toronto Maple Leafs playoff game in my lifetime was on local television, I can’t think of a Braves playoff game not being on since I moved down here (although I am not a baseball guy) so the Thrashers should be no different.
As for Versus, they have a contract and paid big money to get those rights. That is part of their leverage for negotiating with cable companies. Any Turner employee in this city will tell you that ~1/2 their tv revenue comes from ads, the other half from subcription revenue. If Versus can be trumped that easily, why pay that $$ to get the broadcast rights? It’s your cable company’s fault for dropping the channel. If they are garbage and will do that, get a dish and let them lose a customer, that’s the best way to send a message. Hit them where it hurts, right in the wallet…
By bigdawg
April 3, 2007 10:56 AM | Link to this
ESPN is still refusing to put the “x” up…
By rj
April 3, 2007 11:06 AM | Link to this
How important is tonite’s TBL/Car game??? I think it is huge. Carolina is still the team I fear the worst [ for some unknown reason ]. If Fla had held onto their lead and beat Car then there would be a good chance that Car would not make the playoffs. Now they have a much better chance.
With their grit and dirty play I would not want to have to face them in a playoff series. There were so many roughing penalties [ both teams ] not called in the Fla/Car game that it was not funny. Punches to the back of the head, elbows to the jaw, high sticks, etc. Welcome to the playoffs.
By Brendan
April 3, 2007 11:07 AM | Link to this
Bigdawg, … ESPN … slight Atlanta?? I’m shocked. Shocked and appalled. (Sarcasm, as they USUALLY do this to us.) Just more fuel to the fire if we draw their precious NY Rangers in the 1st round. And hopefully the Braves will at least PREVENT the Mets from winning the NL East this year.
By Matt H
April 3, 2007 11:28 AM | Link to this
Ryan Huh, didn’t know that. Thanks for the info. I’m still writing Charter emails like crazy telling them not to drop Versus.
The thought of going with satellite makes me queasy. I don’t like contracts and we don’t have a phone line (which I think you need to have the dish, right?).
If Charter ends up dropping VS, I’ll probably just drop their TV service (where else can I go for internet besides AT&T-monopolistic bastards) and put that money towards hockey equipment and skating lessons in Duluth.
I’m so f*** sick of this s**.
By Ryan
April 3, 2007 11:53 AM | Link to this
Matt H, I agree with the dish, not a big fan. Friends of mine are always having problem with their dish and their internet connection. I’ve taken the link you provided and submitted e-mails, maybe it will work. I’m not getting my hopes up.
By rj
April 3, 2007 12:09 PM | Link to this
Matt I have Dish Network and while there are some aggravations overall I am happy with the service. The poor reception during rain storms sucks but nothing is perfect. You don’t have to hook it up to a phone line for normal services.
An excellent investment in my enjoyment of life [ :) ] was NHL Center Ice. I have watched hockey every night I have been home since the season started. Usually multiple games a night. $150ish might seem high but if you divide it up by the number of days in the season or by the number of games televised then it doesn’t seem like much at all.
rj
By rj
April 3, 2007 12:09 PM | Link to this
Matt I have Dish Network and while there are some aggravations overall I am happy with the service. The poor reception during rain storms sucks but nothing is perfect. You don’t have to hook it up to a phone line for normal services.
An excellent investment in my enjoyment of life [ :) ] was NHL Center Ice. I have watched hockey every night I have been home since the season started. Usually multiple games a night. $150ish might seem high but if you divide it up by the number of days in the season or by the number of games televised then it doesn’t seem like much at all.
rj
By fsr
April 3, 2007 12:24 PM | Link to this
I get both Canes and Thrashers broadcasts here in SC. Re the TV for playoffs, the local FOX Sports South team (God help that pair) stayed with the team every game until the Cup finals. Then, VS/NBC took over. There was a weird moment when they were interviewing coach Laviolette after CAR won the conf. final where the announcers (they really are bad) bid him farewell and he was like “C’mon guys, it’s not over yet.” But it was for the local coverage. I pitied the Canes fans who didn’t get VS b/c they were going to miss games 1 and 2. As a hockey fan, I often wish we could get the Canadian channels like TSN, RDS and CBC down here somehow (my bro gets CBC in Maine, and it’s a good channel).
Anyway, I’m glad we got the talk off the Devs and back to the home team! GO THRASH GO!!
By Matt H
April 3, 2007 12:29 PM | Link to this
rj Thanks for the input. Yeah, whatever service I end up with next fall, I’ll be investing in Center Ice. Didn’t have digital cable until the past month or so, so it hasn’t been an option.
Sure wish they covered more of the playoffs. Then this whole thing wouldn’t be quite the issue it is…
By Brian
April 3, 2007 1:21 PM | Link to this
Sleep hasn’t been easy for Jeff Hoggan. The Bruins winger has bruises on his face, which he sustained Saturday in separate incidents — an errant puck off the stick of Mark Mowers during warmups and a fight with Atlanta forward Jim Slater. At the end of the fight, Hoggan cracked the back of his head on the ice, opening a gash that required five stitches.
—Boston Globe