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Monday, September 10, 2007
Live game blog: Thrashers vs. Lightning
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Traverse City — Here we are for tonight my final game of the NHL Prospects Tournament. The Thrashers will play one more game on Tuesday, the opponent depends on the records of all the teams. But I fly out of Flint in the morning to get ready for the big training camp, so this is it for me and the live blogs. Tonight, it’s division rival Tampa Bay. Three things to watch:
1. Ondrej Pavelec is back in goal, will he impress the folks from Chicago?
2. Can Bryan Little keep up his goal-scoring pace (three goals in the first two games)?
3. Who will emerge as another scorer (Chad Painchaud perhaps) besides Little?
Alright, more after the first intermission…
EDIT: 7:13 p.m.: Thrashers 2, Lightning 2 (first intermission) - The Thrashers jumped out to a fast start, taking an early 2-0 lead. Riley Holzapfel started things off, converting a Chad Denny pass. Holzapfel has had a solid tournament, but that was his first goal of the tourney. He had a great assist in the first game against the Red Wings, although the official boxscore gave it to Enstrom. Spencer Machacek scored the second goal, from nearly the identical spot in front of the net that he scored against the Red Wings. Right now Machacek joins Little as the only Thrashers player with more than one goal.
EDIT 7:54 PM — Lightning 4, Thrashers 3 (second intermission) - Rough one for the Thrashers. Lightning get a pair of goals just a few seconds apart to erase a 3-2 Thrashers lead in the period. The Thrashers goal came when Mike Hamilton knocked in a rebound on a Tobias Enstrom one-timer. Here’s what I like about Enstrom on the power play — his shot from the point isn’t overwhelming, but it’s always on net. For those who watched Kovalchuk’s one-timer sail over the net too often on the Thrashers power play, you realize the importance of getting an accurate shot from the point, and getting those second chances. Hamilton, who now has two goals in the tournament, was a Thrashers draft pick in ‘03 but wasn’t signed and is a free agent.
EDIT 9:02 PM — Thrashers 6, Lightning 4 (final) — Thrashers pick up their second win of the tournament, battling back to beat the Lightning. Machacek briefly tied Bryan Little for the team lead with three goals, knocking down a puck in mid-air with his glove, then smacking it past the Tampa goalie. I say briefly because shortly after that Little got his fourth goal of the tournament, a one-timer on the power play. Maybe that longshot chance to make the NHL out of camp isn’t so long anymore. Little has been pretty impressive. He’s showing great hands, good skating and he’s finishing. Scott Lehman scored an empty-netter to ice it. Also, don’t be surprised to see Hamilton get an invite to Thrashers camp.
