Thrashers

By Brian

November 23, 2007 1:45 PM | Link to this

The game is sold out tonight I heard, so let’s get loud there. I am pumped to get down there and see a big victory. Kari going to Chicago is perfectly fine with me.

Craig - who is starting tomorrow? Will it be one for each (Moose & Pavs)?

By Tony C.

November 23, 2007 1:46 PM | Link to this

Heh. Glad to see that The Kid isn’t being a baby about his rehab. CC-what’s the feeling in the room? Excited to get Lehtonen back? Nonplussed? ???

By Hanson Brothers

November 23, 2007 1:49 PM | Link to this

I agree that last game against the Deviles was the low point. 5 goals was not enough, but I am going out on a limb and prdicting that if we get 5 goals tonight we will leave with a regulation win.

Craig - I assume Pavelec understands he will be sent down when Kari is ready. How does he feel about that?

Go Thrashers!

By TNT

November 23, 2007 1:55 PM | Link to this

I actually thought the 6-0 loss to a bad Buffalo team was the low point of the year. But thankfully, this is a much better team than it was in October, so tonight should be good. GO BLUE.

By TNT

November 23, 2007 1:55 PM | Link to this

I actually thought the 6-0 loss to a bad Buffalo team was the low point of the year. But thankfully, this is a much better team than it was in October, so tonight should be good. GO BLUE.

By Craig Custance

November 23, 2007 2:08 PM | Link to this

Brian — I didn’t ask about Pittsburgh. I’m assuming Pavelec will get the nod, but I can’t say for sure.

Tony C — They’ll be happy to have Kari back, but the team is very pleased with the goaltending right now, so there’s no rush to bring back Lehtonen. The biggest thing is making sure he’s ready when he returns.

Hanson — Yes, that’s what he’s assuming right now, and he’s cool with it.

TNT — Yeah, that Buffalo loss was brutal, but the New Jersey game was the one where I first realized Bob’s job was in serious trouble.

By luckydog

November 23, 2007 2:27 PM | Link to this

Craig, is there any hint whatsoever that Kari might be trade bait once he shows he’s not hurt?

I will give CoachWad his due for the team’s amazing performance of late, but there are still some puzzle pieces missing at center and on D in my view. Kari might be the best way to get one.

By Tom

November 23, 2007 2:29 PM | Link to this

Ondrej told me at practice that he is playing on Saturday.

By stendec

November 23, 2007 2:39 PM | Link to this

Hi Craig. Just a scenario. Thrashers are in excellent groove with Moose and Kid in goal. Coach puts KL in for change of pace. Results in couple of soft goals plus defeat. Momentum seems to shift. Softees contagious. Moose and Kid become less effective. Team on relentless roll becomes average again. The Thrashers are good but not even they can score six goals per outing. Too harsh? I dunno. Oh well. Stay healthy. GO BLUE GUYS!

By kracker

November 23, 2007 3:03 PM | Link to this

Time for Kari to get in there, I love Moose but he can only go so often, IMO.

ANyway, I have been voting like crazy but Kpvy and Hoss are now even farther behind in the voting, there is some serious ballot stuffing going on there. Here is a link:

Eastern totals

It’s the NHL page but it still has Drury and Briere as Sabres and has Kari as #6 goaltender, he is not even on the list and is injured so I wonder if these totals are at all accurate.

vote often for Thrashers here

By Craig Custance

November 23, 2007 3:22 PM | Link to this

kracker — those all-star numbers look like they’re from last year, unless Briere went back to Buffalo.

By Brian

November 23, 2007 4:16 PM | Link to this

kracker & Craig - I noticed that Briere in Buffalo thing too, then saw that was the vote total as of 4 Dec 06. So that doesn’t mean Kovy lost ground, just that more people voted last year than this year…

By Brendan

November 23, 2007 4:23 PM | Link to this

I think Atlanta can only play Pavelec four more times until the Thrashers lose a year off his RFA eligibility.

By kracker

November 23, 2007 4:25 PM | Link to this

Ooops, sorry, you are right Craig, now those totals ans players make sense. I will try to find a current total. You would think there would be a prominent place to click on the nhl.com page.

By Tony C.

November 23, 2007 5:28 PM | Link to this

I really hope that our guys get out to a quick start. It’s imperative to score first. Brodeur has indicated that having White back makes him more “comfortable”. Well you know what ol’ Marty does when he’s in his comfort zone-we’ve had good results against him in the past, but this Devils team is as desperate as they come with their recent losing-skid still fresh. I’d like to see us make an effort to run @ Brodeur, really get in his mug.

GO BLUE !!!

By Craig Custance

November 23, 2007 6:41 PM | Link to this

Brendan — I’ll find out for sure.

By Brendan

November 24, 2007 3:33 AM | Link to this

Thank you, Craig.

Gang, let’s not get “down” over one loss in five games, even if it was a shutout. I was really hoping that the sellout crowd would go home with a memorable win. What is it about these weekend sellouts? Even last year, the team faltered before the sellout crowds. Let’s get the Penguins tonight!

On the NHL Channel, they’re billing it as “the best players in the league collide.” Really, that’s true. Many of the NHL’s brightest stars will be on that ice when the Thrashers and Penguins meet.

I must confess, I still see Ilya Kovalchuk pointing at Crosby as he came out of the penalty box after a Thrashers Powerplay goal. Such a timeless classic.

Punkjunque, God how I hope Crosby is in the sin bin when Atlanta pops in a PPG tonight. Can you craft a prayer to include that? I’m not sure you take “requests” in your prayers, but I’d like to ask, just this “one time,” for that inclusion.

By Sam

November 24, 2007 10:50 AM | Link to this

Man, was that a moment or what? Excellent in realtime. Pretty dam* good in replay, too. Total Kovy. Get your groove on boys for Pittsburgh.

By Brendan

November 24, 2007 11:10 AM | Link to this

After 22 games last year, The Ottawa Senators’ record was 10-11-1. Point of fact, Atlanta is doing better than Ottawa at this same point last season. On November 17, 2006, Ottawa was four (4) games under .500, with a record of 7-11-1. The Ottawa Senators would not definitively climb over .500 until December 27, 2006. Which, if you think about it, is more than a month away from where the Thrashers are now in 2007.

I’m hardly suggesting that Atlanta will go on to 105-points and win the Eastern Conference in the playoffs, like the Senators did last year. But as “facts” about last year’s Conference Champions stare us plainly in the face, there is at some recent historical precedent that, indeed, it is possible to overcome “mediocre” starts and rise to tremendous success.

Is there a Senators fan here at this message board? Lurking, perhaps? Silent all these months. Well, let me ask you something, my “lurking friend.” Your team in 2006 was the #1 seed. When they got eliminated by Buffalo in the second round and began the 2006-07 season four games under .500, beeee honest, you thought it was all falling to pieces, didn’t you? Answering truthfully, would you have thought your team would win the Eastern Conference later that year?

We don’t know what will happen with our Thrashers. Hopefully, in a month, we won’t still be hovering around .500. But just think, folks. That’s exactly what happened to Conference Champions last year. And it all worked out for them. So, please let’s not throw a team 11-5-0 in its last 16 games under the bus just yet. Deal?

By puckjunque

November 24, 2007 1:56 PM | Link to this

Brandon Hard to craft in those exact words but will try for a more all encompassing approach. Remember prayers should be for good and needed things to happen, which I’m sure you will see in my post on Rawhide’s blog. (big smile) I hope the message I tried to convey is understood in Blueland and please add your Amen! GO THRASHERS!

By Big_Bill

November 24, 2007 8:11 PM | Link to this

Gee Whiz… Where has the passion gone ?

Seriously we look like we did at the start of the season all of a sudden… This game tonight is BAD…

What has happened ? Let’s hope it’s not 10-0.

By B. Thenet

November 24, 2007 10:00 PM | Link to this

Poor effort, poor goaltending.

It is a shame they were too lazy to make Fleury earn a shutout, or a win even. He has been awful this year in goal, and they did not even test him.

By Brendan

November 25, 2007 3:16 AM | Link to this

The only goal I’m truly faulting Pavelec on was the 5th one by Ryan Whitney. He got most of it, but it trickled over the line. But honestly, the game was clearly decided at that point, anyway.

Some of the guys standing (and watching) in the paint when the Penguins were scored included: Todd White, Chris Thorburn, Nic Havelid, and Mark Popovic. Granted, two of them were PP goals. But still, to quote RAWHIDE, “ungood.”

Back-to-back shutouts is cause for concern. I think we’re closing in on seven periods without a goal. It’s probably an anomaly. It is also the fourth game in six nights. The team is back under .500 now. But the good news is … there’s 59 more games to play. After an 0-6-0 start, I’d take being one-game under .500 just after Thanksgiving. I thought it would take at least until Christmas to get within sight of .500.

Waddell said they’d review these two games and make adjustments. They have to. When you’re in the bottom third of the league, teams don’t “gear up” for you. But when you’re the hottest team in the NHL at 11-4-0, suddenly you’re on all the team’s radar as to how and why you got there. So, it’s time to either better implement the game plan or tweak it a little bit.

One thing has returned from the “Hartley era,” and that’s Ilya’s “one-timers.” That’ll get predictable pretty quick, too. Let’s see what Waddell cooks up. Atlanta is ranked 30th on the penalty kill, and didn’t improve those numbers any with this 5-0 loss vs. Pittsburgh. Improving the special teams will be the quickest way to putting together another winning streak.

By Bob

November 26, 2007 9:42 AM | Link to this

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving Holiday. Didn’t see either game but it sounds like our boys had too much Thanksgiving Turkey and they wanted to stay napping in front of the couch watching the football games with the rest of us.

Sounds like Pavelec has come back to earth, or the book has come out on him. I would guess we’ll see Hedberg until Kari is ready, a year of more of seasoning in the AHL would do Pavelec some good. Can we put to rest the trade Kari talk now?

By Bob

November 26, 2007 9:44 AM | Link to this

Atlanta is ranked 30th on the penalty kill, and didn’t improve those numbers any with this 5-0 loss vs. Pittsburgh. Improving the special teams will be the quickest way to putting together another winning streak.

What? I thought that would’ve improved by now. What are we ranked on the PP? Those #’s have got to improve to have sustained success.

By ranallo10

November 26, 2007 11:12 AM | Link to this

Bob — Thanks for the Thanksgiving wishes, same to you. I agree with your thoughts on the PK, it’s disappointingly poor at the moment. The PK system hasn’t seemed to change since Hartley’s firing, which makes me think it’s more McCrimmon than Hartley who employs the passive box. There’s no movement, there’s relatively little pressure, there seems to be absolutely no marking or fighting infront of the net…it’s just sad to watch. I don’t feel it’s the personnel (well, beyond the typical complaints about the defenders), I feel it’s the system. Hopefully that’ll be tweaked.

As far as Pavelec, my opinion of him didn’t change after this game. I still think he is a solid goalie, and wouldn’t burden him with the blame of this loss. It was a poorly played game, lacked hustle in most aspects, and the team got out played. Defenders allowed offenders completely open looks, and Pavelec was hung out to dry numerous times. Brendan’s one complaint about Pavelec is the only goal he really COULD have stopped, but with a true defender (not the ‘07-‘08 version of Zhitnik) on the ice, that puck would’ve been cleared from the crease. Instead Zhitnik sat there 6 feet away from the goal and reacted too late to help the goalie (you know, his JOB).

Anyways, I hope this time off will help the team.