AJC > Sports > Thrashers > Blog > Archives > 2007 > December > 26
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Thrashers can’t afford to coast
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I tell you what, the Thrashers don’t seem to handle success well. They absolutely coasted through the game against the Blue Jackets tonight. I know they come right back to play Florida on Thursday and I know you’re going to lose games over the course of the season, but this team can’t afford to play games like they did tonight.
It was weird, they were lifeless out there. Columbus only scored twice, but I think the post finished with at least four saves that I could count. Mix in the fact that Peca and Nash sat this one out and it could have been a lot worse than it was. I don’t know how you solve this recurring issue of showing up flat when things are going well. Bobby Holik puts it this way: At times, the Thrashers think they’re better than they are. Especially after a couple wins.
I don’t want to harp on it, and I won’t. Especially since Carroll Rogers is picking up coverage for a couple days so I can get a Ford Explorer full of presents, luggage, a wife, a kid, my brother, a labrador and a golden retriever back from Detroit to Atlanta. And most of the time, I appreciate Don Waddell’s positive nature. It seems to work with this team. He said he was going to quickly forget this game and move on. And he mentioned that he thought the team played better in the third period after a slow start. That’s fine. Me? I would have ripped the team. I would have called them out for sleepwalking in the middle of a winning streak. The Thrashers 0-6 start means they can’t afford to mail in games. But they did and I would have publicly let the team know that it isn’t acceptable. Like Niclas Havelid did and Bobby Holik did. Okay, now you can insert your “But Craig, Don is 18-12-1 as head coach, he knows what he’s doing.” That’s fine, I’m just saying.
Sounds like Kari Lehtonen will get the start again against Florida, although Don said they hadn’t finalized anything. But based on a quick conversation, I sensed he was leaning that way. And it also sounded like they’ll consider getting Mark Popovic some action. But again, that hadn’t been decided after the game.
