Thrashers

By Mike Knobler

October 18, 2008 11:29 PM | Link to this

BTW, John Anderson’s explanation for the fade after the first period is that players start doing things outside the system and that things break down as a result.

By LAC

October 18, 2008 11:32 PM | Link to this

Our BEST all around effort this year, so what if they got a point… WE WON !

Have to say Todd White is picking it up… Nice pass in the first.

Nice to see Little scoring, and #17 as well.

Tough three coming up, let’s hope we can Give it to Maryanne Hossa in Det…

By Mike Knobler

October 19, 2008 12:05 AM | Link to this

LAC Yes, the pass to Kovalchuk was excellent. The vision and the accuracy and the pace were all there.

White set up Little, too.

By Nikita

October 19, 2008 12:34 AM | Link to this

Todd White is fine. In general, he should be as long as we don’t let him get manhandled like we did last year.

I feel better about our season, since we finally played and barely beat a team that uses a similar system. Thrashahs in the house!

By NASCAR Dave

October 19, 2008 12:48 AM | Link to this

The arena was 50% BUF fans… THAT is a FACT.

Now, on to the game. We WON. That is good. Kari saved our a*******es tonight. 1st goal he had no chance. Most goalies wouldn’t, either. 2nd goal was mainly due to BOULTON’S inability to clear the puck at a crucial time. Look, he has no skills. Even when he fights, he loses 75% of the time. That is NOT an effective enforcer. At least THORBURN showed up for his fight tonight…

Here is another FACT… We (or DONNIE, mainly) got FLEECED in the HOSSA trade. “CRUSHED” is absolutely pathetic!!! This guy is WORTHLESS!!! I hear he is a “shootout specialist”… LOL!!! ARMSTRONG aka “ARMY” ?lol? (like this JASON WILLIAMS guy) has been INVISIBLE!!! Speaking of invisible, has anyone seen this REASONER guy we signed this summer??? I haven’t seen JACK SQUAT!!!

SLATER… Well, SLATER is absolutely ineffective and worthless as usual, as well… PERRIN??? Haven’t seen him yet - Does he know the season has started yet??? Someone oughta give him a call and tell him to SHOW UP!!!

It’s funny how we have all of these players contibuting NOTHING, yet they continue to EARN (snicker/LOL) roster spots year after year… Clearly it’s not based on performance! LOL

Hell, a win is a win, so I’m not trying to be a downer, but everyone here needs to admit, this team still has MAJOR problems… Without KOVALCHUK and LITTLE, we’d probably have 0 Wins…

This game never should have gone to OT, but we won, so nobody’s complaining… Oh yeah, DONNIE FRAUDell’s interview was quite laughable… Check it out if you missed it… It seems like DONNIE FRAUDell is only doing interviews for the out of town media… WHY is THAT??? LOL, you know the answer already… Don’t second guess yourselves!!!

By Reality

October 19, 2008 1:12 AM | Link to this

‘NECKCAR Dave - get over yourself. Watch the game tape and you’ll see all of those guys you mentioned making big contributions - the biggest one that comes to mind is Reasoner being the only person on the PK who dove to try and stop a puck on a shot from the point (which wasn’t taken because he hit the ice). You fault EC for being stopped in the shootout? The guy had eight shootout goals in 2006-07 and had six last year.

“A win is a win so I’m not trying to be a downer”? BULLS#$! How about go to bed early so you can be ready for the big race at the giant paper clip tomorrow? I’d watch but I don’t have insomnia issues.

By NASCAR Dave

October 19, 2008 2:34 AM | Link to this

REALITY - How many goals did REASONER and CRUSHED have tonight???

(I don’t need numbers from 2 years ago or last year either, fool…)

NUFF SAID.

By Smashing Machine

October 19, 2008 3:35 AM | Link to this

where are all the people (experts included) claiming that we overpaid for Hainsey ?!??

Trust me folks, we didn’t overpay. He is worth every penny.

By LAC

October 19, 2008 4:27 AM | Link to this

This little tid-bit from the Buffalo News… Seems they noticed the Empty Seats and a LOT of their fans in attendence…

But remember ownership is to blame for their mess !

Buffalo News—- The Sabres received the first blemish on their record Saturday, as they dropped a 3-2 shootout decision to Atlanta. It’s no mystery why they are 4-0-1 instead of 5-0. They played a lackluster opening 30 minutes, and the Thrashers were determined to jump on a tired opponent in half-empty Philips Arena.

By affc1a

October 19, 2008 9:17 AM | Link to this

One of the greatest things about our country is freedom of speech. It is also of one of the worst, as it allows morons to say anything they want. That is not a big deal to me until I hear (read) the same thing day in and day out.

Not only is it redundant but after numerous posts it becomes boring.

Just my humble opinion.

By UpperDeck4Life

October 19, 2008 9:43 AM | Link to this

NascarDave I have to admit from a point production stand point that Christensen has been a disappointment. BUT with that said, it is in the little things dept. that he and Reasoner really showed up last night. Here are some telling stats.

Christensen: won 9 of 10 faceoffs, had had 3 take aways with no give aways.

Reasoner: won 8 of 13 facedoffs, and had 2 blocked shots.

Are these the sexy point production stats, no, but they are doing the little things to help us win. As far as Army goes, he is a 3rd line/checking/shut down winger that is being asked to play on a scoring line. Army is not a scorer, he is a role player and a heart guy. I think if Williams was doing anything, and Army could play with Reasoner and Perrin, that our 3rd line would be one of the best in the league for shutting other teams top units down.

By Forrest Gump

October 19, 2008 11:28 AM | Link to this

I believe NASCAR Dave would complain about winning the lottery. That’s all I’ve got to say about that.

By sisu

October 19, 2008 11:31 AM | Link to this

One thing to keep in mind, Army, Crusher and Reasoner are new to the team. Only Reasoner has found his place on a line while the other two are being shuffled around looking for the right fit. Once the lines get worked out I look for the “newcomers” to contribute on a nightly basis.

A nice win and much needed 2 points. It is really sad to see how many Slug jerseys were there last night. Does everyone who has lived in Buffalo moved to Atlanta at some point when they got sick of snow? ;)

By Brendan

October 19, 2008 12:02 PM | Link to this

I thought last night was a great game, very exciting, and good things were happening out there for Atlanta. That 1st period might have been the best on the season.

Todd White is 7th on the team’s payroll, but he’s 2nd in scoring. That’s good “value” for the money, at $2.35 million, cap-hit. Ron Hainsey is 3rd on the team’s payroll. Over time, his $4.5 million might be regarded as a bargain. But it’s “debatable” if it’s a GREAT VALUE right now. I like what Ron Hainsey has brought to the Thrashers offense. I’m not entirely sold on his defensive prowess. But my goodness, it’s still so very early to have any concrete opinions. Let’s just keep this momentum going.

After 5 games, this club, projected 26th-30th among major hockey publications/websites, is a .500 club. That’s a good start. It truly is. John Anderson will continue to work on the PP in practice.

By John

October 19, 2008 1:11 PM | Link to this

Mike

The Thrashers played 4 home games in one week and in October. You have made a point to make reference of the low attendance which will be a short term issue. More so, I do not understand why the NHL would have them play 4 home games the first week of October in the middle of football season. On the other hand, the Bruins have played a number of games on the road which is a good thing considering the attention the Redsox generate. The reason I point out the Bruins is that the Thrashers, even with a difficult season last year, still had better attendance. I believe a combination of a poor finish to last season, a prove it to me attitude by some core fans, and a difficult economy along with too many games to kick things off are the reasons for the low turn out, so far. Atlanta is a great city for the NHL and will be for years to come regardless of the doom and gloom crowd. More importantly, this team from my point of view will earn many fans back to Philips.

By kracker

October 19, 2008 1:17 PM | Link to this

I’m pretty happy to be at .500 after 5 games. If the Thrash are at or within a point of .500 after the next 6 games I’ll be very happy. The next 6 are 5 road games plus recent Thrashers killer Philly at home. The road trip includes back-to-back games at Wings and Bruins.

Next up: At TB and we do not want to give the Bolts their first win or even a point. The Lightning are living off of getting OTL points this season, they have 3 of them. They will be hungry.

Here is a game for the Thrashers to prove all the experts wrong. So let’s do it.

By kracker

October 19, 2008 1:34 PM | Link to this

John I get your point about scheduling home games for the Thrash during football season (and BB playoffs for that matter.) However, football goes on thru January so what are you gonna do? We have to play at home sometime.

I feel the team was well served by beginning with 4 of 5 games at home. This team needs as much practice time as possible and not having to travel allows the players to focus on learning the new lines and schemes. This assumes, of course, that they aren’t distracted with home life duties and problems.

By Mike Knobler

October 19, 2008 1:47 PM | Link to this

John Have you been to Philips and seen the empty seats? I’m not pounding any drums here, just making note of something worth noting (the two worst announced crowds in four years, and real attendance that is probably no more than half of the announced numbers of tickets distributed). They played October home games in 2007 and 2006, too, you know.

By john

October 19, 2008 1:50 PM | Link to this

I agree in one since that the home games are good for the team. On the other hand, a team gets to know each other better on the road. Probably, a balance is good. The football reference is directed towards High School and College since pro ball is not king here. The other point is is that I do not understand why the media likes to always point out our attendance only when it is low. I have been to plenty of Hawks games over the years and the building is 2/3 empty but their local writer never made it a big deal.

By john

October 19, 2008 1:56 PM | Link to this

Mike

I should’ve pointed out that overall I think you are doing a good job. Why do you think they are off to a slow start in attendance? Also, were you just kidding when you said that we are off to a ‘slightly better’ start?

By Alan

October 19, 2008 2:18 PM | Link to this

john - Last year, we were 0-5-0 at this point in time. This year, we are 2-2-1. I’d call that a better start, wouldn’t you?

By NASCAR Dave

October 19, 2008 2:20 PM | Link to this

JOHN - Season Ticket Renewals are down 60% this season compared to last season. That is one factor. Another factor is the fams are taking a “wait and see” approach. As with any Atlanta sports team, If you win, they will come. And finally, the current economic state of our country is very worrysome to a lot of people right now, and people are being much more conservative with their spending money.

As poster BOB would say, the best way to bring the fans back out is: Just win, baby.

By NASCAR Dave

October 19, 2008 2:30 PM | Link to this

I agree that KNOBLER is doing a great job…

As for the organization, one thing that I (and numerous others) find very alarming is the fact that at the Town Hall Meeting, DONNIE told everyone that we were set on the Top Line with CHRISTENSEN at Center. This is very alarming! He has shown NOTHING that says he is even capable of being a Top Line Center!!! I know he may have won the majority of his faceoffs, but let’s face it, the guy looks completely LOST out there!!!

At least COACH knows what’s up… He was the one who called up TODD WHITE this summer and told him he was going to be the Top Line Center. Now, I know a lot of people even disagreed with that (including me - I preferred LITTLE as Top Line Center, but he is doing just fine at RW)… but we have to look at the stats, and the stats show that WHITE is the best option at this point…

So, the positive to take out of this is that at least DONNIE is NOT Micro-managing COACH… I trust COACH’s judgment much more than I would ever trust DONNIE’s judgment… (RICK NASH vs. LEHTONEN, or PHANEUF vs. COBURN, for example)…

By Bob (other)

October 19, 2008 4:28 PM | Link to this

Attendance for the 4th home game last yera against NYR was 14,076. $th home game this year against Buffalo, 14,091. That’s basically a very slight increase. Attendance in the first 3 games was off 9% versus prior year. It is no time to continue slamming it in an exagerrated manner.

By stendec

October 19, 2008 4:39 PM | Link to this

I, too, am distressed by the lack of attendance. That must change. Unfortunately, the only way it can/will change is by an exciting product fans will shell out hard-earned bucks to watch. These Thrashers are simply NOT such a group. Sorry. One arguable superstar which is kept in check 99 percent of the time. A goaltender with questionable potential who will have a rookie mentality the rest of his life. Second Sabre goal unacceptable. IT WAS! No players capable of scoring score on anywhere near a consistent basis. The only thing worth watching MIGHT be the defense. Unfortunately, that can change from period to period. Like to see three goals per night from Thrash. uh huh. Like for the goaltender to limit foes to two goals per outing. I know, but LaLand is sure nice this time of year. Ask what’s-his-name. Shakeups mandatory. NOW!

By Mikeyy

October 19, 2008 4:42 PM | Link to this

does anyone else wish nascar dave would just kinda go away for awhile.. i mean it would be great if he just took a vacation for like a few months or just kinda lose his computer. the negativity is bull and no one wants to hear it. the game last night was fun we loook great i still think williams is a better player than what has been showed i would like to see him in place for white on that first line but all in all good win.

By Bob (other)

October 19, 2008 4:53 PM | Link to this

Mikeyy, Hera Hear! Nascar dave, Stendec, sage and Bob too. A few dissenting opinioners representing a minority opinion. Most of the negative comments are concentrated in that group.

By kracker

October 19, 2008 5:32 PM | Link to this

Mikeyy and Bob (other) I use the common sense approach: Some posters I usually don’t read, though I admit it is sometimes difficult to pass them by.

For my part, I try to be sensible and to the point, generally non-inflammatory and try to use 75 words to make a point instead of a sleep-inducing 575 word drone.

On to Tampa Bay!

By NASCAR Dave

October 19, 2008 6:18 PM | Link to this

SOMEBODY SMACK me in the FACE!!!! BEFORE i interbreed with my SISTER AGAIN. I’m ALMOST as annoying as NASCAR.!!!!!!

AJC should BAN ME from this SITE for all the CRAP i write on this SITE!!!!!!

NUFF SAID!

By Mike Knobler

October 19, 2008 6:25 PM | Link to this

John “Slightly better pace” referred to the 2007-08 point-scoring pace for the entire season, 76 points in 82 games, compared with this season’s 5 points in 5 games. I should have been clearer. I wasn’t trying to be sarcastic comparing 0-5 with 2-2-1.

Thanks for the kind words. I’m enjoying covering this team and sharing thoughts on the blog.

By sisu

October 19, 2008 10:02 PM | Link to this

The road trip will be good for the team, it will give the guys time to bond since they are “stuck” together. Tampa games are always exciting, I expect nothing less this time. Any games the team can win against divisional rivals is a huge bonus.

I think the best things so far this season has been the following:

Defence making the jump into offense, and also having 6 capable guys in the line up versus 2 or 3

Goaltending giving the team a chance in each game. No wins stolen but very solid

Powerplay passing, the passing is getting really good even thought the goals have not been scored yet, I expect that to change soon

Coaching bringing in a solid system that the players buy into

By lordstan57

October 19, 2008 11:36 PM | Link to this

I’m absolutely sick to death of all this talk about attendance. I don’t give a damn what they think in Buf or anywhere else! True Thrashfans know EXACTLY what’s going on, Atlanta hockeyfans have been abused, and taken for granted. Get these bums of an ownership group out of court or out of here!! Take this franchise off of cruise control. Or take it somewhere the hell else! I DON’T CARE!!!! Eff’em all!

By dhj_1962

October 20, 2008 6:57 AM | Link to this

nascar dave??? nascar??? that explains why he has no clue as to what he is watching. 2-2-1 isn’t bad considering all the FACTS about this NEW team, coach, asst. coaches, system.

By R. Stroz

October 20, 2008 8:05 AM | Link to this

Concerning the Thrashers play:

Are they perfect? No. Are they more entertaining to watch? Yes, if you like team play.

Actually, these guys are doing much better than I had anticipated. Hainsey looks like a bargain, Little and Kovy are working well together, and Z-Bo is learning quickly.

Concerning Attendence and Revenue

Attendence is not nearly as much of an issue as revenue. I actually suspect revenue, as a percentage, has dropped more than attendence.

Also, keep in mind, two (Washington and Buffalo) of the four home games were half price Chick-fil-A four pack nights.

Furthermore, attendence can be manufactured by ticket give-a-aways to schools and charitable organizations as part of community outreach, not that there is anything wrong with community outreach.

Anyway, my point is revenue is the real measure of the pain being felt by the ASG.

The Cure

Winning, or at least, entertaining hockey. So far, this team hasn’t shown any give up in their make up, unlike last year’s team

By Nikita

October 20, 2008 9:04 AM | Link to this

Attendence is not nearly as much of an issue as revenue. I actually suspect revenue, as a percentage, has dropped more than attendence.

I imagine you’re right…but. but. but. There are plenty of teams that use tickets as a means to boost other revenue, and arguably that would be a much better system for the ASG to institute. It actually costs more or less the same no matter how many people you admit, but you make a lot of money off of concessions and merch (merch being the cash cow) when you get people in the building, and I think the ASG should do this at any price until such time as there is demand to support a more robust ticket sales scheme.

Plus, as a fan I don’t so much care what other people are paying. But I definitely care if I’m sitting in a tomblike arena, empty seats on either side. It’s miserable for me and for the team.

By sisu

October 20, 2008 9:37 AM | Link to this

The reason why renewals are down 60% as someone has stated is that the ticket has lost it’s value. What I mean is when I was paying $12.00 per game in the 300’s I could always trade a ticket for a beer and not feel too bad for losing a few bucks. Now that same ticket goes for $23.00. Hard to think trading one for a beer is a “good value”. After the comments made by one of the owners last year at the townhall meeting stating that “ticket prices will go up every year and you just have to deal with it” turned a lot of people away. I could not imagine talking to my customers like that. The perks of pre paying for tickets is minimal now a days and the product is still unproven.

I am hoping that the legal case finally ends soon and the owners can spend the money they are paying lawyers at the moment to player contracts.

By Bob

October 20, 2008 9:47 AM | Link to this

But I definitely care if I’m sitting in a tomblike arena, empty seats on either side. It’s miserable for me and for the team

Which is worse though, completely empty like last week’s games, or 1/2 empty with 1/2 the fans being Buffablow fans? I think I prefer it to be at least a bit fuller even if half of the fans are opposing team’s fans like Saturday nights since you can at least razz the other club’s fans and there’s a better buzz in the stadium. The empty tomblike crowds like last week just take all the emotion out of it, no buzz.

By Sage of Bluesland

October 20, 2008 10:09 AM | Link to this

Before some sheeple begin planning a ticker-tape parade down Peachtree Street for the ‘improved’ play of the team, let me remind you of the near past:

Exhibit A: How did this team do when Bob Hartley replaced that joke Curt Fraser? They responded, albeit temporarily.

Exhibit B: How did this team do when Don Waddell took over for Hartley last year? They responded, albeit temporarily.

Such “bumps” appear to be short-lived and temporary in nature. In the end, it comes down to talent—something we are sorely lacking in.

But, we’ll see what happens over the course of the season. I hope I’m wrong on it—but Donny has proven me right much more often than not…Ten years worth of evidence there, folks…Ten years…

By h

October 20, 2008 10:21 AM | Link to this

Oh nascar dave, you are really pathetic….If you are going to make points, try to actually use common sense next time…..stop obsessing over Waddell…..get a life…seriously…..I really like the way this team is playing. Hopefully they will turn these “playing well” games into wins quickly…..”playing well” only goes so far, but I think this is a seriously positive step in the right direction….Hope to see them have a 3-4 game win streak or two over the next month to help them get a leg up. On a side note I heard an interview with a dude who writes for Pitt and he was saying that he thought the Penguins would have some serious trouble this year and it all started with Waddell clobbering Pitt in that trade last year……it was nice to hear it from the other side. Neither Crusher nor Army are world beaters, but these guys are young and are very good players….thier career are heading in the right direction for this team. I hope to see them to continue to improve this year. I also hope Williams gets it together soon, he is the missing piece so far….addition by subtraction, no Holik, Recchi, Larsen, Klee, Zhitnik

By Alan

October 20, 2008 10:25 AM | Link to this

Such “bumps” appear to be short-lived and temporary in nature.

Past tense. Hartley was abrasive who never gave a real chance to the young guys. Waddell … well, we all have differing opinions, but let’s just say he didn’t work out very well last year. I’m going out on a limb here, and will suggest that the team responded under Waddell “briefly” because he wasn’t Hartley, and the team was hoping to get a real coach in place. Instead… we all know what they got.

Anderson is different. He brings a unique style of play to the table. And, admit it, if you’ve watched any games at all this year, you surely have seen things begin to click with the lines. Even if we lose, things are looking sharper than last year. Things even look more exciting than last year.

Time is the true test, however. This means neither my thoughts that we will be better this year under Anderson, nor your thoughts reminiscing on coaches of the past, are meaningful in any way.

By Bob

October 20, 2008 10:48 AM | Link to this

I also hope Williams gets it together soon, he is the missing piece so far….addition by subtraction, no Holik, Recchi, Larsen, Klee, Zhitnik

Agreed on all. The thing I like most about the play this year so far is Little. He is going to be an NHLer, that is a big plus for us in this build year.

I also like how Coach zeroed in on White immediately, first day here he had him pegged as his go to guy, that means Coach has an eye for talent (we all know Charmin’s weaknesses, but a good coach is able to pull out strong points and minimize a player’s weaknesses by putting him into situations and schemes where he can succeed).

So, those are the two big plusses for me so far, Little and Coach’s system, and there are two things that pay dividends for us down the road.

By Buzilla in CT

October 20, 2008 10:50 AM | Link to this

I don’t get poll question. Are we off to a slow start? Expectations for this team were in the toilet. I don’t get it

By Sam

October 20, 2008 12:19 PM | Link to this

I am so glad people are finally speaking up about Nascar Dave and similar posters. Same old garbage. They have every right to post, but it brings the quality of the blog down. I think the economy along with caution about the team has added to the empty seats. There is always less attendance during college football season. Hockey is an expensive ticket. Along with parking, food and the ticket, it can add up to a pretty expensive night. If Buffalo fans or any other fans want to support the revenue, great. It is just great to shut them up with a win!

By Michael B. Shapiro

October 20, 2008 2:51 PM | Link to this

I don’t often agree with NASCARDave and certainly acknowledge that he brings a negative perspective, but he was right about one thing. Barf-alo’s second goal sits squarely on Boulton’s lap. Once again the Thrash suffered because they couldn’t clear the puck. I was never a big Larsen fan, and honestly wonder why Boulton is still with the team. I for one would give Sterling a chance (though I hope he’s destined for more than a fourth line). Sterling-Slater-Thorburn would be a very fast line indeed. Bolts, who admittedly has (some) heart), is a LOUSY fighter and brings virtually nothing to our offense or defense. Unload him, let Sterling show us what he has and move forward.

As N-D would say ‘NUFF SAID.

As I might say…dump D-Wad while you’re dumping Bolts!

Play on.

By Sage of Bluesland

October 20, 2008 11:27 PM | Link to this

“Past tense….”

The Past is Prologue.

Also, more than half of the teams in the conference/league get into the playoffs…We’ve only been once in eight years.

We’ve only been above mediocre once in eight years. ‘Once’???

It was also a disaster. I’ll never forget the AJC Sports headline during the middle of the nightmare: “Do You Believe in Debacles?”

With Don Waddell at the helm of this sunken ship, why, yes I do…Yes, I do…

Keep the economic pressure up, folks—it IS making an impact. Stop ‘directly’ subsidizing the incompetence by buying tickets…