By stendec

November 2, 2008 11:38 PM | Link to this

Congratulations Ilya Kovalchuk on sterling offensive performance! It was my oversight not to say so before now. I have been active on Falcon sites this afternoon. Again, thank you for exceptional coming out effort. It is one I (all of us) have been waiting on. I still believe you are looking to move on but have a lot more character than Maryann Hossa. The losing streak is over!

By Brendan

November 2, 2008 11:44 PM | Link to this

This is a win that couldn’t have come at a better time for the fanbase that just wants to see a win. However, some have mused that a loss would have led to a pink slip for Waddell. I don’t know. I have no idea about that. The AS, LLC seems to say nothing but positive things about Waddell, despite his 8+ seasons directing the team.

Mike Knobler, I think Kovalchuk is Atlanta’s best player. I’m glad he’s starting to hit his stride now. Sometimes, he gets off to a slow start. I hope Ilya isn’t demoralized about the state of the franchise, in its 9th season.

By Danny

November 3, 2008 12:45 AM | Link to this

Where is Kari? What’s going on?

By ranallo10 (in AT)

November 3, 2008 4:34 AM | Link to this

Sometimes, he gets off to a slow start.

That’s an understatement. It seems he gets off to a “slow” start every season…so much so that you could say he gets off to a NORMAL start, then gets hot, as usual.

We’re what, 12 games in? 6 goals through 12 games isn’t a bad mark. 4 goals through 11 isn’t either. It’s Ilya F’N Kovalchuk, the goals will come.

By dhj_1962

November 3, 2008 6:55 AM | Link to this

great game…a win is a win. i notice a better defensive effort for OP. where is that effort when KL and JH are in net? i think trashers feel KL can make tough saves all the time and take too many chances in the offensive zone. whats yalls thoughts?

By ranallo10 (in AT)

November 3, 2008 7:21 AM | Link to this

dhj_1962 — Though I haven’t been able to watch the games Pavelec has played in, I’d assume it’s a simple explanation for that defensive effort you’ve seen.

One, he played a period against a team up 6-0, who is known for going into their trap when holding the lead. So less offensive pressure equals easier defensive effort.

Two, he played against a bad team in the Panthers. Just like any decent team will look good against Atlanta, the Thrashers looked good against Florida, one of the teams worse than Atlanta (in my opinion).

Finally, the team was playing after another humiliating loss. As they showed against New York, getting pummeled, then getting chewed out, equals a much greater effort in the follow up game. I assume they were paying full attention in practices, in defensive assignments, which is directly due to their whooping against NJ.

So, I’d assume some or all of those reasons would explain why you perceived a greater defensive effort for Pavelec that you haven’t seen as often for Lehtonen or Hedberg. If you evened out the sample between the three goalies, I’m guessing nothing would be glaringly different in terms of defensive effort.

By Sara

November 3, 2008 7:40 AM | Link to this

OK, first, wheeeeee!!!!

Second, dhj_1962 way back in 2003-2004, many fans on message boards noticed there was a noticeable difference in how the team played when Pasi was in net versus when Dafoe was in net. They were much more free-wheeling in front of Pasi, more offensively aggressive. At the time, myself and those others that talked about it attributed it to, as ranallo alludes, more confidence in Pasi to bail them out than Dafoe. Whether intentional or not, I do sometimes think teams display more confidence in front of some goalies than others.

That said, I didn’t notice anything vastly different last night than in prior games as far as overall defensive effort. It still wasn’t stellar, although it was better. Still had trouble clearing the zone…XLB mishandled the puck three times deep in his own zone, which has been very “un-XLB” this season. It will be interesting to keep an eye on though if Pavs stays up and plays a few more games.

By Brent

November 3, 2008 10:24 AM | Link to this

What’s up with Lehts? I obviously missed something on this.

By h

November 3, 2008 10:41 AM | Link to this

Good win last night, although any win is a good win. I thought Pavs was very average last night. He seemed to be flopping quite a bit. Only his first real game this year so not much to take away from that. I hope Kovy has awakened now. We really need his energy on the ice. They’ve got NYI, Buf and Car over 4 days…..getting 4-5 points in that span would be nice. How about a 4-5 game winning streak to get relevant again? Let’s see how this team responds. On another note, I thought Oystrick looked pretty good last night.

By j

November 3, 2008 10:51 AM | Link to this

letemin probably just had his annual groin injury and they won’t announce it

By Toby

November 3, 2008 11:03 AM | Link to this

It’s great to see Kovi step it up and his quotes after the game were perfect.

That said….something MAJOR still needs to happen this year if there are any hopes of going anywhere. If it means moving Kari, Schneider, or whoever, the offense we have in place now will not continue to get it done.

Great game though and the timing couldn’t have been any better.

By David

November 3, 2008 11:29 AM | Link to this

Kari has the flu. That’s why he isn’t in goal.

By Bob

November 3, 2008 12:38 PM | Link to this

I thought Pavs was very average last night. He seemed to be flopping quite a bit

I concur, that Horton goal was a perfect example of Pavs going down too quick. For a big guy, he’s got to able to cover the top of the net better. That’s something some good coaching can work on with him, I’d think.

It’d be nice to know what the real scoop is with Kari, any word, Mr. Knobler?

By dhj_1962

November 3, 2008 1:57 PM | Link to this

fair comments….i know the panthers are bad, but they have beaten ATL 6 or 7 times in row prior to last nite(somewhere in that range)i also know alot of true fans are down on KL, but, had he been in goal last nite, and got the same effort that OP did, KL stops 2 of those goals, nothing OP could do about the 3rd goal. ATL needs to play better defense, JA system will not work against every team in the NHL, you can open it up some, but not like they have been against everyone. NJ averages a little over 2 goals a game, and they drop 6 on ATL. i hope the Thrashers learn JA’s system real soon and stop giving up so many odd man rushes. hope to see yall at Phillips real soon. Go Thrashers!!!!

By Stats

November 3, 2008 2:04 PM | Link to this

By the way - if any of you need evidence that Stendec has no credibility (despite claiming to have worthwhile opinions based on “facts”) - here is his comment on Pavelec after last night:

Three goals allowed on 21 shots for a below average .857 save percentage. Guess what? It does not mean a damn thing! Kid got team the “W”. That is what I have been preaching all along. The only statistic which should matter to a professional athlete (and true fans) are wins and losses. Pavs is now 1-0! The kid has surrendered three goals in 80 minutes of play. I will gladly take that.

Here is his comment after the 1st game this year, in which Kari and the team got a “W” and was 1-0:

*October 10, 2008 9:14 PM

Sori Letemin is the sorriest F+++++G excuse for a no-talent piece of S++T to ever masquerade as a professional goaltender! What an oxygen waste. Avoid the rush. Deal this untalented Finn now! Thrashers cannot give this porous slimeball a big enough lead! Line up aplogists. Let the excuse parade commence. THERE ARE NO DAMN EXCUSES!

The swiss cheese man non-effort between pipes has completely deflated team! New coach needs to jerk his sorry A++ before third period. What an untalented scumball doucebag! Score is 4-4 after 40 minutes but with Finn F++++T in net loss seems inevitable! Waited all this time for this? What a F+++++G letdown! At least Falcons show promise. Thrashers finished!

What would have happened if offense evaporated after 3-0 lead dissolved into 4-3 deficit? Why, a 4-3 defeat! Penalty shot stop balances scale for shorthanded tally allowed. Penalty shot would not have occurred had teammate not acted quickly to save certain goal after netminder was on LaLa Land excursion!*

STENDEC - Your credibility is gone forever. Don’t yell at me, I merely present facts and data.

By Mike Knobler

November 3, 2008 2:15 PM | Link to this

Bob If I had any more information on Kari’s status, I would give it to you. “Under the weather” is all I’ve gotten so far.

By dhj_1962

November 3, 2008 2:25 PM | Link to this

stendec knows nothing about hockey, that is obvious. he’s a retarded, booger eating moron with no life. he is probably the little wussy boy who got beat up in school and his lunch money taken. his wife has left him for another man because he can’t hold up his end of the bargain, or his little winkie. let me know where your sitting at when the Broncos come to the Ga Dome(if you go to Falcon games), i’ll look you up.

By h

November 3, 2008 2:48 PM | Link to this

dhj* and stats I concur completely…total loser……

By Jarndyce

November 3, 2008 2:51 PM | Link to this

If Kari has the same lung-crushing cold that I have, no wonder he didn’t play.

By Rusty

November 3, 2008 3:52 PM | Link to this

I sit right behind the bench and Kovy came off the ice during the Panther game in obvious pain early in the period. I couldn’t determine exactly where the pain was, but he was gone for about 10 minutes before returning. Moments after he returned, one of the Thrasher docs came out of the dressing room and talked briefly with the trainer, who passed the message to the training staff. Couldn’t hear what the problem was, but we need to determine exactly what happened…and do it again.

By Brendan

November 3, 2008 4:16 PM | Link to this

Kovalchuk is still on pace for 40 goals, people. Yet some bloggers think his heart and performance aren’t in it this year. As Ranallo said, this is a typical Kovalchuk start. You know he’ll pour it on, like the Superstar he is. I really don’t support the comparisons with Marian Hossa that I’ve seen on this message board.

Hossa wasn’t drafted by this team. He never had any pretense of ever playing for this team. He got traded here, with 3 years left on his contract. He’s a professional, so he dealt with it. We can’t say Hossa never performed well for us. He had his “career best” season, 100-points, as a Thrasher, not a Senator. After the Rangers swept Atlanta in 2007, despite making four (4) trade deadline deals in preparation for the playoffs, Hossa was discouraged about the future of the team. I think Hossa was a bit surprised that Atlanta didn’t elect to trade him before the 2007-08 season started. But he reported to training camp, in shape, and performed “adequately” during the year. Obviously, coming off a career best, expectations were very high for Hossa.

Hossa is not Kovalchuk. If I can be presumptuous, if the organization dumped Waddell, it’d be major step towards retaining Kovalchuk beyond 2010. Like it or not folks, Waddell’s retention doesn’t go UNNOTICED around the league. There aren’t just “whispers” about the Atlanta Thrashers Hockey Club. Retaining Waddell sends a clear message. And the message is, “status quo is okay for us. We’re not trying to make any sort of immediate change in direction.” Okay, that means it’s a “build year (TM, Poster Bob, all rights reserved.)” It is, theoretically possible, to still rebuild while asking ANOTHER GM to do it. The message that move sends is, “Okay, we’re at least willing to ‘try’ something else.” I don’t think that message would offend Kovalchuk. Even if that person is Kevin Chevaldayoff, it’s at least a departure from the past. It’s not a HUGE departure from the past. It’s still reaching out to another minor league GM to run the team.

The biggest problem is the ownership, itself. I credit Waddell with some improvement in the latter round drafting department since 2005. I applaud his youth movement approach for this season. He’s not a guy “panicked” about his job. Or you would have seen more 30-something year old free agent signings in the offseason. Just by making intelligent claims off the waiver wire and making prudent lottery draft selections, this team is bound to improve in the future. I hope Kovy can wait that long. Because that’s the course I see the organization taking.

Food for thought, as we experience some downtime between games.

By Steely Dan

November 3, 2008 9:05 PM | Link to this

Well done Stats, everyone here knows stenDICK is a hypocritical moron. He will rip Kari a new one even after a win. He could stop 39 of 40 shots but if the Thrashers lose 1-0 stenDICK will curse him out and call him every name in the book. But new boy Pavs lets in 3 goals on 21 shots and not a cross word comes from him.

His mindless, moronic rants add absolutely nothing to the discussion and his psychotic discussions with his imaginary friend “tommysteel” is nothing short of disturbing.

By Tony C.

November 3, 2008 11:48 PM | Link to this

wow

potty humor

too cool

By jlh

November 3, 2008 11:56 PM | Link to this

Actually, Brendan Kovy is now on pace for 34 goals, but agreed, he is always a slow starter. I’m not as optimistic as you about him resigning. He resigned with this club when we had Hossa and Savard and Kozlov. While I believe he has more loyalty than Hossa, I can’t see why he would be that attached to this city. He is young and still has the world open to him and his family could be a major influence on where he might sign. I have my fingers crossed, but I’m also crossing my toes.

By Martin

November 4, 2008 2:30 PM | Link to this

So.When is the next game down there at Boo-Hoo Land?

By Toby

November 4, 2008 4:30 PM | Link to this

Sooooo…..If Kari is just sick, and we can only keep two goalies, that means DW has to send down Ondrej Pavelec (.947 save %) once again. Not sure how he’s going to take it this time…..

By Brendan

November 4, 2008 8:40 PM | Link to this

I’ll tell ya, jlh, it’s NOT COMPLETELY OVER with Kovalchuk. It just … isn’t looking good. The “good” is that Ilya has been here longer than any other Thrasher, and that, in every sense of the word, this is his team. He can either choose to own it, (by re-signing,) as the “face of the franchise,” or he can ditch it for greener pastures. I am still very UNCLEAR as to why Kovalchuk has not been offered the Captaincy. And if it was offered to him, he declined it. There isn’t a “C” on his jersey. If he were offered it, and accepted it, there would be a “C” on his uniform. Forgive these statements pointing out the obvious.

I question much of what the Thrashers do. Occasionally, they surprise me by doing something right, like offering a PROACTIVE contract. Things like that show me that there is, at least “some” thought, that goes into running this franchise. But clearly, there isn’t enough thought put into it, or they would “man up” and do that which they find unpalatable, and remove Waddell from any and all decision-making and power. The man had his chance. (Yeah, 9 years, 8 seasons, and 7 picks in the Top 10 overall with which to build the team. We transcended “patient with Waddell” in 2004. But I digress.)

They don’t. Which begs the question, “Why?” The oversimplified answers seem to be (1) it’s a business decision, not a sports decision, and Waddell keeps the team solvent and operational, not to mention able to rebuild via the lottery draft. Seemingly on an annual basis. Or (2), [which is the answer I fear the most,] they actually believe Waddell is an upper echelon GM, and they have no intentions, whatsoever, of dismissing an excellent caliber GM.

Neither one of these possible answers is good for growing the fanbase or attracting Tier I free agents to Atlanta. Or, more on topic, retaining Tier I players, like Kovalchuk, who will surely score 40 goals a season for the next decade straight.

So, what would it take to make it “look good” for re-signing Kovalchuk? Now there’s a question for a hockey discussion board to explore! My answers would be (1) get the lawsuit resolved—the sooner the better, (2) Fire Waddell and canvas the globe over for the best possible candidate to take the team to the next level. And by that, I don’t mean playoffs. Fifty-three percent (53%) of the teams make the playoffs. I mean someone capable of building and directing a team that can consistently go DEEP into the playoffs. (3) Be financially committed to being within $3 million of WHATEVER the cap might be in any given year. Do that, and the sports agents who represent Tier I players will take your organization seriously. And if your GM is one who has, or ESTABLISHES, a reputation for building a winner, it’ll be a whole lot easier to accomplish. The Tier I players’ agents will call YOU, instead of the other way around. Just doing these things would be … a pretty great start.

By Tony C.

November 5, 2008 12:41 PM | Link to this

I would say being within $5-7M (depending on the year) of the cap would be fine.