Thrashers

By Brendan

November 28, 2008 1:50 PM | Link to this

I can’t get the song, “Joey,” by Concrete Blonde, out of my head. Hopefully, Joey will have a great game and find himself a roster spot. How soon until Kari can actually play a game, Mike? Any update on Bogosian?

By Mike Knobler

November 28, 2008 2:00 PM | Link to this

Brendan I spoke with Zach today. He is skating but not practicing with the team. Told me he has skated four times. So he’s coming right along.

I don’t know how soon Kari can play in a game. I think that depends on whether he can skate Sunday or Monday and how much endurance he has lost in the past month. He’ll be with Chicago before he plays again for Atlanta, I would think.

By Mr. Heat Miser

November 28, 2008 2:24 PM | Link to this

Joey Crabb-Atlanta’s Deadliest Catch

By dhj_1962

November 28, 2008 2:41 PM | Link to this

I think Joey Crabb can only be a upgrade from EC, EC looked like he was trying to play his way out of Atl. What were EC’s #’s in pittsburgh over the course of say 35 games? Probably alot better than the #’s he got in ATL. i’ll go look it up. brb

By Andrew

November 28, 2008 2:44 PM | Link to this

Last year, Kari got hurt in the first Rangers game. This year, same deal. Hopefully he can get back as soon as possible and we can get the goalie situation worked out.

By dhj_1962

November 28, 2008 2:49 PM | Link to this

i was wrong, last 49 games in pitt, 9-11-20, first 30 in Atl. 3-9-12. he was the throw in wasn’t he. i do not now what line he played on in pitt, but i know for a fact he should have 6 goals since he was playing with Kovy.

By Mike Knobler

November 28, 2008 4:20 PM | Link to this

dhj_1962 Erik played on the third and fourth lines in Pittsburgh, which is not necessarily a knock on him considering Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin play for the Penguins.

By Brendan

November 28, 2008 4:43 PM | Link to this

I wonder if the Wolves fans will give Kari Lehtonen a warm welcome back. I hope so. They get to see him fairly often. Sometimes, it’s like he never left.

If I ever got a private moment with Zach Bogosian, I’d like to ask him what he thinks of Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings, playing nearly 25:00 a game lately, being a leading candidate for the Calder Trophy (Top Rookie) this year. Doughty played 29 minutes in one of the Kings games this season.

Waddell told the Toronto press that Zach Bogosian would not be sent back to the Peterboro Petes this season.

So???

So, if the Zachster is going to get his hat tossed into the “Rookie of the Year” candidacy, he’s going to have to come back like gangbusters, with his competition fairing so well. I think he does have that “incentive” written into his contract.

By Stevo

November 28, 2008 4:53 PM | Link to this

Missing a large portion of the season so far, I think it is unfair to Zach to compare him to Doughty. Leave that comparison for down the road in a year or two. Bogo shouldn’t even think about the Calder right now. He needs to worry about getting healthy, and fitting in with the system. There is no way he can match Doughty’s play when he has been out since the beginning of the year. All in due time….

By stendec

November 28, 2008 8:51 PM | Link to this

What’s-His-Name is coming back? Oh joy!

By stendec

November 28, 2008 9:13 PM | Link to this

Thrashers tied 2-2 with terrible team after two periods on home ice. Anyone else as optimiastic as I am? Shorthanded goal a real gut-ripper! What the Hell is wrong with these bums? Ilya Kovalchuk continues to be a team liability. Oh well. Apologists love close losses. May get one tonight.

By Brendan

November 28, 2008 9:47 PM | Link to this

3-3, in the 3rd, thanks to Kovalchuk. Oystrick and Little have the other Atlanta goals.

Stevo, Step #1 is recovery and nothing but recovery. If the injury doesn’t heal correctly, it’ll open up more problems for Bogosian. And nobody wants that.

By Brendan

November 28, 2008 10:04 PM | Link to this

At least one point tonight! We’re going to overtime. Remember the 1st ever shootout win in franchise history? Well, it was against these very Nashville Predators.

By stendec

November 28, 2008 10:12 PM | Link to this

The losing streak lives on. Moose Lehtonen chokes again! Congratulations apologists. You got your holiday wish! Another close one in the “L” column. To one of the most pathetic NHL bottom feeders in history! All of you must be so damn proud! Love the impotent offense of John Petrino. Pure bulls+it! Send all the quitters packing. Ilya “Bags Are Packed” Kovalchuk will be gone soon enough anyway! Fu+king overrated hack. Another gutless performance by a heartless group of toilet residue. Enjoy apologists! All of you damn sure deserve it.

By stendec

November 28, 2008 10:22 PM | Link to this

Boy these guys whine like tiny babies in post game interviews. Not a damn one of them gives a s+it that they lost ANOTHER game. ON F+CKING HOME ICE! Man do I really hate these damn quitters.

By stendec

November 28, 2008 11:17 PM | Link to this

Moose, you are so bad, Pavs please go back to where you came from! Please save us Kari!

By Brendan

November 28, 2008 11:41 PM | Link to this

For the benefit of those who attended the game and forgot to tape it, here now is Don Waddell’s 2nd period intermission interview conducted by Darren Eliot. I tried to present it “word-for-word,” for your consumption, entertainment, and amusement.

DE: “Executive V.P. Don Waddell. Don, thanks for joining us. [What’s] Your assessment of the first 40 minutes of this one?”

DW: “Well uhh, we haven’t given up a lot of shots, but it seems like time of possession in our zone is outweighed because we seem to be chasing the puck a lot. And, the chances they’ve gotten … have been pretty quality. And uhh, Moose has done a great job of gettin’ in front of them. So, We need to play better this period, we gotta kill this penalty, at the start of this period, and win these next 20 minutes.”

DE: “And let’s expand it from there. We just passed the quarter pole in the season. [What’s] Your assessment of the team? Are they where you thought they’d be … as a group?”

DW: “Well, I think so. I would hope we’d be a little further along. Umm, ya know, we’re looking for that consistency factor. Not just from even game to game. But period to period. We’ve played some very, very good periods. Some very good games. And then come out flat some other times. So, ya know, you’re not gonna be on your best every night. But you can give your best every night. Uh, if we play with 100% determination, I think we’ve got enough skill level on this team that we’re gonna win a lot of games. But we can’t afford to have guys taking nights off. And, unfortunately when that happens, it puts us behind the ‘8-ball.’ But, uhh, ya know. I think we’re real close. We’ve lost a lot of close games. You don’t win five (5) in a row in this league by being a bad team. So, I think we’ve got a real good chance of putting some good streaks together.”

DE: “I think, from a personnel standpoint, I’ve liked what Bryan Little has done. Nathan Oystrick, to me, has been a revelation. I had never saw him play that much. Do you think he’s been a surprise to you?”

DW: “I don’t think Nathan is a surprise, guys. I’ve known Nathan real well. I watched him a lot at college. Northern Michigan University.”

DE: “Don’s Alma Mater!”

DW: “He plays at the level where he’s at. He’s always excelled at every level. At college, and then he went to the American league and excelled there. And uh, so I’m not surprised. If given a chance, I knew he’d play well for us. Ya know, you mentioned Bryan Little. Bryan Little has been our most consistent player for us. I just can’t say enough about him. He continues to play a lot. And he does a lot of good things for us. He’s a young player, at 21 years of age. He’ll only get better.

DE: “Another young player, 18-year old Zach Bogosian. Is there any update? And, is there any thought of, when he is healthy, that he’d be playing for the Canadian World Juniors?”

DW: “Uhh. World Canada would be U.S., by the way. Uhh, ya know, he’s skating now. He’s skating about 40 minutes a day. It’s gonna continue to get stronger. Forget about the break in the bone. That’s healed. It’s the time off the ice and that the muscles in his leg weakened. Any time you take that much time off, the muscles need to tighten back up. The muscles in his legs will get stronger and tighten up. And we’re gonna give him ample time to heal up. But I don’t think he’ll be ready for the World Juniors tournament.”

DE: (Laughing) “Quite right. Bogosian is a native of New York. He would play for Team USA. He won’t play in the tournament, but he WILL play for the Atlanta Thrashers.”

By stendec

November 28, 2008 11:49 PM | Link to this

The 11:17 post not mine. Oh well. For all the apologists: Thrashers played hard. Thrashers lost in overtime. Thrashers never gave up. Thrashers were competitive. Game could have gone either way. Only one goal difference. Know what all that s+hit really means? JUST ANOTHER UNACCEPTABLE HOME ICE DEFEAT AT LOSELAND! No way to justify it. No matter how hard you apologists try! How completely sorry are Thrashers? No NHL team is any worse! Proud?

By LAC

November 29, 2008 5:38 AM | Link to this

Brenden, Just how far along are we according to career loser waddell ?

We are worse than last season at the same time. I think we can all now say the Hossa trade is a bust, EC is nothing and Armstrong is just a role player and the other two in Jr’s and college, I sure would like to know what “other” deals were offered to old don, because this one was not good.

Will have to say another BLOWN call, what is with these ref’s anyhow ? Cost us the game.

We need scoring scoring scoring, and a more stay at home defense… This season is almost over, what will we look like next season…???

By Bob

November 29, 2008 9:35 AM | Link to this

I agree with Waddell on Oystrick, Brendan. And I don’t think he was just being cocky with that comment. Oystrick was the one d who stood out to me while watching last year’s Wolves’ playoff run. He looked so much better than Valabik. The other d that stood out to me during the Wolves’ playoff run was Kulda, but Oystrick moreso.

By dhj_1962

November 29, 2008 10:15 AM | Link to this

Mathieu Schneider is looking better every game, i think he is getting what JA is wanting. I have not giving up on Thrashers yet. Its still early enough to make the playoffs. Have faith. notice that preds had a guy named fiddler?? we have crabb…

By Brendan

November 29, 2008 10:19 AM | Link to this

LAC, how far along we are is … 10th year, 9th season. It’s going to be a slowww build. We have bad ownership. The team has been mismanaged. By Waddell. And by the ownership. Waddell isn’t in a power position to fix what broke. I doubt that even Waddell has any illusions of a deep run into the playoffs. Really, truly … I think his goal is (1) to unscrew what he did and (2) put the team in a position, in 2010-11, to challenge for the Conference Championship or a Cup. He can do that by being in the lottery draft and picking up players off of waivers. He can also pick up castoffs in free agency.

Bob, I like Oystrick, too. He was a player, last year, that many bloggers thought might get an audition at the end of the season. If I had to guess, I’d say Oystrick is going to stay. I agree with you about the Oystrick AHL playoff run. I taped 4 games of the Calder Cup Finals against Wilkes-Barre Penguins, and Nathan played well. I keep hoping Chad Denny and Grant Lewis might become NHL players, too.

With the Waddell interview above, I was just trying to present Waddell, in his own words, without adding much by way of commentary. Sometimes, it’s best to just let the quotes stand out on their own.

By Get The Puck Out

November 29, 2008 10:22 AM | Link to this

I just can’t defend the Thrashers anymore. Until they show me that they want to win with score consistency and good PK’s with ample defense how can you defend them? Sure wish someone would buy them and try to make a winner out of this team. Now if i could only win the Mega Millions….

By dhj_1962

November 29, 2008 10:31 AM | Link to this

HEY GTPO, YOU DON’T NEED TO WIN THE MEGA, FANTASY 5 SHOULD HAVE ENOUGH MONEY IN IT. HAHA, I AM TRYING NOT TO DEFEND THEM, JUST DON’T WANNA GIVE UP YET.

By MB

November 29, 2008 12:55 PM | Link to this

Last night’s game drove me to almost Stendeckian levels of frustration. Possibly the sloppiest game of NHL hockey I’ve ever seen. Was it bad ice? Rancid cranberry sauce? Triptophan hangover?? Or just two weak teams trying to give away the game to the other?

The Thrashers looked like they expanded the Whack-A-Mole defense (trademark poster Sara, per poster Brendan) to the entire ice…flailing away and whiffing at the puck left and right…pucks hopping over sticks…passes either a second in front or a second behind their intended targets (though the Thrash did connect on several beautiful passes right on the sticks of Pred players). Oh, and more brain farts than you could count, from the Professor down to the rook.

In all honesty, though, as bad as the Thrashers looked, the Predators looked worse…which makes it all the more amazing that we lost that game. Simply put, we should have blown them off the ice…they looked that bad.

So, was there anything good last night? Well, I thought Oystrick had another strong game…I’ll be shocked if he’s not here to stay. Crabb played a good overall game for a call-up…hope he gets some more opportunities (and great call on the Concrete Blonde tune, Brendan). Moose made some nice saves throughout the night, though it looked like he should have had that last one. Other than that, didn’t see a whole lot to like last night. Ugh.

By stendec

November 30, 2008 9:06 AM | Link to this

i believe in blueland

By Keith

December 2, 2008 11:36 PM | Link to this

thrashers so far this season tend to let me down almost every single game seems like our goalie just has to let up a f*** goal when there is 4 mins left in the game to either give up the lead or break a tie hedberg needs to stay backup pavelec looks much sharper then him, cant wait for Kari to return when the offense and defense struggled at the beggin of the season he actually stops pucks and gave them a chance to win every night hedberg lets up to many easy goals only time he makes great saves are when he luckily gets a pad in the way

as for kovalchuk i dont blame him not wanting to play for the team he is a great player and the guys around him for the most part are a joke

to bad we dont got savard and hossa still :/