AJC > Sports > Thrashers > Blog > Archives > 2008 > December > 13
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Thrashers reach new low
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
This was a lot different than my previous trip to TD Banknorth Garden this season. Back on Oct. 25, the Thrashers came in here the night after a game at Detroit and at least looked competitive. The effort was apparent in that game, and though it was a 5-4 loss the Thrashers looked gritty and gutsy if not quite as good as the Bruins.
The last two days were a different story entirely. Sure, there was effort. You don’t kill 1:37 of 5-on-3 by not playing hard. But Friday’s game was over quicker than any other this season, and on Saturday, though it was just 2-1 after one period, the Thrashers looked overmatched for most of the game. It always seemed to be a question of when the Bruins would pull away rather than whether it would happen.
The low point of the game might not even have been a Boston goal. I’m talking about a second-period stretch where the Thrashers couldn’t get the puck out of their own zone, couldn’t get a line change and had to ice the puck three times in 40 seconds just to catch a breath. It was a 4-minute shift for Ilya Kovalchuk, Jason Williams, Chris Thorburn, Ron Hainsey and Garnet Exelby, and it was painful to watch.
I don’t envy John Anderson at the moment. I asked him tonight whether some leaders on the team needed to pull the Thrashers out of this situation, and he said that’s his responsibility as coach. Talk about your tough assignments.
Permalink | Comments (52) | Post your comment |
Another (small) line change for Kovalchuk
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Thrashers coach John Anderson liked one thing he saw Friday night: When he put Jason Williams with Ilya Kovalchuk and Chris Thorburn. Kovalchuk and Thorburn had been centered by Marty Reasoner, but Anderson has decided to begin with Williams in that role tonight.
Colin Stuart joins the lineup and will play alongside Reasoner and Colby Armstrong.
More later.
