AJC > Sports > Thrashers > Blog > Archives > 2009 > January > 09
Friday, January 9, 2009
Thrashers start climbing
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Thrashers are no longer the NHL’s worst defensive team. Thursday’s shutout pushed them past the New York Islanders, who have given up five more goals in as many games. The Islanders have been good for the Thrashers’ egos this season; Atlanta is 3-0 against the Isles and 11-23-5 against everybody else.
The final game against the Islanders is Jan. 29 at Philips Arena, where the Thrashers will try to help the Islanders tie the franchise record of 15 consecutive road losses. By the way, that 15-game road losing streak in 1972-73 ended with a tie against the Atlanta Flames.
Congratulations to Bryan Little for making the YoungStars Sophomores vs. Rookies game.
Space limitations kept me from making a couple of points in my story about Eric Boulton.
Boulton said he wasn’t worried about ruining Kari Lehtonen’s shutout bid; he knew his teammates would kill the penalties. If you’re wondering how he could place so much faith in what remains the NHL’s least successful penalty kill, consider this: John Anderson made a similar remark to me. Anderson noted the number of blocked shots during the penalty kill and said Boulton’s teammates seemed inspired to cover his back.
Lehtonen would have preferred the Thrashers not have so many penalties, but he wasn’t exactly hopping mad about it. After all, the team got the victory and the shutout. “Now we’re happy,” Lehtonen said, “so that’s good.”
It’s a beautiful day in Florida, but to get here in time for practice I had to settle for three hours of sleep. A hint if you ever travel to a Thrashers-Devils game: Do as I did and stay in Manhattan. New York Penn Station is a 23-minute train ride from Newark Penn Station, and it’s a three-block walk to the Pru from the station. I had an excellent and somewhat snowy 11-mile run along the Hudson on Thursday morning.
