Thrashers

By Jared

January 17, 2009 10:31 PM | Link to this

So let me get this… so they won last game, and they won the game before that… and they were beside each other… ARE THE THRASHERS ON A FRIGGIN WINNING STREAK!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?

By Smoothie

January 17, 2009 10:42 PM | Link to this

All I can say is “shamwow”!! I leave for vaca in sunny Sarasota (what a great decision as I went from 12 degrees Friday morning to a balmy 54 in 3 hours) and miss both games with no chance to see or listen and they do THIS!!! Is this Peverly kid for real?? Nice to Z-Bo get his first point and then first goal as a Thrasher…hopefully the first of hundreds in a HOF career!! Go Thrash!

And if it helps, I’ll take contributions from other fans to pay expenses so I can take an extended vaca in Fla while the Thrashers make a run for the playoffs!! Whatever it takes, I’ll sacrifice for the good of the franchise!

By Alan

January 17, 2009 11:00 PM | Link to this

First multi-point game for Bogosian, and three assists for Peverley. Very, very impressive effort from our boys tonight. Hopefully they can maintain against Montreal and Philadelphia.

That’s where the real challenge begins. We took both games of a back-to-back against mediocre teams, but now we have to see how well we perform against top tier teams.

By Don Waddell

January 17, 2009 11:18 PM | Link to this

See, this is how I know we’re a good team because good teams win two games in a row.

By R. Stroz

January 17, 2009 11:25 PM | Link to this

Anderson is a much better GM than Waddell.

It’s obvious from Anderson’s comments who orchestrated the Peverley pick up.

By Russian

January 17, 2009 11:28 PM | Link to this

It was something. Thrashers played great. Pevy was doing - 3 points per game. Bogus got 2 points. Something was happend Lately. What??? Kovy became a Captain. Or Willias moved out from Atlanta??? Or Pevy was picked up??? I do not know, but I love it. Let’s Go Thrashers. By way, Please FIRE WADDELL

By Alan

January 18, 2009 12:05 AM | Link to this

That’s the spirit, Russian — FIRE WADDELL!

Let’s see this team keep the intensity up!

By Brendan

January 18, 2009 12:24 AM | Link to this

I think, by now, everyone realizes this is a build year. But even in a build year, good things are SUPPOSED to happen. Yes. It’s true. One of the most important good things that can happen … is the development of players from within the system. Tonight, we saw a (Bryan) little bit of that. Bogosian’s multi-point game. Bryan Little’s continued consistency. Jim Slater, who ought to be more that just a PROSPECT at this point, is also still developing. Slater had a goal. Slater was selected 30th overall, in 2002. Speaking of 2002 draft picks, Kari Lehtonen has only surrendered two (2) goals in his last five (5) periods. I don’t have his save percentage stat handy, but it’s got to be something fairly decent over those five periods.

STOP.

These two games, and the Devils game, don’t overshadow the other 35 or so games where this team revealed themselves to be who they are: a hodge podge of draft picks and bargain-barrel priced free agents, who don’t have an identity, and haven’t learned Coach Anderson’s system. At least not enough to be proficient at it.

Look folks, there’s absolutely no point to throwing this team under the bus after every loss, in a build year. Nor is it right to declare the team fixed and righted on the basis of a handful of recent games, and a waiver wire acquisition. I can’t stress enough … IT’S AN 82 GAME SCHEDULE.

And guess what? ALL BAD TEAMS win 5 games in-a-row, at some point. Some BAD TEAMS have TWO (2) 5 game winning streaks in the course of the 82 game season. What is disingenuous … is to claim that it’s not a developmental season, and that injuries to Bogosian and Lehtonen, and so forth, are the only reasons this team isn’t going to be playoff-bound.

If I were to hear that sort of lame rationalization spewed forth from the organization, I’d be FORCED to ressurrect a “Family Guy” quote from Stuart Gilligan Griffin. “I say, do you EVER stop to hear yourself talk? My god, I might KILL YOU tonight.” Ahh, Stewie. A timeless classic.

By ben

January 18, 2009 12:30 AM | Link to this

GET THE WADD OUT!!!!!!!!!!!

Great game!

Could this team have it’s flashy moments? !Si! Aber, ist Le Thrash ein gut team? Ich Kenne nicht. PS, the spell czech does not habla auf Deutch! Just so you know.

printed w/ recycled electrons

No Mets Fan was harmed in the writing of this post.

By Jason

January 18, 2009 1:07 AM | Link to this

WOW!!!!2

By Jason

January 18, 2009 1:08 AM | Link to this

IN A ROW!!! FIRE WADDELL!

By PUTTING ON THE FOIL

January 18, 2009 6:13 AM | Link to this

That was two games of hockey bliss. FIRE WADDELL

By Hotrod

January 18, 2009 8:13 AM | Link to this

Thrashers need to watch the film of this game over and over and over and over till its programed in their brains.

Its the small things you do on ice that can trigger a goal , a breakaway , or a turnover.

Skate Fast, hit hard, and shoot often.

By B. Thenet

January 18, 2009 9:01 AM | Link to this

What a weekend for the Thrashers.

I would much rather have a strong 2nd half and miss the playoffs than get the 1st pick overall.

Let’s keep it going.

By Hockey Biltong

January 18, 2009 9:35 AM | Link to this

That game was a blast!!!! I hope to see that again at home ice real soon!!!!!!

By Bob

January 18, 2009 9:36 AM | Link to this

It’s obvious from Anderson’s comments who orchestrated the Peverley pick up

I figured such as we heard about Peverly’s strong AHL play when we picked him up.

I know better than to get excited until his initial 5 game bump is over, but I do like the play and positional awareness out of him. He looked to be a pretty darn good playmaker with good hands.

I would much rather have a strong 2nd half and miss the playoffs than get the 1st pick overall

I completely disagree. Winning games now is meaningless, the worst thing we can do is to miss out on Tavares or Hedman. The Isle seemingly have the basement locked up, but we should make a good push for the 2nd spot when Waddell trades away guys at the end of the year.

By PuckHead

January 18, 2009 9:47 AM | Link to this

it’s amazing what can happen when you ramp up the hitting and skate with a little heart. I was actually starting to think i was watching a team from an over 55 non-contact men’s league.

Komisarek (D*ck) will be here tuesday. i wonder if any of our guys will step up.

Keep it going !

By PuckHead

January 18, 2009 10:22 AM | Link to this

“winning games now is meaningless” huh ?

You’ve got to be the fat kid who was always picked last with thinking like that.

By kracker

January 18, 2009 10:25 AM | Link to this

Here’s the deal as I see it: The best way to secure that #1 pick is to win as often as possible the rest of the season, playing over .500 if the team can do it. Finishing near last does bring the chance for Tavares or Hedman. But playing well gives us a shot at the real #1 player: Captain Kovalchuk. Ilya leading a real team that is playing hard and winning some games increases the likelyhood he will remain a Thrasher long term. Tank like we did last year and he may well be gone.

Tanking on purpose, again? No thanks. The phrase “Been there, done that” sums that up for me. This franchise needs wins right now.

By polskidawg

January 18, 2009 11:19 AM | Link to this

Brendan - well said.

Bob - as well.

I’d like to see the team play better from here out, but the holes still exist and they are significant.

That said, it was nice to see specific players play well - Schnieder (for trade value), Boris (has to play a smart, physical game), Bogo (somebody has to lead the blueline next year), Little (the more a see, the more a like) and of course, Kovy.

By Andy

January 18, 2009 11:25 AM | Link to this

The bottom line is the the Thrashers do not have the talent around Kovy to win. We are worst in the nhl in goals given up and a little above middle of the pack in scoring. Rich Peverly was a great pick-up, by the way. Awesome kid.

Why did Waddell let Savard go a couple of years ago??? Waddell has had what, 9 years to get this franchise going? He’s failed miserably. We have yet to have a good defense in our 9 years of existence. Mathieu Schneider is incredibly washed-He is just plain useless out there. He is a -13 this season. UGH

Kovy, Peverly, Hainsey, Armstrong, Little(awesome season), & White are the only ones worth watching. Crabb is gonna be pretty good. Enstrom is ok. Bogosian-hopefully, he’ll be really good. I’ll give a nod to Christenson

Havelid-he is a plus 8 on the season Exelby-washed-up Slater-washed-up Kozlov-has been Valabik-big klutz out there Boulton-Just there to fight. he’s ok Thorborn-who? Reasoner-who?

Whatever on the rest.

Fire Waddell and get some defense out there!

By Kaat

January 18, 2009 11:49 AM | Link to this

Andy: Kozlov is not a has-been. Come on, dude.

By MB

January 18, 2009 12:33 PM | Link to this

For goodness sakes, can’t you guys even enjoy one of the few bright spots of the season?

Assuming that everyone here has dreams of the home team skating around Philips Arena hoisting the Cup, then we can also acknowledge that we’ve all suffered to some degree through the team’s struggles this season, as well as prior seasons.

With that in mind, and realizing that in all likelihood we’ll see far more struggles than successes through the end of the season, can’t you allow yourselves (and your fellow bloggers) the luxury of enjoying this modest accomplishment?

Let’s face it…it’s been a tough season if five periods of solid play and victories over two bottom tier teams is cause for celebration, but that’s where we find ourselves.

We know we don’t have the talent…we know all about the GM and ownership issues…we know what’s happened previously, and what’s likely to happen again. It’s far too easy to point out the deficiencies of this team and the organization…we all contribute to that ad nauseum on this very blog throughout the year, and will continue to do so in the weeks and months to come.

For now, though, I’m going to give the guys an “atta boy” and enjoy the good feelings from the last two games.

By sisu

January 18, 2009 12:47 PM | Link to this

Russian, I think it is because the music has changed since the team traded the DJ of the locker room:)

By kracker

January 18, 2009 12:59 PM | Link to this

MB For goodness sakes, can’t you guys even enjoy one of the few bright spots of the season?

No, they can’t.

By dhj_1962

January 18, 2009 1:22 PM | Link to this

jury is out still, lets wait and see what happens against Mon. then Philly. lets speculate anyway…lose a one goal game to Mon. and get hammered by Philly, Stendick is back in full form and everyone is hollering to finish last for Tavares??? i have relegated myself to the fact that the Thrashers are really, really bad, now they go and mess that up by winning back to back?? you look at the Thrashers and you think, not much talent, even Capt. Kovy said that, then the pick up one man off waivers and everyone looks talented? i didn’t see the game last night, but they all must have looked pretty darn good, no minus players. 14 plus players, another shorty, killed 5 of 5 penalties when short one man??? only giving up the 5 on 3 goal, where the refs as bad as the box score looks?? look forward to reading yalls blogs!!!! Go Thrashers!!!! by the way, is Waddell the greatest GM the Thrashers ever had?? haha

By kracker

January 18, 2009 2:15 PM | Link to this

dhj It’s more than just getting one new player, Peverley. Williams also went away, he seemed to show up to play every 4th or 5th game. EC, Lehtonon, Schneider and Bogo recently returned from injury. They have a captain now. It looks to me that the players are finally learning the new systems. The passing and up ice movement is better, as is the backchecking. And I guess the coaches now know their players abilities and strengths and weaknesses, to better form the lines. Other players are maturing: Little, Valabik, maybe even Slater, finally lol! Oystrick stepped up…

This team might now be a playoff possibility, if the season were just starting. It’s probably too late for this year unless they get on a significant winning streak and that’s not likely. I still vote for giving it their all for the next few weeks.

By dhj_1962

January 18, 2009 3:04 PM | Link to this

yep, if i remember correctly, JA said it would be sometime in Jan. before the team learned his system, i wonder if he has opened the whole play book yet. as far as one person making or not making a difference, or getting rid of williams, what about the lack of effort that we were used to seeing more times than not? winning makes everyone look good, winning covers up alot of little mistakes. i was just listeneing to XM radio, they bought up the Thrashers good play of late, also mentioned that Atl. hocke would not survive if Kovy was traded, talked about Pheonix to Hartford and VL being traded, that Lawton was a liar and he was shopping him to anyone who would listen. Gainey from Mon. really called Lawton out.

By Sara

January 18, 2009 3:22 PM | Link to this

dhj the “mental” factor here cannot be overlooked. One - as Kovy goes, so goes the rest of this team. The other guys said it and that’s why he was given the C. He’s flying and the rest of the team is going to follow suit. It’s also easier to play well when things are going well. A lot of the crappy play we’ve seen IMO isn’t so much about lack of talent as much as mental strain and fatigue.

Stroz coaches are going to have personnel input in most organizations. In theory they should always know better than the GM what’s needed and who might be the best player available to fill that need, given they are the ones down in the trenches so to speak. Hartley was responsible for a number of the guys we picked up as well - like deVries and Aubin, just to name two. Goes with the territory.

As for the whole tanking to get a better pick thing…I don’t think Anderson or the boys got that memo - or if they did, they lit the damn thing on fire.

By dhj_1962

January 18, 2009 3:53 PM | Link to this

Sara,i would hope no Thrasher would “tank” a game, much less a season either. but i wouldn’t agree with the fatigue theory, thay are pro athletes making good money, more that i will ever see, so lack of effort or fatigue is unexcusable. Kovy has pretty much been flying most of the season, sure, there has been a lot of frustrating games, hes taking some penaltys out of frustration, but i think that goes with losing, any superstar worth there metal would get fustrated. and regardless of what he says, he is a superstar. lets say he and the Thrashers continue this good play, at the rate Kovy is scoring, thanks to Pevs, Kovy averages 1.5 per game for the rest of the year, he gets over 100 points, his name would be mentioned as a player you would want to start a franchise with, again! looking forward to Feb 6th. Go Thrashers

By five_hole

January 18, 2009 4:25 PM | Link to this

winning games now is meaningless - Bob

As of this morning we are 12 points out of a playoff spot with 35 games to go. While we’re not going to be a top seed, we could realistically still get the 7th or 8th playoff spot. All we need to do is get hot and have a couple teams above us get cold.

We have a solid line with the Little-White-Russian line. If the AK-47 line (courtesy of *Thrashy Thrashy * ) clicks the way it has been, and we develop some penalty kill, we have a reasonable chance.

Now, here’s my buzz-kill moment. We become buyers, not sellers at the trade deadline. Waddell trades Bogosian for a bag of pucks, and a used stick to be named later. Therefore, we need to:

FIRE WADDELL !!!

By dhj_1962

January 18, 2009 5:36 PM | Link to this

AK-47, I like that. to bad the PC police will say its offensive to those people who lost a loved one to gun violence. Little White Russian, i like that one too, but, your not only making fun of short Europeans, your offending those who lost a loved one to a drunk driving accident. what are we gonna do in the United States of the Offended.

By Krust

January 18, 2009 6:09 PM | Link to this

AK-47, I love it, can you imagine the fun we could have with that line name. Tee shirts, game programs with Kovy and his line mates with AK-47 in tow. Heck we could change the name blueland to The Bunker, no one leaves alive. It could be the next best thing since the Hanson’s took to the ice. OOOOh! but that want happen because someone might get ooooooofended!

Anybody on this blog thinks the Thrasher have a chance making the playoffs has got a screw loose. Well, the year Hartley took over we were just as bad, but fought our way back somehow and fell short by 3 or 4 points. So maybe I have a screw loose.

By five_hole

January 18, 2009 6:11 PM | Link to this

Um, dhj_1962 I didn’t come up with Little White Russian, I believe our host Mr. Knobler did. Actually a couple of months ago. And I think you’re being a little overboard with the PC police thing.

By dhj_1962

January 18, 2009 6:51 PM | Link to this

ummm five_hole, i was being sarcastic, joking, haha, Untied States of the Offended…lightin up

By Mike Knobler

January 18, 2009 7:16 PM | Link to this

No news today. Thrashers didn’t practice. They get back to work Monday morning. Happy MLK day to everyone on the blog.

By sisu

January 18, 2009 7:48 PM | Link to this

Hard to believe that any one here would hope for the team to lose! Only fans of others teams would want the Thrashers to lose.

One main thing this season has been development of the young dmen. If you take Boris for example, he has grown up a lot, consider he was playing on pk last night. I know it was more or less meaningless at the time but if you would have asked me a few months ago about playing Boris on PK I would have laughed:)

Bogo is behind in development due to his injury but his playing time is critical for future success.

Great couple of wins!

By ben

January 18, 2009 8:48 PM | Link to this

this team will survive after kovy’s gone. eventually, he will leave, if only through retirement. the team will survive Waddell. the team will survive A$G. This team shall survive.

This team shall survive! It will carry on! It will survive, because if the NHL can’t survive here, it can’t survive south of Philly or west of San Louis. There are six million people in this city. Las Vegas and KC are far smaller places, there is simply no there there in S. Ontario. Many teams have their markets backing up to there. Hartford is almost metro Boston.

Have faith and keep warm my fellow sufferers! As long as there is an NHL there will be an Atlanta Thrashers! We shall overcome and outlast all the incompetence of A$G and their cronies.

take care and be in peace and love

By puckfel

January 18, 2009 8:58 PM | Link to this

Fellow Thrashophiles:

this team has to finish out over .500 or …

i would like to introduce you to the Phoenix Thrashers

By ThrasherFan

January 18, 2009 10:31 PM | Link to this

My wife and I drove from Atlanta to Nashville to go to the game. We made it a weekend in Nashville.

What a game!!! The team didn’t have much jump to start, but once Perrin scored, they picked up their passing quickly, which is what won it.

But I’ve got to say that I have never seen a worst environment to play in than Nashville. Maybe it was because the Thrashers played so well, but the arena was dead for the most part. No excitement from the start of the game to the end. (of course, 7-2 wouldn’t make me excited.)

The biggest surprise? The Nashville fans are simply R-U-D-E!!! I can’t believe the attitudes of these fans that I saw, from start to finish. Even when they were down, they were still yelling words that I can’t type here, or the post wouldn’t go up. Even kids my sons age were yelling socially unacceptable things.

Our boys can still make noise this season, and get into the playoffs, but they are going to need a lot of help.

By Sara

January 19, 2009 8:08 AM | Link to this

ThrasherFan I have to tell you I’m surprised by your experience in Nashville. I have been there numerous times for games and have always been impressed with both the enthusiasm of the fans there and how polite they were.

To illustrate my point, my friend and I went last April to game 6 of the Detroit/Nashville series wearing our Wings jerseys. Now obviously we got some good-natured ribbing but that’s exactly what it was - good-natured ribbing. Not one rude comment. We had a great time talking with the local fans we sat with as well as others we encountered around the arena. The Wings beat the Preds 3-0 and clinched the series in that game and still the fans were hospitable throughout the game and afterwards.

So I wouldn’t judge all their fans too harshly since I think you unluckily happened upon a limited bad segment (which every fanbase has unfortunately).

As an aside to that story, they did some of the funniest chants and skits I had ever heard/seen during that game: “Chelios is a sissy” over and over - loudly. And then a skit on the JumboTron with these old guys portraying the Wings’ players using walkers and oxygen masks. It was really LMAO funny, even as a Wings fan. Maybe our team should go steal their head of in-game entertainment.

By Bob

January 19, 2009 9:22 AM | Link to this

While we’re not going to be a top seed, we could realistically still get the 7th or 8th playoff spot

With all due respect put the bong down, dude!

lol. On any given night, any club can beat aanother, heck, this team won 5 in a row earlier this year. There is no prayer of playoffs, the best possible outcome is to finish in 1st or 2nd in the Tavares Sweepstakes loser gets Hedman.

By Alan

January 19, 2009 10:08 AM | Link to this

“we could realistically still get the 7th or 8th playoff spot”

Only if the following occurs:

1. We continue to play as good as, or better than, we have played these past two games.
2. Teams above us in the conference standings lose, or we beat them. (See #1)

I’m not expecting this, at all, period. I don’t think we’re good enough to sustain that sort of pressure on teams ahead of us in the conference standings at this time. Kovalchuk and Hedberg might be optimistic enough to suggest we can do it, but I need to see a lot more proof that this team is capable. Proof I’m not expecting to see.

Maybe next year.

“With all due respect put the bong down, dude!”

Agreed. That also goes to the guy calling this team the “Phoenix Thrashers.” Not going to happen. No way, no how.

By Toby

January 19, 2009 10:37 AM | Link to this

Why would you think any team is moving to Phoenix when their current team is about to move to Hartford and become the Whalers (Version 2.0)?

MIKE Any truth to the Schneider to Buffalo for Max rumors?

By PuckHead

January 19, 2009 11:21 AM | Link to this

Nasty Nashville fans ? Have you ever been to a game in Philly ?

By Fred

January 19, 2009 12:53 PM | Link to this

But they are still the 2nd worst team in the league

By Brett

January 19, 2009 12:55 PM | Link to this

Sheesh. The team wins a game and you people have a conniption fit ! It’s just 1 game ! They will keep on losing CONSTANTLY anayway

By Tix no More

January 19, 2009 2:32 PM | Link to this

1 2/3 good games aint gonna make me renew my tickets next season, lower prices might help, but when I can walkup and get seats to anygame and then sit almost anywhere, I’ll take my chances that way next season and pocket my cash for something more pleasurable than rooting for this team, like an enema.

By Brendan

January 19, 2009 4:30 PM | Link to this

Down 4-2, late in the 3rd period, the Blues rallied to tie it with the Bruins with a tenth of a second left in regulation. The Blues won the game, 5-4, in the shootout. Center Ice Channel 772 still says the Bruins won, 4-3. Hilarious. By the way, the Blues just may be in the Hedman/Tavares sweepstakes, as well.

Right now, the Islanders (Tavares/Hedman sweepstakes) have rallied to tie the Capitals, 1-1. They are PRESENTLY in overtime, on Channel 774, on Comcast. Go Islanders!!!!

By Brendan

January 19, 2009 4:37 PM | Link to this

Brendan Witt takes a penalty in overtime. A needless penalty. A “borderline” call, at that. Ovechkin scores on the PP to win it for Washington. Anyone else think the Capitals will finish anywhere but as the 2nd overall seed? I guess they’ve got some shot at catching Boston. The Caps have to be eyeballing that MIRACULOUS Blues comeback today with big smiles.

For the Capitals, if they do finish #2, they’re looking at Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Florida, or Carolina as a 1st round opponent. For all the problems the Penguins have been experiencing this season, I still wouldn’t want to draw them in the 1st round. Though, from the fans’ perspective, Crosby vs. Ovechkin is a long anticipated matchup.

By Eileen

January 19, 2009 6:12 PM | Link to this

I went to Nashville this weekend. I encountered nothing but really nice people. A couple of them even welcomed us to Nashville. The fans do not cut their players any slack. Lots of boos and sarcastic applause. What struck me was how beautiful Philips area is in comparison to the Sommet Center. No frills. It reminded me of a college arena except for the great scoreboard. The Thrashers looked a little surprised to see so many Thrasher fans during the warm up.

By dhj_1962

January 20, 2009 4:27 PM | Link to this

EILEEN: WIN, AND THEY WILL COME