AJC > Sports > Thrashers > Blog > Archives > 2009 > February > 17
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
No defense, but 4 for 4
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’ve written three very upbeat stories about the last two games. Two focused on the offense the Thrashers showed in beating Anaheim 8-4 and Los Angeles 7-6 in a shootout. The other, to be posted today, is about the success the rookie defensive pair of Zach Bogosian and Nathan Oystrick had in the first game post-Mathieu Schneider.
I didn’t write about giving up 10 goals in two games. That comes tomorrow. I figure when the Thrashers get four points from back-to-back road games, I need to take one of the rare opportunities a Thrashers beat reporter gets to write about some things going right.
But since a few of you commented about Johan Hedberg’s pre-shootout play Monday night, I will address that here. He didn’t have a good game, but it was far from awful. The guy faced 45 shots. Fixing that is the bigger issue.
Realistically, Hedberg is the bridge to the Thrashers’ future. It’s not time to burn that bridge. Here is why you want Hedberg as your No. 2 goalie the rest of this season:
—You want Ondrej Pavelec to play more than he would if he were Kari Lehtonen’s backup.
—You want Pavelec to experience some more success before you bring him back to the NHL. The worst thing you can do for the long term is rush him to the league and ruin his confidence. Yes, he played games in the NHL last season and this season. But he’s 21.
Do those of you in the dump Hedberg camp remember how Pavelec looked when he was with the Thrashers this season? Inconsistent as heck. Young. Athletic but not fundamentally sound. Give him a chance to fix those things in Chicago, away from the bright lights of the NHL.
Hedberg is an excellent presence in the room with a top-notch work ethic. A great goalie? No. A useful and valuable piece for the team right now, when it is not contending for a playoff spot? Sure.
Hedberg is under contract for next season, too, but I could see the calculus changing over the summer. There’s an argument for starting the season with Pavelec and Lehtonen and giving the younger guy a chance to put some pressure on the still-young guy. But that’s a discussion for the summer.
By the way, this blog will be moving to our new, improved platform on Saturday. The link from our ajc.com/thrashers page will work, but if you have bookmarked this blog directly you will need to update. I’ll post the URL here.
