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Saturday, September 23, 2006
By David Vecsey
| Saturday, September 23, 2006, 05:31 PM
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Big game tonight.
Actually, I had kind of forgotten there was a game tonight until I saw the jerseys outside Philips on my way into work. Preseason doesn’t really register like it used to … besides, I hate trying to interpret things that happen in preseason games in terms of what it means for the regular season. Although, you can get a good feel for how a guy looks, his timing, etc … moreso than in other sports, I think.
I’ll try to catch a bit on the radio; I want to hear how Odgers comes off as a broadcaster.
Was glad to see so many responses to my first post; I wasn’t sure how long it would take for people to see the Thrashers blog was up and running again. You guys certainly seem primed and ready to go.
Here are some quick responses to your thoughts:
I hear you on Savard’s liabilities. He was undisciplined at all the wrong times; how many slashes did he get called for in the offensive zone last season? I know he’s a frustrating player. But I also think the things that make him frustrating are the same things that make him valuable. You could say the same things about Ilya. — God I hate it when he overbites in the neutral zone and gets caught out of position for an odd-man rush … but man do I love it when he nudges that puck away from somebody and creates a breakaway. — It’s a two-way street. I feel the same way about Savard. I can accept his transgressions because his flightiness is what made him a creative offensive player.
I’m not saying he’s Gretzky. I’m just saying we didn’t come close to replacing his offensive numbers. If either Metropolit or Krog score more than 50 points this season, I’ll be surprised. Metropolit has 47 points in 103 career games; Krog has 52 in 175. Combined, that’s two more points than Savard had LAST SEASON. So I think it’s a little early to start saying these two guys are going to step in and fill the void. I hope they do, I just wouldn’t bet on it. Heck, I’ll be surprised if Rucchin checks in with more than 50. Again, I hope he does, but the pessimist in me says he won’t.
I agree on the reader’s comment on Havelid. He did have a nice season, and I should show him a little more respect. I’m going to really watch him early this season to get a good feel for his game. That said, I still don’t think you’d even think about putting his name among the elite defensemen in the league. Comparing his minutes to Pronger’s is a pretty easy out … I don’t think it reflects on their impact in a game. But, again, I’ll be happy to be wrong on this. Make me look bad, Nic.
Did somebody really suggest that I was ‘exagerating Lehtonen’s impact’? It’s not possible. This kid is the next big thing, and everybody knows it. I’ll give the other reader the point about it being too early to compare Lehtonen with Brodeur, it definitely is. But I was actually comparing their aggressive style of play. They’re both goalies who can control the tempo of a game; they don’t just block pucks and see what happens next, they send it to the corners, they start rushes the other way … and most important, they dictate the shots that are taken on them. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen NHL players less confident on penalty shots then when they were facing Lehtonen in shootouts last season. The Thrashers were horrible on shootouts themselves for the first half of the season, and I don’t think it’s a coincidence that they started winning all their shootouts once Lehtonen was on board.
Big game tonight. Maybe we’ll check in later. Keep your comments coming.
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