AJC > Sports Thrashers > Blog > Archives > 2007 > April > 06
Friday, April 6, 2007
A banner night
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
What a great night. A franchise-record for wins, a division championship (if Florida can hold this 6-0 lead) and a smiling Ilya Kovalchuk lighting the lamp.
Didn’t we just know he’d score a goal tonight? And 3:31 into the game … it just proves that the dude can basically score at will. He just needs to find that will a little more often in the very near future.
Folks, this team earned this division title. As a franchise, it suffered through a rough infancy and some unseen setbacks. We had the All-Star Game pulled out from under our feet in the lost season of ‘04-05 and the playoffs jerked away at the last minute last season.
And this grueling stretch run has tested their mental fortitude.
But the rewards are rich. The playoffs will begin right here in Atlanta. The road to the Stanley Cup originates here.
Now for the tough question: Who’s your goalie? I’ll be honest. I could argue it either way. Lehtonen is the franchise goalie. Hedberg has been a supremely clutch player in some of the biggest games of the year.
You might think it’s a no-brainer. But some of you might think it’s a no-brainer for one guy and some of you might think it’s a no-brainer for the other. (I think I know where stendec stands.)
I’ll withhold my opinion. For now.
