AJC > Sports Thrashers > Blog > Archives > 2007 > November > 24 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USDevils and Penguins and Whiners, (Oh, My)
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
After reading some of the comments following Friday night’s game against New Jersey I had to rub my eyes, scratch my head and review what I THOUGHT was true regarding the Thrashers recent play. Had Atlanta lost four in a row coming into the game against the Devils? No, those were wins. Had they lost 7 of the previous 8 before they took to the ice at Philips? Ah, no…quite the opposite. Losing streaks lately? Nope…not one time since Don Waddell took the reigns behind the bench have the Thrashers lost more than one consecutive game, (think what you will about him but them there’s the facts). Had our team been out scored 34-23 in the month of November going into Friday’s game? Negative.
So, good, my mind hasn’t degraded as much with my aging as I had thought, (whew)!
The way I saw the game Friday night was that Atlanta got sucked into a classic New Jersey Devils type of game. Put Marty Brodeur in the goal, get a lead by hook or by crook, close off the middle and … s l o w … everything down. They took their lead on a less-then-highlight-type goal by Rod Pelley in the second period, added to it a 5-3 power play goal and then limited the Thrashers chances to almost nothing. Kovy had a point blank shot stymied by Brodeur just after New Jersey’s second goal and Pascal Dupuis’ breakaway attempt with nine minutes left in the third met the same fate via the left skate of Marty the Magnificent. New Jersey’s defense didn’t force him to make too many saves, (22 in fact), but when he was called upon, he came through for them.
Hard loss? Absolutely, especially in front of a sellout crowd that was stoked to cheer on the Boys of Blueland that night. But the disappointment experienced in that game is not the norm of late…rather it is the exception. So, let me prepare everyone for a dose of reality; there are 4 months left in the season and, brace yourselves, there is the great likelihood that Atlanta will indeed lose at least a couple more games along the way. One loss after four straight wins does not equate to falling skies. Let the team lose three or four in a row or seven out of ten before commencing with the whaling and gnashing of teeth about the players or Don Waddell.
Fortunately for the Thrashers, the schedule has afforded them a chance at redemption tonight in Pittsburgh. Ah, Scarlett O’Hara was indeed correct, “Tomorrow is another day”.
Tonight’s game pits two of the NHL’s biggest stars on the ice, Ilya Kovalchuk and Sidney Crosby. Kovy enters the match with 19 goals, (leads the league), and 33 points while the Penguins’ top scorer has 11 goals and 20 assists. Not to be ignored is Evgeni Malkin’s 9 goals and 20 helpers.
Atlanta catches the Pens as Pittsburgh is slumping a bit, (3-6-1 in their past 10). However, they are fresh off a shootout win in Ottawa. The Thrashers are also playing to remain in the thick of the conference playoff standings as their 22 points tie them with Tampa, New Jersey and the Islanders for 8th place. Two of those two teams, the Lightning and Devils, square off tonight down in Tampa. Also, with Florida’s win last night, Atlanta has fallen into third place and need a win to leap back over the Panthers for second in the division standings.
Lastly, there is this All Star balloting issue being highlighted in tonight’s match up. When the NHL released the vote count, Crosby led the east tally with 94,118. Kovalchuk sits at seventh among forwards with 26,628. Folks, the leading goal scorer in the league to-date needs to start. So…get out there and vote!!!!
Comments
Commenting is now closed for this entry.
By Tom
November 24, 2007 10:41 AM | Link to this
First and still annoying…
By Brendan
November 24, 2007 11:28 AM | Link to this
RAWHIDE, I want to apologize for a double post. I don’t do this often. Here it is, again:
After 22 games last year, The Ottawa Senators’ record was 10-11-1. Point of fact, Atlanta is doing better than Ottawa at this same point last season. On November 17, 2006, Ottawa was four (4) games under .500, with a record of 7-11-1. The Ottawa Senators would not definitively climb over .500 until December 27, 2006. Which, if you think about it, is more than a month away from where the Thrashers are now in 2007.
I’m hardly suggesting that Atlanta will go on to 105-points and win the Eastern Conference in the playoffs, like the Senators did last year. But as “facts” about last year’s Conference Champions stare us plainly in the face, there is at some recent historical precedent that, indeed, it is possible to overcome “mediocre” starts and rise to tremendous success.
Is there a Senators fan here at this message board? Lurking, perhaps? Silent all these months. Well, let me ask you something, my “lurking friend.” Your team in 2006 was the #1 seed. When they got eliminated by Buffalo in the second round and began the 2006-07 season four games under .500, beeee honest, you thought it was all falling to pieces, didn’t you? Answering truthfully, would you have thought your team would win the Eastern Conference later that year?
We don’t know what will happen with our Thrashers. Hopefully, in a month, we won’t still be hovering around .500. But just think, folks. That’s exactly what happened to Conference Champions last year. And it all worked out for them. So, please let’s not throw a team 11-5-0 in its last 16 games under the bus just yet. Deal?
By Hockey fan
November 24, 2007 11:32 AM | Link to this
A win is a win, and bottom line is the Devils won and the Thrashers won. The Devils scored two goals, and the first goal was a thing of beauty, or maybe the Thrashers goalie isn’t as good as everyone says he is. How did the Devils try and slow the game down yesterday? If you ask Brent Sutter, the Devils head coach he would say he doesn’t want the team to play that style that they used to do. He wants them to be more aggressive and in your face hockey. And lets pretend that the Devils still do play that “Slow down the game style”, who cares, why are you making a big deal about it. If that style of play beats you, why dont you try it out. Maybe the Thrashers can win a game. The bigger question is why didnt the Thrashers score? With your all-star Kovalchuck and Hossa, the Devils did a pretty good job of shutting them out. I reccomend you actually watch a few Devils games when you have the time before you write anything more about the Devils and giving out false information to your readers.
By R. Stroz
November 24, 2007 11:40 AM | Link to this
The sellout jinx has returned.
By The other Bob
November 24, 2007 11:46 AM | Link to this
Thrasher Fan - Don’t know where you were last night or what you were watching,…but that’s just how the Devils beat Atlanta. Got a cheapy,…locked down the middle. I don’t think it was a complaint about how they won, just acknowledging THAT they won and how.
While it may be true that New Jersey is looking to play a different style then that “classic” Devils style, it was on display last night, to their credit.
By Hockeyfan
November 24, 2007 11:57 AM | Link to this
Dont you hate it when some idiot steals your id to post a lame post?
We have the same points as NJ (but with fewer wins)and we dont have an overweight goalie that had an affair with his sister-in-law… I’ll take the Thrashers Mr. Imposter now and at the end of the season.
By The other Bob
November 24, 2007 12:08 PM | Link to this
…and I then called him Thrasher Fan - my bad, it’s “Hockey fan”.
By R. Stroz
November 24, 2007 12:17 PM | Link to this
The other Bob - You should have called him Richard Cranium.
By Brian
November 24, 2007 12:29 PM | Link to this
Yeah it was a loss. But, the first goal was such a fluke. The other thing is that the second goal came when they had a 5-3 POWER PLAY against us, so I am not hopping on this bandwagon that Moose blew it. And you can’t blame him for the empty-netter.
Let Kovy keep roaming, I’m with whoever said they’ll take his one game every three weeks that he doesn’t produce. I also want to say that Brodeur made an excellent save on Pascal Dupuis on that breakaway to keep the game away from us. I didn’t catch it when it first happened, but when I saw the replay on the jumbotron Brodeur stuck his pad out there and made a brilliant save. On that note, what a blessing Dupuis is. Fast guy that plays on the checking line and gets opportunities like that. Should’ve been a goal.
Brendan - great analogy to Ottawa. I’ll take that season they had for us in a heartbeat.
My dish got knocked out, where’s a good place to watch the game tonight???
By R. Stroz
November 24, 2007 12:38 PM | Link to this
Brian - Slapshots is a great place to watch a hockey game if you want to get hit on by the waitress and listen to some rednecks yodel karaoke all at one venue.
By Brian
November 24, 2007 12:48 PM | Link to this
Stroz - you are classic, as well there’s an added bonus that they won’t have any singing tonight. I am in if you are. I was just wondering if they would have it on any tv’s with college football in full gear tonight.
P.S. - I am just glad Rawhide finally caught on to the X comments…
By R. Stroz
November 24, 2007 12:56 PM | Link to this
Brian - Rawhide was jealous that the X wasn’t hitting on him.
By puckjunque
November 24, 2007 1:53 PM | Link to this
Allright Everyone, I NEED lots of AMENS tonight!!! Let’s hear em’
Bow your heads, hands joined on your keyboards
Oh Heavenly Father, Thank you for the many blessings you have bestowed upon the Thrashers, please allow them the ability to move on with greater wisdom and strength as we engage an opponent that needs to be shown who the better man is. Please guide the Thrashers to fiercely outscore, dominate and kick some penguin a$$ tonight!! AMEN!!
By Brian
November 24, 2007 2:16 PM | Link to this
puckjunque - my most sincere apologies for not adding my hallelujah to the chorus of amens yesterday. So, I will give you an even better hallelujah today.
By puckjunque
November 24, 2007 2:31 PM | Link to this
That’s more like it! Amen
If you go to Slapshots tonight, remember not to burn any bridges with the wait staff. We Thrasher Fans have so little options.
By Brian
November 24, 2007 2:42 PM | Link to this
puckjunque - burning bridges??? The way I see it, I am helping us get moved up the priority list…
By R. Stroz
November 24, 2007 2:55 PM | Link to this
It’s Brian’s fault that the Thrashers lost last night: no hallelujah, no win.
If puckjunque does the prayer, Brian the least you can do is get the hallelujah in on time.
By Francesco Sinibaldi
November 24, 2007 2:56 PM | Link to this
The wing and a fine time.
Listening to the sound of a delicate hovel, and recalling a wonder, I see magic profiles near the heart of a luminous pine-tree; the wind fades away, the care of a blackbird describes and emotion and always, in silence, your beautiful mind returns in the sky.
http://www.newsturkish.com/discboard/viewtopic.php?t=49
Francesco Sinibaldi
By Brian
November 24, 2007 3:14 PM | Link to this
Francesco Sinibaldi - ???
If I may offer a rebuttal more appropriate for this blog
By PJ
November 24, 2007 3:35 PM | Link to this
I don’t know about Franco’s attachment, perhaps a little artsy fartsy for a hockey blog but Brian…..That’s Caddyshack!….Do I win?
By Brian
November 24, 2007 4:42 PM | Link to this
puckjunque - you don’t win, it just means you’re one of us. Then again, if you’re one of us, how can you not win???
By Rawhide
November 24, 2007 4:45 PM | Link to this
A-FREAKIN’-MEN!!!! Great job, PJ.
Now let’s go POUND the PENGUINS!!
Caddyshack!!! What a hoot!
By Tony C.
November 24, 2007 4:57 PM | Link to this
AMEN!
By PJ
November 24, 2007 5:25 PM | Link to this
Rawhide When you need a teacher for the phylosophy 101 class I believe Brian is ready to fill those shoes. In the meantime maybe he would be better off applying his sensitivity training at Slapshots.
By Brian
November 24, 2007 6:35 PM | Link to this
Would you people stop already?!?!?! I’m not Buzzilla!!!
By Peapod
November 24, 2007 8:07 PM | Link to this
“Let the team lose three or four in a row or seven out of ten…”
Please, don’t ever say that again, in any context. :)
By Brendan
November 25, 2007 2:52 AM | Link to this
That was the late Ted Knight, I believe. When it came time to buy my very first DVD, I was at SunCoast Video at Gwinnett Place Mall, lo those many, many years ago. I pondered how I should begin my collection. Then, it came to me in a flash. I asked the manager, “Do you have ‘Caddyshack?’ I’m buying my first-ever DVD, and I want to start out on the right foot. The manager, a male in his mid-30’s, smiled from ear to ear and said, “Dude, just for saying that, I’m gonna give you a 15% discount. The ‘Shack’ is required viewing for any collection of DVD’s.”