AJC > Sports Thrashers > Blog > Archives > 2007 > December > 17
Monday, December 17, 2007
Tampa Bay and Other Assorted Tidbits
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Getting Back At It Against the Bolts:
Ok, we’ve had a couple of days to pout about the 7-3 loss in Ottawa that extended the losing streak to four games. It’s time to get back to the business of once again climbing out from near the bottom of the conference and up the ladder towards playoff positioning.
The Tampa bay Lightning hit town Tuesday night at 14-16-3, two points ahead of Atlanta. The Thrashers are 2-2-0 vs. the Bolts earning 4 of a possible 8 but giving back 5. Tampa Bay scores a decent amount of goals, 3.00 per game in fact, which is good enough for 7th best in the league. However, they give up a bunch too. Currently they have allowed 107 goals in 33 games, which translates to 3.24 per game. Only the Boys of Blueland surrender more, 3.47 per game.
When last the two engaged in on-ice pleasantries, the Thrashers won a 5-4 overtime thriller on Todd White’s goal. The hometown skaters had scored twice in the last five minutes to send the match to the extra period via goals by Ilya Kovalchuk and Bryan Little, (remember him)?
We will see some changes to the line up as Don Waddell has chosen to split up Kovy and Marian Hossa for now. Mark Recchi will skate with Kovalchuk and White while Hoss backs up to the second line with Slava Kozlov and Eric Perrin. The hope being that it will produce two strong scoring lines and give Kozlov a better chance to step up his game. Personally, I welcome the move.
Hard to say who will be in the net Tuesday night, Kari Lehtonen is 4-4-2 in 11 starts vs. the Lightning with a 2.58 GAA and .920 SV%. The Moose is 5-5-1 with 3.31 GAA and .878 SV% in 14 games, 12 of them being starts. Maybe you lean toward Kari…maybe.
Other Items of Discussion:
Brett Sterling is playing like he wants to get another shot at playing at Philips. Since going down on the farm he has netted 15 goals and 24 points in 19 games.
The Atlanta Thrashers win 100% of the games in which they lead after the first period. They also win 100% of their games when they outshoot their opponents, (that’s happened, what 3-4 times)? Also, Atlanta wins 88.9% of their games when they hold a lead after two periods and 81.8% of the time when they score the first goal of the game. Hint to Thrashers: Shoot more and get early leads.
The Thrashers are winning 50.2% of face offs. That puts them better then most at 12th in the league.
Reading Assignments:
Here is a nice write up on To-BEE-us Enstrom from NHL.coms’s Dan Rosen. Drafted 239th and playing like a No. 1.
Here’s one on Kovalchuk from Steve Simmons of the Toronto Star. Check out who Kovy “points out” as his one of his favorite players.
Quote of the Day:
General Manager and Head Coach Don Waddell after Saturday’s 7-3 spanking in Ottawa, “We gave up that early goal and it’s almost like we were early on where we’ve become fragile again”…Uh, Don… “Almost”?
