AJC > Sports Thrashers > Blog > Archives > 2007 > December > 27
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Thrashers Get Lump of Coal from Columbus
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’m Getting’ Nuttin’ For Christmas
OK, so it wasn’t on Christmas, but the day after, that the Atlanta Thrashers got nothing in Columbus as they lost to the Blue Jackets 2-0. It was the seventh time Atlanta has laid a goose egg on the scoreboard this season so far. On the other side of the ice, it was the seventh time Pascal Leclaire has posted a shut out. Both stats lead the NHL.
Columbus’ defense did a great job playing the role of Ebenezer Scrooge, locking down the Thrashers offense, and then sending them away with a lump of coal in their blue stockings. There were no breakaways for Atlanta all night and they were able to only get away 21 shots on goal. Ilya Kovalchuk was held without a shot for the first 43-1/2 minutes, finishing with only 2. To properly illustrate how well the Blue Jackets shut down our attack, tied with Marian Hossa for most SOGs for the visiting Thrashers with 4 was none other than Alexei Zhitnik. Folks, he has played much better defense of late, but when #77 takes 38% of your shots, things are just un-good!
Really about the only highlight the Thrashers provided for us Bluelanders came half way through the second period. Jari Novotny was attempting a pass during a breakaway as he skated through center ice when his stick crumbled much like I did attempting to ask Debbie Hesslefielder out on a date in the 11th grade. Only seconds before that same stick had been used to block a Kovalchuck shot from the point and it was severely damaged. Interesting way to stop a fast break, eh?.
It would be a stretch to pin this loss of Kari Lehtonen as he stopped 26 of 28 shots he faced, (a .929 SV%). After all, it was his fifth straight game that he let up only 2 goals. How can he be praised for playing great during a 6-2 win, called “outstanding” in four consecutive 3-2 wins, but be lambasted for a 2-0 loss. If Kari posts a 2.00 GA/A from this point on, we will be in the playoffs. If not, it won’t be his fault.
The loss in Columbus was due to the Blue Jackets’ playing great team defense and our offense not being able to do anything about it. Period.
Time to move on…
Panther Swing Into Philips
Tonight the Florida Panthers invade Philips. The winner will be a scant 2 points off the pace behind division front-runner Carolina, (a 4-2 loser to the Rangers last night). Now, there really isn’t anything spectacular about Florida…average amount of goals allowed, 22nd in the league in goals scored per game, penalty kill is midland, their power play is good at 20.6%, and it come as little surprise that their leading scorer is Olli Jokinen who’s 19 goals and 37 points has him at 21st in the league. But the Panthers are one of those teams that seem to just hang around in the standing. Let ‘em do so long enough and it could be troublesome.
Tough to call any game a “swing” game in late December, however, as I stated above, the winner tonight will sit in sole possession of second in the division and, depending how other games result, could be in a tie with Buffalo for 7th place in the conference. Conversely, the loser will find themselves with two teams to climb over for the division lead and possibly in 13th place in the conference should the Flyers beat Toronto.
That’s a bit of a swing I would say.
Seeing Double
If you take a gander at the up-coming schedule, you’ll be seeing double. And that’s BEFORE your first New Years Eve cocktail. A game Saturday night against the Boston Bruins is followed up Monday afternoon with one in Boston. Then there is a game on the second day of January in Carolina followed up two nights later with the Hurricanes in Philips. Fast-forward a couple of weeks and you’ll see two straight games against the Rangers in MSG just prior to the All-Star break.
Umm…seriously Occifer…I haven’t been drinking…hic…I was just looking at the Thrashers sche…burp….uh, schedule.
Post-Post Edit: Zhitnik’s four shots on goal amount to about 19% of the team total. 38% would be counting Hossa’s as well.
