AJC > Sports Thrashers > Blog > Archives > 2008 > March > 06
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Releasing Some Frustrations
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“There’s Still A Chance” Talk Silenced
Let’s see, out-shot 14-3 in the first period, out-shot overall 37-24, out-hit, gave up 6 goals, scored 3. The “must-win” game pretty much looked liked most of the previous 67.
Eight losses in a row, haven’t won a game since Feb. 15. Haven’t won a regulation game since Feb. 2…only five such wins since Christmas.
Moving right along….
Beast Reams Team
The game was played the day after associate coach Brad McCrimmon blew a gasket on the team during practiced then sent them all to their rooms without supper! Not a lot of players were in the mood to chat about it afterwards, but from the accounts given by those in attendance it seems as though McCrimmon was unsatisfied with the effort being given during a drill that was underway.
I wonder if it was the ‘ol, “How to win a must-win game” drill.
Not second guessing McCrimmon here at all, but were it me…I wouldn’t have done them the favor of sending the team off the ice for inattentiveness in class the day prior to a game as important as last night’s. I would have had them doing suicides and Russian circles until they spilled their breakfast on the ice, squeegeed it off and run them some more. Instill some discipline, ya know. But hey… that’s just me.
In fairness to the coach, uh…associate coach, this has been quite a disappointing season and he probably just sensed a certain lack of intensity he felt should have been present.
Waddell Reams Ref
For those of you at Philips or those watching via Center Ice, (the greatest thing on God’s Green earth)…you were able to witness a verbal tirade unleashed by Don Waddell during Wednesday’s loss. The focus of his ire was not at his under-performing team, rather the official that appeared to return to the ice after the second break with his whistle stuffed up his…well, somewhere…because it wasn’t at his disposal at a critical time.
See, Garnet Exelby had just played the puck back into the glove of Atlanta goalie Johan Hedberg to stop play. With Hurricane players surrounding the Thrasher net like flies on an Islanders jersey everyone with an ounce of hockey sense expected the play to be blown dead. Well, the cerebrally challenged individual in the striped shirt instructed Moose to play the puck and threatened him with a delay of game penalty if he didn’t.
Hedberg played it, seconds later it’s in the net after bouncing off Exelby.
Waddell almost busted a vein spewing venomous verbiage at the zebra…. I mean he exploded on the Bozo! And I say good for you Don, you were well within your rights! I’ve seen, you’ve seen, we have all seen this type of play a thousand times in a NHL game and the ref allows for the play to stop.
Come to think of it, maybe it wasn’t a whistle stuck up there…it was probably his head.
And Then It Was Moose’s Turn
With the Thrashers trailing Carolina late in the game, and the team desperately in need of 2 points, the move was made to pull Hedberg for the extra attacker. However, before he could reach the bench Staal stripped the puck from Zhitnik as he attempted to cross Carolina’s blueline. The puck was then flipped into the empty net from center ice as Moose tried to get back.
His goalie stick paid the price as Hedberg took his frustrations out on the glass.
Frustrating night, following a frustrating practice near the end of a frustrating year. And the team, the GM and the coaches released some of the steam caused by the frustration.
Maybe the end of the year this is not all that will be “released”.
Carolina Doing Just Fine, Post-Brind-A’mour
On Valentines Day last month, Hurricanes captain Rod Brind-A’mour left the game with a season-ending injury. Some people, yours truly included, thought that their hopes for the post-season left with him. He is, after all, their star center and captain plus the team had lost 3 of their previous 5 games prior to the 14th.
However, including that game, they have gone 7-2-1 since. In doing so, they have allowed only 27.6 shots on goal during that time.
If they do wind up the Southeast Division champs, it will be done as a total team effort and in spite of circumstances that would crush a lesser team.
And Finally
It was very nice to meet Angie and Karen last night…two very nice Thrasher-babes!
