AJC > Sports Thrashers > Blog > Archives > 2008 > March
March 2008
Blueland Bargain Basement Bonanza
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Howdy folks…welcome to the BLUELAND BARGAIN BASEMENT BONANZA!!!
That’s right! The thump you just experienced was the elevator in which you were riding landing smack dab in the basement of the standings! Occupying the space here with the Thrashers are the Tampa Bay Lightning and Los Angeles Kings. Technically, we are a couple points better then they are…but given the way things are going, we should soon have the entire bottom level to ourselves!
If you get lost during your stay, please seek out Bruce Levenson and he will be sure to have you “moving in the right direction”… right back down here!
Before we begin, I simply must thank our good friends Spector at Fox Sports and Scott Burnside of ESPN for getting the word out about what is going on down here!! Great job, guys!
Now, we are holding a clearance sale here at the Quad “B” and we have a plethora of items that SIMPLY MUST GO!!! So, step right up and, please, no crowding…we’ll make sure to point out everything of interest!!!!
First…In need of an aging, slow defender? Why, we have just the thing for you! Today we have the Alexei Zhitnik special where the original price of $3.5M has been slashed…that’s right, SLASHED to an amazing $1M….that’s…ONE MILLLLLLL-ION DOLLARS!
Any takers?…Anyone?… Oh come on! This particular piece of stock cost us Braydon Coburn, for crying out loud! Certainly someone has need for this!…Nothing?….OK, ok…$19.95! AND we’ll throw in the new Rhinestone Stud Applicator and Knife Set from Ronco!
And now…step right this way. You need a turnstile? A tollbooth attendant? We got ‘em both! Just choose from any number of Thrasher defenders. They’ll stand by as traffic flows through them…never once detaining anyone at an entrance, a freeway…or a blueline!
Aaa-Aaaa… No, no, no lady…hands off Enstrom. He’s not going anywhere! There are plenty others to choose from.
Next up…oh, and THIS is a dandy! Yes, indeed!! Have you ever thought to yourself, “Self, I need me something that will help keep items of value looking as good as new”? Well…we’ve got just what you’re looking for…guaranteed to keep anything you have looking as new as the day you got it!
Uh-huh! It’s the Don Waddell Product Preservation System!!!!!
That’s right, place Don Waddell in charge of managing your car, your home, your surround sound home theater system…or expansion NHL franchise… and ten years later…there is no real difference in it’s appearance than the first few years you had it!!!
Coulda used this the day I got married! Hahahaha…..ha…sigh. Tough crowd.
Sure…all things age, even improve. But with the Don Waddell Product Preservation System, anything that allows the product to shows signs of aging, even improvement that come with such aging as the years go by, will be cast off!
That NHL franchise of yours got a coach that improves the team every year he’s behind the bench? Not to worry…the DWPPS will step in and return the product back to its original luster and shine!
Compare for yourself…Thrashers of ’07-’08…Thrashers of circa ’00-’01…you see if you can tell the difference!
Anyway, act now and we will throw in, at no extra charge, his 17 whole regulation wins in JUST 73 games as acting head coach this season alone! Yes, obviously this is a team he put together himself!
So folks…today in the Blueland Bargain Basement Bonanza the Don Waddell system…simply HAS GOT TO GO!
Once again, thank you for shopping at the Quad “B”. Take your time gang! Shop around! We will be open all summer as we need to make room for next season’s product!!
Next year’s NEW and IMPROVED product, that is…After all, the owners of Blueland are indeed actually committed to improving their product, aren’t they?
Kari Backs Up Emotion With Action
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Kari Steals One
Kari Lehtonen has got to be thinking that the big Thrasher logo on his jersey is nothing but a giant bulls-eye to opposing teams. For the second time in as many games, and third time in the past four, the defense in front of him allowed 40+ shots to get through on goal. Thursday night, however, Atlanta snuck out of south Florida with a 3-2 victory thanks in great part to the work of the Finnish net-minder.
He had to manage his way through four Panther power plays in the first period to buy time for the offense to show some life. It paid off with eight seconds remaining in the opening session as Bobby Holik sent Atlanta to the locker room with a lead.
Lehts was lights-out and his stellar effort was great to watch. He faced 45 shots, all evenly space through the periods 15-14-16. If you think about it, that works out to having to make a stop every minute and twenty seconds during the game. And that’s just the shots ON goal…it doesn’t count all the near misses and heavy traffic in his midst. All in all, it made for a very busy night!
Maybe he is also starting to wonder if it’s no small coincidence that there is no “D” in Atlanta Thrashers.
Before surrendering a goal with seconds remaining in the game, the only other puck that found it’s way past Kari was on a break by Florida’s Nathan Horton halfway through the second period. It was set up when the Thrashers were caught flat of foot in the neutral zone and Horton made a nice move at the blueline entering the zone.
Regardless, great job Kari…especially since your defense in front of you continues to play like horse….horse…uh, horse something or other.
Little Effort
Not to be overlooked by Kari’s play is Bryan Little’s effort that led to the Thrashers’ second goal of the game. Deep into the third period he took on a Panther defender, won the puck and fed a perfect pass to Mark Recchi after looping behind the net. It was the type of aggressive play that has not been seen too often of late.
As gloomy as this season has turned out, he is one of the bright spots and I’m looking forward to seeing more of him in the seasons to come.
Long Time Coming
Thursday Night’s win in Sunrise, Florida was only the seventeenth regulation win of the season for the Thrashers in 78 games. It was only the fourth since the All Star break and the first on the road since Kari Lehtonen shut out the Washington Capitals 2-0 back on February 2.
The win keeps alive the possibility that Atlanta could still finish as high as 13th in the conference.
(sigh)…I know, I know.
Short Attention Span Blog
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Here are a few “quick shot” topics to roll with:
It’s Like Deja vu All Over Again
The Thrashers go into Thursday’s game in Florida riding a five-game losing streak. Yes, they had an eight-game slide a few weeks back, but this one is five regulation losses in as many games. The last time that happened, of course, was at the beginning of the season…and then they then went on to lose their sixth consecutive.
Hmmm, what happened after that? Oh yeah…
Anyway, here is a quick comparison of the two streaks:
Back then the team was outscored 23-9. The current streak: 20-10.
Back then the team was outshot 110-173, (-64). The current streak: 113-187, (-74).
Might Be The First, Probably Not The Last
Ross McKeon of Yahoo Sports has posted a power ranking which places the Thrashers el-deadlasto. It’s the first such ranking that has come out recently that I have seen putting Atlanta at the bottom…but I’m sure it won’t be the last given how the Thrashers are…moving in the right direction…toward the league basement.
He poses a very good question in his comment for the home team.
To Touch Or Not To Touch
By now most of you have seen the injury that was sustained by Minnesota Wild’s defenseman Kurtis Foster last week as he was racing to the puck with San Jose Shark rookie Torrey Mitchell on an icing play. Foster’s left leg was broken in the collision.
The incident has spurred the conversation regarding whether or not the NHL should move toward modifying it’s icing rule, possibly going to a “no touch” policy. That would mean that icing would be called once the puck crossed the line, thus eliminating such chases and possible collisions.
While that would no doubt reduce injuries, I am not sold on the idea. This is the big league, after all, and I think players need to play. Taking away the full-tilt races to the boards to touch up or prevent an icing would remove one aspect of the game in which the speed and skating skill of the players are on full display.
In the kid’s league, no touch icing is acceptable due to the fact we don’t want our young-uns injured in such a fashion, but at this level … I say let ‘em race to it!
What’s your take?
Ducks Lay A Goose Egg
Did anyone catch the end of the Ducks-Sharks game last Friday? It was an exciting 2-1 win for San Jose in the Shark Tank. Jeremy Roenick scored the game winner at the 1:12 mark of the third and then the San Jose defense shut down the defending Stanley Cup champs the rest of the way.
And I mean SHUT THEM DOWN!
As in… ZERO, nuthin’, na-da, goose egg, zilch, bumpkis… NO shots on goal for the entire third period. The Sharks’ D said, “You’ll get NOTHING and LIKE IT”!
And we thought only getting off two against Washington was bad!
Now there is a defense I’m looking forward to watching in the playoffs.
Which brings me to…
Rawhide’s Playoff Team Adoption Center
OK, the Thrashers aren’t going into the playoffs but this blog is. So, whom are you going to be following into the spring tournament for Lord Stanley’s Cup?
Me…I love the Sharks out west. That team plays awesome team defense, as illustrated above, and only strengthened that blueline with the addition of Brian Campbell. Only Detroit gives up fewer goals per game, their penalty kill is 85.2 efficient, (second in the league), they give up only 24.1 shots a game, (that’s a third period for Atlanta), and Evgeni Nabokov is currently 43-20-8 with a 2.13 GAA and a .910 SV%. (These stats are prior to their game Tuesday night).
Sure, Detroit is the powerhouse, statistically speaking, and the Flames are always a sentimental favorite with me…but it looks like the Sharks are peaking at just the right time as they have gone 9-0-1 going into the game with the Coyotes.
In the east… I am very interested in seeing how Hossa and Dupuis do with Crosby and Co. and given the way Washington is playing right now they could cause problems for anyone if they get in.
But Montreal has my eye right now. Their power play is deadly…24.2% efficient and leads the league. The Habs traded away veteran net-minder Cristobal Huet to the Caps at the trade deadline, so they’re are placing a lot on the shoulders of 20 year old Carey Price. However the kid looks like he’s up to it as he is sporting a 20-12-3 record with a 2.71 GAA and .915 SV%.
So there…I’m out on the limb now with the Sharks and Canadiens as my adopted teams this spring.
There are plenty of others…who are you taking in?
Now, About Friday Night…
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
OK, the blog party is over…time to get back at it. Everyone please make sure to clean up after themselves so that the maid and janitor don’t bill me for overtime…Sara, as always, the brownies were great. But after eating a couple of them I had the strange urge to put on some Pink Floyd and contemplate the similarities between the solar system/galaxy make-up and atom/molecular structuring. Strange, huh? Five_Hole, awesome job with tunes selections and the requests were great too … Oh, and Smoothie, you can take the lampshade off your head now.
Now, there is this little matter regarding last Friday’s game. You remember that, don’t you…or did you erase its memory by way of mass consumption of adult beverages? If that’s the case, you may want to have another shot of Alka-Seltzer nearby ‘cuz believe me brothah… it wasn’t pretty!
Everything started out well enough…there was a goodly-sized crowd on hand, 18,562 was the official number and most were actually in attendance. The Thrashers played well early on against a Capital team still scrapping for its playoff life. Atlanta was being outshot, albeit not by an ungodly amount, through the first period and a half. The home team had taken a 1-0 deficit and turned it into a 3-1 lead thanks in part to a Tobias Enstrom slapper on the….POWER PLAY!!! …(sigh)…Anyway, Jimmy Slater then followed it up with two breakaway style goals…one of the shorthanded variety and both set up wonderfully by feeds from Eric Perrin.
The boys in blue left the ice for the second intermission to applause and cheers from the assembled masses. They were up by two and playing well…check that…very well. Kari had stopped 21 of 22 shots and looked sharp doing so. The crowd was into it…oh, they knew the team was in the twilight of an unmitigated disaster of a season, but for this night they were being treated to a well-played, exciting game. All was right with the world.
Until…
Once again, they just HAD to play the third period, didn’t they? For twenty minutes Washington appeared to be on a perpetual man advantage and seemed eligible to file for Homestead Exemption in the Thrashers’ zone. There was more rubber flying around Kari’s goal than at a Goodyear tire plant. With the amount of shots he faced in the third period alone, Lehtonen must have felt like a pedestrian crossing the street in downtown Detroit!
Indeed, Kari now knows what it’s like to be Dick Cheney’s guest on a hunting trip, (see, I can be fair and balanced).
To his credit, the Finnish keeper held his own for as long as he could, but Alexander The Great finally broke through 11:30 into the third. Then Nicklas Backstrom crumpled twine at the 16:00 mark… 32 seconds later, he gave the Caps the lead.
When it was all over, Washington had outshot the Thrashers 23-2 for the period, (most coming from close range)…45-18 for the game, beaten Atlanta 5-3 and had pulled to within a single point of the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
The masses of Blueland then watched as a team “moving in the right direction” skated off the ice…into the visitor’s locker room!
Now, this is normally the part of the program where I would go off into a rant laced with symbolic profanity and dipped in sarcasm. But, in all honesty, I think Kari Lehtonen’s reaction to Backstrom’s goal…the one which completed Washington’s come-from-behind effort… was the perfect display of the emotion all of us felt. It was he that was left out there to suffer the slings and arrows of the onslaught. Kari could have sued his defense for lack of support and his reaction said it all, as did his post-game response when he likened the way the team played in the third as “horse [excrement]”.
Moreover, honesty compels me to say that, from my vantage point, there really is no shock, no surprise, and no incredulity to what went down Friday night in Blueland. This is what we have come to expect this season from the Don Waddell designed, engineered, constructed, general managed and coached Atlanta Thrashers.
(sigh)…I think I’ll have that Alka-Seltzer myself.
Post #100 Blog Party
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
G’Day, eh? And welcome to the 100th edition of this year’s Ice Man Blog!
Thunderous applause!
Thank you, thank you…really, no…thank you, please have a seat!
I would have loved to have had this coincide with the 100th point the Thrashers racked up in the standings this season, but…eh…whatchagonnado?
Personally, I’d like to take this opportunity to give a great big, fat, hairy “THANK YOU” to all of you who make this little blog thingy so much fun. There are some very bright, articulate, intelligent, knowledgeable hockey fans that frequent this site…and Jethro participates too! Seriously…you dudes and dudettes have made this year a blast for me.
But today, we celebrate just a little. Kinda get our minds away from the disappointing season…and Friday’s horrific collapse… and have some fun! Kick back and enjoy ourselves before we wrap up the final couple of weeks in the season.
PJ has graciously provided such cyber-goodies as…cyber-chips, cyber-pretzels and, of course, cyber-booze, (We I.D. everyone here, mind you)! Sara has brought the cyber-sodas, cyber-cake and cyber-brownies…but I’m a bit leery about the contents…sniff, sniff…interesting aroma. Best of all, they are all zero calories, zero carbs and zero fat!
Brendan, here, please pass out the party hats and noisemakers.
Also, we have party activities!!!
First off, we have a Scavenger Hunt! Yes…participants will need to find the following:
Find and name all games in which the Thrashers have actually out-shot the opposition.
The Thrashers have, to date, 16 regulation wins. Find and name all the teams they beat this year without the need for OT.
Find and name the last Thrasher to earn more than 60 assists in a season.
Then…Truth or Dare! You can ask any regular blogger to choose between the two and, once they do, that blogger has to respond accordingly. (As blog host, Rawhide is immune from all Truth or Dare inquiries and activities).
Then there is Bobbing For Apples…That’s right! Only the big tub holding the apples will be filled with a special mix of Kool-Aid provided by Bruce Levenson. Contestants will take their turns going face deep in the drink in search of the prized fruit. However, as they come up empty they will all swear that they were “moving in the right direction” regardless of their failure.
Hide and Seek…name the player(s) currently on the roster you want hidden from view…waived for the rest of the season, and/or traded during the off-season. Then, name player(s) your “seeking” to add to the team’s roster via trades or UFA signings!
Lastly, we have “Pin the Blame on the Donkey”. This will be the “free-for-all” activity of the blog. Who is most deserving to pin the blame on for the season…the GM? Ownership? A player?
Personally, I’m going outside the box on this one…I say it was all the fault of the hockey gods…they were obviously very annoyed with us. Much of the anger stemming from their disappointment in the appeasement package we sent to them earlier in the year on behalf of our Thrashers. Only 4 of the 10 cases of Labatt Beer got through, (thank you Canadian customs), and ThrasherRyan’s suggestion to add the Celine Dion Greatest Hits CD was obviously not to their liking!
Of course, if I were to pin it on a more conventional option, I’m sure you’D nOt be surprised oNe bit at Who I mAy Decide as who I’D pick as thE one that shouLd be heLd most accountable…but I’ll just let you guess.
Again, enjoy the fun…we’ll return to business next week to deal with what went down last night, the rest of the season and begin our NHL playoffs version of the Ice Man blog!
Kovy Says The Magic Words, For Now
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Ilya Kovalchuk’s comments just after Tuesday night’s 3-2 loss in Philadelphia spoke volumes about how frustrating a year this has been for the prolific goal scorer. Just minutes before, he had come oh-so close to tying the game in the waning seconds of the game…this only seconds after pulling the team to within striking distance with his 50th goal of the season.
He spoke of how this, his 6th NHL campaign, was his “most disappointing season”. This is saying something as he has played on teams that have finished with 54 points, 74 points and 78 points. But those were his first three years in the league and the Thrashers were a young team. Now he is an established player and the Thrashers are finishing their 9th year of play and their first decade in existence. (However, they still are being called a young team by some in the Thrashers front office).
“After I sniffed playoff hockey, I’m really disappointed”. He went on to say, “I’m hoping next year we’re going to battle not just for the playoffs but to win the cup”. And then, “We need to make the right moves in the summertime and get ready to go for next year”.
Now, here are the words that stand out to me, “We’re” and “We”.
This indicates to me that even though this ’07-’08 Thrashers season has been as bad as…worse than…anyone could have possibly imagined, the star forward is still using such inclusive words. One would think a lesser character would employ such verbiage as, “the team” needs to make the right moves or “the front office” needs to get it together this off-season. You know…it’s their fault…it’s their job…they should deal with this.
But for now, he still is saying “we”. This is a good thing considering the Thrashers have him under contract for only the next two seasons. I say “only” because, if you think of it, the Thrashers organ-I-zation two years from now could be in the same situation with our star player as they were last month with Marian Hossa if the team fails to make the “right moves”.
That may seem a long way off, but it’s less time than the team had with Hossa after the Danny Heatley trade brought him here…and we saw how “convinced” he was that the team was, shall we say, “moving in the right direction”.
It may be a little thing, but in this “disappointing” season I think it means a lot when a player like Kovalchuk…who has busted his hump all year…still uses the “we” word to link himself with this franchise.
God help use the day he stops doing so.
Over And Out
Wednesday’s night’s 5-3 loss to Carolina officially put an end to any possibility that The Thrasher could repeat as Southeast Division champs.
It Still Doesn’t Help
The Thrashers outshot Carolina 34-33. In fact, they have outshot their opponents in two of the last three games as they bettered Florida 30-25 in that stat last Sunday evening. Of course, both games resulted in losses. Prior to this week Atlanta had not outshot an opposing team since January 20th when they played Edmonton…a 4-2 loss.
A Night To Remember…NOT
Thursday night marked the first NHL game for the 6’-7”, 2004 first round pick defenseman Boris Valabik. Let’s just say much room was left for improvement. For the record he was -2 with a SOG and 2 PIM in his 17:55 TOI. However, he was on ice as all 5 goals were scored on us, (to be fair, he was also on the ice while 2 of Atlanta’s 3 goals were scored), and at times looked a bit lost.
But I won’t come down hard on the kid, as one game is not going to make or break his career. The games played in a Thrashers jersey the next couple of weeks should be considered as an extended preseason for him and we can judge his progress next fall.
He’s sure to get better…crossing fingers.
155 Days Later
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The last time the Thrashers played in Philadelphia was 155 days ago. On that night, they lost giving up 33 shots on goal and taking 31 of their own. It was the last time Bob Harley coached the team. Tonight…they lost to the same Flyers giving up 47 shots and taking 19.
“Incremental progress”?…”Moving in the right direction”?
To be fair, tonight’s game was made very interesting at the end as Ilya Superchuk scored his 50th goal of the year with 30 seconds left in the game to bring the Thrashers to within a goal. Then, in the dying seconds, he got off a shot from the slot that Antero Nittymaki was able to steer away.
As Maxwell Smart would say, “Missed it by THAT much”!
Chris Thorburn, (not Bobby Holik), had scored in the first minute of the game, but Philly was able to notch 3 in the 58 minutes between.
To say things have not gone the way the Thrashers organ-I-zation had hoped since last October would be quite the understatement. The team is on it’s way to finishing 20 or so points worse than it did a year ago and has already surpassed by 4 the 245 goals allowed that season with 7 games still to be played. They would need to score 48 goals in those remaining games to match the production of last year. As we learned in the last Thrasher Math 101 class, the official statistical term for the odds of that happening is “notgonnahappennowayinhell”…
But what is more important then the past 155 days is what will happen in the 155 days or so after those final seven games have been played. For at the end of those stretch of days we will find ourselves in the heat and humidity of mid-September and the preseason games of the upcoming year will be upon us. By then, we will have a clear picture of what was done during the off-season to improve this team, specifically on defense.
If you want to look at another team as a model to follow, look no further than the team we just played…Philadelphia. Last season the Flyers were el dead-lasto in the NHL standings with 56 points. However, the additions of star centerman Daniel Briere and defensemen Kimmo Timonen and Jason Smith helped improve this team to what will be 30+ points better that the season prior. Oh, and one cannot overlook the addition of one Braydon Coburn at the trade deadline last year, (sorry to open that wound again).
Addressing the blueline and bringing in a quality center has seen the Flyers take a defense that had allowed 3.62 goals a game to one that only allows 2.82.
So, it CAN be done. Now, let’s see if it WILL be done.
Definition Of “That Sucks”
Did anyone see how Toronto goalie Vesa Toskala let up the one and only goal that got past him Tuesday night on Lon- Gisland??? Follow the bouncing puck!
Honey-Do List
OK… PJ, Nix and Nikita…some of the fine ladies who frequent this blog…have been having a good time discussing the guys on the team over the past couple of days. They, as always, have had some very interesting things to say on the matter. So, in light of this, let me throw some red meat out there for them…and any others of the female persuasion who care to comment.
So, if you ladies had your way with them…or, should I say, had the ability to have a say in the make-up of the team and how they were handled…who would you get rid of, add to the team…how would you suggest conditioning the players and what motivational techniques would you employ to keep them at the top of their game?
Sitting back on sofa, gnawing on popcorn, sipping Coca-Cola…waiting for the show to begin…
You Say You Want A Revolution
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“You say you want a revolution, well you know we all want to change the world”…well, maybe not the “world”, as the Lennon/McCartney written Beatles song would indicate, but certainly Blueland. And a great deal of this “revolution” talk that has been bantered about in these parts revolves around the subject of boycotts, walkouts and not attending games.
“You tell me that it’s evolution”, or at least it’s the desire to bring about the evolution of change many feel is needed in the management of the team. I’ve read the posts and I’ve heard those who have told me themselves of their plans to not attend games or renew season tickets until such changes are made. I completely agree with the motives. However, in consideration of such tactics, all I can say is,” don’t you know that you can count me out”.
Understand, this is not to infer to anyone that to be a true Thrashers fan they HAVE to continue to spend money on the team at the same level they have in past years or even increase that amount. What another person does with their entertainment dollar is completely their choice. But as for me…I will continue to spend 20 to 25 evenings at Philips Arena next year yelling and screaming for our Thrashers…or AT them.
Yes, I’m fully aware of those who’ll say that those who continue paying to attend games until changes are made are simply acting as mindless sheep, (of course, that’s a Pink Floyd song). But the fact of the matter is that I would rather be at Philips with 18,000 other die-hard fans voicing my displeasure at the product placed on the ice, as well as the way they have been coached and managed, than sitting alone on my couch throwing pillows at the TV in disgust.
For the record, the Divine Mrs. R agrees with me completely as we have gone through far too many “throw” pillows at the Rawhide abode this season.
Now, I understand the logic that is involved with such “revolutionary” thinking…and I’m not even saying it’s unfounded. But just as I cannot root for my team to “tank it” in order to better their chances at the top draft pick, I cannot turn my back on the team and stay home. Don Waddell can’t hear me “BOO” from there…or cheer when they do well. Thus, in this instance, I do not believe in the power of “The Sound of Silence”, (Simon and Garfunkel, but you knew that).
Does this mean I am not upset with what has been skated out on the ice this year, the way they were coached and the decisions that were made by the front office? Does it mean I am not looking for some serious changes to be made once the season is over? No… quite the contrary. In fact, I am very unhappy with many things that have unfolded during this 8th Thrashers campaign, as just about everyone else is…and we will discuss these things further when we perform our end-of-season post mortem in a few weeks.
But I’m a hockey fan and a Thrashers fan and I love going to the games. If I’m a fool for that, so be it. If you choose to withhold your money in a show of disgust, that’s your right and we can just agree to disagree in how we go about supporting our team.
After all, “Ain’t that America”? (John Cougar, or John Cougar Mellencamp, or John Mellencamp or…oh whatever)!
Weekend Update
The Thrashers lost to Washington and Florida by combined scores of 7-2. They took an average of 21 shots per game, (12 on Friday), gave up an average of 31 shots per game, (which will actually improve the yearly SA/G statistic). They were 0-8 on the power play, were 62.5% effective on the penalty kill and have now dropped 12 of their last 14 games…one of those wins needing the shootout.
But good news…Bruce Levenson insists we are moving in the right direction!
Elimination Night
A regulation loss by the Thrashers Tuesday night in Philadelphia sets up the scenario in which they would be mathematically eliminated from the Southeast Division race with a loss to Carolina on Wednesday.
But good news…Bruce Levenson insists we are moving in the right direction!
We’re No. 30!
The Thrashers are now last in the NHL in goals allowed, shots on goal per game, shots against per game, last in the amount of times out shooting opponents and 5-5 goals for/against ratio.
But good news…Bruce Levenson insists we are moving in the right direction!
Who Were Those Guys In The Blue Jerseys?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Who were those guys out there wearing Thrasher Blue…and just what in TAR-nation did they do with our Thrashers???
Thursday night Atlanta welcomed home the Flames, now of Calgary, and played arguably the most exciting game of the year…at least the most exciting in a long loooooooong time!
Down 2-0 after the first period and then 3-zip 2:45 into the second, thanks in part to a pair of goals by Jerome Iginla, the Thrashers put a little giddy-up in their game and worked the best 35 minutes of hockey they’ve played in many, many moons!
They skated hard, won loose pucks, strung together tape-to-tape passes, actually put actual shots on goal and put some physicalitization into their game, (yeah, it’s a new word…just came up with it). Why in the second period alone the Thrashers out-shot the Flames…sit down for this…15-8. Yes, fifteen shots on goal in just one period!
Ilya Kovalchuk put on his Superman cape and performed a hat-trick in Philips. His first goal put the Thrashers on the board, after falling behind by three, and it was followed up just 19 seconds later by a Colby Armstrong tally to pull them to within one.
After falling behind 4-2, Superchuk then continued his night’s work with a second goal. Halfway though the third Chris Thorburn then muscled his way toward the Flame goal and pulled the team even at four!
From there, Bobby Holik took a Kovy pass and nailed the eventual game winner with 3:47 left in the game and Blueland was a-bouncin’!!
Ilya sent hats flying to the ice with 61 seconds left, taking advantage of a goal-mouth that had been vacated by Calgary keeper Curtis Joseph!
That’s right folks…A real-life, honest-to-goodness, USDA Grade-A, top-choice regulation-style win! The first since a 2-0 victory in Washington on February 2, (yes of this year)…and the first in Atlanta since a 4-1 plastering of Pittsburgh on January 30, (YES of this year)!
It was a great effort by the home team of today over the home team of yester-year! Nicely done Thrashers!!!
Levenson Speaks
Bruce Levenson was interviewed by 680-The Fan’s John Kincade Thursday afternoon, (and, no, he didn’t call him a smart-a~~). Here is a quick run-down of some of the discussion topics:
Levenson corrected his “misstatement” regarding the Thrashers having the lowest ticket prices. Instead, he said the team had “among” the lowest in the league…bottom eight or so…and their goal was to build it up to be somewhere near the middle of the pack.
When asked, “What went wrong” with the season he said it was a “team effort”…front office, team, Don, himself. I don’t think anyone would argue that fact.
But the one thing I found most interesting was his denial that Brad McCrimmon was offered the head coaching gig earlier in the season. Instead he disclosed that Don talked him into staying behind the bench even though the original plan was to have Waddell coach 15 or so games then hire a new head coach. He indicated that he wished he would have over-ruled him, saying that “coach and GM should not be the same person”. - (DUH5).
And Finally
It was awesome to meet Tony C. and Nix last night along with the handful of “lurkers”…you know who you are.
Overlooking A Great Asset
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Avs 5 Former Penguins 2
Tuesday night the Atlanta Thrashers fell to the Colorado Avalanche 5-2. Or, if you want to look at it, the Avs scored five goals and Atlanta’s former Penguin players scored 2. For their new team, Colby Armstrong scored an unassisted goal and Eric Christensen scored the other with assists from Armstrong and Eric Perrin, (well, someone who has been here all year needed to get a point).
With the loss, the team fell to 1-6-4 in the 11 games since going 2 games over .500 for the one and only time all season on February 15.
To point out a couple of positives, the Perrin - Army - Christensen line looked good together and Kari Lehtonen stopped all 6 shots he faced in the 3rd after relieving Johan Hedberg who allowed 5 goals on 23 shots through two periods.
Write Your Own Punch-line
Just Tuesday, Bruce Levenson told the AJC, “I believe we’re a lot closer than a lot of people may think or give us credit for”. He then went on to reference the fact that just last month we were in the playoff hunt.
OK, you guys run with that…
The Whiteout That Wasn’t
The Atlanta Thrashers announce a “White Out” would take place Tuesday night in Philips Arena when playing the Colorado Avalanche. The team would wear their white jerseys at home for the first time since the ’02-’03 season to go along with the giving away of white t-shirts to the first 13,000 fans, (with big props to UPS).
Well, the t-shirts were there…most of the 13,000 planned for came through the gate…but the team wearing the white jerseys were the Avs. The story I get is that the Avs played in Dallas Sunday and they had to wear their whites in that game, so they didn’t want to pack the extra set.
If that’s so… then not only did Colorado push around the team on the ice, but also the team’s marketing department gets the back-of-the hand from the opposition as well.
Overlooking A Great PR Asset
I sat next to a very nice family in section 207 on Tuesday night. (I say nice even though the kids were wearing Avs jerseys…rebellious youth)! Anyway, during the game the daughter, 20-year old Tonya, and I tripped up on one of the subjects that have been kicked around recently…discount ticket prices vs. STH paying full price.
I asked, “OK tell me, what is the difference between a half-full Blueland with the fans paying full price or a full Blueland with those in house paying half price”?
She thought about it for a moment and then speculated, “Um, money? No, wait…it’s the same, right”?
Yes, theoretically, it is. But I went on to ask the young student of the University of Southern Alabama, “But, once they’re here, what is the difference”?
“Um, food? More people buy food”?
Yes, Tonya…what else?
“Uh, beer? And merchandise”?
Yes, and a lot of them paid to park too, right?
“Yes…that’s more money”.
Bright kid, that Tonya. I feel better about our nation’s future.
See, what I’m getting as is…while I completely understand why season ticket holders are upset at being sold a package of seats at the full price just to see someone sit in the same section who paid 65% face value, I believe it makes sense to try and fill those seats anyway possible. It’s good business. However, it’s a double-edged sword because I also know how I feel when I pay $375.00 for a plane ticket and some dude plops his rear end next to me when boarding and the first thing out of his mouth is, “Dang, this is great…I got this ticket for $200.00 on a last-minute fair saver”.
( .\/. ) Grrrr!
So, I understand both sides of this situation.
But here is where I think the organ-I-zation went horribly wrong with this PR disaster …there was no thought of how their most loyal of their customers were going to react. At least that’s the way it seems. Then, to rub a little salt in the wound, the STHs get the un-good attitude that is, “Hey, prices are going up…just deal with it”. This, on top of the disappointment in the play of the team.
One suggestion I have would have is to offer the STH the same amount of discount on their renewal for next season. Say there were 20 games that had such discount specials and the average discount was $25 in their section. That would be $500.00worth of discounts on those seats over the course of the season. So, offer a discount of that amount on their renewal.
They might have offered an upgrade to the next price level at the same price, or free tickets to bring a guest, (in fact I think I read somewhere that just such an offer had be floated out there). Anyway, it would have at least been something! And such perks should be communicated before the offers went out to the general public, …not AFTER season ticket holders rose up about the seeming inequity.
Maybe that would have helped, maybe not.
But, I can’t help but think that if the ASG would have included the STHs with the plan to “Sell Blueland” to the masses, they might have been pleasantly surprised to find they had a willing ally in the cause.
As fellow blogger DowntownATL put it after the Minnesota game, “A weekend game with 6,000 people in the stands begging to learn hockey and become Thrashers fans. I saw them tonight, I talked to them tonight, I high fived them tonight. If my full season ticket dollar is being used to subsidize the newbies; so be it”.
Instead of using this great resource, they simply made many of them feel…well, used.
A Little Help, Please
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
OK quick…who leads the Atlanta Thrashers in assists? Don’t look at the stats…just answer it right off the top of your head. Come on, you can do it.
Kovy? Nope.
Recchi? Not close.
Kozlov? Uh-uh.
Moose? …WHAT? Who said that? Oh, you. I know who you are… pipe down there, RStroz…you’re a smart a~…(oops, I can’t call a patron of this blog that, it’s not like I’m part owner or something)!
Well, with 33 assists it’s none other than Tobias Enstrom.
Yep, Tobi has played in all 70 games so far and also leads the team in minutes on ice for skaters, (why, just last Friday he logged 33:39 TOI against Minnesota). This just highlights the fact that this guy is the stud of this otherwise disappointing blueline.
However, what his leading in team assists also underscores is the fact that this team lags behind terribly in the “helper” category. It’s not THAT he leads in that category, but with HOW FEW he leads with. You see, Enstrom’s 33 assists ranks but 60th in the NHL, tied with two others at that spot. In fact, only three teams have on their squad assist leaders with less Tobias’ 33, (NJD, NYI & CBJ).
To that matter, Atlanta leads the NHL with unassisted goals, (17). While this illustrates the frequency of fantastic individual plays, it also indicates the fact that it relies too much on the need for a Kovy-esque solo effort type goal to generate offense.
If you were to take Enstrom’s 33 assists in 70 games… project it out to the full season, it comes out to 39 total. Again, this is awesome for the young Swede, but it also brings to light how poorly the team has been playing as…well…a team.
Last year, Marian Hossa led the Thrashers with 57 assists and Slava Kozlov was second with 52. This season, Hossa departed with 30 and Kozzy has a scant 20 helpers having played in all 70 games. I guess the pen he used to sign that contract last summer had “disappearing” ink in it.
If you go back to the ’05-’06 campaign, Atlanta had 4 players with more assists than our currently leader is on pace for, (Savard-69, Hossa-53, Kozlov and Kovalchuk both with 46).
Where has the falloff come from? Well, there is the afore-mentioned Kozlov and the now-departed Hossa. However, there are others. Take Alexei Zhitnik…please!…thank you. Zhitty last year notched 12 assists for Atlanta in the 18 games after traded here, (22 total in 49 games between Philadelphia and Atlanta). This year, he has 5 in 65 games. Steve McCarthy has seen his assist production go from 12 in 46 games last season to 5 in 43 this year. Even first-year Thrasher Ken Klee, who had 16 assists in 81 games with Colorado last year, has seen it drop to 8 thus far.
While those are the numbers that jump out, this is a team-wide dilemma.
What’s the case for such a low assist totals? Is it poor passing? Poor finishing? Chemistry issues? Preparation issues? Hustle, or lack thereof? Coaching?
I dunno…maybe a little of “all of the above”.
So, as we continue to discuss and express our concerns regarding issues in the front office, let us not forget that this game of hockey is a team sport, played by players. And, for the most part, the players on the ice have assisted in placing the team in the position it currently is in.
North By Northwest
The Avs are in tonight followed by the Flames Thursday. This follows Minnesota’s visit last Friday. Take at look at the Northwest Division standings and you’ll see that 2 points separate these teams as well as Vancouver. After this week all but one will be played within the Southeast Division for the rest of the way.
As much as I hate to use the words Thrashers and “spoilers” in the same sentence, that is the position we’re in. Might as well take advantage of it and go make life tough on these teams.
Thank You, Thank You
There were a few regular posters as a number of first-timers that chimed in about their views of the Town Hall Meeting, the GM and season ticket renewals over the past several days. Thank you to all.
Three Points, Three Questions From The Weekend
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Friday night the Thrashers were able to dust off the column under the “W” and change the 29 to 30. They had been waiting three weeks to do that. Much like that last win in New Jersey, it took a shootout following a last minute tying goal by Atlanta. This time it was Ilya Kovalchuk notching his 44th of the season with 44.9 seconds left in the third to send the game to OT. Back then it was…was…flipping through notes…this guy named Marian Hossa. Remember him?
Again the Thrashers were outshot…to the tune of 39-26. However this time it didn’t matter, as the home team was able to steal one away from the Wild.
The Moose was loose Friday as he stopped 37 of the 39 shots he face. The two that got by him were on power plays, the first being the 5-3 variety and the second following an atrocious hooking call against Joel Kwiatkowski. Even the Minnie-SO-tah TV guys found the call “questionable”.
Colby Armstrong notched his first goal in Thrasher blue and Erik Kristensen accounted for the only goal of the shootout, bouncing the puck off the pipe and having it ricochet off Wild goalie Niklas Backstrom into the goal. Just the way Erik drew it up!
Yes, the losing streak is over! The world is right! What’s next? Jews and Arabs embrace, Republicans and Democrats dance arm-in-arm, Stendec and Kari Lehtonen…well, let’s not get crazy. But, the losing streak was over.
Until…
Then there was the game in Sunrise, Florida the next night where the Thrashers blew an early 2-0 lead against the Panthers.
WAIT…the Thrashers HAD a two-goal lead TO squander? Yup, not since…flipping through notes… Marian Hossa, (there’s that name again), put home an empty netter with 40 seconds left in the February 2nd game in Washington had the Thrashers even possessed such a margin. So I guess they are just a little out of practice in that regards.
Atlanta eventually fell to Florida 3-2 in overtime. All five goals coming via man advantages. In fact…the Thrashers did not allow an even-strength goal in either game. This is good!
In the end, it was 3 points earned in back-to-back games. Given the poor showing this season in such pairings, not bad…not bad at all.
The Town Hall Meeting
Before the weekend’s games, there was this little chat that Don Waddell and Bruce Levenson had with the Season Ticket Holders. It was a much needed Q&A session that was called to try and defuse the tension stemming from raised ticket prices, poor play of the team and doubts about the management of the team. Apparently, it had not gone un-noticed by the two.
From it, one could surmise that there have been lessons learned from last season. Then, they were over anxious to cut a deal and try and make the playoffs even at the expense of the future. This year they were cautious to not mortgage the future to get someone like, say, a Brian Campbell type.
OK, I can dig that. I can dig it even more if the two are indeed serious about targeting such a top-flight defender this summer…or two. If so, it would indicate that the front office has begun that paradigm shift towards placing the emphasis on defense.
There will be plenty of room under the cap to spend on such upgrades. Time to open up the checkbook, boys.
Bruce Levenson acknowledged the fact that keeping Don Waddell behind the bench was not the correct move to make. Many here have said that for a while…why, even Brendan has recently come to this realization.
But this is now water under the bridge. Whether or not Don should/should not have stayed there so long is no longer relevant. What is important is that there WILL be a new coach for next season and it appears as though John Anderson is still on the top of that list. I would support that whole-heartedly.
It seems a though Don Waddell came across to those in attendance as one who is very aware of some problems the team is facing, (see also: defense). He was also said to have been very sensitive to the fact that he was in a room filled with some less-than-happy paying customers.
Bruce Levenson, on the other hand…from the accounts I have read, not so much so.
Now, Some Questions For You
Lastly, even though there are a great deal of questions that remain, the fact is I think everyone would agree that this was the right thing for Don Waddell and Bruce Levenson to do. It’s too bad that it took a near revolt from the paying customers to bring it about. However, I applaud their willingness to do so.
But ultimately there are 3 big questions that stem from Friday’s pow-wow that you need to answer, and this includes the lurkers out there:
Would you like to see more THM like this, say 2 or 3 times a year, especially during this period of transition?
If you were of the thought that Don Waddell should be removed as the general manager of the team, has your mind been changed?
(And this is, after all, the most important question)…did the THM convince you to re-up your season tickets for next season?
Town Hall Meeting And Tanking
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Town Hall Meeting Tonight Before Wild Game
By now, all STH should have their invites to the Town Hall Meeting hosted by Don Waddell that is slated to begin at 5:30.
I hope all that are able to attend will do so. Regardless what you think about the ASG, Waddell, or the direction of the team… whether or not you support the current GM or feel a change is needed…this is a chance for you to hear directly from the man. He will address those he obviously understands are upset with how this team has played over the past several weeks and you will be able to give back your thoughts and concerns.
Personally, I commend him for doing so and for setting up the forum.
I look forward to reading the comments and observations from those who will be in attendance.
To Tank Or Not To Tank
I’ve heard a lot of chatter in here and in Craig’s blog about wanting the Thrashers to phone in their games and lose. The thought process being to “aim low” and go for the draft pick positioning. However, I’m not a fan of the idea.
Oh, I understand the logic…but as I sat in my seat last Wednesday night, knowing the chance of post-season play was a long shot at best, I still wanted my team to win. In fact, I want them to not only win…but to win the rest of the games from here on out!
It would be awesome, would it not? Were it to happen, and the team go roaring into the playoffs on a 13-1 tear, I would post a “Don, I was wrrr…I was wrrrr…I was less-correct-than-I-normally-am” blog… and I’d do it with a big, fat, hairy smile on my face!
Now, do I expect that this will be the case? No…I’m a dreamer, but I’m not delusional.
However, every game they play, like tonight against Minnesota and tomorrow in Florida, I WANT them to win THAT game, or at least FIGHT hard to win that game. I just can’t root for them to lose.
Sorry, it isn’t in me.
Burn Baby, Burn
OK, I’m sure most of you all saw this on Craig’s blog already, but it’s worth reposting here. My question for him is this…will he be attending the Town Hall Meeting tonight to deliver the urn of ashes to Don?
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!
An Open Letter To Bruce Levenson
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Mr. Levenson,
Yesterday many Atlanta Thrashers season ticket holders received a letter in your name. In it you discussed the deal last week that saw Marian Hossa and Pascal Dupuis depart to Pittsburgh in return for Colby Armstrong, Erik Christensen, Angelo Esposito and the Penguins 2008 first-round draft pick. You also took the opportunity to express some thoughts on how the Atlanta Thrashers Owners “view the team, and what [your] goals are for the future”. I would like to respond with a couple of questions and concerns regarding the team as well as allow those who frequent this site to do the same…in a respectful manner.
First, I give you a great deal of credit for reaching out to your most loyal of customers and making an attempt to discuss these matters. Certainly one of the factors that create a climate of discontent in any relationship is lack of communication. So, thank you for opening the dialogue and I hope that you continue to do so in the future as situations dictate.
In regards to dealing away Marian Hossa, you said that, “…the decision to trade Marian was reached after exhausting all other possibilities and was one of the most difficult moves we have been forced to make”. While I do not doubt that is the case, the phrase that concerns to me is “forced to make”.
As this season progressed it was very apparent that Hossa had no intention of signing with the team. His reasons for this seem fairly clear…he did not believe that the organization was making the correct decisions that would be necessary to advance the possibility of long-lasting success. His desire to have a true top-line center play along side of him was met with the signing of Todd White and Eric Perrin. Two very fine players that are serviceable on the second and third line, but obviously not what the prolific player had in mind.
Hossa also made it known of his desire to play for a cup-contending team. That he refused to sign here should speak volumes to those claiming to stress a “commitment to winning and to bringing a Stanley Cup to Atlanta”. Because if a team’s record and statistics are the measuring stick for such lofty ambitions, these Thrashers are no closer to that goal then it was in their fourth year of existence.
Another item that became crystal clear as the season progressed is the fact that the biggest area of concern for this team today is the sub-par performance by its defensive corps. To date, they surrender 3.18 goals per games, (28th in the league), and an astonishing 33.4 shots against per game, (only the Florida Panthers are worse). In fact, these defensive problems have been the one constant this team carries from one season to the next.
Tobias Enstrom, the player you referred to as “a work horse”, has been the lone bright spot on a blueline that, at times, resembles that of an expansion franchise. We fans in Blueland shudder at what this slow collection of defenders would look like if not for his efforts. We rejoice at the times when they merely play an average game allowing less than 30 SOG.
This is why I was puzzled when, as this organization held the biggest prize prior to the trade deadline, the team did nothing to address this obvious problem. This is not to take issue with Armstrong and Christensen. Certainly I, as well as others, feel they will contribute greatly to next season’s offensive prowess. But considering 18 days ago this team was in a position to take over the lead in the Southeast Division, and knowing that a player of Hossa’s credentials could certainly attract offers that would have addressed this concern, the team did not do so.
Coincidently, the Thrashers then went on a 0-5-2 run, seeing their defense not just continue to give up shots at an alarming rate, but actually allowed that statistic to worsen. The team then fell like a stone out of contention.
I’m sure I do not have to point out to you the fact that of the 10 teams who have scored fewer goals then have these Thrashers, 7 of them currently hold playoff positions. So, for the front office to continue to turn a seemingly blind eye to what has consistently been our biggest area of concerned is, to say the least, disheartening.
I would ask you then…why did this team not address the problems on the blueline and what are you planning on doing in the not-too-distant future about it?
You made reference to our young talent. While I do look forward to following their advancement, this infers that the fans exercise further patience as the system develops. The patience of many in your fan-base seems to be showing signs of wear as we set our sights on the ninth season of operation. In my opinion, these up-and-coming players should be groomed for placement in an already-established system, not being looked upon to create such a system this deep into our history.
Your last sentence in the letter reads, “Our summer agenda will also include solidifying a head coach who will take us to the next level”. With all due respect sir, this “solidification” should have taken place around the time we sat down to enjoy our Thanksgiving turkeys three and a half months ago. After all, if you’re Marian Hossa and you’re looking to determine what direction the team is going, how can you make such a determination if the organization cannot even move to name a head coach?
Instead the Thrashers opted to keep general manger Don Waddell behind the bench splitting his duties between there and the front office. This was done either at his request to prove that the product he placed on the ice was indeed qualified to contend in this league or it was the insistence of the ownership to prove to them that such was the case.
Regardless, the jury is “in” with respect to the question regarding the competitiveness of this team and either way, Don Waddell loses in the eyes of this juror.
There has been speculation that the reason no new head coach was hired after the release of Bob Hartley was because of financial reasons. Hartley is still due is contract money, thus, no extra payroll was to be added. This might make sound business sense, however it was an unsound hockey decision as the record indicates.
In summary, it is clear that Marian Hossa is no longer a Thrasher due to the fact that the organization failed to meet his stated requirements of displaying the actions of a contender. The organization as a whole needs a paradigm shift in the way it views the importance of basing a winning team from the foundation of a strong defense. And finally, whomever made the decision to keep Don Waddell behind the bench and not place a full time coach there needs to acknowledge that it was the incorrect decision to make…unless the decision was made in an attempt to give Don Waddell a chance to prove this team could be coached to a playoff position.
If that was indeed the reason, then the results are more than enough to make clear what your first call of order should be on Monday morning April 7th of this year. Begin the search for a new coach as well as a new general manger. And, if I may be so bold to add, they should both be dedicated to the proposition that all true contending teams build first from the blueline and take that understanding into the summer intent on opening the checkbook and bringing into Philips Arena those type of players.
Thank you very much for your time and attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Bill Tiller - A True-Blue, die-hard Thrashers fan
Post Post Edit: As Kracker correctly points out, the Thrashers are currently riding an 0-4-3 streak…not 0-5-2.
FAT PENGUIN!!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“Uh, what was that you said, Rawhide…fat penguin”?
Yeah, I said “Fat Penguin”. I just wanted to say something that would … break the ice!! HA!
I used to use that line many moons ago to approach chicks, (of course that was before the divine Mrs. R came into my life). It was about as successful as the Atlanta Thrashers were this weekend…it got me close, but never enough to close the deal.
You wanna hear something else funny? OK…the other night I was driving around north Cobb County listening to the Thrashers game on the radio…! HA, HA!!!
OK, here’s another one for ya. Three Friday’s ago, the Atlanta Thrashers won an exhilarating game in New Jersey that put them two games over .500 for the first time all season and put them right at the top of the Southeast Division and the team looked poised to finally make a serious push toward repeating as division champs and enter the post-season on an upward swing!
HAHAHAHA…Oh wait. That is actually what has happened.
Since that time the Thrashers have lost seven consecutive games, the last three in overtime. Instead of vying for the #3 seed in the conference, we are sitting in the #14 position two points closer to the bottom then to the division leading Hurricanes.
Seven straight losses. Ask Bob Hartley what happened to him after six this season.
Given the fact that Atlanta’s chances of still playing after the first week of April are about as good as my chances were of getting in more then 2 sentences with the ladies I used the “Fat Penguin” line on, let’s take a look at just what this whole ’07-’08 NHL season thingy is cracking up to be.
If the team continues on it’s current course, (assuming it snaps the losing streak), it is going to wind up with 79 points. That would be 18 points less than it produced last season. In fact, the last time the Thrashers finished a season close to that type of points production was the year prior to the lockout, the fifth year of their existence, when they tallied 78 points.
But wait, back then, there was no guaranteed second point being doled out in games with a shootout. Games ending after a five-minute overtime stayed a tie. So, if you wish to gain a true appreciation for just where the team is right now in comparison to back then, remove the shootout points an you’ll find something even more un-good. To date, Atlanta has eight such points, thus they would have a 21-31-1-14 record for 57 points to show after 67 games. That would project out to a final record of 26-37-2-17 for 71 points.
Folks, they played well enough for 74 points in their 4th season of existence. That would be the ’02-’03 campaign that saw then-coach Curt Fraser begin the year 8-20-4-1 at the helm and it finished with Bob Hartley going 20-14-5-1 after he was hired in January of 2003. The Thrashers finished in 11th place in the conference that year. (They had finished dead last in the league with 54 points the year before that, their third season).
Since that time, the team then finished the ’03-’04 season with 78 points in 10th place, then there was the lockout season, then the ’05-’06 season when they ended 2 points shy of post-season with 92 points and finally last year they finished with 97 points which was the 6th best in the conference but, due to winning the division, wound up the 3rd seed.
Let’s re-cap: After amassing 39 then 60 points in their initial two seasons, the Thrashers then earned point totals of 54, 74, 78, 92 and 97. Now they are heading toward 79.
Wait, there is more…
Right now the Thrashers have scored 41 goals less then they’ve let up. That would put them on pace for a -50 goal differential. That compares to the -58 of…why, ‘02-’03…that season just keeps popping up, doesn’t it?
In fact, if we track from the third season of play, the GF/GA stat goes from -101 to -58 to -29, (lockout), +6 to +1 to this year’s projection of -50.
So, both the points total and goal differential stat show steady improvement for 4 seasons then a sharp drop-off.
“But Rawhide, but Rawhide…the offense has only produced 178 so far”. Why, that’s very astute of you my friend. However, there are 10 teams who have scored fewer. But seven of those teams right now hold playoff positions and an eighth, Phoenix, is only three points out. Oh, and none of them have a negative goal differential save St. Louis and Columbus.
Why is that? Because those teams that score less than we do who are probably playoff bound play defense well…that’s why! And that’s how teams get into, and advance throughout, the playoffs.
“But Rawhide, but Rawhide…team defense is a team concept. Aren’t our forwards responsible for that too”? Again, excellent point! However, strong, dependable defenses begin with…strong, dependable defenders.
And this organization has never seemed to grasp that reality.
Only this year, the defensive concerns were coupled with the lack of a true #1 center and a coaching change that was never followed up with the always-important naming of a new head coach.
Some would call this “four step forward then five steps back”. Truth be told, this is more like five steps forward then…step onto a Marta bus, pay your fare, go to the Marta train station, grab a transfer, take the train to the airport, hop a big ‘ol Delta jet to San Francisco, grab a connecting flight to Tokyo, Japan, hop a train to Osaka, hail a cab to the out-skirts, pay the cabbie, (tip well), head to the sidewalk…THEN take five steps back.
And that’s no joke!
Oh look…there goes the divine Mrs. R….”Hey…FAT PENGUIN”!
SMACK!
Ugh, still doesn’t work!
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