AJC > Sports Thrashers > Blog > Archives > 2008 > April > 14
Monday, April 14, 2008
Esposito Finds His Way To Chicago
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Chicago Wolves have brought aboard Angelo Esposito, inking him to an Amateur Tryout Contract. The Thrashers, of course, acquired him as a part of the deal with Pittsburgh at the trade deadline.
Weekend Of Wasted Opportunities
I don’t know about you, but I thoroughly enjoyed this past weekend’s hockey viewing! Close games, great goals, hard hits and spectacular saves…just what post-season hockey is all about.
But for some, it was a weekend of wasted opportunities that could lead to their team’s early exit from The Great Cup Quest of ’08.
Take the Anaheim Ducks, for instance…they get popped 4-0 in front of their home fans to open the series and then found themselves down 2-0 to the Stars in game two. They fight their way back to even with a pair of goals, one by Selanne another by Moen to send the game into the third tied…just to give up 3 in that final period. So, their chance to have a chance might be gone.
Then you have the Ottawa Senators who were getting slapped around the rink by Pittsburgh for the first 4-1/2 periods of that series, being outscored 7-1 in that time. But their offense comes alive with a pair of goals in the second period and a game-tying tally in the third…but ultimately give up the game in the final three minutes. Their chances, too, are dwindling.
Then there’s the Boston Bruins. After getting smacked 4-1 in the series opener and falling behind 2-0 in the second game Saturday night, they fought back to tie the game sending it to overtime. Then they commit the fatal sin of putting Montreal on the power play with the game on the line, (first a 4-minute high-stick job that straddled the third period and OT, then a tripping penalty once that was killed off),….Badda-boom, badda-bing….down 2-0 in the series. However, to their credit, they bounced right back Sunday night with an overtime win of their own thanks to Marc Savard, (yeah…I know).
Lastly, the Nashville Predators…a team almost nobody thinks has a prayer against powerhouse Detroit. However, they have played two games and have had a chance to win in both of them. Game one saw the score 1-1 with just over 15 minutes left to play before falling to a pair of Henrick Zetterberg goals. Game two on Saturday found the Preds erasing a 2-0 deficit with a pair of goals 11 seconds apart, (one on a very fortunate bounce off the wall), but in the end Nashville could not take advantage of the opportunity. Chance to have a chance…bye-bye.
Maybe one could argue that Colorado missed a golden chance to take a 2-0 series lead back to Denver by losing to the Wild in overtime of game two…but being the road team, they were looking for at least a split of the games and they got just that. Either way, that looks like a great match-up unfolding there.
Eagles Soar In Frozen Four
The Boston College Eagles won the NCAA championship by beating the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame 4-1 Saturday night. The game turned on a “no goal” call as the puck crossed the line off the skate of an Irish player. It would have brought them to within one at 3-2 had it been allowed to stand. But after the score was disallowed Boston College tallied their fourth just seconds later…that goal coming from a dandy, no-look, between the legs pass from behind the goal line.
Congrats to BC for their win and to the boys from South Bend for their great run to and through the Frozen Four.
Don Speaks…Take A Listen
Ben Wright of The Blueland Blog recently posted Don Waddell’s end of season press conference and Q&A session. It’s about 20-minutes long and provides some topics of discussion for us.
So, here…put it up on the cyber-turn table and give it a spin. Then, opine away!
