AJC > Sports Thrashers > Blog > Archives > 2008 > September > 25
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Preseason Starts With Grand Ole Win
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
One of the things John Anderson has alluded to in regards to the style of play that fans can expect from the Thrashers this season is how he wants blueliners to look for ways to push forward in the attack. The defense is to participate in the O-fensive operations.
Well, if Thursday night’s preseason opener for the Thrashers is any indication…the team’s actions will match the coach’s words as Atlanta defenders accounted for a goal and three assists in the 4-2 victory over the Nashville Predators
Garnet Exelby opened the scoring at 4:32 of the first period with a shot from the blueline…assists going to Chris Thorburn and Brett Sterling. Grant Lewis, who was paired with Exelby, picked up a pair of helpers…one of the primary variety, one secondary. And free-agent acquisition Ron Hainsey was credited with an assist, along with Lewis, on Grant Stevenson’s power play goal two minutes after XLB’s goal.
Deep in the third period, Predator forward Kelsey Wilson made the mistake of dropping the gloves with Mike Hoffman. Wilson gives away about 4 inches in height as well as about 22 pounds to Hoffman and, according to Mike Knobler, the fight wasn’t even close!
Boris Valabik drew a 10-minute game misconduct after sparring with J.P. Dumont with just under seven minutes left in the third period.
On the O-fensive side…Grant Stevenson netted a pair of goals on four shots and tossed in a helper. Junior Lessard scored on one of his two shots and Angelo Esposito earned an assist as well. Looks like the Stevenson-Espo-Lessard line was clicking.
Atlanta won the battle in the face-off circle 39-35. Slater went 9 for 15, (60%)…Little won 7 of 13, (54%), Chris Thorburn won the one he participated in as did Joey Crabb, Stevenson was 3 for 10, Espo went 3 for 4, (75%), Stuart was 1 for 3, (33%), Hoffman and Sterling split the two they took respectively and Marty Reasoner took 23 face-offs, winning 12, (52%).
In goal, Ondrej Pavelec got the start for Atlanta and stopped 36 of the 38 shots he faced.
Stat of the night: Atlanta was outshot by Nashville 38-27. As we learned oh-too-well last season, when they lace ‘em up for real next month…Ws will not come in plentiful measures if the SOG/SA stat is double-digits in the red.
Very nice to see the team get a win…especially on a night when Kovy, Kozzy, Kari, Tobi, Havelid, Williams, Army, Crusher, Bogie, White and Perrin aren’t in the lineup. But this is when the kids get their chance to show their stuff and, to that measure, they did just fine.
Just preseason…yeah, I know. But it’s more fun to win ‘em than to not.
Thrashers are in St. Louis tonight…Detroit Sunday afternoon. Then it’s home for the first home preseason game on Wednesday against the Wings. Friday and Saturday of next week round out the exhibition season with games against the Preds and Blues.
Then…
Opening night on the 10th. Can you stand it anymore?
LET’S DROP THE FREAKIN’ PUCK!!!
