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DEL.ICIO.USPreseason 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!!!
Comments
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By TLC-48
September 26, 2008 12:15 AM | Link to this
Just a look at The Hockey News prediction for this season in the Eastern Confrence… Looking ALL too much the same !
Nice to see a win, even if preseason !
Always-Assume-The-Worst Adam Says: Where to begin? The fact no team took fewer or allowed more shots last year than the Thrashers, who essentially didn’t change for this season? The fact a franchise that finished in the bottom third of the league in offense, defense, power play and penalty kill in ’07-08 added only Jason Williams, Marty Reasoner and Junior Lessard to their forwards, and former waiver wire-rider Ron Hainsey to their defense? The fact Colby Armstrong is their top right winger?
By Sara
September 26, 2008 7:27 AM | Link to this
Well the broadcast powers that be apparently missed the boat not broadcasting this game - sounds like the most exciting one of the preseason so far. Props to Hoffman - too bad he plays the opposite wing for Boulton cause it sounds like he might make an ideal replacement for our current “enforcer.” I give Boulton mad props for the energy he has brought and times he’s dropped the gloves to help give this team a boost but unfortunately Boulton ain’t enough to scare anybody straight. And I don’t want Valabik having to do that too often - he can’t develop sitting in the box for long stretches.
Always-Assume-The-Worst-Adam how do you (and others) say the team essentially didn’t change?? A brand new coach is always a major change. We are adding three new defensemen, at least two of which are absolute leaps and bounds better than those they replace in the line-up and in ice time. Jason Williams is a fantastic addition - he may not be Hossa but he is highly skilled. Reasoner is kind of an “eh” signing - not splashy but he’s more potential depth, better than others we’ve had, and at least isn’t old as dirt and slower than molasses.
Rome wasn’t built in a day as they say and it will take some time for Anderson to get the team up to speed on the new system and relearning the fundamentals they somehow forgot under coaches Hartley, Waddell, and McCrimmon. I do not think we will start 0-6 this year. But what’s going to be more critical is evaluating how this team is playing in December and in March/early April. If they can progress over the course of the season, that will be the true barometer of success for Anderson’s system, not just what happens in the first month or so.
By ranallo10 (in AT)
September 26, 2008 7:29 AM | Link to this
The fact no team took fewer or allowed more shots last year than the Thrashers, who essentially didn’t change for this season
Sorry AATW-Adam, but half of the names you wrote down are evidence of change this offseason. Hainsey, WIlliams, Reasoner. A new coach. Holik, Zhitnik, Recchi departed.
There was plenty of change, but I think what you mean is “meaningful” change. Well, I for one think those three aforementioned signings were better deals than a lot of the ones made by this franchise previously. There are some slight improvements, but the most important one is on the bench. A new philosophy and game-plan can go a long way with a not-so-bad roster.
As for waiver-wire players…Kunitz was waived twice, and recently played on Team Canada. He was the number 2 scorer for the Stanley Cup champion Anaheim (not so Mighty anymore) Ducks. Recchi was waived, Schneider waived, Bertuzzi waived. In this day of the NHL, being “waived” doesn’t mean you’re garbage, it simply means you don’t fit the needs of your current franchise.
By ranallo10 (in AT)
September 26, 2008 8:44 AM | Link to this
Reasoner is kind of an “eh” signing - not splashy but he’s more potential depth, better than others we’ve had, and at least isn’t old as dirt and slower than molasses.
Well, he isn’t old…but he is slow. Even he’s admitted as much.
By Alan
September 26, 2008 9:47 AM | Link to this
The Good: Thrashers win! Though it’s just a pre-season matchup and doesn’t mean much, a win is the right way to start things off.
The Bad: How did Valabik get a 10 minute misconduct? It’s b******. If this is any indication of things to come, it’s that the refs will be calling Valabik left and right for things he’s supposed to be doing as a player of his calibre. Sort of like the phantom 2 minute penalty that resulted in Nashville’s first goal of the night.
The Ugly: The SA stat. We made some pretty good acquisitions in the offseason, but now we have to get everyone to block shots and make sure the goalie doesn’t see nearly that many on a nightly basis.
By Toby
September 26, 2008 9:47 AM | Link to this
Well, I’m happy about how preseason has gone so far. I know it means zero as real wins and losses, but between TC and the game last night, it shows me that we can turn to the kids in Chicago when/if things start going south on the big club.
By ranallo10 (in AT)
September 26, 2008 9:58 AM | Link to this
Alan — Dan O’Rourke. Remember that name.
By Alan
September 26, 2008 10:49 AM | Link to this
ranallo - No worries. It’s not like it matters or anything, but there’s no chance of me forgetting it.
By ranallo10 (in AT)
September 26, 2008 11:05 AM | Link to this
Of course it doesn’t matter, but it relieves you (or gives you heartburn) when you see the announced referees. Personally, O’Rourke and McGeough are the two that get my blood boiling as soon as I see them hit the ice…I know it’s going to be a LOOOONG game.
By jen
September 26, 2008 11:49 AM | Link to this
Looks like we held our own pretty well last night. It bites that X has already had his one goal of the year wasted in preseason.
I am all about the Jason Williams signing….probably one of the smartest moves all season. He can be a beast when he’s healthy, and looked really good at training camp this weekend
By ThrasherNY
September 26, 2008 12:18 PM | Link to this
Is it just Darren Elliot’s comment going viral or what; how does Junior Lessard have a roster spot on the team as of the all the latest reports? Is it wishful thinking to assume that little has a spot on the roster?
With Lessard in the lineup my forward lines look like this:
Kovy-EC-Williams
Slava-White-Army
Thorburn-Reasoner-Perrin
Boulton-Slater-Lessard
That is drastically different from my no Lessard plus Little lines:
Kovy-EC-Williams
Slava-Little-Army
Thorburn-White-Perrin
Boulton-Reasoner-Slater
I have often wondered if I was just missing the boat on Little as JA’s comment about White contributing 30 goals in combination with DW’s comments hinting that EC was brought in to be the solution as top line center have all but left Little outside in the cold in the back of my head. That being said I assumed Little would show enough talent to warrant the use of him above White as a compliment to Slave or Kovy. We have to develope him as the solution to Kovy’s lack of center in my opinion. We have failed twice with by going the FA route in White and Rucchin. From what I have seen he is the best possible option for that role as he has the natural gifts required. He needs NHL refining but that can be taught. The natural gifts part can not. Else Slater would have been the solution long ago.
By ranallo10 (in AT)
September 26, 2008 12:37 PM | Link to this
ThrasheryNY — I agree on all parts, particularly the Little comments. My worry after hearing about Reasoner’s signing was that this team is top heavy in forwards and is leaving little room for youth to be injected (pun not intended).
I would prefer to see Little develop on that second line than in Chicago. Kozlov next to him (they had chemistry last year) is good, while Armstrong is needed size for their line. Kozlov-Little-Recchi was a good line last season, and I think playing alongside “The Professor” will only help Little improve…especially if Kozlov is in as good of shape as it sounds.
However, if White gets that second line centering position, it leaves Little out to dry. Playing on a wing (in my opinion) is not good for his development. Keeping him at center is. So, if White gets second pairing minutes, I don’t expect much in the way of significant contributions from Little, which means he may be unjustly playing in Chicago.
Long term, he may be a solution alongside Kovalchuk, or so could Christensen, Esposito, or Holzapfel. However, if you don’t let them progress at the NHL level, you’ll never see them achieve the most they’re capable of.
By Thrashers27
September 26, 2008 4:56 PM | Link to this
According to Thrashers web-site Schneider is a Thrasher.
In exchange for Klee, Painchaud and Larsen.
By ranallo10 (in AT)
September 26, 2008 5:02 PM | Link to this
Okay, that’s what I’m talking about Thrashers27!
Klee moved, a much better veteran to fill his role, Larsen moved, and though it’s rough to lose any prospect, Painchaud isn’t what I would consider a TOP prospect to lose.
The best thing about this trade…no draft picks or top talent was moved to bolster the blue line.
NASCAR Dave — Two of the three players Waddell promised to bring in have now been brought…whatcha got to say about that?
By Brendan
September 26, 2008 6:34 PM | Link to this
Does this Schneider acquisition block the development of Boris Valabik?
If Havelid remains paired with Enstrom, and Hainsey and Bogosian take the middle tier, that leaves Schneider and Exelby on the 3rd set. Where is Valabik?