AJC > Sports Thrashers > Blog > Archives > 2008 > October > 26
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Horseshoes And Hand Grenades
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Close…that’s the manner in which Atlanta played Detroit and Boston this past weekend.
Close.
But of course, as the old saying goes, close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.
The two games played out in very opposite fashions, however. After falling behind by 3 goals in Detroit, I’m sure many thought it was lights out…but they battled back. Then, they took a 2-0 lead against the Bruins…and couldn’t hold on down the stretch to snag any points there either.
Close…but no CEE-gar.
Driving through the rain Friday night, I listen to the Detroit radio feed on XM radio as the Wings took a 4-1 lead on Atlanta after 6:41 into the second…thanks in large part to one Mr. Marian Hossa who finished that evening with a pair of goals, an assists and the first star of the game.
To their credit, the Thrashers made a game of it in the third. Ron Hainsey scoring a goal of the power play variety…the first such tally since opening night. Brett Sterling, playing in his first game of the season, netted another at the 16:11 mark to get us to within one. The Detroit radio guys seemed very impressed with the way Atlanta fought their way back into things…as well as the backhanded pass off the spin from Christensen to set up Sterling’s goal.
Still haven’t seen it…looking forward to doing so right after posting this.
Unfortunately, an empty-netter sealed our fate.
On to Beantown…
Now, for this game, I’m enjoying listening to it behind the lake house while roasting hot dogs and marshmallows with the fam underneath the stars. I don’t get Dan Kamal for this game either…instead settling for the BAH-stan feed. I was alone by the end of the second period as everyone retired inside…I continued to listen and watched as, one by one, the other house lights turned off across the lake.
This one started much better…two power play goals in the first…Williams and Schneider. Then Ilya Kovalchuk notch another off the man advantage after Boston had tied it in the second.
That’s right boys and girls…four power play goals in three consecutive periods! Hard to believe, but true!
3-3 heading to the third…
After giving up the go-ahead goal five minutes into the final period, Colby Armstrong shakes off a wicked hit from Zdeno Chara… according to the Bruins announcers… in time to get the puck and feed it to Kozlov for the tying goal with over 12 minutes left to play.
This sounded like a good game…a close one…but “close” was un-good given the fact that we all but ran their butts out of the barn in the first. But…we can still win this one, right?
Wrong!
Milan Lucic goal…for the hat trick…with 101 seconds left in the game made it 5-4 Bruins and sent the Thrashers home pointless for the road trip.
It also sent a very loud…very foul word flying from my mouth!
Oops…a light came on from across the lake…did I wake up someone? Sorry…my bad…go back to sleep…
Seven goals scored…no wins.
Three power play goals…nothing in the points column.
Two close games played…but we’re not talking horseshoes here.
Doesn’t get much easier either folks. Tuesday the Flyers pay Philips a visit. That team has found their winning touch again going 2-0-2 after a 0-3-1 start. Then there’s another trip up north for a date with the Rangers on Thursday. All they’ve done is compile a league-high 17 points in their initial 11 games this season.
“Close” won’t get it done either this week.
Now…Want Some Good News?
Well, as stated above…there were four power play goals to celebrate. The Thrashers went 1-7 on the man advantage Friday night to snap what seemed to be a 0 Fer-freakin’-ever slide. Then they went 3-4 Saturday in Boston. Going 4 or 11 on the power play equates to about 36% efficient.
Then there is the fact that, in back-to-back games, Atlanta mustered seven goals total for the weekend…from seven different players.
Taking 33 shots on Detroit’s goal Friday and 32 on Boston’s Saturday is good. And it continues a very good trend in this category. For the season, Atlanta has averages 31.2 S/G…ninth best in the league.
OK…Now Some Un-Good
Two losses. Sorry…had to mention that again.
Blowing a 2-0 lead and 3-2 lead in a game the Thrashers really should have won.
After stuffing the Bruins on all seven shots in the first…Johan Hedberg then let up five goals on 24 shots the rest of the way.
18 Shots on goal for Boston in the second period in Saturday’s game is waaay un-good.
And Finally…The Ugly
Allowing the Wings to take 46 shots on our goal…ugly. I know, they’re the champs and all…but they were only averaging 38 SOG prior to that game. To his credit, Kari was able to stop 41 of the 45 he faced.
The amount of shots per game that the Thrashers are allowing…36.2…is nothing shy of ugly. That’s second worst in the NHL to the Mullets who give up 37.2 SA/G.
