AJC > Sports Thrashers > Blog > Archives > 2008 > November > 26 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USThanksgiving Memories
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Do you remember Thanksgiving just one year ago? As we sat down to gorge ourselves on turkey, ham, stuffing, yams, cranberries, mashed potatoes, green beans, dinner rolls and a multitude of pies and/or cake…we were fresh off a 5-1 victory over a hapless Washington Capitals team.
At the time, Atlanta was riding an 11 wins in 15 games wave after dropping the first six of the season…heading in the right direction, eh? The Caps on the other had dropped to 6-14-1 for 13 points and listen to chants of “Fire Hanlon” rain down from the announced crowd of 11,669. And on Thanksgiving day…fire him they did.
They were two teams seemingly moving in opposite directions at the time. Of course as we now know…at season’s end, Washington had won the Southeast Division championship and the Thrashers had won the right to pick third in the NHL entry draft.
Fast-forward one year.
Here we are at another Thanksgiving holiday… preparing to sit down and make nice-nice with those relatives…you know which ones I’m talkin’ about…and once again we watched the Thrashers and Capitals play the Wednesday night prior.
They again seem like two teams on differing paths.
Fresh off one of their better performances of the season in Toronto just the night before, the Thrashers dropped a 5-3 decision to the division-leading Caps. Making the sting a little worse is the fact that if there was a time to jump all over this Caps team, this was the time. Washington entered into the game having lost three straight and their lineup was depleted to the point that they had to reach down onto the farm and bring up some of the kids.
Karl Alzner, Chris Bourque, Sami Lepisto, Graham Mink and Tyler Sloan…they all helped coach Bruce Boudreau ice 20 players. To their credit, Sloan and Lepisto got on the score sheet with an assist apiece and they helped their club beat a Thrashers team that was pretty much at full-strength.
But this night was the Ovechkin show as the Russian winger turned the hat trick on six shots and added a helper for good measure. His third goal game 54 seconds into the second period. I heard a rumor this Ovechkin guy was pretty good.
Atlanta was outshot 33-18 by the Caps.
For the Thrashers…Slava Kozlov netted goal number twelve of the year and Bryan Little…a.k.a. Byron Young, as E.J. Hradek calls him…scored his tenth. Nathan Oystrick not only got off Schneid Island with his first of the year, the tallied was his first ever career NHL goal.
As reported by Mike Knobler, Coach John Anderson cited the big save by Jose Theodore on Eric Perrin at the start of the game as the turning point. “I thought Theodore really turned the game around with that great stop on the breakaway on Perrin early on,” Anderson said. “It gave them a lift, picked them up. We caught them off guard right away and didn’t score, and they come right back down and get a power play and score. After that, for a period and a half, we couldn’t recuperate. They were on us like rats on cheese.”
Actually, I was gonna say Washington was on us like my cousin Thelma on the Thanksgiving dessert tray…but I think the way coach put it is OK too.
Anyway, Nashville in town Friday night…until then, I hope you all have a wonderful and joyous Thanksgiving.
Comments
Commenting is now closed for this entry.
By Nikita
November 26, 2008 10:45 PM | Link to this
Yep. That game was about as good as a holiday fruit cake.
Looking forward to the Preds. Getting the turkey in the oven.
By The Joker
November 26, 2008 11:03 PM | Link to this
Did Exelby get awarded any of the assists on Ovechkin’s goals?
By Brendan
November 27, 2008 12:02 AM | Link to this
That was a great blog, Rawhide. Informative and whimsical. It did make me feel sad, however, in one portion. Yes, the part where you wrote, Atlanta was riding an 11 wins in 15 games wave after dropping the first six of the season … heading in the right direction, eh?
Well, you know what happened next, right?
(Cue the theme to “Jeopardy.”)
Anyone? Anyone at all? Bueller? Aww, c’mon. Y’all know this one. Think about it. THINK HARDER. What happened immediately after that?
Answer: The Atlanta Spirit, LLC awarded Don Waddell a FRESH, NEW CONTRACT EXTENSION. For an ownership group FAMOUS for its PROCRASTINATION, they wasted little time re-inking the Wadster. Imagine, just IMAGINE, if they could have PROCRASTINATED on THAT decision? What a time to become PROACTIVE, huh?
Digest that one? What would the Atlanta Spirit Boys have done, if they had waited until the END of the season to make a decision about the GM position? Waddell’s contract was set to expire at the conclusion of the 2008 season? I shudder to think of the answer. I suspect … they still would have renewed him. They’re that inept. But, for argument’s sake, what if they didn’t?
What if … they decided to just NOT RENEW Waddell? You might call that “firing,” if you want. But the point remains, he’d be gone. At least, hypothetically. And a new GM would have still selected Zach Bogosian 3rd overall. Maybe even taken Nicholas Deschamps or Eric O’Dell at #29, via the Penguins. Who knows? We could be in Year One of a NEW Administration. Bygones.
By Brendan
November 27, 2008 12:17 AM | Link to this
Uhh, I forgot to say … Happy Thanksgiving!
I prefer to think of the Thanksgiving in the non-politically revised fashion. I can’t rightly tell you how the Pilgrims interacted with the Indians. But I know this much … even if events of what actually transpired aren’t wholly accurate, the “legend” of Thanksgiving has value. And it is in these terms that the holiday ought to be celebrated. I hope everyone’s is terrific and SAFE.
By ranallo10 (in AT)
November 27, 2008 5:54 AM | Link to this
Way to go Hradek. Your already shaky credibility is now officially gone. Byron Young?!?
Happy Turkey and Honey Baked Ham Day everybody…well, except you crazy vegetarians.
By Old School Al
November 27, 2008 8:02 AM | Link to this
The TaRashers stink. What else is new? Don Waddell must be ther happiness guy in hockey. Not only does he have a job for life (like The Pope), he now has a scapegoat in John Anderson!
By Bob
November 27, 2008 9:43 AM | Link to this
Happy Thanksgiving. I miss the old Thrashers’ home games on Thanksgiving evening (great way to scoop the kids and ditch the inlaws!).
By Alan
November 27, 2008 11:34 AM | Link to this
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.
By Tom
November 27, 2008 11:46 AM | Link to this
Happy Thanksgiving. I miss the old Thrashers’ home games on Thanksgiving evening (great way to scoop the kids and ditch the inlaws!).
Amen brother, Amen…
By LAC
November 27, 2008 11:57 AM | Link to this
j.e.hack, Is that the correct name ? Is the most out of touch clown I ever saw. He “thinks” he knows everything, but shows just how stupid heis time after time… Just a cheap tool for the NHL for sure.
His comments are ALWAYS anti Atlanta, Always, he cannot say anything positive about us,including it would be better to see #17 play for a better team.
So STICK it hadak, you cheap hack, you are as worthless as waddell, why don’t you bring your little punk A$$ down here and face Atlanta fans FACE TO FACE !
But you won’t as you are a gutless little wanna be hockey guy who only has the reputation of being uninformed and dumb as HELL! Chock on your turkey hadak !!!
Between you and that dave reid thing well just two LOSERS who know little about Atlanta or theNHL !
Happy Thanksgiving To All… Except those 2 clowns !
By five_hole
November 27, 2008 12:57 PM | Link to this
Happy Thanksgiving to all.
By Alan
November 27, 2008 1:19 PM | Link to this
Not only does he have a job for life (like The Pope), he now has a scapegoat in John Anderson!
His job isn’t nearly as secure as you might like to think. Also, Waddell has absolutely no excuse to fire Anderson. Everyone knows that.
By Sage of Bluesland
November 27, 2008 7:03 PM | Link to this
Happy Thanksgiving to all in Thrashersland…
By Rawhide
November 27, 2008 7:51 PM | Link to this
BUUUUURRRP!!
Oh my…Excuse me.
I ate so much I think I might explode like that fat dude in “Monty Python’s Meaning Of Life”.
Now…after the Thanksgiving meal is over with…what’s better than to sit down and enjoy a good Maple Leafs/Senators hockey match?
By Brendan
November 27, 2008 9:32 PM | Link to this
I’m right there with ya, Rawhide. And I’m having trouble breathing. Why do we this every year? Every year, I say … easy does it. And not only do I overdo it, I have desssert, too! Everything was deeeelish. Cooked to perfection. Stuffing, exceptional. Vegetables, divine. And we topped the evening off with some Christmas light hanging. One house is already all decked out, in anticipation of Santa’s arrival. I counted three (3) houses in my neighborhood with Holiday lights up.
Before ya know it, you’ll be sippin’ egg nog by the fire. It’s going to be a long, sustained sleep tonight! Senators 1, Maple Leafs, 1, withe 17:00 left in the 3rd.
By Rawhide
November 27, 2008 10:34 PM | Link to this
Brendan - Uh-huh…burp. Every year…the same… hic…same thing.
Anyway, looky here…Brian Burke is the new GM for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Geee…who saw THAT coming?
By Nikita
November 27, 2008 11:13 PM | Link to this
I didn’t eat as much this evening as it sounds like you guys. But I have a trick: a) cook dinner, so you won’t have time to cook lunch and b) cook all the dishes you personally do not like. So, my dinner consisted of turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, and pie. Everyone else got double the dishes.
Good game between TOR and OTT. TOR seemed to have a much better night than they did against the Thrash.
Hands up, who’s going to the Preds game?
By Nikita
November 28, 2008 12:19 AM | Link to this
P.S.
a. Chris Thorburn is officially downgraded on the hot scale now that I’ve actually seen the TOR game. Mmmm, mouth cancer…sexay! Plus, what the heck is up with his pads? Does anybody else wear those bizarre fully articulated closed-cell thingies? I can’t recall seeing those previously. Also, I know the dude’s canadian, but is there a portion (or two — mark recchi also had this issue) of canada that produces people who look like connected guy northern new jerseyites?
b. About to turn in for a few hours before hitting the stores for Black Friday. I promise not to wear protective gear or use a stick to move people out of my way, but you’ll know it’s me if you hear about some crazy person cross-checking a person at Lowe’s.
c. Is Hainsey looking o.k.? Anyone know?
d. Any chance Crabb or Boris will play tomorrow evening?
e. Does anyone have a handle on wht we need to address to beat the Preds? Other than the usual (morale, focus, toughness, Exelby), that is?
By Sharon
November 28, 2008 1:05 AM | Link to this
Happy Thanksgiving!
By Rawhide
November 28, 2008 8:08 AM | Link to this
Nikita - The entire Rawhide family will be in attenance tonight…how about you?
Will we have a toga sighting as well?
By Bob
November 28, 2008 10:28 AM | Link to this
I ate so much I think I might explode like that fat dude in “Monty Python’s Meaning Of Life”
A bucket for monsieur? There you are, monsieur.
That Buds-Sens game was pretty good, I didn’t realize Heatley was so awful in the shootout, his record is abysmal and that attempt last night was pitiful.
By Brendan
November 28, 2008 11:00 AM | Link to this
Brian Burke is 53 and he has a two and a half year old? Wow. I suppose at 63, he’s still young enough to play catch with the child out in the yard. Burke, per the article, also has a four and a half year old. Burke’s got himself a six (6) year deal with the Leafs.
Question for Bob and Rawhide: “Do you think a B. Burke & R. Wilson tandem can bring home the Cup for the Maple Leafs?” Keep in mind, Ron Wilson is the Marty Schottenheimer of hockey. I genuinely hope Ron will actually win a Cup in his career. If he does it in Toronto, it will propel him, almost immediately, into the Hall of Fame. (The Hall of Fame is located in Toronto.) The Leafs’ drought dates back to 1967. No team has been HURT MORE by Expansion than the Leafs.
Discuss. Include, in your answer, if you think Brian Burke will eventually fire Ron Wilson. And if so, how long will Burke wait. I do realize that Ron Wilson was Burke’s choice of Head Coach, even while Burke was in Anaheim. Kudos to Cliff Fletcher for getting the HC that Burke wanted all along.
Dany Heatley is now 3 for 19 in shootouts, or something close to that. Dude, I wouldn’t put him in my regular rotation with results like that. What did you think of the Senator’s new 3rd jerseys? I’m still laughting at Tampa’s “Bolts” design. It looks like a scrimmage jersey.
By Rawhide
November 28, 2008 12:02 PM | Link to this
Brendan - Do you think a B. Burke & R. Wilson tandem can bring home the Cup for the Maple Leafs?”
I dunno…but I think they will before Don Waddell does here in Atlanta.
Now, you will notice how I did not include John Anderson in that reply. I think if he is blessed with a decent GM, say for grins and giggles, a Pat Quinn or someone like that, (insert another name there if you will),…then I would say there is a chance for JA to get the job done here.
As for if Burke will fire Wilson…I think Wilson will remain in Toronto for at least 3 years. The Burke/Wilson partnership will yeild sugnificat impovement each season. “How” much improvement will determine whether or not Wilson is there much longer than 3 seasons.
By Brendan
November 28, 2008 12:17 PM | Link to this
An excellent response, Rawhide. Methinks the media pressure in Toronto could cause some re-thinking after two seasons, if things aren’t going well enough. Would it be fair to say that John Feguson, Jr. didn’t leave Brian Burke in a power position to win the Cup? So, if Burke accomplishes a Cup victory, the credit truly belongs to him. Or, has Cliff Fletcher done enough to right the Maple Leafs’ ship such that Burke detractors will claim that FLETCHER caused the turn-about in Toronto, not Burke?
It will be interesting to watch the Maple Leafs evolution, as we examine their intelligent design.
By Rawhide
November 28, 2008 12:41 PM | Link to this
Brendan - True dat! Toronto is indeed the NHL pressure cooker, but the fans there also understand this game and league very well. I think if they see serious improvement, then the pressure will ease…until the get that close but haven’t yet pushed over the top. Then it comes back double.
By Brendan
November 28, 2008 1:00 PM | Link to this
Look at the pressure in Montreal. GM Bob Gainey moved netminder Cristobal Huet to Washington for a 2nd rounder, putting the goaltending burder on young Carey Price and Halak. The Habs went in as the #1 seed, but didn’t even reach the Conference Finals. They lost to the Flyers in five games, in what really truly could have been a Philadelphia 2nd round sweep, barring a TOTAL COLLAPSE on the Flyers’ part in the waning moments of Game One. Truth be told, the Habs had serious trouble with the #8 seed Boston, who pushed them to seven games. Now, Montreal seriously took care of business in Game Seven, but they squandered a 3-1 series lead. And the Flyers did to Montreal what the Bruins did in Games Five and Six.
Montreal will surely be a playoff team this year. But if they don’t go in as #1, Habs fans and media will see it as a backwards step. And if they don’t make it out of the 1st round, I wouldn’t be shocked to learn the someone got fired as the price of that failure. If you’re the Habs, I think you view the Conference Finals as your minimum goal for the 2009 season. That’s called expectations. Teams either live up to them or they don’t.
To me, though, I’d look at the team performance much moreso that I would the results. Still with me? Say the Habs run into the team that wins the Cup in the 2nd round? Is it really time to fire everyone? Or, is it time to tweak the roster, in hopes of finding the missing pieces of the Stanley Cup winning puzzle? I’d vote for the latter, not the former. For me, the bottom line is … are the Habs still moving in the right direction? If the answer is yes, you don’t fire the lot of them and trade away what got you there just b/c you didn’t win the Cup.
But, stupid is as stupid does. Let’s keep an eye on it.
By Nikita
November 28, 2008 1:33 PM | Link to this
Dang it. My freakin’ husband is unable to make tonight’s game. So no togas. I am absolutely heartbroken.
Also, I’m sure you’ll all be pleased to learn that Byron Young’s official roster page is up.
By Rawhide
November 28, 2008 2:57 PM | Link to this
Brendan - Your assesment of The Habs are spot on. That team is expected to win it all…now!
Nikita - OK, so hubby ain’t comin’…are you still gonna make it? And who says you can’t Toga it-up on your own?
Anyway…looks like we are gonna get a case of the Crabbs tonight!
By Brendan
November 28, 2008 9:52 PM | Link to this
There’s about 4:00 left in the 3rd period. 3-3. Atlanta goals by Little, Oystrick, and Kovalchuk. Atlanta has lost three of their past four games coming, so getting at least a point would be very important.
By Brendan
November 28, 2008 10:10 PM | Link to this
I think Nashville’s goalie is going to get an assist on the overtime winning goal by Ryan Suter. Suter was the 1st defenseman selected in his draft year, 2003, at #6 overall. Braydon Coburn went 8th overall. And 9th overall … was Dion Phaneuf.
By Brendan
November 28, 2008 10:31 PM | Link to this
The Thrashers have now lost five of their past six (5/6) with a 1-4-1 record. Even so, their November record is above .500, at 6-5-1.
Does it feel that way?
By Brendan
November 28, 2008 11:53 PM | Link to this
Did everyone catch Executive Vice President, Director of Player Personnel, Board of Governors Representative, General Manager, and all around Hockey Czar Don Waddell during the 2nd period intermission?
According to Don, the team is ‘real close’ to putting together some good winning streaks. He says they’ve lost a lot of close games. He says that some guys take the night off. And that’s what has hampered the team. He said, ‘bad teams’ don’t win 5 games in a row in this league. He says, all they need is some consistency, not only from game to game, but period to period. He says, ‘there’s a lot of skill’ on our team.
So, there ya have it! Right from the horse’s mouth. Everything’s, essentially, going GREAT. It’s just consistency and players taking vacations during the season that is the problem. And an inability to play 3 consecutive periods at 100% determination.
I didn’t make any of that up. This is, nearly word-for-word, what Don Waddell said, during the broadcast tonight.
By The Joker
November 29, 2008 12:41 AM | Link to this
Waddell makes stendec look smart.
By Jim
November 29, 2008 9:12 AM | Link to this
“Waddell makes Stendec look smart”- great line, Joker. I did catch the interview and almost fell off my chair when he talked about being “real close”. We are only “real close” to the bottom. Even he pointed out that the Preds were controlling the puck in our end too much. That is the same scenario that we see every game. And, the PK is so passive that it’s only good goaltending and some guts by the shot blockers that save us. It’s a shooting gallery for the other guys. Crabb added spark. Schneider is a real defensive liability and bonehead Exelby once again lost his stick at a key point. When in the world is he going to put both hands on the stick? Sorry Donny boy, but the light at the end of this tunnel is now simply a dot.
By Bob
November 29, 2008 9:38 AM | Link to this
The scariest part is that Waddell really believes we are close. I don’t think he’s just talking out his rear (as usual) on that). He just has a basic lack of ability to put together a cohesive NHL club.
By Brendan
November 29, 2008 10:48 AM | Link to this
Yes, Waddell repeated the phrase “We’re real close” twice. I failed to list that in the nearly verbatim interview I posted on Mike Knobler’s blog As exasperating as those comments are, they pale by comparison to this gem, “Bad teams, in this league, don’t win 5 games in a row.”
Okay, stop. I’m not going to break out the statistics that prove that bad teams can and do win 5 games in-a-row. I’d only ask you to do some ‘basic thinking.’ How many games long is the season? Answer: 82. How many teams are there in the league? Answer: 30.
Well, in the course of an 82-game season, with 30 teams, isn’t it possible to randomly have 5 of those teams, EVEN REALLY GOOD ONES, hitting their “lull” point of the season while playing the Atlanta Thrashers Hockey Club? Answer: Yes, it is possible. What if these 5 random clubs were all in a downward spiral while playing Atlanta? Wouldn’t the Thrashers stand to benefit from that? Answer: Yes. So, isn’t it possible for ‘bad teams,’ ANNNNY BAD TEAM, to win 5 games in a row, in the National Hockey League? Answer: Yes, especially with the advent of the shootout artificially propping up wins in the standings.
But ya know what, folks? What’s Don supposed to say? He can’t say everything is perfect. He can’t say, “Man, I messed things up. This isn’t, even remotely, where I thought we’d be in Season Nine.” To quote Sage of Bluesland, he’s got to resort to bluster and obfuscation.
Once, I actually sat through someone arguing that orange juice was wetter than blood. The argument deterorated into, “Well, how do you define ‘moisture?’” We live in a world where you can’t get 10 people in a room … to AGREE that water is wet. And it’s just as wet as blood or orange juice. And there it is.
By dhj_1962
November 30, 2008 9:16 AM | Link to this
blues on a losing streak to.