AJC > Sports Thrashers > Blog > Archives > 2008 > November > 30
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Blown Lead To Blues Give Blueland The Blues
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
OK…say that five times fast!
Sunday’s game against the St. Louis Blues was billed as a “Red Alert” game as the Thrashers were wearing their red alternate jerseys. But after the game it was coach John Anderson that was seeing red as he voiced his displeasure in the way his Thrashers have been performing lately. So much so that he seems to be ready to shake things up.
“We’re going to look at the whole situation, look at what we have, what we have in the minors and figure out what steps need to be taken”, the coach remarked after watching his team waste a 2-1 first period lead enroute to a 4-2 loss to a Blues team that had lost to the Edmonton Oilers the day before in St. Louis.
There have been some minor adjustments that have happened recently, but reading between the lines I think those are minor tweeks compared to what is needed…and what Anderson may have in mind.
Flip-flopping netmiders hasn’t really yeilded any permanent results. However, Odrej Pavelec played well Sunday as he turned away 43 of the 46 shots taken against him. The Blues empty-netter at the end made for 47 SOG on the afternoon, a season high…or low if you prefer…for Atlanta this season.
Of the two…I would rather see more of Opie than Moose right now.
Erik Christenesen has watched the last two games from the comfy confines of the press box after struggling for the first quarter of the season. Joey Crabb has played in his place and, though not netting any points as of yet, he has played with a good deal of hustle.
But we should be looking at some different changes as this week unfolds. Maybe Colin Stuart or Brett Sterling could being seeing some action. Maybe we could be looking at more drastic modification as Anderson held a post-game meeting with general manager Don Waddell to discuss possile changes.
Personally, off the top of my head, there are two players that should have their playing time greatly reduced…if not eliminated altogether. Jason Williams and Mathieu Schneider. It’s a shame too because both are players that I thought were going to have a positive impact on this team.
Schneider left the game with what was disclosed as an upper body injury. So it is entirely possible that Boris Valabic could see some more action soon.
However, they certainly do not deserve to shoulder all of the blame for the team’s very un-good 8-12-3 record. The entire team is struggling to connect three consecutive solid period on a consistant basis.
“We’re not playing as good as we can play right now, and we’ve got to figure it out right away,” Anderson said. “It’ll get so far out of hand that we won’t be able to reel it back in”. Indeed. There have to be changes made, even drastic ones.
But to me, the most damning remarks from Anderson were, “We’ve got to compete more. We stopped competing.”
Getting beat because the other team out played you is one thing. But when your coach accuses you of not even competing, well, that’s the point at which players can start seeing their name removed from the regular lineup…or from atop of their lockers.
Combined with Atlanta’s defeat at Maroonland Sunday, Florida beat the Rangers 4-0 and Dallas slipped by Edmonton 4-3. Those results have left the Thrashers tied for last with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
And we’re not just just talkin’ last in the Southeast Division…or the Eastern Conference…but dead last in the entire leaue.
Oh, and the Bolts have already made a fairly drastic change already.
But here, I firmly believe that the coaching staff that is in place is the right group for the job. Where The Mullet was relieved of his duty primarily because ownership wanted their top draft pick to play more…I think coach Anderson and his crew need to work out who needs to play less. Maybe even who needs to never play again in Thrashers blue…or maroon.
Congrats To Tkachuk
Keith Tkachuk’s power play goal that tied the score at 2-2 during the second period was his 1,000th career point. Those in attendance gave him…a player who helped get the Thrashers to their one and only playoff apperence… a very warm and well deserved ovation.
Tkachuk is the 72nd NHL player to reach the 1,000 point mark and only the sixth U.S. born player to do so.
One Last Shout-Out For The Weekend
I had the unexpected pleasure of sitting near Hockey Biltong and the lovely and gracious Mrs. Biltong at Sunday’s game. They were with a small group in section 119. Very nice to have met these two wonderful Thrashers fans.
