AJC > Sports Thrashers > Blog > Archives > 2008 > December > 13
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Thank You Sir! May I Have Another?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
If you would have told me Friday afternoon that the Atlanta Thrashers would out-shoot the Bruins 33-25 AND that we would put three goals past Tim Thomas…who came into the game with a .940 SV% and a 1.90 GAA…AND that the Thrashers would be successful on 2 of their 4 power play chances…I would have told you that we were gonna have a great night down at Blueland.
I would have been incorrect.
After the first couple minutes into the game, I gazed up at the scoreboard and made note that the Thrashers were out-shooting the Boston Bruins 4-0. “Pretty good way to start against the conference’s best team”, I thought to myself. “Certainly this is a good sign and can only lead to good things”.
I was incorrect.
By the time Boston had taken their fourth shot of the game at the 8:41 mark of the first period…they owned a 3-0 lead and Ondrej Pavelec had been chased from the net. Three minutes and fifteen second later it was 4-0 and the Un-good-O-meter was spinning off its axes.
Boston had 4 goals on only 5 shots on the Thrashers’ net.
Eleven of the eighteen Boston skaters earned points on those first four goals and thirteen Bruins gained at least a point on the night overall. Phil Kessel led the charge for the visitors with a pair of assists and a goal. Mark Stuart notch a pair of goals and Mark Savard…remember him?…chipped in with a pair of assists as did Matt Hunwick and David Krejci.
Opie however would finish the night in Atlanta goal as Moose was lifted after surrendering three more in the third…4 on 20 shots on goal total. After Milan Lucic’s shot…or pass…deflected in off of Boris Valabik and made the score 6-2, Hedberg’s goalie stick was ceremoniously sacrificed across the iron altar of frustration.
Pavs finished with 2 saves on 5 SOG.
I looked back up at the scoreboard just as the final horn sounded…bringing a merciful end to the mauling. On it I found that Atlanta finished the game with 33 shots on goal, finishing with 3 goals and Boston had netted their 7 on but 25 shots. Most nights an Atlanta goalie would consider facing only 25 SOG as a picnic. Friday night both keepers faced that amount combined and…sigh.
And after the 7-3 spanking at the hands of the Eastern Conference’s best team the Thrashers can now look forward to…another match-up with the same team. Tonight it will be Boston’s turn to host the party.
Let’s just hope that tonight the Thrashers are not again on the wrong end of the paddle.
Boris Off Schneid Island? Not So Fast!
One game removed from his first ever NHL point, it had seemed as though Boris Valabik had notched his first ever NHL goal. However, the box score on NHL.com as well as Yahoo Sports both show Kovalchuk with the goal…possibly glancing off his stick.
If that is the case, Boris remains on the island with Garnet Exelby. Once back from his injury, rookie Zach Bogosian can again join the two in looking for that first goal on the year.
And Finally…
Myself…along with The Divine Mrs. R, the two tax exemptions along with their female companions…had the pleasure of meeting and sitting with Volgrad1985 and the lovely Mrs. Volgrad1985. It certainly made the evening far more enjoyable then it could have been, considering the outcome.
