AJC > Sports Thrashers > Blog > Archives > 2009 > February > 10 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USKari Saves Thrashers Bacon
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Atlanta Thrashers have won only two games since the All Star break. Both times, it took Kari Lehtonen holding the opposition to but a single goal, allowing his skaters the time needed to squeak out just enough O-Fense to get the job done.
Last week, it was a 39 save performance by Kari that enabled the Thrashers to get by the New York Rangers 2-1 in a shootout. Lehtonen came within seconds of earning his second shutout of the season that night. Tuesday, it was a 40 save job by Kari that afforded his team the ability to beat Tampa Bay 3-1.
Things didn’t start off too swimmingly for Kari and the Thrashers as Gary Roberts put the Bolts up early at the 1:24 mark. It was the third shot on goal Kari faced in the game…he then denied the Lighting for the rest of the way, stopping the next 38 straight.
The Boys of Blueland killed off all five Tampa Bay power plays…including a pair of brief 5-3s. In the first, just seconds after successfully dealing with the first two man deficit…which lasted 38 seconds…Colin Stuart tied the game with a shorty, his first point since being called up from Chi-town.
At 2:02 of the second, the Slavanator took a feed from The Pevs Dispenser to give Atlanta a lead that they would not surrender. Kaptain Kovalchuk added an empty-net jobber toward the end to ice the game.
But Tuesday, make no doubt… it was the Kari Lehtonen show. These two points have his name stamped all over them. 17 of the 41 shots taken on him came in the final period…the Bolts took the first nine in that 20-minute frame. Kari’s biggest save come with just over eight minutes remaining as he turned away a penalty shot from last summer’s first overall draft pick.
It’s A Southern Thang!
The win snapped a five game losing streak to Southeast Division opponents for the Thrashers. Atlanta is 6-6-2 now against their division-mates. However, it was only the second road win inside the Southeast.
Thanks Mr. Kamal
As I’ve stated before, I’m away on business down in Miami. How’s the weather you ask? Well… it was sunny and warm with a slight breeze Tuesday. Tonight’s low will only be about 69 and Wednesday is supposed to be mostly sunny and 78. But, if the Divine Mrs. R asks, it’s rainy, blustery and miserable…got it!
Anyway, I was not successful in finding a sports bar that carried the NHL package…go figure…so I simply listened to the call of The Grand Kamalian via internet stream. Not a bad back-up plan at all!
You know, for my money, Dan Kamal is one of the best radio guys in the sport. I always get a clear mental picture of what’s happening and the colorful way he describes the action is absolutely brilliant. Also, the man is doing this solo for the most part but he carries the load professionally and always gives a great performance.
Great guy too, that Dan Kamal…last summer after the open house, he came over to chat with me as well as the pair of friends that had joined me there. He just could not have been more gracious with his time and even walked all the way to the cars with us…chattin’ Thrashers hockey all the way with us.
And I have to be honest…that he said this little forum was a regular read of his was an honor indeed for yours truly.
Anyway…thanks, Dan, for bringing me a little closer to home Tuesday night and for all ya do!
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Comments
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By Nikita
February 11, 2009 12:00 AM | Link to this
I’m first, really? Awesome!
First, glad to meet you, Rawhide. Though I’m sorry about the togas. and by the way, I’m still angry that the seat finder fails to make it clear that certain seats are under the concrete. I think that’s the only condition I won’t accept — oddly enough, upper deck and lower deck are just fine, but being stuck without the thrasher heads and jumbotron is just not acceptable.
As for tonight’s game, it still looked pretty flat, but a victory is a victory. Steven Stamkos looked p** when Kari denied him.
By Tony C.
February 11, 2009 1:40 AM | Link to this
Nikita*- You would be p!ssed too if you had a guy beat cold, only for him to stop you with some B-S flop out there, glovehand behind the line, and it hit his wrist and stays out???
I loved it-was all “Yeeea-uh Bay-bay” (yes my coworkers were giving me that “oh, he’s a hokey guy”).
Mr. T, Next time you run into ye olde Grand Kamalian, ask if he’d like a good ol’ boy from Stone Mountain to ride shotgun. He does a great job painting the scene-hysterics aside (sorry he ruined that game for ya ranallo). I swear he could make picking out a head of lettuce sound super exciting.
great win, I really wonder when we get to see the Wolves come up to stay.
By five_hole
February 11, 2009 8:01 AM | Link to this
Any win against the Lightning is a great win, even if it was a contest of bottom dwellers.
I agree; I enjoy the combo of Kamal & Elliot. We could do a lot worse than these two doing our games.
Our defense seems much smoother without Valabik. Love his size & reach, but the kid takes too many penalties, and just doesn’t seem comfortable out ther. Bogosian, on the other hand; wow, has he adjusted to playing in the big leagues. His game has really stepped up since coming back from the injury.
LeCavelier looked frustrated out there.
Finally, found this article at Yahoo Sports. They’re saying that Kovalchuk isn’t going anywhere. From their lips to Waddell’s ears (who should still be FIRED).
By B. Thenet
February 11, 2009 8:46 AM | Link to this
When I was first getting into hockey in NJ, I had the pleasure of listening to Mike Emrick call games for my NJ Devils.
Dan Kamal is in the same class when it comes to play by play, he is a great talent.
By The Real Fan
February 11, 2009 8:47 AM | Link to this
40 SHOTS! Again the Thrashers lead the league in shots allowed! When will you people wake up and see that we need an experienced GM?
By tddf30
February 11, 2009 10:35 AM | Link to this
You can’t always judge a game by the number of shots a team has. So yea TB had 40 shots, but the fact is that the defense didn’t give up many shots that were tough for Kari to stop. I would prefer the team to give up 40 “light” SOG than 10 “heavy” SOG where Tampa is streaking down seem.
Now Rawhide, I have nothing against Dan Kamal, I love to listen to him enough that sometimes I stream the game while also watching the live game. However; might I suggest when you are in a situation such as last night that you buy a Slingbox to watch the Thrashers games. With a Slingbox you can stream your own cable from home to your computer anywhere that you have internet access. The fact is that I actually live near Pittsburgh, but with the help of a Slingbox hooked up to my dad’s cable I am able to watch any game that is televised on SS. Just a suggestion, cause I know that I prefer to watch the game and see the action then have to make my own “visuals”
By Bob
February 11, 2009 10:54 AM | Link to this
stupid refs, that puck was in. Oh well, we probably wouldn’t screwed it up and gotten the extra point in OT anyway. At least the Isles got a point.
By dhj_1962
February 11, 2009 11:34 AM | Link to this
no bob, the puck was not in, oh, sorry, maybe you were closer than the REF was.
By Spud Webb
February 11, 2009 11:36 AM | Link to this
Kamal is a friend of mine & is as gracious a person as you’ll ever meet. I think he goes under the radar for most, if you live outside 285 you don’t get to hear him on the radio after dark!!! He loves talking hockey with us common folks and is visually upset with seasons like we’ve had, tough for a guy that is usually as up-beat as anyone! Keep up the great work KING!!!! Dan’s golf game (along with mine!!) needs some help though!!!!
By English Teacher
February 11, 2009 11:37 AM | Link to this
Amen to your comments about Dan Kamal. I’ve listened to his internet stream broadcasts several times and met him at Taco Mac. The guy is pure class.
By Alan
February 11, 2009 12:10 PM | Link to this
The puck may or may not have been in. It was inconclusive. To me, judging on everything I saw, the puck went off Kari’s wrist and into the glove. Given the backward momentum of both Kari and the puck, that would make sense.
No goal.
It was a stupid call by the refs to begin with, as the puck was knocked off Stamkos’ stick before the takedown. Tripping minor, yes. Penalty shot, no. Atlanta got jobbed by the penalty shot call, and you can argue (if you really feel like arguing with a rule book) that Tampa Bay got jobbed by the no goal call. In the end, they both canceled each other out.
Best part is, the PK unit didn’t have to take the ice.
By five_hole
February 11, 2009 1:32 PM | Link to this
I was reading the title of this blog Kari Saves Thrashers Bacon and thinking; if the savior had been Mathieu Schneider (yes, it could happen), what would the title be? Certainly not bacon.
By dhj_1962
February 11, 2009 1:55 PM | Link to this
alan, don’t wanna argue….lets just say i’ve seen at least 2 goals go in on Atlanta off states that were in a distinct kicking motion not overturned by the useless bunch in toronto. so, if it did go in?? so what, Atl. deserves the break.
By Alan
February 11, 2009 2:22 PM | Link to this
Certainly no point in arguing, dhj. After all, we’re on the same side, here. No goal is no goal.
However, our differences appear to be technical in nature. The way the ruling came on the ice (waved off) meant the video review judges at the arena and at the league had to determine the ref was incorrect.
Because those folks couldn’t determine whether the puck was over the line, they could not prove the ref was incorrect in his ruling. Therefore, the “no goal” call on the ice stood.
I’ve been watching the replays all day on this, because my curiosity is piqued. It seems like every time, I see something different. I honestly couldn’t tell you what happened to the puck, or where it went, at this point.
I’m sure those video folks felt the same way, hence why this call stood.
By muttonsourdough
February 11, 2009 4:42 PM | Link to this
Rawhide, I listen to Kamal all the time. His broadcast kinda reminds me of Harry Doyle of Major League, only hes not always goofing around. But his “How was your trip, sir? Very costly, I’m in the box.” never gets old. I listen to the radio feed because television is an impossibility and the sports bars around here just aint a smart decision for a guy with real dark eyes and eyebrows who aint smart enough to shut up when a drunk is misquoting me. And I never feel short-changed. I keep the real-time boxscore up from nhl.com and listen to Kamal many times. And as for it being a not-bad backup, I can tell you its not a bad primary either. And I absolutely agree, theres none better. And if there IS Id ruther not know. Leave me in my ignorant bliss.
Seems like win or loss, Kamal makes the radio feed worth listening to for me. Never met him in person, but from his personnel interviews and his blog posts and everthing else Ive ever read or heard, he seems like a real decent sort. I dont think he gets near enough recognition. Id much ruther hear Kamal than the tv guys.
By muttonsourdough
February 11, 2009 8:28 PM | Link to this
Haha when Kovy ripped that PP slapper goal, Kamal said “There’s a stimulus package we can live with!!” Another Kamal gem.
And then we gave up a goal within ten seconds. Theres an expletive for this…
By Tom
February 11, 2009 9:43 PM | Link to this
I have to say the boys played a solid 3rd period. They did everything but score to stay in the game. Too bad Kovy was .3 seconds short and that they disallowed the goal in the 3rd.
Solid effort by Kari too.
By Tony C.
February 11, 2009 9:46 PM | Link to this
From the Chicago broadcast:
“…in the slot to KO-Val-chuk rips it SCOOORRRRRRRRRRRRRE!!! IL-YA KO-VAL-CHUK Blisters one past Khabibulin~ There’s a stimulus package we can all live with!” -CLASSIC Kamal
Great call, unfortunately, less than a minute later, the ‘Hawks regained the lead on a tripping penalty against Slava-Matic.
Can’t believe the Kozlov/Peverly goal was disallowed :(!
Tough loss, but it sounded like we actually were in the game the whole time.
By Brendan
February 11, 2009 10:42 PM | Link to this
Not a bad game, really. I think Kari played well.