Little effort in big win as Thrashers top Caps in season opener

Oct 11 2008

Published by bud006 at 8:25 am under Uncategorized Edit This

By Bud L. Ellis
thrashers.today.com

Thrashers 7, Capitals 4

Top of the Slot: Bryan Little’s second goal of the game broke a 4-4 tie with 6:03 left, and Colby Armstrong scored 29 seconds later as the Thrashers pulled away for an emotionally charged victory on opening night at Philips Arena.

The Good: Little, who didn’t know Wednesday if he’d play in the opener with a hip injury, sure did look good skating at right wing on the third line, scoring in the first to give Atlanta a 3-0 lead. His second goal was much bigger, a blast from the near-side in the third to break a 4-4 tie. It was a great night for the newcomers: Ron Hainsey scored the first goal, and Marty Reasoner followed 29 seconds later to make it 2-0. Slava Kozlov looked good after an injury-riddled season, making it 4-2 with a second-period goal. Kari Lehtonen allowed a couple of soft goals, but weathered a flurry of Washington shots in the second and made several huge saves, none bigger than stopping league MVP Alexander Ovechkin on a penalty shot early in the third. Ilya Kovalchuk made a fantastic pass to Todd White for the seventh goal, putting the game away.

The Bad: Blowing a 3-0 first-period lead isn’t exactly the way to make the home folks believe things are going to be better this season, but that’s exactly what the Thrashers did. Atlanta was lethargic in the second period – especially on defense – being outshot 17-10 as the Thrashers couldn’t carry over the momentum from their lightning-fast start. Lehtonen allowed a shorthanded goal in the second. Zach Bogosian looked like an 18-year-old, turning the puck over on his first possession and landing in the penalty box shortly thereafter. Eric Boulton slipped during the first fight of the season with 2:16 left.

View from the Sports Garage: First and foremost, let me say I’m thrilled hockey season is back. Let me also say this is the first hockey game story I’ve banged out in, oh, 13 years, since I covered the Atlanta Knights of the old International Hockey League for my college newspaper. Might take a few games to shake off the rust, but here goes. A wonderful first period. Could not ask for a better start for this franchise that nobody expects much from this season. Great start for the newcomers. Hainsey filled the middle perfectly on the first goal, and Reasoner put on a nice shot for the second one. Little scored for the second consecutive season opener, finishing with two goals and one assist. You knew the high-powered Caps would shoot their way back into it, and it was disturbing to see the Thrashers – who were so sharp at the blueline in the first – look so bad in the second. But Lehtonen’s stoning of Ovechkin on the penalty shot was huge, and Little gave Atlanta the lead for keeps off a nice feed from Kozlov with six minutes left. Then Armstrong made it a two-goal advantage seconds later, blistering a short-side shot from the circle. A fantastic victory, a great way to start the season. Don’t print the playoff tickets just yet, but this is EXACTLY what the Thrashers needed. Great, great start. They might not be a playoff team, but boy, if the Thrashers play like they did in the first and the third more often than not this season, it’s going to be fun to watch this team grow. And it was good to see the Thrashers stick up for Bogosian after Donald Brashear’s chicken-you-know-what move of fighting the rookie late in the third. That will be remembered the next time these two teams meet, I guarantee you that.