Thrashers.Today.Com

By Bud L. Ellis
thrashers.today.com

ATLANTA — The reduction in the number of games NHL teams play against their division rivals this season – from eight to six – opens up more opportunities to face teams from the opposite conference.

For the Atlanta Thrashers and the Nashville Predators, that’s a great thing. For hockey in the South, that’s a great thing.

Sporadic scheduling between teams in the Eastern Conference and those in the Western Conference has meant rivalries like Atlanta/Nashville have suffered in previous seasons. But not in 2008-09, as Atlanta and Nashville will play twice, once on each team’s home ice.

Two teams, separated by just four hours of interstate highway, hooking up twice a season. Yep, good move NHL.

The first meeting is tonight at Philips Arena, and you can bet with the Thrashers not exactly spinning the turnstiles at a fever pitch, there will be quite a few folks who make the trek down Interstate 24 and I-75 from Nashville to check out the game in Georgia’s capital city. Conversely, I’d imagine quite a few Thrashers’ fans will make the journey north to Nashville for the Jan. 17 matchup (I’m actually considering making that trip myself).

Nashville lost a tough 1-0 decision Tuesday to St. Louis, a game in which the Preds launched 47 shots on goal. That’s gotta make for a restless night for either Johan Hedberg or Ondrej Pavelec, one of whom will be between the pipes for the Thrashers.

Atlanta’s lost three of its past four after reeling off five consecutive victories. Atlanta needs a win for confidence, and a victory over Nashville not only would move it to 20 points on the season, it would be a nice first shot for the season in a rivalry that’s only going to get better with time.

—30—

By Bud L. Ellis
thrashers.today.com

Capitals 5, Thrashers 3

Top of the Slot: The winning streak didn’t last long for the Thrashers, who fell behind 4-1 early in losing for the fourth time in five games as Alexander Ovechkin netted a hat trick for the Caps.

The Good: Guess Todd White has recovered from that head-first crash into the boards last Thursday against Pittsburgh. White, who scored twice in Tuesday’s win at Toronto, netted two assists against the Caps. Ilya Kovalchuk finished with two assists. Bryan Little scored his 10th goal of the season and also recorded a helper, assisting on Slava Kozlov’s 12th goal. Nathan Oystrick scored his first NHL goal and finished plus-1. The Thrashers finished 2-for-3 on the power play.

The Bad: The big, early deficit … ugh. Ondrej Pavelec kept the Thrashers in Saturday’s loss vs. Columbus, but the youngster couldn’t turn the trick Wednesday. He gave up three goals on just 11 shots in the first period, and allowed a goal seconds into the second. Garnet Exelby and Ron Hainsey won’t remember this game fondly, each blueliner finishing minus-3.

View from the Sports Garage: Hard to operate when you find yourself down 4-1 just 21 minutes into the game. The Thrashers’ defense simply didn’t have an answer for Ovechkin, who scored three of Washington’s first four goals and finished with a four-point night. Tough not to be able to carry over the momentum from Tuesday’s inspired win at Toronto. Back home Friday night …

Next
Thrashers vs. Predators
7:30 p.m. Friday

—30—

By Bud L. Ellis
thrashers.today.com

Thrashers 6, Maple Leafs 3

Top of the Slot: In their first game since their worst performance of the season, the Thrashers stormed to a 3-0 lead en route to breaking a three-game losing streak.

The Good: Lots and lots of good things happened for Atlanta on this night. Todd White scored twice. Colby Armstrong, Ilya Kovalchuk, Chris Thorburn and Mathieu Schneider added one goal each. Assists on the night came from Slava Kozlov (two), Nathan Oystrick, Bryan Little, Marty Reasoner, Jim Slater and Eric Boulton. Schneider finished a plus-3, as 13 Thrashers ended the evening on the plus side. Kovalchuk challenged Toronto defenseman Ian White verbally and with his fists, firing up an already motivated Atlanta squad. In goal, Johan Hedberg halted 32 of 35 shots for the victory.

The Bad: Gonna have to dig deep here to find something negative … the Thrashers were outshot again, 35-30. It was a chippy affair, one in which the Thrashers took 10 penalties for 26 minutes.

View from the Sports Garage: After being so disgusted with what I saw inside Philips Arena on Saturday I couldn’t bring myself to blog about this team for two days – that, and I had a ton of other things going on as well – I was greatly and pleasantly surprised with the effort shown Tuesday night. This is a key stretch for the Thrashers, and back-to-backs on the road are never easy. Nothing like starting that stretch with three goals in the first 27:04. Great to see Kovy get a goal, and then go after Ian White. Another good game for Todd White. Strong play in the offensive zone all night from all four lines, a rare sight indeed. Great first win, great skid-buster. Now, let’s see how much jump the boys have tonight in D.C.

Next
Thrashers at Capitals
7 p.m. today

—30—

By Bud L. Ellis
thrashers.today.com

ATLANTA — Lifeless. Listless. Embarrassing. Horrid. Wretched. Putrid.

You get the idea.

I attended my first Thrashers game of the season tonight, and let’s just say I was disappointed in what I saw. Or actually, in what I didn’t see.

I didn’t see anything that resembled an NHL team. I didn’t see hustle. I didn’t see jump. I didn’t see promise. I didn’t see hope.

It’s just one game, but my goodness, it was horrible.

Tonight’s 2-0 loss to Columbus featured perhaps the worst game I’ve ever seen Ilya Kovalchuk play. Turnovers. A fanned swing on a one-timer. A frustrated star who slammed the door to the bench so hard after one rotten shift, you could hear it echo through half-empty Philips Arena.

Ondrej Pavelec kept this from being a 4-0 game in the first period. Columbus hit the post early on. It could have been a lot worse than it was.

The second line of Slava Kozlov, Todd White and Bryan Little generated scoring chances. Jason Williams played OK. Garnet Exelby got into a fight and hit everybody in sight. He played well. So, too, did Toby Enstrom and Ron Hainsey.

But after that … nope. The rest of the Thrashers need to donate their paychecks from tonight’s game to charity.

Or pay back the folks – including myself – who watched this disastrous excuse for hockey we were subjected to tonight.

Full gamer tomorrow. I’m out.

—30—

By Bud L. Ellis
thrashers.today.com

Penguins 3, Thrashers 2

Top of the Slot: Tied at 2-2 entering the third period, the Thrashers gave up the game-winner with 2:40 left, losing for the second straight game.

The Good: Slava Kozlov’s bounce-back season continued with his 11th goal in the first period, off assists from Ilya Kovalchuk and Mathieu Schneider, who returned from a hip injury. Jimmy Slater got his second goal, a wrap-around effort, to tie the game at 2-2 in the second. Eric Perrin and Toby Enstrom assisted on that goal, which came 84 seconds after Sidney Crosby (BOO!) broke a 1-1 tie. Ondrej Pavelec weathered a 16-shot second period, finishing with 28 saves on 31 shots. Slater won five of his seven face-offs and skated strong in his nine minutes of work.

The Bad: Where, oh where, has Kari Lehtonen gone … not saying Pavelec played poorly, because the kid actually played well. But just how bad is Kari’s back injury that has shelved him for three weeks? Chris Thorburn continues picking up penalties at bad times; his interference penalty set up the game-winning goal. Schneider picked up two minutes for high-sticking in the second. Todd White, who has played very well, left the game in the third after going head-first into the boards.

View from the Sports Garage: Nothing puts me in a worse mood than Crosby doing something good against the Thrashers. Tough game to lose, but you can say that anytime you lose by one goal at home. You also can say you believe this is one that got away, and these are the games the Thrashers MUST win if they are going to be a legitimate playoff contender. Tied at 2-2 entering the final period at home, Atlanta had an opportunity to make a statement. Perhaps the statement is, after two straight losses, this team isn’t as good as what we saw during the five-game winning streak. Time will tell. Nonetheless, I’m excited about what could be with this team. I’ll be in Philips Arena on Saturday for my first look in person at this team. Speaking of Saturday …

Next
Thrashers vs. Blue Jackets
7 p.m. Saturday

—30—

By Bud L. Ellis
thrashers.today.com

ATLANTA — The NHL’s leading scorer comes to Philips Arena Thursday, and it puts a delightful smile on my face to say it’s not Sidney Crosby.

Evgeni Malkin entered play tonight with seven goals and 23 assists. Crosby, the anointed “Golden Child” by the NHL and by all those who sponsor the league (which isn’t many, but that’s another axe to grind for another day), isn’t exactly my favorite player. Yes, he’s good. Very, very good. Damn good, to be blunt.

But I don’t like him.

OK, call me a hater. I’m sure Wayne Gretzky had ’em back in the day. As did Michael Jordan. As did Ted Williams. You acknowledge their greatness, but at the same time, you delight when your team sticks it to the chosen one.

Me? I’d take Alexander Ovechkin in a heartbeat. For that matter, Malkin. And of course, the guy who will be leading the opposition against Sid the Kid – Ilya Kovalchuk and the Atlanta Thrashers.

Usually, Crosby and Kovy are leading their teams in scoring. Not the case so far. Malkin leads the Pens, and Bryan Little (nine goals, eight assists) leads the way for the Thrashers.

Beyond the sheer aggravation I get from Crosby, the Thrashers need a good showing Wednesday after seeing their five-game winning streak end Sunday in Philadelphia. No better way to start a new streak than by putting it to the chosen one.

—30—

By Bud L. Ellis
thrashers.today.com

Flyers 4, Thrashers 3

Top of the Slot: After battling back from a pair of two-goal deficits, the Thrashers gave up the game-winner with 6:17 left as their winning streak ended at five games.

The Good: The Thrashers showed plenty of heart in fighting back from deficits of 2-0 and 3-1. Erik Christensen scored his first goal of the season to make it 2-1 in the second period. The second line continued to shine, Bryan Little and Slava Kozlov netting goals in the third as Atlanta tied the game at 3-3. Ilya Kovalchuk recorded two assists. Ron Hainsey finished plus-2 and had an assist. Garnet Exelby also notched an assist.

The Bad: The Thrashers’ defense was far from stellar in the first two periods, allowing 28 shots in the opening 40 minutes. Johan Hedberg allowed four goals on the night, the game-winner on a shot where Moose just didn’t get down quick enough to stop it. Really, puck should’ve been stopped.

View from the Sports Garage: Well, the win streak is over. Instead of talking about a franchise-record sixth straight, the Thrashers left Philly wondering what could’ve been had they not been outshot 28-11 in the first two periods, if Hedberg had stopped the game winner … oh well. It was a better effort than the Thrashers displayed in that 7-0 whipping Philly hung on them last month at Philips Arena. Time to shake this one off and take a few days off until the Sidney Crosby Circus comes to town.

Next
Thrashers vs. Penguins
7 p.m. Thursday

—30—

By Bud L. Ellis
thrashers.today.com

ATLANTA — The Christmas lights are up at Centennial Olympic Park. The coldest winds of winter blew through downtown Atlanta last night.

And walking into Philips Arena to get my first peak this season at the Atlanta Hawks, the ticket taker at the gate noticed my 5-year-old’s Thrashers’ jersey.

(Now for clarity, my son does not have a Hawks jersey. I had a Hawks shirt I bought the day before last spring’s Game 6 playoff victory over the Celtics, a game I attended. I did have a Thrashers’ sweater on under my T-shirt … hey, I told you it was cold).

Anyway, back to the gate, where the ticket taker pointed to my kid’s jersey and said, “Were you here last night?”

We weren’t – I’m going to my first Thrashers game of the year next weekend – but in talking to folks at the Hawks game last night, in the store where you can buy Thrashers’ and Hawks’ swag, there is no denying the buzz that is starting to gradually build around this team.

Five consecutive victories will get people’s attention, especially when you start the season with just six points in the first 11 games. The Thrashers have been lights-out ever since, and they roll into Philly for tonight’s game with the Flyers looking like a team that can really make a push toward the top of the Southeast Division.

The Flyers played last night, posting a 2-1 victory at Montreal. We all remember the vicious 7-0 beatdown Philly put on the Thrashers on Oct. 28 at Philips. That seems like a long time ago, because the Thrashers are playing so much better hockey now.

Hopefully, that trend will continue tonight. As I wrote a few days ago, this stretch of November is critical for Atlanta, and so far, the Thrashers have done exactly as they’ve needed to and turned the ship around.

Now at .500 on the season, it’s time to push above break-even, and continue this surge toward first place. Keep this up, and the conversation around this team will only grow louder.

—30—

By Bud L. Ellis
thrashers.today.com

Thrashers 3, Hurricanes 2

Top of the Slot: Break up the Thrashers! One of the NHL’s hottest team made it five in a row Friday night, tying a franchise record for longest winning streak by downing division-rival Carolina for the second time in five days.

The Good: Maybe Marty Reasoner needs to skate against the Canes all season. Reasoner scored his fourth goal of the season, his third in two games against Carolina, to open the scoring midway through the first period. Eric Perrin netted his first goal of the season early in the second. Slava Kozlov gave the Thrashers a 4-2 lead 4:12 into the third, in the dying seconds of a 5-on-3 advantage. Bryan Little, Ron Hainsey, Eric Boulton, Jim Slater and Colby Armstrong notched assists. Johan Hedberg was solid in goal, turning away 27 shots to earn the victory. Ilya Kovalchuk didn’t score, but he led the team with seven shots.

The Bad: The Thrashers allowed two power-play goals, and made life tough on themselves into the game when Boris Valabik took a holding penalty with under five minutes left and Atlanta clinging to a one-goal lead. Kari Lehtonen did not play again, but hey, the Thrashers are perfect since Kari left the lineup, so does anybody care? The Thrashers were outshot (again) 29-25, but again, a win is a win. We shall not complain!

View from the Sports Garage: If you’ve been away for a couple of weeks, traveling on business or maybe taking a vacation, you’d be shocked if you looked at the NHL standings this morning. There sits Atlanta, 7-7-2 on the season, six points out of the Southeast Division lead. The past three victories – one against Buffalo and two against Carolina – really have been impressive. Another good performance Friday night, where the Thrashers played strong hockey in their offensive zone, were solid on the blueline, got good goaltending … impressive to play like this against Carolina. That’s two wins in hand against one of the teams in the Southeast. Any win in division play is big. Need to continue the momentum into Philly Sunday. This Thrashers team is vastly different from the one the Flyers embarrassed 7-0 at Philips Arena last month.

Next
Thrashers at Flyers
7 p.m. Sunday

—30—

By Bud L. Ellis
thrashers.today.com

ATLANTA — The good news is the Atlanta Thrashers enter tonight’s home contest with Carolina riding a four-game winning streak.

The bad news is the Thrashers haven’t played since Sunday. So the question persists: how will this team look when they hit the ice tonight?

Will it be sharp and focused, the type of play we’ve seen from the Thrashers during this streak? Or, will it be the type of play that we typically see after a long idle stretch, the type of play that is rusty and a stride slow?

We shall see.

Sometimes, the worst thing that can happen is taking a few days off when you’re playing well. And with this being the longest break the Thrashers will have all season (besides the All-Star break), it will be a challenge reaching five in a row, which would tie a franchise record for longest winning streak.

Hopefully, Atlanta can come out with plenty of jump tonight and take control. Any division game is big, especially since you only play your division mates six times this season, as opposed to eight times in the past. Washington leads the Southeast with 20 points, moving past Carolina after beating the Hurricanes Wednesday.

Carolina sits in second with 18, and then there are the Thrashers, after that horrid start, tied with Tampa Bay for third with 14 points.

We’ll also see how the team looks in those red third jerseys tonight. The new unis will be debuted. If the Thrashers lose, I say burn ’em.

—30—