Close But No Cigar...Again

The Thrasher played hard and were competitive against a better team...again. Here's a quick re-cap of the Thrashers record after 10 games.7-4 WAS2-3 FLA2-4 MIN0-1 NJD3-2 BUF2-3 TBL3-5 DET (EN goal)4-5 BOS2-3 NYRBasically the Thrashers have been involved in one blowout win and one blowout loss and all the rest of the games they were either tied or within one goal right up until the end of the game. (In the MIN game the score was to 3-2 until 18th minute of the third period).People are flipping out on the official message boards. I guess if I expected this team to make major strides I might flip out too. But I never expected this team to make the playoffs this year. They look like a 85-88 point team to me and playoffs usually require 95 points. Yet, the guys have played hard in every game other than the Philly contest. They have been in every contest but the Philly game.Last season's Thrashers club would have stumbled along for several games after a terrible blowout loss such as the Philly 7-0 game. This team came out and competed, they bounced back and did the good things they were doing prior to Tuesday night. That's the most I can ask as a fan (other than a win). Coach Anderson remarked that they have been a bit unlucky so far and I concur with that. They should probably have a couple more points in the standing but they haven't been able to finish off on some crucial scoring opportunities.This team has more of a future than last year's team. We actually have some young players who could be on a Cup contending team in 2010. Last year we had too many guys who were destined to be out of the by 2010.Source

Analysis of the Ducks First 11 Games

After the first three games, it looked like the Ducks would be in for a long season. Three losses, a lack of discipline, and mediocre goaltending did not portend well for a team expected to be competitive this season. In their fourth game, the work ethic and effort improved, but the Ducks still could not come up with their first win of the season.The Ducks finally won their first game against San Jose after going 0-4, and then followed it up by with a game that had plenty of chances, but none of them going into the net. A frustrated and down-hearted Ducks team then prepared for a road trip. Road trips can either be a good bonding experience that can bring about change, or they can make you yearn for home cooking. When the Ducks left, they were hoping for the former, because things were not clicking at home. The team found ways to win, sweeping all four games of the road trip, including Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Columbus. Coming home they followed it up with a strong effort against Detroit to win their fifth game in a row. So what happened?The power play finally started to click. In the first few games, nothing but abysmal would describe it. The Ducks had one power play goal in 25 attempts. One. That translated to a microscopic 4% success rate. Meanwhile St. Louis was clicking at 50% at one point (now "slowed" down to a still-impressive 34.2%). The past four games have seen the Ducks get 7 power play goals in 19 opportunities. That translates to 36.8% in those games. Overall, the Ducks now have an 18.2% success rate. What was once at the bottom of the is now tied for 12th best. The top line is scoring, finally. Initially the checking line of Rob Niedermayer, Sami Pahlsson and Travis Moen were doing the bulk of scoring. The fourth line of George Parros, Brad May and Brian Sutherby also has chipped in admirably this season. The top line? Not until Ryan Getzlaf's root canal in Canada did the top line start putting it in the net. It took eight games before Getzlaf scored his first goal and nine games before Corey Perry and Chris Kunitz did so. Since then Getzlaf 3 goals and 11 points and Perry has 2 goals and 4 assists. The second line is scoring, sort of. Teemu Selanne is finally working on getting more goals than his boys this season. Five of his six goals are on the power play. His linemate, Brendan Morrison, still only has one assist, but has had his chances. If he can start contributing as well, the Ducks will be doing well.Goaltending remains strong. Jean-Sebastien Giguere started off as shaky as his teammates and he started off with a goals against average over four goals per game. He has brought that down to 2.98 goals against. His save percentage has risen from the mid 80's to .912%. He gets plenty of practice making saves, as he has seen more shots on goal than all but two other goalies in the league. Giguere has made 280 saves in 9 games, an average of 31.11 per game. Only Kari Lehtonen of the Atlanta Thrashers has had to make more saves in the same number of games (288 in 9 games, 32 per game). What still needs work? The penalty kill. The specialty teams are killing off penalties 81.8% of the time. Those are decent numbers. It isn't the penalty kill that is the problem. The problem is that the Ducks are the second most penalized team in the. Not all of those penalties have been smart ones or well-timed. They are still needing better discipline.Face offs - the Ducks are only winning 49.5% of their face-offs. Control of the puck is crucial, whether even strength, short-handed or with the extra man. Those precious extra seconds with the puck can make a difference and is just one of those little areas that can be better.The Ducks are currently six points behind San Jose in the Pacific Division. They have made up some ground, but still need to catch up. All games against division rivals will be extra important if they want to challenge to win the division. Four of the next 13 games will be against division rivals and wins will mean inching closer to the Sharks. The Ducks will have plenty of home cooking between now and the end of November. They only take a brief two-game road trip and a jaunt up to LA for another game. The points do matter and getting into a rhythm and good habits at home will help when they venture on the road in December. They need to focus on what they are doing right and continue to improve areas that need work. One thing is certain, the Ducks are finally starting to live up to high expectations. They cannot afford to slack off now. Source

Trivia For Sunday

HTML clipboard There might not be a home game tonight but there's one onSunday, so that means there's trivia today. I really like how we match upagainst the Panthers and I'm expecting a win. Come out and see it in person andget a spirit flag while you're at it (it's a roughly 18" x 12" Blueland flag).Blueland Blog Trivia is back thanks to the generous support ofThomas Eye Group, and that means you have a chance to win a pair of tickets toeach and every home game of the season. If you're new at this please read overthe official rules and regulations below. If you've played before, welcome back.We're going to start off the season with an easy one.Answer the question below and send your response tothrashers.mailbag@atlantaspirit.comby 2 pm and you could be the winner of two tickets to tonight's game. Pleaseread all of the rules below. Trivia For 11/2 Game: Q) Against which team has Ilya Kovalchuk scored the most career points and how many points has he scored against that team? Please read theofficial rules and regulations for the contest before entering and be awarethat you will have to sign and return a form or two if you are selected. Youalso must be 18 years of age to win Submit your answers(thrashers.mailbag@atlantaspirit.com),and check back at 2:00 p.m. for the answer and to see if you've won!Thank you to The Thomas Eye Group forstepping up and sponsoring the trivia contest for a second season.ABBREVIATED RULESNO PURCHASE NECESSARY. The Blueland Blog Trivia Contest sponsored by Thomas EyeGroup (the "Contest") is open to legal residents of the U.S. and Georgia who areat least 18 years of age at the time of entry, reside within 75 miles of PhilipsArena and have Internet access as of the date and time the Contest was firstmade known to the public. Subject to additional terms and conditions of theOfficial Rules.Click here for Official Rules. One (1) entry per person per Entry Period.Entry Period is from 10AM EST to 2PM EST each Thrashers home game day. Odds ofwinning depend on number of correct entries received. Total AMV of prizes: $64.Void wherever prohibited. Entry forms must be filled out in full. Contest endsApril 11, 2009 at 2:00 PM EST.Source

Thrashers Team Rankings in Historical Perspective

The Thrashers have now played about 10% of their season schedule. I was looking at where this year's club ranks in various categories compared to past Thrasher teams. There are a 72 more games to be played and some of these numbers for this season could move quite dramatically. So far the team has had one blowout win (7-4 over WAS) and one blowout loss (0-7 PHI) and a bunch of close contests (but mostly losses).To make these rankings more intuitive, any team ranking that is in the bottom 1/3 I made the text appear blue and any ranking in the middle 1/3 black and any ranking in the top 1/3 red. Standings Rank2000-2001 282001-2002 302002-2003 232003-2004 212005-2006 202006-2007 122007-2008 272008-2009 29Summary: Only one season has the team not finished in the bottom third.Player Salary Rank2000-2001 282001-2002 282002-2003 282003-2004 262005-2006 022006-2007 172007-2008 232008-2009 29After the lockout the owners spent big time, then fell to middle of the back and then to the basement again in the 3rd season after the lockout.Average Attendance Rank2000-2001 232001-2002 282002-2003 282003-2004 222005-2006 232006-2007 212007-2008 222008-2009 28Attendance has never been great other than the initial 1999-2000 season. On the other hand the Thrashers attendance ranking has been higher than their standings ranking multiple times in team history--people have bought tickets even for a terrible hockey product.Offense (Goals For Average)2000-2001 272001-2002 26 2002-2003 10 2003-2004 132005-2006 062006-2007 152007-2008 222008-2009 24Offense is one rare area where the Thrashers have managed to be above average in their franchise history. The one year the team spent big they were very good offensively, because almost all the money went into forwards--of course they also couldn't defend very well.Defense (Goals Against Average)2000-2001 292001-2002 302002-2003 302003-2004 252005-2006 242006-2007 152007-2008 302008-2009 29This is by far the most damning indictment of Don Waddell's tenure. That a former defensemen can't seem to assemble a mediocre defensive corps is really amazing. The best defensive season in franchise history the team only managed to rise as high as middle of the pack, every other season the club has finished in the bottom third.Goal Differential (Goals Scored - Goals Allowed)2000-2001 282001-2002 302002-2003 272003-2004 222005-2006 162006-2007 162007-2008 302008-2009 30To be an contending club you can't continually stink it up on offense or defense, you have to be able to both reasonably well. The Thrashers had two outstanding offensive teams and neither made the playoffs. The one team that did was decent on offense (15th) and decent on defense (15th).Shots On Goal Differential (Shots For - Shots Against)2000-2001 262001-2002 202002-2003 262003-2004 242005-2006 132006-2007 192007-2008 302008-2009 27The current Thrashers team is ranked 11th in shots for but just 29th in shots against.Team Goaltending (Save Percentage)2000-2001 242001-2002 272002-2003 302003-2004 272005-2006 242006-2007 132007-2008 192008-2009 20Pre-lockout the Thrashers finished in the basement each season, post-lockout this is one of the few areas where the team has ranked in the middle third. Lehtonen's SV% ranking has increased each year relative to other starting goalies.Finishing (Shot Percentage)2000-2001 232001-2002 172002-2003 072003-2004 052005-2006 062006-2007 122007-2008 112008-2009 27In their history the Thrashers have had three offensive superstars: Kovalchuk , Heatley and Hossa. You can see this in the team shot percentage. Great players finish off their chances at a much higher rate than your average player. This season the Thrashers ranked 11th in shots taken but rank just 27th in terms of scoring on their shots--that's what losing a Marian Hossa means (and having Kovalchuk off to a slow start). Still there is reason to believe the offense will improve if Kovalchuk heats up and the rest of the forwards get a little more luck around the net.Power Play Percentage2000-2001 252001-2002 292002-2003 132003-2004 232005-2006 042006-2007 232007-2008 232008-2009 19Despite having some super stars who could finish, the Thrashers have had just one outstanding PP season in team history. The current PP unit has actually improved over last year's so far.Penalty Kill Percentage2000-2001 302001-2002 252002-2003 242003-2004 082005-2006 272006-2007 262007-2008 272008-2009 26Consistently poor. I have no explanation for that 2003-04 anomaly.Earning Power Play Opportunities2000-2001 072001-2002 242002-2003 132003-2004 022005-2006 012006-2007 102007-2008 282008-2009 09The outstanding area in team history is earning penalties. The Thrashers have been on the PP more often than most teams and they accomplished this in spite of the fact that Kovalchuk doesn't get the benefit of thedoubt as a consequence of his early diving issues.Team Discipline (Avoiding Short Handed Situations)2000-2001 262001-2002 212002-2003 172003-2004 282005-2006 282006-2007 102007-2008 152008-2009 19Bad teams usually take a lot of penalties. The players are not as good and they cheat and get called for it. Given their talent level the Thrashers have been a relatively disciplined team over the years. The one year the team qualified for the playoffs they did very well at staying out of the box. An observation: since Marc Savard and Modry have departed the Thrashers have not finished in the basement in penalties taken.ConclusionThe Thrashers have been bad at a lot of things in their history. I realize that is hardly a news flash to long term fans. What about this year? The most encouraging thing I can say is that they are generating pressure offensively, They rank 11th in shots and their up tempo system is earning the club a lot of PP opportunities (9th). So far they just haven't capitalized (27th in shooting %) and the offense ranks just 24th--I expect the offense to rise as the season progresses.On the defensive side things are still concerning. The shots allowed are still too high. Part of that is the new offensive system in which the defensemen are supposed to take more chances holding the puck in at the offensive blueline. The Thrashers forwards must become better at covering for those pinching defensemen in those situations where they fail to hold it in the offensive zone.Source

Being Honest About the Future

Last spring I was angry. The Thrashers traded Hossa. I wasn't angry about that. I was angry because the team didn't trade Holik and other veterans. I wa angry because we heard a lot of "happy talk" about how the Thrashers were leading the division late in the year.All of this "happy talk" was just self deception. The Thrashers were only in the playoff "hunt" because the entire Southeast Division was laughably weak. The one moment where the Thrashers were "leading the division" was created when Carolina began their late season collapse and Washington had yet to rise from the ashes of their brutal start. In that brief window the Thrashers looked better.But the truth is that last year's squad needed a fundamental rebuild. The Thrashers were one of the oldest veteran-laden teams in the entire. The veterans didn't play hard enough or well enough most nights--and veterans are expensive. The Thrashers were old and costly and they needed a full on rebuild. To contend on a budget you need a lot of young talent.What was required was an honest assessment of just how bad the team was. The Thrashers were "lucky" last years in the shootout--which made them look better than they really were. The Thrashers were "lucky" to play in a very weak division--which also made them better than they really were. If you use Goal Differential as a measure of team quality (and I do)--Atlanta was 30th--the worst team in the entire last year.The mistakes of club management were compounded by the feuding ownership. When you're at rock bottom major changes are required. But ownership was either unwilling to pay for a new GM or unwilling to be honest about just how bad the team was last season (just as they couldn't accept firing Bob Hartley in the summer of 2007 after he lost the team in the playoffs).Instead they kept the same GM in place and we got a half hearted rebuild. The organization never had the firesale they should have had. Even during the summer I advocated moving Lehtonen for young players. Pavelec looked like he was ready to begin his career and the Thrashers are still one of the older teams in the league. They should have traded Lehtonen for pieces of the future.Now the frachise and the team are at a cross roads. After two brutal losses in their last three games the season is on the line. The team played pretty well out of the gate but couldn't score--they deserved better. They might be able to pull themselves out of the funk but it has to start immediately. November is the easiest month on their schedule. If they don't exit this month with a winning record look out--because the schedule only gets tougher.The bigger problem is Kovalchuk looks disinterested this year. Last year the team played with very little passion, but Kovalchuk was an exception and he single handly carried the offense at times. This year Lehonen is playing well and Kovalchuk looks like a passenger. If the team goes down in flames this year it seems likely to me that Kovalchuk will want out.At that point ownership will be face-to-face with the giant mess. Will the ownership do what is necessary and hire a new GM who can then trade Kovalchuk, Schneider and Lehtonen for the young players we need to become a playoff contender in 2010 and beyond? Sometimes hitting rock bottom can be good--but you have to be honest and realize that's where you are and make major changes. Last year we hit bottom and failed to take the drastic steps necessary to rebuild and it looks like that only delayed the pain of parting with anohter marquee star player.Source

Gameday: You Can Bet On Hockey On Sundays Too

Solid weekend of gambling continues. Tons of NFL games to look at.But two games from the smell like parlay city.Could be a fun game to watch.The over is 5.5.If you hurry you can still get the Flyers bet in.And if you didn't get the Flyers bet in, put some loot on the Panthers.We're betting against the Thrashers whenever we can.The Panthers are +1.5. Do it.Go PensSource

Colby Armstrong Feature on CNN This Thursday

HTML clipboardYou may recall that when I was on the road with the Thrashers for the Tampagame on Oct. 21 I mentioned that CNN was with us to do a feature on ColbyArmstrong. Here are the details.The feature is part ofCNN's Road Warriorsseries and will air this Thursday, Nov. 6. It's short but I promise it'll begood. If not it's all Rebecca's fault. The story will air on CNN between 6-7am and on Headline News between6:30-7am, 8:30-9am, 1-1:30pm, and 3:30-4pm. It isn't a full 30 min show, butthose are the 30 minute windows it will air in. If you miss it or can't recordit don't worry- it'll live on theRoad Warriors sitefor six months. Colby being Colby, you can expected it to be a light-heartedlook at the road life of an player. Source

GAMENIGHT 11.3.08

Gambling blog.'Cause it kills time and there's nothing else to do.Recap of yesterday:Stupid Thrashers cost us a perfect weekend. [thrashers411]DickBut the Ducks pulled through in grand fashion.Again, special thanks to Earl Sleek of [BOC] for making that sweet-ass chart.Kent Huskins of the Ducks almost got killed: Our Gambling record is at:4-2If you count straight-up picks:5-1We'll be cold as ice next week.:::::::::::::::::If you fall into the trap of betting on a game just because you'll be able to watch it,you'll soon find yourself in a bigger hole than Baby Jessica.But we're looking at Buffalo/NJD for Monday night on VERSUS.A lot of talk about this one.Brodeur is out, so Kevin Weekes will get the start.A lot of people think this means Over city.Not so fast.Ryan Miller leads the in GAA, and the Devils are going to play hard in front of Weekes and limit scoring opportunities against a ne'er-used goalie using their defensive scheme.It is a good test to see what Vegas is up to.Under is 5.5We like it straight.$10 to win 8.The AV's got smoked at home by the Sharks last night. Hawks are playing solidly.Remember Joel Quenneville, head coach of the Hawks, used to coach Colorado.Hawks city.The other game is Columbus vs Islanders. We wouldn't touch that game with a ten foot pole.If you are feeling really lucky, put a bunch on the Steelers.On a side note, we found some interesting crap about the Redskins and the Election.Since 1936 (save for 2004), the Redskins Monday night game on Election Eve has predicted the winner of the election.If the Redskins win, the party currently in the White House (the incumbent) gets another four years.If the Skins lose, you get the picture.::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::Pay no attention to the ground noise that Brendan Shanahan is coming to Pittsburgh.We already have three rivers.Handing a fourth river of Shanahan's tears is not something Pittsburgh can handle.Go PensSource

Levenson Backs Waddell, Hainsey Snubbed

HTML clipboardI have a feeling I'm going to have to keep a close eye on the comments ofthis post, but I'm going to share this link with you anyway.Craig Custance of The Sporting Newsspoke toThrashers co-owner Bruce Levenson about GM Don Waddell 's future with theThrashers. Levenson more or less said that Waddell isn't no the hot-seat butthat he does expect results.I know Waddell has plenty of detractors, but hear me out for a moment. If anew GM had been brought in this summer and that GM had hired John Anderson,Randy Cunneyworth and Todd Nelson, drafted Zach Bogosian, signed Ron Hainsey,extended Toby Enstrom for four year and traded Ken Klee and Brad Larsen forMathieu Schneider I can guarantee you people would be singing his praises andsaying the team just needed more time to come together. If you look at Waddell'sbody of work since the trade deadline and throw out any grudges and biases fromprevious seasons I think you can give him a pretty solid grade.In other news, the.nhl has unveiled theEastern and WesternConference All-Star ballots. The East features two Thrashers- Ilya Kovalchukand Kari Lehtonen. I won't hold it against the.nhl that they didn't include ToddWhite or Bryan Little since they aren't exactly household names, but how aboutshowing Ron Hainsey some love? He's actually 8th in scoring among EasternConference defensemen and only TWO of the 12 defensemen on the ballot (AndreiMarkov and Mike Green) have more points than him. TWO. Speaking of two, two ofthe guys on the ballot haven't actually played this season- Sergei Gonchar andRyan Whitney. James Mirtle (at his new location)has more on the wackiness that is the All-Star ballot. The good news is that a few key changes have been made to the voting processthis year and they all make the experience better for Thrashers fans. First ofall, you don't have to fill out a complete lineup. If the only player you wantto vote for is Kovy, just vote for Kovy. It should also be easier to addwrite-ins, and it'll be easier to vote via text message (more on that later).The coolest part is that voting results will be published in real time, so we'llalways know where Kovy and Kari rank. The All-Star polls open on Nov. 12, sorest up.Finally, I was at Fort Benning with the team today. Pictures and a story tocome in the next day or so. I'll be at practice tomorrow so hopefully I can getan update on Kari for you.Source

Do Isles ride Joey MacDonald?

Islanders coach Scott Gordon gave his team a day off from practice today after back-to-back wins over Columbus and the Rangers before a trip to Atlanta to meet the Thrashers Thursday night. The question now is whether Gordon gives goaltender Joey MacDonald another day off and goes with backup Yann Danis in net on the road. Before the Isles' 2-1 win over the Rangers, this is how Gordon addressed a question about the goaltender rotation: "We've got to see how Joey handles it first. You've got to earn it, and so far, he's earned it to come back [against the Rangers]. We'll get a day off and take a look at how he's feeling and see if it's the right thing to do to come back with him [in Atlanta]." At times, MacDonald was spectacular in stopping point-blank Rangers shots, but he was under duress all night. The Rangers outshot the Isles, 18-5, in the second period, forcing Gordon to call a timeout mid-period in a scoreless game. "One of the reasons I called a timeout was to give Joey a chance to catch his breath," Gordon said. "They had a lot of sustained pressure. Joey was gassed." MacDonald, who made 35 saves and just missed his first shutout by allowing a Markus Naslund goal with 1:41 left in the game, said he appreciated the chance to regroup. When a team is as physical as the Rangers, MacDonald admitted it also takes a toll on the goaltender. "They were getting a lot of pucks to the net," MacDonald said. "They knock you over, and you've got to battle for your ground." As well as MacDonald has played -- the Isles are a .500 team with him in net (4-4-1) -- the temptation is to ride him the way they rode Rick DiPietro when he was healthy. Atlanta has one less win and one less point than the Islanders, so, this is an opportunity to inch closer to .500 overall. Danis has been away from the for three seasons, but he held up well for two periods in his return against Montreal last Saturday. However, giving up four goals in the third period works against him even though there were horrendous breakdowns in front of him. After the Rangers game, I asked MacDonald is he ever played three games in three nights last season at Bridgeport. He said he did it once and has done it a few other times in the past, and he added, "I've played four in five nights a few times." So, MacDonald is eager to go again. But Atlanta is the softest spot on a schedule that has the Islanders playing home games against powerful Pittsburgh Saturday and tough Philadelphia on Tuesday before a home-and-home set with Ottawa. Considering how hard MacDonald worked against the Rangers, it might be time to give Danis another shot. Let me know how you think Gordon should handle the goaltenders in DiPietro's absence.Source

Buffalo Falls Again to Resilient Thrashers Club

Three wins in a row and three solid performances in back-to-back games. I don't what John Anderson is doing differently than Bob Hartley and Don Waddell but he is getting a much stronger effort in these back to back games nights.The Little-White-Kozzie line is red hot. They were a bit lucky on both Bryan Little goals but earlier this season they were working hard and not getting rewarded. Last night they were rewarded with a few fortunate bounces after creating offensive pressure. You can see their confidence is sky high right now.Last Three Games: Bryan Little 3 Goals, 3 Assists = 6 pointsLast seven Games: Slava Kozlov 6 Goals, 5 Assists = 11 pointsWill opposition teams put their best checkers against the Kozlov line?Will that open up the door for the Kovalchuk line perhaps?Two rally wins in a row. Ideally you'd never like to fall behind in a game. Hedberg had a rough 2nd period and then made some quality stops in the 3rd. He's a great person but not necessarily the best backup goalie in the--that has been noticeable his last two games.Special Teams: Both clubs PP units went 2 for 3 which pushes the Thrashers PP% rankings up to 12th in the but the Atlanta PK has now fallen to dead last (30th).I'm not going to post the team Corsi numbers today, the main story was that the Exelby-Hainsey pairing had a rough time in terms of being outshot badly at ES. Hainsey bailed out Exelby a few times and played a huge 28 minutes. I listened to part of this game on the radio while driving to play my own hockey game, but Valabik seems to have played better.Real East Standing+7 NYR+7 MON+6 BUF+4 CAR+4 MON+4 NJD+2 WSH+0 OTT+0 TOR+0 TBL-1 PHI-2 ATL-3 FLA-4 NYISource

Sabu-yeah. PENS WIN.

Okay, it was the Islanders.But a come-from-behind win is a come-from-behind win. Especially in a place that has not been kind over the years.Dany Sabourin has quieted the detractors who said during the offseasonthat Shero getting rid of Conklin was a mistake.What a backup goaltender.What more can you ask for?MR. KENNNNNEDDDYYYYYYYBig-time performance.(Anxiously awaiting the YouTube of him getting jobbed during his Potash interview.)Bring itaer1518Nobody knew the Islanders even had a head coach until we were introduced to Scott Gordon.Nice name.not.Malkin gets jobbed by a slapper from some Islander joke.The season could evaporate that fast. It's no joke.If you want to know what slowly dying feels like, we're guessing all you have to do is watch a hockey game live in Nassau Coliseum.Then again, that's what people were saying about Mellon Arena a few years ago.This looks like a photo from practice, but it's actually from the first periodof a tilt between the Pens and Thrashers in 2003.Talbot went to the box for something balls, and the Islanders' 25th-ranked power play goes towork.[Ian D]The power play disappears faster than Carlos Mencia's career.The Isles power play doesn't plagiarize and steal plays from other teams, though.Nothing was going on for most of the period.At the tail end, the Isles get a bounce.A loose puck falls on Doug Weight's stick.It flutters in off of Petr Sykora's stick. 1-0.Jordan Staal worked really hard in that first period.So do washing machines.The Isles broke out the vintage unis for this one.Solid uniform.If you somehow thought LSD didn't exist on Long Island,here's what their uniform was for two seasons in the mid-90s.jesusNo one knew where this game was headed at the start of the second.Would the Islanders eek out a bizarre 3-2 win?Would the Pens eat the Islanders' lunch?No Malkin to begin the third. Oh God.While you were still looking for the answer to that, Tyler Kennedy enters the Isles zone with more patience than Alan Alda.Nice little give-and-go with Ziggo, and it was tied.Beautiful goal. 1-1.Almost as beautiful as when BECKER went off the air.The Islanders take a penalty after that.It was time to stop messing around with New York.Willis Malkin returns from his hand situation, but no dice.And then there was another Pens powerplay. Nothing.Doug Weight comes out of the box to help set up the Isles' next goal.No one knew what was going on. 2-1.Again, nothing happened for a bulk of the second period.The Isles changed that by scoring another boob goal. 3-1.Life sucked.Nothing was good.Sabu made a big save when the Isles could have made it 4-1 and swept the leg.Man Jordan Staal really can't do anythin...dlmdlmfmmm.md,vmvd-RINSE CYCLE, BITCH3-2.One of the bigger goals this season.And then the Pens had another power play right after that.No dice.The best chance came when some joke had a shortie breakway.Letang thwarts the shot for the most part, and an orgy ensued.The Isles took a late-period penalty that would touch itself into the third.The Pens took advantage of the power play early in the third to get some scoring chances.Ronald McDonald made a huge stop on Tenk.The Pens were flirting with a goal for most of the first half of the third.Their rhythm got disrupted when they had to kill a penalty, which they did.After the PK, the Pens resumed taking it to the Isles.What the hell were the Islanders doing?On the Pens' 17th shot of the period (compared to zero for NYI), Goligoski fires it to the net.Acting as if he were a CIA operative, Goligoski shoots at Kennedy.Deflection. Goal. 3-3.Stunned[Eze]Is it sad that we haven't been that pumped after a goal since Talbot tied it in Game 5?Just a big goal. No reason to not leave the Dump without a point at least.Sid had a chance in the waning moments of the third to send the Islanders home without a point.Guess who would bury that.The Islanders almost score with 5 seconds left. If that would have happened we wouldn't have watched a game for a month.The overtime had poop written all over it.But then the last 2 minutes of it was insanity.Back and forth.The Isles were getting the best chances.Sabu was making some huge saves, poking the puck for Billy Guerin when you thought it was lights out.Crosby makes the worst turnover since your mom tried that Rachel Ray recipe.Done.Weight had the first chance on Sabu. Nope.Sykora puts one home.Billy Guerin is too old to even make moves anymore. Nope.Satan could have ended it, and it would have been fitting. Nope.Sabu faced Trent Hunter with the game in the balance.Hunter walks in, takes a shot.Sabu slides in the net. Where is the puck. No one knows where the puck is.Julie the Cat Sabu pulls the puck out of his pads.It is a scene straight out of MIGHTY DUCKS 2, thus legitimizing what we have always felt to be an unrealistic ending to a hockey movie (who brings in a cold goaltender anyway to face a huge penalty shot?)[Kevin E]A 9-year-old could tell you the puck was in, but that 9-year-old didn't write the NHL rulebook.GAME.MISCELLANEOUSDetroit on Tuesday.Leaving Long Island without a point would have been a crime.Staal, nice.Thank god Malkin is okayBig time third period.::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::And we're cold. St. Louis is the worst team in the NHL.Go Pens

Lehtonen Trade Rumors

Far be it from me to endorse either Al Strachan or Bruce Garroich, but this is the most logical Thrasher trade rumor to come down the pike in a while. In fact, I wrote something myself about the possibility of Lehtonen being moved last summer.Consider the following:Atlanta has two goalies who could be #1.Atlanta has a backup (#2) that has a two year contract (if they intended to carry both Lehtonen and Pavelec no need to re-sign Hedberg last summer).Atlanta has a top prospect who refused to report to the AHL, but then did report after talking to the GM.Atlanta still need more talent on their roster. Having two #1 goalies is a luxury they can't afford.Ergo, it is virtually certain one of these two goalies will no longer be a Thrasher in October of 2009. At some point, either Lehtonen or Pavelec will be moved. The only question is WHEN and for WHOM.Let's consider the WHEN question more carefully.Make a trade right now--At the moment the Thrashers are on a three game win streak-- thus they don't NEED to make a deal. It is often said that dealing from a position of strength is better than dealing from a position of desperation. There are some other clubs like Edmonton and New Jersey that are in a position of need. Perhaps one of them will make a terrific offer--if not the Thrashers can afford to wait. In the case of New Jersey I find it hard to believe they would make a terrific offer because Brodeur will come back and he will expect to play almost every single game. You're not going to make a huge trade just for a temporary starting goalie.Teams like Edmonton and Ottawa and even Detroit have a long term need in goal and are more logical trading partners. But Ottawa and Detroit are not in a desperate position right now. The biggest advantage of making a deal now is that a club like Edmonton or Ottawa might think that acquiring Lehtonen could be the difference between missing and making the playoffs and therefore they pay a higher price than they would during the summer time.Make a deal at that trade deadline--The biggest problem of waiting until the trade deadline is that you only get maximum value if one of the playoff teams are really hurting for a starter. Only 16 qualify for the playoffs--most of these teams will have a #1 guy and not want to make a change late in the season. Also the Thrashers would be looking for a young player (19-25) who could contribute immediately at the level. Most teams are NOT going to want to give up a roster player right before they head into the post-season. Contending teams are more likely to offer draft picks and very young prospects in exchange. The only way a playoff bound team makes a deal with Atlanta is if their #1 is done for the rest of the year and they have an abundance of prospects.Make a Deal in the Summer of 2009--This still strikes me as the likely time for a goalie trade. A team like Detroit will shopping Jiri Hudler and Brett Lebda during the summer and they will be looking for Chris Osgood's successor. Also a new GM in another city might be looking to make a big splash by acquiring a goalie-of-the-future type move for his club. The biggest downside to waiting until summer is that you loose some leverage in trade talks because another team can say "your price is too high, we'll just go sign veteran goalie so and so to fill our net for the upcoming season."As for the WHOM part, I expect it is Lehtonen that would be moved. Why? Lehtonen is playing for a big contract, he has a history of not being consistently healthy and he is older. Both he and Pavelec look like #1 guys but Pavelec will be cheaper in the near term until he demonstrates his ability at the level.The Thrashers must contend on a budget which means loading up on talented players who are still relatively inexpensive (under 25). They need to win to draw fans which will then produce the revenue to re-sign some of the key players (the Buffalo model).Source

Florida Panthers lose their sixth in a row

It's going to be a long year for South Florida hockey fans. From AP- GLENDALE, Ariz. - Olli Jokinen had a goal and an assist against his former Florida teammates in the Phoenix Coyotes' 4-1 win over the Panthers on Saturday night. Jokinen was traded from Florida to Phoenix for defensemen Keith Ballard and Nick Boynton during the offseason. Mikkel Boedker added a pair of goals for Phoenix, marking the first multigoal game of the rookie's early career. Florida has lost six straight (0-5-1). Phoenix's Ilya Bryzgalov stopped 26 shots to improve to 5-5 this season. The Panthers took an early lead when Richard Zednik scored during a goal mouth scramble at 13:49 of the opening period. It was Zednik's third point in 11 games.Zednik is just one of a group of over the hill vets filling Florida's roster. Can't this team find players in the minors, Sweden, or Outer Mongolia that can produce more than Zednik, Bret McLean, Radek Dvorak etc? Florida's six losses have come against- St. Louis, Ottawa, Nashville, Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Phoenix. None of these teams have more than 14 pts. This is the easy part of the schedule! Tonight Florida plays Anaheim, before returning home to play among other teams, The Detroit Red Wings. It's true, I'll be watching almost every game. Just like I did last night. I am truly the Florida Masochist. Source

About the Red Wings -11-11-08

A preview of the Red Wings.Record: 9-2-2Leading Scorer: Marian Hossa (right), 17 points (8 goals, 9 assists).Last Game: 3-1 home win against the Devils.Last Game against the Penguins: 3-2 road win June 4.Red Wings Player We Would Bet Money On Scoring: Hossa. While he does have 39 points in 30 career games against the Penguins, we really don't have a tangible reason for picking him here. We just see him scoring a goal against his former team and endearing himself even more to Penguins fans. Ex-Penguins: Marian Hossa, RW; Mikael Samuelsson, RW; Ty Conklin, G.Useless Red WIngs Trivia: The last team to score 10 goals in a game against the Red Wings was the Los Angeles Kings in a 10-3 win Oct. 9, 1993.Best Red Wings YouTube Video We Could Find: We've had this one stowed away in our bookmarks for a little while. CBC's pregame montage from Game 6 of the Stanley Cup final: (That was also the last time the "real" Hockey Night in Canada song opened a HNIC broadcast.)NOTES:-Much like anyone who has had to spend time there, the Penguins don't have a lot of fond memories from their last visit to Detroit.-Detroit forward Johan Franzen has missed the past five games due to a knee injury but is expected back tonight.-If you haven't heard, Marian Hossa used to play for the Penguins.-The Penguins have changed quite a bit since the last time they were in Detroit.-Assuming he plays tonight, Detroit goaltender Chris Osgood (right) has a chance to pass former Penguins goaltender Tom Barrasso for 14th place on the.nhl's all-time goaltending wins list. Each player has 369 career wins.-Our live blog begins at 7 p.m. Please tune in.EMPTY NETTER ASSISTSPenguins-Michel Therrien has been happy with his team's start.-Is Sidney Crosby still playing like a superstar?-The Penguins are off to their best start since the 1995-96 season.-The Wheeling Nailers are the top team in the ECHL.Atlantic Division-The Devils put defenseman and former Canadian prime minister Paul Martin on injured reserved due to "upper-body" soreness. So Martin could be dealing with a canker sore or he could be brain dead or anything in between. Actually if he was brain dead, he wouldn't be feeling anything. OK. We screwed that joke up. Either way, the.nhl's injury policy is ridiculous. Additionally, the Devils demoted forward Patrick Davis to Lowell of the AHL.-Flyers coach John Stevens wants forward Joffrey Lupul to get his game together. And to drown puppies.-The Rangers are some good dressers.-Do the Rangers need to do more to protect goaltender Henrik Lundqvist?-The Islanders need to quit blowing third period leads.-Islanders forward Josh Bailey was activated from injured reserve.Northeast Division-Canadiens forward and former Penguin Tom Kostopoulos was suspended three games for hitting Toronto defenseman Mike Van Ryn from behind Saturday.-Maple Leafs forward Ryan Hollweg, himself no stranger to dangerous hits, thinks Kostopoulos deserves a 20-game suspension.-Habs Inside Out has an image of Maurice Richard's contract from the 1956-57 season.-Senators coach Craig Hartsburg called out forward Jason Spezza.-Sabres forward Maxim Afinogenov (right) became an American citizen.-Only in Toronto would the sale of Mats Sundin's house be front-page news.Southeast Division-Alex Ovechkin had a goal and an assist for the Capitals who beat the Lightning, 4-2. Former Washington goaltender Olaf Kolzig took the loss in his first game against his former team. Former Penguins forward Gary Roberts scored both of Tampa Bay's goals. Mark Recchi had assists on each of them.-Another former Penguins forward turned Lightning, Ryan Malone, was injured last night.-The Hurricanes demoted forward Michael Ryan to Albany of the AHL.-The Thrashers demoted goaltender Ondrej Pavelec to Chicago of the AHL.Central Division-Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane has vowed to keep growing a beard until he's held scoreless in a game.-Blue Jackets forward Raffi Torres overcame a lot in order to get to the.nhl.-The Blues demoted Jay McKee to their seventh defenseman spot.-We know the Blues haven't been in the playoffs for a few seasons, but are things really as bad as this commercial would indicate: (Kudos to EN Reader T.J. McAloon for the heads up.)Northwest Division-Ales Hemsky's shootout goal gave the Oilers a 3-2 road win against the Rangers. Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers made 40 saves in the win. -Check out this save Drouin-Deslauriers made last night:-With New Jersey's Martin Brodeur nursing a bum elbow, is this the year Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo finally claims the Vezina Trophy?-Avalanche forward Milan Hejduk has quietly become one of the most tenured athletes in Denver.-Does former Flames forward Sergei Makarov deserve more consideration for the Hockey Hall of Fame?Pacific Division-FSN HD and Prime Ticket, the broadcast outlets for Ducks and Kings games, have been using something called Rinkside View. Basically, instead of the traditional center ice camera view, the broadcasters have been using up to 10 different cameras during a broadcast from angles that are closer to rink. Most of the reaction to the different approach has been negative but officials with the broadcasters claim their ratings are up. When asked about the negative feedback, the executive director of FSN, Tom Feuer said, "I'm going to get killed for this, but if these people truly don't like ‘Rinkside View,' then don't watch."-For what it's worth, we've watched a few Ducks and Kings broadcasts with Rinkside View through our Gamecenter package. We're not fans of it. It almost gives you a headache with how tight the camera is angled in on the puck. When given the choice, we've watched other games based on the inclusion of Rinkside View.-Given the.nhl's general troubles with television ratings, it's probably not the best approach to pretty much give the fans who are watching a verbal middle finger when they're disatissfied with your product.-Defenseman Kyle Quincey has been a nice pick up for the Kings.Norris Division-Glenn Anderson, Ed Chynoweth, Igor Larionov and Ray Scapinello were inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. (From left-to-right, Chynoweth's son, Jeff, posed with Anderson, Larionov and Scapinello in the above photo.)-Hockey broadcaster (and former Geneva College professor) Mike Emrick won the Foster Hewitt Award.-Hall-of-Famer Mark Messier says some sort of facial protection should be mandatory in the.nhl.-Scoring is up so far this season.-Gary Bettman says all 30.nhl teams are in good shape. In other news, the Faber College homecoming parade is going smoothly as well: (Photos: Hossa-Claus Andersen/Getty Images; Osgood-Jim McIsaac/Getty Images; Afinogenov and Hockey Hall of Fame-Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)Source

If you missed it... - 11-12-08

... here are the highlights from last night's amazing game: -A replay will be available at 5 p.m. tonight on Versus.EMPTY NETTER ASSISTSPenguins-Dave Molinari's recap from last night.-The Detroit News' recap. Of Jordan Staal (above), Marian Hossa said, "He's underrated. He's one hell of a player."-Staal had about as dominant of a 15 minutes of hockey as you'll see last night.-The Pengins out-everthinged Detroit. (If that makes sense.)-The Penguins care not for how the Red Wings paint their joint.-Detroit finally yielded a five-on-three goal to the Penguins.-Sidney Crosby admitted it felt good to beat the Red Wings.-As some friends pointed out on Facebook, yesterday's date was 11-11. Jordan Staal wears No. 11. This clearly mean the Penguins need to somehow re-acquire Ryan Malone and find a way to schedule an opponent for Dec. 12 which is currently an off day on the team's schedule. Either that or find a way to create a 13th month and dress Alex Goligoski on the the 13th day.-This item was included in the Associated Press' recap from last night:"Plenty of Penguins fans made their way into Joe Louis Arena, which hadpockets of empty seats in both the upper and lower levels in anothersign of how badly the Motor City's economy is sagging."-Officially the attendance for last night's game was listed as 20,066 which is a sellout at Joe Louis Arena. Officially, Detroit has sold out all but one of its games this season.-When are Sergei Gonchar and Ryan Whitney expected to return?-Matt Cooke is honored to be the only current NHLer to have spent time with both Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin.-The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins aren't worried about being in fifth place.-The Wheeling Nailers re-signed defenseman Chris Snavely.-The Nailers are within striking distance of matching the best start in ECHL history.-Former Penguins forward Zigmund (we can never call him "Ziggy" for some reason) Palffy is alive and well. He's the leading scorer in the Slovakian Extraliga. Do the Penguins still need a scoring winger?Atlantic Division-Martin Biron (above) made 35 saves for the Flyers in a 3-1 road win against the Islanders.-Flyers forward Daniel Briere suffered a "lower-body" injury.-Philadelphia coach John Stevens benched forward Scott Hartnell in the third period yesterday.-Forward Josh Gratton is excited to be back with the Flyers.-Islanders 2008 first-round pick Josh Bailey made his NHL debut yesterday.-Former Rangers forward Brendan Shanahan is expected to sign with a team by the end of the week.-It was revealed Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur's bicep tendon was already partially torn before it was completely injured.-How key is New Jersey's game against the Rangers tonight?-Apparently "Scott Gomez used to play for the Devils" is to Rangers fans what "Marian Hossa used to play for the Penguins" is to Penguins fans.Northeast Division-A hat trick by Christopher Higgins helped the Canadiens claim a 4-0 win against the Senators. Carey Price made 28 saves in the shutout win.-Check out this cheap shot Senators forward and former Penguin Jarkko Ruutu gave to Canadiens forward Maxim Lapierre: -We can't find a video of it yet, but Ruutu was later kicked out of the game and waved to the Montreal fans as he left the ice.-The Bruins are all BFFs.-Somone apparently thinks Senators forward Dany Heatley was worthy of an autobiography. It was Dany Heatley apparently.-Canadiens forward Tom Kostopoulos expressed regret for his hit from behind on Toronto defenseman Mike Van Ryn.-The Sabres are having trouble killing penalties at home.Southeast Division-Check out the two goals former Penguins forward Gary Roberts scored for Tampa Bay in Washington Monday night. -Because he's probably earned one based on his team's sterling performance, Lightning coach Barry Melrose took a day off.-Even though he only played 26 games for the franchise, Igor Larionov became the first Florida Panther to be enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame.-The Thrashers sure like their music.-There's a Rory Fitzpatrickian effort to get Carolina defenseman Niclas Wallin in the All-Star Game.-Sergei Fedorov, Tomas Fleischmann and Brooks Laich have been carrying quite a bit of the Capitals' offense this season.Central Division-The Sharks finally lost at home. Ville Koistinen's overtime goal gave the Predators a 4-3 win at San Jose. Dan Ellis made a whopping 54 saves in the win. San Jose is now 9-0-1 at the "Shark Tank."-The Red Wings got forward Johan Franzen back last night, but had Dan Cleary go down.-Stop us if this sounds familiar. The Red Wings have yet to play a complete 60 minutes this season.-Red Wings defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom is living the good life.-The Blues need their veteran defenseman to improve.-Blue Jackets forward Rick Nash (right) hasn't scored a goal in nine games.-The Blackhawks will retire the No. 3 jersey tonight in honor of Keith Magnusson and Pierre Pilote.Northwest Division-Dustin Boyd's two goals helped the Flames edge the Maple Leafs, 4-3.-The Oilers claimed forward Jesse Boulerice off waivers from the Avalanche.-Colorado coach Tony Granato called out forward Tyler Arnason.-Avalanche forward Joe Sakic is still dealing with a back injury.-The Wild will get a boost from the return of defenseman Brent Burns and forward Owen Nolan.-Former Wild defenseman Keith Carney retired.-The Canucks don't want to jinx the shutout streak of goaltender Roberto Luongo.Pacific Division-Shootout goals by Wayne Simmonds and Alexander Frolov gave the Kings a 3-2 win against the Stars.-Kings forward Dustin Brown took a run at Dallas' Mike Ribeiro last night. Stars forward Brenden Morrow came to his teammate's defense: -Morrow could be facing a suspension for that fight.-Brown was hitting anything in a Dallas uniform last night. Check out what he did to Stars defenseman Stephane Robidas: -Check out the shootout goal Ribeiro scored: -Stars forward Jere Lehtinen has returned to the lineup after dealing with a groin injury.-As shocking as this might be considering Sean Avery's record of being a quality human being, when they were teammates on the Kings, Avery used to make fun of Dustin Brown for his lisp.-Injured Sharks forward Jonathan Cheechoo is aiming for a return Thursday.-Coyotes forwards Daniel Winnick and Daniel Carcillo, a former Penguins' prospect, are struggling to score goals.-The Coyotes have some crazy idea that if you win games, you can sell tickets.-Here's a sample of that "Rinkside View" the broadcasters for the Ducks and Kings use that we criticized yesterday: (Kudos to Curtis Zupke of the Orange County Register for the find.)Adams Division-Eric Benderoff of the Chicago Tribune is a fan of NHL Gamecenter Live.-Voting for the All-Star Lame Game has begun.(Photos: Staal-Paul Sancya/Associated Press; Biron-Ed Betz/Associated Press; Nash-Paul Vernon/Associated Press)

"That's Hot!"

In my last post, I argued that the Thrashers have been both good and a bit lucky during their recent 4 game win streak.The team isn't really generating more shots, they are simply cashing in a higher percentage of the shots they have been creating.So far the Thrashers have played 15 games, so let's do a little comparison of their performance in the three five game segments.Shots For-Shots Against1st 5 games: 152-173 = -212nd 5 games: 151-181 = -303rd 5 games: 126-149 = -23The team has consistently been outshot in each five game segment and their offensive shots per game actually fell during this most recent set of five games. What has really improved is their Shot Percentage.Shot Percentage1st 5 games: 8.6%2nd 5 games: 7.3%3rd 5 games: 15.9%That 15.9% is roughly double of what they were doing before. Is that sustainable over the long haul? Well let's look at the other team's shot percentage so far this season and see where the Thrashers three segments fall in this distribution.2008-09 Team Shot Percentage15.9% ATL 3rd 5 game segment of the season.12.7% PHI12.1% CHI12.0% STL11.4% VAN11.1% MON10.9% NSH10.5% DAL10.2% PIT10.0% LAK10.0% CGY09.9% CBJ09.9% BUF09.9% ANA09.5% CAR09.5% COL09.5% MIN09.5% DET09.5% BOS09.3% EDM09.3% WSH09.2% OTT08.8% SJS08.7% TOR08.6% PHX08.6% NYI08.6% ATL First 5 game segment of the season08.1% FLA08.0% NYR07.8% NJD07.3% TBL07.3% ATL 2nd 5 game segment of the seasonJust in case it's not obvious, the team started off ice cold and now they are red hot. Don't count on them finishing the season #1 in shooting percentage. In their last five games they've been converting chances at a higher clip than even the super red hot San Jose Sharks have been doing all season.The bad news is that they will cool off again, but the good news is that they have been winning lately despite a less than terrific SV%. Consider the following:.919 ATL 1st 5 game segment of the season..917 CHI.916 MON.914 VAN.914 FLA.911 NJD.908 CAR.906 EDM.905 SJS.904 ANA.900 WSH.894 DET.893 NYI.889 LAK.888 CGY.887 STL.886 CBJ.881 PHI.879 ATL 3rd 5 game segment of the season.877 COL.876 TOR.873 ATL 2nd 5 game segment of the season.871 NSH.858 DALIn the first 5 games the Thrashers couldn't buy a goal, but red hot goal tending helped them earn points in a number of games. In the 2nd 5 games they struggled with both scoring and preventing goals. In the last 5 they have been hot in converting chances but below average in preventing goals. As their offense cools down they need to either generate more shots or do better at stopping the opposition from scoring.Source