I cannot believe how much hockey I've watched over the last two weeks. I managed to catch parts of just about every series including a lot of the Detroit - Columbus (obviously), San Jose - Anaheim, New York - Washington and Chicago - Calgary. A lot of really entertaining games.
I can't say I'm too surprised by the outcome of any series. I was a little shocked that there were 3 sweeps. Montreal was a complete embarrassment while Columbus and St. Louis were clearly over matched. The ending to the New Jersey - Carolina series will go down in the history books as one of the most dramatic ever.
What will be interesting to watch in the next few months is how some of the first round losers deal with those losses :
Montreal - major change is coming because near half the team is free agents. There are now questions about goaltending going forward and an ownership change is coming. Their 100th season was not one to remember.
New York Rangers - there defense kept them in the series but their lack of scoring kept them from moving on. To put up only 1 third period shot in game 7 and only 15 total for the game ain't going to get it done. Now burdened with a lot of big contracts, it'll be difficult to assemble some offense. They desperately need more playmakers AND more finishers.
New Jersey - How does a team rebound from losing a series in the last 90 seconds? Bound to be tough for this relatively old group.
Philadelphia - Best position of the losers moving forward but the fans aren't going to be happy with a first round loss. Any offseason moves might require some salary movement but with plenty of youth on the way up that should be possible.
San Jose - So many playoff disappointments are bound to take their toll. Look for management to break up at least some of the pieces. Talk about a long offseason.
Columbus - Nothing to be ashamed of here. There are some nice pieces moving forward for this team. It won't get any easier though with the rest of the Central Division on the rise or at the top.
Calgary - The big trade deadline deals were a bust. Losing for the 4th time in a row in the first round won't sit well in this hockey proud town. Keenan could be on his way out or major moves might happen. Their move to load up on really physically players may be holding the team back.
St. Louis - A major accomplishment just getting there. Grabbing the 6th seed was a boon to the Wings & Canucks and a bust to San Jose. It'll be interesting to see if they can carry it over to next season when they are bound to be healthier.
Now for round two matchups :
Eastern Conference
#1 Boston vs #6 Carolina
Prediction : Boston in 6
Carolina wants to play the up tempo game and I don't think Boston is going to permit that. The playmakers in Boston will be too much for the Canes to handle. I expect the Canes will be able to keep the games tight by come up short.
#2 Washington vs #4 Pittsburgh
Predicition : Pittsburgh in 6
Time for the stars to shine. 2 of the three MVP candidates (Ovechkin / Malkin) will be out on the ice along with the Norris favorite (Green). Of course, the leagues marketing department won't let me forget that Crosby is really the best. In series like this it is often the veteran role players that make a difference. Pittsburgh has more of those and a power play that'll testing the Caps rookie goaltender, Varlamov, to his limit. With a better defense as well, the Pens will prevail.
Western Conference
#2 Detroit vs #8 Anaheim
Prediction : Detroit in 6
Detroit had a much easier time than I expected dispatching Columbus. They certainly can turn it up in the playoffs. It'll take another notch to dispense the more talented Ducks. The Ducks are asking for trouble if they play out of control and take penalties like they did in the Shark series. Detroit's power play is much more efficient than San Jose's. Ducks best chance is too keep it low scoring and hope Osgood is less than stellar particularly early. With more scoring and just as much defense as the Ducks I expect to see the Wings in the next round.
#3 Vancouver vs #4 Chicago
Prediction : Vancouver in 7
Chicago look very good against Calgary but did have trouble on defense at times. Vancouver dispatched of St. Louis while hardly breaking a sweat. Look for the home team to hold serve but the stronger goaltending of Vancouver prevail in the end. This is a learning year for the young Chicago team and bowing out to Vancouver is nothing to be ashamed of. Chicago's only chance will be to get to Luongo early in the series. Lose both in Vancouver and Chicago is done.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Pinhoti Trail at Horn Mountain Hike
Its been far too long since I did a hike in Georgia. Many things have worked against an excursion into the wilderness lately but the stars aligned for this Saturday and I hit the road/trail on a beautiful 85 degree day.
This moderately challenging hike did a good job of keeping my heart rate up. I saw only two other hikers and they were during my first 10 minutes of this three hour hike.
The biggest drawback to this adventure was that there was so little to see. The best vistas at the top of the mountain were blocked by numerous trees. The trail itself was well maintained and easily accessible from I-75 so I may go back and check out some of the other sections of this fairly long trail.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
NHL Stanley Cup Playoff Predictions - Round 1
I'm challenging myself to keep this brief. Something I never seem to accomplish with these blog entries.
These matchups are especially tough. Several of the mid to late season leaders seem to struggle down the stretch and many of the lower seeds come in on a high note or have been playing playoff style hockey for weeks in hopes of sneaking in.
The first round is especially tough. I think that's because the higher seeds face the most pressure in this round and a single slip at home in one of the first two games can create doubt and send them tumbling out. Lower seeds generally have nothing to lose as their seasons are often considered a success if they just get one playoff victory.
Eastern Conference
#1 Boston vs #8 Montreal
Prediction : Boston in 7
Montreal was my preseason favorite to win it all but they haven't played consistently well all season. I don't expect that to suddenly start now. Boston is a well balanced team with all it takes to win it all. This is a legendary matchup between two teams with a lot of history so I don't expect it to be easy but Boston's defense should prevail.
#2 Washington vs #7 New York Rangers
Prediction : Washington in 7
Offensive juggernaut vs defensive standout. I really don't think the Rangers will have enough offense to keep up except in the games where their defense plays error free. Washington has played well throughout the season and is looking to build on the regular season success. Higher expectations in D.C. this time around may get to a relatively young group. But Rangers aren't consistent enough to dispatch them.
#3 New Jersey vs #6 Carolina
Prediciton : New Jersey in 6
Carolina has been awful hot lately but I have a feeling they may have peaked too soon. Broduer will slow them down offensively and the Canes are much better at dealing with a high scoring affair. A lot of veterans on both rosters should make for compelling and disciplined hockey.
#4 Pittsburgh vs #5 Philadelphia
Predicition : Pittsburgh in 7
Two weeks ago I would have picked the Flyers to win the East. Now I don't think they make it out of the first series. Philly has a great chance to win this series and recapture some momentum but they need to make an impact quick and avoid undisciplined hockey. Pittsburgh seems to be playing their best hockey of the season at just the right time. If they can get their defense to play like last spring, they'll have a good chance of getting to the finals.
Western Conference
#1 San Jose vs #8 Anaheim
Prediction : San Jose in 6
San Jose couldn't have been too thrilled when this matchup was finally decided on the last night of the season. This series will be extremely physical and take a toll on whoever wins. I'm not buying into Anaheim being a serious contender simply because I don't think they have enough secondary scoring. Pressure is on San Jose though and an early loss could create a lot of doubt. Just too many weapons at the Sharks' disposal.
#2 Detroit vs #7 Columbus
Predicition : Detroit in 6
Finally the Wings get to play some meaningful games. The bad news is their defense and goaltending have been sub par all year. The good news is they still won 50 games and played their best when a big game comes along. If the Wings get off to a good start look for it to carry them deep in the playoffs. Poor goaltending could see them out before the second round. Columbus is very underrated. A sound team defensively with very good goaltending and the sniper Nash up front. They'll want to play a low scoring affair as they cannot match the Wings offensively. Any chance for the Blue Jackets lies in their ability to stay out of the penalty box.
#3 Vancouver vs #6 St. Louis
Predicition : Vancouver in 5
As much as I respect the Blues for getting this far, I think the party is about to come to an end. They simply lack the talent to keep up with the Canucks at either end of the ice. Luongo has come on strong since returning from injury and the Sedin twins are too much to handle. Should be an interesting game to watch with a lot of speed on the ice. Don't expect the Blues to go down easy, just eventually.
#4 Chicago vs #5 Calgary
Prediction : Chicago in 7
Two teams heading in opposite directions as the season ended. Chicago is emerging as force to be reckoned with and Calgary is struggling to find the identity the carried them for the first 3/4 of the season. With Keenan's job potentially on the line, any significant errors could result in a blow up. Both teams will have very loud home crowds and goaltending will be a key. Usually I'd go with the veteran laden team in such a matchup but I've got a feeling Calgary will self implode.
First set of predictions wouldn't be complete without a finals prediction. I cannot stick with Montreal beating Detroit as I originally predicted back in October. In fact, I don't think either team makes the finals although I expect Detroit to be in the mix.
I'm going with Pittsburgh over San Jose. The way things are setting up, San Jose is going to have a dog fight to get there. While Pittsburgh faces some serious competition, things will be incredibly physical out West. I'm not really confident in either of these picks. I think Detroit, Vancouver and Boston are also serious contenders. Only time will tell.
These matchups are especially tough. Several of the mid to late season leaders seem to struggle down the stretch and many of the lower seeds come in on a high note or have been playing playoff style hockey for weeks in hopes of sneaking in.
The first round is especially tough. I think that's because the higher seeds face the most pressure in this round and a single slip at home in one of the first two games can create doubt and send them tumbling out. Lower seeds generally have nothing to lose as their seasons are often considered a success if they just get one playoff victory.
Eastern Conference
#1 Boston vs #8 Montreal
Prediction : Boston in 7
Montreal was my preseason favorite to win it all but they haven't played consistently well all season. I don't expect that to suddenly start now. Boston is a well balanced team with all it takes to win it all. This is a legendary matchup between two teams with a lot of history so I don't expect it to be easy but Boston's defense should prevail.
#2 Washington vs #7 New York Rangers
Prediction : Washington in 7
Offensive juggernaut vs defensive standout. I really don't think the Rangers will have enough offense to keep up except in the games where their defense plays error free. Washington has played well throughout the season and is looking to build on the regular season success. Higher expectations in D.C. this time around may get to a relatively young group. But Rangers aren't consistent enough to dispatch them.
#3 New Jersey vs #6 Carolina
Prediciton : New Jersey in 6
Carolina has been awful hot lately but I have a feeling they may have peaked too soon. Broduer will slow them down offensively and the Canes are much better at dealing with a high scoring affair. A lot of veterans on both rosters should make for compelling and disciplined hockey.
#4 Pittsburgh vs #5 Philadelphia
Predicition : Pittsburgh in 7
Two weeks ago I would have picked the Flyers to win the East. Now I don't think they make it out of the first series. Philly has a great chance to win this series and recapture some momentum but they need to make an impact quick and avoid undisciplined hockey. Pittsburgh seems to be playing their best hockey of the season at just the right time. If they can get their defense to play like last spring, they'll have a good chance of getting to the finals.
Western Conference
#1 San Jose vs #8 Anaheim
Prediction : San Jose in 6
San Jose couldn't have been too thrilled when this matchup was finally decided on the last night of the season. This series will be extremely physical and take a toll on whoever wins. I'm not buying into Anaheim being a serious contender simply because I don't think they have enough secondary scoring. Pressure is on San Jose though and an early loss could create a lot of doubt. Just too many weapons at the Sharks' disposal.
#2 Detroit vs #7 Columbus
Predicition : Detroit in 6
Finally the Wings get to play some meaningful games. The bad news is their defense and goaltending have been sub par all year. The good news is they still won 50 games and played their best when a big game comes along. If the Wings get off to a good start look for it to carry them deep in the playoffs. Poor goaltending could see them out before the second round. Columbus is very underrated. A sound team defensively with very good goaltending and the sniper Nash up front. They'll want to play a low scoring affair as they cannot match the Wings offensively. Any chance for the Blue Jackets lies in their ability to stay out of the penalty box.
#3 Vancouver vs #6 St. Louis
Predicition : Vancouver in 5
As much as I respect the Blues for getting this far, I think the party is about to come to an end. They simply lack the talent to keep up with the Canucks at either end of the ice. Luongo has come on strong since returning from injury and the Sedin twins are too much to handle. Should be an interesting game to watch with a lot of speed on the ice. Don't expect the Blues to go down easy, just eventually.
#4 Chicago vs #5 Calgary
Prediction : Chicago in 7
Two teams heading in opposite directions as the season ended. Chicago is emerging as force to be reckoned with and Calgary is struggling to find the identity the carried them for the first 3/4 of the season. With Keenan's job potentially on the line, any significant errors could result in a blow up. Both teams will have very loud home crowds and goaltending will be a key. Usually I'd go with the veteran laden team in such a matchup but I've got a feeling Calgary will self implode.
First set of predictions wouldn't be complete without a finals prediction. I cannot stick with Montreal beating Detroit as I originally predicted back in October. In fact, I don't think either team makes the finals although I expect Detroit to be in the mix.
I'm going with Pittsburgh over San Jose. The way things are setting up, San Jose is going to have a dog fight to get there. While Pittsburgh faces some serious competition, things will be incredibly physical out West. I'm not really confident in either of these picks. I think Detroit, Vancouver and Boston are also serious contenders. Only time will tell.
Monday, April 13, 2009
NHL Regular Season Review
The 82 game, 6 month ordeal is finally finished. Now the "real" season begins. However, before I put up my playoff predictions I want to review some of my predictions from way back in October.
Detroit Red Wings
Much of what I expected came true. The Wings were dominant offensively and Zetterberg, Datsyuk, Hossa and Franzen led the way. Datsyuk may be the most underrated player in the game but his performance is hard to ignore. While the MVP will likely go to Ovechkin, I expect Datsyuk will be one of the finalists. He may well be the best overall player in the game.
What I didn't expect was the inconsistency of the Detroit defense. Part of it was the poor goaltending of Osgood but he wasn't alone in blame. I think some of it was the "cup hangover" but the fact that it persisted through late March is a bit disturbing. Maybe once the playoff start they'll find there groove again. There is simply too much talent for them to struggle that much.
If the defense and goaltending hadn't struggled I suspect they would have run away with the President's trophy and maybe set some league records. Instead, another 50 win season and a #2 seed is their reward. There are about 2 dozen teams who wish they had such a "bad" season.
Atlanta Thrashers
I had a ton of questions heading into the season but none may have been more appropriate than "Overall, I can't see how this won't be a better team. The question is really how long will it take to see that as Ws in the standings." My goodness it took a long time. It wasn't until late February until things turned around.
There are now signs they are headed in the right direction. This time with young players and a young coach who can grow together and create identity for the franchise. It took trading away Williams, Schneider and Havelid to turn the corner. It took finally stitching the captain's "C" on Kovy's chest to send the signal. It took claiming a reject, Peverly, off waivers, to make the pieces fit. Know everyone seems to have a distinct role and is accepting their role within the team.
Bogosian started slow as one would expect a 18 year old rookie defenseman to do. Just when he got confident a broken leg set him back. But on his return he clearly showed why he was picked so high and has what I think are the makings of an All Star defenseman. Little emerged in his second season as a bonafide scoring threat, someone other teams must respect. Reasoner and Armstrong filled vital roles both on and off the ice.
Less than a season after taking so much heat for not retaining Hossa, Waddell must be commended for the moves he didn't make as as well as the ones he did. Many teams came calling for Armstrong but Waddell knew just how valuable he'll be going forward. He moved Havelid and Schneider knowing he'd have to fill their roles with youngsters and the youngsters flourished.
There is as much hope for the Thrashers future as there has ever been.
Eastern Conference
Surprise Team - Boston - I just didn't think they were ready to play so consistently well. They obviously found the secondary scoring I was concerned about and have one of the best defenses in the East.
Team Disappointment - Montreal Canadiens. Ottawa might have got this nod but they played really well the second half. Montreal never regained the magic they had last year and most of the blame must fall on Carey Price.
Surprise Player - Jeff Carter - Emerged as a dominant scoring threat and a real catalyst for the Flyers.
Disappointing Player - Wade Redden - Huge contract with so little in return. Rangers are going to have a hard time dealing with him over the next few years.
Western Conference
Surprise Team - St. Louis Blues - I initially wanted to pick them as a playoff team but I thought they'd never be able to overcome the loss of Jackman. The overcame his loss plus many others.
Disappointing Team - Dallas Stars - First the Avery experiment goes haywire. A nasty losing streak to start the season and another to finish the season. How did this team make the conference finals last year?
Surprise Player - Khabibulin - Put on waivers once and available to any team willing to pay half his salary. He comes back and leads the Blackhawks to 100pts and their first home ice advantage in 16 years.
Disappointing Player - Osgood - Off a playoff performance where he was worthy of MVP consideration, he has the worse year of his career behind one of the best defense in NHL history. Dishonerable mention must go to Sean Avery for his ridiculous choice of words.
Detroit Red Wings
Much of what I expected came true. The Wings were dominant offensively and Zetterberg, Datsyuk, Hossa and Franzen led the way. Datsyuk may be the most underrated player in the game but his performance is hard to ignore. While the MVP will likely go to Ovechkin, I expect Datsyuk will be one of the finalists. He may well be the best overall player in the game.
What I didn't expect was the inconsistency of the Detroit defense. Part of it was the poor goaltending of Osgood but he wasn't alone in blame. I think some of it was the "cup hangover" but the fact that it persisted through late March is a bit disturbing. Maybe once the playoff start they'll find there groove again. There is simply too much talent for them to struggle that much.
If the defense and goaltending hadn't struggled I suspect they would have run away with the President's trophy and maybe set some league records. Instead, another 50 win season and a #2 seed is their reward. There are about 2 dozen teams who wish they had such a "bad" season.
Atlanta Thrashers
I had a ton of questions heading into the season but none may have been more appropriate than "Overall, I can't see how this won't be a better team. The question is really how long will it take to see that as Ws in the standings." My goodness it took a long time. It wasn't until late February until things turned around.
There are now signs they are headed in the right direction. This time with young players and a young coach who can grow together and create identity for the franchise. It took trading away Williams, Schneider and Havelid to turn the corner. It took finally stitching the captain's "C" on Kovy's chest to send the signal. It took claiming a reject, Peverly, off waivers, to make the pieces fit. Know everyone seems to have a distinct role and is accepting their role within the team.
Bogosian started slow as one would expect a 18 year old rookie defenseman to do. Just when he got confident a broken leg set him back. But on his return he clearly showed why he was picked so high and has what I think are the makings of an All Star defenseman. Little emerged in his second season as a bonafide scoring threat, someone other teams must respect. Reasoner and Armstrong filled vital roles both on and off the ice.
Less than a season after taking so much heat for not retaining Hossa, Waddell must be commended for the moves he didn't make as as well as the ones he did. Many teams came calling for Armstrong but Waddell knew just how valuable he'll be going forward. He moved Havelid and Schneider knowing he'd have to fill their roles with youngsters and the youngsters flourished.
There is as much hope for the Thrashers future as there has ever been.
Eastern Conference
Surprise Team - Boston - I just didn't think they were ready to play so consistently well. They obviously found the secondary scoring I was concerned about and have one of the best defenses in the East.
Team Disappointment - Montreal Canadiens. Ottawa might have got this nod but they played really well the second half. Montreal never regained the magic they had last year and most of the blame must fall on Carey Price.
Surprise Player - Jeff Carter - Emerged as a dominant scoring threat and a real catalyst for the Flyers.
Disappointing Player - Wade Redden - Huge contract with so little in return. Rangers are going to have a hard time dealing with him over the next few years.
Western Conference
Surprise Team - St. Louis Blues - I initially wanted to pick them as a playoff team but I thought they'd never be able to overcome the loss of Jackman. The overcame his loss plus many others.
Disappointing Team - Dallas Stars - First the Avery experiment goes haywire. A nasty losing streak to start the season and another to finish the season. How did this team make the conference finals last year?
Surprise Player - Khabibulin - Put on waivers once and available to any team willing to pay half his salary. He comes back and leads the Blackhawks to 100pts and their first home ice advantage in 16 years.
Disappointing Player - Osgood - Off a playoff performance where he was worthy of MVP consideration, he has the worse year of his career behind one of the best defense in NHL history. Dishonerable mention must go to Sean Avery for his ridiculous choice of words.
Thrashers Game Report - 04/11/09
Atlanta 6 - Tampa Bay 2
The final report from the 2008-09 season is a good one. A strong performance from beginning to end in front of an unusually large crowd. It certainly was nice to end the season on a positive note after having to suffer through some enormous growing pains.
Just about all the Thrashers' offensive firepower was on display as the Thrashers controlled the game from the opening puck drop. Great puck movement, hard forecheck and sound defense led to numerous scoring opportunities. While the power play was less than stellar during a 5 on 3 they were able to capitalize shorthanded once again. Scoring came from all over the ice with even Perrin, Stuart and Hainsey getting in on the action.
There were numerous early fights bringing the crowd to their feet. For a game with so little at stake there was quite a bit of energy in the building. The Thrashers responded to this energy with energy of their own. They easily could have put up another handful of goals with beautiful plays that resulted in near misses.
It was nice to see Kari back in goal for the final game after being out for over a week with an injury. He played a good game coming up big on several occasions.
On this fan appreciation night I noticed there were fewer giveaways than seasons past. Only the "jerseys off our backs" was significant. A simple video montage was presented to the fans at the end of night to cap off the season.
The season certainly tried my patience but I do see signs of life. Once again the Thrashers face a critical offseason as they try to build on the success of the final quarter by retaining critical players (Lehtonen, Reasoner) and adding a few more. Tuesday night they'll have a 10.7% chance of landing the top overall pick. Landing one of the top 2 picks would be a great way to begin the offseason.
The final report from the 2008-09 season is a good one. A strong performance from beginning to end in front of an unusually large crowd. It certainly was nice to end the season on a positive note after having to suffer through some enormous growing pains.
Just about all the Thrashers' offensive firepower was on display as the Thrashers controlled the game from the opening puck drop. Great puck movement, hard forecheck and sound defense led to numerous scoring opportunities. While the power play was less than stellar during a 5 on 3 they were able to capitalize shorthanded once again. Scoring came from all over the ice with even Perrin, Stuart and Hainsey getting in on the action.
There were numerous early fights bringing the crowd to their feet. For a game with so little at stake there was quite a bit of energy in the building. The Thrashers responded to this energy with energy of their own. They easily could have put up another handful of goals with beautiful plays that resulted in near misses.
It was nice to see Kari back in goal for the final game after being out for over a week with an injury. He played a good game coming up big on several occasions.
On this fan appreciation night I noticed there were fewer giveaways than seasons past. Only the "jerseys off our backs" was significant. A simple video montage was presented to the fans at the end of night to cap off the season.
The season certainly tried my patience but I do see signs of life. Once again the Thrashers face a critical offseason as they try to build on the success of the final quarter by retaining critical players (Lehtonen, Reasoner) and adding a few more. Tuesday night they'll have a 10.7% chance of landing the top overall pick. Landing one of the top 2 picks would be a great way to begin the offseason.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Thrashers Game Report - 04/09/09
Florida 3 - Atlanta 2
The regular season is winding down and the playoffs are just around the corner. Unfortunately, Atlanta's shot at the playoffs was gone long ago. Miserable play the first 3 months of the season had them a lot closer to the bottom than the top 8 in the conference.
However, Atlanta has been playing a lot better lately. Coming together as a team and playing much better defensively. The young defensemen have found their niche and got increased ice time since the departure of veterans Schneider and Havelid. The offense has found some secondary scoring in the likes of Armstrong and Peverly. They recently won 11 of 14 contests before dropping two to the Washington Capitals. They've been a thorn in the side of teams looking to gain an easy two points in the battle for playoff spots.
They've been playing the kind of hockey I wanted to see all year long. Hard fought, never give up style. A team that clearly lacks some of the talent of their rivals must learn to make up for it with hard consistent work. Hopefully the success of the late season run will carry over into next year and with a couple additions get the team back in the playoff hunt.
The Thrashers played up to the recent success on this night but didn't get the desired results. Playing against a Florida team that absolutely had to have a win, the Thrashers matched their intensity quite well. In fact, through the first two periods I thought the Thrashers played the better game.
The intensity resulted in a ton of penalties early and a bunch of power play opportunities. Unfortunately, the Thrashers blew their biggest chance when they couldn't capitalize on a 5 on 3 for a full 2 minutes. The teams traded power play goals with rookie Bogosian getting the tally for Atlanta. Bogosian is going to be an All-Star in the league and his rookie campaign has been great. If it wasn't for breaking his leg, he'd certainly be in the running for rookie of the year.
With the heightened intensity came several scraps, none better than the fight between Kovalchuk and McCabe. Kaptain Kovy got the better of McCabe landing a few good shots and taking him down to the ice on two occasions. The crowd went nuts and Kovy egged them on while heading for the penalty box.
Tied at 1-1 entering the third period, the Thrashers got on top when Bogosian got his second tally of the game, this time short-handed. But that was to be the end of the Thrashers scoring as Florida could sense their playoff hopes slipping away and dug down deep to up their play just one more notch. The Panthers got the tying goal on a tip-in and the winning goal on a snap shot down close. The Thrashers had their chances to tie it but came up short.
Overall a well played hockey game by both sides. While you could tell Florida had more to play for, the Thrashers didn't back down or go away quietly. Bogosian put up a stellar effort and Kovaluchuk got the crowd to its feet on again. Hedberg played well in net and even 1st timer Wilson looked good. Only Exelby got a goat in this game.
Final note. The arena was as empty as I've ever seen when the doors opened and during warmups. But by the time the game got going it was respectable considering the factors (Thrashers out of the playoffs, middle week game, non-traditional opponent).
Next up is the Thrasher's final contest of the year Saturday night. I'll be in attendance hoping the team ends the season on a positive note.
The regular season is winding down and the playoffs are just around the corner. Unfortunately, Atlanta's shot at the playoffs was gone long ago. Miserable play the first 3 months of the season had them a lot closer to the bottom than the top 8 in the conference.
However, Atlanta has been playing a lot better lately. Coming together as a team and playing much better defensively. The young defensemen have found their niche and got increased ice time since the departure of veterans Schneider and Havelid. The offense has found some secondary scoring in the likes of Armstrong and Peverly. They recently won 11 of 14 contests before dropping two to the Washington Capitals. They've been a thorn in the side of teams looking to gain an easy two points in the battle for playoff spots.
They've been playing the kind of hockey I wanted to see all year long. Hard fought, never give up style. A team that clearly lacks some of the talent of their rivals must learn to make up for it with hard consistent work. Hopefully the success of the late season run will carry over into next year and with a couple additions get the team back in the playoff hunt.
The Thrashers played up to the recent success on this night but didn't get the desired results. Playing against a Florida team that absolutely had to have a win, the Thrashers matched their intensity quite well. In fact, through the first two periods I thought the Thrashers played the better game.
The intensity resulted in a ton of penalties early and a bunch of power play opportunities. Unfortunately, the Thrashers blew their biggest chance when they couldn't capitalize on a 5 on 3 for a full 2 minutes. The teams traded power play goals with rookie Bogosian getting the tally for Atlanta. Bogosian is going to be an All-Star in the league and his rookie campaign has been great. If it wasn't for breaking his leg, he'd certainly be in the running for rookie of the year.
With the heightened intensity came several scraps, none better than the fight between Kovalchuk and McCabe. Kaptain Kovy got the better of McCabe landing a few good shots and taking him down to the ice on two occasions. The crowd went nuts and Kovy egged them on while heading for the penalty box.
Tied at 1-1 entering the third period, the Thrashers got on top when Bogosian got his second tally of the game, this time short-handed. But that was to be the end of the Thrashers scoring as Florida could sense their playoff hopes slipping away and dug down deep to up their play just one more notch. The Panthers got the tying goal on a tip-in and the winning goal on a snap shot down close. The Thrashers had their chances to tie it but came up short.
Overall a well played hockey game by both sides. While you could tell Florida had more to play for, the Thrashers didn't back down or go away quietly. Bogosian put up a stellar effort and Kovaluchuk got the crowd to its feet on again. Hedberg played well in net and even 1st timer Wilson looked good. Only Exelby got a goat in this game.
Final note. The arena was as empty as I've ever seen when the doors opened and during warmups. But by the time the game got going it was respectable considering the factors (Thrashers out of the playoffs, middle week game, non-traditional opponent).
Next up is the Thrasher's final contest of the year Saturday night. I'll be in attendance hoping the team ends the season on a positive note.
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