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.
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