Atlanta 7 - Los Angeles 0
If Los Angeles had a NFL team, you might mistake that for a football score.
Instead, this was a hockey score and perhaps the best game in Atlanta Thrashers franchise history. It's unfortunate there weren't more people on hand to witness it. While the 400s section was pretty full with both veterans and newcomers, the rest of the building was pretty empty. I'm hoping some of those newcomers go home and tell their friends because this team deserves to play in front of larger crowds. I guarantee that a lot of those newcomers will return after the excitement they witnessed.
The game started off REALLY slow. Very few opportunities for either team through the first half of the contest. Neither goalie had to make substantial saves due to good defensive awareness in front of the net. The Thrashers have had some horrible starts at home, so I wasn't at all surprised by their conservative approach to the game.
Midway through the second period, the crowd was quiet, almost lulled to sleep by the 0-0 affair. That all change as rookie Kane circled the Kings net and went for the wraparound attempt. When the puck slipped by the Kings goalie, the place erupted. The arena wouldn't be silent again until the fans got in their cars.
Just two minutes later, the crowd jumped from their seats as Kovalchuk received a breakout pass from Afinogenov and was alone against goaltender Quick. While Kovy is an exceptional player, he's never had much luck on breakaways. This time he didn't disappoint the home town fans, delivering a 2-0 lead.
The torture of Quick wasn't done though. Next it was Bogosian with a wrister only 90 seconds later giving the Thrashers a 3-0 lead and sending Quick to the showers. His replacement got to feel the same pain as Kovalchuk returned the favor to Afinogenov setting him up for another breakaway that increased the lead to 4-0.
The Thrashers had sensed the Kings frustration and taken control of the game. All the Kings had left to do at this point was fight. All five skaters paired off in an extended melee which only fed the fan frenzy. As the Thrashers skated off the ice to end the second period an extended standing ovation showered them with some well deserved praise.
I was expecting to see play revert back to a conservative defensive style in the 3rd period but apparently the Thrashers were having way too much fun and were determined to entertain the home folk. Things got started again on the powerplay as Antropov fed Kovalchuk in his favorite high slot position. Before the goalie could react, the puck found the upper right corner of the net. Kovalchuk now had his 4th goal in the past 2 games since coming back from injury.
Kovy wasn't quite done. Once gain Kovy setup fellow Russian countryman Afinogenov with a long feed. Maxim turned on the jets and created another breakaway opportunity. This time he split two defenseman and put the puck in the net as he was being knocked down.
With a 6-0 lead late in the contest, the Thrashers found themselves shorthanded after a boarding call against Shubert. Even that didn't slow the Thrashers as yet another breakaway occurred when Kane found himself on the receiving end of a Peverly pass. He finished the play with his first shorthanded goal and first 2 goal game.
With 3 players at 2 goals each (Kovalchuk, Afinogenov, Kane) the crowd was on the edge of their seats waiting for a potential hat trick. There was also shutout to hold. With a powerplay opportunity in the last 2 minutes, I thought for sure the trio would see plenty of ice time. But Anderson was sticking to his guns and didn't feel the need to risk Kovy to reinjury (wise move). Instead the focus was on preserving the shutout and that they did. The first one of the season.
The crowd certainly left this contest with a great feeling. We'd witnesses a complete game from the Thrashers against another young upstart. They shined on both ends of the ice and played virtually error free hockey. I'm hoping their 3rd win in a row and second straight home win will serve notice to the city and get some more butts in the seats. It's a tough sell during football season but they certainly deserve some love at this point. I know I'll be heading back soon.
As I write this, the Thrashers have picked up another win on home ice. Their 4 game winning streak is the longest of the season and their offense and power play are among the best in the league. The penalty kill and overall defense are much improved. There is a lot to be excited about but many tests await. Tough games against Boston, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Detroit are coming up as well as games against divisional opponents Carolina and Tampa Bay. The press has already begun to notice this new Thrashers bunch and winning a few of those games will definitely put the rest of the league on notice.
