Atlanta 4 - Washington 2
If any game was worthy of a first-hand observation report, this one was.
It was great to be back at Philip's Arena for the first non-exhibition hockey since mid-April. I was excited to witness a real game from my new roost. As expected, for an opening game against on of the better teams in hockey, the crowd was fairly large. However, even with a couple thousand seats now unavailable behind curtains, it appeared to be a little less than a sellout. I can't really blame those for not coming. I just hope the team can convince a few of those who are on the fence to come on down.
Good electricity from the extended introductions and good play by the Thrashers early quickly turned solemn and silent. Atlanta goalie, Andre Pavelec, collapse in front of his crease just before a faceoff was to occur at the other end. Team doctors and medical staff quickly got to him but he lay motionless for the better part of 15 minutes while doctors examined him. I couldn't help but think of the scene just a few seasons ago when the Red Wing's Jiri Fischer had to have his heart restarted on the ice. The good news was I noticed they were not performing CPR or trying to ventilate him. However, he never moved. After getting him strapped on a board he was wheeled off the ice on a stretcher. Plenty of well-wishing cheers but still no movement.
As fans we were left wondering what had happened. Nobody in our section had actually seen him fall because the action was at the other end. Thankfully, through the links of cell phones, text messages and the internet we got some more information. Pavelec had collapsed and was indeed unconscious when he left the building. He did regain consciousness at the hospital and appeared to be ok. As of this writing, he is still in the hospital with a concussion (likely from the fall) and is under observation.
I thought there might be discussion of postponing the game (they did so in the Wing's contest) but likelihood of that seem remote since it was opening night. Action started up again after 20 minutes. Players and coaches had brief meetings and Mason went in to replace Pavelec in net.
I almost expected this tragedy to take something away from the Thrashers and for the next couple of minutes they were a bit out of sorts. They committed one of their only mistakes of the night allowing the Capitals to put a pretty tic-tac-toe shot past Mason, the first shot he faced.
However, it wasn't long until the Thrashers were back to dominating the Capitals once again. They had a forecheck and offensive cycling like I've rarely seen in Atlanta (at least for the home team). On the defensive end they were in great position and getting the puck up the ice quick. Forwards and d-men were doing a great job of keeping the puck in the Caps zone. Finally, they were rewarded for their hard work when Kane scored the first goal of the season! This fan and many others finally could stand up and cheer again.
But the Thrashers didn't stop there. The almost got another one on some good net front presence but it was waved no goal as the refs lost sight of the puck. Ladd scored one on a nice deflection from the point. More pressure in front caused a Cap to attempt to cover the puck inside the crease which a ref actually caught! A penalty shot was awarded. Kane converted the shot and if he hadn't already turned the 14,000 people into fans with his Cooke KO or his first goal, this one surely did. 3-1!
The third period started with the Thrashers still controlling play but a defensemen got caught up ice. A quick turnover led to a fairly easy 2 on 1 goal for the Caps. Having scene this scenario far too often over the years and knowing the talent of the Caps, I got a sinking feeling in my stomach with only a one goal lead. Fortunately, the Thrashers continued to play extremely well and there weren't many good Capital shots. A icing situation forced by the Thrashers forecheck resulted in a quick goal off a faceoff by Modin. The Thrashers played great defense down the stretch including the last 1:20 when the Caps pulled their goalie.
It was an amazing performance under some extreme circumstances. They way the team responded showed quite a bit about the players on the roster and the coaches behind the bench. While it must have been hard for Mason to come into that situation, he handled it fairly well. None of the goals could be blamed on him. I think he can play better in terms of rebound control but he came up big when needed to. He had once save on Ovechkin that had Alex shaking his head in disbelief.
Normally, I'd agree with the media and pick Kane as the star of the game but in this contest it has to go to the medical staff, specialists and EMTs. I cannot believe how quick they responded to the situation.
Kane was a monster all night long. Not only the strongest puck handler, but he also delivered the biggest hits. At the beginning of the game I was thinking I should revise my prediction of 30G/70PTs down a bit (25/65). Maybe now I should RAISE them.
The former Blackhawks also played a big role. Not only did Ladd get on the board but Byfuglien was probably their best defenseman. Sopel was good at blocking shots (the team blocked a ton) and all made their physical presence know.
I was a bit shocked to see the rookie, Burmistov, playing on the penalty kill in his first NHL game. That's almost unheard of. Frankly, he did a very good job. He was also a force on the offensive end. He gets a bit over matched by size from time to time but has some speed, nice hands and some nifty moves.
They outplayed the Caps by a large margin, got more shots, more hits, more shot blocks and won more faceoffs. Those are categories the Thrashers rarely win, especially against teams like the Caps.
I don't want to get too excited because the Thrashers have looked good for a game or two before. However, I saw all the elements that were advertised to us, by the coaches, all offseason. A more physical, fore-checking team with an active yet responsible defense. Solid goaltending and good number of guys with good puck skills. This was no cupcake they beat. The Capitals wanted to come out strong after their lackluster playoff showing. It's a long season ahead but the first step was a mighty nice one.
No comments:
Post a Comment