Atlanta Thrashers 3 - Buffalo Sabres 2 (SO)
(aka "Salting the Slugs")
Box Score
Highlights
What is it about Buffalo fans. I can't figure out if a ton of them follow the team to Atlanta or there is just a very large local following. Either way they are some of the most obnoxious fans in the NHL. Only the original six bring more enemy fans into Philips Arena. The Sabre fans get started early. On this occasion they filled the arena concourse, walking in large packs, beating drums and shouting "Let's Go Sabres". Atlanta fans, myself included, got an early start on our corresponding "Go Home Buffalo" chants. There is weird hatred between these two groups.
The Buffalo fans didn't have much to cheer about early as the Thrashers had their best performance of the season during the first period. They out shot the Sabres 19-6 and controlled play throughout. The Thrashers got on the scoreboard first when White delivered a nice outlet pass to Kovy who settled the puck and broke away. A nice chip shot top shelf and the score was 1-0 "Go Home Buffalo".
The Thrashers should have had a few more goals in the first. Numerous power plays resulted in nothing and Lalime came up big in net. I was greatly relieved when they got a second goal on more nice work by White that resulted in a pretty Bryan Little goal. 2-0 "Go Home Buffalo" as the period came to a close.
I knew the Thrashers couldn't keep up the pace in the 2nd and I knew Buffalo would come out stronger after undoubtedly being chewed out by coach Lindy Ruff. However, the Thrashers continued to play strong hockey and did what was necessary to keep the Sabres off the board. Only when the Thrashers were down two men late in the period did the Sabres finally put one past Lehtonen to make it 2-1.
The third period played much like the second. Thrashers did what they had to do to keep Buffalo in check but couldn't mount much pressure. Another power play opportunity was squandered but the penalty killing was strong. A nearly mistake free game was ruined late though as Boulton mishandled a puck near the blueline. Instead of simply chipping the puck out of the zone, he broke inside only to have the puck stolen and quickly put on net. Kari didn't handle the rebound well and Pominville easily tapped the puck into the net for the tying goal with less than 4 minutes left.
The rest of the game and OT played out much like the second and third periods. Both teams had opportunities but neither could finish. As much as I hate the shootout it was probably a good thing for the Thrashers as I got the feeling the longer it went the more likely the Slugs would have come out on top.
The first successful shootout attempt was made by Kovalchuk but was answered by Stafford. Kozlov, shooting in an unfamiliar 3rd position did his usual anyway, converting on the shootout and getting the game winning goal as Vanek's shot went wide of the net. "Go Home Buffalo".
Overall I think this was one of the Thrashers' best games ever. There wasn't a lot of scoring but there were plenty of opportunities. Their defense was extremely sound with Hainsey having a great performance, Bogosian sound and Schneider his best outing yet. Lehtonen continued his strong start and Little is looking like he could be the offensive threat the Thrashers desperately need. They went toe to toe against one of the better teams in the league, who got very good goaltending from their backup and still came out on top.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Thrashers Game Report - 10/10/08
Atlanta Thrashers 7 - Washington Capitals 4
Box Score
Game Highlights
The Capitals control play early while the Thrashers have difficulty clearing the defensive zone. In the end this results in Zach Bogosian (ZeBo) taking a penalty. Capitals have several good scoring chances but Kari makes some great stops. Only one that gets by is played with a high stick and waved off. Video review confirms it.
Zebo also gets the first shot on goal for the Thrashers. But its the other new defenseman, Hainsey who scores the first goal of the season, on the power play, for the Thrashers off a rebound chance created by White, Williams also gets an assist. Hainsey stepped up on the play, something the Thrashers defensemen did with regularity this night.
Next up it is Reasoner who gets a rebound off a Bryan Little shot, Perrin with the second assist.
Thrashers make it 3-0 when Havelid makes a nice outlet pass to Bryan Little who breaks away and scores a goal through Theodore's 5 hole.
Unfortunately on the next shift the Thrashers give it right back on a soft shot from the point. The first period ends with the Thrashers up 3-1.
Eight minutes into the second period, Washington commits a penalty giving the Thrashers a great opportunity to build on their lead. Instead a breakdown leads to any easy Capitals shorthanded goal off a rebound.
Fortunately, the Thrashers answer quick with another nice outlet pass by Havelid. This time Kozlov is the recipient. He fakes a pass to Little and scores chasing Theodore from net.
With seven minutes left in the second period and the Thrashers up by two, Reasoner inadvertently gets a high stick up on a Capital, cutting him. The resulting 4 minute penalty results in two almost identical cross-ice passing goals, both by Green. Things are all tied up as Thrasher fans think "here we go again". Period ends in 4-4 tie.
Less the 4 minutes into the period, Washington creates pressure on the Thrashers net. A rebound finds its way behind Kari. With no choice, Enstrom flops on it but a non-goalie covering the puck in the crease is a penalty shot and the ref is quick to reward it. Its reigning Hart Trophy (MVP), Art Ross Trophy (goals scored) winner Alexander Ovechkin taking the penalty shot. He makes a nice move on Lehtonen but can't get the puck over Kari's glove hand. CHICKEN DENIED! Crowd goes ballistic.
The stop appears to be the catalyst for the Thrashers as they score 3 goals in less than two and half minutes. First it Little again. Then its Armstrong with the tally. Finally Kovalchuk finally gets on the scoring sheet with a nice pass across the crease to a wide open Todd White who taps it in. Suddenly it is 7-4 Thrashers and the building is pumping the loudest it has been since game two of playoff series in 2007.
All that left is for Washington to goon it up. The last five minutes is filled by 3 fights which for some reason don't show up in the box score. None of these fights are very significant in duration although king of the goons, Donald Brashear goes at it again the rookie, Bogosian who was a bit outmatched.
Quite an opening night for the Thrashers and their fans. A less than capacity house sees a very entertaining game. Amazing to see the Thrashers score 7 goals without Kovalchuk scoring one of them.
It was absolutely great to see so many contributions from relatively new Thrashers. Little, Reasoner, Hainsey, In addition to Little, Reasoner and Armstrong all showed up on the scoring sheet.
Little, Havelid and Lehtonen were the three stars and all deserved it. Lehtonen kept them in it early, faced 43 shots and most importantly shutdown Ovechkin on the penalty shot when the score was tied.
Bogosian had an up and down night. He has some nice defensive plays and got off a nice shot or two. However, he also took a couple of penalties and was beaten on a couple of occasions. He's the youngest Thrasher ever playing in his first NHL contest. I'll cut him some slack.
The Thrashers still have a lot of room for improvement. They allowed way too many shots, 43 and had trouble clearing the defensive zone on multiple occasions. Still dumping the puck too many times. But any time you keep Ovechkin off the scoresheet, you are doing something right.
However, it certainly was a great way to start the season and here's hoping there are many more like it.
Box Score
Game Highlights
The Capitals control play early while the Thrashers have difficulty clearing the defensive zone. In the end this results in Zach Bogosian (ZeBo) taking a penalty. Capitals have several good scoring chances but Kari makes some great stops. Only one that gets by is played with a high stick and waved off. Video review confirms it.
Zebo also gets the first shot on goal for the Thrashers. But its the other new defenseman, Hainsey who scores the first goal of the season, on the power play, for the Thrashers off a rebound chance created by White, Williams also gets an assist. Hainsey stepped up on the play, something the Thrashers defensemen did with regularity this night.
Next up it is Reasoner who gets a rebound off a Bryan Little shot, Perrin with the second assist.
Thrashers make it 3-0 when Havelid makes a nice outlet pass to Bryan Little who breaks away and scores a goal through Theodore's 5 hole.
Unfortunately on the next shift the Thrashers give it right back on a soft shot from the point. The first period ends with the Thrashers up 3-1.
Eight minutes into the second period, Washington commits a penalty giving the Thrashers a great opportunity to build on their lead. Instead a breakdown leads to any easy Capitals shorthanded goal off a rebound.
Fortunately, the Thrashers answer quick with another nice outlet pass by Havelid. This time Kozlov is the recipient. He fakes a pass to Little and scores chasing Theodore from net.
With seven minutes left in the second period and the Thrashers up by two, Reasoner inadvertently gets a high stick up on a Capital, cutting him. The resulting 4 minute penalty results in two almost identical cross-ice passing goals, both by Green. Things are all tied up as Thrasher fans think "here we go again". Period ends in 4-4 tie.
Less the 4 minutes into the period, Washington creates pressure on the Thrashers net. A rebound finds its way behind Kari. With no choice, Enstrom flops on it but a non-goalie covering the puck in the crease is a penalty shot and the ref is quick to reward it. Its reigning Hart Trophy (MVP), Art Ross Trophy (goals scored) winner Alexander Ovechkin taking the penalty shot. He makes a nice move on Lehtonen but can't get the puck over Kari's glove hand. CHICKEN DENIED! Crowd goes ballistic.
The stop appears to be the catalyst for the Thrashers as they score 3 goals in less than two and half minutes. First it Little again. Then its Armstrong with the tally. Finally Kovalchuk finally gets on the scoring sheet with a nice pass across the crease to a wide open Todd White who taps it in. Suddenly it is 7-4 Thrashers and the building is pumping the loudest it has been since game two of playoff series in 2007.
All that left is for Washington to goon it up. The last five minutes is filled by 3 fights which for some reason don't show up in the box score. None of these fights are very significant in duration although king of the goons, Donald Brashear goes at it again the rookie, Bogosian who was a bit outmatched.
Quite an opening night for the Thrashers and their fans. A less than capacity house sees a very entertaining game. Amazing to see the Thrashers score 7 goals without Kovalchuk scoring one of them.
It was absolutely great to see so many contributions from relatively new Thrashers. Little, Reasoner, Hainsey, In addition to Little, Reasoner and Armstrong all showed up on the scoring sheet.
Little, Havelid and Lehtonen were the three stars and all deserved it. Lehtonen kept them in it early, faced 43 shots and most importantly shutdown Ovechkin on the penalty shot when the score was tied.
Bogosian had an up and down night. He has some nice defensive plays and got off a nice shot or two. However, he also took a couple of penalties and was beaten on a couple of occasions. He's the youngest Thrasher ever playing in his first NHL contest. I'll cut him some slack.
The Thrashers still have a lot of room for improvement. They allowed way too many shots, 43 and had trouble clearing the defensive zone on multiple occasions. Still dumping the puck too many times. But any time you keep Ovechkin off the scoresheet, you are doing something right.
However, it certainly was a great way to start the season and here's hoping there are many more like it.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
NHL Predictions
It seems like only yesterday that Lidstrom was raising The Cup to celebrate the Detroit Red Wings' victory in game 6 over the Pittsburgh Penguins. In reality, it was 4 months ago. Here we are again on the cusp of yet another NHL season. Sorry folks, I don't consider a couple of games overseas as the start of the season. Instead, it'll happen when the Red Wings raise the banner in Joe Louis Arena before playing their long-time rival, the Toronto Maple Leafs.
I'll start by looking at my two favorite teams at opposite ends of the spectrum, the Atlanta Thrashers and the Detroit Red Wings. But before I do, there is one significant change in the NHL that I think will have a huge bearing on playoff seatings. This year there will be more interconference games (East vs West) and less division games. This is long overdue. It was silly that over the course of an 82 game season that each team was not playing each other at least once. Plus it allows all the original six to get together once again.
Detroit Red Wings
It's awful hard to see a reason why this team can't win the championship once again. Their only significant losses were Hasek (retirement) and Drake (retirement). Hasek was certainly past his prime and he didn't make it past the first round of the playoffs before being replaced by the more consistent Osgood. Drake, while a significant piece, was only a 4th line forward. The Wings have many players who can fill his role.
How did they improve? Somehow they managed to get the best free-agent forward available in Marian Hossa. He fits their system perfectly as Hossa is equally adept scoring goals and playing defense. No team in the league had better two-way forwards last year and the Wings just added another one. With Datsyuk centering Hossa, Hossa will get plenty of scoring chances. The overall talent level on the Wings second line is better than the top line of at least 75% of the NHL teams. Teams are going to have a very hard time shutting down the Wings offense.
The Franzen factor. No player in the league was hotter than Franzen heading into the playoffs last year. He scored a sick 29 goals in 26 games and wasn't slowed down until a concussion hit him in the second round. Despite that, he became a factor again in the finals and nearly won the Conn Smyth trophy. It doesn't look like he intends on slowing down either. He had a strong preseason and will likely get even more playing time on the first line and powerplay. It's a contract year for Franzen and he could easily catapult himself into a huge payday.
At this time last year, I was trumpting Zetterberg for league MVP. Some early and late season injuries derailed that but he came out on top as playoff MVP. I think he can be in the mix once again. Although not quite the goal scorer Ovechkin or Crosby are, his defensive game is much better than those two. Datsyuk is just as good although he plays a craftier role. His work with puck is just incredible and he led the league in steals.
There are a series of young forwards who've gained valuable experience and are also ready to take on bigger roles. I think this may be a breakout year for Filppula. They've got so much depth at forward that two NHL ready players, Leino & Helm couldn't fit and were sent to Grand Rapids.
The defense was the best in the league last year and appears to be stronger. The solid corp of Lidstrom, Rafalski, Stuart and Kronwall are back and a lot of quality players are ready to make the leap to the next level. Chelios seems content to take a minor role and he'll have to as the young guys are ready to take on bigger roles. Ericsson, another late round steal, looks ready for the NHL but gets caught up in the numbers game and sent to Grand Rapids. He won't be there long.
The other big offseason acquisition was in goal where Ty Conklin was added as a backup. He more than proved his value when he almost single handedly kept the Penguins afloat when Crosby and Fluery were out for and extended period. He is comfortable in the backup role and will likely play in 20-25 games. Osgood is better at this point in his career than ever before. More sound technically and more sound mentally, his calmness saved the Wings during the playoffs last year. Face it, a Wings goalie doesn't have to win games by himself. Rather, he just has work with the defense in front off him and bounce back from poor outings.
All that being said, repeating as champs is a difficult process. A lot of things have to fall into place. Teams already raise their level of play against the Wings and I expect it to kick up a notch. Playing more games against the East should actually boost the Red Wings record as that means less travel for them since they are an Easterly West Conference team. I think they parlay that into the best record in the regular season. The playoffs are different beast. In reality usually 12 of the 16 teams that make it in have a shot at winning. As much as I want to pick the Wings to win the cup again, I'm thinking they come up just a bit short.
Atlanta Thrashers
Here we go again. Almost 10 years into the Thrashers existence and we've got only one playoff series to show for it. That one resulted in an embarassing 4 game sweep. Now, 18 months later, the team is back at the bottom.
Last year at this time I was disturbed the Thrashers didn't see the light and make the major changes necessary to retool for the future instead of clinging to minor success of winning the division and MAKING the playoffs. In some ways I understood that, they really had no young players ready to play at the NHL level and fill the spots. Fortunately, it looks like this offseason was handled differently and I believe it is for the better. Unforunately, the process is going to take some time. It's like we're back at year 3 once again.
A lot of what should make the Thrashers better are some subtractions. First, Hartley is gone for good and actually has a replacement in Anderson. Holik and Zhitnik are gone and with it goes the two of worst work ethics in the organization.
The nucleus to the makeover and my hope for the future lies with the youth in the organization. The started when Hossa and Dupois were traded to Pittsburgh for Christensen, Armstrong, Esposito and 1st round pick. It continued with the drafting of Zach Bogosian third overall in the June draft. Other young players like Enstrom, Little and Thorburn will take on larger roles while still young players like Kovalchuk (25) and Lehtonen (24) are the backbones for the team.
It didn't stop there. Instead of the usual process of bringing in aging veterans to fill holes, the Thrashers looked to younger players on the rise. In comes winger Jason Williams and defenseman Ron Hainsey. There is some risk involved with these acquisitions but I think it is a lot better approach.
The Thrashers didn't stand pat with its veterans either. Reasoner was brought as a improvement over Holik and Schneider was acquired as an improvement over Klee when Anaheim was forced to deal him due to salary cap issues.
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. For it to turn around quickly, all the new players are going to have to make an impact, Kozlov and Exelby must rebound from poor seasons, Kari must improve his consistency and rebound control, Enstrom cannot take a step back, the young players have to contribute and coach Anderson must build an identiy for this team with a strong system. That's a lot of IFs.
If nothing else they should be better on the defensive end (can they get much worse?). More playmakers and puck movers abound. No more slow footed defensemen. This should help the offense and especially the powerplay. They've got some holes up front and no significant scoring threat outside Kovalchuk. Hope is that they get a surprise out of Christensen, Williams, Armstrong or White/Kozlov can regain a their form.
Realistically, I'm hoping for a team that is more competitive and one that grows stronger as the season progresses. I think it is too much to ask for anything more than fighting for the 8th playoff spot. Once again it is all about baby steps and doing what they can to gain some respectability in the league. I think they can do it but it may be painful, at times, to watch the process.
NHL Predictions
EASTERN CONFRENCE
1. Canadiens - 100th season a charm. Nice well rounded team that should get better. Dangerous on the powerplay and adept at defense. Goaltending still the biggest question mark.
2. Penguins - Really tough battle in the Atlantic is won out by team with the offensive weapons. Gonchar's injury hurts.
3. Capitals - Not ready to put them into the upper class just yet but the team is certainly capable of dominating the Southeast Division. Team on the major upswing. Choosing Theodore as a goalie may come back to bite them.
4. Senators - People are way too quick to count this team out. Still a ton of talent up front and enough growing young talent. Coaching change should get the team back on track.
5. Flyers - Last season was a huge success but with it comes lofty expectations. They are built well for the future but need another year for defense to come around.
6. Rangers - Lundqvist better be able to carry the load because I think there are some questions with scoring up front. Jagr's loss will be felt but it'll be better for the team in the long run. Sundin could win them the division IF they can do it without losing talent and do it early in the season.
7. Sabres - Recovery process after losing Briere and Drury should be over. Ruff will bring the this team back.
8. Hurricanes - Getting healthy and improvements on defense will get this team back to the playoffs but the trip won't last long as an infusion of youth is desperately needed.
------
9. Bruins - They'll come up short as they probably should have last season. Secondary scoring is desperately needed to improve.
10. Lightning - A lot of nice pieces in place but simply too many changes to turn it around in one season. Struggles scoring in first two contests not a good sign. Good thing they get to play in the Southeast.
11. Devils - Every year I think this team will take a tumble and this one is no different. This team got old awful fast and their solution was to add Holik and Rolston? Broduer will have to carry the team again.
12. Thrashers - Not where I want to see them but I have a hard time seeing them much higher. They'll need to take full advantage of games against the Southeast to do any better.
13. Panthers - How long this team can stay competitive depends on how long they can keep Bouwmeester in the fold. Once he's traded (and I think it'll come sooner rather than later), the team is sunk.
14. Leafs - For years Toronto management ignored the need for this team to get younger and instead clung onto the misguided notion that they were only a player or two away from The Cup. Now, they're paying the price. It'll probably get worse before it gets better.
15. Islanders - Similar to the Thrashers, the Islanders are going with youth. Unfortunately, they don't have a player as dynamic as Kovalchuk or a sound defense. If DiPietro's hips continue to be a problem, this team could be a doormat for years.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
1. Red Wings - The team won't have a letdown because Babcock won't allow it. Too much talent up front and on the back end to not overpower most teams. They'll continue to face a stiffer challenge from the likes of Chicago but take advange of the weak sisters.
2. Stars - Success in the playoffs will form a nice building block to this season. Fiesty physical club will be tough to beat in close games.
3. Flames - Appear to be gooning it up for even more physical play. That'll be enough to take the relatively weak Northwest division but'll be their downfall in the playoffs. Watch Keenan unfold before your eyes.
4. Sharks - Wilson out and former Wings assistant McClellan in at coach will bring a more disciplined approach to a team deseperatly in need of it. They may struggle to find the identity early but it is all about playoffs for this underachieving bunch.
5. Ducks - Issues are with scoring but they make up for it with a strong defense, good goaltending and coaching. Good thing for them Selanne decided to return. They desperately need secondary scoring to emerge.
6. Blackhawks - Ready to get back into the playoffs in a big way. Improvements on defense are a key. Finally getting a lot of fans back in the seats will help make Chicago a difficult place to play once again.
7. Oilers - Hard work and a youth movement last season will pay off as the Oilers get back in the playoffs again. Goaltending is a key to getting there.
8. Coyotes - Gretzky finally returns to the playoffs after sticking with a good rebuilding plan. They won't get far but getting there will be a major achievement for this young team.
9. Predators - I don't know how they do it year in and year out so I probably shouldn't count them out. Goaltending could carry them further and if they can take advantage of some Eastern Conference games they could easily jump to #6.
10. Wild - Shouldn't really count out this team so quickly but eventually that defensive system will be their downfall. They've been desperately trying to sign Gaborik long-term and they better because without him their offense will be almost non-existent.
11. Blue Jackets - Hitchcock is on the verge of getting this team to the playoffs but he needs a couple more players to do it. Hainsey's loss will hurt but some younger players should be ready for bigger roles.
12. Canucks - If they get Sundin this pick changes a bit as would any team that adds him. Without him they'll have a hard time scoring goals and Luongo can't do it alone. Will they shop the Sedin twins at the deadline?
13. Kings - Their tide is beginning to turn but it is probably a year or two from fruition. A bunch of young stars are itching to make an impact. The question is how many of their free agents will be around to see this team finally make it back to the playoffs. Goaltending must get more consistent.
14. Avalanche - The team tried to relive the past one too many times. Now they are recycling old coaches and digging at scraps trying to fill numerous holes. Goaltending is weak and even Sakic can't save the offense. A weak division won't be enough to grab the #8 seed. I hear Claude Lemieux wants to make a comeback. Avs management is stupid enough to grant that wish.
15. Blues - Loss of Jackman is huge. This young team cannot afford to lose one of its stars. They are doing it right in St. Louis its just that they did it wrong, much like the Leafs, for years.
Western Conference Champion : Detroit Red Wings
Stanley Cup Champion : Montreal Canadiens
This certainly would make for a great series. Maybe not quite as well in the U.S. markets as Detroit-Pittsburgh but getting a Canada team back envolved would be huge up there. A original six matchup with a bunch of history would certainly be a great way to highlight the Canadiens' hundreth season.
I'll start by looking at my two favorite teams at opposite ends of the spectrum, the Atlanta Thrashers and the Detroit Red Wings. But before I do, there is one significant change in the NHL that I think will have a huge bearing on playoff seatings. This year there will be more interconference games (East vs West) and less division games. This is long overdue. It was silly that over the course of an 82 game season that each team was not playing each other at least once. Plus it allows all the original six to get together once again.
Detroit Red Wings
It's awful hard to see a reason why this team can't win the championship once again. Their only significant losses were Hasek (retirement) and Drake (retirement). Hasek was certainly past his prime and he didn't make it past the first round of the playoffs before being replaced by the more consistent Osgood. Drake, while a significant piece, was only a 4th line forward. The Wings have many players who can fill his role.
How did they improve? Somehow they managed to get the best free-agent forward available in Marian Hossa. He fits their system perfectly as Hossa is equally adept scoring goals and playing defense. No team in the league had better two-way forwards last year and the Wings just added another one. With Datsyuk centering Hossa, Hossa will get plenty of scoring chances. The overall talent level on the Wings second line is better than the top line of at least 75% of the NHL teams. Teams are going to have a very hard time shutting down the Wings offense.
The Franzen factor. No player in the league was hotter than Franzen heading into the playoffs last year. He scored a sick 29 goals in 26 games and wasn't slowed down until a concussion hit him in the second round. Despite that, he became a factor again in the finals and nearly won the Conn Smyth trophy. It doesn't look like he intends on slowing down either. He had a strong preseason and will likely get even more playing time on the first line and powerplay. It's a contract year for Franzen and he could easily catapult himself into a huge payday.
At this time last year, I was trumpting Zetterberg for league MVP. Some early and late season injuries derailed that but he came out on top as playoff MVP. I think he can be in the mix once again. Although not quite the goal scorer Ovechkin or Crosby are, his defensive game is much better than those two. Datsyuk is just as good although he plays a craftier role. His work with puck is just incredible and he led the league in steals.
There are a series of young forwards who've gained valuable experience and are also ready to take on bigger roles. I think this may be a breakout year for Filppula. They've got so much depth at forward that two NHL ready players, Leino & Helm couldn't fit and were sent to Grand Rapids.
The defense was the best in the league last year and appears to be stronger. The solid corp of Lidstrom, Rafalski, Stuart and Kronwall are back and a lot of quality players are ready to make the leap to the next level. Chelios seems content to take a minor role and he'll have to as the young guys are ready to take on bigger roles. Ericsson, another late round steal, looks ready for the NHL but gets caught up in the numbers game and sent to Grand Rapids. He won't be there long.
The other big offseason acquisition was in goal where Ty Conklin was added as a backup. He more than proved his value when he almost single handedly kept the Penguins afloat when Crosby and Fluery were out for and extended period. He is comfortable in the backup role and will likely play in 20-25 games. Osgood is better at this point in his career than ever before. More sound technically and more sound mentally, his calmness saved the Wings during the playoffs last year. Face it, a Wings goalie doesn't have to win games by himself. Rather, he just has work with the defense in front off him and bounce back from poor outings.
All that being said, repeating as champs is a difficult process. A lot of things have to fall into place. Teams already raise their level of play against the Wings and I expect it to kick up a notch. Playing more games against the East should actually boost the Red Wings record as that means less travel for them since they are an Easterly West Conference team. I think they parlay that into the best record in the regular season. The playoffs are different beast. In reality usually 12 of the 16 teams that make it in have a shot at winning. As much as I want to pick the Wings to win the cup again, I'm thinking they come up just a bit short.
Atlanta Thrashers
Here we go again. Almost 10 years into the Thrashers existence and we've got only one playoff series to show for it. That one resulted in an embarassing 4 game sweep. Now, 18 months later, the team is back at the bottom.
Last year at this time I was disturbed the Thrashers didn't see the light and make the major changes necessary to retool for the future instead of clinging to minor success of winning the division and MAKING the playoffs. In some ways I understood that, they really had no young players ready to play at the NHL level and fill the spots. Fortunately, it looks like this offseason was handled differently and I believe it is for the better. Unforunately, the process is going to take some time. It's like we're back at year 3 once again.
A lot of what should make the Thrashers better are some subtractions. First, Hartley is gone for good and actually has a replacement in Anderson. Holik and Zhitnik are gone and with it goes the two of worst work ethics in the organization.
The nucleus to the makeover and my hope for the future lies with the youth in the organization. The started when Hossa and Dupois were traded to Pittsburgh for Christensen, Armstrong, Esposito and 1st round pick. It continued with the drafting of Zach Bogosian third overall in the June draft. Other young players like Enstrom, Little and Thorburn will take on larger roles while still young players like Kovalchuk (25) and Lehtonen (24) are the backbones for the team.
It didn't stop there. Instead of the usual process of bringing in aging veterans to fill holes, the Thrashers looked to younger players on the rise. In comes winger Jason Williams and defenseman Ron Hainsey. There is some risk involved with these acquisitions but I think it is a lot better approach.
The Thrashers didn't stand pat with its veterans either. Reasoner was brought as a improvement over Holik and Schneider was acquired as an improvement over Klee when Anaheim was forced to deal him due to salary cap issues.
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. For it to turn around quickly, all the new players are going to have to make an impact, Kozlov and Exelby must rebound from poor seasons, Kari must improve his consistency and rebound control, Enstrom cannot take a step back, the young players have to contribute and coach Anderson must build an identiy for this team with a strong system. That's a lot of IFs.
If nothing else they should be better on the defensive end (can they get much worse?). More playmakers and puck movers abound. No more slow footed defensemen. This should help the offense and especially the powerplay. They've got some holes up front and no significant scoring threat outside Kovalchuk. Hope is that they get a surprise out of Christensen, Williams, Armstrong or White/Kozlov can regain a their form.
Realistically, I'm hoping for a team that is more competitive and one that grows stronger as the season progresses. I think it is too much to ask for anything more than fighting for the 8th playoff spot. Once again it is all about baby steps and doing what they can to gain some respectability in the league. I think they can do it but it may be painful, at times, to watch the process.
NHL Predictions
EASTERN CONFRENCE
1. Canadiens - 100th season a charm. Nice well rounded team that should get better. Dangerous on the powerplay and adept at defense. Goaltending still the biggest question mark.
2. Penguins - Really tough battle in the Atlantic is won out by team with the offensive weapons. Gonchar's injury hurts.
3. Capitals - Not ready to put them into the upper class just yet but the team is certainly capable of dominating the Southeast Division. Team on the major upswing. Choosing Theodore as a goalie may come back to bite them.
4. Senators - People are way too quick to count this team out. Still a ton of talent up front and enough growing young talent. Coaching change should get the team back on track.
5. Flyers - Last season was a huge success but with it comes lofty expectations. They are built well for the future but need another year for defense to come around.
6. Rangers - Lundqvist better be able to carry the load because I think there are some questions with scoring up front. Jagr's loss will be felt but it'll be better for the team in the long run. Sundin could win them the division IF they can do it without losing talent and do it early in the season.
7. Sabres - Recovery process after losing Briere and Drury should be over. Ruff will bring the this team back.
8. Hurricanes - Getting healthy and improvements on defense will get this team back to the playoffs but the trip won't last long as an infusion of youth is desperately needed.
------
9. Bruins - They'll come up short as they probably should have last season. Secondary scoring is desperately needed to improve.
10. Lightning - A lot of nice pieces in place but simply too many changes to turn it around in one season. Struggles scoring in first two contests not a good sign. Good thing they get to play in the Southeast.
11. Devils - Every year I think this team will take a tumble and this one is no different. This team got old awful fast and their solution was to add Holik and Rolston? Broduer will have to carry the team again.
12. Thrashers - Not where I want to see them but I have a hard time seeing them much higher. They'll need to take full advantage of games against the Southeast to do any better.
13. Panthers - How long this team can stay competitive depends on how long they can keep Bouwmeester in the fold. Once he's traded (and I think it'll come sooner rather than later), the team is sunk.
14. Leafs - For years Toronto management ignored the need for this team to get younger and instead clung onto the misguided notion that they were only a player or two away from The Cup. Now, they're paying the price. It'll probably get worse before it gets better.
15. Islanders - Similar to the Thrashers, the Islanders are going with youth. Unfortunately, they don't have a player as dynamic as Kovalchuk or a sound defense. If DiPietro's hips continue to be a problem, this team could be a doormat for years.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
1. Red Wings - The team won't have a letdown because Babcock won't allow it. Too much talent up front and on the back end to not overpower most teams. They'll continue to face a stiffer challenge from the likes of Chicago but take advange of the weak sisters.
2. Stars - Success in the playoffs will form a nice building block to this season. Fiesty physical club will be tough to beat in close games.
3. Flames - Appear to be gooning it up for even more physical play. That'll be enough to take the relatively weak Northwest division but'll be their downfall in the playoffs. Watch Keenan unfold before your eyes.
4. Sharks - Wilson out and former Wings assistant McClellan in at coach will bring a more disciplined approach to a team deseperatly in need of it. They may struggle to find the identity early but it is all about playoffs for this underachieving bunch.
5. Ducks - Issues are with scoring but they make up for it with a strong defense, good goaltending and coaching. Good thing for them Selanne decided to return. They desperately need secondary scoring to emerge.
6. Blackhawks - Ready to get back into the playoffs in a big way. Improvements on defense are a key. Finally getting a lot of fans back in the seats will help make Chicago a difficult place to play once again.
7. Oilers - Hard work and a youth movement last season will pay off as the Oilers get back in the playoffs again. Goaltending is a key to getting there.
8. Coyotes - Gretzky finally returns to the playoffs after sticking with a good rebuilding plan. They won't get far but getting there will be a major achievement for this young team.
9. Predators - I don't know how they do it year in and year out so I probably shouldn't count them out. Goaltending could carry them further and if they can take advantage of some Eastern Conference games they could easily jump to #6.
10. Wild - Shouldn't really count out this team so quickly but eventually that defensive system will be their downfall. They've been desperately trying to sign Gaborik long-term and they better because without him their offense will be almost non-existent.
11. Blue Jackets - Hitchcock is on the verge of getting this team to the playoffs but he needs a couple more players to do it. Hainsey's loss will hurt but some younger players should be ready for bigger roles.
12. Canucks - If they get Sundin this pick changes a bit as would any team that adds him. Without him they'll have a hard time scoring goals and Luongo can't do it alone. Will they shop the Sedin twins at the deadline?
13. Kings - Their tide is beginning to turn but it is probably a year or two from fruition. A bunch of young stars are itching to make an impact. The question is how many of their free agents will be around to see this team finally make it back to the playoffs. Goaltending must get more consistent.
14. Avalanche - The team tried to relive the past one too many times. Now they are recycling old coaches and digging at scraps trying to fill numerous holes. Goaltending is weak and even Sakic can't save the offense. A weak division won't be enough to grab the #8 seed. I hear Claude Lemieux wants to make a comeback. Avs management is stupid enough to grant that wish.
15. Blues - Loss of Jackman is huge. This young team cannot afford to lose one of its stars. They are doing it right in St. Louis its just that they did it wrong, much like the Leafs, for years.
PLAYOFFS
Predicting the playoffs this far out is a bit of crapshoot. Things like matchups, injuries and momentum can play a big role in determining outcome. That be said, it wouldn't be a complete prediction without it.
Eastern Conference Champion : Montreal CanadiensWestern Conference Champion : Detroit Red Wings
Stanley Cup Champion : Montreal Canadiens
This certainly would make for a great series. Maybe not quite as well in the U.S. markets as Detroit-Pittsburgh but getting a Canada team back envolved would be huge up there. A original six matchup with a bunch of history would certainly be a great way to highlight the Canadiens' hundreth season.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Bear Moutain New York Hike
This hike was more than a little outside my normal stomping grounds of North Georgia. It was an hour outside New York City, done as part of trip to see my brother in the big city.
Bear Mountain State Park is pretty nice and fairly crowded. On this particular Saturday it was being used as the host of a high school cross country meet and an Oktoberfest gathering. We came for the hiking but I can certainly see why others come to relax and getaway from the hustle and bustle of New York City.
The hike was close to 4 miles long and is essentially and up and down hike to the top of Bear Mountain. The first half of the hike was quite challenging as it is basically straight up a rocky slope. The following picture isn't exactly flattering to myself but does a good job of showing a sample of this path.
Upon reaching the top hikers are greeted with a nice vista of the Hudson river, a bridge crossing it and several smaller tree covered hills in the area.
The hike back down follows a small chunk of the Appalachian Trail. Apparently this section was the first part of the trail that was created. An easy descent, I found it to be unimpressive. Simply too much foot traffic in the area and sparse trees. This prevents it from delivering the feeling of isolation that my prior experiences with the AT have given me.
Despite taking a lot out of me, I really enjoyed the hike up the mountain. The vistas up top are worthy of a climb. Only the walk back down and the overuse of the trail leaves something to be desired.
Bear Mountain State Park is pretty nice and fairly crowded. On this particular Saturday it was being used as the host of a high school cross country meet and an Oktoberfest gathering. We came for the hiking but I can certainly see why others come to relax and getaway from the hustle and bustle of New York City.
The hike was close to 4 miles long and is essentially and up and down hike to the top of Bear Mountain. The first half of the hike was quite challenging as it is basically straight up a rocky slope. The following picture isn't exactly flattering to myself but does a good job of showing a sample of this path.
Upon reaching the top hikers are greeted with a nice vista of the Hudson river, a bridge crossing it and several smaller tree covered hills in the area.
The hike back down follows a small chunk of the Appalachian Trail. Apparently this section was the first part of the trail that was created. An easy descent, I found it to be unimpressive. Simply too much foot traffic in the area and sparse trees. This prevents it from delivering the feeling of isolation that my prior experiences with the AT have given me.
Despite taking a lot out of me, I really enjoyed the hike up the mountain. The vistas up top are worthy of a climb. Only the walk back down and the overuse of the trail leaves something to be desired.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Sigur Ros Concert Review
The third of my gift concerts. This one had me headed to New York City to see Sigur Ros at the United Palace Theater, September 18 2008.
Sigur Ros is a hard band to explain to those who haven't heard them. They are an Icelandic group that has created loyal and passionate following without the advantage of much U.S. radio play outside their homeland or small college radio. I believe that most people hear about them through word of mouth or read about them in various online music forums.
Some people try to compare them to Radiohead or Coldplay but in reality, the bands are very different. The Icelandic people are very quiet and reserved and music the band produces very much reflects that. Iceland itself is a land of striking beauty but is also very harsh and unforgiving. The color palette of the land is rich with browns, blacks, grays and whites. There is a lingering darkness in winter and endless light in the summer. Frequently called "the land of fire and ice", it is a country of contrasts. Sigur Ros's music reflects the landscape as much as the people. It is a music with and ebb and flow that cannot be experienced with just a quick sample. Is is music that must be felt as well as heard.
Did I forget to mention that some of the vocals are done in a nonsense language the lead singer calls "Hopelandic". This is an "invented language in which Jónsi sings before lyrics are written to the vocals. It's, of course, not an actual language by definition (no vocabulary, grammar, etc.), it's rather a form of gibberish vocals that fits to the music and acts as another instrument." Nobody can really sing these songs unless they memorize these chants. Frankly, I'm not even certain they are the same from show to show. A big put-off to some, it really doesn't affect my enjoyment. In fact, I actually am more interested in the voice as an instrument so it works on that level. The rest of the songs are sung in Icelandic as are the song titles.
All this preface is written because it may help explain why I enjoy the band yet have a hard time naming the songs that were performed on this particular night, It certainly doesn't help that Icelandic is an incredibly hard language to spell, speak and pronounce.
What I generally like about the band is how each song conveys one or more sonic textures. Each texture elicits an emotional response that is undoubtedly unique to listener. It is the combination of the textures within a song or set of songs that I find so captivating.
The United Palace Theater was built in 1930. Long used for movies and Vaudeville, the theater was rebuild in 1969 and has been used since as a church and music hall. Although the place is obviously a nice piece of craftsmanship, I found the interior a little gaudy for my taste. In form and function it reminded me a lot of Atlanta's Fox Theater but I'd give the nod to the Fox hands done when it comes to overall look.
The theater was filled on this particular night. Sigur Ros hasn't played much in the states but they have played in NYC a few times before. Each show has sold out quick and this was no exception.
We got to the theater early enough to see the opening act, Parachute. This act was extremely odd because the music they played was so much like Sigur Ros, only much weaker. Perhaps that is explained because the lead singer of Parachute is the boyfriend of Sigur Ros's lead singer. On top of this oddity, many of the members of the band chose to perform sitting down on the stage. Not sitting in chairs, but actually on the stage. Just strange.
After that was over the main act took the stage and didn't disappoint. There was some fear going in that they might play a lot of material from their latest album which I find much more poppy and less textural in nature. Fortunately, that was not the case. About 2/3 of the act was devoted to older music. Each song was performed with a good deal of energy and went off with barely a hitch. Although they generally stuck to performing the songs without ad-lib there were a couple of nice additions thrown in. The crowd was very receptive and sound quality was excellent. They played close to a two-hour set including their encores and finished it off as strongly as they started.
All in all a great night and a great experience overall.
Sigur Ros is a hard band to explain to those who haven't heard them. They are an Icelandic group that has created loyal and passionate following without the advantage of much U.S. radio play outside their homeland or small college radio. I believe that most people hear about them through word of mouth or read about them in various online music forums.
Some people try to compare them to Radiohead or Coldplay but in reality, the bands are very different. The Icelandic people are very quiet and reserved and music the band produces very much reflects that. Iceland itself is a land of striking beauty but is also very harsh and unforgiving. The color palette of the land is rich with browns, blacks, grays and whites. There is a lingering darkness in winter and endless light in the summer. Frequently called "the land of fire and ice", it is a country of contrasts. Sigur Ros's music reflects the landscape as much as the people. It is a music with and ebb and flow that cannot be experienced with just a quick sample. Is is music that must be felt as well as heard.
Did I forget to mention that some of the vocals are done in a nonsense language the lead singer calls "Hopelandic". This is an "invented language in which Jónsi sings before lyrics are written to the vocals. It's, of course, not an actual language by definition (no vocabulary, grammar, etc.), it's rather a form of gibberish vocals that fits to the music and acts as another instrument." Nobody can really sing these songs unless they memorize these chants. Frankly, I'm not even certain they are the same from show to show. A big put-off to some, it really doesn't affect my enjoyment. In fact, I actually am more interested in the voice as an instrument so it works on that level. The rest of the songs are sung in Icelandic as are the song titles.
All this preface is written because it may help explain why I enjoy the band yet have a hard time naming the songs that were performed on this particular night, It certainly doesn't help that Icelandic is an incredibly hard language to spell, speak and pronounce.
What I generally like about the band is how each song conveys one or more sonic textures. Each texture elicits an emotional response that is undoubtedly unique to listener. It is the combination of the textures within a song or set of songs that I find so captivating.
The United Palace Theater was built in 1930. Long used for movies and Vaudeville, the theater was rebuild in 1969 and has been used since as a church and music hall. Although the place is obviously a nice piece of craftsmanship, I found the interior a little gaudy for my taste. In form and function it reminded me a lot of Atlanta's Fox Theater but I'd give the nod to the Fox hands done when it comes to overall look.
The theater was filled on this particular night. Sigur Ros hasn't played much in the states but they have played in NYC a few times before. Each show has sold out quick and this was no exception.
We got to the theater early enough to see the opening act, Parachute. This act was extremely odd because the music they played was so much like Sigur Ros, only much weaker. Perhaps that is explained because the lead singer of Parachute is the boyfriend of Sigur Ros's lead singer. On top of this oddity, many of the members of the band chose to perform sitting down on the stage. Not sitting in chairs, but actually on the stage. Just strange.
After that was over the main act took the stage and didn't disappoint. There was some fear going in that they might play a lot of material from their latest album which I find much more poppy and less textural in nature. Fortunately, that was not the case. About 2/3 of the act was devoted to older music. Each song was performed with a good deal of energy and went off with barely a hitch. Although they generally stuck to performing the songs without ad-lib there were a couple of nice additions thrown in. The crowd was very receptive and sound quality was excellent. They played close to a two-hour set including their encores and finished it off as strongly as they started.
All in all a great night and a great experience overall.
New York City
I recently completed a trip to New York City to visit my brother, see a concert and take in the big city. We didn't take in all the usual tourist sites because I intend to travel back again with my daughter. However, we did keep very busy and walked about 15 miles in the process.
Here's just a few of the sites I saw:
- Walked a good chunk of lower and central Manahattan including Battery Park, the financial district, Wall Street, Times Square, Grand Central Station, World Trade Center construction site and Central Park. I absolutely loved the big city buzz and being able to take the trains everywhere is great.
- Walked across the Brooklyn Bridge and ate pizza at Grimaldi's. Although VERY good pizza, still a notch below my all time favorite. I'm a picky pizza patron.
- Went to the United Palace Theater to see Sigur Ros in concert. Review here.
- Went to the Museum of Modern Art and the Natural History Museum. I was especially impressed with the size and content of the Natural History Museum. We probably spent way too much time in the geology area but the collection was too impressive to shorten. The stibnite alone is worth the trip. If some lady asks you what makes a certain bedrock red, the answer is iron and oxygen. Say it quick and run away! You'll thank me later.
- Took a bus ride out to Bear Mountain and did hike up and down. The weather was perfect every day of the trip. More details and pictures here.
- We went down to the East Village for food and drinks.
Here's the best of the photos:
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Thrashers Game Report - 10/01/08
Detroit Red Wings 4 - Atlanta Thrashers 1
a.k.a. Detroit Love Fest in the ATL (preseason version)
It didn't take take long to realize that there were more Detroit fans in attendance than Thrasher fans. The concourse was covered in red and white from the moment I entered the doors just slightly after 6PM. While the Detroit fans were still pretty giddy from their Stanley Cup victory, most of the Thrasher fans were just glad hockey was back but more than a bit fearful they'd be a league laughingstock once again. Although an aura of optimism filled some Thrasher fans, myself included, it was always tempered with the realism that the Thrashers are a young team with a young coach and there are going to be some serious growing pains.
It didn't take long for those pains to be felt by every Thrasher fan in attendance. Less than 2 minutes into the contest, Colin Stuart, took a penalty for tripping. The Red Wings won the faceoff, moved the puck to Lidstrom, to Zetterberg and out to Samuelsson who slapped a long range shot past a screened Lehtonen. Wings 1-0.
The Wings controlled play for a majority of the game. At times it looked the Wings and especially Zetterberg were toying with the less skilled and less experienced Thrashers. There were at least a dozen times where the Wings would cycle the puck causing the Thrashers to overload to one side. Then, the Wings we send a player down low in the open ice, make a pretty cross-ice pass and get an uncontested shot on goal. Fortunately for the Thrashers, these "ooh" and "aah" moments didn't get converted. However, it clearly showed the Thrashers have a long way to go.
Even with the poor positioning the Thrashers were in the right place at the right time for one of the Wings biggest miscues. Wings defenseman, Brad Stuart, misplayed the puck in his own end resulting in an easy steal for the Thrasher's Christensen. He got to use his breakaway/shootout skills to twist Osgood around and easily put the puck in the Detroit net tying the score at 1-1.
Next up our first fight of the night. More frequent in preseason as young players or players on the roster fence try to make an impact. This time it was Atlanta's Jim Slater vs Detroit's Andreas Lilja. Not much of a fight as Lilja swung wildly at Slater and missed getting himself off-balance. Then Slater grabbed him and took him down to the ice. The result was some blood on the ice that appeared to come from Lilja. He didn't returned to the game.
Next, it was time for Lehtonen to screw up. While Kari played a pretty solid game overall, his one goof up was just awful. Leaving the net to go after a loose puck in the corner (no Kari no!), Kari is confronted with a speedy Zetterberg working his way deep into the offensive zone. Trapped in the corner, Kari didn't have any "safe" option. Instead of sucking it up and taking the slight push he get from Zetterberg, Kari does the worst thing and pushes the puck 45 degrees out and towards the center of the ice. Zetterberg grabs it quickly and guides it right into the net. Laughing and UGHs! poor forth from the stands. It's official, the Thrashers are laughingstocks for this night.
Second period is pretty similar to the first. The Thrashers show a little more intensity but are still clearly outclassed by the Wings. Wings just find ways to get to loose pucks and do a much better job at having a second player in position to make up for whenever one makes a mistake. A majority of the Wings scoring chances come as a result of good teamwork (crisp passes, positioning) whereas most of the Thrashers chances are individual efforts.
8 minutes into the second period we get a much better fight involving two players better equipped to handle a tussle. This time its Atlanta's Thorburn vs Detroit's McCarty. A good opportunity for Thorburn to learn how to scrap from one of Detroit's best scrapers. Unfortunately, Thorburn waits too long to make his move and Darren hits him with several quick punches. From there the two exchange a couple weaker blows before McCarty comes down on top on Thorburn to close the fight.
Now it is time for a flashback to the first two minutes of the game. This time it is Atlanta's rookie, Bogosian, who takes the penalty. 2 minutes for interference when he gets caught out of position. A couple quick passes involving Lidstrom and Zetterberg end with Samuelsson sending the slapshot past Kari for his second PP goal of the night.
Some of the Thrashers' best scoring opportunities come in the third period but they don't amount to much as Osgood has some strong saves and gives up few rebounds. Down 3-1 with 90 seconds to play, the Thrashers pull the goalie in what is only a fruitless effort at this point. It takes Detroit only seconds to gain the puck, make a couple passes so that Franzen can get on the board and ice the 4-1 victory.
All in all a pretty grim contest for the Thrashers. Thank goodness it was a preseason tilt. Sure the Thrashers weren't playing with Kozlov, Perrin, White (is that really a loss), Valabik and Schneider. But the Wings didn't have Hossa, Datsyuk, Holmstrom, Kronwall, Maltby or Draper dressed.
I thought the only Thrasher that stood out positively was Christensen. Not only did he have the pretty breakaway goal but he also made some nice passes in the offensive zone and got to some loose pucks down low. As a team, the Thrashers showed more speed on defense but need serious work on their positioning and outlet passes. Seeing more players in front of the opponent's net was a welcome change.
As for the recent additions, none stood out. While Bogosian looked pretty good in the offensive zone, he had troubles on the defensive side. If this is any indication of his overall play, it is my opinion he'd be best served returning to the minors for another season assuming they've got a better option. Kulda looks just as good as Bogosian at this point. Hainsey was a disappointment as I don't think he played well on either end of the ice. Williams was part of the most effective line (Kovy, Christensen, Williams) but was relatively quiet.
I've rambled on for far too long. It's only a preseason game! Now that I've completed this entry I'm going to try to erase my mind of remembrance of the Thrashers' performance on this early October night. I hope to form better memories opening night.
a.k.a. Detroit Love Fest in the ATL (preseason version)
It didn't take take long to realize that there were more Detroit fans in attendance than Thrasher fans. The concourse was covered in red and white from the moment I entered the doors just slightly after 6PM. While the Detroit fans were still pretty giddy from their Stanley Cup victory, most of the Thrasher fans were just glad hockey was back but more than a bit fearful they'd be a league laughingstock once again. Although an aura of optimism filled some Thrasher fans, myself included, it was always tempered with the realism that the Thrashers are a young team with a young coach and there are going to be some serious growing pains.
It didn't take long for those pains to be felt by every Thrasher fan in attendance. Less than 2 minutes into the contest, Colin Stuart, took a penalty for tripping. The Red Wings won the faceoff, moved the puck to Lidstrom, to Zetterberg and out to Samuelsson who slapped a long range shot past a screened Lehtonen. Wings 1-0.
The Wings controlled play for a majority of the game. At times it looked the Wings and especially Zetterberg were toying with the less skilled and less experienced Thrashers. There were at least a dozen times where the Wings would cycle the puck causing the Thrashers to overload to one side. Then, the Wings we send a player down low in the open ice, make a pretty cross-ice pass and get an uncontested shot on goal. Fortunately for the Thrashers, these "ooh" and "aah" moments didn't get converted. However, it clearly showed the Thrashers have a long way to go.
Even with the poor positioning the Thrashers were in the right place at the right time for one of the Wings biggest miscues. Wings defenseman, Brad Stuart, misplayed the puck in his own end resulting in an easy steal for the Thrasher's Christensen. He got to use his breakaway/shootout skills to twist Osgood around and easily put the puck in the Detroit net tying the score at 1-1.
Next up our first fight of the night. More frequent in preseason as young players or players on the roster fence try to make an impact. This time it was Atlanta's Jim Slater vs Detroit's Andreas Lilja. Not much of a fight as Lilja swung wildly at Slater and missed getting himself off-balance. Then Slater grabbed him and took him down to the ice. The result was some blood on the ice that appeared to come from Lilja. He didn't returned to the game.
Next, it was time for Lehtonen to screw up. While Kari played a pretty solid game overall, his one goof up was just awful. Leaving the net to go after a loose puck in the corner (no Kari no!), Kari is confronted with a speedy Zetterberg working his way deep into the offensive zone. Trapped in the corner, Kari didn't have any "safe" option. Instead of sucking it up and taking the slight push he get from Zetterberg, Kari does the worst thing and pushes the puck 45 degrees out and towards the center of the ice. Zetterberg grabs it quickly and guides it right into the net. Laughing and UGHs! poor forth from the stands. It's official, the Thrashers are laughingstocks for this night.
Second period is pretty similar to the first. The Thrashers show a little more intensity but are still clearly outclassed by the Wings. Wings just find ways to get to loose pucks and do a much better job at having a second player in position to make up for whenever one makes a mistake. A majority of the Wings scoring chances come as a result of good teamwork (crisp passes, positioning) whereas most of the Thrashers chances are individual efforts.
8 minutes into the second period we get a much better fight involving two players better equipped to handle a tussle. This time its Atlanta's Thorburn vs Detroit's McCarty. A good opportunity for Thorburn to learn how to scrap from one of Detroit's best scrapers. Unfortunately, Thorburn waits too long to make his move and Darren hits him with several quick punches. From there the two exchange a couple weaker blows before McCarty comes down on top on Thorburn to close the fight.
Now it is time for a flashback to the first two minutes of the game. This time it is Atlanta's rookie, Bogosian, who takes the penalty. 2 minutes for interference when he gets caught out of position. A couple quick passes involving Lidstrom and Zetterberg end with Samuelsson sending the slapshot past Kari for his second PP goal of the night.
Some of the Thrashers' best scoring opportunities come in the third period but they don't amount to much as Osgood has some strong saves and gives up few rebounds. Down 3-1 with 90 seconds to play, the Thrashers pull the goalie in what is only a fruitless effort at this point. It takes Detroit only seconds to gain the puck, make a couple passes so that Franzen can get on the board and ice the 4-1 victory.
All in all a pretty grim contest for the Thrashers. Thank goodness it was a preseason tilt. Sure the Thrashers weren't playing with Kozlov, Perrin, White (is that really a loss), Valabik and Schneider. But the Wings didn't have Hossa, Datsyuk, Holmstrom, Kronwall, Maltby or Draper dressed.
I thought the only Thrasher that stood out positively was Christensen. Not only did he have the pretty breakaway goal but he also made some nice passes in the offensive zone and got to some loose pucks down low. As a team, the Thrashers showed more speed on defense but need serious work on their positioning and outlet passes. Seeing more players in front of the opponent's net was a welcome change.
As for the recent additions, none stood out. While Bogosian looked pretty good in the offensive zone, he had troubles on the defensive side. If this is any indication of his overall play, it is my opinion he'd be best served returning to the minors for another season assuming they've got a better option. Kulda looks just as good as Bogosian at this point. Hainsey was a disappointment as I don't think he played well on either end of the ice. Williams was part of the most effective line (Kovy, Christensen, Williams) but was relatively quiet.
I've rambled on for far too long. It's only a preseason game! Now that I've completed this entry I'm going to try to erase my mind of remembrance of the Thrashers' performance on this early October night. I hope to form better memories opening night.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Denver Broncos Prediction
Here's brief and somewhat late view of my favorite team as they embark on a new season.
I'm not used to seeing a Denver team with so much youth, especially on the offensive line. In 30 years of being a fan, I can't rememer such a young group. At left tackle, a rookie, Ryan Clady gets the nod. At left tackle, a second year player is starting. A third year player is manning one of the guard positions. Between them they have less than a dozen starts. I actually believe it is a great thing but may take awhile for this line to gel and reach the high level of play it takes for the Broncos to succeed.
The defensive line is in almost the same position. Three were draft last year (Thomas, Moss, Crowder) and one was drafted the year before (Dumervil). Thomas and Dumervil are starters already and hopefully the other two aren't far behind. However, I'm more comfortable with the offensive line's potential. This unit must see improvement or the defense doesn't have a chance. They must find way to create pressure with only 4 and do a better job stopping the run.
I am very comfortable with the QB and WR position. Cutler and Marshall could both be Pro Bowlers this season provided they can both stay healthy and someone emerges to take some pressure of Marshall. Cutler is an extremely poised and intelligent QB and is among the best when forced to make throws on the run. With his diabetes now under control, I think he's ready for a breakout year. Marshall looked like a man among boys last season and despite some legal issues, including a one game suspension, he looks ready to take over where he left off last year. He may have to share some balls with Eddie Royal who looks like a great addition as a second round pick. It'll be great to see two young receivers develop with Cutler.
The linebacking corp has been retooled and should be better than last season but will they be good enough? Last year depth at safety had me concerned. Now I'm concerned about the depth a cornerback. Bailey is great and Bly is adequate but beyond them are some major question marks. I sure hope the younguns can contribute because Paymah doesn't fill me with confidence.
The running back situation has me scared. Still not sure they've got someone who can last a full season and gain the tough yardage. I'm high on the new fullback but I didn't think he'd be ready to start this soon. It'll interesting to see how they use Pittman. If Selvin can handle 20 carries a game, they'll be alright. I'll be looking forward to seeing 5th round draft pick Torian healthy by mid-season.
It is really odd seeing a kicker other than Elam take the field. I hope they've found another long time player and a punter but going with rookies at those positions makes me nervous. Lastly, they need to find a consistent threat at kick returner. I want teams to fear kicking the ball. We've gone far too long without one. Eddie Royal was actually drafted to fill this need.
Looking at the line up and the schedule I seeing the Broncos going 9-7 and missing the playoffs. Just too many young players and too much competition in the AFC West (San Diego) and AFC. They'll be in the fight for a wildcard until the end but come up a little bit short. If they can manage to start the season well, the could be a surprise contender with a weak schedule down the stretch. However, I not sold on the defense enough to think it'll happen. The offense has some dangerous weapons but until a defensive line is built to stop the run and rush the passer wins will be tough to come by.
It sounds odd to say this but I think week 1 is a must win game to have playoff hopes. Oakland games are usually tough and they have a defense that could cause the Broncos some trouble. Add their couple of hard-nose running backs and it wouldn't shock me if the Raiders win. For this initial contest, I'm picking the Broncos 23 - Raiders 16.
--------------------------
Addendum
Although this was posted after the Raiders contest, all the content was created before that matchup. After seeing the team in action, I'd like to add the following:
Eddie Royal is the real deal. There is no wonder why this kid quickly climbed the charts in training camp. He made DeAngelo hall look like the rookie.
The offensive line did a fantastic job. This young group may be ready quicker than expected.
Cutler sure looked like a Pro Bowler. Extremely good job of finding receivers and putting the ball where no one but his receiver could catch it.
Defense had problems. Although a shutout through 3 quarters, I didn't like what I saw. More talented teams are going to be a problem.
The running game was good but not great. We expect great in Denver.
Shanahan is still a mastermind. His play calling for this game was imaginative and well thought out.
There's nothing better than seeing Greasy Al and a bunch of meth-head-prison-inmate Raider fans with a look of disgust.
I'm not changing any predictions based on a single game, especially against the Raiders, but this result coupled with a couple other AFC losses (San Diego, Indy, Brady, Jacksonville) certainly raised my hopes a bit.
I'm not used to seeing a Denver team with so much youth, especially on the offensive line. In 30 years of being a fan, I can't rememer such a young group. At left tackle, a rookie, Ryan Clady gets the nod. At left tackle, a second year player is starting. A third year player is manning one of the guard positions. Between them they have less than a dozen starts. I actually believe it is a great thing but may take awhile for this line to gel and reach the high level of play it takes for the Broncos to succeed.
The defensive line is in almost the same position. Three were draft last year (Thomas, Moss, Crowder) and one was drafted the year before (Dumervil). Thomas and Dumervil are starters already and hopefully the other two aren't far behind. However, I'm more comfortable with the offensive line's potential. This unit must see improvement or the defense doesn't have a chance. They must find way to create pressure with only 4 and do a better job stopping the run.
I am very comfortable with the QB and WR position. Cutler and Marshall could both be Pro Bowlers this season provided they can both stay healthy and someone emerges to take some pressure of Marshall. Cutler is an extremely poised and intelligent QB and is among the best when forced to make throws on the run. With his diabetes now under control, I think he's ready for a breakout year. Marshall looked like a man among boys last season and despite some legal issues, including a one game suspension, he looks ready to take over where he left off last year. He may have to share some balls with Eddie Royal who looks like a great addition as a second round pick. It'll be great to see two young receivers develop with Cutler.
The linebacking corp has been retooled and should be better than last season but will they be good enough? Last year depth at safety had me concerned. Now I'm concerned about the depth a cornerback. Bailey is great and Bly is adequate but beyond them are some major question marks. I sure hope the younguns can contribute because Paymah doesn't fill me with confidence.
The running back situation has me scared. Still not sure they've got someone who can last a full season and gain the tough yardage. I'm high on the new fullback but I didn't think he'd be ready to start this soon. It'll interesting to see how they use Pittman. If Selvin can handle 20 carries a game, they'll be alright. I'll be looking forward to seeing 5th round draft pick Torian healthy by mid-season.
It is really odd seeing a kicker other than Elam take the field. I hope they've found another long time player and a punter but going with rookies at those positions makes me nervous. Lastly, they need to find a consistent threat at kick returner. I want teams to fear kicking the ball. We've gone far too long without one. Eddie Royal was actually drafted to fill this need.
Looking at the line up and the schedule I seeing the Broncos going 9-7 and missing the playoffs. Just too many young players and too much competition in the AFC West (San Diego) and AFC. They'll be in the fight for a wildcard until the end but come up a little bit short. If they can manage to start the season well, the could be a surprise contender with a weak schedule down the stretch. However, I not sold on the defense enough to think it'll happen. The offense has some dangerous weapons but until a defensive line is built to stop the run and rush the passer wins will be tough to come by.
It sounds odd to say this but I think week 1 is a must win game to have playoff hopes. Oakland games are usually tough and they have a defense that could cause the Broncos some trouble. Add their couple of hard-nose running backs and it wouldn't shock me if the Raiders win. For this initial contest, I'm picking the Broncos 23 - Raiders 16.
--------------------------
Addendum
Although this was posted after the Raiders contest, all the content was created before that matchup. After seeing the team in action, I'd like to add the following:
Eddie Royal is the real deal. There is no wonder why this kid quickly climbed the charts in training camp. He made DeAngelo hall look like the rookie.
The offensive line did a fantastic job. This young group may be ready quicker than expected.
Cutler sure looked like a Pro Bowler. Extremely good job of finding receivers and putting the ball where no one but his receiver could catch it.
Defense had problems. Although a shutout through 3 quarters, I didn't like what I saw. More talented teams are going to be a problem.
The running game was good but not great. We expect great in Denver.
Shanahan is still a mastermind. His play calling for this game was imaginative and well thought out.
There's nothing better than seeing Greasy Al and a bunch of meth-head-prison-inmate Raider fans with a look of disgust.
I'm not changing any predictions based on a single game, especially against the Raiders, but this result coupled with a couple other AFC losses (San Diego, Indy, Brady, Jacksonville) certainly raised my hopes a bit.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
NFL Predictions
I'm a couple days late but only one game has been played at time of posting and it doesn't affect my picks in the slightest.
When picking NFL seasons, I have two approaches. One is to analyze it to death looking at each teams additions and subtractions, their injury issues and predicting each individual game of the league's 5 month season. This approach takes a ton of time. Until this blog generates me cash flow or I'm retired, I don't see me doing it this way again any time soon. Instead you get my second approach. This one relies on gut instinct I've developed watching the NFL for 35 years.
Without further ado, here's the picks:
AFC West : San Diego Chargers - Simply too much talent for the rest of the division. Even if Merriman can't play the whole season there is still a ton of players on both sides of the ball. There are still question marks at WR and I'm not sold on Rivers as top-notch QB. But with two matchups each against KC and OAK and games against the relatively weak NFC South, they should coast. I think they'll get homefield throughout.
AFC Central : Pittsburgh Steelers - Lot of people picking Cleveland to finally rise to the top but I think that is still a year or two away. Steelers are much more consistent and have the hard nose defense it takes to win late in the year.
AFC South : Indianapolis Colts - Nope, this isn't the year Jacksonville overtakes Indy unless Manning is out for an extended period. Addai is just coming into his own and Peyton still has a bunch of weapons. Their defense is underrated and should be healthier / stronger than in the past.
AFC East : New England Patriots - Can we stop talking about Favre for one minute please. The Jets will be better but not good enough. Experience and team cohesion mean a lot in the NFL and the Patriots have a ton of it. Brady is key but the defense has bigger questions. Teams are going to try to send the house after Brady so they better be prepared. If the Pats had more competition in the division, I think we'd see a tumble.
AFC Wildcards : Cleveland, Tennessee - Biggest shocker may be that I'm leaving Jacksonville out of the mix. I have a ton of respect for Jeff Fischer and he's doing a good job retooling after a salary cap mess. Cleveland has the talent on offense but lacks punch on D.
NFC West : Seattle Seahawks - I wanted to pick Arizona but I got to see their first string offensive line get eaten alive by Bronco second stringers. Warner won't last the season at that rate and Leinhart isn't ready. The Seahawks win by default because the rest of the division is dreadful. Holmgren will go out with a division win but not much more.
NFC Central : Detroit Lions - My biggest surprise pick. The Packers take a step back with Rodgers under center and it is enough to lose the division. Minnesota doesn't have a bonafide QB or WRs capable of being a serious threat. They'll live and die by Adrian Peterson. Detroit has a ton of offensive weapons and just got better with Rudi Johnson in the backfield. Calvin Johnson is set to explode on the scene. Detroit's defense may be one of the best "unknown" groups.
NFC South : New Orlean Saints - I seem to pick the Panthers to win this division just about every year and I almost did it again. Then I remembered the Saints added yet another weapon to the offense, TE Shockey. That's enough to put them over the top despite a somewhat weak defense.
NFC East : Dallas Cowboys - Most talent in the NFC from top to bottom. Solid coaching and plenty of playmakers. The cream rises to the top in tough division. The Giants will be in the hunt but their loses on the DL will be felt. Philly, as always, is the big question mark. The need more contribution from the WRs before taking the next step.
NFC Wildcards : Arizona Cardinals, Carolina Panthers - This is going to be a dogfight for these two spots. Give it to these two because they play in relatively weak divisions.
Playoffs
AFC Wildcard
Pittsburgh beats Cleveland
New England beats Tennessee
NFC Wildcard
Carolina beats Seattle
Detroit beats Arizona
AFC Divisional
Indianapolis beats New England
San Diego beats Pittsburgh
NFC Divisional
Dallas beats Carolina
Detroit beats New Orleans
AFC Championship
Indianapolis beats San Diego - once again Chargers fall short
NFC Championship
Dallas beats Detroit - homefield too much for Detroit to overcome
Super Bowl
Dallas beats Indianapolis - Manning has an off game and good guy Wade Philips finally gets his championship. Marion Barber is MVP.
Notice I left out any mention of the Denver Broncos. I'm saving that for the next post.
When picking NFL seasons, I have two approaches. One is to analyze it to death looking at each teams additions and subtractions, their injury issues and predicting each individual game of the league's 5 month season. This approach takes a ton of time. Until this blog generates me cash flow or I'm retired, I don't see me doing it this way again any time soon. Instead you get my second approach. This one relies on gut instinct I've developed watching the NFL for 35 years.
Without further ado, here's the picks:
AFC West : San Diego Chargers - Simply too much talent for the rest of the division. Even if Merriman can't play the whole season there is still a ton of players on both sides of the ball. There are still question marks at WR and I'm not sold on Rivers as top-notch QB. But with two matchups each against KC and OAK and games against the relatively weak NFC South, they should coast. I think they'll get homefield throughout.
AFC Central : Pittsburgh Steelers - Lot of people picking Cleveland to finally rise to the top but I think that is still a year or two away. Steelers are much more consistent and have the hard nose defense it takes to win late in the year.
AFC South : Indianapolis Colts - Nope, this isn't the year Jacksonville overtakes Indy unless Manning is out for an extended period. Addai is just coming into his own and Peyton still has a bunch of weapons. Their defense is underrated and should be healthier / stronger than in the past.
AFC East : New England Patriots - Can we stop talking about Favre for one minute please. The Jets will be better but not good enough. Experience and team cohesion mean a lot in the NFL and the Patriots have a ton of it. Brady is key but the defense has bigger questions. Teams are going to try to send the house after Brady so they better be prepared. If the Pats had more competition in the division, I think we'd see a tumble.
AFC Wildcards : Cleveland, Tennessee - Biggest shocker may be that I'm leaving Jacksonville out of the mix. I have a ton of respect for Jeff Fischer and he's doing a good job retooling after a salary cap mess. Cleveland has the talent on offense but lacks punch on D.
NFC West : Seattle Seahawks - I wanted to pick Arizona but I got to see their first string offensive line get eaten alive by Bronco second stringers. Warner won't last the season at that rate and Leinhart isn't ready. The Seahawks win by default because the rest of the division is dreadful. Holmgren will go out with a division win but not much more.
NFC Central : Detroit Lions - My biggest surprise pick. The Packers take a step back with Rodgers under center and it is enough to lose the division. Minnesota doesn't have a bonafide QB or WRs capable of being a serious threat. They'll live and die by Adrian Peterson. Detroit has a ton of offensive weapons and just got better with Rudi Johnson in the backfield. Calvin Johnson is set to explode on the scene. Detroit's defense may be one of the best "unknown" groups.
NFC South : New Orlean Saints - I seem to pick the Panthers to win this division just about every year and I almost did it again. Then I remembered the Saints added yet another weapon to the offense, TE Shockey. That's enough to put them over the top despite a somewhat weak defense.
NFC East : Dallas Cowboys - Most talent in the NFC from top to bottom. Solid coaching and plenty of playmakers. The cream rises to the top in tough division. The Giants will be in the hunt but their loses on the DL will be felt. Philly, as always, is the big question mark. The need more contribution from the WRs before taking the next step.
NFC Wildcards : Arizona Cardinals, Carolina Panthers - This is going to be a dogfight for these two spots. Give it to these two because they play in relatively weak divisions.
Playoffs
AFC Wildcard
Pittsburgh beats Cleveland
New England beats Tennessee
NFC Wildcard
Carolina beats Seattle
Detroit beats Arizona
AFC Divisional
Indianapolis beats New England
San Diego beats Pittsburgh
NFC Divisional
Dallas beats Carolina
Detroit beats New Orleans
AFC Championship
Indianapolis beats San Diego - once again Chargers fall short
NFC Championship
Dallas beats Detroit - homefield too much for Detroit to overcome
Super Bowl
Dallas beats Indianapolis - Manning has an off game and good guy Wade Philips finally gets his championship. Marion Barber is MVP.
Notice I left out any mention of the Denver Broncos. I'm saving that for the next post.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Appalacian Trail - Woody Gap to Gooch Gap Hike
Yesterday I set out on my longest hike yet. This one didn't come from a book but rather from crossing the trailhead multiple times during recent adventures. I did enough background research to make certain it was something I could handle and set out mid-morning to tackle it.
This particular hike was about 7.5 miles long there and back taking me close to 4 hours with a couple breaks. I started from a major intersection of the Appalachian Trail with Hwy 60 (Woody Gap) and headed West towards Gooch Gap. The trail started by following the ridgeline with only a couple gentle rises and falls. From there, the rises and falls got more significant but were mostly short so it wasn't overly difficult. A couple nice vistas along the way opened up to wide views of mountains to the South.
I saw close to a dozen hikers along the route, many of whom were doing multi day journeys. After 4 hours I was glad to be heading home. This afternoon I'm a little sore from the journey but prepared for more. In the future I hope to make more significant hikes as time permits.
Stone Temple Pilots - Concert Review
08/23/08
This is actually a two part review as it was my first journey to Atlanta's new Verizon Wireless Amphitheater @Encore Park. This particular venue is close to my house and is drawing some pretty big acts so I was interested to see/hear it in person.
The venue is comparable in size and structure to Lakewood Amphitheater (or whatever they are calling this week) on Atlanta's South side but any comparisons stop there. Verizon is so much better in almost every way.
To start with, traffic control and parking is handled very well on entrance. Even though we didn't arrive until about a half hour before show time and a half hour after the gates opened, we faced no more than a 5 minute wait getting in. Parking was organized with an over abundance of staff.
Ticket taking and concessions were just as organized. While I was more than a little disappointed that they insisted on making a huge "X" through my ticket at least there were plenty of people, concessions and bathrooms to take care of my needs. Waits were minimal throughout and there were multiple options for drinks around the grounds.
Since we had general admission in the orchestra pit, we were given armbands for ID. Unfortunately, these bands had ZERO purpose as we were always asked for our tickets at each checkpoint. It got to be a little ridiculous as the checkpoints were often just feet apart. But I prefer the extra checkpoints over having people who don't have the right tickets barging into my area.
The sound great and the setting quite good. All the seats are covered and some nice landscaping makes the grounds much more appealing than Lakewood. Two large video screens provide some extra viewing for people out on the spacious but organized general admission lawn.
The only other drawback to the site was the disorganization on exit. A little more traffic control would have gone a long way. Apparently all the staff was sent home fairly early. But because of location and road access, we still got out of there in a decent amount of time.
In the future I'll definitely return to this venue. For an outdoor setting only Chastain Park has it beat but not by much. It'll be interesting to see if as years go by whether they can maintain the high level and quality of staffing that make it an enjoyable experience.
On to the concert. Early on there was some concern the band might not show. The night before Stone Temple Pilots had failed to show in Tampa. The band blamed the weather but there was some who thought it was tension within the band.
Well, after two decent opening bands, STP did show but it was pretty obvious there was some tension on stage. While the performance was really good, some words and actions were exchanged between Scott Weiland and other members of the band.
Their set list included almost exclusively hits. I guess this was somewhat expected considering the band is soliciting requests for songs via the web site. All the songs sounded great but I would have preferred at least a sprinkling of less popular songs. I really don't like crowd participation as I'm there to hear the band, not the fans. But I took the good with the bad and there was plenty of good to go around. Sound was great and energy was good. Only the light show was pretty bland.
I don't think I'd put this up there with the last time I saw the band at the Tabernacle during their tour for the album "4" but it was certainly a concert well worth attending. Props must go out to friend, Matt who bought me the tickets as a birthday present!
Next up is a trip to New York to see Icelandic band, Sigor Ros.
This is actually a two part review as it was my first journey to Atlanta's new Verizon Wireless Amphitheater @Encore Park. This particular venue is close to my house and is drawing some pretty big acts so I was interested to see/hear it in person.
The venue is comparable in size and structure to Lakewood Amphitheater (or whatever they are calling this week) on Atlanta's South side but any comparisons stop there. Verizon is so much better in almost every way.
To start with, traffic control and parking is handled very well on entrance. Even though we didn't arrive until about a half hour before show time and a half hour after the gates opened, we faced no more than a 5 minute wait getting in. Parking was organized with an over abundance of staff.
Ticket taking and concessions were just as organized. While I was more than a little disappointed that they insisted on making a huge "X" through my ticket at least there were plenty of people, concessions and bathrooms to take care of my needs. Waits were minimal throughout and there were multiple options for drinks around the grounds.
Since we had general admission in the orchestra pit, we were given armbands for ID. Unfortunately, these bands had ZERO purpose as we were always asked for our tickets at each checkpoint. It got to be a little ridiculous as the checkpoints were often just feet apart. But I prefer the extra checkpoints over having people who don't have the right tickets barging into my area.
The sound great and the setting quite good. All the seats are covered and some nice landscaping makes the grounds much more appealing than Lakewood. Two large video screens provide some extra viewing for people out on the spacious but organized general admission lawn.
The only other drawback to the site was the disorganization on exit. A little more traffic control would have gone a long way. Apparently all the staff was sent home fairly early. But because of location and road access, we still got out of there in a decent amount of time.
In the future I'll definitely return to this venue. For an outdoor setting only Chastain Park has it beat but not by much. It'll be interesting to see if as years go by whether they can maintain the high level and quality of staffing that make it an enjoyable experience.
On to the concert. Early on there was some concern the band might not show. The night before Stone Temple Pilots had failed to show in Tampa. The band blamed the weather but there was some who thought it was tension within the band.
Well, after two decent opening bands, STP did show but it was pretty obvious there was some tension on stage. While the performance was really good, some words and actions were exchanged between Scott Weiland and other members of the band.
Their set list included almost exclusively hits. I guess this was somewhat expected considering the band is soliciting requests for songs via the web site. All the songs sounded great but I would have preferred at least a sprinkling of less popular songs. I really don't like crowd participation as I'm there to hear the band, not the fans. But I took the good with the bad and there was plenty of good to go around. Sound was great and energy was good. Only the light show was pretty bland.
I don't think I'd put this up there with the last time I saw the band at the Tabernacle during their tour for the album "4" but it was certainly a concert well worth attending. Props must go out to friend, Matt who bought me the tickets as a birthday present!
Next up is a trip to New York to see Icelandic band, Sigor Ros.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Bottoms Loop of Unicoi State Park Hike
Another brief hike fairly close to home. The trail is located in very popular state park just outside Helen, Georgia. Although a good chunk of the trail was highly traveled and not as isolated as I like, it did have a nice back section with a few short elevation gains and nice scenery. Since this path is located close to a creek there were numerous bridge crossings. Had I felt the need for some food, I could have walked the extra couple miles to the quaint town of Helen. But seeing as I had other plans for the day I cut it short. I'm planning my next hike to be a much longer and more challenging excursion.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Ohio Vacation
Ohio? Why Ohio?
I wanted to do another vacation with Crimson this summer and wanted to make sure it would be something she'd enjoy. Since she's such a big fan of roller coasters, I figured I take her to one of the best coaster parks in the world, Cedar Point, in Sandusky Ohio. The park contains 17 roller coasters in addition to other thrill rides and we were going to spend two days riding them all.
We flew into Cleveland and rented a car. Since we were in the area we decided to spend the afternoon at the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame. I was interested in looking at the memorabilia and hoped Crimson would learn a thing or two about the music I really like. While there were a lot of interesting items, I thought the organization of the place was a bit weak. It made it hard to find a particular band/artist of interest as well as pick a path to see it all. But there was plenty to see and I was most impressed with some of the Jimi Hendrix items and The Doors showcase. Although Crimson wasn't as interested as I was she did soak up a fact or two.
From Cleveland we headed the hour drive west to Sandusky. We spent the next couple nights at a hotel located about 15 minutes from the park. Fortunately, the weather cooperated and we only ended up using the hotel for the free breakfast and the beds.
We spent the entire day at the park the first day (10AM - 9:15PM) and most of the day the second day (10AM - 5:30PM). We rode all the roller coasters except 2 kiddie ones and gave a few a second run. The park was quite busy so a lot of lines were an hour plus. We encountered a few mechanical breakdowns but we enjoyed it a lot and got to do everything we set out to do.
We both liked Top Thrill Dragster a lot. This particular coaster pushes you up to 120MPH in 3.4 seconds and then sends you straight up in the sky 420 feet. A couple of twists and then it sends you right back down at 120MPH. The whole thing is over in less than 20 seconds but it was great fun.
Second favorite was probably Wicked Twister. This one speeds passengers in one direction and then straight up into a series of twists. Then, you head down backwards and up into another series of twists. This back and forth continues through a couple cycles. Hard to explain but an adreline rush and so smooth.
Other highlights included Millennium Force, Magnum XL-200 and Maverick (best new coaster of 2007 featuring a quick launch up a big hill and 95 degree drop!). We even took in some pinball at the old arcade where Crimson beat her Dad badly on South Park. Now she wants one added to her Christmas list.
I wasn't about to haul a camera around on rides all day so a park photographer will have to do. Terrible picture of me (nice smile?) but a good picture of Crimson.
I wanted to do another vacation with Crimson this summer and wanted to make sure it would be something she'd enjoy. Since she's such a big fan of roller coasters, I figured I take her to one of the best coaster parks in the world, Cedar Point, in Sandusky Ohio. The park contains 17 roller coasters in addition to other thrill rides and we were going to spend two days riding them all.
We flew into Cleveland and rented a car. Since we were in the area we decided to spend the afternoon at the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame. I was interested in looking at the memorabilia and hoped Crimson would learn a thing or two about the music I really like. While there were a lot of interesting items, I thought the organization of the place was a bit weak. It made it hard to find a particular band/artist of interest as well as pick a path to see it all. But there was plenty to see and I was most impressed with some of the Jimi Hendrix items and The Doors showcase. Although Crimson wasn't as interested as I was she did soak up a fact or two.
Here's a shot of her out in front of the Hall of Fame
Some large guitars inspired by some of the enshrinees.
We managed to see the entire place before it closed at 5:30 and then walked around the outside of the building a bit since it is located right on Lake Erie. I wasn't allowed to take pictures inside so I took more outside.
From Cleveland we headed the hour drive west to Sandusky. We spent the next couple nights at a hotel located about 15 minutes from the park. Fortunately, the weather cooperated and we only ended up using the hotel for the free breakfast and the beds.
We spent the entire day at the park the first day (10AM - 9:15PM) and most of the day the second day (10AM - 5:30PM). We rode all the roller coasters except 2 kiddie ones and gave a few a second run. The park was quite busy so a lot of lines were an hour plus. We encountered a few mechanical breakdowns but we enjoyed it a lot and got to do everything we set out to do.
We both liked Top Thrill Dragster a lot. This particular coaster pushes you up to 120MPH in 3.4 seconds and then sends you straight up in the sky 420 feet. A couple of twists and then it sends you right back down at 120MPH. The whole thing is over in less than 20 seconds but it was great fun.
Second favorite was probably Wicked Twister. This one speeds passengers in one direction and then straight up into a series of twists. Then, you head down backwards and up into another series of twists. This back and forth continues through a couple cycles. Hard to explain but an adreline rush and so smooth.
Other highlights included Millennium Force, Magnum XL-200 and Maverick (best new coaster of 2007 featuring a quick launch up a big hill and 95 degree drop!). We even took in some pinball at the old arcade where Crimson beat her Dad badly on South Park. Now she wants one added to her Christmas list.
I wasn't about to haul a camera around on rides all day so a park photographer will have to do. Terrible picture of me (nice smile?) but a good picture of Crimson.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Amicalola Falls Hike
This hike was quite a bit different from recent hikes. Instead of being isolated in the woods, I was at a location with lots of people. Instead of working my way through overgrown brush and switchbacks, I climbed a bunch of stairs.
Although the site was quite nice and the exercise was good, I doubt I would do this hike again. It simply lacks a lot of what I'm looking for when I set out to hike. The impact of a large number of visitors was clearly visible with litter, graffiti, and short cuts aplenty. A staircase is obviously needed when there are so many visitors but I'd much prefer a rougher setting.
This particular hike was relatively short at less than 2 hours with plenty of stops for photos. However, it was definitely challenging because of the huge number of stairs. The route up follows closely along the left (West) edge of the falls and offers some great views. There was an alternate route back down which didn't offer a view of the falls but did offer a few nice vistas and much more peace and quiet since most people take the same way down as up.
When you first start the climb you are greeted by the following sign. No big deal 175 steps doesn't sound too bad.
But by the top of those 175 I was feeling it. I was hot and bit winded. From this stop a nice view of the falls appears.
I was stopping here. My halfway point was at the top of the falls. The following sign is a LOT scarier after climbing the first 175 steps.
The next 425 weren't easy at all. About 2/3s up I thought I was going to puke my guts out. A brief rest did a world of good and I continued to the top. There isn't much of a view of the falls from the top because they drop really quick. The following shot is from the start of the trail heading back down the other side.
Although the site was quite nice and the exercise was good, I doubt I would do this hike again. It simply lacks a lot of what I'm looking for when I set out to hike. The impact of a large number of visitors was clearly visible with litter, graffiti, and short cuts aplenty. A staircase is obviously needed when there are so many visitors but I'd much prefer a rougher setting.
This particular hike was relatively short at less than 2 hours with plenty of stops for photos. However, it was definitely challenging because of the huge number of stairs. The route up follows closely along the left (West) edge of the falls and offers some great views. There was an alternate route back down which didn't offer a view of the falls but did offer a few nice vistas and much more peace and quiet since most people take the same way down as up.
When you first start the climb you are greeted by the following sign. No big deal 175 steps doesn't sound too bad.
But by the top of those 175 I was feeling it. I was hot and bit winded. From this stop a nice view of the falls appears.
I was stopping here. My halfway point was at the top of the falls. The following sign is a LOT scarier after climbing the first 175 steps.
The next 425 weren't easy at all. About 2/3s up I thought I was going to puke my guts out. A brief rest did a world of good and I continued to the top. There isn't much of a view of the falls from the top because they drop really quick. The following shot is from the start of the trail heading back down the other side.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss - Concert Review
I've seen tons of concerts in my life but as time goes by the number I attend from year to year drops off a bit. During the spring I thought this might be the first year since I was 16 that I didn't attend a concert.
Things changed due to the generosity of few friends/family. Last night was the first of my gifts. I was given seats to attend the Robert Plant & Alison Krauss concert at Chastain Park in Atlanta. This is one of my favorite venues in the area because the sound is generally good, its relatively small and intimate, the atmosphere is terrific and its outside. I figured it was about my 8th time seeing Robert Plant.
Each and every Plant concert is a little bit different. I've seen ones where he did only solo material. I seen ones where he played only Zeppelin material (with Jimmy Page) and I seen ones where he played a bit of both. In all these cases he's sounded great and been the undisputed front man.
This concert was a little different. With Allison Kraus a legend in the bluegrass genre they both had a significant impact in drawing fans to the venue. But this wasn't two greats trading the stage. Instead, it was two greats working together and sharing the limelight. I have to admit it was odd seeing Plant singing backup but I think that added to the charm.
As I wrote in my review of Raising Sand, their music and especially the combination of their two voices has a haunting quality. A unique blend of blues, bluegrass, rock and swing that is very entertaining as is mesmerizes. Kraus has an unbelievably strong voice and it comes forth with almost no effort. While her solo material doesn't really appeal to me, there is no denying she's very talented.
The concert consisted primarily of the two performing all their tracks from their Grammy winning album. Each track was performed exceptionally well with just enough ad-libs and rearrangements to surprise the crowd. The two took their turns on lead vocals leaving the other to sing backup, play maracas or simply dance around. Both artists look like they were enjoying themselves and they had great chemistry.
Both artists did have a chance to perform some songs from their solo/past careers. Krauss played about 3 songs while Plant mostly rested. Even T-Bone Burnett had a chance to play a tune of his own. Both singers sung together doing a great rearrangement of Zeppelin's "Black Dog", a spot on version of Zeppelin's "Black Country Woman" and Plant's "In The Mood". My personal highlight was their duet performance for Zeppelin's "Battle of Evermore". Although there were a few high notes Plant wisely adjusted, his and her voice were superb.
In the end it was a marvelous night. I know many in attendance would have like more Zeppelin tunes but that wasn't Plant's intention. He obviously enjoys working with Krauss and had no intentions of overshadowing her. I have a ton of respect for what Plant has done professionally post Zeppelin and I'll continue to support his efforts since I've enjoyed each and every one of them.
Next up is Stone Temple Pilots in mid-August. Here's hoping the band members can tolerate each other long enough to put on that show.
Things changed due to the generosity of few friends/family. Last night was the first of my gifts. I was given seats to attend the Robert Plant & Alison Krauss concert at Chastain Park in Atlanta. This is one of my favorite venues in the area because the sound is generally good, its relatively small and intimate, the atmosphere is terrific and its outside. I figured it was about my 8th time seeing Robert Plant.
Each and every Plant concert is a little bit different. I've seen ones where he did only solo material. I seen ones where he played only Zeppelin material (with Jimmy Page) and I seen ones where he played a bit of both. In all these cases he's sounded great and been the undisputed front man.
This concert was a little different. With Allison Kraus a legend in the bluegrass genre they both had a significant impact in drawing fans to the venue. But this wasn't two greats trading the stage. Instead, it was two greats working together and sharing the limelight. I have to admit it was odd seeing Plant singing backup but I think that added to the charm.
As I wrote in my review of Raising Sand, their music and especially the combination of their two voices has a haunting quality. A unique blend of blues, bluegrass, rock and swing that is very entertaining as is mesmerizes. Kraus has an unbelievably strong voice and it comes forth with almost no effort. While her solo material doesn't really appeal to me, there is no denying she's very talented.
The concert consisted primarily of the two performing all their tracks from their Grammy winning album. Each track was performed exceptionally well with just enough ad-libs and rearrangements to surprise the crowd. The two took their turns on lead vocals leaving the other to sing backup, play maracas or simply dance around. Both artists look like they were enjoying themselves and they had great chemistry.
Both artists did have a chance to perform some songs from their solo/past careers. Krauss played about 3 songs while Plant mostly rested. Even T-Bone Burnett had a chance to play a tune of his own. Both singers sung together doing a great rearrangement of Zeppelin's "Black Dog", a spot on version of Zeppelin's "Black Country Woman" and Plant's "In The Mood". My personal highlight was their duet performance for Zeppelin's "Battle of Evermore". Although there were a few high notes Plant wisely adjusted, his and her voice were superb.
In the end it was a marvelous night. I know many in attendance would have like more Zeppelin tunes but that wasn't Plant's intention. He obviously enjoys working with Krauss and had no intentions of overshadowing her. I have a ton of respect for what Plant has done professionally post Zeppelin and I'll continue to support his efforts since I've enjoyed each and every one of them.
Next up is Stone Temple Pilots in mid-August. Here's hoping the band members can tolerate each other long enough to put on that show.
Jarrard Gap - Appalacian Trail Loop Hike
07/04/08
Another hike in the North Georgia mountains. This particular one was not terribly exciting as it offered very little to look at after leaving the area around Lake Winfield Scott. However, the hike was longer than any of my previous ones clocking in at close to 6 miles. I might fairly good time despite some fairly challenging sections during the first half. This was also one my hotter hikes as the temps were in the mid 80s, high humidity and little breeze.
A picture of Lake Winfield Scott
Monday, June 30, 2008
Appalachian Trail - Benton MacKaye Legacy Loop Hike
I looked forward to this hike because it included two significant locations in world of hiking. The first portion of the hike covered the Southern end of the 2100 mile Appalachian Trail. The Benton MacKaye portion of the trail included the first couple miles of this 290 mile long trail named after one of the founders of the Appalachian Trail.
Before I could make the hike, I had to get there and once again it was an adventure. My book listed two possible routes to the trailhead both of which included long sections of forest roads. The route I choose had a 5 mile section on FR-77. This road was just barely within the limitations of my low clearance two wheel drive vehicle. It was a narrow loose gravel road up a fairly steep incline with multiple switchbacks. Most of the drive was done at about 10MPH and I was always concerned another car would come around the corner from above resulting in accident. It took forever to finish the drive and my car was covered in thick dust but I did make it.
The trip was well worth it. A great hike with many different landscape features and 2 really nice expansive views of the surrounding mountains. I really got of sense of just how high up I was as there was a pretty steep drop off the sides of the trail during the first section of the hike. The Southern Terminus was a great spot to start/end the Appalachian Trail and two long hikers had set up a hammock to enjoy their accomplishment.
The Benton MacKaye portion of the hike didn't disappoint either. Although far less travelled there were plenty of nice features including huge fern fields, a great viewpoint and portion of the hike where it felt like I was walking in a tunnel due to the low tree cover.
Not looking forward to the drive back down the way I came up, I decided to venture out the other way. A good decision in the end. Although this route was quite a bit longer, the road wasn't quite as nerve racking although still more challenging then most drives. The only excitement on the drive back was the large deer spotted along the roadside.
This would be a great hike to recommend to someone ready for a 2 1/2 hour hike and looking for a good adventure on two significant trails.
First up are a couple of marker for the Southern Terminus of the Appalacian Trail
Then there's the view from the Terminus:
Marker for the start of the Benton MacKaye trail:
Finally a nice fern covered portion of the trail:
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Atlanta Thrashers Free Agency
aka A Plan To Regain Respectability
Last season was a tough one for Thrasher fans. After coming off a playoff season, there was hope the Thrashers had turned the corner and had a brighter future ahead. But underneath the shiny exterior was a roster exposed for its weakness and one that only got weaker when Waddell traded future assets to make the push for the playoffs in 2007.
The 2007 offseason didn't make things much better. With no first round pick, a limited budget and the weight of overpaid previous acquisitions hanging over their head, acquisitions such as Todd White (oooh), Eric Perrin and Ken Klee were the trumpeted new arrivals.
White never managed to be the impact center fans or management hoped he'd be. Kozlov and Exelby couldn't come close to matching their previous seasons after agreeing to new contracts. Hossa struggled to find consistency amid swirling questions and rumors of his eventual departure from ATL. Holik and Zhitnik became cancers to the team with their poor on ice performance and lack of care about it. All this added up to disaster for a team that needed everyone to excel to even have a chance of sniffing the playoffs.
Kovy and Kari played their hearts out and Toby Enstrom made a significant impact in his first NHL season but it simply wasn't enough. In fact, it fell way short as the Thrashers flirted more with the worst record in the NHL than a spot in playoffs.
It is now officially time to put that behind us. 2008 brings new hope with a new coach, John Anderson, a stud defenseman as the 3rd overall draft choice and the weight of Holik, Rucchin, and reportedly Zhitnik's contracts now off the books.
I honestly don't think the Thrashers can turn this around quickly. It's time to build this team in a different mold. No longer can they afford to reach into the oldie bin in hopes of rekindling some magic from a tired soul. They must use the draft wisely and make moves to get the roster younger. Fill the roster with players on the rise. Look for untapped potential and make this team competitive in the long run. Play the youngsters and give them a chance to learn together. Moving Hossa for Armstrong, Christensen and a 1st round pick was a good start. Drafting Bogosian was another good move. Bringing in a coach who has worked with a lot of the young Thrashers makes a lot of sense. Now it is time to use free agency to further the course.
The Thrashers must avoid the temptation to improve in the short run by picking up any aging veterans. This means players like Sundin, Jagr, Roberts, etc. have no place here. We can use veterans to fill secondary roles, but not frontline ones.
First, lets look at the Thrashers roster:
Player Contract (unrestricted free agent at end of contract unless specified)
LW
Ilya Kovalchuk 2 YR $7.50M
Vyacheslav Kozlov 2 YR $3.85M
Brad Larsen 1 YR $550K
Brett Sterling RFA
Colin Stuart 2 YR $475
C
Bryan Little 2 YR $850K RFA
Jim Slater 1 YR $750K RFA
Eric Christensen 1 YR $750K RFA
Todd White 3 YR $2.35M
Eric Perrin 1 YR $750K
RW
Colby Armstrong 1 YR $1.20M RFA
Chris Thorburn 1 YR $535K RFA
Jordan LaVallee 1 YR $550K RFA
D
Niclas Havelid 1 YR $2.90M
Toby Enstrom 1 YR $750K RFA
Ken Klee 1 YR $1.25M
Boris Valabik 1 YR $925K
Garnet Exelby 2 YR 1.40M
Zach Bogosian 3 YR $$$ RFA
Ilya Nikulin ?????
G
Kari Lehtonen RFA
Johan Hedberg 2 YRS ???
Ondrej Pavelec 2 YRS $850,000
At left wing the Thrashers have one bonifide stud in Kovy and a third line player in Kozlov who'll definitely be on the roster opening night. Hope is that Kozlov can rebound from his horrible 08 season and that either Sterling or Stuart can show some improvement. It would be nice to add a bonfide 2nd line winger here but a RW and D priorities will probably trump that. Larsen really has no place on the team and only stands in the way of developing youth at this point. He is, however, the best defensively of the bunch.
There is a logjam at center but no true #1. Little and Christensen will be given every opportunity to win that job but both seem to be ideal 2nd or 3rd line guys. Kovy would benefit hugely from a playmaking centerman but somebody would probably have to be traded to make room. With so many of these guys up for free agency after this year I wonder if it doesn't make sense to pursue a top-line center now. It'd be great to move White but Perrin is probably the only one who'd garner interest.
Right wing is another weak spot. Once again the Thrashers lake a true first line player. They had one until Hossa skipped town but now the cupboard is stocked with few bodies and fewer prospects. This is a position the Thrashers must address in free agency or via trade. While I think Thorburn or Armstrong could play with Kovy, a better RW would make Kovy a 60 goal scorer and bring the PP numbers up as well. With the logjam at center it makes sense to throw a lot of money at a free agent at this position. Unfortunately, the list is weak.
Defense needs an overhaul once again. A team that gives up as many shots as this group is bound to end up with a lot of pucks in the net regardless of the goaltender. On the offensive side, they had a terrible time getting the puck past the center line and assisting in the offensive zone. Unfortunately, a lot of those same players are under contract for this season and it didn't look like there was much room to bring in youth or free agents. Fortunately, it looks like Waddell has finally come to his senses and waived Zhitnik. If rumors are correct, that paves the way for a serious improvement. I think Bogosian will have every chance to make the squad but at 18 it'll be a challenge. If he does that probably leaves only one spot left for a free agent. Might as well make it a good one. Nikulin is wild card. Nobody seems to know if the Thrashers can pry him loose from Russia but if they could he might even be ready for the NHL this season.
Goalie is about the only area without concern. Unless someone throws a large ($5M+) contract at Kari, the Thrashers are set at the position. They'll go with Kari as a starter and likely Hedberg as a backup. Pavelic would only benefit from another season in Chicago. Hedberg's two year deal was a bit of a suprise but makes sense when you consider how goalie injuries have hurt the Thrashers in past seasons. Hedberg could certainly be trade bait at the deadline if Pavelic continues to flourish.
Ideally the Thrashers could use the following in free agency:
1st line RW
Top 2 D
1st line C
Any LW (1st liners need not apply)
I think it is a toss up whether a RW or D should be top priority. Because the market is so thin at RW and there are a lot of defensemen who could improve the Thrashers, I'd be tempted to go RW first. However, it sounds like the Thrashers are focussed on D with Brian Campbell leading the way.
Lets start with RW. He's a edited list of free agents:
Player Age 08 Team 08 Salary
Jaromir Jagr 35 NYR $8.36M
Marian Hossa 28 PIT $7.00M
Pavol Demitra 32 MIN $4.50M
Miroslav Satan 32 NYI $4.50M
Todd Bertuzzi 33 ANA $4.00M
Michael Ryder 27 MTL $2.95M
Brian Rolston 34 MIN $2.43M
David Vyborny 32 CLB $2.20M
*Mark Recchi 39 ATL $1.75M
Radim Vrbata 26 PHX $1.23M
*Darren Haydar 28 ATL $463K
Correy Perry 23 ANA $621K RFA
Pierre-Marc Bouchard 24 MIN $2.60M RFA
I included a couple of restricted free agents (RFA) because they look extremely appealing. I don't think the price for signing them to significant offer sheets (multiple high picks) would be a good appoach but if their team is having trouble signing them (Perry) and/or wants to trade them (Bouchard) the Thrashers should seriously consider it. There isn't a RW available that would be a better fit in Atlanta than Perry and Anaheim would likely look East for any trade. Since Anaheim would only be doing it for salary reasons, prospects or draft choices could get the deal done. However, this is a bit of a dream scenario.
I think we can rule of Hossa and Jagr for obvious reasons. Bertuzzi might work but he'd be a short-term solution at best and would likely seek a cup contender. I actually like Vrbata the best of the bunch but would be satisfied with Demitra, Rolston or Ryder if the price is right. It is still very possible we could see Recchi or Haydar back in ATL but they won't significantly improve the team.
Now for D
D
Wade Redden 30 OTT $6.50M
Rob Blake 37 LAK $6.00M
Adam Foote 35 COL $4.60M
Mattias Norstrom 35 DAL $4.25M
Brad Stuart 27 DET $3.50M
Paul Mara 27 NYR $3.00M
Oleg Tverdovsky 31 LAK $2.50M
Marek Malik 32 NYR $2.50M
Bret Hedican 36 CAR $2.43M
Michal Rozsival 28 NYR $2.30M
Dmitri Kalinin 26 BUF $2.25M
Dick Tarnstrom 32 CLB $2.00M
Jason Smith 33 PHI $1.98M
Brian Campbell 28 SJS $1.75M
Mark Eaton 30 PIT $1.60M
Bryce Salvador 31 NJD $1.50M
Andrei Zyuzin 29 CHI $1.48M
John-Michael Liles 26 COL $1.40M
Karel Rachunek 27 NJD $1.40M
Richard Matvichuk 34 NJD $1.37M
Mike Commodore 27 OTT $1.30M
Jim Vandermeer 27 CAL $1.23M
Nolan Baumgartner 31 DAL $1.20M
Brooks Orpik 27 PIT $1.08M
Jan Hejda 29 CLB $1.00M
Ron Hainsey 26 CLB $900K
Joe DiPenta 28 ANA $700K
Alexei Semenov 26 SJS $650K
*Joel Kwiatkowski 30 ATL $600K
Mark Streit 29 MTL $600K
Jay Bouwmeester 24 FLA $2.18M RFA
Mike Green 22 WAS $833K RFA
OK, those RFAs are a complete dream. Florida will likely match any offer for Bouwmeester and Washington will do the same for Green unless they sign Campbell.
Blake, Foote and Norstrom aren't coming to ATL and that's fine by me as they are all well past their prime and short-term solutions at best. I think both Redden and Campbell are going to be overpaid. Of the two, Campbell would be a better fit here but I'm honestly hoping they only get into the bidding to drive his price up. I want a player who is more sound on the defensive end. Orpik and Rosival are my top picks to come to Atlanta and improve the defense. Getting both would be even better. Rosival can improve the power play and Orpik is a very good stay at home defenseman. Stuart and Hainsey are two other great options. I guess my main reason for staying away from Campbell is I'd rather see the Thrash grab two quality players for the long-term than just one. With 2 than could allow Bogosian to play at least a season in Chicago before playing in the NHL.
Centers
Sergei Fedorov 37 CLB $6.08M
Mats Sundin 36 TOR $5.50M
Alexei Zhamnov 36 BOS $4.10M
Doug Weight 36 STL $3.50M
Martin Straka 34 NYR $3.30M
Brendan Morrison 31 VAN $3.20M
Craig Conroy 35 CGY $2.85M
Daymond Langkow 30 CGY $2.44M
Bryan Smolinski 35 MTL $2.00M
Vaclav Prospal 32 TB $1.90M
Jason Williams 26 CHI $1.60M
Chris Gratton 31 TBL $1.50M
Mike Peca 33 CLB $1.30M
*Jason Krog 32 ATL $475K
Not really any first-line players here so the Thrashers will probably have to stay with what they've got at center. No reason to bring on more 2nd/3rd liners. I do like the IDEA of signing Federov because I think he's still got playmaking talent in him and would work well with Kovy. However, injury concerns don't merit the risk. Krog could be back in Atlanta since he can play RW and coach Anderson somehow made him a stud in the AHL.
Finally LWs
Markus Naslund 33 VAN $6.00M
Ladislav Nagy 28 LAK $3.75M
Ruslan Fedotenko 28 NYI $2.90M
Brendan Shanahan 38 NYR $2.50M
Gary Roberts 41 PIT $2.50M
Petr Cajanek 31 STL $2.00M
Sean Avery 27 NYR $1.90M
Cory Stillman 33 OTT $1.75M
Andrew Brunette 33 COL $1.60M
Matt Cooke 28 WAS $1.53M
Geoff Sanderson 35 EDM $1.50M
Scott Thornton 36 LAK $1.50M
Ryan Malone 27 PIT $1.45M
Kristian Huselius 28 CGY $1.40M
Martin Gelinas 37 NAS $1.25M
Jarkko Ruutu 31 PIT $1.15M
Jason Chimera 28 CLB $1.00M
Antti Miettinen 26 DAL $885K
Pascal Dupuis 28 PIT $880K*
Eric Boulton 31 ATL $525K
We'd be looking a depth more than anything else so hopes of reviving Nagy's career in ATL are probably not good. I think Malone will be well overpaid by someone and even though he could probably play RW, I don't think I want him near Blueland. Brunette would make a nice role player but I don't think we need another pee-wee in Blue. Dupois seemed to burn his bridges when he left and I really don't want Boulton back. Could Avery play on the same team as Kovy? Could Fedotenko be effective on the 3rd line? Looks like a bunch on longshots to me. Might as well go young. Just in case management is taking notes, I'd look at Chimera or Miettinen and hope they produce here.
In summary here's my plan:
D : Orpik/Hainsey - 4 yr $3.75M
D : Rosival/Stuart - 5 yr $4.0M
RW: Vrbata - 3yr - $3M
RW: Recchi - 1yr - $1.5M
LW: Chimera - 2 Yr - 1.75M
G : Kari 3 Yr 3.75M
I think that is pretty realistic and keeps the Thrashers a decent amount below the cap. Defense is set for this year and beyond and can afford to move a D is someone comes calling. Bogo can develop in Chicago. C is still a bit weak but we can't have everything. Use any leftovers to bring Krog and Haydar back if need be.
From a PR standpoint, all these signings don't make the splash that Campbell will make but I think they'll improve the team a lot more.
I'll be sure to follow up as signings begin July 1.
Last season was a tough one for Thrasher fans. After coming off a playoff season, there was hope the Thrashers had turned the corner and had a brighter future ahead. But underneath the shiny exterior was a roster exposed for its weakness and one that only got weaker when Waddell traded future assets to make the push for the playoffs in 2007.
The 2007 offseason didn't make things much better. With no first round pick, a limited budget and the weight of overpaid previous acquisitions hanging over their head, acquisitions such as Todd White (oooh), Eric Perrin and Ken Klee were the trumpeted new arrivals.
White never managed to be the impact center fans or management hoped he'd be. Kozlov and Exelby couldn't come close to matching their previous seasons after agreeing to new contracts. Hossa struggled to find consistency amid swirling questions and rumors of his eventual departure from ATL. Holik and Zhitnik became cancers to the team with their poor on ice performance and lack of care about it. All this added up to disaster for a team that needed everyone to excel to even have a chance of sniffing the playoffs.
Kovy and Kari played their hearts out and Toby Enstrom made a significant impact in his first NHL season but it simply wasn't enough. In fact, it fell way short as the Thrashers flirted more with the worst record in the NHL than a spot in playoffs.
It is now officially time to put that behind us. 2008 brings new hope with a new coach, John Anderson, a stud defenseman as the 3rd overall draft choice and the weight of Holik, Rucchin, and reportedly Zhitnik's contracts now off the books.
I honestly don't think the Thrashers can turn this around quickly. It's time to build this team in a different mold. No longer can they afford to reach into the oldie bin in hopes of rekindling some magic from a tired soul. They must use the draft wisely and make moves to get the roster younger. Fill the roster with players on the rise. Look for untapped potential and make this team competitive in the long run. Play the youngsters and give them a chance to learn together. Moving Hossa for Armstrong, Christensen and a 1st round pick was a good start. Drafting Bogosian was another good move. Bringing in a coach who has worked with a lot of the young Thrashers makes a lot of sense. Now it is time to use free agency to further the course.
The Thrashers must avoid the temptation to improve in the short run by picking up any aging veterans. This means players like Sundin, Jagr, Roberts, etc. have no place here. We can use veterans to fill secondary roles, but not frontline ones.
First, lets look at the Thrashers roster:
Player Contract (unrestricted free agent at end of contract unless specified)
LW
Ilya Kovalchuk 2 YR $7.50M
Vyacheslav Kozlov 2 YR $3.85M
Brad Larsen 1 YR $550K
Brett Sterling RFA
Colin Stuart 2 YR $475
C
Bryan Little 2 YR $850K RFA
Jim Slater 1 YR $750K RFA
Eric Christensen 1 YR $750K RFA
Todd White 3 YR $2.35M
Eric Perrin 1 YR $750K
RW
Colby Armstrong 1 YR $1.20M RFA
Chris Thorburn 1 YR $535K RFA
Jordan LaVallee 1 YR $550K RFA
D
Niclas Havelid 1 YR $2.90M
Toby Enstrom 1 YR $750K RFA
Ken Klee 1 YR $1.25M
Boris Valabik 1 YR $925K
Garnet Exelby 2 YR 1.40M
Zach Bogosian 3 YR $$$ RFA
Ilya Nikulin ?????
G
Kari Lehtonen RFA
Johan Hedberg 2 YRS ???
Ondrej Pavelec 2 YRS $850,000
At left wing the Thrashers have one bonifide stud in Kovy and a third line player in Kozlov who'll definitely be on the roster opening night. Hope is that Kozlov can rebound from his horrible 08 season and that either Sterling or Stuart can show some improvement. It would be nice to add a bonfide 2nd line winger here but a RW and D priorities will probably trump that. Larsen really has no place on the team and only stands in the way of developing youth at this point. He is, however, the best defensively of the bunch.
There is a logjam at center but no true #1. Little and Christensen will be given every opportunity to win that job but both seem to be ideal 2nd or 3rd line guys. Kovy would benefit hugely from a playmaking centerman but somebody would probably have to be traded to make room. With so many of these guys up for free agency after this year I wonder if it doesn't make sense to pursue a top-line center now. It'd be great to move White but Perrin is probably the only one who'd garner interest.
Right wing is another weak spot. Once again the Thrashers lake a true first line player. They had one until Hossa skipped town but now the cupboard is stocked with few bodies and fewer prospects. This is a position the Thrashers must address in free agency or via trade. While I think Thorburn or Armstrong could play with Kovy, a better RW would make Kovy a 60 goal scorer and bring the PP numbers up as well. With the logjam at center it makes sense to throw a lot of money at a free agent at this position. Unfortunately, the list is weak.
Defense needs an overhaul once again. A team that gives up as many shots as this group is bound to end up with a lot of pucks in the net regardless of the goaltender. On the offensive side, they had a terrible time getting the puck past the center line and assisting in the offensive zone. Unfortunately, a lot of those same players are under contract for this season and it didn't look like there was much room to bring in youth or free agents. Fortunately, it looks like Waddell has finally come to his senses and waived Zhitnik. If rumors are correct, that paves the way for a serious improvement. I think Bogosian will have every chance to make the squad but at 18 it'll be a challenge. If he does that probably leaves only one spot left for a free agent. Might as well make it a good one. Nikulin is wild card. Nobody seems to know if the Thrashers can pry him loose from Russia but if they could he might even be ready for the NHL this season.
Goalie is about the only area without concern. Unless someone throws a large ($5M+) contract at Kari, the Thrashers are set at the position. They'll go with Kari as a starter and likely Hedberg as a backup. Pavelic would only benefit from another season in Chicago. Hedberg's two year deal was a bit of a suprise but makes sense when you consider how goalie injuries have hurt the Thrashers in past seasons. Hedberg could certainly be trade bait at the deadline if Pavelic continues to flourish.
Ideally the Thrashers could use the following in free agency:
1st line RW
Top 2 D
1st line C
Any LW (1st liners need not apply)
I think it is a toss up whether a RW or D should be top priority. Because the market is so thin at RW and there are a lot of defensemen who could improve the Thrashers, I'd be tempted to go RW first. However, it sounds like the Thrashers are focussed on D with Brian Campbell leading the way.
Lets start with RW. He's a edited list of free agents:
Player Age 08 Team 08 Salary
Jaromir Jagr 35 NYR $8.36M
Marian Hossa 28 PIT $7.00M
Pavol Demitra 32 MIN $4.50M
Miroslav Satan 32 NYI $4.50M
Todd Bertuzzi 33 ANA $4.00M
Michael Ryder 27 MTL $2.95M
Brian Rolston 34 MIN $2.43M
David Vyborny 32 CLB $2.20M
*Mark Recchi 39 ATL $1.75M
Radim Vrbata 26 PHX $1.23M
*Darren Haydar 28 ATL $463K
Correy Perry 23 ANA $621K RFA
Pierre-Marc Bouchard 24 MIN $2.60M RFA
I included a couple of restricted free agents (RFA) because they look extremely appealing. I don't think the price for signing them to significant offer sheets (multiple high picks) would be a good appoach but if their team is having trouble signing them (Perry) and/or wants to trade them (Bouchard) the Thrashers should seriously consider it. There isn't a RW available that would be a better fit in Atlanta than Perry and Anaheim would likely look East for any trade. Since Anaheim would only be doing it for salary reasons, prospects or draft choices could get the deal done. However, this is a bit of a dream scenario.
I think we can rule of Hossa and Jagr for obvious reasons. Bertuzzi might work but he'd be a short-term solution at best and would likely seek a cup contender. I actually like Vrbata the best of the bunch but would be satisfied with Demitra, Rolston or Ryder if the price is right. It is still very possible we could see Recchi or Haydar back in ATL but they won't significantly improve the team.
Now for D
D
Wade Redden 30 OTT $6.50M
Rob Blake 37 LAK $6.00M
Adam Foote 35 COL $4.60M
Mattias Norstrom 35 DAL $4.25M
Brad Stuart 27 DET $3.50M
Paul Mara 27 NYR $3.00M
Oleg Tverdovsky 31 LAK $2.50M
Marek Malik 32 NYR $2.50M
Bret Hedican 36 CAR $2.43M
Michal Rozsival 28 NYR $2.30M
Dmitri Kalinin 26 BUF $2.25M
Dick Tarnstrom 32 CLB $2.00M
Jason Smith 33 PHI $1.98M
Brian Campbell 28 SJS $1.75M
Mark Eaton 30 PIT $1.60M
Bryce Salvador 31 NJD $1.50M
Andrei Zyuzin 29 CHI $1.48M
John-Michael Liles 26 COL $1.40M
Karel Rachunek 27 NJD $1.40M
Richard Matvichuk 34 NJD $1.37M
Mike Commodore 27 OTT $1.30M
Jim Vandermeer 27 CAL $1.23M
Nolan Baumgartner 31 DAL $1.20M
Brooks Orpik 27 PIT $1.08M
Jan Hejda 29 CLB $1.00M
Ron Hainsey 26 CLB $900K
Joe DiPenta 28 ANA $700K
Alexei Semenov 26 SJS $650K
*Joel Kwiatkowski 30 ATL $600K
Mark Streit 29 MTL $600K
Jay Bouwmeester 24 FLA $2.18M RFA
Mike Green 22 WAS $833K RFA
OK, those RFAs are a complete dream. Florida will likely match any offer for Bouwmeester and Washington will do the same for Green unless they sign Campbell.
Blake, Foote and Norstrom aren't coming to ATL and that's fine by me as they are all well past their prime and short-term solutions at best. I think both Redden and Campbell are going to be overpaid. Of the two, Campbell would be a better fit here but I'm honestly hoping they only get into the bidding to drive his price up. I want a player who is more sound on the defensive end. Orpik and Rosival are my top picks to come to Atlanta and improve the defense. Getting both would be even better. Rosival can improve the power play and Orpik is a very good stay at home defenseman. Stuart and Hainsey are two other great options. I guess my main reason for staying away from Campbell is I'd rather see the Thrash grab two quality players for the long-term than just one. With 2 than could allow Bogosian to play at least a season in Chicago before playing in the NHL.
Centers
Sergei Fedorov 37 CLB $6.08M
Mats Sundin 36 TOR $5.50M
Alexei Zhamnov 36 BOS $4.10M
Doug Weight 36 STL $3.50M
Martin Straka 34 NYR $3.30M
Brendan Morrison 31 VAN $3.20M
Craig Conroy 35 CGY $2.85M
Daymond Langkow 30 CGY $2.44M
Bryan Smolinski 35 MTL $2.00M
Vaclav Prospal 32 TB $1.90M
Jason Williams 26 CHI $1.60M
Chris Gratton 31 TBL $1.50M
Mike Peca 33 CLB $1.30M
*Jason Krog 32 ATL $475K
Not really any first-line players here so the Thrashers will probably have to stay with what they've got at center. No reason to bring on more 2nd/3rd liners. I do like the IDEA of signing Federov because I think he's still got playmaking talent in him and would work well with Kovy. However, injury concerns don't merit the risk. Krog could be back in Atlanta since he can play RW and coach Anderson somehow made him a stud in the AHL.
Finally LWs
Markus Naslund 33 VAN $6.00M
Ladislav Nagy 28 LAK $3.75M
Ruslan Fedotenko 28 NYI $2.90M
Brendan Shanahan 38 NYR $2.50M
Gary Roberts 41 PIT $2.50M
Petr Cajanek 31 STL $2.00M
Sean Avery 27 NYR $1.90M
Cory Stillman 33 OTT $1.75M
Andrew Brunette 33 COL $1.60M
Matt Cooke 28 WAS $1.53M
Geoff Sanderson 35 EDM $1.50M
Scott Thornton 36 LAK $1.50M
Ryan Malone 27 PIT $1.45M
Kristian Huselius 28 CGY $1.40M
Martin Gelinas 37 NAS $1.25M
Jarkko Ruutu 31 PIT $1.15M
Jason Chimera 28 CLB $1.00M
Antti Miettinen 26 DAL $885K
Pascal Dupuis 28 PIT $880K*
Eric Boulton 31 ATL $525K
We'd be looking a depth more than anything else so hopes of reviving Nagy's career in ATL are probably not good. I think Malone will be well overpaid by someone and even though he could probably play RW, I don't think I want him near Blueland. Brunette would make a nice role player but I don't think we need another pee-wee in Blue. Dupois seemed to burn his bridges when he left and I really don't want Boulton back. Could Avery play on the same team as Kovy? Could Fedotenko be effective on the 3rd line? Looks like a bunch on longshots to me. Might as well go young. Just in case management is taking notes, I'd look at Chimera or Miettinen and hope they produce here.
In summary here's my plan:
D : Orpik/Hainsey - 4 yr $3.75M
D : Rosival/Stuart - 5 yr $4.0M
RW: Vrbata - 3yr - $3M
RW: Recchi - 1yr - $1.5M
LW: Chimera - 2 Yr - 1.75M
G : Kari 3 Yr 3.75M
I think that is pretty realistic and keeps the Thrashers a decent amount below the cap. Defense is set for this year and beyond and can afford to move a D is someone comes calling. Bogo can develop in Chicago. C is still a bit weak but we can't have everything. Use any leftovers to bring Krog and Haydar back if need be.
From a PR standpoint, all these signings don't make the splash that Campbell will make but I think they'll improve the team a lot more.
I'll be sure to follow up as signings begin July 1.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)