Thrash Knock Out Flyers, End Philly Curse

It only required a blemish-free, 34-save shutout effort by goalie Johan Hedberg to FINALLY end a 4-year streak of frightening futility against their Northeast Division nemesis, the Filth-adelphia Flyers. Almost 4 years to the day ('twas November 18, 2005 the last time the Thrashers managed to defeat the Flyers), Atlanta summoned enough fortitude, will and barely enough energy to kill off a couple of key third period penalties, stymie an attack that produced 13 shots on goal and win countless loose-puck scrums in front of the focused and impenetrable "Moose" Hedberg. Luckily, a very steady and relentless offensive effort in the 2nd period, coupled with some determined team defensive play throughout the game proved to be enough to score one more goal than the Flyers on this historic night. Rich Peverley scored his 10th goal of the season, as a 2nd period 5 on 3 power play expired, to provide the necessary margin of 1 - 0.

On this night the Thrashers drew upon their mettle and character to thwart a very good Flyers team in a regular season battle that resembled an intense mid-April early round playoff contest. For the Thrashers, it was their third straight victory and fifth on home ice bringing their home record to an even 5 - 5 - 2 and their overall record to 13 - 7 - 3. In addition, this pivotal win, which makes them an impressive 7 - 1 - 2 since Ilya Kovalchuk returned from injury, gives the Thrashers sole possession of 7th place in the Eastern Conference with at least one game in-hand on every team, save for Buffalo, ahead of them in the standings. For Rich "Pevs Dispenser" Peverley, the lone goal was the 5th game-winning goal, his 2nd in two nights, he has dispensed into enemy nets this season. Not too shabby for a guy who only makes $475,000 per year. And speaking of financial coups, Dicky Pevs and rejuvenated right-wing Maxim Afinogenov have now combined for a total of 50 points in 23 games, all for the bargain-basement price of $1.275 million!!

Even more impressive than that was the stellar net-minding provided by the "Moose!" Hedberg, who has been fantastic this season in his role backing-up # 1 goalie Ondrej Pavelec, was the starting goalie the last time the Thrashers so much as earned a point from the Flyers (November of 2006 I believe), but wasn't even the goalie of record as deposed Head Coach, Bob Hartley, made the mind-boggling decision to yank Moose in favor of the glass-groined wunderkind, Kari Lehtonen, for the shoot-out, which Lehts than proceeded to lose. But there would be no overtime or shoot-out on this night as Moose stood tall "like a stonewall", with the exception of the occasional cross-crease dive or poke-check, for all 60 minutes of regulation play. His defensive mates on the blueline provided stellar support in the blue paint with several heady clears of the puck to safety when there was a rare rebound opportunity or funny hop that Hedberg could not corral himself.

All in all, it was a very solid and mostly disciplined team effort to notch the four-point standings swing on the Flyers. There were still a couple too many brainfart plays leading to either a Flyers odd-man rush or power play, but the team managed to overcome them without it costing them a goal. However, I will say that the extra penalty time doled out as punishment for Colby Armstrong's message-sending charge and battery of Flyers rookie James van Riemsdyk was short-sighted (in other words: TOTAL B.S.) on the part of the officiating crew.

Before the puck had even been dropped at center ice, JVR was quite guilty of cross-checking Armstrong not once, but twice thus prompting Colby to take honor code-enforcement measures into his own hands when the puck was put in play. All the while, Aaron Asham was taking liberties during the face-off trying to provoke Thrashers rookie Evander Kane, who was having none of it. But then after the charging ambush by Army, Asham jumped in to pummel Army down to the ice. However, it was Armstrong who got extra "sin-bin" time for a fight he did not participate in willingly. Meanwhile, JVR went unpunished, but left the ice after a valuable lesson had been imparted by the justifiably angry Armstrong.

Nevertheless, the victory was all the more sweet knowing that the Thrashers stood strong in the face of adversity and despite a relentless effort from a playoff-caliber team in the Flyers. The Flyers play a physical brand of hockey and usually succeed at "getting in your kitchen" with their push-the-envelope style of play. But the Thrashers didn't back down at all. In fact, Eric Boulton made a triumphant return to the line-up with a first period statement fight in which he renewed hostilities with regular foe Riley Cote. Setting the tone early, Boulton made good use of his off-season MMA training and beat the living daylights out of a tough S.O.B. who never quits. Cote got off a couple of lefts late in the long fight, but could not inflict any damage on Boulton who pounded him flush in the face with several devastating rights.

You can view the bout here at hockeyfights.com: http://www.hockeyfights.com/fights/89276

Now its a day of well-deserved rest as the Kitty Kats from Sawgrass, FL come to town to kick-off a week of games against 4 inferior opponents. After Florida visits Monday night, the Islanders come to Philips for some payback (for a 6 - 3 drubbing of the Thrash on Long Island in early November) on Thursday, then its back on the road for the back end of a home and away tilt versus the surging Panthers -- the lovely K-belle and I will be in attendance at the beginning of our week-long vacation in south Florida -- and then a visit to hockey's mecca of Toronto for a visit with GM Don Waddell's best buddy, Brian Burke, and old friend Garnet Exelby, who was traded to the Leafs for D-man Pavel Kubina in the off-season. I reckon Donnie Dubs will be treating Mr. Burke to a lavish dinner and perhaps a trip to the local, ahem, adult entertainment venue in downtown Toronto, eh? Oh yaaaaa! You 'betcha! Thanks Burkie for giving up too soon on Kubes, who has been an anchor on the blueline thus far!!!