Boom! Wuz that? A Mighty Explosion! A Blast from the Point, Off the Stick-a Bogosian!!

In the immortal, paraphrased words of Jack Nicholson as the Joker in Tim Burton's Batman: "this (team) needs an enema!! "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYaki2ZvhSE"

Bogo-Pete with a wicked one-timer playing in the OHL

To be specific, the Thrashers stagnant, constipated if you will, power play could really use a laxative of sorts. And I reckon a "Bogosian Explosian" would be a smart way to catalyze this woefully impotent power play that has produced a mere 4 goals in its last 25 attempts. To inject some life into a power play that has produced only 2 meaningful PP goals in nine games, why not prescribe a heavy dose of Peptol Z-Bo??

So why am I suggesting that it is time to unleash the Zach-Attack on the PP?

Well, there are several different reasons, the least of which being that Zach is personally fond of shooting the puck, and shooting A LOT. See, the biggest problem with the Thrashers PP is that they are trying to be too perfect. As a result, they are not generating enough shots and thus, opportunities to score the puck. Check out these numbers from the last 10 games (I went back and added the Philly game to my analysis for some tidy 1 decimal numbers):

** 5 PP goals scored -- note that Peverley's versus Philly was rather important -- in 31 attempts for a very mediocre conversion percentage of 16.1%

** 39 total PP shots on goal in 10 games for an avg of 3.9

** 1.6, or the average number of shots on goal per PP opportunity

** 13, or the number of PP goals scored by 2 men: Kovalchuk and Peverley; that is just over half of the team's PP production (total PPG for the YTD is 25)

** 2, or the number of PP goals scored by 2 other men: Antropov and Little; these are our supposed net cloggers and puck-muckers who are supposed to scrape in PP goals

By delving a little deeper into NHL statistical databases (thanks to website http://www.behindthenet.ca/) we find that the Thrashers are one of the 3 statistical anomalies when it comes to scoring on the PP. Of the Top 10 in total PPG scored, only ATL, NJ, and PHX rank in the Bottom 10 in PP shots taken per 60 minutes. Without getting too detailed, just keep in mind that the Top 6 in PP% efficiency all average above 5.3 PP shots / game. The Thrashers average, on the year, 4.75 shots / game. The problem lies in the fact the T-Birds are not shooting it as much over the last 10 games; if you recall from above, the average is down to 4 / gm (3.9).

My suggestion is to mix things up a bit by employing Z-Bo's youthful exuberance and his thunder-clap of a slap-shot in the 2nd PP unit. The PP has become predictable and stagnant with Kovy dominating too much of the PP minutes; he rarely comes off the ice when the 2nd unit comes on the ice. The Thrashers have too much depth and skill to be struggling this much on the PP. By getting some fresh blood out there and taking Kovy off the left point once in awhile, teams will be faced with less certainty in how to defend our PP sans Kovy. Bogosian has demonstrated he is more than capable of manning the left point with his right-handed shot. Get him out there with his pairing mate, Ron Hainsey, who is left-handed, and I bet more shots will get thrown on opposing netminders' pads.

Also, by utilizing a guy like Colby Armstrong, rather than Todd White, who has all of 1 goal playing 2nd unit PP minutes this year, the ice might open up a bit as Army likes to operate in the corners and behind the net to create chaos. I would suggest re-uniting him with his old line-mates of Peverley and Kozlov to play the PP with Bogo and Ronsey. If they can't figure out new and creative ways to get more shots on goal, then I doubt there is any other personnel that will. Kovy can get his goals playing with Enstrom (left pt), Antropov (big body), Afinogenov (right circle) and Little (slot and left circle). Perhaps playing less minutes will incentivize even Kovy to shoot more from different angles on the PP.

Tonight against the Stars, the PP may be key as Dallas plays to a lot of 3 - 2 scores. I don't think we can afford to go to an overtime shoot-out with Pavelec betwixt the pipes tonite, so it is imperative the boys get a goal on the PP as they are 12 - 6 - 1 when scoring a man up. Unfortunately, Dallas will be looking for the same edge. And they mean business as a Top 5 team when it comes to peppering the net with the man-power edge. Their robust average of 6.75 shots / game is right up there with Detroit, who is synonomous with PP scoring through maximizing shot attempts.