Wednesday nite at the famed and aged Madison Square Garden, the Atlanta Thrashers jumped out to a 3-goal lead early in the third period and then staved off a furious rally by the New York Rangers to come out on top in regulation by a score of 6 to 4. For the visiting Thrashers, it was an all-important road victory to keep pace with division rivals Washington and Tampa Bay. Luckily, Nicklas Bergfors, much-maligned in the internet blogosphere, would give the Thrashers a momentum-stealing, 1-goal lead going into the 2nd intermission. His nifty, top-shelf wrister from the low circle on a 2 on 1 breakaway beat Rangers' goalie Martin Biron, ever mindful of Andrew Ladd on the opposite wing, on the near side over the glove at the 16:07 mark of the 2nd period.
Two early goals, one by grinding winger, Eric Boulton and later D-man Dustin Byfuglien, who wired a wicked slapshot up over Biron's glove hand, proved to be just the insurance cushion the Thrashers would need against a hard-charging Rangers' forecheck and some overly cavalier defensive play deep in their own zone. But on this nite, the Thrashers would respond to the adversity with some steady offensive pressure of their own when the lead was only one before netting an empty-net goal by Andrew Ladd with roughly 30 seconds remaining. Of course, Lady Luck was seemingly on their side as well as a hard slapper from the point richocheted off of the left goal-post after slipping through Chris Mason's gloved-hand grasp. Perhaps had they used a little more muscle and aggression near their own net (see Toby Enstrom above for the teaching demonstration) during the middle stages of the 3rd period, they wouldn't have had to sweat this one out!
More analysis to come on the morrow! Good nite Thrasherville!!
2 comments:
Has Bergfors really been maligned in the pages of the Internet? I haven't seen such things, though I'm willing to take your Word for it.
I said give me two pairs
I need two pairs
So I can get to stomping in my Berg-force ones
Big boys stomping in my Berg-force ones
Uh, yeah I'm afraid so. At least in the realm of the scuttleblogs, where many have ripped him for being either a malcontent, lazy or just plain possessing an overall distaste for being in Atlanta. Of course, that may or may not have anything to do with his ability to perform on a sheet of ice with a graphite composite stick in his crafty hands. But beyond the opinion of the uninformed masses, it does seem as though he's been the object of scrutiny in the press in so far as being a mysterious healthy scratch in favor of the likes of Eric's Boulton or Jimmy's Slater. But alas, all will be forgotten should he continue to "tickle the twine like a hockey master!"
Thanks for your participation and I appreciate your limerick based on a somewhat annoying 70's song. Well done sir, well done. I shall put your name on the mailing list post-haste!!
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