The Thrashers are playing the St. Louis Blues at the Scottrade Center as we speak, but since I'm forced to watch the game on a crappy, streaming internet "pirate" feed, I figured I'd type up some notes and thoughts on the Thrashers' season as the team approaches the 1/8 pole (after 10/11 games) of the season. EDITOR'S NOTE: Finally gave up on trying to sync the Dan Kamal radio call and the "live" feed on the laptop; I have noticed an immense amount of homer-istic whining and bitching about borderline penalty calls. It certainly makes me that much more thankful for Darren Eliot and his balanced and astute commentary when calling a game.
But I digress...the score is currently 3 to 1 Thrashers as we head towards the end of the 2nd period. The boys have had some power-play chances in the last 10 minutes, but have failed to capitalize and widen their lead to the ever-elusive 3-goal lead. But I can't be too critical of the power-play considering they have already scored twice with the man-advantage to get the 2-goal cushion. From what I have seen of the 2nd period, the Thrashers have played well save for one rough 2-minute stretch in the middle of the period. The boys seem to have plenty of "jump" in them against a fast, hard-skating team. They are doing very well in controlling the neutral zone and pressing the play at their defensive blueline to create some transition rushes. Unfortunately, those chances have not produced any goals because of some slight indecision when choosing between the quick, hard shot and the pass to the opposite wing.
Anyway, on to the stats thru 2: the shots are almost even with St. Louis getting one more shot on goal than Atlanta (17 - 16). The shot totals are relatively low for such a fast-paced up and down game so the blueliners are doing a good job in space to get sticks into passing lanes and disrupt shot attempts. Jay McClement has the lone goal for St. Louis, and three different Thrashers have scored for Atlanta: Bergfors with a sweet wrister under the crossbar in transition and two power-play tallies in the first period from Peverley (his first of the year) and then Antropov (a rebound stuff of a Peverley shot on goal) with his second of the year.
Fourteen minutes gone in the 3rd and the Thrashers are still clinging to a 2-goal lead after two successful penalty kills in a row. The game should probably be out of reach, but the Thrashers could not pound the final nail into the Halloween coffin despite four straight power-plays (not all a full 2 minutes of course) including two 5 on 3 opportunities for more than 40 seconds. UPDATE: The Blues just scored to make it a one-goal nail-biter with just less than 6 minutes remaining. McClement with another goal after Pavelec couldn't control the initial shot from the right face-off dot. Time to sacrifice a barnyard animal...PRAY. Shots are now 27 to 22 in favor of St. Louis who has taken a strangle-hold of the momentum of this game after killing 4 Thrashers power-plays in the early stages of the 3rd period. Certainly a case of a young team not playing with a killer instinct and instead with a cavalier sense of ease when they had the long stretch of man-advantage hockey.
UPDATE (MORE FAILURE): Blues tie it up on a deflected wrister in front of Pavelec who didn't have a chance on the Pietrangelo wrister that was tipped in by Jay McClement (yes, him again) with less than 4 minutes left in the game. Less than two minutes to play and the freakin' pirate feed keeps breaking up now that it's a tied game and every time the Thrashers actually move the puck towards the Blues' net. Jesus H this is frustrating! Time to go back to Kamal! UPDATE (ONLY PARTIAL MISERY THIS TIME): Regulation time comes to end -- mercifully -- and the Thrashers "earn" the OT road point after failing to put this game "on ice".
Can they steal the extra point in OT again? So far, Peverley with a near breakaway, but thwarted. Thrashers with early pressure and a few good looks, but no dice. Then Eager with a golden scoring chance only to be stoned by Halak. Following that Pavelec decides he wants to unlock his inner-Halak and absolutely robs St. Louis from in close. Pavelec with another huge save (according to Kamal) after a minute (A FUCKING MINUTE!) of puck possession in the Thrashers' end; the stop gives the boys a chance to change lines and re-load. Less than a minute left...Byfuglien shoots wide after a good set-up by Peverley. Phew...about to have a heart attack with 47 seconds left. Foreshadowing?? Not quite, time expires with another Pavelec save and Ondrej stops hearts in St. Louis with his quick reflexes. Can he better the Blues in the shootout?? Nope. Pavelec gets absolutely abused in SO and Thrashers cough up the "bonus" point in a game they should have won easily. What a freakin' smack to the scrotum!!
2 comments:
I thought the SOG disparity might be reduced post-Kovie. Guess not.
You can't get to the playoffs with a SOG gap like this.
What's the cause? Lack of passing skills? Scheme? Smaller players being pushed off the puck? All the above?
BobC - thanks again for dropping by and taking the time to post.
I hope the SOG situation is simply a matter of a steep learning curve for a team with new coaches and many new faces. I think they are starting to show signs of improvement (see the SA for the last 3 games) and the players seem to have bought in completely. Even Bergfors is back-checking!!
Time will tell, now won't it?
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