After 24 Games, Thrashers in Flight to Greater Heights, BUT WAIT!!!

Who is that guy to the right you ask? Why it's Maxim-um"Thrills, Chills & Spills" Afinogenov, erstwhile winger and human hi-light reel of the Atlanta Thrashers, circa November 30, 2009. But J.C., you do realize Max isn't coming back to the Thrashers right? Of course I do! Then why must you open old wounds by dredging up painful memories of a season lost?

In short, because the timing could not be better. It has been exactly one year to the day since the Thrashers were riding high off their dramatic win over the Florida Panthers in which "Fins for the Win" banged home a feed from Nik Antropov with only 6 ticks of time left on the clock. The breathtaking win gave the Thrashers their 4th win in a row to close out a scorching hot November, a month in which they put together two 4-game winning streaks in a span of 3 weeks to assume one of the top-6 rungs in the Eastern Conference standings. Alas, the seemingly lofty perch would prove too dizzying for this bird with faulty wings and they would plummet back down to earth with a resounding thud to the frozen December landscape. See, before Thrashers fans let their imaginations run wild in the tantalizing wake of this current 5-game winning streak, I feel it is my duty to offer up this cautionary tale of warning so any grandiose dreams of a date with playoff-berth "Dustin-y" (as in Byfuglien) are exploded into a smoking, pile of regret-strewn wreckage.

Speaking of regret, somwhere in the suburbs of Tampa, FL, former Thrashers' D-man Pavel Kubina is probably still muttering in his sleep as nightmares of last season's tragic demise rattle around in his pysche. Perhaps his deep slumber ramblings sound something like this:
“...it starts with the goalies...they’ve been unbelievable. Pavs and Moose have made unbelievable saves in unbelievable performances...We’ve been better at reducing turnovers in our own zone and we’ve been working on it in practice. The penalty-killing has been awesome. Guys are diving to block shots, and it’s a great team effort. It’s fun to be around.” -- excerpt gleaned from Tom Saladino's Associated Press recap of the 11/30/09 contest vs FLA

Well, doesn't that post-game refrain sound eerily familiar? As the blogospheric media buzz revs up into a full-tilt frenzy over the "Thrashawk" led T-birds, who just completed an impressive 9-day span in which 4 of their 5 straight wins came against the likes of Washington, Detroit, Montreal and Boston, fans must fight the temptation to think this team has suddenly arrived as a bona fide Stanley Cup contender. While the recent run of success has been incredibly fun, we must remind ourselves that this team is still a work in progress. And lest we overlook the fact they find themselves in a very similar position to last year's team, which choked it's season away during a disastrous December by effectively losing 9 straight games to finish the month. So why am I sounding the alarm of tempered expectations?? Because I'm a Thrashers fan silly, of course!

But seriously, the statistical similarities between this season and last are quite striking when juxtaposed. After surveying the numbers, any seasoned fan worth their salt would tell you to rein in your expectations, especially when dealing with such a young team not totally familiar with the treacherous effects of random injuries, winter travel and mid-season fatigue that can quietly erode any player's mental state. Before last year's late-December tumble into the doldrums, the Thrashers were sitting pretty with a record of 14 - 7 - 3 after winning 8 of 11 games, ten of which followed the return of Ilya Kovalchuk from injury. This season, the Thrashers struggled to a 6 - 6 - 3 record before winning 6 of their next 9 games to move into sole possession of 7th place in the Eastern Conference. Even more interesting is how these two very different teams arrived at very similar points after 24 games.

To wit:

2009-'10: 79 GF vs. 65 GA on 845 shots* allowed with a save percentage of .9231

2010- '11: 75 GF vs. 65 GA on 843 shots* allowed with a save percentage of .9224

*goals scored and shots allowed adjusted to remove both shootout goals & EN goals

I told you the statistical similarities were striking!! Did I mention both teams started the season with a record of 5 - 4 - 1? And get this, each team scored goals at a very similar rate during their aforementioned hot streaks, both of which preceded the 25th game on their respective schedules. The 2009 Thrashers, sparked by the Russian-born "Comrade Connection", crinkled the twine 38 times in 11 games during an 8 - 1 - 2 stretch. And the 2010 edition, featuring former 'Hawks Andrew Ladd and "Big Dusty Buff" as catalysts, have recently completed a 37 goal onslaught over their last 11 games for a 6 - 4 - 1 mark going into game #25 versus Colorado later tonite. Lastly, both teams had similar goal differentials during their November streaks: plus-14 in 2009 compared to a plus-12 (adjusted for shootouts) during this most recent tear.

So as you can see, such a statistical comparison would give any earnest fan pause. But before you start stuffing hate mail into my comments "inbox", please know that this particular fan, who has been duped by fool's gold before, does harbor some seriously strong optimism with respect to this newest installment of Thrashers' teams. Perhaps I'm just being foolhardy again, but I do have more statistical fodder for my grist mill of cautious optimism. For that, you must tune in again on Wednesday when I present my case as to why this team is different. See you then!

Thrashers Treat Bruins Like B's, Win 5th Straight

Led by the heroics of forward-in-defenseman's clothing, Dustin Byfuglien, the Atlanta Thrashers snapped an 0 - 8 - 2 streak of futility against the visiting Boston Bruins with a resounding 4 to 1 win. Byfuglien, who tallied a goal and two assists on the evening, sparked his mates to another convincing win on home ice. This time, the boys in blue decided to not wait until the 2nd period to seize control of the game scoring 3 successive goals in just over 6 minutes during the middle stages of the opening stanza. Goals by Evander Kane, the charismatic Byfuglien and Jimmy "I can't believe he scored on a breakaway" Slater helped flip the script on a Boston Bruins team that is quite accustomed to pushing the Thrashers around like school-yard bullies. But this time the Thrashers would not give up their lunch money as Byfuglien used Philips Arena ice to dole out his unique brand (photo courtesy of AP, yahoo.com) of punishment under the watchful eye of towering Norris Trophy winner Zdeno Chara.

Also critical to the Thrashers' success against the Beantown Bullies was the steady and sometimes spectacular play of goalie Ondrej Pavelec, who made several critical saves in the 2nd period to make sure the Thrashers maintained a comfortable margin. Not long after Blake Wheeler beat Pavelec with a hard wrister from the right face-off dot to cut the lead to two, the Czech known to Blueland faithful as "Opie" thwarted Brad Marchand's point-blank snap-shot with his deft glove-hand. On the ensuing face-off, Pavelec would make another key save with his lightning quick blocker, steering aside a hot shot hammered by Johnny Boychuk from the right point. Boston elevated their level of play after resident tough guy Shawn Thornton dominated a willing and scrappy Eric Boulton in what was the second "tete a tete" of the period. The B's were buzzing after the Thornton "TKO" and Wheeler goal, but they would not find the back of the net again thanks to the stellar play of Pavelec between the pipes.

With the victory, the Thrashers won their 5th straight on home ice and third in a row over a playoff team from last season. But for the fifth consecutive time, the stingy Czech netminder would not allow more than a single goal to raise his season-to-date save percentage to .949, just shy of the mark set by league leading Tim Thomas of the Bruins who sports a sparkling .951% on the year. Thomas has led the Bruins to 11 wins in 15 starts thanks to his microscopic 1.56 goals against average, but on this nite, "back-up" Tuukka Rask would get his chance to extend his dominance over Atlanta (3 wins and a sub-one GAA in three starts). However, the Thrashers would not take kindly to the thought of getting victimized by a Finnish goalie's exploits once again. Instead, they dominated the neutral zone in the 1st period forcing two key plays that would lead to goals at the other end.

After Kane would help the Thrashers stake their claim to an early lead, Byfuglien, who lost an edge deep in the Bruins' zone on the previous sequence, took control of a pass from Alex Burmistrov through the neutral zone that Big Buff would corral just in time at the blueline to avoid an offsides call. From there, Byfuglien would use his speed and laser-like wrist shot to score through a screen past a helpless Rask. Later in the period, Byfuglien would break up a Marchand rush at the red line to feather a soft pass to a streaking Jimmy Slater at the blueline. Slater, mustachioed in a way that would make a barber shop quartet proud, would skate in on Rask with a D-man dogging him, but his speed and strength would help him shield the puck before chopping it over Rask's stick-arm for the all-important 3-goal lead. The Thrashers would later add an insurance goal by Nicklas Bergfors, who "fooped in" -- Swedish for accidental contact as in "Berg-foops"-- a heeled slap-shot by Byfuglien on the power play late in the 2nd period. Byfuglien would later have a chance at a 5 point night, but his overly fancy stick-handling on a break-in would foil his chance on Rask.

TASTY MORSELS & NUGGETS: Despite getting out-shot for the first time in 6 games, the Thrashers would win the SOG race in the 1st period out-shooting Boston 12 to 10, or 21 to 17 if you include misses and blocked shots....Kane's goal was his 9th of the year, but his brief team lead was neutralized by Big Buff's 9th goal right after Kane got his....In the last 9 games, the Thrashers have completely reversed a goal differential deficit of -9 (not including S/O goals) to now boast a +6 goals scored advantage by scoring 15 more goals than their opponents....Lastly, during the recent 5-game winning streak, the Thrashers have scored a PPG in the last four raising their record to 6 - 0 - 3 when scoring more PPG in a game than their opponent.

THIRD PERIOD -- B's Start Off with a PP

But the Thrashers are up to the task on the penalty kill. Boston really gets nothing started with the man-advantage after Peverley commits an absolutely stupid penalty with a silly hack of Zdeno Chara's stick in the offensive zone. Pavelec makes a very good save after the penalty expires and now the Thrashers are deep in the zone, but dropping back into a trap hybrid D.

-- Zach Bogosian with a strong rush up the right side from the blueline off a pass from Stewie but he can't thread the pass thru the D-man to a waiting Andrew Ladd, who was in position on the doorstep to bang one home.

-- a flurry of action by the Thrashers Greek gods after a Slater F/O win and a Sopel wrister that gets deflected up into the air. The Thrashers batted at the puck and eventually Thorburn got control for a couple of ill-fated wristers into traffic. Much like the Thrashers, the B's do a good job of clogging up the area in front of the crease when there is a scramble. Stewie just misses Eager on a cross-ice feed for a re-direct and the B's have been on their heels after their PP nets not even a shot on goal.

-- huge backcheck by Peverley on a loose puck scramble from in front of his own net saves a potential goal then produces a break-out for a streaking Byfuglien who gets loose for a shot in tight on Rask, but he fumbles the puck trying to go back to his forehand on the F/H, B/H back to F/H deke move. Perhaps a bit too fancy but fun nonetheless!!

-- good forechecking pressure by the Kaner-Litts-Stewie line after Little made a scintillating end to end rush from behind his own net through the neutral zone and to the high circle where he wheeled and tried to thread a tricky pass to a streaking Kane. I reckon Little would have been better off just firing the puck to the cage on the whirling spin move so Kane could crash the cage hard with a full head of speed.

-- another dumb, ill-advised penalty taken by the Thrashers by Ladd, who should know better in this situation. No sense in using your stick extra-aggressively and risk drawing a silly hooking penalty. Thus far, the Thrashers PK unit has been very solid with several clears and denials of the offensive zone at the B/L. Chara to Seidenberg for a drive and rebound but B's can't find the rebound before Peverley, who's been quite good defensively, clears the puck.

-- Pavelec with another great positional save on a hard shot from the left circle by Campbell that ends up tucked away under Pavelec's shoulder. I've been very impressed with Pavelec and his rebound control on point-blank chances and any long shots that he has had a clear line of sight on. If he keeps up this kind of play, the Thrashers will be hard to beat no matter who they play. Make no mistake, the B's haven't been bad, they just haven't capitalized on chances and have had two or three costly breakdowns early that will ultimately cost them this game. 5 mins left.

Bruins vs Thrashers - 4 - 1 After Two

Not much has happened in the way of scoring chances thus far but there have been some very hot tempers erupting into fisticuffs this period. Already Matt Hunwick and Evander Kane have mixed it up as the the undercard for heavy weights Shawn Thornton and Eric Boulton, who have fought many times before. In the first bout, Kane got the early upper hand, but Hunwick caught Kaner with a good right before EK re-asserted his boxing prowess and slipped several quick rights into Hunwick's mush. In the Thornton v. Boulton tilt, Boulton couldn't get completely free to do much damage after the inital flurry of rights, most of which missed, and sustained a bit of damage at the fists of the imposing Thornton. So at the 9 minute mark, it is still 3 to 0 Thrashers and five for fighting has been the theme in the 2nd period. The best scoring chance so far has been that of Nathan Horton who tried to go top shelf from a stationary postion in the slot, but may have caught the butt-end of Pavelec's stick which caused it to ricochet up into the mesh.

-- Blake Wheeler's left-handed wrister from the bottom of the right circle beats Pavelec who was dead to rights after the Thrashers overcommitted on the puck in the neutral zone leading to a wide-open break-in for Wheeler. Pavelec just thwarted another choice opportunity with his deft glove-hand and then his right pad on a hot shot hammered from the right point. Boston has seemed to pick up the level of their play and they are getting the majority of the zone time. Thrashers have had a couple of rushes but can't get any sustained pressure. They need to get back to playing their game and work harder to cycle the puck and keep the B's in their end. Boston is swarming with less than 5 minutes left and Pavelec has been swimming in his crease. Luckily the B's can't come up with the handle and several pucks have trickled just wide of the crease. Pavelec with another big save to stop the onslaught and force a F/O with just over 4 minutes left in the period. Phew. Thrashers need to gather themselves and get back to out-working their opponent. Luckily for the Thrashers, Burmy draws yet another penalty and the boys convert with the man-advantage as Nicky Bergfors "foops" one in off the muffed slap-shot attempt by Byfuglien. Kane and Little did yeoman's work in the opposite corner to keep the puck in the offensive zone and then two crisp tape to tape passes got the puck to Big Buff who heeled his shot attempt, but it was true enough for Bergie to chip it in past Rask for the restoration of the 3-goal lead. In the third, the Thrashers must do a better job of taking care of the puck and keep it deep in the B's zone when they get it in. Boston dominated the 2nd after Wheeler's goal and reeled off 17 shots on goal to the Thrashers measely 8. Probably the worst period for the Thrashers since the infamous 2nd period debacle against Florida.

Boston Bruins vs. Thrashers Live-blog!!!

Thanks to NHL.com and the wonderful feature known as GameCenterLive, I am able to bring a live blog to those of you who are once again blacked out by CenterIce or just can't make it down to Philips for whatever reason. And who could blame you with what is sure to be horrible traffic after the Falcons game. Luckily, your Atlanta Falcons disposed of the Green Bay Packers in yet another nail-biting thriller in which Matty "Ice" Ryan moved the team into FG position for the game-winning kick by Matt Bryant. Now, on to the hockey!!

-- "top" line of Ladd-Pevs-Bergie start the game with Big Buff and Enstrom on the blueline.

-- what's this? All-star Chara flips the puck up over the boards and we go to the power play!!

-- well, a server error wiped out my furious typing to give you some play by play on the PP; Thrashers got a few shots on net, but couldn't come up with any rebounds to penetrate Rask. B's kill the PP and now Thorburn goes down blocking a shot...what else is new?

-- Jack Edwards, who does a great job calling the game, says Thorbs needed help getting on down the tunnel...not good. B's are tough enough when at full-strength and now we're gonna have to mix up the lines to compensate for the loss of an important presence defensively on RW.

-- damn, Stewie loses his stick and is forced to hold to break up a streaking Bergeron...Thrashers going on the PK with Ladd and Pevs to start out the kill unit

-- Thrashers PK looks lively and clears several times before Kane carries puck deep down the right wing to drive the net hard before Seidenberg runs over his own goalie...good play by Kaner, but no real scoring chance on the play; Slater with another clear and we're down to :20 secs

-- Hunwick's drive gets through but Pavelec sees it the whole way and Pevs clears the rebound easily to kill off the PP for good

-- Rask is sharp but he's giving up rebounds on just about every shot on goal, hopefully Thrashers can recognize this and get to the greasy areas to score some goals

-- Thrashers survive some good pressure by the B's after Pavs coughs up a rebound leading to a scramble in front and one failed clear attempt leads to a point-blank chance that is snuffed out by Pavelectric!! Oh yeah, 12:11 left at the TV timeout. No score.

-- I spoke too soon!! THRASHERS STRIKE FIRST ON A GOAL BY KANE!! Anthony Stewart finds a streaking Evander Kane in front after Big Buff carried the puck deep and drew the defense out of position leaving Stewie all alone on the right half-wall to survey and flip the puck to Kane who re-directs the puck into an empty net. Now the B's with some pressure...no damage, phew.

-- Andy Brickley, the B's color guy, who also does work on VS for the NHL is one chatty guy on their NESN broadcast. He is very astute but I just do not care much for his gravelly voice.

-- Sopel with an easy flip on net to force an offensive zone face-off, Ramsay will surely try to take advantage of the match-up. Commercial break-time under 9 minutes.

-- well I'll be, Mr. Thorburn has returned and Rammer puts the Greek gods out for the offensive zone F/O...to no avail. B's win it and take it into the Thrasher zone for some pressure and a near miss by call-up James Arniel who was given the puck in front by a hard-working Greg Campbell. T/O in the corner by the D leads to the chance but Pavs makes an easy save. Another defensive zone F/O coming up.

-- Pevs' line with some good forechecking pressure leading to a chance at the point by Big Buff, but I think they're deferring to Byfuglien too much as the B's do a very good job of covering the points. And just as I type that, Dustin Byfuglien rips a wrister through a screen on a rush to beat Rask on the stick side and put the Thrashers up 2 to love!! Wooo hoooo! Right through the legs of #45 who I think is Stuart. Play was started in the defensive zone by an adroit stick-check by Johnny Oduya I believe.

-- HOLY SHIT!! SLATER SCORES ON THE BREAK-AWAY off a neutral zone turnover. Greek gods exploit the call-up Arniel and the Thrashers take a commanding 3 goal lead!! Was that a quick release flip over the pad and arm of Rask by Slater?? Another 2 on 1 break but Pevs loses the puck trying to move the puck to his back-hand in front of a scrambling Rask.

-- Thrashers now on the PP, as if Boston didn't have enough of a hill to climb. Buff misses Ladd on the slap-pass. Buff shoots wide on the glove side but Birds keep the puck, no they don't. Toby Enstrom re-sets and brings to the blueline but offside. C'mon guys, get a greasy one!

-- PP expires with no further damage and then Pavelec makes a very good save -- standing tall on his knees -- to thwart Seguin on a loose-puck wrister from the right circle. Thrashers now with an offensive zone F/O which they win. But Ladd and the boys can't come up with the puck behind the net, B's break-out. Clock ticking down and we're under 10 as B's go offsides.

-- as the clock expires on the 1st period, Andy Brickley scolds Atlanta for not showing up to watch the "best hockey this team has ever played!"...well that's certainly nice to hear but we did have some winning streaks last season and a 14 - 7 - 3 start that turned out to be Fool's Gold. Oh yeah, Milbury is an asshole.

-- after one period of play, shots are 12 to 10 (21 - 17 if you like Corsi stats) in favor of the T-birds, who take a stunning 3-goal lead to the intermission. Keep talkin' that trash Milbury!

-- LAUNDRY BREAK: GOTTA FINISH FOLDING SO CHECK OUT ZEE TWEETS TO KEEP UP WITH THE SECOND PERIOD ACTION!!

Thrashers HABS-olutely Dominate 2nd Period for PRICE-less Win

Somewhat rare in these parts is the extended winning streak, especially that of the homestand variety. What's even more rare in this hockey humble town of Thrasherville are homestand winning streaks that feature the following: 1) lopsided shot margins, 2) dominating goaltending performances and 3) full, 60-minutes of consistent effort. Well, that's exactly what the Thrashers' faithful have been treated to at Philips Arena over this recent 4-game winning tear on home ice. During this span of success, the Thrashers have outscored their opponents by a combined margin of 15 to 2 and staked claim to a dominant edge on the shots-on-goal clock with a compelling margin of +40 (156 to 116). Did I just type that? And last nite's dominating 2nd period performance against a Carey Price-less Montreal team left Ondrej Pavelec with lots of uninterrupted time for deep, introspective thought about just how amazing his play has been over the last couple of weeks. In a word -- from the mind of his twitterring agent, Allan Walsh -- Ondrej has been PAV-ELECTRIC!!

Last nite's 2nd period was a well-deserved reward for Pavelec's magnificent play over the previous 13 periods of action in which Pavelec had stopped 134 of 138 shots that found a way to his equipment. But in last nite's game, his inspired teammates decided to give him a respite of sorts by controlling just about every second of the middle frame with a relentless barrage of 23 shots on goal and two timely, if not a bit lucky, goals. Of course, Pavelec's outstanding twine-tending would have made a 1-goal margin stand up for the win. The Thrashers tried their darnedest to riddle back-up goalie Alex Auld with shots, but could only penetrate his paraphenelia 3 times in 47 attempts. Center Rich Peverley was finally the beneficiary of some good puck luck in this game when he knocked home a loose puck amidst a scramble in front of the Habs' net that somehow eluded Auld's arm and right pad. Later, Peverley's patience and perserverance would be rewarded with time and space on the power play, and he would exploit the situation by firing a wicked wrister from the left face-off dot that pinged off the far post behind a helpless Auld.

Alas, goal-scoring heroics and sensational, hi-lite reel goals were not the order of the evening. Instead, the most memorable aspect of last nite's performance was the way in which the team supported each other in consummate team fashion. The picture to the left -- apologies for the crappy resolution, but what do you want from a Blackberry cell phone?! -- featuring Nik Antropov and Alexander Burmistrov illustrates just how far the Thrashers have come when the right-wing is dropping down to the goal line to support the center in the defensive end. Coach Ramsay must be grinning from ear to ear as his teachings and instruction have been paying off in the form of a concerted, nearly seamless team effort FOR ALMOST AN ENTIRE 6O MINUTES in which every player is playing the same way. No longer is it unusual to see the 5-man team playing as one cohesive unit in which they support one another on the puck and along the boards without fail.

On top of that, we are seeing this team take extra care and pride in executing all of the little plays that add up over the course of 60 minutes. Plays like getting a puck on net to force a face-off when your blueline is struggling to complete a change during the 2nd period; racing down the ice to negate a potential icing of the puck in the late 3rd period so the opponent doesn't get the all-important offensive zone face-off; and chipping the puck along the boards to allow a teammate to get to the wall for support instead of trying to force a "willy-nilly" pass to a "hot zone" near your own blueline. For once, we are seeing the emergence of a team that does not resort to the selfish, extra-fancy play at the expense of the overall gameplan and team philosophy. While this team may know they have enough skill to convert chances and pull off the titillating hi-lite play, they also realize they are not talented enough to stray from the blueprint laid out by Coach Ramsay. Even Ondrej Pavelec, who's sterling .946 save percentage and miniscule 1.68 GAA is worthy of a little self-praise, keeps insisting that it isn't about him and that the recent success is only the by-product of a full team effort: "I said so many times, you're winning as a team and losing as a team. I said it five times in the last five games it was a team effort. I don't know what you guys want me to say."

Okay Ondrej, we get it, we'll stop asking you. Just don't hesitate in reminding your teammates of this mantra of "win as a team, lose as a team" the minute any of them start to resort to some of their old, all-too-familiar bad habits. But don't you just get the feeling that something is different this year and the word "team" isn't just a trite descriptor for a collection of 20 individuals wearing the same uniform? I know it's still early, but I'm seeing a collective team pride that has not been a consistent characteristic of the many previous collections of players in this team's frustrating 10-year history. That pride seems to be the result of a firm belief in knowing that team success is in the individual execution of little details; and now that belief is being manifested in the form of a thorough execution of the gameplan as well as dominance on home ice. And isn't THAT a refreshing sight to behold?

Thrashers Dismantle Winged Wheel & Quarter-Pole Teaser

Good afternoon and a belated Happy Thanksgiving to you all! For the citizens of Thrasherville, "Thrash-a-Turkey Day" was an extra special one as the T-birds blitzed the visiting Detroit Red Wings with their special brand of aggressive, attacking hockey in a 5 to 1 pre-holiday rout of the Wings on Thanksgiving Eve. Led by their Czech-born cage protector, Ondrej Pavelec, who stopped all but one of the 33 shots slung towards his net, the Thrashers sent a resounding message to the several thousands -- and by several, I mean 7,000 or so -- of Red Wings supporters in attendance at Philips Arena.

Sparked by the tenacious play of the "Greek gods" line, who tallied the first marker of the game just 2 minutes and 39 seconds in, the Thrashers put on an exhibition of the type of hockey that Coach Craig Ramsay has been demanding since day one of his tenure as head coach. Hard skating, dogged determination on the forecheck and active stick-work are all hallmarks of Ramsay's philosophy, and for the 2nd time in less than a week, the Thrashers schooled a league-leading team at Ramsay's Institute of Basic Hockey Tenets & Applied Hockey Theory. On Wed nite, Professor Ramsay was surely extolling the work of several star pupils including Bryan Little (1 G, 1 A and a relentless puck-hounding effort), Andrew Ladd (1 SHG, 1 A and flawless application of the Ramsay principles), Chris Thorburn (who opened the scoring but seemed to be skating with a renewed vigor) and Dustin Byfuglien (who's late 3rd period PP tally punctuated a complete and methodical "how 'bout dem apples?" kind of performance).

After such a "statement game" -- apologies for the trite, overused cliche -- Thrashers fans are surely giddy about the prospect of their team gelling into a bona fide playoffs contender. Afterall, 5 of their 10 wins have come against the likes of Detroit, Washington (twice), San Jose and the normally stingy Minnesota Wild, who were treated to the first taste of how relentless and suffocating the Thrasher attack could be. But alas, we've seen a similar script play out before us with a sobering and disappointing series of tragic acts. Last year, the Thrashers found themselves sitting pretty at the end of November with a 14 - 7 - 3 record only to implode from within during a dismal December in which they dropped 9 of their next 14 games in regulation. So please be advised of this cautionary tale before letting your expectations run away to dizzying heights. I would hate for us all to end up totally deflated from another fall from such a lofty perch.

Anyhoo, it's already 5:45 -- I started typing this way too late for anyone to read it before the game! -- and I've got to get my shit together to head down to the Bulb pour le match du hockey avec les Habitants. I was hoping to blog in grandiose fashion about the good, the bad and the ugly of this season thus far. Or as I like to call it during the T'giving holiday season: the Hamtastic, the Medi-Okra and the Cran-cid-berry. I introduced the Turkey Day themed series last fall and I hope to keep the tradition going as long as my fingers can still blog it up. So please come back tomorrow when you will hopefully find a link to my new blog over at the Hockey Independent website, where I will sling ham and rancid cranberry sauce all over the page! Have a good nite and let's freakin' go Thrashers!! Beat los French!!

As We Head Into the Future, Young Thrashers Must Lean On Each Other

Tonite at Philips Arena we welcome in a rare visit from the mighty Red Wings, who fly in from Detroit with the top record in the tightly bunched Western Conference and, mathematically, the best points-earned percentage in the entire NHL. Obviously, this will be the sternest test for a Thrashers team that is still in the process of establishing, and hopefully, maintaining an identity that breeds more wins than losses. At 13 - 3 - 2, the Red Wings boast a league-leading goals against average of 3.67 and have won 7 of their 9 games in November. Usual suspects Pavel Datsyuk, Hank Zetterberg and Nik Lidstrom have had great starts, but their success has been buoyed by the surprising starts of Danny Cleary (9 G, 14 pts) and Todd Bertuzzi (15 pts & a +11 rating).

If there IS anything negative one can point out, then it would be that the Red Wings' record MAY be a bit inflated due to 4 of their 7 November wins coming against Edmonton and Calgary, both of which have struggled mightily this season. Also, the Wings played their last 6 games at home and have only ventured out on the road a total of 6 times. But Detroit has certainly taken advantage of the recent home cooking to the tune of 27 goals and 5 wins on the homestand. Unfortunately for the Thrashers, the Detroit road record of 4 - 2 - 0 is hardly any consolation for what will surely be a difficult game against one of the league's best. While two of their three regulation losses have come on the road, that is hardly evidence that Detroit is vulnerable, but it does give this humble writer hope that Coach Craig Ramsay can exploit the right match-ups at home and give the boys in blue a chance to win.

If that is to happen, the Thrashers would be wise to score first and hopefully maintain pressure on the Red Wings in the 1st period, forcing them to play in their own end more than they would like. Also important is for the Thrashers to limit their penalties and try to win the battle for power play opportunities. On the season, the Thrashers are 9th overall in penalties drawn -- thank you Alex Burmistrov!! -- but are tied for 4th in PP vs PK differential at +11. However, just earning more penalties is not enough; the T-birds must convert at least one of their PP to have a chance. More than one, of course, would simply be sublime.

Lastly, the scorching hot Ondrej Pavelec could have a big say in who wins as he has stopped 89 of the last 92 shots that have reached his net. And keeping Detroit to 30 SOG or less would certainly help so Ondrej doesn't have to pull out all the stops to stymie 40+ shots like he did in last year's shutout of the "Big Red Borg" (all rights reserved by Bill "Rawhide" Tiller). As for Detroit's netminder, Jimmy Howard, he has been solid if not spectacular this year. He has 11 wins on the season, but hasn't had to be Dominik Hasek for the Wings to win as he normally only sees about 27.75 pucks per nite. Thus, it is imperative for the Thrashers to get pucks on net and crash the cage to hopefully get Howard out of his comfort zone (easier said than done eh?). BUT, Howard has been a bit suspect in his last 184 minutes of play yielding 11 goals on 90 shots faced. Can Ondrej be "Pavelec-tric" once again and help put the Thrashers back above .500??

EDITOR'S NOTE: This blogger is a-movin' on to whiter hockey rinks (and loftier press-box heights perhaps?) as he has been tapped to blog on the Thrashers for the on-line hockey magazine known as Hockey Independent.com!! If you've been a faithful reader of this humble little blog, I do thank you heartily from the bottom of my, well heart! And I do hope you'll continue to support me and the Thrashers as their singular, dedicated hockey voice. Please tweet your friends, family and neighbors, and point your speakers out the window with the Neil Diamond jams a-pumpin'!! Cuz WE'RE HEADED FOR THE FUTURE!!

Thrashers Overcome Both Deficit and Isles' Desperation on Way to Overtime Win and .500 Record

Tonite, as I drove home from my weekend-long visit to the Twin Cities of Winston and Salem to see my family and friends, I considered myself lucky that the radio signal of the Thrashers' flagship station, 680 The Fan, was not strong enough to carry beyond the Atlanta bedroom community of Suwanee. Fatigue was seeping in to my bones and my eyes were becoming increasingly bleary from the constant, insidious glare of obnoxiously bright headlight lamps of the speeding SUV's and 18-wheelers I was forced to pass in order to maintain a consistent and safe rate of speed. Had we been able to listen to the radio call of Thrashers' radio voice, Dan Kamal, I most surely would have been nerve-wracked to the point of danger since I was already on the edge of losing my battle with the sensory terror of traveling southbound on I-85 at night.

By the time we were able to get a clear signal just south of the Suwanee exit, the Thrashers game was about to go into overtime. I knew, from twitter updates on the phone, that the Thrashers had managed to secure the tying goal against a desperate and frenzied Islanders team that had dropped all but 1 of a possible 24 points over their last 12 games. I was also acutely aware of the fact that both starting goalies, Rick DiPietro and Ondrej Pavelec, had each made breath-taking and game-saving stops to keep their teams locked in a tie late in the 3rd period. For the Isles, the game was a furious struggle to earn the turning point win they so desperately coveted. For the Thrashers, it was an anxious battle to not only earn a precious two points in the standings, but also validate their status as a team that is capable of overcoming the inevitable emotional let-down that follows a shutout win against a perennial powerhouse like Washington and disposing of a weaker opponent to keep pace in a playoff race that is starting to see some separation between the "haves" and the "have-nots".

As Coach Ramsay would discuss later in his post-game press conference, this game was about building on the recent success and learning to win when the team you're facing may be more scared to lose than even you are. When queried about the importance of this win and overcoming the anxiety of losing a tight game to a more desperate team, he related these thoughts: "We had a good start, we looked good. Then our neutral zone play was not good enough. And you just get some bad feelings once in a while against a team that hasn't won in a long time. You're controlling the play in the offensive zone but not scoring, not getting anything out of it. And their goalie is capable of a great game and they're team is capable of winning, so it's tense on the bench and that's with the kind of game though that you grow with as much as the win against Washington...we had to fight through it, it was a tight game the whole way and we got the key save at the right time."

Listening to the press conference, the relief in Ramsay's voice was palpable and unmistakable. Losing to the Islanders, with all due respect, would have surely caused some degree of mental anguish after enjoying the emotional high of dominating a better opponent on home ice Friday nite. Especially on the heels of naming Andrew Ladd team captain, which created a bigger sense of gravity around the team that the time to turn the season for the better was now. Losing to the Islanders would have been two steps backwards after a huge step forward was taken, and taken with a demonstrative swagger and reinforced belief in themselves. Like Ramsay said, it's one thing to raise your game against a better opponent, but it's an entirely different story to take care of a struggling team who's on the brink: "We've been able to elevate our game against good teams...I think winning this tight game can really be important for us as much as that five (to) nothing win."

Indeed, a dramatic, come-from-behind win such as this can be vital to the process of building confidence in what they're doing as a team and further validate their hard work to overcome some recent struggles. A win like tonite's OT thriller can certainly help to cement good work habits that must be employed to win tight games. Ramsay went on to say that the team must continue to "recognize that when we do our detail work correctly, we're tough. And its not about (worrying about) what just happened, although that builds within you, it's about facing a good team (and) playing our game against them."

Ramsay knows that a young team must learn to deal with adversity and overcome frustrations when things don't go according to plan. If this team is to keep evolving in a positive fashion and contend seriously for a playoff spot, games like this are important stepping stones in creating the right mind-set that helps players to focus on things they can control rather than the results. As an example, Ramsay pointed out how the frustration of dominating play in the 1st period without any results started to set in later on: "In the 2nd period, we got frustrated a little bit and now we started turning (the puck over) and they were runnin' up the ice. We don't want to just throw the puck away...we get frustrated and we start looking for something unique and special instead of just stayin' with the plan."

One player who most definitely received the gravitas of Ramsay's message of sticking to the plan was overtime hero, and burgeoning blueline sensation, Dustin Byfuglien. In addition to scoring the game-winning goal, Big Buff turned failure into positive motivation and eventually success: "He (Byfuglien) wants to be a difference-maker all the time and that's the biggest asset a hockey player can have, said Ramsay. "The want to be a difference-maker, (the) want to be THE guy; I say 'be the man' and he puts his hand up. Now he also took the blame for their goal (late in the 2nd period also during a 4 on 4 situation). He held himself accountable and told his teammates he'd get it back, and he did."

Obviously, not all games are going to have a fairy-tale ending, but it's more about the commitment to the process of learning how to deal with and conquer adversity through doing the right things, especially the little things. "It's composure" said Ramsay. "We talk a lot about composure and you see it from some of our guys under pressure (in how) they keep the puck. For a goalie (Pavelec) not to lose track of where he is and to understand his only play, and he took it; he couldn't have climbed up and he couldn't have done anything else...but he put himself in a position and he battled, that's the key issue, he battled to get there...to take a chance."

Recently, Pavelec's play has been brilliant -- some might say, "Pavelec-tric" even -- and he really seems to be benefitting from the extra attention to detail as well as a better execution of fundamentals, so that when things don't go according to plan, you remain composed and you give yourself a chance to battle and make a daring play. The sort of daring, and amazing play Pavelec made when he sprawled out to his left to snag a sailing puck with his outstretched glove-hand to stymie what looked like a sure goal. That sort of play is only possible if a player has the right level of composure and calm. Ramsay went on to say about his young netminder Pavelec: "He's been alright I guess (said with tongue firmly planted in cheek). When we had the good start I thought, 'we just need to get ahead'...but (after the goal) he just looked like he wasn't gonna let anything else in. He was big, he looked big (in his crease) and his positioning was great, and his commitment was wonderful."

And that, my friends, is a salient point about commitment. The players seem to be buying in to what the coaches are selling and the level of commitment is starting to manifest itself in the ability to win tight games as well as surprise a seemingly superior opponent (like Washington). There is always going to be adversity and there is always going to be "off" nights, but without a commitment to the plan and the overall team program, then outcomes like tonite's are not possible. If you remain committed, then the frustration can't beat you as easily. Ramsay used tonite's game as the perfect illustration: "We had some instances when they ran us ragged. I had to call the timeout on the one instance because our guys were so exhausted....But after the timeout, we fought back through it, we got it done....so, the things we need to do we're doing and we did fight through some difficult situations and those are the things you build on."

And build, and build and build they must. They need to keep building on the foudation of teachings that Ramsay and his coaches are laying down. One shift, one period, one game at a time. Hopefully this win over the Islanders isn't just any old win. Let's hope that this win is the kind of win that helps to shape a young team into a winning team that believes in what it is doing every nite they take to the ice. From what I've seen, and considering some of the adversity this team has already overcome, I am just silly enough to believe this team is starting to win because it believes that it should. Leadership is coming not only from the bench, but also from guys on the ice who are totally committed. Guys like Byfuglien, Captain Ladd, hard-working Bryan Little, tiny, but big-hearted Toby Enstrom, unsung, but steady Brent Sopel, unrelenting Chris Thorburn and knuckle-scarred warrior Eric Boulton.

Blessed are the committed hockey souls with indomitable spirit and positive attitude, for they shall foster a winning mentality and experience that is rich with success and reward even in the face of difficulty. Blessed are your Thrashers?

A Day Late, But Not Short on Statistical Data

Okay, now that we've had a day to ruminate about and recover from last nite's galling 2 to 1 defeat at the hands of the Marty Reasoner Sex Panthas, it's time to move on and take stock of where things stand -- mind you, I was going to do this every 9th game, but alas, I actually let work get in the way of a blog entry yesterday!! Back in late October, I posted an entry comparing the first 8 games of the 2008-09 season (since it was John Anderson's first stab) with the first 8 games of the Craig Ramsay era. I feel that, while it may not have any real relevance in predicting whether this Thrashers team will amount to anything special, it is, at the very least, a mildly thought-provoking exercise. And furthermore, I can incorporate an additional comparison to the 2009-10 season as a provocative tool by which statistics help to further illustrate the short-comings of a team that put too much emphasis on a superstar sniper. But do the numbers back me up?

First things first, we revisit the earlier comparison chart showing how the first 8 games -- if you recall, I used 8 games for convenience's sake since there was a 3-day gap between games 8 and 9 with nothing else to write about -- of this season compared to the Coach Anderson Reign of Comedy. Unfortunately, my metrics, no matter how hard I crunch the numbers, cannot capture the effect of lucky "bounces", but just remember, according to Anderson, it was usually just a "bounce here or there" that would make the difference, give or take! But enough of the tongue in cheek sarcasm, on to the numbers!!

STAT Category _________ 2010-'11 Season _______ 2008-'09 Season

Record thru 8 Gms ________ 3 -- 4 -- 1 OTL __________ 2 -- 4 -- 2 OTL

Goal Differential _______ (-6, 23 GF vs 29 GA) _______ (-4, 23 GF vs 27 GA)

SOG Differential _________ (-67, 234 vs 301) _________ (-40, 250 vs 290)

Average Shot Diff. ________ (-8.1, 29.3 v 37.4) ________ (-5.0, 31.3 vs. 36.3)

# Times Out-shot ________ (7 times , even 1x) ________ (7 times, even 1x)

Shooting Perctge. ________ 9.40% (on 22 goals) _______ 8.80% (on 22 goals)

Save Percentage ________ .910 (adj for 2 ENGA) ______ .910 (adj for 1 ENGA)

Now that you've been refreshed with the old data, here are the numbers after the second set of 9 games, or if you prefer, through the first 18 games:

STAT Category ________ 2010-'11 Season ________ 2008-'09 Season

Record thru 18 Gms _______ 7 -- 8 -- 3 OTL __________ 7 -- 9 -- 2 OTL

Goal Differential _______ (-10, 57 GF vs 67 GA) _______ (-11, 53 GF vs 64 GA)

SOG Differential _________ (-126, 526 vs 652) _________ (-86, 509 vs 595)

Average Shot Diff. ________ (-7.0, 29.2 v 36.2) ________ (-4.8, 28.3 vs. 33.1)

# Times Out-shot ________ (14 times , even 1x) _______ (14 times, even 3x)

Shooting Perctge.*_______ 10.6% (on 56 goals) _______ 10.2% (on 52 goals)

*percentage is figured on goals scored in regulation or O.T., but excludes S.O. "goals"

Save Percentage ________ .907 (adj for 5 ENGA)______ .894 (adj for 1 ENGA)

As you can see, just like the last time we looked at this comparison of seasons, the similarities are quite striking. Especially when it comes to four things: W-L record, goal differential, large shot disparities (although it's a bit alarming to see that Anderson's first team was much better at limiting shots!), and oddly enough, shot percentages! I don't have time to go back and delve into the reasons why the team gave up fewer shots in 2008, but it might have had something to do with the presence and leadership of Nic Havelid on the blueline. Plus, Ron Hainsey played pretty well out of the gate in his first couple of months with the Thrashers after signing as a UFA earlier that summer. But beyond that, the most telling statistic is the very mediocre save percentage as Kari Lehtonen went down on account of poor conditioning, Ondrej Pavelec was too raw as a rookie call-up and "Moose" Hedberg was counted on for his savvy, but unsensational net-minding. However, the team did circle the wagons after a 6-game losing streak, one in which they yielded an eye-opening 29 goals, before reeling off 5 straight wins behind a red hot Little White Russian line and the clutch play of the venerable Hedberg.

What is more interesting I think are some of the similarities between this current year's team and the team led by Ilya Kovalchuk last fall -- Kovy certainly was blazing hot out of the chute last year and scored a bushel of goals before his foot injury. While he was on the mend, the team managed to hold things together fairly well in his absence, and then they exploded again upon his return with 3 straight wins and an exciting OTL to the Boston Bruins -- I should cue the Maxim Afinogenov heroics video, but it's too painful thinking about what could have been -- to raise their record to an impressive 10 - 6 - 2 after 18 games. Here are the rest of the comparison stats for you to digest and think about:

STAT Category ________ 2010-'11 Season ________ 2009-'10 Season

Record thru 18 Gms _______ 7 -- 8 -- 3 OTL _________ 10 -- 6 -- 2 OTL

Goal Differential _______ (-10, 57 GF v 67 GA) _______ (+12, 66 GF v 54 GA)

SOG Differential ________ (-126, 526 vs 652) _________ (-120, 514 vs 634)

Average Shot Diff. _______ (-7.00, 29.2 v 36.2) _______ (-6.67, 28.6 vs. 35.2)

# Times Out-shot _______ (14 times , even 1x) _______ (14 times, even none)

Shooting Perctge.*_______ 10.6% (on 56 goals) _______ 12.6% (on 65 goals)

*percentage is figured on goals scored in regulation or O.T., but excludes S.O. "goals"

Save Percentage ________ .907 (adj for 5 ENGA)______ .920 (adj for 1 ENGA)

Perhaps the spookiest stat nugget of this whole exercise is the eerie similarity in the average shot differential between this year and last, with two completely different coaches and, ostensibly, systems. Of course, those that follow the team closely realize that Ramsay's system isn't that much different from Anderson's in terms of how aggressive the offense is supposed to play. The biggest difference is the fact we have an even more dynamic threat from the back-end by the name of "Big Dusty Buff", who has meshed extremely well with his sidekick Enstrom and has thrived in his return to the blueline. The other nuance that is most different this year is the emphasis by Ramsay on not only rolling 4 lines consistently, but also in how they attack the offensive zone.

Ramsay's system puts the spotlight on getting the puck deep, keeping it there and cycling it till the defense pukes, where as Anderson liked to use his speedy skill guys in transition to set each other up by making fancy plays at the offensive blueline and hoping to find the 3rd man high unaccounted for by the D. Unfortunately, as we learned, Anderson's system was easily shut-down with a trapping, clogging neutral zone emphasis by the other team that would disrupt the transitional, and all too often horizontal play. Ramsay is all about moving north and south and tilting the ice as much as possible to keep the heat on the other team. In a simple sense, it's all about a good defense through a tenacious offense. But changing the mental habits that were formed during two years of Anderson's tutelage has proven much harder to do so far this season. Or is it that there aren't enough players on the roster who truly believe in themselves to raise their game to a level never imagined under Anderson?

Either way, the good news is that, in spite of the current 7-game skid in which they have only earned 3 points out of a possible 14, the team is starting to find a more consistent and higher level of play night in and night out. To wit, the Thrashers have finally started to out-shoot their opponents more often than not, doing so 4 times in the last 6 games. However, they have only won 1 of those 6 games in regulation. The most obvious reason -- in addition to the mental lapses and brain-farts that are still plaguing the Thrashers -- they are struggling to win games is because they are finding it harder to tickle the twine with the same rate of success as they had early on.

In their first 10 games, they were scoring at a rate of 11.3%, but in the most recent 8 games, that scoring rate has plunged to a pedestrian 8.6%. That 2.7% difference translates into roughly 1 fewer goal per contest when averaging around 32-33 SOG per game. Not so coincidentally, that one goal is exactly what they needed in the 3rd period last nite to extract some shred of a positive reward for their better play (overall) of late. When the net starts to shrink because you consistently allow defensive breakdowns to heap additional pressure on the offense to score, then you're only hope is that your goaltender bails you out. But as we've seen with Chris Mason's horrendous play recently, you're goalie may breakdown too as a result of getting overworked. Three times poor goaltending has cost them and the other three times it was the untimely gaffe or turnover that was the difference in a tight game. If the screws aren't finally tightened with some pressing urgency (now especially with the naming of a captain, see below) in the next 5 games, we could find ourselves talking about what prospect we hope to get at the 2011 spring entry draft come early December. And that would be the ultimate insult to the few remaining hopeful fans of Thrasherville.

Panthers Pin Prey, Pot Two Points...UPDATE: And Ladd Named Captain!!

Former Thrashers' player and defensive stalwart, Marty Reasoner, dropped in on his old buddies at the Bulb tonite to host an absolutely clinical tutorial on how to dominate the defensive face-off circle. His puck possessing prowess from within the hockey equivalent of a gunman's duel served as a sobering reminder that games are won through the repetitive execution of the simplest of tasks and actions. 'Twas yet another frustrating game in which our chronically fallible Atlanta Thrashers succumbed to a fatal lapse in commitment and effort during the final 5 minute stretch of the late 2nd period. Once again, the boys in blue were tragic victims of their own undoing in a very disappointing 2 to 1 loss to a divisional foe. And speaking of school, the only other thought which comes to mind right now are the words of my late, great political science professor, Mr. Broyles, who once said simply: "fuuuuuuuuuck".

Just in case you were sleeping all afternoon long, forward Andrew Ladd, acquired in one of the two trades with the Chicago Blackhawks during the summer, was named Captain by Coach Ramsay today in Duluth either before or after practice. Along with Ladd, D-men Dustin Byfuglien (but you can call him Barry) and Tobias Enstrom (but you can call him Toby) were named "alternates" for when Laddy is serving one of his many 5 minute fighting penalties (as if!).

Ben Wright of the Blueland Blog has a good write-up on the breaking news and had the chance to query Laddy boy with this question: What does Ladd think his best attributes are as a leader?

“I think I show up for work every day and give it everything I have. The other side of it is I think the attention to the little details and what you need to do to win- I think that’s a big part of my game. Something I really focus on is doing little things well. I believe that if you do those things success will follow.”

Hmmmm, where was I reading about hockey being a game that is won through the consistent execution of small actions and simple tasks??? Oh yeah, duh!! ;-)

After Pens Down Bolts, Thrashers Look to Thank Them...

....with a loss of course!! Tonite the Atlanta Thrashers welcome Sidney "Cro(tch)by" and the merely .500 Pittsburgh Penguins to town in an early season battle for 8th place in the conference. Surprisingly -- perhaps not really when you take a closer look -- the Penguins have struggled to an 8 - 8 - 1 record in 17 games thus far. Even more unusual is the fact that these Penguins have done better when migrating to another team's building with a 5 - 3 - 1 road record versus a dismal 3 - 5 - 0 record in their brand new, state-of-the-art CONSOL Energy Center. Of course, the Thrashers are certainly not unfamiliar with the phenomenon of playing unpredictably at home as they come into tonite sporting a modest 3 - 3 - 1 record at Philips Arena. Luckily, the Thrash are 2 - 1 - 1 in their last four contests at the "Bulb" with a win over Buffalo (in OT), a highly entertaining shoot-out loss to the defending Stanley Cup Champs and, most recently, a resounding 5 to 1 triumph over a rusty and sluggish Minnesota Wild club.

But let's go back to the Penguins and their up and down roller-coaster ride of a season thus far. The Pens misfired coming out of the gate by losing their first two games of the season. A win over the struggling Devils was a short-lived salve on a miserable 1 - 3 - 0 season-opening wound. However, the Penguins played like the Pens we expect to see on a nightly basis when they reeled off 4 straight wins including dominant performances against Philly (on the road) and Ottawa in the cavernous -- relative to the old Igloo -- confines of CONSOL Energy. But that streak came to an abrupt end when they ran into the defensive buzz-saw known as Jaroslav Halak and the St. Louis Blues, who clipped the Pens by a margin of 1 to 0 in overtime. Since that time, Pittsburgh has failed to win consecutive games going 2 - 5 - 0 in their next 7 games before dismantling the Tampa Bay Lightning with 3 goals in the 3rd period of their game last nite to avenge an early-season loss to the Bolts in Tampa. The Pens come to Atlanta hoping to put an end to that unusual streak of mediocrity with a win at Philips Arena, where they've won 3 times in the last 4 visits.

Why has Pittsburgh struggled so mightily and succumbed to mediocrity so far this season? Most notably, the Pens have missed the presence of their best defensive center, Jordan Staal, who is also capable of adding some consistent secondary scoring punch to their line-up. In addition, star forward Evgeni Malkin has failed to find his mid-season stride and his paltry 4 goals and (-5) plus/minus rating has been an early-season bugaboo for a Pens team struggling to find scoring balance. In aggregate terms, the Penguins have scored what seems like plenty of goals (52) in their first 17 games, but scoring has come in fits and spurts for the Pens, who have also yielded an alarming total of 47 goals against. During their woeful 2 - 5 - 1 stretch, the Pens scored only 20 goals, managing just 2 goals or less in 4 of those games. More troubling was the number of goals they gave up in that period as they surrendered a total of 27 goals, a shade over 3 goals per game! Perhaps the most unsettling aspect of that terrible stretch was the miserable performance of Cup-winning goaltender Marc Andre-Fleury, who comes into tonite with just 2 wins on the season and a gaudy 3.23 GAA as well as an atrocious save percentage of only .860!!

So as you can see, there are quite a few similarities between the visiting Penguins and the hosting Thrashers, who come into tonite's game with their first win in 3 games and a record of 7 - 6 - 3 on the season. While their record is good enough for 17 points and a virtual tie for 8th place with the Pens, the Thrashers have had more than their share of struggles incorporating a new system and several new players within that framework. So far the results have been mixed and the Thrashers are trying to figure out how to play a more responsible defensive game to match their surprisingly productive offense, which has netted 51 goals of its own in 16 games. Unfortunately, the Thrashers have given up goals like a prize give-away contest all season long and must build upon their recent 5 to 1 effort against Minnesota if they are to stay in the mix for the bottom few seeds of the playoff race. Hopefully, the return of center Bryan Little, who missed 6 games due to a concussion, will help the Thrashers limit a Pens' offense that has struggled to produce consistently due to the loss of Staal as well as a dearth of scoring from their wingers.

Disturbingly, the Thrashers have been at the bottom of the league all season long when it comes to shots allowed, as well as prime scoring chances yielded, and they must find a way to limit the opportunities for a still-potent Pittsburgh club whose 2nd leading scorer is Pascal Dupuis...yeah, THAT Pascal Dupuis!! Nonetheless, the Thrashers will want to take advantage of favorable match-ups against Pittsburgh's mediocre bottom lines. Sidney Crosby will most likely get his goal and probably an assist or two, but the Thrashers should be able to produce many scoring chances of their own. The bigger question may be what will Pittsburgh get in goal from either Fleury, who just earned his 2nd win of the season last nite or Brent Johnson, who carried the Pens for the first month before giving up 12 goals in his most recent 177 minutes of action? For the Thrash, Ondrej Pavelec will get the nod and a chance to not only build on his stellar 32-save performance versus the Wild, but also erase the demons of tragic Penguins' losses past. Rather than furnish the frightening numbers, we'll just say we hope that Pavelec forgot all about his past games against Pittsburgh when he fainted on opening nite and leave it at that.

As for the outcome tonite, it's anyone's guess as to who will come out on top. Will Pittsburgh carry lots of momentum into Philips after the drubbing they layed on Tampa last nite or will they fall prey to bad habits formed during their wildly erratic first five weeks to the season? The same can be said for Atlanta, who has struggled to play "their game" and play it consistently for a full 60 minutes. Even during their best performance (since Opening Nite against Washington) of the season Thursday, they demonstrated lapses in their effort as well as in their defensive awareness. Luckily for them, Pavelec was up to the task and he gave them a chance to win in convincing fashion as opposed to the Chicago game when his poor-decision making perhaps cost them a regulation win. I do think we'll see plenty of goal-scoring again tonite and the game may wind up being a race to the 4th goal; it may even take an overtime period to decide it.

Thrashers Take Flight to Ottawa, Battle Savage Loons

Is there anything more terrifying than a menacing, mysterious loon lurching forth from a lake to take flight?? Okay, perhaps the word 'terrifying' doesn't quite capture the emotion that is conjured up by a water-dwelling bird raising up and launching itself from the surface like a laser-guided missle. However, the sight of such in nature CAN BE quite inspirational, if you are the weepy sort who gets choked up when observing animals of ornithological grace and grandeur. Where am I going with this?? I have no freakin' idea.

In my lame attempt to put together a mildly intriguing game preview, I thought of team names and official state birds. Haters of hockey in the Sun-Belt often point to our amusing nickname in a derisive manner to prop up their own arguments about why the city of Atlanta isn't deserving of a hockey team. But just think, the storied Ottawa franchise could have emerged from early 20th century history as just a footnote of failed hockey franchises past. And to make matters worse, the "Senators" moniker (that is just sooooo freakin' original and creative by the way) may have never come to fruition had the team's trio of founders chosen to honor the official bird of the province of Ontario: the Common Loon. I reckon the frightening name of Ottawa Screaming Loons was high atop the list of nicknames considered by the founding fathers in 1883 when the team launched its inaugural campaign as a member of the Ontario Hockey Association. Frankly, I don't know what was wrong with Ottawa Fur Trappers or Ottawa River Otters.

At any rate, the great fans of the Ottawa Senators should remind themselves of the financial troubles that beset and eventually ravaged the first NHL iteration of the Ottawa franchise -- the Great Depression of the 1930's eventually doomed the existence of four teams leaving the NHL with the "Original Six" -- before casting any stones towards the city of Atlanta in Sun-Belt expansion debates. During the mid-1920's and into the next decade, the Senators' owners were besieged by a protracted period of economic strife -- after several Stanley Cup winning seasons I might add -- seeking financial assistance as early as 1927 and moving to St. Louis in 1934 due to their small market issues. Today, we are seeing the impact of another deep recession on ticket sales and gate receipts in roughly 2/3 of NHL markets. Outside of Montreal, Toronto, Vancover, Calgary, Chicago, Philly, New York and Pittsburgh, most teams will probably feel a significant financial pinch to their bottom lines if they haven't already.

Although the economic situation of today is a definite challenge for the NHL, the fact remains that Sun-Belt hockey is here to stay for the forseeable future and Canadian hockey fans should work harder to accept the current NHL landscape of 30 teams. While there are a handful of struggling franchises in the South, like Phoenix, Florida, Atlanta and even Dallas, I cannot fathom more than two franchises ever migrating back to the Great White North. And one of them may very well end up being the New York Islanders if they can't get a new arena built on Long Island. Atlanta's fan-base may be relatively small, but the potential for growth is still quite good in a growing city of 5 million people, many of whom are transplants from the North. But alas, such a debate has been waged ad-nauseam in many an internet forum and it wasn't my intention to get into that discussion at any level of depth.

In conclusion, all I wanted to do was set the table for a hockey match pitting two teams from two very different places. Both cities offer sanctuary to very innocent looking birds that represent their respective homes as the "official bird of the state". What type of hostile confrontation ensues when a Brown Thrasher happens upon a Common Loon?? Who the hell knows? I reckon they probably keep to themselves for the most part if they ever come into contact at all. But tonite, when the Senators welcome the American hockey ambassador Thrashers from the capital of Georgia, we must all keep in mind that the Thrashers are most certainly a worthy adversary for the great, historic franchise hailing from proud Ottawa. All you need to know is what happened last season when the Thrashers managed to take the victory spoils in 3 out of 4 contests outscoring the Sens by an overall margin of 16 to 7 in the process.

Thrashers Battle Blackhawks in a Showdown of Wills

Tonite, the Thrashers, led by former Blackhawks Dustin Byfuglien and Andrew Ladd, welcome the defending Stanley Cup Champions from Chicago. The four former Hawks, along with former assistant coach John Torchetti, welcome their former mates for their one and only chance to show the fans of Chicago just how much they should be missed now that they play in Atlanta. The game this evening should prove to be one full of emotion and passion as Big Buff, Laddy, Ben Eager and Brent Sopel try to send a message to their former employer. And fans hope that the emotions felt by familiar faces will produce an exciting and entertaining game, unlike the one a small crowd of Blueland faithful observed Thursday nite against Columbus.

So, above and beyond solid contributions from players like Byfuglien, Ladd and of course, netminder Ondrej Pavelec, who gets his second start in a row at home, what are the keys to tonite's contest for your Thrashers? First and foremost would be to channel their emotions and energy into a focused, efficient team effort. Passing must be better than Thursday and the "work-rate" as Darren Eliot likes to say needs to be earnest and consistent. Secondly, the Thrashers must support each other more aggressively to win battles in the corner and along the wall (as demonstrated here in this video):

And finally, the Thrashers must play as a more cohesive, unified unit to help create more chances and scoring opportunities for their mates. Hockey requires cat-like reflexes and decision-making and to have success, the team must be in sync with each other and remain committed to their gameplan. As an example of how important it is for a team to be on the "same page", see the next demonstration video:

Do those few things and the Thrashers should come out on top tonite. If not, then it's back to the drawing board and the animal farm for more inspiration.

Ma-SON of Goalie Thieves, Steal Victory "So Mote It Be"

To be perfectly honest, I don't really have the right words to do justice to Chris Mason and the superlative performance he turned in earlier tonite as the winning goalie of record in Sonrise, FL. I'm still shaking my head -- no, "I am trapped in a glass case of emotion!" -- over the fact that the Thrashers were outplayed in every facet of the game save for the one position capable of atoning for an entire team's sins of commission (and omission). And Thrashers' netminder Chris Mason did it in larcenous fashion, stopping a (Joel Auerbach, Getty Images) whopping 52 of 55 shots on goal to lead his team to victory over feisty divisional foe Florida. So instead of trying to be creative with flowery prose, how about some music of "FreeMASONry" to capture the emotion of the moment? Yes, let it be so:

ANOTHER FESTIVE BOARD:

Eternal father, strong to save (our team)

Whose arms hath bound the restless wave (of pucks),

Who bidd'st the mighty ocean deep (in the crease)

It's own appointed limits keep (our goal)

O hear us when we cry to thee (like Dan Kamal)

For those in peril on the sea (of ice)

O Trinity of love and power

Our Brethren shield in dangers hour,

From rock and tempest, fire and foe

Protect them whereso'er they roam.

Thus evermore shall rise to thee

Glad hymn of praise from land and sea.

Huh?! What's This?? TIG-inla!!

Hark! Just gleaned off the "tweety-box"....ruminate and then talk amongst yourselves please.

@TheFourthPeriod I don't know of a timeframe as to when an announcement will be made, but I can say new prospective ownership wants to keep team in Atlanta

@TheFourthPeriod On everyones ATL q's: I can't say who the new owner might/will be. I know how that sounds, but I'll share as soon as I'm at liberty to do so

@TheFourthPeriod Yes :) RT @telfo1 sale of Thrashers expected to occur this season? any idea as to who it would be to? yes or no would suffice, no name.

@TheFourthPeriod Imagine asking for THAT autograph? RT @GaetanoTFP Did you know? Iginla's real name is: Jarome Arthur-Leigh Adekunle Tig Junior Elvis Iginla

Election Day!! YOU Decide: "Winning" Record or Statistical Anomaly??

Okay folks, November -- excusez-moi, I mean MO'vember!! -- is here for your Atlanta Thrashers, who recently wrapped up a "winning" month with a 4 to 3 shoot-out loss to the St. Louis Blues last Saturday. Of course, wrapping up a winning month with a loss, even a shoot-out loss, seems to ring hollow when the team collapsed trying to hold a 2-goal lead deep into the third period of that game. Anyway, the Thrashers' record of 5 - 4 - 2 (0r points-earned percentage of .545) is probably above the expectation level of most reasonable, level-headed, discerning fans. But the puzzling Jekyll & Hyde personality of this new-look Thrashers team begs the following question: was October really a successful month or was it just an intriguing collection of statistical anomalies?

In order to decide, let's take a look at some key statistics for the first 11 games of the season. First and foremost, the Thrashers have scored a total of 36 goals thus far while giving up a total of 40, before adjusting for shoot-out and empty-net goals. After adjusting for such, the Thrashers have popped in 34 goals (avg of 3.1) compared to 37 (avg of 3.4) for their opponents. At even strength, the disparity is a bit more frightening as the Thrashers have surrendered a total of 28 goals at even-strength while only potting 20 of their own in either 5 on 5 or 4 on 4 situations. Luckily, for the T-birds, the power-play has been a refreshing surprise source of production as they have netted a total of 13 PP goals to only 9 for their opponents. In fact, the Thrashers have not yielded a PPG to their opponent in 4 straight games, outscoring them 6 to 0 with the man-advantage. Not so coincidentally, the Thrashers have garnered 6 of a possible 8 points in that 4-game stretch. Had they been able to take advantage of at least one 5 vs 3 PP in the early 3rd period Saturday nite, we would be talking about a 6 - 4 - 1 record instead.

Unfortunately, the ES goals disparity is a direct reflection of a more pressing problem the Thrashers are having in the early going of the 2010-11 season. The Thrashers have not been able to limit their opponents to less than an average of 35.5 shots (on goal) per game while only averaging a surprisingly low 28.1 shots on goal of their own. So considering that peculiar statistical anomaly, the Thrashers are very lucky to have a "winning" record for the month of October. Of course, their production with the extra man has been one of the primary reasons they've been able to stay in most games and win their share. Certainly, if you take away the two Tampa Bay debacles, in which Tampa's potent PP exploited the Thrashers' 'D' for 4 PP goals, it would seem as though the PP is the only reason they've been winning some games. But that's a bit misleading as the Thrash have managed to post a record of 3 - 2 - 0 in games in which the PPG tally has been even. Two of those three wins were impressive wins over perennial playoff teams, Washington and San Jose, which was a tough road contest on the back end of a back-to-back during their west coast swing.

The most telling stats when it comes to the Thrashers' up and down October are those of goalie Chris Mason, who has probably felt like the victim of some masochistic torture as Atlanta's netminder. Pressed into full-time duty because of the mysterious fainting spell that felled teammate and number-one goalie (in name) Ondrej Pavelec, Mason has had a rough start to the season. Somewhat of a slow starter historically, Mason has seen more rubber than, well, I won't go there in the interest of good taste. But Mason has seen a gaudy barrage of pucks that would make any goalie wanna faint from fatigue. Thus far, Mason has seen a total of 339 (nearly 36 per game) shots come his way with 306 hitting some part of his goalie paraphenalia. To Mason's dissatisfaction, 33 of those shots have eluded his attempt to stop them. Most any goalie, outside of the red-hot Tim Thomas in Boston perhaps, would be hard-pressed to stop more than 91% of those shots -- especially when you factor in some of the dreadful defensive turnovers occurring in front of him -- and Mason can't really shoulder the majority of the blame for his somewhat lackluster .903 save percentage. And while Mason may not have fainted yet during a game, he's probably felt weak-kneed and woozy at the sight of his horrific 3.50 goals against average.

Lastly, the Thrashers, despite their inability to keep pucks out of their net on a consistent basis, have certainly made strides defensively as a more cohesive unit on the ice. To wit: their impressive blocked-shots average of 17.1 per game, which is probably in the top 3 or 4 in the entire NHL. The defensive struggles have stemmed more from indecision and poor passing inside their own zone when trying to break-out into the neutral zone. Once Coach Ramsay's teachings take root (we hope!) and they iron out some of the kinks in their break-out plays, I think the Thrashers will enjoy a steady decline in not only the number of shots that get to their net, but also the number of quality chances faced by their goalies. Recently over the last three games, we've seen a drop in the number of shots making it to their net: an average of only 28.67 per game if you factor out the shots allowed in the overtime frames. If that trend continues, and the blueline can improve on their communication and efficiency with which the puck is moved out of the zone, then perhaps we will witness a meaningful improvement in the number of goals allowed -- the one stat that means everything. Over the course of 71 games (the number left this season), an average of 29 shots against means a GAA of closer to 2.60 (using a rough average of .910 for the SV%) as opposed to 3.50. Even an improvement to the GAA neighborhood of 2.70-2.80 might just be enough for a taste of the post-season this year. Is that asking too much of this team or is that a realistic goal for Coach Ramsay and his charges? You DECIDE!