By Bud L. Ellis
Down two goals on the road against one of the top teams in the NHL, the Atlanta Thrashers dug deep and entered the Olympic break with momentum.
The Thrashers scored three times in the second period, fought hard through overtime and eventually lost in a shootout Saturday night at Chicago, 5-4. Despite the loss, Atlanta wrapped up a difficult Midwestern road trip with four points in three games.
The burst to close the pre-Olympic part of the schedule moves the new-look Thrashers to within two points of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Atlanta traded franchise all-time leading scorer Ilya Kovalchuk and former No. 1 goaltender Kari Lehtonen in separate deals last week.
In Chicago to face the Blackhawks, who are third in the NHL with 85 points, Atlanta fell behind 3-1 in the first. Jim Slater scored at 3:41 of the first before the Blackhawks ripped off three goals in six minutes against Ondrej Pavelec.
But the Thrashers fought back in the second, getting goals from Evander Kane, Max Afinogenov and Tobias Enstrom to take a 4-3 lead entering the final period.
Chicago beat Pavelec early in the third on a Dave Bolland goal to tie the game. In the shootout, Jonathan Toews scored the only goal to give the Blackhawks the win.
Still, it was a strong finish to the pre-Olympic break for Atlanta. The Thrashers resume pursuit of their second playoff berth in franchise history on March 2 at home against Florida.
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Sunday, February 14, 2010 at 11:30 am by bud
Tags: Atlanta Thrashers, Chicago Blackhawks, Dave Bolland, Evander Kane, Florida Panthers, Ilya Kovalchuk, Jim Slater, Jonathan Toews, Kari Lehtonen, Max Afinogenov, National Hockey League, Ondrej Pavelec, Tobias Enstrom
By Bud L. Ellis
In eight years, Ilya Kovalchuk wrote his name all over the Atlanta Thrashers’ record book, becoming the franchise’s cornerstone and the face of hockey in Atlanta.
That era ended Thursday night with the soon-to-be free-agent Kovalchuk packing his bags for New Jersey and the Thrashers looking to move on without their career leader in games, points, goals and assists.
Ending months of tense contract negotiations during which general manager Don Waddell offered as much as $100 million, the Thrashers dealt the perennial All-Star left winger to the Devils as part of a deal involving five players, three draft picks and plenty of teeth-grinding in Atlanta on who to blame for Kovalchuk’s departure.
Atlanta also sends defenseman Anssi Salmela, traded from New Jersey last year for Niclas Havelid, to the Devils. In return, Atlanta gets defenseman Johnny Oduya, rookie forward Niclas Bergfors and prospect Patrice Cormier.
Bergfors is fifth in the NHL in rookie scoring, with 13 goals and 14 assists. Oduya is a strong defenseman who has just four points this year, but scored 27 points a year ago while playing all 82 games. Cormier had 31 goals in 31 games in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League before being suspended for the rest of the season for a high elbow.
Without a doubt, though, the centerpiece is Kovalchuk, who scored 31 goals with 27 assists in 49 games for an Atlanta team just one point out of a playoff spot. But Kovalchuk, who will be an unrestricted free agent July 1, and the Thrashers could not come to terms. Rather than keep him and risk getting nothing in return if a contract couldn’t be reached, the Thrashers decided to roll the dice that they could make the playoffs without their top scorer.
For many, the blame rests with Waddell, who wasn’t aggressive enough early on in negotiations. For some, the blame rests with Kovalchuk, who was offered plenty of money but wanted the absolute max salary possible.
Either way, the Thrashers’ playoff chase begins anew Friday night against Eastern Conference leader Washington. For the first time since April 2001, they’ll take the ice without Kovalchuk as part of their organization.
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Thursday, February 4, 2010 at 8:36 pm by bud
Tags: Anssi Salmela, Atlanta Thrashers, Don Waddell, Ilya Kovalchuk, Johnny Oduya, National Hockey League, New Jersey Devils, Niclas Bergfors, Patrice Cormier, Washington Capitals
By Bud L. Ellis
The Atlanta Thrashers find themselves in a logjam for the final Eastern Conference playoffs spots. Every game leading up to the Olympic break is critical for a team that’s fighting to be in position to make a postseason push come March.
This is not the time the Thrashers want to see Antero Niittymaki in the pipes at the opposite end of the rink. But that’s likely what will be the case Tuesday at Philips Arena, when Atlanta plays host to Tampa Bay.
Niittymaki is 15-0-0 – yes, 15-0-0! – against the Thrashers in his career, with a 1.79 goals against average. Two of those wins have come this season, including a 2-1 shootout victory on Jan. 23 during which Niittymaki stuffed the Thrashers through five rounds of the shootout.
Both teams are coming off tough road losses. Saturday, the Thrashers battled back from an early 2-0 deficit only to lose in Nashville, 4-3. Sunday, the Lightning fought back to tie red-hot Washington before the Caps prevailed 3-2, extending Washington’s win streak to 10 games.
If the playoffs opened today, both teams would just miss a postseason spot. Atlanta wakes up tied for ninth with Montreal with 56 points, one point out of eighth. Tampa Bay sits with 55 points, tied for 11th with Boston.
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Tuesday, February 2, 2010 at 5:27 am by bud
Tags: Antero Niittymaki, Atlanta Thrashers, Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadians, Nashville Predators, National Hockey League, Philips Arena, Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals
