Atlanta Thrashers Schedule
Tuesday
2/7/2012
7:30PM
Winnipeg Jets vs Toronto Maple Leafs
Thursday
2/9/2012
7:00PM
Washington Capitals vs Winnipeg Jets
Saturday
2/11/2012
2:00PM
Pittsburgh Penguins vs Winnipeg Jets
NEWS
By Bud L. Ellis
The Atlanta Thrashers, trying desperately trying to jumpstart their playoff push before they fall too far out of the eighth and final spot in the NHL’s Eastern Conference, were busy on Monday’s trading deadline day.
The Thrashers traded for Radek Dvorak from Florida, sending Niclas Bergfors and Patrick Rissmiller to the Panthers for the 33-year-old forward. (Read More…)
Monday, February 28, 2011 at 8:24 pm by bud
Tags: Atlanta Thrashers news, Atlanta Thrashers schedule, Atlanta Thrashers tickets, Brett Feasterling, Calgary Flames, Carolina Hurricanes, Drew MacIntyre, Florida Panthers, Fredrik Modin, Montreal Canadians, National Hockey League, New York Islanders, Niclas Bergfors, Patrick Rissmiller, Radek Dvorak, Rob Schremp
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
By Bud L. Ellis
When locked in a tight race for the playoffs, missed opportunities are accentuated. Thus was the case with the Atlanta Thrashers on a frosty Saturday night in Nashville.
Giving up a goal on the opening faceoff of the third period Saturday night proved too much for Atlanta to overcome, the Thrashers suffering a bitter 4-3 defeat to the Nashville Predators.
The loss dropped the Thrashers from sixth in the Eastern Conference standings into a two-way tie for seventh with Montreal. Four teams – Boston, Tampa Bay, Florida and the New York Rangers – are one point back.
Facing a team playing for the second time in two nights and riding a five-game losing streak, the Thrashers let the game turn in the opening seconds of the third period. Jason Arnott scored just seven seconds into the final period to break a 3-3 tie.
Nashville started quickly, scoring twice off Johan Hedberg in the opening 10 minutes. Bryan Little scored the first of his two goals at 13:57 of the first.
Down 3-1, the Thrashers pulled within 3-2 on a Chris Thorburn short-handed goal in the second period, just 1:11 after Nashville scored its third goal. Little then tied the game at 3-3 with five minutes left in the second.
Atlanta had it chances in the third to tie the game, most notably on an Ilya Kovalchuk breakaway that was stymied.
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Sunday, January 31, 2010 at 10:18 am by bud
Tags: Atlanta Thrashers, Boston Bruins, Bryan Little, Chris Thorburn, Florida Panthers, Ilya Kovalchuk, Johan Hedberg, Montreal Canadians, Nashville Predators, New York Rangers, Tampa Bay Lightning
By Bud L. Ellis
These are the types of games the Atlanta Thrashers can ill-afford to lose if they want to reach the playoffs.
But Antero Niittymaki once again kept the Thrashers at bay, and after 65 minutes of dramatic hockey and five shootout rounds, Atlanta left Tampa with a bitter 2-1 loss.
Jeff Halpern beat Johan Hedberg in round five of the shootout, and Niittymak improved to 15-0 lifetime against the Thrashers, making 37 saves. As great as Hedberg was, Niittymak was better.
The loss moves the Lightning into a tie with the Thrashers for 12th place in the Eastern Conference with 52 points, three behind the Rangers and Montreal, who occupy the final two playoff spots.
Nik Antropov scored the lone goal for the Thrashers at the 5:23 mark of the first period. Tampa tied the game two minutes later. The score then remained knotted at 1-1 the rest of the way, in a game that features playoff-type intensity and hard-fought play from both sides.
Atlanta looks to rebound Tuesday at Philips Arena against Anaheim.
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Sunday, January 24, 2010 at 1:18 pm by bud
Tags: Anaheim Ducks, Antero Niittymaki, Atlanta Thrashers, Jeff Halpern, Johan Hedberg, Montreal Canadians, National Hockey League, New York Rangers, Nik Antropov, Philips Arena, Tampa Bay Lightning
By Bud L. Ellis
Usually, it takes the Atlanta Thrashers a period or so to come to life.
Thursday night at Philips Arena, the Thrashers had plenty of jump in the game’s first three minutes, putting five shots on goal against Carolina. But then, the air went out of the balloon, Eric Stahl scored the first of his three goals and the rout was in motion.
Sure, the 5-2 final score didn’t look bad, but trust me, it was. Many inside Philips Arena left during the early stages of the third period, when Atlanta had three power plays and couldn’t muster much of a charge, down at that stage 4-1 to the team with the worst record in the NHL.
Colby Armstrong gave the home crowd a glimmer of hope, cutting the deficit to 4-2 with under nine minutes to play. But Carolina was too strong, and Stahl capped his hat trick with an empty netter in the final minutes.
Rich Peverley put Atlanta on the board midway through the second period. But by then it was 4-0, thanks to two quick Carolina goals three minutes apart in the first half of the first period, and two power-play goals 1:53 apart in the opening minutes of the second period.
The loss keeps Atlanta out of the eighth and final playoff spot in the East. The Thrashers remain at 51 points, tied for 10th with Montreal, three points behind the Islanders and Bruins, who are tied for seventh.
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Thursday, January 21, 2010 at 9:34 pm by bud
Tags: Atlanta Thrashers, Boston Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes, Colby Armstrong, Eric Stahl, Montreal Canadians, National Hockey League, New York Islanders, Philips Arena, Rich Peverley
By Bud L. Ellis
This is the type of performance the Atlanta Thrashers need more of if they want to be in contention for an Eastern Conference playoff spot.
Ilya Kovalchuk scored the go-ahead goal just 44 seconds after Carolina had tied the game, and the Thrashers added a Nik Antropv empty-net tally with time running down to secure a 5-3 victory at Carolina on Saturday.
The win moves Atlanta one point out of the eighth and final playoff spot, in the jumbled Eastern Conference standings. The Thrashers are 21-19-7 for 49 points, tied with Philadelphia and one point behind the Islanders and Montreal. Florida, where the Thrashers play Monday, is one point behind Atlanta.
Ondrej Pavelec stopped Eric Stahl on a penalty shot midway through the second period of a 1-1 game. Atlanta responded with goals from Jim Slater and Rich Peverley just 72 seconds apart later in the period, and the Thrashers carried a 3-1 advantage into the final period.
But Carolina responded with two goals in a 70-second span, Ray Whitney’s slap shot tying the game at 3-3 at the 9:09 mark of the third.
Kovalchuk needed just 44 seconds to put the Thrashers back in front. He blasted a slap shot in for his 28th goal of the season, off assists from Tobias Enstrom and Antropov.
Kovalchuk finished with a goal and an assist, giving him 20 points in his past 22 games. Slater finished with a goal and an assist, as did Antropov and Zach Bogosian, who scored Atlanta’s first goal 2:29 into the first.
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Sunday, January 17, 2010 at 4:34 pm by bud
Tags: Atlanta Thrashers, Carolina Hurricanes, Eric Stahl, Florida Panthers, Ilya Kovalchuk, Jim Slater, Montreal Canadians, National Hockey League, New York Islanders, Nik Antropov, Ondrej Pavelec, Philadelphia Flyers, Ray Whitney, Rich Peverley, Tobias Enstrom, Zach Bogosian
By Bud L. Ellis
The ugly truth behind the Atlanta Thrashers’ recent skid is thing could get worse … much worse.
With superstar winger and soon-to-be free agent Ilya Kovalchuk still not signed, Atlanta’s 1-6-3 record in its past 10 games is merely a companion part of the misery suffered by fans of a team that in the past month has fell from sixth in the Eastern Conference to 11th.
Certainly, there is plenty of time for a turnaround. Atlanta opened play Tuesday night just four points behind eighth-place Montreal for the final playoff spot. But a lack of special teams, a troubling habit of falling behind early and a defense that’s giving up way too many shots have combined for a snowball effect.
The last time out, Washington hung a snowman on Atlanta (that’s eight goals), handing the Thrashers their worst loss of the season in an 8-1 drubbling at Philips Arena.
As for Kovalchuk? He leads the team in goals (25) and points (47), and stands tied for third in assists. But the team and Kovalchuk remain in disagreement on the amount the All-Star should be paid. It’s possible he will be traded before the NHL trade deadline in early March, but the Thrashers hold out hope they can reach an agreement before then.
A few wins wouldn’t hurt, either.
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Tuesday, January 12, 2010 at 6:23 pm by bud
Tags: Atlanta Thrashers, Ilya Kovalchuk, Montreal Canadians, National Hockey League, Philips Arena, Washington Capitals
By Bud L. Ellis
One night after a disappointing loss at Florida, the Atlanta Thrashers kept battling.
In the end, the effort paid off. Rich Peverley scored the game-winning goal 1:16 into overtime Thursday night, the Thrashers rebounding to knock off the Dallas Stars 6-5 in overtime at Philips Arena.
Peverley led the offense with a goal and an assist for Atlanta, which moved into fifth place in the Eastern Conference with the victory
Twenty-four hours after giving up a late third-period goal in losing at Southeast Division rival Florida, the Thrashers took advantage of their few chances in the offensive zone. Outshot 47-25, Atlanta got goals in regulation from Peverley, Max Afinogenov, Nik Antopov, Ilya Kovalchuk and Jim Slater.
The win marks the first time in franchise history the Thrashers have beaten the Stars at Philips Arena.
Faced with an onslaught of shots, Ondrej Pavelec was just good enough to earn his first victory in net since late November. Pavelec allowed the game-tying goal to Loui Eriksson with only 72 seconds left in regulation to force overtime, but turned away plenty of good scoring chances for the Stars.
Atlanta plays host to New Jersey Saturday, then welcomes in Montreal on Monday to wrap up a three-game homestand.
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Saturday, December 19, 2009 at 12:01 am by bud
Tags: Atlanta Thrashers, Dallas Stars, Ilya Kovalchuk, Jim Slater, Max Afinogenov, Montreal Canadians, National Hockey League, New Jersey Devils, Nik Antopov, Ondrej Pavelec, Philips Arena, Rich Peverley
