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
A pair of Atlanta Thrashers defensemen who are a key part of the franchise’s turnaround season will display their talents during the NHL All-Star game.
Dustin Byfuglien and Toby Enstrom will represent the Thrashers during the All-Star game, Jan. 31 in Raleigh, N.C. (Read More…)
Tuesday, January 11, 2011 at 3:00 pm by bud
Tags: Atlanta Thrashers news, Atlanta Thrashers schedule, Atlanta Thrashers tickets, Chicago Blackhawks, Dustin Byfuglien, NHL All-Star game, Philadelphia Flyers, Philips Arena, Tampa Bay Lightning, Tobias Enstrom, 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
By Bud L. Ellis
Fighting to stay afloat in the crowded bottom two-thirds of the Eastern Conference, a power outage was the last thing the Atlanta Thrashers needed.
A three-game, 0-for-13 stretch on the power play hasn’t done anything to enhance the Thrashers’ playoff chances. But Tuesday night, locked in a 1-1 game in the third period with Anaheim at Philips Arena, Atlanta got what it hopes to be a goal that didn’t just win a game, but jump-starts its special teams.
Max Afinogenov popped home a power-play goal 4:03 into the third, breaking a 1-1 tie as the Thrashers won 2-1. The victory keeps the Thrashers on the edge of the eighth and final playoff spot in the East heading into Thursday’s road game at Philadelphia.
Colby Armstrong scored Atlanta’s first goal in the second period. Anaheim lit the lamp later in the second, but Johan Hedberg stopped the Ducks from there, recording 34 saves for the victory.
Starting with the game at Philly, the Thrashers play six of their next eight on the road leading into the Olympic break.
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Thursday, January 28, 2010 at 5:46 am by bud
Tags: Anaheim Ducks, Atlanta Thrashers, Colby Armstrong, Johan Hedberg, Max Afinogenov, Philadelphia Flyers, Philips Arena
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
A furious rally at the finish couldn’t help the Atlanta Thrashers overcome yet another sluggish start.
A Gregory Campbell goal midway through the second period turned out to be the only score of the game, as the Thrashers fell to Southeast Division rival Florida on Monday, 1-0.
The loss drops Atlanta (21-20-7) three points behind the Islanders for the eighth and final playoff spot in the crowded Eastern Conference standings. With 49 points, Atlanta is tied with Philadelphia for 11th.
Johan Hedberg did his part between the pipes for Atlanta, making 23 saves. Campbell’s goal came at the 7:18 mark of the second period, and Hedberg’s vision was partially blocked on the play.
It’s unfortunate, as that would be the difference in part because the Thrashers once again struggled offensively in the early part of the game. The Thrashers mustered just 13 shots on goal combined in the first 40 minutes.
In the third, the Thrashers finally found their offensive rhythm enough to take 14 shots on goal and keep the pressure on Florida’s defense and goaltender Tomas Vokoun. But Vokoun was too tough, and Atlanta wasn’t able to capitalize on a 6-on-4 advantage in the final 1:19.
Atlanta looks to bounce back with a quick turnaround, taking on Toronto on Tuesday at Philips Arena.
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Tuesday, January 19, 2010 at 5:02 am by bud
Tags: Atlanta Thrashers, Florida Panthers, Gregory Campbell, Johan Hedberg, National Hockey League, New York Islanders, Philadelphia Flyers, Philips Arena, Tomas Vokoun, Toronto Maple Leafs
By Bud L. Ellis
They often struggle in the first period, almost always get outshot by the opposition and their marquee player may be wearing another sweater by October (or March, for that matter).
Take all that into consideration, and it’s surprising that the Atlanta Thrashers are just three points out of the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Despite a miserable nine-game stretch that produced just three points in the standings (all coming on overtime losses), the Thrashers split their final four games of their most-recent homestand, losing 2-1 in OT to Buffalo on Thursday at Philips Arena.
So, what to make of the Thrashers as Atlanta hits the road for back-to-back Southeast Division road games Saturday at Carolina and Monday at Florida? With 36 games remaining on the schedule, the Thrashers have an opportunity to reach the playoffs for just the second time in franchise history.
But they’ll have to earn it.
The East is a jumbled mess once you get through the first four playoff spots. Boston sits in fifth with 53 points; Tampa Bay and Florida are tied for 12th, just seven points out of fifth.
Atlanta’s right in the midst of that, and when the Thrashers are right (as they were in the early weeks of the season), this is a solid team. The combo of Ondrej Pavelec and Johan Hedberg has been good in goal on more nights than not. Ilya Kovalchuk has not let his uncertain contract status hamper his play (he has 18 points in his past 21 games). A young defense, sparked by Tobias Enstrom, Zach Bogosian and Evander Kane, provide promise.
But Atlanta fans have listened to promises for a decade, with just one playoff berth and zero postseason wins to show for it. The time for the Thrashers to make their move is now.
Fourteen games remain until the Olympic break, and Atlanta faces Southeast Division foes in half of those contests. Nine of the 14 are on the road, so it won’t be easy. But playing well now could pay big dividends in early spring for a team clearly sitting on the playoff bubble.
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Saturday, January 16, 2010 at 10:03 am by bud
Tags: Atlanta Thrashers, Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Carolina Hurricanes, Evander Kane, Florida Panthers, Ilya Kovalchuk, National Hockey League, Ondrej Pavelec, Philips Arena, Tampa Bay Lightning, Tobias Enstrom, Zach Bogosian
By Bud L. Ellis
It’s hard enough to win in overtime, when it’s 4-on-4 and one mistake can lead to an rush up ice.
But 4-on-3? That’s not any way to play in extra time, and it cost the Atlanta Thrashers dearly Thursday night.
Zach Bogosian took an elbowing penalty in overtime and the Buffalo Sabres made the Thrashers pay, Derek Roy beating Ondrej Pavelec on a slapshot midway through the extra time in a 2-1 Atlanta loss at Philips Arena.
The Thrashers played most of the final few minutes short-handed. Christoph Schubert took a holding call with 1:10 left in regulation. Atlanta killed off that two-minute disadvantage, but Bogosian was whistled for elbowing just 51 seconds after Schubert’s penalty ended.
Ilya Kovalchuk continued his good work, scoring the lone Atlanta goal at the 16:42 mark of the second period to tie the game at 1-1. Kovalchuck’s 18th point in his past 21 games came off assists from Slava Kozlov and Tobias Enstrom.
Roy’s goal, his 11th of the season, was his second OT game-winner against Atlanta this season.
The Thrashers travel to Carolina Saturday for the first of two Southeast Division road games. The Thrashers play Monday at Florida.
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Friday, January 15, 2010 at 10:22 pm by bud
Tags: Atlanta Thrashers, Buffalo Sabres, Carolina Hurricanes, Christoph Schubert, Florida Panthers, Ilya Kovalchuk, National Hockey League, Ondrej Pavelec, Philips Arena, Slava Kozlov, Tobias Enstrom, Zach Bogosian
By Bud L. Ellis
Forty-three days after winning a game in regulation, the Atlanta Thrashers re-discovered that winning in 60 minutes feeling on Tuesday.
Ilya Kovalchuk scored once and added two assists, and six Thrashers scored in a 6-1 rout of Ottawa at Philips Arena.
The victory marked the second time in five days the Thrashers won a game, after losing nine in a row. It also was the first victory in regulation for Atlanta since a 4-3 victory over Florida on Nov. 30.
Pavel Kubina scored the eventual game-winner 17:08 into the first period, snapping a 1-1 tie. Kovalchuk, who now has 17 points in his past 20 games despite the distraction of his ongoing contract negotiations, made it 3-1.
Eric Boulton scored the first goal for the Thrashers, who moved to within two points of the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with the victory. Todd White snapped a 35-game goalless streak by lighting the lap. Bryan Little and Tobias Enstrom also scored for Atlanta.
In goal, Ondrej Pavelec made 30 saves for the Thrashers, who wrapped up a four-game homestand with a contest Thursday night against Buffalo.
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Thursday, January 14, 2010 at 8:22 pm by bud
Tags: Atlanta Thrashers, Bryan Little, Buffalo Sabres, Eric Boulton, Florida Panthers, Ilya Kovalchuk, Ondrej Pavelec, Ottawa Senators, Pavel Kubina, Philips Arena, Tobias Enstrom, Todd White
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
