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 opened January the same way they played through most of December: With a thrilling victory.
The Thrashers traveled to Montreal on Sunday and despite being outshot 50-28, left the building with two points. Dustin Byfuglien’s third overtime goal of the season backed up the strong goaltending from Ondrej Pavelec as the Thrashers downed the Canadiens, 4-3. (Read More…)
Monday, January 3, 2011 at 7:59 pm by bud
Tags: Andrew Ladd, Atlanta Thrashers news, Atlanta Thrashers schedule, Atlanta Thrashers tickets, Dustin Byfuglien, Evander Kane, Montreal Canadiens, Ondrej Pavelec, Rich Peverley
By Bud L. Ellis
There is a long way to go until the Stanley Cups Playoffs begin, and plenty of teams fighting for a handful of spots in the middle of the Eastern Conference.
There is plenty of time for the Atlanta Thrashers to slide back in the standings. But, if the Thrashers find themselves among the eight teams from the East entering postseason play, circle Thursday night’s remarkable 4-3 victory at Philadelphia.
The win moved Atlanta from 13th to sixth in the tightly bunched Eastern Conference standings. It’s just late January, but for a franchise that’s tasted the postseason just once in its decade of existence, it’s huge nonetheless.
Trailing on the road by two goals, against a team that historically gives Atlanta fits, the Thrashers rallied for three goals in the third period. Johan Hedberg made it stand up, putting on a performance that included perhaps the save of the season in the NHL.
The hot-shot rookie, Evander Kane, and the forgotten man, Jim Slater, teamed up for two goals that sparked Atlanta. The first goal gave Atlanta a 1-0 lead six minutes into the game. The second one was far more important.
After Ilya Kovalchuk snapped a four-game scoreless streak with his 31st of the season just 29 seconds into the third period, Rich Peverley tied the game with 15:34 left on a breakaway.
Kane then broke free down the left side, wrapped around the net and found an open Slater in the slot for the game-winner with 6:34 left.
Hedberg made it stick, coming way out of his net to slap away a shot. In the process, his mask and jersey fell over his head, and he blindly tried to clear the puck. Hedberg emerged with a smile on his face, and his teammates were all grins a few minutes later when the game ended, Atlanta’s first back-to-back regulation wins since mid-December.
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Saturday, January 30, 2010 at 12:17 pm by bud
Tags: Atlanta Thrashers, Evander Kane, Ilya Kovalchuk, Jim Slater, Johan Hedberg, National Hockey League, Philadelphia Flyers, Rich Peverley
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
After an initial burst put them in a 2-0 hole, the Atlanta Thrashers fought back. As per the case so many times in his brilliant career, Ilya Kovalchuk led the charge.
The Thrashers’ sharpshooter scored twice, his first two-goal game since Nov. 13, and goals from rookie Evander Kane and Rich Peverley gave the Thrashers all the offense needed in a 4-3 victory over Toronto on Tuesday at Philips Arena.
With the victory, Atlanta moves into a tie for ninth with Philadelphia in the Eastern Conference standings with 51 points, one point behind the Islanders for the eighth and final playoff spot.
Toronto scored twice in a 32-second span of the first period, putting the Thrashers in a 2-0 hole just five minutes into the contest. But Ondrej Pavelec steadied himself in goal, and in the second period Atlanta rallied.
Kovalchuk started it with a goal at the 2:43 mark. Kane scored 10 minutes later to tie the game at 2-2. In the third, Peverley converted on a power play for the game-winner at 1:58, and Kovalchuk scored at the 4:20 mark.
Toronto would score again to cut the margin to one, but Pavelec and the Atlanta defense held up. Kovalchuk finished with the two goals and an assist.
The Thrashers play host to Carolina Thursday.
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Wednesday, January 20, 2010 at 5:26 am by bud
Tags: Atlanta Thrashers, Evander Kane, Ilya Kovalchuk, National Hockey League, Ondrej Pavelec, Rich Peverley, Toronto Maple Leafs
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
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
By Bud L. Ellis
For all their early-season success on the road, the Atlanta Thrashers have found some rough sledding away from Philips Arena.
Atlanta dropped to 1-2 on its current four-game road swing, losing 3-1 Wednesday night at Calgary in a game where the Thrashers couldn’t generate any offense.
Colby Armstrong scored his fourth goal of the season for Atlanta at the 12:27 mark of the third period, scoring off assists off Rich Peverley and Boris Valabik. Armstrong’s goal cut a 2-0 deficit in half, but Atlanta couldn’t draw any closer.
Following a scoreless first period, Calgary posted two goals in the second to grab a 2-0 advantage. Nigel Dawes beat Atlanta goaltender Johan Hedberg 2:09 into the second for the game’s first goal, and Olli Jokinen scored at the 14:28 mark.
Rene Bourque added an empty-net goal with 40 seconds left.
For the Thrashers, who started the season by winning eight of their first 11 road games, Wednesday’s loss followed an ugly 5-2 defeat Monday at Toronto. Atlanta opened the roadtrip with a shootout victory Saturday in Florida.
The Thrashers end the road trip Thursday at Vancouver. The game marks a homecoming for Evander Kane, the Thrashers’ first-round draft pick this season who hails from Vancouver.
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Thursday, December 10, 2009 at 9:29 pm by bud
Tags: Atlanta Thrashers, Boris Valabik, Calgary Flames, Colby Armstrong, Florida Panthers, Johan Hedberg, Philips Arena, Rich Peverley, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks
