It’s raining in Seattle tonight. It was raining sideways yesterday afternoon and in buckets last night. It rarely stops raining in Seattle. People wander the Billy goat steep streets of this ill-conceived city is a state of aggravation. They trudge and splash through the gray mist in black Doc Martens. The masses are damp, tired and pale. The two days I spent in the birth place of Pearl Jam, Nirvana and corporate coffee are mercifully over. Most every time I travel for the job that pays the bills it makes me appreciate home. Be grateful if your phone number includes a 404, 770 or 678 prefix. If your phone number does not begin with these digits, please stay where you are. We’re full.
Carolina vs. Thrashers – 11/16/07
First Period – I think we can safely say that Hossa is all the way back. Number 18 owned the first period in Raleigh scoring the only goals of the period. He was denied a natural hat trick on a great save by Cam Ward on a short-handed break away. The Thrasher defense bent but did not break. Carolina won the shots on goal battle but their scoring chances were few and weak. Todd White once again made a key play on the rush. White showed tremendous patience drawing in Ward and then threading a beautiful touch pass to Hossa. Hos is a finisher similar to LaDainian Tomlinson in football. If he gets an opening he is going to score these days. Great road period, the Carolina faithful are quiet.
2-0 Thrash.
Second period – power play, pass, pass, pass, no takers, somebody shoot, Moose, no rebound, sticky glove hand, no rebound, PP no shots, sloppy, sloppier, Moose saves, no rebound, fourth-line bang, fourth line buzz, buzz, check, lift the puck Jimmy, everything but the goal, Moose gives it up, Moose gives it up and falls down, monkey meet football, you do the math, just hold on, hold on, penalty, breathing hard, lungs burning, too much pressure, just hold on, shot blocked, shot, clear, nice PK, horn, whew!
2-0 Thrash
Third period
They didn’t panic, not even once. They didn’t panic and the Thrashers played the final 20 minutes like a team who knows how to win. A team won this game tonight. The D-men did their job very well, the stars scored the goals and role players played their roles. We actually have a system now and it works. Johan Hedberg got his first shutout in a few years and put on a fundamental net-minding clinic. The Thrashers fly home happy with two critical road points.
Final - Thrash 3 – Carolina - nuttin
My three stars:
1) Hossa – he did it all
2) The Moose
3) A tie - The PK unit and the forth line – Our PK is the worst in the league at a little over 70% effectiveness but the kill looked very composed tonight. The forth line provided some muscle, jump and energy.
Nine wins and four losses
Never again will I question Don Waddell’s hockey expertise. Under his leadership Atlanta is 9-4 and performing like a playo*%#@ team. I almost prematurely used the “P” word If it ain’t broke, don’t replace it. I vote that Don retain his job through the postseason this year. Here are the main reasons why the Thrashers have done an about face since the departure of “Smilin” Bob Hartley.
1) Line Cohesion – Since the lines have had a chance to play together consistently they have each gained an identity. The MVP line, (named this because someone on this line is getting the NHL MVP this year), is unstoppable. Some feel that the disproportionate amount of goals scored from the Kovy, White, Hossa line is dangerous. Please explain why. They score goals and we win. Ottawa packed a line last year and almost won a Cup. Our other lines each have an identity and a purpose now and across the board they look comfortable. Line tinkering doe’s not work. Remember 0-6?
2) See #1
3) “The Don” System – Fugetabotit, we finally have a system. It’s our first true system since the team’s inception and it works. It’s based in logic and the players respond to it. They look like they are having fun on the ice. What a concept!
4) Making plays – Certain Thrashers are stepping up in key situations. Todd White has made two huge plays recently that have won games for the Thrashers. In the Thriller last Tuesday, White out hustled a Florida Defender in their zone and made a spectacular, no-look pass to Kovy for the OT winner. Hockey games are usually decided on a few plays. We’re making them recently and White has proven to be a playmaker after a slow start.
5) Team Mentality – It appears that our guys want to win for each other. You can see it on the bench, on the ice and in the post game comments. IIya has dropped the word “I” from his vocabulary and tonight Hossa passed to IIya for an empty netter instead of completing the hat trick.
So the boys have the weekend off. Maybe play a little golf in Tucker? Take the kids to the park in mid-town? Watch some football at Jocks N, Jills? Maybe find peace, quiet and beauty in the GA Mountains? Whatever they choose, they can do it in or around Atlanta. We take our city for granted at times and overemphasize its shortcomings. The traffic is bad, we all know it. It may be the worst traffic in the US but I’d sit idle on route 285 for 4 hours a day rather than drown in Seattle angst, marinate in the L.A self-importance, or stew in the land of Mickey Mouse and timeshare pitches.
Monday we meet Vinnie and the Lightning in Blueland for a change. A win gets Atlanta to .500. It’s getting exciting!
Your Loyal Servant,
Sean Grace
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