Questions:
1) How can two evenly-matched teams play against one another reasonably well, with exactly equivalent shots on goal, and one of them lose in an especially humiliating fashion because of their goalie?
2) How can the aforementioned team's goalie put on such an astonishing performance in one game and be soul-incineratingly bad in the next game?
Conclusions:
1) A year ago, this game would have sent me spiraling into the deepest despair. Tonight, I'm not depressed. I'm only pissed off. Because we could have won that game, easily. Most people on the Atlanta Thrashers professional hockey team played well tonight. Our goaltender didn't. It doesn't matter how good you are if your goaltender turns in a sucky performance.
2) I'm not saying Pavelec is a bad goaltender. He's obviously not. All I'm saying is that it would be prudent, at the moment, to consider making a certain Swedish quadruped our #1 goaltender. But then again, what do I know?
3) Sanctimony along the lines of either "ZOMG everyone sucks" or "NEVER CRITICIZE OUR TEAM OR ANY INDIVIDUAL PLAYERS EVER EVER EVER" is mindless as hell. In both cases.
4) Congratulations on the shutout, Moose.
Postscript:
There are plenty of reasons for hope here. Plenty.
Post-Postcript:
Did you ever, EVER, expect to see the likes of this?
^---click the damn thing.
4 comments:
I am so impressed with that picture. Monkey puking, plumber butt crack... Unbelieveable!!!!! For a moment I forgot we lost.
Pavelec, like most young players in all sports, will have some ups and downs. Sometimes it's maddening, like tonight. Pavelec could start against the Sharks on Saturday and have a shutout. It's a growing process. I'm interested to see how he responds. The good ones bounce back. With a young team like the Thrashers you have to love the fight they showed in coming back. It's been a trait I've seen since John Anderson has taken over as coach. Other team's leads are never safe. There's a lot to like about this team.
Jay-
Indeed.
I was very proud of the team for pulling to within one after the debacle in the second period. Like Morty said, the team played very well, Pav did not. Bench him Saturday then have him start in goal against the Caps next Thursday.
The fluke goal was maddening, but they happen once in a blue moon. Pavelic letting it get in his head enough to give up two more over the next 1:28 is absolutely unacceptable. An NHL goalie has to be able to shake off a bad goal and stone his opponents the rest of the way out.
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