Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Haw Haw Haw

1) I apologize profusely and shamefacedly to everyone to whom we gave tickets for that smegma tournament of a game. Especially to anyone who might have driven from Savannah---one of America's most beautiful and romantic cities---to Hate City for a 4-0 shutout at the hands of a team that really isn't that much better than us.

2) Haw haw, silly Puritans. They actually think giving the homeless free beer is a bad thing. We in the relaxed and strange city of ATL know it is, in fact, a wicked idea.

3) I hope it doesn't sound self-righteous when I say that the Thrashers' fucking great fans (like the ones who drive great distances to see an important game) deserve something better than tragic un-clutchness on the one hand and complacent/snotty/provincial condescension on the other.

8 comments:

Jay said...

I just got home from Atlanta. That game sucked. I'm never bringing my mom to a game again. The Thrashers are 0-2-3 in games she attends this year. Both regulation losses were 4-0 shutouts(Carolina and tonight). Even with the loss, the playoffs are still not hopeless, especially with Philly playing the way they are. Thanks again for the tickets.

Razor Catch Prey said...

As disappointing as it was to lose that game, especially 4-0, I can't find much fault in the way the team played. Can you really tell me that you saw a lack of effort out there? The team was working hard, they just plain got outplayed. The Bruins were the better team.

Then again, there is also an argument to be made about the "culture of losing" to which Shooter alluded previously. In the biggest game of the season for both teams, the Bruins came out 4 goals stronger.

Thrashers VP= Don Waddell.

Bruins VP= Cam Neely.

Culture issue there?

Big Shooter said...

You know, in ways I think there is plenty of fault and in ways I don't. You can place fault on the fact that through 10 years of losing you have a chance to finally do something meaningful and you lay an egg. The way we have done literally every single time we have a chance to do something meaningful.

On the other hand, if you read this here blog you know where I stand, I look up and down our roster and I just don't think we are good enough to make the playoffs. So should we expect them to come out and win if they aren't good enough? Believe me, I hope I'm wrong and I'm at the games screaming my head off for them, but I just don't think they have the talent level.

Speaking of not having the talent level, the worst thing in the world for us would be to finish 9th. Have the owners keep Waddell because we are "close" and moving in the "right direction". Well. You know the rest of the story so I'll shut up.

Jay, my friend, you deserve some sort of an award.

j_barty_party said...

The fact of the matter is that the loyal fans of this franchise deserve a better effort all around. It was there in spurts, but the team was too easily discouraged, as evidenced by the countless mind-numbing icings of the puck by our confused and panicked D-men. Where were the coaching adjustments by JA and Cunneyworth-less? Are you telling me they didn't expect a 1 - 4 neutral zone trap? Are you going to tell me that because we don't have enough talent, there's no way we could ever penetrate or break-down a neutral zone trap? C'mon.

Yes, the first goal was important. We discussed that ad nauseam before the contest. We didn't get it. They effort level wasn't really ratcheted up until AFTER the 1st goal and thanks to Eric Boulton's fight. But even then it seemed like there was confusion and a lack of patience by the players. But the coaches did nothing. I commented to Morty that JA just stood there during the long, under 10 min timeout. Why? Is that not a good time to chew some butt or at least counsel your team on what they may be doing wrong? Probably so, but I fear that JA and company had no idea what to make of things. Perhaps they didn't want to further panic the "nervous, young" team.

Well, okay then. Go to the room between periods and draw up something different. Figure out a way to chip the puck out of your zone to a forward who can get it inside the red line before dumping it in. Throw your own trap at them and see how willing they are to attack and try to put them on their heels with a counter-attack of your own. I don't know, I'm not sure. But you would think our coaches could manage to come up with some semblance of sensible strategy to help our players get a few more chances.

But lastly, I will say this: the players are as much to blame for making things harder than necessary. Too often they wait or look for the extra pass (as if Boston is going to overplay the puck in their zone!) to a teammate that isn't there rather than get a puck on the goalie's pads and go after the rebound. Perhaps they were discouraged early and felt as though they needed to outsmart or out-maneuver their opponent. But in all my years of watching "playoff" hockey, the winning team is often the one who executes SIMPLE plays more often and capitalizes on their chances when they happen. Whether that requires more talent than we have, I'm not sure I'm ready to concede on that point. I've seen Bergie, Antro, Max even Little and C-Mac execute some nifty goals. Perhaps they just can't do it when the pressure is on. Ugggggh!

Big Shooter said...

Feel better?

GoPuckYourself said...

Burnside wrote an article about our latest failure. The tone isn't as negative as I'd come to expect from him. At least it now seems like he wants the Thrashers to get their shit together and win some hockey games.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/columns/story?columnist=burnside_scott&id=5023274

Razor Catch Prey said...

Great bit from Puck Daddy just now: "Down Goes Brown on the NHLPA's delays on approving a headshot ban: 'It's taking us several days to explain to Jason Spezza(notes) what a 'bodycheck' is.'"

Razor Catch Prey said...

Also, to steal one from Speaker from last night:

If Brad Ference and Andrew Ference played together, would any pass between the two be inter-Ference?