Thrashers @ Penguins 12/28/10

Sorry for the late timing on the hockey column, but last night was the first visit to the Consol Energy Center. The Thrashers had come to town for a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, and it was time to see two of the league's best in what could be a playoff matchup come April.


Thoughts on the game itself(Penguins 6-Thrashers 3)

1) The Penguins were absolutely dominant...after the end of the first period. Until that time though, it was the Atlanta Thrashers show. Despite the fact that it was a convincing three goal win, it's a safe bet that head coach Dan Bylsma wasn't happy with the team's total effort.

2) The play that defined the game? Try Mark Letestu's goal, which involved him muscling 18-year-old Alex Burmistrov out of the way before pouncing on the now loose puck and sliding it under the arm of Ondrej Pavelec.

The Thrashers might be talented, but they've got a long ways to go to catch up to the Penguins.

3) For the Penguins, is there any reason that the team takes so many penalties? With a veteran team, it's completely unacceptable that the team puts itself in so many shorthanded situations.

On the positive side, the team finally appears to be clicking on the power play. Kris Letang looks confident running the point of the power play, and the rest of the team falls into its positions.

(A confident Letang means a good power play in Pittsburgh)

4) For the Thrashers, the team needs to work on playing defense. Almost every goal could be attributed to a defensive lapse, and even the team's best defender has too many lapses near the puck. The team is almost certainly trading for a defenseman during the break.

On the other side of things, the offensive pressure from the Thrashers is suffocating. The team forced tons of turnovers in the Penguins zone, turning two into goals. Against other teams with weaker defenses, that has to be a strength.

(Side Note: By suffocating, that means that the team had about a four-minute shift in the Penguins zone. This game could have easily been 6-5)

5) Bottom Line: The Thrashers are at least two defenseman away from a title. The Penguins, on the other hand, are pretty darn close.

Thrashers(Individual Players)-

1) Dustin Byfuglien is the scariest offensive defensman in the league. It's like someone combined Nicklas Lindstrom's brain with Brent Seabrook's body...only if Seabrook had a slap-shot that could leave a five-foot hole in a player's chest. It's impossible to stop him, and he gave the Penguins' defenders trouble all night.


(Also, he makes crazy faces from the bench)


(Side Note: He doesn't play defense so much as rover. It's like he's not even concerned about where he lines up. It's incredible to watch him during the game because he's so rarely out of position, yet he seems like he's just running around.)

2) Speaking of former Blackhawks, Andrew Ladd and Brent Sopel weren't nearly as bad as they seemed in Chicago, where each received small amounts of ice time. Ladd is a menacing power forward, whose physical play was noticeable several times. Sopel is a master of utilizing his body and stick to remove the passing lanes, doing so do eliminate several chances during the game.

3) Evander Kane will be a 30-goal scorer in the league before it's all said and done. Between his physicality and his ability to drive to the net, he's another tough physical presence that the Thrashers can use. He's also got what looks like a good shot, which should help him in the future.

Penguins(Individual Players)

1) Sidney Crosby is the best player on the ice. When an athlete makes someone say, "He's done," after a stumble, that's when he's hit a whole different level. Sure, his scoring streak might have ended, but he's been unbelievable this entire time.

(Side Note: When's the last time that a guy split the defense and scored for his SECOND best play of the night? He's playing at the highest level I've ever seen an athlete reach in my lifetime)

2) Zbynek Michalek was an incredible free-agent pick up. He's looked good since game 1, and he's going to be a stalwart on this team for a while. Last night he blocked at least five shots.

3) Matt Cooke is the NHL version of the Vicki Mendoza diagonal from How I Met Your Mother. Take it away Neil-Patrick Harris



"He takes a penalty that leads to a power-play goal. Then he beats three Thrashers for a forehand flip that finds Craig Adams for a shorthanded goal."

"He takes another penalty for a 5-on-3. Then he redirects the puck in off of the shaft of his stick for a goal."

But don't take his, or my word for it. See the highlights and judge for yourself.