Two way of looking at this
There are of course two ways of looking at this recent post Kovy sucess.
First the negative, lets call it the Jeff Schults view.
The Thrash have been playing lesser quality, lesser talented teams. They have been energized by the new players but this will fade as we go down the stretch, when we get to the back to back with Philly later this month and then the very good teams in April this group will fade. Without Kovy the team will at some point go into a goal scoring funk. Moose is due to blow up in a couple of games and the defense is a house of cards.
It is a valid view backed up by this teams history.
There is another view, the optimistic view, lets call it the finally on the right path view.
Without Kovy this group is a better team. Kovy was streaky and this group is deeper so someone will step up more often than not, they will play at a higher level every night. They play better defense, even when giving up more shots there are more easy to handle perimeter shots, the defenders support the defense better. This group is faster and bigger than any Thrashers team in history. Those are two attributes that do not go away. Another fact is this organization usually plays better in the second half of the season. This group shows signs of doing the same. Good teams beat lesser teams.
The truth is probably somewhere in between but so far in this critical month the Thrash are 2-0 scoring 10 goals and giving up 5. A higher average than usual in goals for and a lower average then usual in goals against. Also this team is now 4-1-2 AK, 10 of a possible 14 points.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by ILoveLamp on -
Sooo, the moral of the story is...we have a 50-50 chance at making the playoffs.
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Permalink Reply by Biscuit on -
Our defensive group is the best it's ever been. That's just flat out fact. There's no way to spin that. We have 4 legit top 4 defensemen in Enstrom, Kubina, Hainsey, and Oduya. The best part of that being our current Sophmore and future stud Bogo can play less minutes while learning from better players and competing for more time. Now he can grow with confidence not having his faults show more glaringly under 20 minutes of ice team against the league's best players. Our defense right now is just flat out better. The only down side I can see is how long that lasts... who knows. Kubina I'll personally come mow your lawn and wash your dishes if you sign with us. For maybe a day... But still.
We have goal scorers. Little may have been under producing but he kept working hard and the goals are coming. Bergfors is a goal scorer. Peverly can do everything, and does... nightly. Max may be streaky but the guy has proven this year that his goal scoring touch is back and Nik makes sure with some beautiful passing that Max never forgets it. Colby and Kane are good for the odd score in a pinch. Kozlov and White may have sucked eggs this year and Reasoner has been asked to be a role player but we've always had guns. Hell, our defense has more offense than some teams.
What it has always come down to for us is consistency and effort. Max is still streaky. Our goalies can be streaky. Our back checking and zone coverage is streaky. Our effort is streaky down to the periods themselves and some times shifts. The effort to do the little things night in and night out to cover up those streaks with solid play, to wait out the storms and look for our breaks is the key to winning. Everybody loves to score. It's hard to bang bodies and dig out pucks, or skate flat out as hard as you can to get back to cover a trailing skater that doesn't even have the puck - just to make sure he won't get it if the opportunity arises. It takes a lot of effort to compete in the NHL.
But right now we're playing hard as a team and pushing hard for a tangible result. We're seeing results because of our very tangible skill sets in goal scoring and solid defense. Along with a renewed pride and effort in special teams.
I can't believe in a half full / half empty analysis of our success based on a review of our talent. We have talent. Post trade, post write off, post fan attendance abandonment...Still we have talent. We need pride and commitment. And we need it for 4 more months. What we can believe mentally will show us what we can achieve physically. If they own the Stanley cup in their hearts and minds for the rest of this year; then Bettman will owe it to them on the ice in June.
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Permalink Reply by Thrashfan01 on -
Well said Biscuit.
The reason I posted this is that on the team boards there are a number of people who are simply writing this stretch of sucess as a fluke and another group who see it as not only a shift in direction but in the organizations fortune. Here we have a few folks who think the managment and coaches should be replaced. Just trying to get a hockey discussion going.
Think Biscuit is right it is a different direction. So long this team simply tried to out score other teams and as history has shown that has brought us fans little to crow about. Speed, size and defense do not take many nights off which should help consistancy. We have so much offensive depth that on a nightly basis someone should step up.
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Permalink Reply by Biscuit on
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I like your discussions bro. Keep em coming.
Thrashfan01 said:Well said Biscuit.
The reason I posted this is that on the team boards there are a number of people who are simply writing this stretch of sucess as a fluke and another group who see it as not only a shift in direction but in the organizations fortune. Here we have a few folks who think the managment and coaches should be replaced. Just trying to get a hockey discussion going.
Think Biscuit is right it is a different direction. So long this team simply tried to out score other teams and as history has shown that has brought us fans little to crow about. Speed, size and defense do not take many nights off which should help consistancy. We have so much offensive depth that on a nightly basis someone should step up.
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Permalink Reply by Dj Nowhere on -
I really like this topic. I really think it is something to consider. What I see now is the team we saw back in Oct. and Nov. It just seems especially the other night, that all of the bounces are going our way. DW talked about us changing our identity after Kovy left. I'm fine with no stars. A team with no egos is a nice change of pace. Taking the Williams', Kovy's, and Kozy's out of this room is what we've really needed. This team is playing for each other and their pride. I don't think it can be underestimated how much of a downer it must have been having Kovy as Capt. and the bad influence he was having on the rest of the team. It undermined JA's system and his ability to fully implement everything with the team. How can you implore the team to hustle when the main star doesn't?
What I see different now as opposed to the beginning of the season is that that team was winning one maybe two periods of the game and then holding on. Now we're seeing a team play a full sixty minutes and taking it to the other team rather than sitting back. Bergfors can't stay on fire, like he is now, and who knows about the new guys. It may be a bit of the whole, with a new team, improved play syndrome, but time will tell.
All I care about is the effort. That's the one thing they can control. They can't control bounces, rebounds, calls, or any of the rest of it, but you can control what you do out there. Constant effort creates puck luck. That will cause you to win more games than lose. I love this team and the direction they're heading.
Oh, and I also think it helps that my Blueland flag came down in the weather before the Olympic break. It went up before Dec. and we saw what happened. Now it's come down and they're doing well.
I'm not saying, I'm just saying.
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Permalink Reply by Thrashfan01 on
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One thing I would disagree with DJ, Bergfors might stay close to this hot. Remember alot of people said Peverley would not remain very productive, that he would revert back to a 40 point at best guy and here we are a year later and he is on pace for close to 70 points. JAs system seems to allow space to players who have a level of hockey sense and Bergfors seems very hockey smart. Do not get me wrong, I think having Antros big body at center is a must for Berg but he sees the ice like Kozlov did at his best and he is willing to shoot.
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Permalink Reply by Dj Nowhere on
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See now Pevs is exactly who I was thinking of when I said that. I think he's cooled off this season. I don't think his play is necessarily bad, cause you can't question someone who skates back to breakup a play like he did last game, but I just feel like his production hasn't been there this season. If you look at his production since the beginning of December, he's had 9 goals and 12 assists in 38 games. That's almost half the season right there. He started the season with an eight game point streak, which accounted for 12 points. Since Dec., it hasn't gotten over 2. Now I love Pevs, I even want him to be capt. next season, but I don't think he's been on fire scoring wise this season for the most part.
Thrashfan01 said:One thing I would disagree with DJ, Bergfors might stay close to this hot. Remember alot of people said Peverley would not remain very productive, that he would revert back to a 40 point at best guy and here we are a year later and he is on pace for close to 70 points. JAs system seems to allow space to players who have a level of hockey sense and Bergfors seems very hockey smart. Do not get me wrong, I think having Antros big body at center is a must for Berg but he sees the ice like Kozlov did at his best and he is willing to shoot.
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Permalink Reply by Thrashfan01 on
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I was not aware his production had dropped that much. I was looking at the seasons stats and saw he is the third leading scorer. Like you I still have faith in his ability but I wonder how much effect his wings have on his production. I know when it was Slava was there not much was happening for Peverley. Hopefully Mac's speed can turn that a bit. Still if Peverley gets to 60 points it is hard think of him as anything other than one of the best waiver pickups in NHL history and with 48 points in 63 games you have to like his odds.
Dj Nowhere said:See now Pevs is exactly who I was thinking of when I said that. I think he's cooled off this season. I don't think his play is necessarily bad, cause you can't question someone who skates back to breakup a play like he did last game, but I just feel like his production hasn't been there this season. If you look at his production since the beginning of December, he's had 9 goals and 12 assists in 38 games. That's almost half the season right there. He started the season with an eight game point streak, which accounted for 12 points. Since Dec., it hasn't gotten over 2. Now I love Pevs, I even want him to be capt. next season, but I don't think he's been on fire scoring wise this season for the most part.
Thrashfan01 said:One thing I would disagree with DJ, Bergfors might stay close to this hot. Remember alot of people said Peverley would not remain very productive, that he would revert back to a 40 point at best guy and here we are a year later and he is on pace for close to 70 points. JAs system seems to allow space to players who have a level of hockey sense and Bergfors seems very hockey smart. Do not get me wrong, I think having Antros big body at center is a must for Berg but he sees the ice like Kozlov did at his best and he is willing to shoot.
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