Is there any doubt that tomorrow night’s game against the Bruins at Philips Arena is the biggest game of the season? Chris Vivlamore called it the biggest game since the Thrashers’ first playoff game in 2006-07, and it’s hard to argue with that.
The Thrashers sit one point behind the Bruins and can leapfrog them with a regulation win tomorrow night. If they win in OT or a shootout they’ll be tied and the Bruins have a game in hand. According to sportsclubstats.com the Thrashers have a 37.88% chance of making the playoffs right now and that leaps to 51.5% if they win in regulation on Tuesday. You have to like those odds, especially when you look at where the team sat a week ago.
Four straight wins, four strong games by the PK, four solid outings for the Atlanta goaltenders. Ondrej Pavelec stepped up in a huge way in Philly on Sunday, stopping 44 of 45 shots to earn the win, and in the process he showed his coaches and teammates that he can be relied on in pressure situations.
It seems like the whole team has stepped up lately, from grinders Jim Slater and Colby Armstrong to defensemen Ron Hainsey and Toby Enstrom to Nik Antropov who keeps finding new heights to reach. Night after night the Thrashers are playing as a cohesive unit with everyone on the same page, and the result is an overwhelming confidence that is clearly carrying over on the ice.
If they can keep playing the way they’re playing they WILL make the playoffs, and they might not even have to settle for the eighth seed. The Thrashers are playing great hockey right now while the Bruins (one point ahead), Flyers, and Senators (both four points ahead) are all struggling. If any of them crack under the pressure the Thrashers could climb to sixth or seventh, setting up a first-round meeting with the Penguins, Sabres or Devils instead of the Capitals.
The Thrashers versus Kovalchuk and the Devils in the first round (which begins April 14)? What a story that would be.
At risk of looking too far ahead … but wouldn’t it be sweet to send Ilya and the Devils packing in the 1st round?
That’s almost like a dream …
- litz
It’s funny that the Devils have been terrible ever since they got Koval-suck. He’s been nothing but a plague to them and it looks as if he’s not even going to get 40 goals this year. Good riddance!
I’m thinking the most likely team for us to pass is Ottawa. They havent been good since the break and with the exception of their winning streak in January, they’ve been terrible. They’ll fall out of the playoffs, so now it’s just a matter of the Thrashers sneaking in.
Agreed Ben; tomorrow is massivley important, IMO more important that the first playoff game in 07. A win tomorrow likely propels us into the playoffs and I am super confident no matter who we play in the first round we at least get one win and that makes the season. Any success beyond that would be gravy.
I am super proud of the way they have been playing lately.
Koval-who? Devils are a .500 team since the trade, he has 7 goals and 12 pts in 16 games. The Waddel haters are going to find a hard time criticizing this trade when he plays in Russia next year. Bergfors has 7 goals and 13 pts in 17 games and the Thrash have gone 8-6-3! With Oduya meshing with Hainsey and the solid prospect to boot, I’d say Don did a great job. I’m excited about tomorrow’s game but April will be quite the challenge, we need to win out in March to make the playoffs.
I’d love to play NJ in the first round, that would be sweet! Unfortunately for that to happen the Devils have to get hot and get into that two seed, and we have to pass Boston and OTT (or PHI or MON)
I think we have a good chance of passing PHI and OTT. Ottawa has been playing awful lately and Carter is injured for PHI(not to mention their top 2 goalies)
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The Thrashers should be fine as long as they continue to leave Chelios in the press box. Perhaps I’m in the minority but I hate having him on the team. His locker room presence may be beneficial, but on the ice he’s just too dang old. I can’t deny that he had a stellar career, but he’s just not NHL material anymore. He dressed for 3 games and the Thrash lost. He sat out the next 4 and it’s a 4-game winning streak. We can win without him!
Are there any plans to send him back to Chicago?
im just as excited about the thrashers doing so well and the possibly making the playoffs as anyone else… but im apprehensive about us cutting the rebuild short and making the playoffs a season too early. we have a great young core but is it enough? i think we could really use another summer with a high draft selection. can u imagine this team without bogo and kane? the thrashers doing badly last year and the year before has given us our future. adding one more piece would be extremely beneficial. if we make the playoffs and have to play a washington or pittsburgh we have a high chance of getting skunked again. i just want what is best for this team long term. however exciting going to the playoffs would be (and believe me i will fight for some tickets) i think it would be best for this organization if we have another summer of picking up high end young talent.
Geo, if we folded up shop and stopped playing, that would still sit us with like the 9th pick. Not worth it in my opinion. Lets try and bring some glory to this town. The Hawks are the best thing we have, and that’s a lost cause as of now
I hope you guys win. I’m an Isles fan and know what it is like to watch your team struggle. Atlanta has a good future and personally I think Kovy is a bum and you are better off without him. Goodluck, beat Boston. I wrote something about it if you want to check out my site, click on my name. Good luck!
To isles316,
A good buddy of mine who grew up an Isles fan, so we have been able to share many hockey sob stories over the years. At least you guys have glory years to look back on. Hopefully both of our franchises can right the ship and keep moving forward.
If we can keep playing together as a TEAM and get the help between the pipes we’ve had recently, then we might be able to squeak in as the 7 or 8th spot. We have to dominate in March, because our April schedule won’t be the least bit easy.
To isles316,
A good buddy of mine grew up an Isles fan, so we have been able to share many hockey sob stories over the years. At least you guys have glory years to look back on. Hopefully both of our franchises can right the ship and keep moving forward.
If we can keep playing together as a TEAM and get the help between the pipes we’ve had recently, then we might be able to squeak in as the 7 or 8th spot. We have to dominate in March, because our April schedule won’t be the least bit easy.