If the Thrashers get as good a start as the team’s prospects have gotten in Traverse City, Mich., there will be no happier man than the team’s first-year head coach John Anderson. The weekend started off perfectly, as the Thrashers defeated the prospects from their Southeast Division rivals, the Tampa Bay Lightning, 1-0 in the opening game of the Traverse City Prospect Tournament on Saturday afternoon. Atlanta took advantage of a Tampa lineup that was missing its top player and 2008 No. 1 overall draft pick, Steven Stamkos. Stamkos was held out of the entire tournament because the Lightning didn’t want him to miss any of the team’s training camp, which began on Tuesday.
The only goal scored in the game was notched by Paul Postma, with assists from Spencer Machacek and Matt Lyall. Leading the team defensively was goaltender Chris Carrozzi who stopped all 26 shots he faced on the afternoon.
Zach Bogosian played well in his first competition in a Thrashers uniform, making the plays of a grizzled veteran and looking like a rookie who the fans will see on opening night against the Capitals on Oct. 10.
SHUTOUT NO. 2
Last Sunday, the team improved its tournament record to 2-0 with its second consecutive shutout, a 3-0 victory over the New York Rangers. The lamp was lit before any of the ice even had a chance to melt, as Tomas Pospisil scored just 29 seconds into the game. Pospisil took the puck all by himself beating the Rangers’ goaltender for the unassisted goal. Atlanta continued to put the pressure on the Rangers offensively in the first, leading to another Thrashers goal 15 minutes later. The goal was scored by Angelo Esposito, with assists from Matt Siddall and Paul Postma. Esposito’s goal came on the power play, a place the Thrashers found themselves for most of the game as the Rangers gave Atlanta a man advantage on eight different occasions. Spencer Machacek added an insurance goal late in the third to make the game 3-0, which ended up being the final score.
Esposito, one of the game’s goal scorers, garnered much praise for his play from hockey analysts in Traverse City. He showed the speed, quickness and agility that generated all the praise from scouts before he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round of the 2007 draft. The aggressiveness he showed offensively showed his intent on making the Thrashers’ Opening Day roster during training camp in the next few weeks. Also performing well was goalie Ryan Daniels, who stopped all 23 shots he faced, putting together the team’s second consecutive shutout of the tournament. Results of Tuesday’s game against Detroit were unavailable at press time.
FINAL NOTES
Before making the opening roster, Bogosian and the rest of the Thrashers will have to go through training camp, which begins Saturday at the team’s practice facility in Duluth. Forty-nine players will report to camp on Friday to receiver physicals and the other information regarding the training camp. The camp will begin with two different practice groups before moving into one group on Sept. 30. The team’s first preseason game will be Sept. 25 in Nashville.
Boral can be reached at jboral@scoreatl.com.
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