Fans that were looking for a refreshed Atlanta Thrashers team after the All-Star break were treated to a rotten performance by the home team on Tuesday night. The 4-1 loss to the New York Islanders was pretty bewildering to this Thrashers team that was looking to build towards a playoff spot. “We did not compete tonight,” said forward Nik Antropov. “They came in and embarrassed us in front of our own fans.”
Coach Craig Ramsay didn’t ask for perfection from his team, but he did ask for more shots at the net. He got exactly what he asked for at the start, as the Thrashers hit four posts in the first period. “We had some pretty good opportunities and didn’t score,” said Ramsay.
That aggressiveness did pay off 14:31 into the game, as defenseman Freddy Meyer threw a shot at the net, then banked the rebound of the back of the Islanders goalie for a 1-0 Atlanta lead. It was the first goal of the season for Meyer, who was playing in just his 14th game this year.
The aggressiveness the rest of the game simply wasn’t there. The Islanders took advantage of the lack of effort and scored three goals in the second period and added another on a two-on-one break in the third.
“In the second period, once we turned it over, it gave them life,” added Ramsay. “We lost so many battles in the offensive zone and that allowed them to keep coming back up the ice. Our work ethic, our commitment is lacking.”
The third period saw Atlanta ice the puck on three straight possessions. That type of play is ok when you are up by two goals, but the Thrashers did that while they were down two goals. “We spent too much time in our zone tonight,” said goalie Ondrej Pavelec. “They came in and played a hard game and won the battles and won the game.”
The loss obviously did not help the Thrashers playoff hopes. Luckily Carolina lost to Boston to keep Atlanta’s one point lead on the eighth spot intact. However, the Hurricanes and Thrashers have two games against each other in the next two weeks, which will determine a lot.
The Thrashers post-season dreams are hanging in the balance during the next 10 games. The Thrashers goalie made sure that his teammates are well aware of their dire situation. “We have to realize that a few more games like that and we are done,” concluded Pavelec.
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