Girls-LOVE-Hockey-Too

Blog night and such

2007-01-30T13:57:00.000-06:00

I wanted to post more after my last post but I just didn't get around to it. Blogging at the game was something I really enjoyed doing. The guys over at the Thrashers (Ben mostly) did a really good thing with hooking up a "Blogger Night" at Philips. It was a really cool thing for us "little" people and I had a nice time viewing the game from a different aspect. Not only was it cool to watch the game (while blogging) from the press box, there was also free food, and good company. I enjoyed meeting the other bloggers for the team as I know most of them only by their writing. It's good to finally put names with faces. After the game we got to head "down under" and check out the post game conference with Hartley and take a peek into the locker room (I have pictures so hopefully I can get them to load). It was fun to see a few of the players running around in an after game scramble and the looks on their faces when they saw a random group of people in the room they were just in. I enjoy the change in perspective the most and I hope to one day get media credentials to enjoy this perspective more often.
That brings me into my next point.. there has been a debate going on for awhile about wether or not internet only people (like me) should be allowed credentials. There is so much going back and forth on it that its hard to say where it will go but I know I would like credentials simply to allow me to sit up in the press box and blog. As a fan of the Thrashers before I had the roles slightly reversed I had the privelage of going to practices and meeting the team (more than once) so to me that little thrill is over. I do realize there are probably people out there that would abuse the credential privelage and ask for autographs and pictures. I would like to be able to take pictures for the simple reason that I am an avid photographer and would like to build up my portfolio more for when I graduate college. I know I might be a rare type but I don't think it is asking for too much.
Well that's really all I have to say for now, I must get stuff done before tonight's game.
Check out hockeybuzz.com for my sterling debate.. or well center debate that doesnt' really involve Sterling anymore since he isn't a center.

Talk to you soon or I'll see you around Blueland :)

It's been awhile

2007-01-26T19:03:00.000-06:00

I have been really bad about updating this site of mine. It's sort of my fault, ok it's really all my fault but I try to pretend like it's not. Things have been really crazy in my life but like I have promised before I think I am back on track (you certainly never can tell though). Like I said before if you ever come to this site and I have not updated then please check my blog over at Hockeybuzz.com (I am the Thrashers blogger.. obviously). I update that site very freguently mostly because hockeybuzz gets more exposure than this one and Ir eally enjoy the fact that people get to read what I have to say. So off that soap box.. go check out that site if I dont update on here.

Around the leagues updates:
**ECHL: The Gladiators have managed to bump themselves back up to 1st place but they are only in that spot by 1 point. Texas is right below them with 51 points, I can see that race getting crazier and crazier as time goes on.
Player wise I don't think there is much going on except for Jon Awe getting signed byt the Wolves and spending a decent amount of time in Chicago. My sources tell him he is currently there and will play up there for a least a few more games.
Gwinnett is currently playing in Flordia and at the end of the 1st the score is 3 to 1 in favor of the Gladiators. I'll check that score again before the night is over...

**AHL: I just received word that defenseman Nathan Oystrick has been named to the Canadian AHL All Star team. The link to the story is here: http://www.theahl.com/news/league/index.html?article_id=7400 thats pretty cool for Nathan. I am told he was selected (one of 3 newbies just picked) due to the number of players missing the All Star event for whatever reason. Chicago is currently playing in Omaha and the score of that game is in favor of Chicago. More updates on that later...
Back to Oystrick, in case you are interested there is a very good article about him here: http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=287318
due to some things I was aware Nathan was adopted. I was also aware he had begun the process of meeting his mom. The article just puts the situation into perspective. Nathan is a great guy and I wish him all the best on the situation.

Game updates as of 9:07 pm EST:
**Chicago Wolves= in the 2nd period. Still 1 to 0 vs. Omaha
**Gwinnett Gladiators= 4 to 2 in the 3rd.. Gladiators still winning.

As for the NHL goes the All Star game/events just recently went on (if you are a hockey fan the only way you didnt know that is if you have been living under a rock) and I really enjoyed them. I had only barely watched the events before this year and I am glad I finally checked them out in full. They were really fun to watch, I think I enjoyed the Youngstars and Skills event more than the actual All Star game but certainly that is just me.

Game updates as of 9:36 pm EST:
**Gwinnett Gladiators lead Flordia 5 to 2 with 9:32 left.
**Chicago Wolves lead Omaha 2 to 0 at the end of the 2nd.

Back to the NHL stuff.. Each time I watch Alexander Ovechkin I become more and more impressed with him as a whole. Not only is he one of the best players in the league (I know most could and would aruge he is the best) but he has so much personality to him. You don't hear many big names joke around and Alexander is known for his cheekiness. I just really love a player with a sense of humor, it shows that AO has enough character to not let being the best get to his head.

Alright there are only 5 minutes left in tonight's matchup so my computer will soon be turned off but I wanted to give you the scores before I let you go.

Final game updates for 1/26 @ 9:53 pm EST:
**Gwinnett Gladiators: looks like the Gladiators had a little bit of a tough time pulling out this win.. the site I check is showing me that the game ended regulation 5 to 5. Looks there is going to be a shootout.
**Chicago Wolves: Still 2 to 0 and due to time I won't be able to update you further on that score but I believe the Wolves will be able to pull this one out..

If the Thrashers dont score in 3 minutes this game vs. the Islanders will go to a shootout.
If I don't update on that then go over to hockeybuzz to see what I have to say about that.

Thanks for still checking this blog and seeing what I have to say. It hasnt been what it use to be but I promise I am trying.

-B

Hockeybuzz

2007-01-09T02:37:00.000-06:00

Please check out my post in Hockey buzz titled Similar feelings?
It's one of my best blogs so far so I am very proud of it (despite other feelings right now) so I won't be updating here for a while.. I want that blog to get read and talked about.
Here is the minor leauge information real quick though:
The Gladiators are in 3rd place still but this time they are only 2 points away from tying Texas for second.. 2 points.. come on boys!!
Game wise the Gladiators have been doing this:
The boys won 6 to 4 on Saturday vs. Pensacola. Goals were scored by Jon Awe, Jamie Milam, Joel Stepp, Scott Mifsud, Blue Bennefield,and Andy Contois. Assists went to Milam, Fretter, York,Blue Bennefield each had 1 while Chad Painchuard notched 2 and Scott Mifsud and Brad Schell had 3 assists each.
Sounds like a great game for the boys!! Congrats!!
Their next couple of games are:Thursday night at 7:05 the boys are at home (remember go out to the game if you can't find anything else better to do.. they have big beers haha), then the boys play saturday up in Columbia, SC.

AS for the Wolves: The Wolves are still riding very comfortably in 1st place with still 10 points between them and the next place team.
Last game: The Wolves lost 2 to 4 to Milwaukee. The 2 goals were scored by Mackenzie and Sterling while the assists went to Brian Sipotz,Joey Crabb, Darren Haydar, and Colin Stuart. Better luck next time boys!!
Next time is: Tuesday at home vs. Peoria (home is the AllState Arena) and then friday at home again.

Keep checking here and hockey buzz for all your updates :)

Ugh

2007-01-03T16:09:00.000-06:00

I am very bad at updates these days.. it's all because of my new blog on hockey buzz.com so if you ever come here and there hasn't been an update in a while head over to www.hockeybuzz.com, look for the Atlanta Thrashers logo, click on the title under the name and that would be my blog. So again anytime I fail at updating this its because I've been concentrating on that one. With that said though I do want to concentrate on this one as well.

Ok so here is the deal for now... Gladiators play tomorrow night in Augusta then Friday night at home.. I would go but Wayne and the Coyotes are in town that night and I don't think I can get out of it. Then they play again on saturday in Flordia. That is a tough schedule for the boys so I hope for their sakes that they can pull out a few wins. They are still in Third.

As for the Wolves.. Haydar was sent down here and then sent back to Chicago. Not sure why we thought we needed him and then sent him back. I was really hoping I would get to see him play but I guess that is not the case this time around.
Congratulations to the Wolves left wing Brett Sterling, it was annoucned today that he is rookie of the month AGAIN!! Brett was named the rookie of the month for november and it was just announced he is the rookie of the month again for DECEMBER!! What an honor for Brett!! You can read the rest of the story at theahl.com.. the story is on the front page. Just click on Brett's picture or wait till it flashes up again.
As for the team the Wolves are still in first with 53 points and again the 2nd place team aren't even close to them. Chicago plays tonight vs. Houston at home so if you are bored go to theahl.com and listen to the game!! The rest of their upcoming schedule (next couple of days) is as follows: Chicago plays in Omaha on Friday and then Saturday in Milwaukee then that is it for a few days. Good luck to the Wolves!! Keep up the good work and continue to win!!

Enough for now..

Quick update.

2006-12-30T23:59:00.000-06:00

It's getting harder for me to post here and on hockeybuzz. I want to keep both blogs going though because on here I have a little bit more freedom and I can ramble on about the younger teams as much as I want.
So here is my quick (and very sorry) update for now.

1. Thrashers lost tonight in Buffalo. Sad loss for the boys as it was a big game and the win would have been fabulous but nevertheless we lost. I would not say it was a killing though, the Thrashers played very well and hung on til the end. 1 goal was taken back (even though it should have been a goal) and then the Thrashers made a small mistake which resulted in big consequences. Buffalo scored on the end of a PP in the 3rd (around the 4 minute mark.. I think...) and then scored on an empty netter. Larsen was back on the meat and potatoes line and back to doing what he is great at-- penalty killing. Both Kari and Ryan Miller did a great job in goal.

2. The Gladiators won at home 7 to 4. Dave Caruso picked up the win and the Glads now have 38 points which is just 2 points shy of the number two spot. Since I wasn't at the game I don't have much else to say about it. Glad to see the boys win again and hopefully flordia will lose the next one because then that might just give us a chance to jump back into the number 2 slot.

3. Got an email today stating that Haydar was still on his points streak so that is good news for him and the Wolves. The Wolves beat the Americans 5 to 3 tonight at their home in Chicago. The win keeps the Wolves in their spot at 1st with no one trialing anywhere close to them. Haydar continued his point streak but rookie Brett Sterling lost his nine game point streak tonight. Who knows though maybe he will pick his streak back up next game.

Alright I know it wasn't much but that is all I have for tonight. Keep checking back and don't forget to email me if you have any questions.
-B

Lots to talk about..

2006-12-28T10:44:00.000-06:00

I have been very terrible about updating these days and I apologize for this it's just that it's been really nuts around here lately. Now that the holidays are over though I will have lots more time to update and get back into the groove of things. Today I was asked to join a group of Bloggers at Nhl-bloggers.com so go over to the site and check it out. Who knows, you might find something that you like.
So here is what has been going on the last couple of days:
Thrashers beat Tampa Bay in the last 8 secnds of the game with a goal by Jim Slater. Then the Thrashers went on to the Penguins to see who was the better team becasue frankly for this season we were 1 and 1. Well the Thrashers came out on top this time which leaves the tally at 2 to 1. Don't point fingers Pittsburgh it's just the way it is.
Something I am very excited to report is that Garnet Exelby has been activated of the injured (sick) list and now it's all just a matter of conditioning till he is back on the ice and helping the boys out. As for other injuries Mellanby is out with what most would call a "crick in the neck" that occured when he was slammed into the boards in New Jersey. Forgive me for saying this because I love Mel but it might just be something that happens more and more as you get older. I still love the Captain though!! Then there is Rucchin who is out due to a hip flexor injury which can be very painful. A few girls I played soccer with in college had that and it took a while for them to get better. Larsen is still out with a forearm injury and Sutton has his ankle still recovering from surgery both as far as I know are on the IR till they get better. Yes I realize that is a very vague statement but it's all about time.
The All star voting ends on the 2nd so continue to go over to Nhl.com to vote for your favorite player.
As for the young guns here's what's been going on:
Gwinnett lost last night to Columbia 5 to 3. Jon Awe did well with 1 goal and 1 assist while Brad Schell had 2 goals and 1 assist. Dave Caruso was in goal for the Glads and Brad Schell was named the games 2nd Star. Standing wise the Glads are still 3rd with Flordia and Texas above them. The Gladiators are back in action tomorrow in Pensacola at 7:05 and then Saturday at home vs. the Ice Pilots again at 7:35.. The Thrashers aren't home so go out to Gwinnett and cheer on the Gladiators!!

For the Wolves.. Haydar broke the AHL scoring record and the frachise scoring record. Congrats to Haydar on his hot streak!! Currently Krog, DMac and Coburn are in Atlanta but that doesn't seem to be stopping the Wolves. The team did fall to the Houston Aeros last night 4 to 3 in the shootout. Larose, Haydar, and Sterling each had a goal. While Mark Popovic and Haydar each collected 2 assists and Larose had 1. Fred Braithwaite was in goal. As for the Standings the loss d
doesn't hurt the team too much, they still lead the West with 51 points while number 2 sits at 40 points. The AHL all star teams have not yet been announced but the voting continues at AHL.com so go over and vote for your Wolves!!

Enough now. More later.

The devil came down to georgia..

2006-12-24T11:51:00.000-06:00

Got his ass spanked and went back home. I haven't been able to update due to many things such as my 21st bday in NYC and NJ, the holidays, being sick, lack of sleep etc. etc. etc.
Tuesday the 19th I got to see the Thrashers vs. New Jersey in NJ. I enjoyed the game despite the fact that I was freezing (let's be honest, I may be a huge hockey fan but that doesn't make up for the fact that I was born and raised in the south). It was great to see our boys and the way they reacted to us. Sometimes I think they get more excited to see Atlanta fans in another city than we get when we see them in another city. One thing I was not impressed with (and not surprised by either) was the attitude of the New Jersey fans. I've got to say the rudeness thing gets a little old but I guess that's how New Jersey fans are supposed to be. I also recommend that New Jersey fan's get better comebacks because "Marty is better than Marta" isn't a good comeback to Marty sucked 4 minutes ago. I am known to get in fights at away games simply because I have a hockey temper that I can't control but after someone said that to me I was simply speechless (and freezing). Now I am not saying every single Jersey fan is like that but the ones we ran into were not so nice.
Anyways despite the fans the game was good and we had a good time.
On to bigger and better things... we beat New Jersey in Jersey, we ended up beating the Penguins when they came back to Atlanta for the 2nd time,and we beat New Jersey again last night in Blueland.
The 1st two games ended in a shootout which sometimes drive me nuts. I'd rather win in regulation so we can take our 2 points without giving the other team a point and move on.
The shootout vs. the Penguins never should have happened. We were winning till seconds left and then we blew it. I say that because that is exactly what I feel like we did luckily we made it up in OT.
Yesterday in the game vs. New Jersey we won fair and square. Kari was great along with the rest of the team and Marty was not on his game. I've seen Brodeur at his best (as has everyone I believe) and when he is on he is on. Last night he looked like a completely different guy and maybe that is a good thing.
What is the deal with our defense scoring goals?? 2 of our 5 goals last night were scored by DMEN. Maybe they are our secret weapons? That could get interesting.

In other news:
The Gladiators won last night 7 to 3.. which didn't do anything for them standing wise.. just gave them 36 points. Jon Awe and Brad Schell were both named to the All Star team while Colton Fretter was named as a substitute. I'd really like to see Colton get a chance out there but I don't want to see anyone else get hurt.
The Wolves won last night 2 to 1 which keeps them in the lead with 48 points. The number 2 team isn't even close to them with 38 points. Looks like the Wolves can afford to mix things up a bit. Darren Haydar set a new AHL scoring record for the league's longest scoring streak. Haydar collected a point for the 32nd time straight last night in the team's 2 to 1 win. Congratulations to Haydar.

NHL wise Peter Bondra got his 500th goal the other night, while Michael Peca will be out for at least 3 months due to breaking his leg and tearing ligments in the game the other night vs. Chicago. Congrats to Bondra and a speedy (but not too quick) recovery to Michael.

Exhausted

2006-12-20T20:45:00.000-06:00

I will update this in full tomorrow.. I am exhausted from my trip!!

Here are the things you need to know until then:
* I am officially 21.. and its fantastic.
* I don't intend on walking for long periods of time for at least a month.
* I am looking for someone to go to DC with me for the Caps vs. Thrashers game
* The Thrashers played a fabulous game last night in New Jersey and I was there to witness it (and get in a few yelling matches with their fans).
* Exelby skated today at practice, word is it was light but at least he has gotten back on the ice.
* Pittsburgh is back in town tomorrow night and I hope we can make up that OT loss that the Penguins brought us last time.
* I'm exhausted
* 2 more weeks to vote for your favorite All star (go to www.nhl.com to do so).. choose wisely
* Atlanta leads the Southeast with 44 points.
* The Gladiators are in 3rd place with 34 points.
* The Wolves are still in 1st place with 42 points.
* Johan Hedberg made my birthday (even though little kids in new jersey.. not nice kids either took it away from me).

Thats all they key points I can think of as of right now.. More tomorrow.

In other news:
Dan Snyder's parents are in town tomorrow to do a special meet with season ticket holders. The link said 20 people were going to be let into the event and last I heard I was on the list of 20 so I am quite excited. I have admired the Snyder's immensely since I read "A Season of Loss..." and it's going to be amazing to get to meet with them. I do realize other STH's out there saw Dan more than I did... but I still saw him and I still feel the pain and the effect like everyone else****
So I will keep everyone updated on that and let everyone out there know how it goes.
I hope to get a confirmation soon.

Enough for now. See you soon.

**** I threw this part in because I realize some people may be upset that people that "didn't watch Dan all the time" got into this event. I don't agree with that statement because that's like saying 9-11 didn't effect anyone outside of NYC....
Sorry if that's a bit harsh.

Well..

2006-12-15T23:23:00.000-06:00

I think I called tonight's game pretty much the way it ended up. If the Thrashers didn't come out to play the Capitals would win.. and that is what they did. The Thrashers played well no doubt but we just couldn't pull it out. Was there a specific problem? Maybe, but I see it as more of an overall breakdown in the offense and the defense.
Im sitting here watching the replay of the game on Sports South. It's late and I should be in bed but I'd like a better view to see exactly what went wrong. The 1st goal was scored by Ovechkin on a Capitals powerfully. The Caps played the PP almost perfectly, they moved the puck in a way that made our defense scramble and we left Ovie open right in front of the net. That's a dangerous place to leave Alex Ovechkin alone. Another thing the Capitals capitalized on (pun sort of intended) was a Thrashers penalty on JP for delay of game. The Capitals pulled Johnson which gave the Caps a 6 on 4 advantage and it worked. Alex the great notched his 2nd goal of the night and tied the game up (with 30 seconds left I might add).
I don't really want to go into the rest of the gory details but I feel I have to.. The great 8 got his 3rd goal of the night 6 seconds in to OT, he took the puck from Havelid and no one was near him. I want to say Kari wasn't ready for it because the puck went right past him. Tough break...... moving on.
I really enjoyed the energy in the arena tonight (even though it died somewhere in the third) and it really felt like the fans were behind their team tonight. The players were throwing some big hits and sending everyone on a heart attack ride with some chances on goal (both teams). As a Thrashers fan (yes, I do love Ovechkin and Caps but most of you know they are my number 2) I would have much rather seen the numbers go the other way.. our way.
One thing I absolutely love about Ovechkin is the way he always gets his own rebounds. The Thrashers AS A TEAM have trouble getting rebounds but Ovie can get his own. I see that as a problem. "I just try to shoot the puck and just score goals, and today I had luck," Ovechkin said after tonights game as reported on NHL.com. I would say Alexander had A LOT of luck tonight... but besides just him its always refreshing to see a player or team who really looks like they want to win... not just the Stanley cup game but EVERY game. I'm not saying the Thrashers aren't like that but lately I haven't seen that spark.
I am excited to see the atmosphere in the Devils arena on the 19th. It will be cool to experience another away game and see what the Devils and their fans have to offer. I just hope the Thrashers have a late (by one day) birthday present to offer me.. A WIN!!
Thrashers take on the Islanders tomorrow and the Devils on Tuesday (yay, look for me and the girls we will be cheering the boys on)!!

In GOOD news, The Gladiators beat the Pensacola Ice pilots tonight with a score of 5 to 3. The win didn't do much for the boys standing wise but hopefully Florida will lose a game and bump the Glads back up to that number 2 spot.
The Wolves also won tonight with a ridiculous score of 9 to 1 in Chicago. That win of course kept the boys in first but gave them an even sweeter lead with 41 points while the number 2 team only has 34 points (the number 2 team is the team they beat).
Congratulations to them and too bad their "fathers" and "grandfathers" aren't doing the same thing..

The Caps are back in town..

2006-12-15T00:35:00.000-06:00

I don't think I have been this excited for a game in a while. Most people who know me know that I have a thing for the Capitals well its more like an Ovechkin thing but still. I really like to watch the Capitals for more reasons than just Ovie. I honestly think they are a team that people over look. You might think I am crazy for saying that but just because people focus on Alex the great doesn't mean they focus on the team as a whole. I do think this is one of the teams that could really fight with us for a spot when it come down to the wire. Everyone in Atlanta seems to has deemed tomorrow's game as the "new" rivarly of the Southeast. I am not so sure I agree with that sure there were alot of fights last game but we all know how guys are when tempers run high. So I am not sure I agree with the whole "newborn rivarly" but all I can do is wait and see what happens tomorrow. Maybe I will be proven wrong.
So do I predict anything? No I honestly don't think I really expect anything, I do want the Thrashers to win. I'm not sure if we can pull that off though if we continue playing the way we have been I really think the Capitals might have the advantage. They too make the mistake of being all over the place and unorganized at times but at the same time they also have a good sense of stability. Let's just hope for the best shall we?
I think I have said too much already..

On to other news:
The Gwinnett Gladiators play tomorrow at home vs. The Pensacola Ice Pilots. The game starts at 7:35 but if you are a Thrashers fan then I doubt you will be attending this game. There are bigger things brewing at Philips Arena. Good luck to the boys anyways because they need the win. Right now they are currently sitting in 3rd.
The Wolves also play tomorrow night at their home ice at 7:30pm CT. Good luck to these guys as well, we currently still have Krog but their last game didn't seem to be effected by that fact. The Wolves have a little room to fall if need be but not much. They currently lead the West division with 39 points and the 2nd place team has 34 points.

In more personal news I got my new computer in today so I am still learning how to work a PC. There are too many buttons and things on this computer, I am not sure if I will ever learn all the odds and ends of this thing! It's all kinds of crazy!
Also my big birthday is coming up on Monday so wish me a happy birthday on here or when you see me :) I will also be in NJ on Tuesday to watch the Thrashers take on the Devils up in the Devil's territory!! Wish me luck on that!!

Alright that's all for now!! If you are lucky then I will see you tomorrow in BLUELAND!

2006-12-13T15:17:00.000-06:00

I have been meaning to update this but I am right in the middle of finals and haven't really had the time. I also don't really have the time to really dig into a good upate so I will have to be quick with this.

Tonight we take on the first place team and I am more than a little nervous about it. Our current streak is not so promising but I hope we can change that tonight. Kari is in goal and due to an upper body injury Larsen is out and Krog is down from Chicago. Mellanby is also out due to a bad case of the flu. I hope these things don't effect us too much. I really don't have much to say on this game except for the fact that I am excited to see the Ducks play and I just hope we have the win when we leave. Cross your fingers.

Did you happen to catch the Penguins vs. the Capitals game the other night? If you missed it then you missed out and I'm not sure what type of hockey fan you are...I suppose a busy one?? It was definately the game of the week and a very anticipated one at that. Sid the Kid vs. Alex the great (with alittle Malkin,Semin,and Zubrus thrown in there). It was a good game but the Capitals lost in the end, shootout style and it was sort of a mess up for the Capitals who were leading in the beginning. Ovechkin can't be too dissapointed because he played really well and his shootout slump ended during this game.
That isn't the greatest run through of the game but I have to leave for our game in about 30 minutes and I am way behind on everything else I was supposed to do today!!
Yikes!!

I hope I have good stuff to report tonight!!

Bittersweet

2006-12-09T22:10:00.000-06:00

Today was more bitter than sweet but I will take what I can.
Another game bites the dust and I am sad to report that something is just not working with the Thrashers. Now I know I am not a genius and I am certainly not a hockey genius but I can tell when something is not right and something is definitely not right when one of the 3 goals scored is scored by a defenseman who RARELY scores. Maybe that was too much to throw into one sentence but let's get past the obivous. Shane Hnidy scored the 1st goal for the Thrashers tonight which was his 2nd of the season and it was a shortie. Don't we have some guys named Hossa and Kovy??? Well, it sure doesn't feel like it.
Back to me not knowing everything.. I don't claim to which is why I discussed tonight's game with my close friend Stan on the ride home. Together we agreed that yes something is missing but what to do about it? Stan suggested that the team work harder on power play drills in practice and consider moving some guys around. If we can get the PPs up and running again we will already be on the right track. I also agree with switching up the lines it certainly couldn't hurt could it? What's the worse that could happen? We could lose...
Stan and I also considered the option of bringing down some of the Wolves. Now I realize this isn't as easy as it sounds but I really wouldn't mind (if it was possible) seeing Krog, Haydar, or even Sterling down here. You never know, that kind of thing could turn out to be the secret weapon.
In general those are all the ideas we came up with and I honestly don't expect any of them to happen but I'd like to see us start to win again no matter what it takes.
So that's the bitter part of the day (and me catching a cold while tailgating ick).
The sweet I've got to say is very sweet but as I am typing this sentence I can feel the cold medicine begin to kick in so I will keep this half short and well sweet.
The Rookie STH event this morning was fantastic. I was pleased to find out that Garnet Exelby will begin practicing with the team next week (he has been out for almost a month with mono). I also enjoyed watching morning skate and watching Pittsburgh morning skate. The crowd for the Penguin's skate was small so after snapping a few good pictures of certain players I went over to the other side of the arena to see if I could get Evengi Malkin to sign a puck one of the other Penguin players had flipped to me early on. I figured the attempt would be a weak one considering who it was but I tried anyway. I am pleased to report I was successful, Malkin was very nice and stopped to sign about 4 or 5 things (I assume the people he skipped do not agree with me). The puck never left my pocket or purse after that and I have got to say despite the loss it still makes me grin a bit. There is nothing like getting a puck (or whatever else you have)signed by someone you consider to be the next big thing. Malkin's pretty impressive and I will continue to brag about my puck until I have something better to brag about.
So there you have it all the bittersweet happenings in Atlanta.

I am happy to report the Gladiators won tonight in Augusta with the lone goal being scored by Colton Fretter. I am sad though to report that the Wolves lost 5 to 3.

The cold medicine is really kicking in now. Good night all.

2006-12-09T06:52:00.000-06:00

There isn't too much to say yet seeing as its only 8 am Saturday morning but I can say a few things before I head over to Philips for a long day of Hockey.
1.Rookie STH event this morning, should be a good time and if it's not then we all got to watch a practice with some free breakfast right?
2. The Penguins are in town tonight for what seems like a highly anticipated game. Last I heard the game was sold out (now who knows if that actually is true or not but I assume we will find out around 7:30 tonight). As most everyone should know there are a few things to look forward to tonight:
-Sidney is back in town, will there be any finger pointing and starting of any more armys tonight?
-Malkin's Atlanta debut. Now I don't know about anyone else but I am very excited to see this kid play in person. From what I have heard and seen this kid hasn't had an off day since he started. Let's hope tonight is that night.
-Anything to make us forget Thursday night because 1 things for sure even the thought of Tampa Bay makes me a little more than angry.
3. Happy 24th Birthday to Jim Slater!!! Today is his birthday and his return back to the ice from a foot injury. How about a goal tonight Jim? That would be a pretty sweet birthday present for all of us!!
4. Both the Gladiators and the Wolves won last night. I was a little nervous in the 2nd and a bit into the 3rd for the Glads because it was sloppy but they ended up pulling out the win.The final score was 6 to 4. The win keeps the boys in second with a pretty strong hold there, 3rd place below them is Florida with 26 points while Texas still leads with 32 points. The Gladiators play again tonight in Augusta and then tomorrow (again)back at home with a 4:05 start time.
As for the Wolves they lead the AHL's West Division with a strong 37 points. Below them is Omaha with 32 points which isn't very close to our boys. The final score for their game last night was 5 to 3. Looks like the Wolves magic line (Haydar,Sterling, and Krog) produced again last night. Haydar had 1 goal which was assisted by his 2 linemates while Sterling also had 1 goal assisted by Haydar and Krog. The 3 of them are doing fantastic (as I have said before) and if you look at the AHL's standings page and click on top scorers you will see ranked 1,2,and 3 are in fact Krog, Haydar, and Sterling. That's pretty cool if you ask me. The Wolves are also back in action tonight vs. W-B/Scranton at 7:05 pm. A little fun fact (if you choose to consider it fun..) Gwinnett's Jon Awe is currently playing up with W-B/Scranton.
That's all I have got for today, I hope to be back here tomorrow reporting good news about this mornings Rookie STH event and of course the game tonight vs. the Penguins!!

See you around the bulb and cross your fingers, tonight could be a bumpy ride!!

I don't want to talk about it..

2006-12-07T22:35:00.000-06:00

I suppose I have to at least say something about the game tonight but the problem is I don't know what to say. I will admit to this though, I didn't see the whole game due to the fact that I was at the mall with my mom and sister and I was stranded in Duluth because 85 south was temporarily closed due to a major accident. I got home in the 3rd, switched the TV on and almost fell over. Tampa Bay was beating us 8 to 0. That's not just a loss that's an embarrassment especially after the last two games. So what happened? I don't know, I really don't because I didn't get a chance to watch the game but whatever it was it could have been avoided. I understand Sutton, Exelby, and Slater are out but that shouldn't be an issue. 3 people don't make a team (I have said that many times, just in a completely different situation). I don't think it could have been the fact that the birds were tired, Coach Hartley cancelled practice on Wednesday which gave the guys more time for rest. Maybe Coach shouldn't have given the guys the day off?
I don't know, I just don't and I guess it's best if we all forget this loss and move on. Yes, we are all disappointed and I can imagine the team is just as upset (and I assume more) than the fans but Pittsburgh is on Saturday and that is a game we don't want to lose.

Alright enough of that crap. Everyone breathe,scream, jump up and down, and look to Saturday because I feel a little redemption coming on. Bring it on.

Both of the "baby" teams play tomorrow night so if that company Christmas party of yours just isn't what it use to be go out to Gwinnett and watch the Glads take on Augusta at 7:35. Have a beer or two (or three depending on how upset you are about the Thrashers game tonight) and yell a little (or a lot.. see last parentheses). If you can't make it out to Gwinnett then get on the computer and watch the score. While you are at it you could also check the score of the Wolves game which is being played in Philadelphia at 7:05. Hey hockey is hockey right? Some of us don't have the luxury of center ice so we do what we can.

Whatcha gonna do now?

2006-12-06T15:37:00.000-06:00

Yes Toronto tell me....What are you going to do now that we have beat you twice in a row?? Exactly, nothing. No more talking bad about us, no more saying how big of a joke we are,and no more thinking you are better than us because I think not. It's one thing to have a team you look down on to beat you once (you can write it off as a fluke) but its another to have that same team beat you twice. I've gotta say I was a little worried at first. 2 to 0 was not looking good for the boys and yes I admit my mind was starting to wander to the idea that the game last Thursday was a fluke. I was quickly taken out of that mind set in the 3rd period when all 5 goals were scored one after the other. Kozzie had 2,Metro,Kovy,and Hossa each put one on the board. Moose was in goal and I really like that Coach Hartley made that move. We put so much pressure on Kari that it's easy for someone so young to snap under pressure. When we give Moose more minutes in goal it keeps him loose and positive. You want to have a backup that you can count on and that can count on you. What I mean by that is you don't want the backup thinking you (being the team and coach)don't think he can handle it or do well. The win had to boost Johan's ego just a bit and prove yet again that we can rely on him if need be. So that's that. We won twice, we proved that Toronto is no longer an issue, and we have continued our smooth sailing. Let's keep it up.. I would rather write on good news involving the Thrashers and not bad news.
Sutton is out for at least 2 months. He went under the knife to get surgery on his ankle. Exelby is still trying to get better after being diagnosed with mono. So what now? We wait and hope our 2 injured defensemen. Get better as quick as they can. No rush to either of them though, we don't want X giving anyone else mono and I know from experience that coming back too quick from an ankle injury and surgery can be bad news. All we can do now like I said before is wait and continue to have faith in the healthy D-men. I am very impressed currently with Coburn and I'd like to see him stick around for a little bit longer. He plays with all the heart of a minor leaguer and that is something I love to see. I guess the next couple of weeks will show us what's to come for Coburn and the rest of the team.

I have to say that I had a lot more written but I still don't fully understand how to work my temporary computer (my iBook crashed on me if you didn't know) and my first draft of this decided to disappear on me. How nice of it right? So that's all for me for today. I hope you enjoyed it.. I enjoyed writing it!!

There it is..

2006-12-04T22:49:00.000-06:00

Quick update before I resume doing things I should have done days ago. I may be alittle off with my posts over the next couple of days due to the fact that my beloved ibook crashed on me late last night and I am currently using my parents Dell that has to be almost as old as Scott Mellanby.... laugh.. for my sake. Good news is I will be getting a new computer in the next couple of days.. Bad news is it's not going to be another Mac :( oh well.. time to move on.
Finally, the Glads bring home a win!!! Sunday night the boys finished their long road trip in Wheeling, WV with an OT shootout style win. Congrats to them!!
Tomorrow is a BIG test for the Thrashers up in Toronto, we have to prove to everyone up there (and who knows where else) that Thursday night was NOT a fluke!! I don't know about anyone else but 2 in a row over the Leafs would feel mighty nice!
Here's hoping!!

Alittle Bittersweet..

2006-12-03T12:52:00.000-06:00

Most of the Thrashers fans today aren't feeling anything but joy. The Thrashers won again last night and it was good, not great but good. The final score was 3 to 1, nothing like the Toronto game but as the saying goes "a win is a win." I didn't really agree with the Panther's goal, I kind of feel like it should have been reviewed but I don't call the shots in the NHL so of course it wasn't reviewed. Anyways, if you didn't see the game I'm not going to drone on about the details (you should have watched the game). That would be 4 in a row for the birds, and the next game is Tuesday in Toronto! I don't know about anyone else but I'm alittle nervous about that game, we need to give Toronto the same show we put on here. Cross your fingers Thrasher's fans.
So here is the rest of my intro so to speak, most Thrasher's fans are feeling nothing but joy right now but if you are like me and follow all the teams related to the Thrasher's then you know how I am feeling. Bittersweet. The Thrashers won, the Wolves won, but the Gladiators lost AGAIN. The Glads have had a really hard schedule lately, 3 games in a row!! I don't know about anyone else but I played college soccer and when we would play 2 games in a row it was pure hell. Your legs start to go, your head hurts, and all you can think about is going to bed.. not winning that next game. I can't imagine how the Thrashers or even the Wolves would be with 3 games in a row. I understand thats the kind of thing you have to deal with when playing in the ECHL but still, it sucks big time. So with all that being said the loss last night put the Glads 4 points behind the leader. Texas has 28 while Flordia and the boys have 24, another loss could put that 1st place spot even farther from the Gladiators reach. Tonight is the last of the Gladiators long and crazy road trip. Once the final buzzer goes off the boys won't play again till friday when they are back at home. Good luck tonight boys, end this road trip with a WIN!!

Enough for now :) I'll let you know what happens next!!

Some sad news..

2006-12-02T00:22:00.000-06:00

I am sad to report the Gladiators lost again tonight in Ohio. The final score was 3 to 2. Mike Vigalante scored both goals for the team. The loss was enough to drop the Glads to 3rd place and put the Flordia Everblades up in the number 2 spot in the standings. The boys play again tomorrow night at 7:30 in Wheeling. Good luck boys!!
The Wolves also play tomorrow at the All State Arena vs. San Antonio, good luck to them!! Congratulations to Sterling for being named the AHL Rookie of the Month and Krog who was named Milestone of the Month!!

Eight times a charm..

2006-11-30T23:29:00.000-06:00

Or at least we think so. If you weren't in Philips Arena tonight then I am sorry becuase you missed probably one of the BEST games the Thrashers have played in a LONG TIME. I don't really think I need to go into every little detail becuase there would just be too much to tell. All you really need to know is A. Marian Hossa is amazing, B. Kari Lehtonen is amazing, C. Slava Kozlov is amazing, and D. the Thrashers are Amazing.
Hossa got a hat trick, Kari got a shutout, Slava made most of the goals happen, and the rest of the team played like it was the Stanley Cup finals. What about that goal by Brad Larsen? Did anyone actually see it happen? Cause I know I didn't, I was too busy still celebrating Holik's goal. I also enjoyed the fight between Sim and Tucker and I enjoyed the Coburn fight as well. I'm slowly starting to like Coburn. I just can't get over tonight's win and how sweet it was. The last time the birds beat the Leafs was back in '03' when good ole Pasi was the net minder (I miss Pasi). I really had a good feeling about tonight's game, I told someone before the game started that we really needed to get our Leafs mental block over with. I also had a real good feeling about the game which I expressed to my friend Jessi before the lights went down for the intro. I suppose it's great to be right sometimes ;)
So there we go. We won. Leafs fans you can't say much of anything unless it involves what YOUR team did wrong tonight.

I have some bad news to report though after all that GREAT news.... The Gladiators did not win last night which put them a few points more behind Texas. A win tomorrow in Ohio could put them back on the map, not saying they are off the map but anymore loses could be a deal breaker.

Ok. Enough for now. Good Luck to the Glads tommorrow, I'd really like to see them win. GOOD NIGHT EVERYONE!

We are kind of a big deal..

2006-11-29T15:35:00.000-06:00

Well ok, "big deal" might be a stretch but if you are a fan of ANY hockey team in the NHL you have at least heard of what the Atlanta Thrashers are up to these days. That my friends would be WINNING!! I am more than happy to report that the boys finally pulled one out agaisnt the Rangers last night in good ole Madison Square Garden. Thank God, I was on the edge of my couch the whole game. It was a good game and the Rangers certainly did not go down without a fight. I've got to say though I'm a little peeved by the fact Holik did NOT receive a 1st star (or any star for that matter) last night. I do appreciate NY giving Slava a star but please Holik had 2 goals, 1 of which was GAME WINNING!! It's not our fault your Rangers didn't win last night, New York don't be so bitter.
Anyways, If I could pick the 3 stars from last game I would pick.... 1. Holik 2. Slater and last but not least 3. Kari. Slater has been itching for a goal and he couldn't have scored a better one at a better time (unless it was the Stanley cup finals but you know what I mean). Slater tied the game for the birds and got the momentum back up, Well done Slates!! Kari did excellent last night, I have to admit I was getting a little worried that Atlanta was putting too much pressure on him. No matter he hasn't snapped yet and showed NY a great performance (minus the 1st goal).
All in all well done boys, and now Toronto tomorrow. Oh goody.

*Good Luck to the Wolves and the Gladiators tonight!!
Gladiators NEED to win this game tonight. Texas ended up beating Flordia by 1 point last night which put Texas at 26 points. If the Glads win tonight of course we will be right behind Texas once again. I really would love to see these boys in the top spot again this season. There is no Thrashers tonight so in between games on Center Ice, Seinfeld reruns, and maybe even a Christmas movie (whatever your style might be) check the web for the score of the Glads game and quietly cheer them on (you can be loud if you think it would help more).
The Wolves are also playing tonight and not saying I don't have any love for them but they aren't in as tough of a spot as the Glads. So Good luck to them too and again if "Its a Wonderful Life" gets too wonderful for your tastes check out how the babies are doing!!

Alright, I am done for the night. See you soon (tomorrow if you are lucky) and let's hear it for our boys!!

Almost time for some Thrashers hockey...

2006-11-28T17:03:00.000-06:00

As promised here is an update:

*First things first I have to give some serious thanks to "the web guy" over at the Blueland Blog (http://www.atlantathrashers.com/) for giving the "little" people love. I appreciate being linked and I assume the other bloggers do too. Thanks again and I hope you continue to read what I have to say!!
On that note if you read this blog I would really love to hear what you have to say. I may not be a pro or anything but I do enjoy doing this blog and I'd love to read some comments or emails from anyone that may read my blog. I really don't care if you have something good or something bad to say, feedback is feedback and it will help me get better at what I do!! I mean come on, I won't know if I am sucking if the only comments I get are from my father (ps. LOVE YOU DAD haha). So don't be shy because you know I am not and I want to hear what YOU out there have to say :)..

*Alright, on to the good stuff.. HOCKEY!!!
I am very glad to see that the team is heading back in the right direction. The win on saturday was sloppy but a win so I'm sure no one is really complaining. Tonight the boys take on the Rangers and everyone who watches the Thrashers (or the Rangers) will know it's going to be a good game. I just hope the outcome isn't like the last one, it would be nice to beat these guys. I don't want to say much more because I don't want to jinx anything but I know I will be crossing my fingers!!
There is some good news and some bad news to report.. sooo let's do the bad news first. Most everyone should know Andy Sutton hurt himself yesterday at practice and today we find out its a cracked bone (ouch!!) which puts Sutton out for a little longer than expected. If you haven't really heard any of this check the Blueland Blog for more information. The good news is as of 11.28 the birds (our birds.. I'm not interested in what any other birds are doing) are still in 1st with 32 points. Hold your breath though becuase Carolina is close behind us with 29 points. Tampa bay isn't far behind them either with 27 points, which makes this race even more nail biting. No more losing streaks, we have to keep this good thing going. In other good news McCarthy should be back on Thursday which makes things alittle bit more interesting for the D men. Soooo who will sit on Thursday?? Pop, Coburn, or Hnidy? I'm calling Pop but who knows exactly. Looks like the goalie curse from last year has been lifted but it's been thrown on our defensemen. Not cool. Speaking of goalies any word of who will be in tonight? I say Kari but again who knows, I can't predict the future but we will find out in 40 minutes!! Good Luck boys!!

Updates on the babies (Wolves and Glads.):
*The Wolves faceoff against Iowa tomorrow. The boys need a win to keep their winning streak alive. The good news for the Wolves is they too are leading their division with 29 points. The closest team to them is Iowa who currently has 26 points which isn't really a good thing considering Iowa beat the boys 6 to 3 on Sunday. Hopefully the boys can get revenge tomorrow night and keep rolling in the points.
*The Gladiators start a long and far away road trip tomorrow when they take on Reading at 6:35 (eastern time, the ECHL has such strange start times). The Glads are 2nd place in the south behind the Texas Wildcatters but not by much, Texas has 24 and our boys have 23. Texas plays tonight vs. Flordia so let's hope they lose and the Glads win tomorrow. It would be great to see all 3 of our teams in 1st place :) and of course stay there. Again just in case you haven't been reading until now Paul Flache is apparently going to be ok (he was injured at the game on Thanksgiving) but I have yet to hear if he would be playing again this season or not. I will see what I can dig up!!

Alright, I think that is enough from me for today but remember to keep checking back for updates!! Let's go THRASHERS and don't forget to BELIEVE IN BLUELAND!!

Welcome Back!

2006-11-27T23:40:00.000-06:00

You know you have been checking my blog EVERY DAY to see if I have updated. I am sorry I have been slacking but I am back and ready to to write!
I had every intention of fully updating this tonight but due to my awesome luck the post I had written was deleted due to the fact that my internet can be lame.
So with that being said I will be updating this in full tomorrow before the game vs. the Rangers.

Some quick notes:
*Web guy you better be reading my blog cause it's sort of awesome and thanks for making sure you spell everything right just for me!! Everyone continue to check out the Blueland Blog (www.atlantathrashers.com) even though it is not as cool as mine haha.
* If you do read my blog you might have read about the Gladiators player Paul Flache being hurt at the Thanksgiving game. Word is Paul is alright, he did fracture a vertebrae but it seems it might be a re injury. No word yet on wether or not Paul will be back this season but keep your fingers crossed!!! Get well soon PAUL, the boys will miss you!!
*Check out the Nasty Nest (www.nastynest.com) and if you think you can handle us then join us and chat about all things hockey (and more.. see the off topic area for details haha).

Alright. More tomorrow, I've got to actually do REAL homework now ;)

Bring down the Wolves...

2006-11-25T00:30:00.000-06:00

Seriously.. because right now they are looking better than we are. Yes I understand they didn't win tonight either but at least they HAVE been winning.
Im tired of all this losing. Why can't the Thrashers ever keep a lead? It's like a soon as we have the lead and holding strong we crash. Now some of you know I don't like my roommate's boyfriend AT ALL but this is the ONE time in which I think he might be right.. he said to me a few months back "the thrashers always start strong but then they self destruct." What's sad is how my DUMB roommates boyfriend is kind of right. We do have a tendency to self destruct. I hope that this season we can pull out of that trend and pull this out. I really want the Thrashers to do well this year but honestly after the Tampa game ended tonight I just sort of threw up my hands. What is there to be done??
My answer along with a few other peoples' is the Wolves. Seriously, scratch a few of our boys, bring down the Wolves that have been playing really well and see what happens. Some people might shake their head at that idea but honestly if you have ever played a sport at a high level you will know exactly what I am talking about. If someone "below" you was playing in your spot you would flip. I say bring the babies down let them play and see how the big dogs feel about that.. I think a few light bulbs would go off and we would get results. You might not understand what I am saying but I understand it and I think its a great idea. Bring them on, Come on Wolves.. let's see what you got!!
The Thrashers play again tomorrow night. My guess is Moose will be in and I just hope we don't lose... the good thing is most of the people (Nasty Nesters mostly) who will be attending tomorrow's tailgate probably won't remember tomorrow nights game anyways. Maybe thats a good thing...
Quick Other news:
The capitals did NOT win.. I Hope everyone is happy. I still don't get what the big deal is. Sure there were fights but I guess I missed whatever else happened.
The wolves lost to Grand Rapids which shouldn't have happened considering the Wolves beat the Griffins last saturday without a problem. Maybe it's those good luck charms from atlanta??
The Glads DID win but just barely. The boys pulled out a 1 goal lead in a shootout. Congrats to ONE of our teams winning. No news on Paul Flache yet.. Im still checking that out.. oh and we signed a new guy Dobek.. More on him when I can find it.
See you tomorrow at the Tailgate and if not (which means you are lame) then I suppose I will see you around the bulb. Cross your fingers.. WE NEED A WIN!!

Well Well Well..

2006-11-22T22:33:00.000-06:00

What exactly do you call that game tonight? A hockey game? A fight? A WWF match? Not sure but I do know that I (along with the thrashers team I'm sure) loved that win. The thrashers pulled it out with the final score being 4 to 2. The goals were scored by Holik, Hnidy (yeah trust me you aren't the only one saying what the hell...), Metro, and finally Kovy with the insurance goal. I have got to say can we PLEASE give Jimmy an empty netter or something? The poor boy looks so frusterated and he was robbed on that goal in the 2nd (correct if I am wrong on that).. don't worry Jim your turn is coming soon enough!! Not a bad game for the MOOSE, after that 2nd goal which was ALL his fault Moose cleaned it up and didn't let in another goal. Sometimes that kind of thing is all it takes for a goalie to get focused especially since the goal could have been prevented by Moose himself. Congrats on the win!! So now the question is does Moose play on friday or does Kari? If Kari plays friday does that mean Moose plays saturday? Who knows I guess we will have to wait and see that is unless someone out there has any insider information.. let me know if you do. How about that ending? Fight after fight after fight, after mellanby's fight I sort of threw up my hands and said whose next? I do have to say it was fun to see the captain (good ole young gun :) Mellanby) throwing some serious punches. I've got to say I'm more than curious to know what caused all the bad blood. I didn't really see anything out of the ordinary but then again I left for the grocery store in between the 2nd and 3rd thinking we were losing 3 to 2 (guilty as charged I know) and I can't seem to pay attention to much when number 8 is out on the ice ;) Let me know if you hear of anything that went down out on the ice that caused the PreThanksgiving WWF throw down. Congrats to the boys and let's cross our fingers that we evenge that last loss in Tampa (I shutter at the thought) and keep this new streak (currently 1 game) up.
As for the Wolves the boys won tonight on the road vs. Omaha, the final score was 6 to 3. Brett Sterling picked up a hat trick while Krog picked up 2 and Haydar had 1. I have to say that is an All Star line (some sites are calling this line the "top offensive line in the AHL) and they have been capitalizing in almost every game lately. I really wouldn't be shocked if we saw one of these boys in Atlanta soon. Back to Brett sterling for a second, his hat trick tonight was only the 2nd time in the Wolves franchise history that a rookie has scored 3 goals in a night. On top of that Sterling leads the AHL's 1st years with 26 points and ranks 2nd overall in the league with 16 goals. Congrats to Brett!! Krog on the other hand leads the AHL in points, while Haydar is 2nd in league for points. I don't know about anyone else but I think we could use one of these guys down in Atlanta for a few days.. I mean Shane Hnidy scored tonight.. we are getting alittle desperate haha.
The Gladiators take on the Checkers again tomorrow night and like I have said quite a few times if the family is driving you nuts come out to Gwinnett, grab a beer, and yell a little.
At least thats what I'm going to do. See you there :)

Back from a long weekend..

2006-11-20T20:27:00.000-06:00

Im sorry I haven't been able to update my blog. I have been in Chicago since friday and just got back a little bit ago. Just because I was in Chicago doesnt mean that I wasn't keeping up with the things that were going on at home and of course in Chicago ;)
So Atlanta did NOT beat Dallas. There are worse things I guess that could happen but a loss for us was not ideal. Our defense is not in tip top shape with McCarthy being out with an upper body injury (Does anyone know exactly what's going on with him?) and of course Exelby having Mono is not a good thing because if you have ever had mono or have known somone that has had mono you will know that it is quite a long process.. or well at least it can be. I really want to see X back soon but I don't want his spleen to bust either so I will just have to be patient.
So what exactly is going on with the team? I can't be too sure but I know where I personally see some breakdowns... the defense is obviously losing steam and yes we have people who can score but scoring a million goals won't help unless the goals are enough to pull out the win. So with all that being said while I was in Chicago I attended to Wolves games and on the early sunday game we saw Don Waddell (Thrasher's GM) sooooo what do you think people? Are we getting another baby from Chicago to help us out?? A friend of mine in Chicago said that is the 2nd weekend Don has been up there, looks to me like he is fishing. The question is for what? We need defense and the wolves have 2 fantastic defenders we could pull.. Boris Valibik and Nathan Oystrick. Information from a source indicates that it would more than likely be Boris over Nathan. Then there is the goalies.. Fred Braithwaite and Michael Garnett.. both are very good if Waddell was for some reason thinking our goalies weren't cutting it he could always pull Garnie... but would that be a good idea? Not sure if I was Don Wadell I would pull another defender and a forward. Chicago has 3 AMAZING goal scorers right now.. Darren Haydar, Jason Krog, and Rookie Brett Sterling (see the main site @www.atlantathrashers.com to read a recently posted article on Sterling). I think I would give one of them a chance.
I guess we will see what's going to happen in the next couple of weeks. Something needs to be done soon, either we get some help from new,fresh legs or the team needs to pull out a few more wins. Right now the Thrashers are tied with Carolina for 1st place with 22 points. Washington and Tampa are both right behind us with 20 points.. this could be a close race people. Keep your fingers crossed. This could get interesting. League wise Atlanta is 5th.. thats a little bit of a drop from the recent 2nd place mark :( COME ON BOYS!!
News from Chicago: While I was up there I attended 2 Wolves games and I have got to say being up there is a different exiperence. The arena, the fans, the players.. all different. We had some interaction with most of the players and they are all really great guys. On top of that the games were awesome. They won both their games which I am told is a little surprising.. because besides this weekend the wolves had only won 1 game at home. Must be the good luck charms from Atlanta :) THe game on sunday was probably the most intense game. The Wolves went into a shootout with the Rivermen and the shootout was close but the wolves game through. Kevin Doell scored a great goal, and Brett Sterling picked up 2 goals in regulation and was the 1st star of the game!! What a great weekend for the Wolves and for me and my crew up in ChiTown.
The Gladiators play tomorrow at 7:05 so if you have nothing better to do on a Tuesday night head over to Gwinnett to watch alittle hockey :) You cant pass that up!!
Sum of the last 2 games from the Gladiators Website (www.gwinnettgladiators.com):
*November 17th the Glads won 3 to 2 over Columbia.. Bruce Mulherin collected his first professional goal, which proved to be the game winner in the third period to help the Gladiators snap their four game winless skid. Colton Fretter added his team leading 10th goal of the season while Jim Jackson pitched in a shorthanded tally for Gwinnett in the second period. Brad Schell, Jon Awe, Mike Vigilante, Bryan Dobek, Andy Contois and Jamie Milam each had an assist in the win. Dave Caruso made 32 saves for his 3rd win of the season for the Gladiators. Gwinnett overcame a 1-0 deficit to post the win. Congrats to Colton on his goal and leading the team in goals :)
*November 18th the Glads fell to Charlotte 3 to 1...Gwinnett never led in the game as Brandon Kaleniecki posted the only goal of the game for Gwinnett in the 3-1 loss. Kaleniecki’s goal came in the third period to get Gwinnett within a goal at 2-1 but a penalty shot goal by Charlotte in the final period pushed the Checkers lead back to two goals. Bruce Mulherin had the only assist in the contest for Gwinnett. Dan Turple made 23 saves in the loss while Gwinnett went 0-11 on the man advantage.
Hopefully the boys can pull out a win tomorrow night.. gotta love being back at home!!

Dont forget to vote on NHL.com for your pick for the 2007 NHL all Stars.. I already picked mine :)
Thats all for now.. keep checking for updates.. and if you are cool then maybe I will see you around the Glads arena tomorrow and thursday. If not see you at the Gulch on saturday afternoon for the 1st Nest tailgate in WEEKS. Its going to be a blowout so you don't want to miss it!

Oh brother..

2006-11-13T19:18:00.000-06:00

Keep in mind: As my posts go on I may refer to the Thrashers as the "Grandfathers", the Wolves as the "Fathers", and the Gladiators as the "Grandsons". Just keep that in mind, it might help you out as the posts go on.

Well. I'm really not sure what to say. The thrashers didn't do so hot in the last two games. The game vs. the Rangers at home was really dissapointing... the only thing that really got me on my feet during that game was the Exelby fight. Way to throw down X. I had called that fight before we even got to the arena... it was easy to see X wanted revenge and if you have watched the replay then you know that is exactly what he got. I had really hoped that we could beat the Rangers but no.. not this time. You have to admit though, Henrik played a great game and so did the rest of his team. I still can't stand the Rangers though, they make me so angry and so do their fans. Rude, Rude, Rude. Ugh. Alright I'm done talking about that game, I don't like thinking about it.. it is in the past.
Another game that is about to be put in the "don't ever think about again" box is the game on saturday.. Thrashers took on the Lightning in Tampa and well I honestly don't think the team came out to play till the 3rd. Kari was NOT on it on Saturday. I was hoping to see Moose go in but he did not.. Kari did stop a great penalty shot in the 3rd (i think...) which gave the team a little bit of a boost. I just wished the boys had played a little better this game. The refs didn't help though, the Lightning were on a power play most of the game and for some reason Andy Sutton got thrown out. All in all the Tampa game was NOT pretty. The refs sucked, the fans (most of them.. not all of them of course) were rude and I just would rather not think about that game anymore either. We could have won it, we should have won it, but we didn't win it. Let's move on.

So with that all behind us let's look to the future!! 1st: The Thrashers take on Dallas on friday. I won't be able to attend this game but the boys are really going to need a win to pull themselves out of whatever those last 2 games were. I am worried about the fact that most other teams play this week and that will give them the chance to score some points and get closer to Atlanta in the standings. Let's hope something crazy goes down and no one gets too close. 2nd: Looks like the Thrashers are taking on some charities this holiday season. Kari and Hossa both started their own kids club.. the memebers of these clubs gets special offers and special meet and greets. To find out more details go to the Thrashers website @ www.atlantathrashers.com. There is also the wreath raffle being put on by the Thrasher's wives and girlfriends. The next 3 home games you will have a chance to buy a raffle ticket and pick which wreath you would like. On the 30th the winners of the nine unique wreaths (representing countries from which the players are from) will be picked and notified. All the money raised will go to charity, so please check out the table at the next 3 home games and buy a ticket. More details are also up on the Thrashers website. 3rd: 3 of our boys are on the NHL all Star ballot for this year!! Marian, Ilya, and Kari are all on the ballot so get out there and vote. You can see the entire list of players picked @ Nhl.com. The list is long and almost all the players on there are very good. The list as a whole really didn't surprise me. So check it out and you can form your own opinion's of it again that is posted at Nhl.com. That is all the Thrashers news I have for today. Keep checking back for more updates.

The Wolves (the Fathers remember) played well friday night.. they won their game 7 to 2.. but their road streak was snapped on Sunday when they lost to Rochester 7 to 3. The team is back in action tomorrow at 7 in Iowa. Let's hope the fathers don't continue to follow in the footsteps of their dads causeee that could do some damage. Good luck!!

The Gladiators (the grandsons) lost both their road games this past weekend. The Glads played the Texas Wildcatters back to back friday and saturday and lost both games. Which was a little dissapointing considering the last time the boys took on the Wildcatters they beat them 6 to 2. Should have been a sweep right? If not a sweep then at least a couple of wins... Friday the glads lost 5 to 4 in OT (seems to be popular for them) and Saturday they lost 3 to 1. The gladiators Jeff Campbell has been called up to his AHL affilated team the Grand Rapids Griffins. Good luck to him in his games in the AHL. The Glads are back in action friday and saturday in the Carolinas.

Thats all for me today. Keep checking for updates... but since their isn't so much going on with the Thrashers and their affilates this week I will probably not be updating as much.. but keep checking back just in case :)

Welcome to Atlanta!

2006-11-10T15:12:00.000-06:00

Well, Well, Well.. thanks Ottawa. We appreciate you showing up Wednesday night but seriously.. nice try. The game on Wednesday night vs. Ottawa was fantastic. I love seeing the Russian's throw down, Kovy monday night, Slava Wednesday.. 2 hat tricks in a row... thats incredible. How about another one tonight?? We could give the Slovakian a chance? What about a fin? I would love to see 3 hat tricks in a row. Keep your fingers crossed folks. You never know what could happen in Blueland.
How about the goalie situation on Wednesday?? I really had faith in Moose and no I haven't lost it yet but I have to say I agree with putting Kari in. Moose did a great job the past couple of games but it was really time for Kari to take over. Of course Kari did a great job, Ottawa didn't have a chance and it's always fun to see a goalie throwing down. Kari's penalty took me back to the Pasi days ;)
You have to admit though, Ottawa did put up a good fight.. and for awhile there I wasn't sure what the outcome was going to be. Of course I had faith the boys but :whew: I was having a heart attack there for a second.

SO enough about last game let's focus on tonight's game. The Thrashers take on the Rangers. The next home game isn't till next friday vs. Dallas (I am sorry to say I will be missing this game and headed to Chicago) but I know I'd certainly like to see a win before I go. The Thrashers might be first in the Southeast (and 2nd in the LEAGUE behind Anaheim) but the Rangers are 2nd in the Atlantic (and just for perspectives sake..13th in the league)... so I wouldn't write this game off just yet. 1st off Hossa's brother Marcel is in town, let's be honest a Hossa is a Hossa.. then there are the other players to consider Jagr, Nylander, Shanahan, Straka.. the list goes on. On top of the good skaters there are the goalies to consider.. Henrik Lundqvist and Kevin Weekes, personally I don't know much about Weekes but I know a good bit about Henrik and if he plays my fingers will be crossed tight. Henrik is tied for 1st in league for shootouts.. so let't hope it doesn't come down to that.
I don't personally like the Rangers (remember the game last year in which Exelby got a concussion that put him out for a few games? Yeah.. that's why..) so with that being said.. I hope the boys can pull this one through. Another win over a good team like the Rangers would help this team to continue to fly. Good luck tonight boys and fans continue believe in Blueland!!

Other NHL games tonight:
*Edmonton takes on Columbus at 7:00
*Ottawa vs. Pittsburgh at 7:30 (I personally am looking forward to finding out the outcome of this game).
*Nashville takes on Detroit at 7:30
*Flordia and Buffalo at 8:00 (another game I will be curious to find out the end result).
*St. Louis and Chicago @ 8:30
and last but not least Anaheim vs. Calgary at 9:30...
Looks like a pretty full hockey night tonight folks. Gotta love it :)

AHL.. the Wolves to be exact: The Wolves start a 3 game road trip tonight in Syracuse, then its off to Rochester and then De Moines to end up back at the All state Arena on Saturday the 18th. Garnie was hurt but with Caruso sent back to gwinnett it seems he is alright. I would anticipate Braithwaite being put in while Garnett gets a bit of rest. Should be an exciting couple of games so keep checking back to find out the scoop and outcomes!

ECHL... or rather the Gladiators.. are in Texas for back to back games vs. the Wildcatters. The glads sadly lost Monday night to the stingrays in a shootout but the last time the Glads took on the Wildcatters (yes that is really their team name) the outcome was 6 to 2 in favor of the Gladiators. I have a feeling they can pull it off. Good luck tonight boys.

Alright thats it for me. See you around the bulb and keep believing in BLUELAND!

Bring it on Ottawa

2006-11-08T13:57:00.000-06:00

Yes. Hockey Night.. its back again. I love it, but before I really dig into all the hockey stuff I wanted to say a few things first. 1. My email address is listed and if you have anything to say to me I'd love to hear it :) Questions, comments, whatever.. all you have to do is shoot an email to me and I'll answer it ASAP. 2. I think some people may think I'm bitter about losing the whole fan correspondent contest but honestly I'm not. Sure I was at first, but now I love this blog and I'm very happy to be getting the chance to talk to the world especially about hockey. So no hard feelings, I just like to rip on people so if you have checked out the nasty nest message boards (www.nastynest.net) lately and saw me being a little harsh let it roll off. I am just messing. 3. Last but not least there are a few things I feel very strongly about.. and one of those things has to do with the issue of tickets and such. I support the Thrashers as much as I can and I do not support the constant sneaking around to better seats. If you can't afford it then you can't have it. That's life. I do think its alright to move down if someone has an extra ticket and would like you to sit with them. I just don't promote freeloading.. especially when it involves an organization I very much care for.

Now Hockey...
* Bring it on Ottawa, seriously.. let's see what you got. I am personally not worried, I hope the game tonight will be just like the Bruins game on Monday night. You have got to love that winning feeling ;) Moose is back between the pipes and that is something I am happy about. Moose is great in goal and I really think he will continue to play well for the Thrash. Again it all goes back to the old saying "Don't take out a goalie when he is hot.." I think there is something about Moose that is certainly unique from Kari. Kari is huge and Kari is the "superstar".. I think the fact that Moose is so much smaller and the backup might give him a little bit more drive to really do a fantastic job on the ice.... in the end of course that is my observation. Good luck tonight MOOOOOSEEEEEEEE!!!
How about Kovy on Monday night?? Wow.. a hat trick. Way to pull out all the stops Kovy. I've got to say being someone who is all about the team effort I was all about Kovy on Monday night. You know when a player is itching for more and Monday Ilya was scratching hard. Serious Congrats to him!! How bout another one tonight?? Only time will really tell.
I hope everyone has the respect for Dany tonight.. ok ok don't freak out.. I don't mean that you need to respect him but I really hope that everyone is past the whole let's boo heatley thing. Dany is a good player, and some of the Thrashers said they were very dissapointed in the fact that the fans booed the first time Heatley came back to ATL. I think for most people that would indicate it's not cool to boo him.. but people dont listen.. speaking of booing.. what was with booing savvy?? Last time I checked he left for pretty legit reasons..
Well thats all about the Thrash.. I have a feeling another win is at the tip of our fingers, and I'm ready to have a good time in the bulb.. See you all around :)

Gladiators lost last night to the Stingrays. From what I have found out it was a pretty close game. The boys lost in OT 5 to 4. Bummer. Better luck next time boys.. Next game for the Glads is friday in Texas :) I will keep you updated!!

We So ROCK!!

2006-11-06T22:54:00.000-06:00

Thrashers beat the bruins 5 to 3 (i really dont even remember seeing the 3rd goal.. not like it matters).. we rock!! Moose gets the win and Kovy gets a hat trick.. what more could you ask for in Blueland?? Not much I dont think. Check out the re-run of the game tonight.. you just might see 3 hot chics dancing with a guy with a flag.. Im the hot one in the Exelby Jersey.. whats up?
Back on topic.. I really had a blast at tonights game.. the atmosphere was nuts and the boys played their hearts out. Im not even sure what else I can say about this game.. it was just incredible.. you almost had to be there to understand what Im saying.
The win put the team back on top. We are now tied with Buffalo and a regulation win on Wednesday could put us out on top once again. Im keeping my fingers crossed.

In other NHL news.. Capitals beat Ottawa in overtime 4 to 3. That seems to be a popular score with the Capitals. Toronto beat Philly 4 to 1.. I don't like to see them continuing to pull out wins.. I'd rather them stay at the bottom. Tampa Bay beat the Islanders 5 to 1.. was dunham in goal (snickers).. Right now thats all I've got for you NHL wise.. but there are a few games still going so go to NHL.com to see the end results.

AHL news.. not much but the Wolves had their annual bowling with the booster club thing tonight.. word is it was a lot of fun. So if you ever move to chicago.. join the wolves booster club. sounds like a good time.

ECHL news.. The gladiators lost in a shootout.. bummer :( oh well.. they play again tomorrow and I really hope they can pull out another win!! Good Luck tomorrow guys!!

Ive got to bitch about a few things: 1. The spirit girls.. are you kidding me? They dont do anything.. they stand in the same spot and it drives me nuts.. run around.. do something exciting cause you are boring. 2. The new web blog guy.. Sean.. I hear he is cool but come on.. you spelled Exelby's name wrong.. how is that possible? 3. The beers at Philips need to be like the beers at the glads game..

Yeah I suppose that its for now.

Its Hockey Night!!

2006-11-06T08:44:00.000-06:00

Yes ladies and Gents.. thank the good lord its Hockey night tonight in Atlanta.. Bring on the beers, loud people, and the sound of skates on the ice.. doesn't that thought make you smile?? Oh you know it does.

So the Thrashers take on the Bruins tonight. Considering the last couple of games and the last time we played the Bruins I'm not going to lie I'm not exactly worried. The last game when Marc Savard made his debut back in Atlanta I wasn't impressed.. it made me re-think missing him on the team (I think we are doing just fine without him.. what do you think?) and I really don't even remember seeing him on the ice. As some know I'm very over the whole 3 player team thing but I've gotta say I wouldn't mind seeing a Hossa or a Kovy goal today.. and I would never mind seeing a Kari goal ;) but I just hope the team can pull off a win at home.. it's been a long time (it sure as hell feels like it) since the last time I saw that red light flash, the horn blow, and the birds spit fire.. we need it a few times tonight.
Whose going to start in goal?? Who knows.. goalie musical chairs continues. I say Moose.. mostly because he looks like a little gremlin when he is in goal but because He IS ON IT right now.. Everyone always says don't take out a goalie when he is HOT.. so then let's keep moose in.. He's pretty hot (ladies enter snickers here).. but who knows.. the Blueland Blog (www.thrashers.com) doesn't give much insight on the goalie situation so it looks like it's going to be all surprise.

Around the NHL these days everyone seems to be lighting up the ice.. someone I am very impressed with is Evengi Malkin. Can you believe this kid? I feel like we have another Alexander the Great in the making.. but speaking of Alexander the Great have you seen the "other" Alex? Alexander Semin is tearing it up for the Capitals. Last time I checked big number 28 was ranked in goals in the Hockey news while number 8 was not... being an Ovechkin fan myself I'm not surprised. Ovie is doing something Ilya Kovalchuk Is not. Ovie knows how to play as a team and get the puck to EXACTLY where it needs to go. Not saying Kovy does not know how to do this but If you know Kovy you know how Kovy likes his goals.. fast and ALL THE TIME ;)

All star ballot should be released soon keep checking NHL.com for more details. SO what do you think? Who do you think is going to be on it? Who would you like to be on it? DO you have the guts to share who you are going to vote for?? Let me know..
Personally I know who I will vote for... but I'm not going to reveal anything just yet.

In other Hockey news (mostly affilated with Atlanta style) the Gwinnett Gladiators (ECHL) take on the Augusta Lynx. Last time I saw the Lynx I wasn't impressed but I'm not too sure how they have been doing this year. I know our boys have been doing great so I am fully confident in another win for the Glads. Good Luck tonight boys and tomorrow for that matter (the boys take on the South Carolina Stingrays and then if im not mistaken they start a long road trip that will end finally with them being back home November 21st.. check the schedule at www.gwinnettgladiators.com if you are intersted in their schedule).
In the AHL.. The Wolves dont play till friday the 10th when they too start a 3 game road trip which ends with them back home on November 18th.. they did that on purpose cause they knew I was going to be up there ;)
Ive gotta give some love to my Capitals.. they take on the Senators tonight.. Id really like to see a Capitals win tonight... just cause personally I'd like the Capitals to have more points in the end.. not the Senators.

Alright thats it.. see you around the bulb.. and if you are having a bad day remember to smile because its Hockey Night!! You can grab a beer (or two) and yell all you want tonight in the arena!! Love it!!
Email me if you have something to say :)

The 1st post.

2006-11-05T13:50:00.000-06:00

Yes.. here it is.. the first post of Girls love hockey too.. I really hope this goes the way I have intended it too..

First on the list of things to talk about is of course the Thrashers. Man oh man are we doing good. Another town.. another win. Friday we beat the capitals (yes i know.. alittle bittersweet for a gal like me) which helped us out after the awful display of hockey vs. Carolina @ home wednesday night. Kari.. well he sucked it up on wednesday so it was Moose's chance to shine and boy did he ever.. Saturday at the Islanders Moose proved AGAIN that he was a good backup when the team won 4 to 1. Good to see some different people scoring.. JP, Larsen, AND McCarthy all recorded goals saturday night.. so did Hossa but come on.. dont we hear about Hossa enough? Lets give the "little guys" their moment to shine.
If the Thrashers continue like this we have you know what in the bag.. but please dont say it out loud.. I dont want us to be jinxed just yet...

In other hockey news....
The Wolves (our babies) recorded another win on the road.. beating whoever the hell they played 10 to 5.. yes 10. Krog had a hattrick while sterling had 2.. haydar, oystie, wanvig, lavallee,and crabb each had a goal. In the bad news on that game Garnie may have a concussion.. way to run over our goalie other team.. but if that IS the case it looks like Braithwaite is A-ok to come back in goal (after recovering from a broken hand).

I know most people arent big fans of the ECHL but i dont see why this is.. last night 7 of us girls went to the Gladiators game and my goodness we had a good time. The team won 6 to 2 and played a great game. I really enjoy the atmosphere of that arena.. everyone gets into the chants and songs and you can just tell ECHLers love to play. What a game.