Atlanta Thrashers Goalie Teaching Lessons in How Not to Win

The Atlanta Thrashers, proud owners of one playoff berth in their nine previous NHL seasons, were finally riding high. They were tied for the lead in the Southeast Division with the powerful Washington Capitals and got to host them on Thursday night. Everything was finally coming up Thrashers.

Then Ondrej Pavelec gave up the above goal from almost the full length of the rink, let two more by in the next 88 seconds of the second period, and got pulled. Despite the Thrashers' efforts to keep NHL goals leader Alexander Ovechkin pointless for only the second time this season and a spotless relief session from Johan Hedberg, Atlanta fell, 5-4.

The moral of the story: If you are an (the?) Atlanta Thrashers fan, getting your hopes up may be as hazardous to your health as those Thrashers uniforms are to the rest of us.

(HT: Puck Daddy.)

This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.