SB Nation - Maxim Afinogenov

Oh My..The Canucks DO Have A Pulse!

Sean Zandberg — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 06:21:39 -0000

That was a game the Canucks didn't have to win, but needed to. I'm sure they had a bit of fatigue issues themselves, having arriving in Vancouver the day after the Preds game, but they still took it to the Thrashers, who were playing in a back-to-back situation. I'll keep this in point form.

-I don't think Ilya Kovalchuk liked being limited the way he was. His anger boiled over at Ryan Kesler late in the game. Kovalchuk played 27:03 (wow), had 1 assist and only 3 shots and a -2. Rich Peverley continued his point-producing ways, tallying 2 assists, 2 shots and was a +1. Nik Antropov scored a goal, was a -2, and played over 23:00. Many of those minutes he was on the ice too long, to the dismay of Atlanta coach John Anderson. John Shorthouse and John Garrett said he looked like the Leafs version of Antropov more than the Thrashers version. I laughed. Nothing doing for Maxim Afinogenov either. The Thrashers tried for the stretch passes all night long to spring breakaways but the Canucks would have none of it.

More after the jump

-Thanks to yoata, Steve Bernier's middle name is now "Almost". That guy just can't bury his chances lately. Not consistently anyway. He still finished with 1 assist, 3 shots and a +1.

-It's all about the Sedins tonight. When they play games like that, we win. Daniel had several chances to score 4 goals. He finished with a hatty and 10 bloody shots! Whoa!

-Brother Hank had 2 assists. He is now 3rd in NHL scoring with 38 points, 1 behind Marian Gaborik and 4 behind Jumbo Joe Thornton.

-2 assists for Alex Burrows tonight. He could have scored a couple but was either snake-bit or missed the net.

-This game could have been a worse result for the Thrashers if not for Ondrej Pavelec. I thought he looked pretty good after the Canucks scored a few flukey ones on him earlier in the game.

-With Kyle Wellwood benched, Darcy Hordichuk got the call. But all he did was get into a fight, show some hustle, and play a MERE 4:29. Huh.

-For a supposed tired team...the Thrashers looked pretty quick throughout the game, but mentally their game was not there.

-Look at the shots on goal (click on the BOXSCORE link). The Canucks never let up on these guys.

Great game!

-For the record: the Canucks PPV channel (once they go off the air) turns into a "fireplace" channel. That's so smart. Now I can cozy up all by myself to a fake fire because my wife left me because I watch too much hockey. Thanks, Canucks! How about you put a vintage Canucks game on instead? You know...so I can get the best bang out of my $13.00?

BOXSCORE

HIGHLIGHTS

MY 3 STARS:

1. Daniel Sedin...duh

2. Henrik Sedin

3. Rick Rypien. That's throwing the champ a bone. He didn't get a lot of ice-time, but was a force every time he was on the ice. Ripper...I love you man! Is his killing of Boris Valabik on YouTube yet? Why yes it is. Here ya go:

And just to throw in a screen capture...check out the Van fans after the Ripper fight...

Yeah..don't EVER eliminate fighting from the game. Ever.

Which Thrashers Are Playing Well at Even Strength?

The Falconer — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 12:00:16 -0000

More photos » by Lynne Sladky - AP

Browse more photos »

The Thrashers have excelled at Even Strength so far this season. After the goaltenders, the biggest reason for improvement in ES situations are the two players acquired mid-summer. Nik Antropov has been the Thrashers best forward at ES and Pavel Kubina has been the best defenseman at ES. I've been critical of Don Waddell's free agent acquisitions in past summers but he hit a home run with these two guys. They were precisely what the team needed and as a consequence the Thrashers are much improved.

Forwards

The coaching staff might not like to use terms like "first line" or "third line" but the ES Time On Ice (TOI) paint a rather clear picture. The Russian speaking line of Kovalchuk-Antropov-Afinogenov is clearly #1 in ice time. The next two lines are pretty even Kozlov-White-Little and Kane-Peverley-Armstrong. The 4th line (Boulton-Slater-Thorburn) with Marty Reasoner going back and forth between the 3rd and 4th lines.

Who is facing the toughest opposition? According the Gabe Desjardin's Quality of Competition measure (opponent's Relative Goal Differential at Even Strength) Todd White, Bryan Little Slava Kozlov and Ilya Kovalchuk face the best players, while Boulton, Slater and Thorburn are sheltered.

Who is most effective? At even strength the name of the game is winning on the scoreboard. I have ranked all the players below according to their Goal Differential (GFA-GAA) per 60 minutes of ES TOI. Antropov is your clear leader. Why have the Thrashers gotten so much better this season? Well look at that list of players and you can see that 4 of the 5 most effective ES players were not on this roster one year ago today. Peverley was added in last January an Antropov via Free Agency, Kane at the NHL Draft and Afinogenov was a late NHL Camp tryout. Every single one of those moves has worked out very well!

Another measure to compare players is Desjardins' "Rating" column which compares each players net Goal Differential when that player is on the ice to when that player is off the ice. For example, Ilya Kovalchuk averages a +.59 Goal Differential when he is on the ice, but his Rating is just .01 which means that the Atlanta Thrashers post a+.58 when Kovalchuk is off the ice at ES. On the other hand, the Thrashers do much better when Nik Antropov is on the ice than when he is off it. In fact, when Antropov is off the ice the Thrashers have been out-scored at ES this season--he is only forward for whom that is true.

NAME	GP	TOI/60	QUALCOMP	GF	GA	GFA	GAA	G Diff	RATING
NIK ANTROPOV	26	14.6	0.00	29	16	4.59	2.53	2.06	2.28
MARTY REASONER	26	9.2	0.00	14	7	3.52	1.76	1.76	1.57
EVANDER KANE	26	12.1	0.00	20	13	3.81	2.48	1.33	1.13
RICH PEVERLEY	26	12.9	-0.03	20	14	3.57	2.50	1.07	0.79
MAXIM AFINOGENOV	26	14.4	0.01	24	18	3.85	2.89	0.96	0.67
BRYAN LITTLE	24	12.6	0.09	16	12	3.17	2.38	0.79	0.64
ILYA KOVALCHUK	20	15.1	0.07	17	14	3.37	2.77	0.59	0.01
COLBY ARMSTRONG	25	11.6	-0.02	12	12	2.48	2.48	0.00	-0.49
VYACHESLAV KOZLOV	26	11.8	0.07	12	14	2.34	2.73	-0.39	-1.21
ERIC BOULTON	24	6.2	-0.09	4	6	1.62	2.43	-0.81	-1.31
CHRIS THORBURN	26	6.7	-0.06	4	6	1.38	2.07	-0.69	-1.40
TODD WHITE	26	12.0	0.13	10	15	1.93	2.89	-0.96	-1.99
JIM SLATER	11	8.4	-0.07	1	5	0.65	3.26	-2.61	-4.94

On defense Pavel Kubina has played like an All-Star minus big gaudy point totals.The Toronto Maple Leafs dumped Kubina's salary so they could sign Mike Komisarek, but I suspect that Kubina is having a better season than Komisarek is. When Kubina is on the ice in Even Skater situations the Thrashers have outscored the opposition by an astonishing 29-11 margin. Wow! When Pavel Kubina is off the ice at Even Strength the Thrashers have been outscored this season--Kubina is the only defenseman for which that statement is true. According to Desjardins Quality of Competition rating, Kubina is also facing the toughest opponents every night (with Ron Hainsey right behind him). Kubina makes some big coin ($5 million) and if he departs as a UFA this summer he will leave a giant hole.

Despite putting up some big goal totals this season Zach Bogosian has been exploited at times during even strength play. His 3.25 GAA is not very good. All three of the 3rd pairing defensemen appear to drag down the team's offense when they are on the ice (compare at their GFA to the top four guys).

NAME	GP	TOI/60	QUALCOMP	GF	GA	GFA	GAA	G Diff	RATING
PAVEL KUBINA	25	16.8	0.08	29	11	4.14	1.57	2.57	3.15
TOBIAS ENSTROM	26	16.3	0.02	26	17	3.69	2.41	1.28	1.20
ANSSI SALMELA	15	13.0	-0.04	7	6	2.15	1.85	0.31	-0.17
RON HAINSEY	24	15.6	0.07	19	18	3.04	2.88	0.16	-0.34
CHRISTOPH SCHUBERT	24	13.5	-0.04	11	13	2.04	2.41	-0.37	-1.14
ZACH BOGOSIAN	26	17.8	0.04	21	25	2.73	3.25	-0.52	-1.67
MARK POPOVIC	16	11.7	-0.09	7	10	2.25	3.22	-0.96	-2.31

Conclusion

The Thrashers are playing better because they are better. The new players that were added this summer (Kubina, Antropov, Afinogenov, Kane) all rank near the top at their respective positions.

Home Sweet Home: Canucks-Thrashers Preview

Sean Zandberg — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 08:08:51 -0000

Thrashers (15-10-3) vs Canucks (16-14-0)

GAME TIME: 7:00 PST

TV: CANUCKS PPV

AERIAL NEMESIS: Bird Watchers Anonymous

Update (2:39 PM): AV is pissed. From the Province today: Every time so far this year when I think we're getting on a roll and we're getting traction, we sort of find a way to piss me off again,” Vigneault said following the Canucks' morning skate. “So it's what we're faced with right now. Talk is fine but we need actions. They're a strong group, we believe in them and we have to let their actions speak for themselves with their play on the ice.”

Yeah, you tell 'em, Viggy! You get the feeling the Thrashers are walking into a lion's den tonight? I hope so.

Update (11:55 AM): MindRoom Science and the power of positivity for your Vancouver Canucks? Oh for f**k's sakes. How about my foot in your ass?

Update (11:51 AM): "Looks like meat's back on the menu boys!" OK, not always. There's an entertaining piece up at Canucks.com about what the Canucks eat, or can't eat, etc. Check it out.

Update (8:48 AM): A great piece in the Province today about knee-jerk reactions, slow start trends and how little ice-time the Sedins get. Here is an excerpt:

What never seems to change, however, is the Canucks' dependence on a strong second half. Since Alain Vigneault took over as coach, Vancouver's seasons have followed a remarkably similar script. His team point totals on Dec. 9 in his four seasons have been 29, 35, 33 and, this year, 32. Those reflect mediocre first halfs which force a mad dash for the playoffs. It's worked two of his three seasons. If it's to work again, the Canucks need to use this eight-game homestand as a springboard.

********************************

The inconsistent Canucks return home to play 8 straight games at GM Place in the span of 17 nights. With a 10-4 home record this season, this is their big chance to get on a roll and figure out what it takes to win consistently. Rather than beat the Predators and get into a playoff spot last game, they lost in angering fashion and now sit in 12th spot in the West, 3 points out of a playoff spot. The Flames, who own top spot in the Northwest are now 9 points ahead of us. I'm not going to say any more about the Nucks. I thought all of your inputs in Mike's "Grievance" post below were excellent.

The Thrashers are better on the road (9-4-1) than they are at home (6-6-2). They sit in 6th spot in the East, 3 points up on the 9th place Rangers. This game will not be easy for them (or will it?) Vancouver is the final stop in their 4 game road trip. They have won once and lost 2 so far on the trip. They have played (in order) Florida, Toronto and Calgary. This will be their 2nd game in 2 nights after losing 3-1 in Calgary last night. A perfect chance for the Canucks to take advantage of a tiring team.

More after the jump...

Atlanta had a 6-4-1 record in October, a hot 9-3-2 record in November and a 1-3 record in December. Their management is trying their best to keep Ilya Kovalchuk in Atlanta. Kovalchuk wants to be sure that the team is headed in a winning direction before committing. I can't blame him. Long have the Thrashers toiled in mediocrity. Their success this year caught me by surprise. They have been without their #1 goalie Kari Lehtonen for the entire season due to back surgery. But they seem to have been getting decent goaltending from the 22-year-old Czech Ondrej Pavelec, and excellent results from The Moose Johan Hedberg. Remember him? He was part of the Canucks' goalie graveyard.

A real like-able guy. The crowd always chanted "Moose!" when he made a stellar save. After playing 13 games this season, Hedberg is making a strong case to backup Henrik Ludqvist for the Swedes at the Olympics. His save percentage and GAA rank 2nd and 5th best in the NHL.

We most likely won't see Hedberg between the pipes against the Canucks. He played last night in Atlanta's loss to the Flames.

The Thrashers have several decent weapons in their arsenal. Kovalchuk is still his kick-ass ol' self with 16 goals and 27 points in 22 games. I wonder if the Predators have any regrets for putting Rich Peverley on waivers last January. He has 10 goals and 27 points in 28 games this season. He is making $500,000. His $1.3 million earnings kick in next season. Maxim Afinogenov has found a home in Atlanta. His role was being diminished in Buffalo due to bad defensive play (among other things I'm sure) and they didn't renew his services after his contract expired last summer. You can't be a -16 player in Buffalo. Maxim (cool name or what?) went unclaimed ALL SUMMER. I thought he was heading back to Russia. Atlanta took a chance on him on September 29th and signed him to a 1-year $800,000 contract. I like this kid. He looks and even skates like Pavel Bure. He will definitely be noticeable on the ice tonight. He currently has 11 goals and 15 assists in 27 games this season. He is also a +4. Not bad for a guy that nobody wanted.

Watch out for that Colby Armstrong guy. He doesn't look like a guy that can demolish players with devastating hits, but he can! He reminds me of Mike Peca. Check out some of the carnage here.

More Thrashers player stats here.

The last time the Canucks played the Thrashers was January 2nd. Atlanta beat the Canucks 4-3 in a shootout on home ice. Jason Labarbera, cursed in shootouts, was in goal for Van. The last time the Thrashers played in Vancouver was February 7, 2007. The Canucks shut them down and won 3-2, powered by 2 Brendan Morrison goals.

COMPARATIVE STATS

GOALS PER GAME AVG: Thrashers 3rd overall, Canucks 5th.

GOALS AGAINST PER GAME: Canucks 9th best, Thrashers 18th.

POWER PLAY: Canucks 5th, Thrashers 9th.

PENALTY KILL: Thrashers 6th, Canucks 27th. Uh-oh...

SHOTS PER GAME: Canucks 11th, Thrashers 24th

SHOTS AGAINST PER GAME: Canucks 10th, Thrashers 29th.

Analysis: Who is Playing Well on the Thrashers Power Play

The Falconer — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 12:00:15 -0000

One season ago the Thrashers power play finished the season 11th with 69 PP Goals scored. This year the Power Play is ranked 6th and on pace to score 67 Goals (looks like PP% rate is down in the NHL after rising sharply last season).

FORWARDS

Ilya Kovlachuk always plays the point position on the PP so I have put him in the chart with the other defenseman below. There are really six forwards who have seen substantial time on the PP this season. All six are averaging around 3 minutes per game of 5 on 4 time. The Peverly-Antropov-Afinogenov group has been far more effective than the Kozlov-White-Little group so far.

NAME	POS	GP	TOI/60	GF	GA	GFA	GAA	G DIFF	MINUTES
NIK ANTROPOV	C	25	2.79	13	0	11.19	0.00	11.19	70
RICH PEVERLEY	C	25	2.92	13	0	10.69	0.00	10.69	73
MAXIM AFINOGENOV	RW	25	3.05	12	0	9.44	0.00	9.44	76
VYACHESLAV KOZLOV	LW	25	3.08	8	1	6.22	0.78	5.45	77
BRYAN LITTLE	RW	23	3.04	7	1	6.00	0.86	5.15	70
TODD WHITE	C	25	3.19	7	1	5.26	0.75	4.51	80

DEFENSE

On the blueline the allocation of ice time is much more uneven. Kovalchuk and Enstrom average nearly 5 minutes per game and Kubina, Bogosian and Hainsey get the leftover scraps basically. Kovalchuk has been on the ice for 14 PP GF which leads the team, but he also gets a load of ice time too.

Who should play with Kovalchuk at the point? So far it has been Enstrom, but Kubina has been the most effective point man (in limited action). The biggest problem with Enstrom is that he is extremely reluctant to shoot--everyone knows he is just trying to feed the puck to Kovalchuk. If I were coach I'd give Kubina and Bogosian more minutes on the PP and tell them to take the open shot. If the other PKers go into man coverage on Kovalchuk, then it becomes a 4 on 3 and the Thrashers must become better at exploiting the open man--whomever is open must be willing to shoot the puck.

NAME	POS	GP	TOI/60	GF	GA	GFA	GAA	G DIFF	MINUTES
PAVEL KUBINA	D	24	1.73	7	1	10.12	1.45	8.67	42
ILYA KOVALCHUK	LW	19	4.89	14	1	9.04	0.65	8.40	93
ZACH BOGOSIAN	D	25	1.68	5	0	7.16	0.00	7.16	42
TOBIAS ENSTROM	D	25	4.60	12	0	6.25	0.00	6.25	115
RON HAINSEY	D	23	0.87	2	0	5.99	0.00	5.99	20

CONCLUSION

The Thrashers really need to get Kozlov and Little going in the 2nd half to keep that PP rolling. Some tweaks on the blueline such as more ice time for shooters like Kubina and Bogosian might help as well.

Florida Panthers week in review

Whale4ever — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 15:04:29 -0000

Panthers fans will find a new addition to the concourse level Saturday at BankAtlantic Center.

Been a busy five days for the Cats since the first puck dropped at Philips Arena Monday. A quickie recap before tonight's action between the Southeast division rivals faceoff in Sunrise:

Atlanta's Ilya Kovalchuk is foiled in his initial shot on a breakaway, but regains a dead rebound and scores the Thrashers' second goal of the game, paving the way for Keith Ballard's infamous Paul Bunyan-style chop to the head of goaltender Tomas Vokoun. Despite the first of Stephen Weiss' heroics for the week (1g, 1a), ex-Buffalo fan favorite Maxim Afinogenov inserts a knife deep into the heart of reliever Scott Clemmensen and the Panthers with 5.5 seconds remaining in the third period, producing a 4-3 final score in favor of the home club. Vokoun? Briefly hospitalized. Ballard? Stunned. Florida fans? Dumbfounded by yet another strange fork in the road. Panthers are now winless in five.

Back in Sunrise Wednesday against the Avalanche, and the Cats somehow found creative and unique ways to smash four 2-goal leads...of their own (one of those in the final minute of regulation...of course). Craig Anderson, returning to South Florida for the first time since signing with Colorado over the summer, was his plucky self throughout, going goal-for-goal with Clemmensen. Enter overtime, add an end-to-end rush by - who else? - Ballard, a collision ensues, Adam Foote declares war on on the Florida defenseman. Andy's hurt, in comes Peter Budaj, and the ease with which it seems possible to imagine the green goalie getting a win without facing a single shot becomes quite natural; it's that kind of week. Stephen Weiss, he of three goals on the evening, enters the shootout in the fifth round, netting the game winner. A victory for sure, though one that feels strangely hollow. Winless streak over.

Thursday in Washington for a third shot at the Capitals - minus suspended Alex Ovechkin. No matter; anarchy ensues among the visitors after several minutes of close play. Spunky recent callup (and rookie) Alexander Salak replaces a quickly-yanked Clemmensen; nothing changes but the lead, which stretches to a formidable six goals. Another Alex, this time of the Semin variety, has four points before Bryan Allen and Weiss (with his fifth regulation-goal in three games) change the score but not the outcome. It was the classic "clinic" game by the home club, leaving the Cats dazed and defeated. Mike Duco ended his evening with 17 minutes in penalties: an instigator, fighting major, game misconduct, and aggressor calls. When's the last time we saw an "aggressor" penalty? Salak - whom the loss should not realistically fall upon - was quickly sent back to Rochester.

And here we are. Never boring around these parts.

Game Thread goes live at 5pm.

Poll

What to do?

Holiday Special: The Top Secret Thrashers Christmas List.

aaron b — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 22:07:16 -0000

In a massive coup for our writing team, our BWA spies have secured a copy of a very important document – Santa's Christmas list for our very own Atlanta Thrashers. At the risk of ruining the holidays for these players, we present it here for you in it's entirety.

via c cbssportsstore.com

Rick Dudley - 4,524 travel mugs. He's pretty hard on them.

Don Waddell - A mind-control device programmed to operate only on Jay Grossman.

John Anderson - 40 minutes of effort to match the 20 minutes he already has.

The Atlanta Sprit Group - Hawks at 12-5. Thrashers at 14-7-3. Miley Cyrus just played at Philips. What else could they possibly want?!?

Rich Peverley – A permanent ban on any questions including the phrases "Ex-ECHLer" and "waiver-wire". Oh, and will somebody pay this guy some attention, please?

Ilya Kovalchuk – Ten years, one hundred million dollars in Atlanta. And a Kindle. I bet he doesn't have one of those yet.

via komplettie.files.wordpress.com

Maxim Afinogenov - At least three more years in Thrasher blue next to Ilya Kovalchuk.

Nik Antropov - A goal. For the love of all that is good and true, a freakin goal.

Toby Enstrom - A noble steed to match his flowing mane.

Evander Kane - About 35 more pounds of muscle.

Slava Kozlov – A nice crocheted sweater that says "NOT VIKTOR."

Zach Bogosian - Call of Duty strategy guide (Bryan wins too much) and some sweet rims for his ride.

Pavel Kubina - Hey, he's not a Maple Leaf anymore; what else does he want?

Todd White – Quicken 2010/TurboTax 2010 value bundle. And some sedatives. Can't have him getting too wild.

Bryan Little – Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and some new Xbox controllers (Zach keeps breaking them).

Marty Reasoner – Custom "The PARTY is HERE!" t-shirt and matching trucker cap.

Colby Armstrong - A nap.

Kari Lehtonen - One of those back massage thingys they have at Bed Bath & Beyond.

Ron Hainsey - Product. Lots and lots of hair product.

Chris Thorburn - Some recognition for the tireless charity work this guy does. (srsly)

Anssi Salmela - The removal of the sign above his locker that says "The Guy We Got For Nic Havelid."

Christoph Schubert - Schnitzel and The Best of Mike Meyers on SNL. I guess he's likes the "Sprockets" sketches.

Eric Boulton - PunchOut for Nintendo Wii, and a nice display case for Riley Cote's dignity.

Mark Popovic – Something to get the smell of borscht out of his gameday suit.

Johan Hedberg – Bah, he'll be happy with any kind of Spongebob something-or-other.

Ondrej Pavelec - A helmet that stays on.

Jim Slater - His recycling merit badge (finally).

Islanders Gameday: Not your father's Thrashers

Dominik — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 11:15:09 -0000

This trip to Atlanta begins the annual fathers road trip, but these are not your father's Thrashers. These are not the Thrashers of the Don "Punchline" Waddell we used to know. And doggone if they aren't even the Thrashers we saw last month.

Four weeks ago, we had the pleasure of facing an Atlanta team that was reeling with the loss of its captain and leading scorer, leading to a 6-3 Islanders win. Now that Ilya Kovalchuk is back and scorching earth, the Islanders face the third-hottest team in the NHL over their last 10 games (7-1-2). Yipe.

New York Islanders (10-10-7, t-9th/E) at Atlanta Thrashers (14-7-3, 5th/E)

7 p.m. EST | [some Spanish king's name] Arena | MSG+, radio

Birdwatchers: Anonymous (SBN) | Blueland Blog | Wazzupwitchu

That last meeting became a Battle of the New Young Coaches, with the Islanders outshooting Atlanta 45-34 overall, building a 3-1 1st-period lead on a shot margin of 21-11. But the Thrashers, despite an awful effort, scored enough to remind us they're dangerous. If tonight is a repeat of that sort of shooting gallery with Ilya in the lineup and shot-blocker/penalty killer Andy Sutton not, then look out.

These Are Not Your Father's Thrashers Goalies

Be not confused, the Thrashers are actually quite strong in goal. Which means the Islanders aren't the only team with the convenient problem of an oft-injured franchise goalie nearing a return. Rick DiPietro is due to return before Kari Lehtonen, but regardless, Lehtonen's return will create an annoying competitor for the Islanders' efforts to pawn an extra goalie off on a desperate team in need. Of course if the Isles aren't able to tie a pretty bow and nicer packaging on Martin Biron's numbers, then other sellers won't be the problem.

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Sure, that's getting ahead of ourselves -- we don't know in what form DiPietro will return, just as the Thrashers don't know how Lehtonen will look after rehabbing injury #218. Still, if a couple of teams need goalie answers in the next few months, it'd sure be nice if the Islanders were the team offering the best solution ... for a steep price.

Do You Know Who Rich Peverley Is?

You should, by now. He was available on waivers last year -- just like Maxim Afinogenov was -- only the difference is someone actually claimed Peverley. Atlanta hasn't regretted it since.

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Rich Peverley	24	10	16	26	5	16	6	0	5	0	51	19.6

As far as Afinogenov goes, the easy case to make is that he's been scoring quite nicely -- both he and Peverley are outscoring the Islanders' top scorer -- so the Islanders should have made a run at him over the summer.

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Maxim Afinogenov	24	11	14	25	8	20	2	0	1	0	54	20.4

But I can't get past that no other team saw fit to grab Afinogenov both for free late last year nor during the summer free agency period. Atlanta didn't get him until they brought him to camp on a free agent tryout -- and for them, doing everything they can to please Ilya in his walk year, that was a no-brainer. For me, if the Islanders had fellow Russian speakers like Kovalchuk and Nik Antropov for Max to play with, then by all means: Bring him in. It was never a question of whether the man had crazy talent; it was a question of which Afinogenov you were more likely to get.

Given the Islanders' current roster and make-up, at minimum there's no way he would have been as good a fit here as he's been in Atlanta. Worst case, we'd be going through the same weird consistency issues that he saw in Buffalo. Of course, on the other hand, if Snow was willing to take a flier on Rob Schremp -- who has a similar reputation but a far less impressive body of work -- then, um ...?

This Is Not Your Father Doug Weight's Powerplay

The Islanders powerplay is now 1 for its last 28, not having tallied twice in a game since Nov. 14 in Florida. The unit's proficiency has dropped to 17.2%. I've said this before, but the easy answer is they miss Doug Weight's calm presence and vision on the point opposite Mark Streit. I don't mind seeing Kyle Okposo there, but he is a go-go player whereas Weight is a patient puck holder, a guy who can create space for himself (and Streit) just by moving the puck on his blade.

Who else can do that on this team? Is Jack Hillen an answer -- or will opposing penalty killers press Hillen more than they would press Weight, because they grew up watching Weight and they have no idea who this Jack Hillen guy is? This is when a Zach Bogosian would be nice to have, but alas, we'll have to wait a while on that front. Chris Campoli apparently thought he ought to be the next choice, but I notice he was a healthy scratch in Ottawa the other night.

There Will Be Goals

In the last five meetings between Scott Gordon and John Anderson's offensive pedal-to-the-floor teams, the Islanders have scored 17 goals and the Thrashers have scored 20. Yes, combined they average over seven goals a game. Look out, highlight reel, and pity the goalies. (This is why I root for the Gordons, the Andersons, the Boudreaus, the DeBoers and the Bylsmas of the world to have NHL success. No offense, Mr. Lemaire.)

Speaking of goalies, as of this posting I hadn't heard who draws the assignments. So if you hear it, leave it in comments (along with your usual gameday thoughts and such). I know I'd go with Dwayne Roloson -- who faced the Thrashers last time -- against a potent attack, but it's been a very very long time since I coached an NHL game.

Random: Richard Park wore a "non-contact" jersey yesterday, but it's hard to imagine that man letting an injury get in the way of his spot in the lineup. Frans Nielsen (also in "non-contact" chic) is day-to-day, which means the chances are very good for an encore showing of Rob Schremp Hockey.

See some of you tonight in the game thread, if not sooner.

Prediction: Last goal wins, and the fathers have the time of their lives.

Thrashers tease Panthers, get it done with seconds left; 4-3 in regulation

Whale4ever — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 02:56:52 -0000

More photos » by John Bazemore - AP

16 days ago: Atlanta Thrashers' Ilya Kovalchuk, right, gets up after scoring a goal on Florida Panthers goalie Tomas Vokoun (25) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Monday, Nov. 30, 2009. Vokoun was taken off the ice on a stretcher after he was accidentally hit in the head by the stick of teammate Keith Ballard, rear. Ballard swung his stick at the net, inadvertantly striking Vokoun on the head. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

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The effort was there on this night, in stark contrast to what played out Saturday in Nashville, but the result remained depressing.

Atlanta's Maxim Afinogenov - left for dead by Buffalo last season (and who could blame them?) - scored at 19:54 of the third period at Philips Arena to seal it for the home boys. Florida showed heart by erasing three deficits to keep it close throughout the evening, with goals by Michael Frolik, Stephen Weiss, and Rostislav Olesz. Wasn't enough.

The Big Story was obviously Keith Ballard's inadvertent hit on Tomas Vokoun. "Tvo" is being described as "alert and responsive" while receiving treatment at an Atlanta hospital. Godspeed, Tomas.

It was a stick swung out of frustration, and a complete accident. The story here is that there really isn't one; a freakish incident.

Notes: The Thrashers led in SOG 35-28. Nathan Horton (1a) paced the Panthers in TOI with 22:54, which was second among both clubs (ATL defenseman Zach Bogosian had a scant three additional seconds). Where's Stevie Mac? FLA's resident pugilist left the bench for all of 1:33. Vokoun left the game after 3 saves on 5 shots. Gregory Campbell did not wind up with PP time. Every Panther was either "even" or minus-1. Frolik led his club with six SOG. Scott Clemmensen finished with 28 saves on 30 shots, while Johan Hedberg stopped 25 of 28. Ilya Kovalchuk scored his 15th goal of the season.

Our best to Tvo for a quick recovery.

Pavelec, Thrashers blank Wings 2-0

MrNorrisTrophy — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 04:19:37 -0000

More photos » by Carlos Osorio - AP

21 days ago: Atlanta Thrashers goalie Ondrej Pavelec (31), of the Czech Republic, deflects a shot on-goal, during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Detroit Red Wings in Detroit, Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2009. Pavelec blanked the Red Wings 2-0 with 40 saves. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

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Atlanta goalie Ondrej Pavelec stopped all 40 of Detroit's shots in the 2-0 victory, his sixth win of the year and his second shutout. The win pushed the Thrashers to a 11-7-3 record (25 points) while the Red Wings are treading water at 11-8-4 (26 points). Losers of three straight, Atlanta won and continued the Detroit struggles as they are 1-3-1 in the last five contests.

Atlanta's off-season acquisition Nik Antropov scored his second goal of the year on a pass from Maxim Afinogenov at 5:02 of the first period. Afinogenov passed the puck across the crease to Antropov who put it into the back of the net behind Detroit goalie Jimmy Howard. Former Red Wing Slava Kozlov also assisted on the goal and then scored one of his own on the power play at 9:08 of the second period. Kozlov scored on a breakaway with an outlet pass from Ilya Kovalchuk to put the lead at 2-0, more than enough with the way Pavelec played in net on the other end. Kovalchuk's lazy pass still ended up on Kozlov's stick as he waltzed in past Nick Lidstrom and Brian Rafalski. The simple deke and backhand sealed the win for the Thrashers

Detroit's offensive struggles continue as they've scored a single goal in the last eight periods of play. Despite outshooting Atlanta 40-25, Detroit was unable to beat Pavelec and limps into a crucial matchup against Calgary on Friday night.

Casey's Wing of the Game: um...do I have to pick one? Yeah? Okay, I'll go with Nick Lidstrom. Lidstrom had four shots on goal, two hits, a takeaway, and most importantly a gaudy 27:04 of ice time..but also let Kozlov by for the nail in the coffin.

Thrashers 2010 Olympics Hockey Preview

The Falconer — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 06:10:45 -0000

The Olympic Games do not get underway until the last two weeks of February, but SB Nation is counting off each potential Olympian playing in the NHL over the next two weeks. Here's a look at which Atlanta Thrashers may be headed to Vancouver in the spring.

Pack Your Bags

Ilya Kovalchuk is a first line player for the Russian Team. The only thing keeping him from Vancouver would be an injury. He won gold at the most recent World Championships and would certainly love to repeat that performance with fellow countrymen Ovechkin and Malkin.

Christoph Schubert will attend given the paucity of German born NHL players. To be honest I don't know anything about German players playing in Europe, but looking at their list of Olympic candidates, I would expect him to be in their top four defenseman.

Nearly A Lock

Ondrej Pavelec is unlikely to displace Vokoun as the starter for Czech team, but I would consider him the favorite to win the #2 job.

Pavel Kubina is another near lock to represent his team in the spring. He may have lost a step but he still plays big minutes and key situations in the NHL against elite level opponents.

Fairly Safe Bet

Tobias Enstrom should qualify as one of the top 7 defensemen from Sweden. I would rank Lidstrom, Kronwall and Ohlund ahead of him, but Enstrom should be the next four along with Victor Hedman, Oduja, and Tallinder. The tiny defender has proven very adept at playing in small North America rinks against large NHL players.

Ilya Nikulin--OK he's not a Thrasher at the moment, but the team did draft him way back in 2000. Each summer Thrashers fans are treated to rumors he might sign and come to Atlanta. But Nikulin is a big star in the KHL (a starter in their All-Star Game) and has represented his nation at the World Championships. Thrasher fans will get a look at what they have been missing all these years.

In A Battle

Ron Hainsey was invited to the American Olympic Camp, but when I look at the roster I would rank 4 players as a lock at defense (Rafalski, Martin, Suter, Komisarek) and a bunch of guys fighting for the last three slots: Whitney, Gleason, Hainsey, E. Johnson, Goligoski, and Gilbert. Hainsey is probably in the mix, but personally I'd take American Zach Bogosian over Hainsey.

Work To Do

Maxim Afinogenov was on Team Russia's list of potential players, but they have a very deep pool to chose from. Throw in traditional Russian hockey politics (half the team is supposed to come from the KHL) and I have a hard time seeing Max make the final cut.

Rich Peverley is in the top 20 in scoring in the NHL and will likely get almost no consideration for Team Canada. That's the nature of the beast when you're from north of the border. Many good hockey Canadian hockey players have no chance.

Moving Up

Zach Bogosian has been nothing short of spectacular this season. He's leading all NHL defensemen in goals and can also supply a good hit here and there. Thrashers GM Don Waddell is part of the selection committee and makes reports on prospective Team USA members. I would expect that Bogosian's name will be discussed at length.

Moving Down

Boris Valabik has just now returned to the ice after an injury. He did not look all that sharp in Training Camp.

Kari Lehtonen has not even begun to practice after two back surgeries. Not going to happen this year.