Atlanta Thrashes Hapless Ducks 8-4 in Road Trip Opener

Continuing a week of inspired hockey, the Thrashers destroyed the formerly “Mighty” Ducks 8-4 in the first game of a four game western swing through California and Arizona.

Ilya Kovalchuk had a monster game with a hat trick, and Rich Peverley, Bryan Little, Colby Armstrong, Colin Stuart, and Niclas Havelid also added goals for the Atlanta onslaught. Kovalchuk’s hat trick was the first he’s had since March of last year.

Two of the Thrashers goals came on the power play, and the team also had two short-handed goals in the third period of the contest. One was on a sweet move by Stuart, and the other was an empty-netter by Havelid.

Kari Lehtonen also had a solid game, saving 31 shots, and ensured the Thrashers their first win over the Ducks since 2003. This continues a stretch of good play for him, as he allowed two goals to the Blackhawks on Wednesday and one to the Lightning on Tuesday following being benched during a horrid loss to the Devils.

Outside of Lehtonen, the Thrashers had one of their best weeks of the season in terms of simply playing hard and well. They only managed one goal against the Blackhawks, but they were more physical than the Hawks, and they outshot them as well. If a couple of close calls had gone their way, they easily could have gotten a point out of the affair.

In addition to the team’s better play, Kovalchuk has begun to play more like a captain, logging a goal (and another near goal) against the Hawks and the three he had tonight against the Ducks. He has played with more flash, and with more intensity, ever since the team’s comeback bid came up just short against Philly last Sunday.

In this observer’s humble opinion, the team could be showing signs of a rebound toward the end of last season, and this may help them attract a couple of mid-level free agents to bolster a playoff run in a relatively weak conference next season. It could also help them sell Kovalchuk on re-signing with the team this off-season.

Going back to a smaller-scheme picture of things, I like the way the team has been playing recently, and hopefully their good play can continue through the rest of this trip, as they will only have nine road skates left after the trip concludes in San Jose on Saturday.

Latest on Thrashers Trade Beat

There isn’t a ton of new gossip about the Thrashers, but Mathieu Schneider and Havelid are having the most rumors swirling around them. Also, there is an increasing amount of buzz that the Penguins are trying to acquire Colby Armstrong from Atlanta.

If you recall, he came to Atlanta via the Marian Hossa trade last year, and the Penguins were not happy about including him. With their playoff hopes fading, they may end up trying to get him back in order to bolster their blue line crew, and it will take another couple of youngsters to get him.

I hope the Thrashers can get something good out of these potential trades, because if they can continue this play, then there is definitely hope for the future.

The Week Ahead for Atlanta

The Thrashers have three games coming up in the next six days as their road trip continues. They will play against the Kings Monday night in Los Angeles, then take their show on the road to Phoenix on Thursday, and finally finish up the trip against San Jose on Saturday.

Al of the games will be televised on SportsSouth.

If anything develops between today and their game tomorrow against LA, look to The Hockey Writers to give you the complete story.