Looking back at the first few games, there are a few positives and a few negatives. First, the negatives:
Discipline. The Thrashers have taken the second most bench minors in the league with three, all of which were too many men on the ice calls. The Thrashers are tied for fourth in the NHL in shorthanded situations, being shorthanded 37 times in eight games. Couple that with the 28th best penalty kill in the league and it's nothing but a recipe for disaster for the Thrashers that must be corrected soon.
Slow starts. The Thrashers have given up the 2nd most goals of any NHL team this season in the first period. They've givem up 10 in 8 games, something that must be corrected. It's difficult to win games when having to battle back every night, and it's playing with fire getting down 1-0 or 2-0 after the first.
Shots on goal. Through eight games the Thrashers are giving up an average of 37.6 shots against, good for second most in the league. Of course the quality of the shots must be analyzed as well, but the Thrashers are simply relying on their goaltenders too much. Given the fact that the Thrashers are 21st in the league in shots for, the longer this continues the less likely they are to win games. You can only get badly outshot so often, like the 42-18 debacle against Buffal on Wednesday, before it catches up with you.
There have been many positives so far, however:
Character. The Thrashers have overcome some adversity this season, battling back for wins against Washington, Anaheim, and San Jose, as well as earning a point in Washington with a late rally. The Thrashers are also playing for one another, as evidenced by the team defending Alexander Burmistrov against Tampa last Friday night. A little character goes a long way, something previous Thrashers teams can be accused of not having.
Chicago Infusion. The new Thrashawks have contributed in a big way. Dustin Byfuglien has chipped in six points from the blueline and Andrew Ladd is off to his best October of his career, notching eight points (3 G, 5 A) in his first eight games. Brent Sopel and Ben Eager have pitched in as well. The four new Thrashers have combined for 17 points in eight games thus far and Dustin Byfuglien has looked right at home on the blueline.
Secondary Scoring. Anthony Stewart and Chris Thorburn have combined for seven goals thus far, and Jim Slater and Freddy Modin have added a little offense when healthy. Considering Rich Peverley, Niclas Bergfors, Nic Antropov, and Bryan Little have combined for no goals in the first eight games, this a huge positive. Those guys will start scoring soon, but it's good to see the bottom two lines contributing while the top two lines run cold with the exception of Ladd and Evander Kane.
I'll be at Madison Square Garden on Wednsday as I'll be making the trip down from Maine. I'll have some thoughts on that game as the Thrashers battle a banged up, Marian Gaborik-less Rangers squad.
TC
