After a generally strong first period, the second period was a lax one for the Atlanta Thrashers. At 5:04, Chris Phillips rocketed one in past Chris Mason that the goaltender didn’t even see, and then four minutes later at 9:12, Jesse Winchester shoved a puck through Mason that may or may not have been assisted by Fredrik Modin, who was also standing there shoving. Mason was pulled after allowing four goals on 18 shots, and Pavelec was placed in.
The team has been playing slightly better hockey since the goaltenders were switched, but the play is sloppy and the turnovers are too many. Some horribly obvious apathy takes over the Thrashers at the end of the first period, beginning of the second almost every game, and then they pick the play up at the end of the second. It tends to be a crapshoot to see if the intensity continues through the third. They need to tighten up positioning, and someone needs to encourage net-crashing to scoop up rebounds. That has never been Atlanta’s strength, but there have been several rebounds this game that could have very well ended as a goal had someone been placed in front of the net, or off to the side. Too much bunching going on at one side of the net.