This game, a game that means that the Thrashers can be within two points of the playoffs if they win, has gotten off to an atrocious start. Buffalo scored just twenty-four seconds into the game on an easily stoppable Jason Pominville snap shot. It could have been prevented had the Thrashers cleared the crease more effectively. Not unsurprisingly, the lack of crease-clearing led to the other two Buffalo goals.
Chris Thorburn scored off the face-off to knot it up at 1-1 eight minutes in. Any momentum that was had was completely lost as the Thrashers began to take penalties. With Andrew Ladd serving a four minute penalty for high sticking, Mark Mancari scored his first goal of the season on a redirect of a Tyler Myers slap shot. Three minutes later, Chris Butler scored his first of the year as well, also on a redirect. This time it was a redirect of a Weber shot.
Pavelec can’t seem to see the puck well so far this game, and a good amount has to do with crease traffic. If the Thrashers cleared it – or, better yet, if the Thrashers actually played part of the game in Buffalo’s zone, the team could stand a chance.
As it stands now, this game might take a comeback of last week’s proportions to win.