Heckuva night for the Blues and Thrashers again.

St. Louis swept their metro New York tour this season, beating the Rangers, Isles, and Devils each time they met this season, for the first time in team history. On the back of Ty Conklin, who had shut out number four of the season and Alexander Steen, who netted goal number 21 in his career year.

The highlight of the evening, though, was this three minute or so tilt between Cam Janssen and Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond.




I absolutely am thrilled senseless that Janssen's back. I know he's just an enforcer, or a spark plug, or whatever you want to call him, but he really gives the team that energy and push to get up whatever mountain's stuck in front of them. You can tell a difference (and no, it's not scientifically provable, but take my word for it, dammit) when he is out there on the ice.

Also outstanding was Brad Boyes' quick thinking in denying Kovalchuk a goal when Conklin was scrambling back to position. Kovalchuk was limited to 5 SOG, and was a -1 for the evening, as Lou's big draft deadline deal is looking more and more like his mortgaging the future of the Devils. Niclas Bergfors had a goal and an assist tonight and was a +1 with 4 SOG. Kovy has 1 goal since March 13th. Bergfors has 1 goal as well, but also has 4 assists. I don't keep comparing the two of them to rub stuff in Devils' fans faces. The reason that I keep comparing them is because I am still shocked and confused that Waddell traded our "franchise player" for someone just as, if not more so, productive.

I'm also still shocked that the Thrashers are putting up this much fight going into the playoffs. That six game losing streak cost us big time, and I (along with many others) assumed that it was our death knell. Apparently not. With a 5-2 win over the Flyers tonight, we're one point out of 8th place. This isn't too shabby, especially since we're getting production out of players who have been mediocre all season long (Armstrong had another 2 goal night), and a solid stretch from Hedberg. A caller into the post-game show asked if we should ride the Moose into the playoffs. Hm. Let's ask around.


Yeah, nope. This season from Moose is just a total shock. /sarc

One other thing that keeps impressing me - and saving my fantasy team - is the season that Nik Antropov is having. Everyone is focusing on the youth of Little, Kane, Bogosian, and Bergfors, but Antropov's just absurd. Twenty two goals (five in his last five games, 2 of which were GWGs) and 41 assists this year averages out to just a little under a point a game, and the best season Antro's had in his career. I'm glad that we have him for the next three seasons. His not so hot face off percentage's an afterthought.

These past 2 weeks have been an absurd roller coaster for the Thrashers and their fans. At least we're going up right now... maybe all the big deep drops are in the past.