On to ATL

by Ryan

This would be the definition of a letdown game.

Tonight the Sabres take on the Thrashers in the ATL, and after a game like last night's a bit of a slump isn't too hard to imagine. I mean, the Sabres can't keep this up, right?



Yeah, I think they can.

Think about who is scoring for this team right now. Kotalik. MacArthur. Of course Pominville is getting involved, and Atlas Vanek is doing that thing he does, but where is everyone else? Roy has been quiet, Afinogenov is still getting there, and Stafford may not have touched the puck yet this year.

Add in an injured Hecht, an osteoporosis-riddled Tim Connolly, and true fourth line and the Sabres have a suddenly top-heavy offense. That offense is firing on all cylinders right now, but they will slow down. What will be important is who steps in when those guys slow down, and in theory the people are in place to fill that role.

There is far too much talent on this roster to be kept down for long, and if Roy rounds into shape and the defense maintains their play, who knows how long they can play like this. 4-0 is nice, but we've seen teams that start strong fall way, way short of the real goal. It's not "consistency" we are looking for but rather longevity. Atlas can only hold up the team for so long, and he's going to need a Hercules or two to help him out along the way.

But that's not the concern right now, is it? Let's talk a bit about the Thrashers.

- Currently in 12th in the Conference, the Thrashers are 1-2-1 and struggling early.

- Their leading scorer is second year player Brian Little, who doesn't exactly terrify me. Kovalchuck is still their main threat, and Slava Kozlov blows.

- When you watch tonight, remember that Ron Hainsey is making 4.5 million this year. Then look at our captain and smile.

- Did anyone else notice that Andrew Peters had an actual fight last night? That was nice. He is... valuable when he does that, and as much crap as we give him, it would be nice for him to keep that up.

- One player to watch is Zach Bogosian, who is supposed to make a big impact as a rookie.

- For some irrational reason I really hate the Thrashers. Maybe it's because their third jersey looks like a college football uniform, or maybe it's because Slava Kozlov blows. Either way, it would be nice to finish the week out with a win.

I'll be around tonight, but there's another game on I'll be paying more attention to. Needless to say, I'll be watching this game twice.