1-1 After Two in New Jersey

The Thrashers dodged some bullets early in New Jersey tonight, getting out of the first period with the score 0-0 despite being outshot 15-4. In the second the game opened up some and New Jersey jumped to a 1-0 lead on a goal by Travis Zajac. Immediately after the goal Eric Boulton dropped the gloves with his old nemesis, Andrew Peters, in a lengthy bout. Boulton had the edge in my book, and the Thrashers gained some momentum. After killing of a couple of penalties the Thrashers got a power play of their own and Rich Peverley snapped in a Max Afinogenov rebound to even it up. We’re at 1-1 heading into the third period and the Thrashers have narrowed the shot gap, outshooting New Jersey 9-5 in the second.

True to their form the Devils have been clogging up the middle and forcing the Thrashers to either shoot from the outside or make a perfect pass to get the puck inside. A quick third period goal would force them to open up.

We’ll be in the locker room after the game, but our work might not hit the site until we gt to the hotel in Buffalo late tonight. Make sure you check first thing in the morning. If we get out of here with a win there’s a good chance we won’t have a morning skate to go to tomorrow.

In the meantime, make sure you check out this video of pregame sights and sounds. If you’ve ever wondered what goes in the two hours between the time the players get to the rink and when they hit the ice, this will give you a good idea.