October 2018: 'Birds Afire To Start Season
All the preparation is done, it's time to take to the ice and see how this team plays in real games. Let's get right to it.
10/12 @ Edmonton – 3-2 W
It wasn’t pretty, but let the record reflect that Rick Nash scored the first goal in team history, though he got a helping hand from an Edmonton defenseman knocking a rebound into his own net. Atlanta then built a 3-0 lead on goals by Carl Hagelin and Craig Smith. But then Connor McDavid remembered he was one of the best players on the planet, scoring twice within about 4 minutes to narrow the gap to 3-2 late in the 2nd. Atlanta, however, held the Oilers in check in the 3rd, killing two penalties en route to an inaugural win.
On a side note: minor-league goalie Linus Ullmark immediately went down with back spasms and will be sidelined for a week or two. Don't think that has a major impact, but worth noting.
10/15 vs Dallas – 2-1 W
It’s the Firebirds’ home opener, and the kid makes his first NHL goal a huge one: Nikolai Sbruev scores the eventual game-winner about halfway home in the 3rd to break a 1-1 deadlock. A few minutes earlier, Dallas’ Devin Shore had just taken the air out of the arena by scoring right after Atlanta had killed a 5-on-3 penalty. Kesler scored the other goal for Atlanta. Grubauer stopped 35 out of 36 shots faced.
10/17 vs Ottawa – 4-2 W
Another treat for the home crowd. It was an even 2nd period, as both teams scored a pair in the middle frame (Duchene and Pageau for the visitors; Kesler and Petrovic for the home team). But Riley Nash book-ended those goals with solo tallies in the 1st and 3rd to provide the margin of victory.
We pause for a really quick look at the draft. It's way too early to draw any real conclusions, except our scout has determined Russian RW Viktor Kovalev is shaping up as a Franchise talent.
Also, while we're screwing around in the draft, Philadelphia came in with a trade offer: they're looking to acquire D Dylan DeMelo for a 2020 4th and 2020 5th. On one hand, DeMelo is sitting in the minors, so he's expendable overall. Still, I'm feeling like it's both a little early to be making deals (hot start aside, should I be a buyer or a seller?), and I’d probably want more return than that anyway.
10/19 vs Nashville – 3-2 L (SO)
It took extra time and a shootout (
and backup Jaroslav Halak between the pipes – Grubauer is still unbeaten), but the Firebirds are finally handed their first loss. Ryan Johansen scored the game winner, with Pekka Rinne stoning Jesper Fast to make it stand up. In regulation, Nick Bonino and the apparently ageless Jarome Iginla scored for Nashville; Riley Nash and Kesler continued their hot streaks for the Birds.
10/20 at Washington – 7-5 W
It’s a barn-burner in the nation’s capital! Ovechkin scored the game’s first goal, but then Atlanta rattled off four straight (Li’l Nacho, Hagelin, Letestu, and Sbruev) to take the lead they would hold the rest of the way. Kesler, Hagelin’s 2nd, and Cogliano round out the goal scoring. Copley and Halak were the merciless shelling victims, with Holtby and Grubauer appearing in relief.
10/22 vs Toronto – 6-1 L
THERE’S the first “real” loss, and it’s an emphatic one. Even with Grubauer back in net, Toronto jumps out to a 2-0 lead in the 1st and pulls away with three more in the 3rd. Five different Leafs get on the board; Craig Smith scored the lone goal for the Firebirds.
10/24 vs Chicago – 5-2 W
Atlanta breaks a 1-1 tie open in the 2nd period with three unanswered goals, and then hang on in the 3rd. Kesler, Christian Djoos, and Sbruev lead the charge in the 2nd, with Craig Smith creating the initial deadlock and Kesler’s second goal providing the exclamation point.
Between games, Chicago offers the same basic deal Philly did – DeMelo for their 2020 4th and 5th. Still no thanks, for the same reasons.
10/27 vs Minnesota – 3-0 W
Kesler in the 1st, Kesler in the 2nd, Jesper Fast in the 3rd, and Grubauer turns away 30 Wild shots for an easy win.
10/30 vs Anaheim – 3-2 L (OT)
A back-and-forth game but Hampus Lindholm sinks the Firebirds at the 2:07 mark of overtime. Nic Kerdiles and Rickard Rakell tally for the Ducks; Djoos and David Perron for the Firebirds.
MONTHLY SUMMARY
STANDINGS REPORT
MONTH: 6-1-2
YEAR-TO-DATE: 6-1-2, 14 points
DIVISION: Tied for 1st (with Toronto), 14 points
CONFERENCE: Tied for 1st (with Toronto), 14 points
TEAM LEADERS
GOALS: Kesler 8, Riley Nash 4, Hagelin 3, Smith 3, Sbruev 3
ASSISTS: Petrovic 6, Perron 6, Riley Nash 5, Sbruev 5, Fast 4, Kesler 4, Smith 4
POINTS: Kesler 12, Riley Nash 9, Sbruev 8, Perron 7, Petrovic 7, Smith 7
PLUS-MINUS: Riley Nash 6, Murphy 5, Larsson 4, Petrovic 4, Smith 4
ON THE FARM
The Birmingham Bandits put up a 5-4 October, with Linus Ullmark sitting for most of the month. Filling in for Ullmark, Nik Rubin went 3-3 with a .893 save percentage and a 2.88 goals against. (Non-contract roster filler Lukas Hafner also got two starts -- for some reason, our rookie Quincey never saw the ice). Jordan Martinook leads the team in both goals (5) and points (9); other top point-getters include RW Beau Bennett (7), Byron Froese (6), Matt Gilroy (non-contract filler, 6), and Nail Yakupov (6 points, all assists)
(Ed: I'll do "Around the League" as a separate post; I'm still playing around with formatting on it.)