That was exactly what the doctor ordered. A good, tough, back and forth home game that ended in a regulation win. A hat trick, some rough stuff, hits galore, a highlight goal from a grinder, passion from the crowd. Fantastic. I'll admit I was thrown for a loop this morning when I saw Ilya skating with Holik and Thorburn, but I think everyone liked what they saw during the game. It was an outstanding combination of size, finesse and brute force. And who would have thought Chris Thorburn would have the most spectacular of their four goals?
On a personal noe, it was my last game of the season to go to as a fan (I'll be in the press box for the remaining four home games) and I spent it in the stands with some old high school friends who happened to be in town from Calgary. They came down for the NASCAR race on the weekend and extended the trip just so they could see the Flames play. They got to gloat early, but I gloated more often, and that's what matters most, right?
I don't think they'd mind me saying that they came away impressed with Philips Arena, the in-game experience, the passion of the fans and the game itself. They didn't mind being on the losing end of a game that was that good. To top it all off it was their 3-year-old's first NHL game. He'll be a Thrashers fan for life now, and they're on their way back to Calgary to let everyone know that playoffs or not, hockey is alive and well in Georgia.
