Game 1:

Atlanta Thrashers: 18
Tampa Bay Lightning: 0

The first game of the day at the Marietta Ice Center pitted the Atlanta Thrashers Pee-Wee squad against their Tampa Bay counterparts. The Thrashers came out firing early, and didn’t let up.

The home town team was led by Austin Lackey, who scored a hat trick and added 5 assists. Not far behind was Josh Porter, who added a hat trick of his own. Both boys displayed great vision on the ice with impressive puck-handling abilities.

Goalie Cameron Martell was stellar in net, earning the shutout win.

Guest coaching Atlanta was the Sheriff, Jeff Odgers, past player for Atlanta and current radio broadcaster. Jeff was not the only Odger in the game, as his son, Dakota, made his impact felt, scoring 2 goals and an assist.

Game 2:

Nashville Predators: 4
Carolina Hurricanes: 1

Next up on the schedule was the Carolina Hurricanes against the Nashville Predators. The two teams were very evenly matched, and the game ended up being a battle of goaltenders, with Nashville winning 4-1.

Both offenses moved the puck up and down the rink, but the spotlight was stolen by goalies Peter Yasso of the Predators and Drew Blevins of the Hurricanes. Flashy glove saves became the norm by the end of the third period.

The two teams combined for an amazing 58 shots on goal, and yet the final score was only 4-1. Yasso stopped 24, and not to be outdone, Blevins kept 29 out of the net.

The two great goaltenders shared something in common, besides a quick glove: naming Martin Brodeur as their favorite player. That shouldn’t be too surprising, as they would have made Marty proud in this particular game.

Game 3:

Washington Capitals: 6
Atlanta Thrashers: 4

The first game after lunch was the best of the day, with the Capitals and Thrashers facing off. Hockey legend Tony Esposito was the guest coach for the Capitals. Esposito, the longtime Chicago Blackhawk goalie, gave a pre-game speech, signed autographs for both the Thrashers and Capitals players, and then added his expertise behind the bench.

The star of the first game for the Thrashers, Austin Lackey, did not slow down in his second game of the day, this time adding two goals. Washington spread their scoring around, with 6 different players scoring for the Capitals.

Both squads showed remarkable team speed and beautiful passing for the entire 45 minutes. The game went back and forth, with one team taking the lead, only to give it back up shortly after.

The play of the day goes to Tanner Cochran of the Capitals. With four minutes left in the third period, and the score tied, he took a pass from Evan Owens off the boards. Cochran outskated a defender, and then scored on a highlight reel goal in which he faked to the goalie’s blocker side and then changed direction, crossing in front of the net and putting the puck in the right side, all while being hooked from behind by a defender.

Washington didn’t look back, and sealed the win with an empty net goal by Grayson Runey with under a minute left.

Game 4:

Washington Capitals: 17
Nashville Predators: 0

The last game was a hard hitting battle between two teams who were playing their second game on the day. The Capitals scored early, and never looked back.

If a team scores 17 goals, you should expect a hat trick. Not so for this game. The Capitals’ scoring was evenly spread throughout the entire team, with 11 different players scoring.

Julian Cronan, Kevin Diner, Chris Javens, Nick Romanov, Charlie Shepard, and Brendan Soucie all scored twice.

Current Standings:
Washington: 2-0
Atlanta: 1-1
Nashville: 1-1
Carolina: 0-1
Tampa Bay: 0-1

Tomorrow’s Game Schedule:

7:00 AM: Carolina v. Washington
8:20 AM: Tampa Bay v. Nashville

Both games take place at the Marietta Ice Center.

Tomorrow will be yet another fun day for the players, as they head to the Rockin’ Skate after the morning games. Later in the afternoon, they will be lining the red carpet for the All-Star entrances, and then they will head inside Philips Arena for the skills competition.

Most of the players commented on how much they are looking forward to the skills competition, so make sure to check back tomorrow night to read about their experiences.