We Can't Beat Them: Thrashers vs Lightning

Tampa Bay is Thrashers' Kryptonite. We haven't beaten them since opening night of the 2009-10. Even when they sucked last season, we couldn't beat them and certainly not this season when they are leading the Eastern Conference. Tonight would be no different.


Heat continues his anti-bromance with Marty St. Louis with another sign. This wasn't my favorite (my favorite is the "you must be THIS high to ride this ride). I still think he should bring everyone he's ever done and plaster the glass with them. That would be awesome.



With Evander Kane and Jim Slater out, we've called up a few Wolves. Welcome back to Atlanta, Nigel Dawes.



I have my "A Little is All You Need" sign. Bryan liked it.



Nik likes something.



With Mason hurt, we called up another Wolf, Peter Mannino.



Last game we saw that Brent Sopel was a Renegade of Funk. Tonight we see that Brent also "wants to rock." When Twisted Sister's rock anthem came on Brent was bobbing his head and singing along. One time he was bent over and I think he would have windmilled if his hair was longer.



Close up of Peter's mask. Peter is watching Pavs, he won't see much net time in warm up.



Johnny O! He'll have a full beard by the end of the game.



Dan Ellis and Hainsey are chatty, wonder what they are talking about?
Dan: Damn, it's good thing we aren't getting paid according to the crowd tonight, eh?
Ron: You play in Tampa, the crowds are no better there when you are losing.
Dan: True. I'm glad I play in Florida, no state income tax, whoo hoo! I mean the league already takes out that 18% escrow. I haven't worried about money like this since I was in college. How am I going to make my BMW payment??
Ron: I'm not having this conversation with you.
Peter: Let me tell you about the AHL!!



I think Dustin must have heard the conversation between Ron and Dan.



Hainsey giving a little smirk.



Patrice Cormier has his game face on, he looks very intense.



Or maybe he just has gas.



Mannino finally gets some net time and Pevs fires a shot at him.



Swarm the goalie.



Thrash flirting with a member of the Blue Crew.




Get that midget out of there, Buff!



Up in the suite Evander Kane and Jimmy Slater watch the game. Looks like they had some snacks. Bogo must be on a snack run.



Moore and 381 other Lightning trying to get the puck out of their zone.



A mass of humanity in front of Roli's net.



The boys having a little discussion.



Boulton decides he wants to kill Moore, Ryan Malone doesn't think that's a good idea.



Ooof! Thorburn takes a hit.



That's a big screen in front of Roli!



I just like this picture because you can see the puck on Roli's pad.



Looks like Nik is feeling better. He gives Jones a little shove.



Stewie in front of the net hoping to get one in.



Thrashers score!



Kiss -cam time. St. Louis is not amused.



Downie: Dude, have you seen the roster list in the program?
St. Louis: Yeah, what?
Downie: They have you listed as 5'9'' bwahahaha. Who'd ya pay off to get that on there?
St. Louis: I AM 5'9".
Downie: Yeah, whatever. 5'9'' my ass.



Sopel trying to clean the crease.



Vinnie is all up in Pavs' crease.



Guess this guy thinks Roli is in the zoo. He's offering him peanuts.



Roli hanging out during a break. You can see a bit of his new mask. It depicts the helmet, god of thunder and lightning wears.



In the early seconds of the 3rd period, Stamkos broke Blueland's heart by tying the game. I rarely complain about officiating, but tonight was really awful. I think Stamkos could have pulled a gun on a Thrasher and shot them and we would have gotten a delay of game penalty for bleeding on the ice. Nothing was determined in OT so we went on to the shoot out.


Bryan Little, the first shooter scored on Roli. First up for the Lightning, Victor Hedman.



Next up for the Lightning, Adam Hall. He scores.



Ryan Malone comes in with a shot, Pavs makes a save!



Maybe Boulton should have gotten to Moore. Moore comes in and gets the game winning goal and, just like it looks in this picture, pisses on Blueland.



Lightning win, boo!
Dan: Awesome win, Roli!!
Roli: Thanks man.
Dan: Do we get paid extra for a shoot out?
Roli: Get over it.

Blueland Guest Goalie: Dan Ellis

Well the Cup has been won and the 2009-10 NHL season is over. That makes me very sad, but I have the summer programing here to keep me busy! We are kicking off the summer with our first installment of "Blueland Guest Goalie." To be selected for this feature, a goalie simply had to come through Blueland, not necessarily play.


Dan first came on my radar when I went to Nashville to watch them play against the Detroit Red Wings in the first round of the Stanley Cup Play Offs in 2008. We called him Cracky McCrackster because he just couldn't be still. All during the time outs he was doing a little dance in the corner.


Apparently the crack dance did a lot of harm that season. Dan would get so dehydrated that sometimes they had to give him IVs during the intermissions. Sometimes he would lose up to 13lbs a game! That summer he went to the Gatorade Sports Science Center (I didn't even know that existed!). They tested his sweat! They determined that he wasn't eating enough for breakfast on game days. He went from eating a muffin and coffee to eating a full breakfast of bacon, eggs and waffles. The problem seems to be remedied! It IS the most important meal of the day!





So let's learn about Daniel Ellis! Dan was born on June 19, 1980 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Being a good Canadian boy, Dan started skating at about the age of 3. His dad was the head of the minor hockey association and also in charge of the equipment, so Dan had his pick of the goalie equipment. His team won the championship 4 years.


Unfortunately, things weren't going as well at home. Dan says there was a lot of fighting and times were tough for him and his brother.



Dan's parents divorced when he was 11 and when he entered high school he began making some poor choices. The whole "hanging with a tough new crowd" thing. Okay this is unprecedented on this blog and I would think it would NEVER happen again...but please enjoy this video COURTESY OF THE 700 CLUB (that's a first!)


So Dan is down with JC! I'm glad Dan found beliefs that bring him peace, health and success!

Along with Dan's life, while in high school his hockey was going down the crapper. His dad, who had become a Christian, recognized that Dan was having some issues and sent him to a Christian Hockey camp for the summer.





With his life back on track, Dan was hoping to get his career going. He didn't have a lot of hope as he had no scholarships rolling in and no major-junior teams were accepting him. In a move that Dan describes as "his last kick at the can," he went to Omaha, Nebraska to play for the junior team, the Omaha Lancers. Dan didn't expect much from it and thought it would be a good opportunity for him to see the United States before he got a job. Fortunately, he was wrong!





While with the Lancers, Dan put up impressive numbers. Within a month of playing with the Lancers, he'd been offered a scholarship from the University of Nebraska-Omaha. Dan played in 55 games posting a SV% of .925 and a GAA of 2.25. Dan was named the USHL Goaltender of the Year, Player of the Year and a First-Team All-Star after leading the USHL in wins (34), minutes played (3,274), shutouts (11) and GAA (2.25) with Omaha in 1999-00.





Dan's first season in college went well and he put up good stats playing in 40 games with a 2.49 GAA and a .911 SV%. Dan begin to talk to some national hockey teams and realized that he just might get drafted! That is exactly what happened in 2000 when Dan was drafted in the second round (60th over all) of the NHL Entry Draft by the Dallas Stars.





Dan played 3 seasons with the University of Nebraska-Omaha and and ranks among the school’s leaders in games played (118), games started (117), wins (53), shutouts (7) and saves (3,125)





Dan spent 4 years in the minor leagues, mostly in the AHL, playing for the Utah Grizzlies, Hamilton Bulldogs and the Iowa Stars. During the 2003-04 season, Dan spent some time in the ECHL playing 23 regular season games with the Idaho Steelheads and leading them to the Kelly Cup that season. Dan made his National Hockey League debut, and earned his first league victory, on February 18, 2004 when his Dallas Stars squared off against the Los Angeles Kings at Staples Center. Ellis made twenty-five saves in the 4-3 win. He went on to say

"It's a dream come true, something you look forward to all your life," Ellis said. "To get a win is an unbelievable feeling."

In 2007 The Nashville Predators signed Dan as a free agent and it was assumed he would be backing up then starting goalie, Chris Mason. Due to poor play by Mason, Dan took over the job as starting goalie. On October 25, 2007, in only his second career start, his first with the Predators, he won 3–0 against the Atlanta Thrashers making 20 saves en route to his first NHL shutout. Another impressive accomplishment for the season...Dan set a franchise record with a 233:48 shutout streak from the first period vs. Chicago on March 22 to overtime vs. Detroit on March 30. The streak ranked fifth-best in the NHL’s modern era at the time. He stopped 147 shots during that span.





Unfortunately, Dan wasn't as sharp in the 2008-09 season. Posting only 11 wins, in a story that was familiar for Nashville fans, the back up goalie, Pekka Rinne, took over the starter's job. In the 2009-10 season Dan improved with 15 wins, but Pekka was still the starting goal tender.


Dan will be a free agent this year. The Predators have already signed Pekka Rinne so chances are, Dan will be looking for a new home this season!


One thing I love about Dan is the back of his mask. He has two little bears that represent his son and daughter.


Another fun thing about Dan? He is a big Tweeter! You can follow him on Twitter here:
http://twitter.com/dellis39