 |
| Wednesday, January 10 By Brian Engblom Special to ESPN.com |
|||||
|
The Matchup: Atlanta vs. Dallas
The Question: How does Atlanta's offense compare to Dallas'?
Atlanta's offense grabs attention … but not from opponents, yet Atlanta is operating in a very different environment than Dallas. Atlanta is still very much an expansion team. Teams have not been as ready for the Thrashers as they are when they have to suit up against Dallas. The kind of scrutiny and preparedness that the Stars face on a nightly basis can be detrimental to your offensive production. Mike Modano, Brett Hull, Sergei Zubov and other high-profile players on the Stars receive a lot of defensive attention. Ray Ferraro and his teammates are in the process of generating an identity and reputation. Until they do, they benefit from the fact that they are not an emphasis on most teams' schedules. In the second half of this season, it will be interesting to see how they handle their success. Teams will figure out they need to devote a bit more attention to the Thrashers. Atlanta's first line, specifically Donald Audette and Ray Ferraro, have very quietly become one of the top lines in the NHL. They've reached a level that certainly wasn't expected when the season started. These two guys have gotten more points than Mike Modano and Joe Nieuwendyk in Dallas, Teemu Selanne and Paul Kariya in Anaheim, Keith Tkachuk and Jeremy Roenick in Phoenix and anybody in Philadelphia. When you add the play of Andrew Brunette, Atlanta's top line is making the difference in the team's second year of existence. Atlanta's top 10 forwards have 20 more points (through Jan. 4) than the Stars' top 10 forwards. That's a pretty significant difference in offense considering the personnel on Dallas' bench. So Atlanta's top line is a very good one, but the Thrashers are getting good scoring balance from the other lines, as well. Overall, Atlanta's forwards match up very well with the Dallas Stars. Defensively, however, the Stars regain ground. Atlanta's defense comes through with very little. Dallas' top four defensemen have 30 more points than Atlanta's. Dallas still retains the edge over Atlanta on the power play and much of that can be attributed to the defensemen. Dallas is not where it wants to be this year. Modano and Nieuwendyk don't have the strikingly high numbers we've come to expect from them, but their defensemen get involved enough to keep the Stars fighting for first place in the Pacific Division. Zubov and Darryl Sydor give them an offensive threat from the back end. Long term, although Atlanta has accomplished a tremendous amount and is outscoring Dallas right now, the Thrashers need to add someone who will be a consistent offensive threat from the blue line. They have some young players on their roster who might develop into what they need, but right now that absence is the most glaring on a team that has surprised many in the league. | |||||
