Fun fact about Michael Nylander - his last NHL goal was assisted by Brooks Laich. His son William Nylander's first NHL goal was also assisted by Laich. Laich father, Laich son.

If only the Thrashers had competent ownership that didn't spend more time fighting with each other and screwing people over.......

The Thrashers were a straight-up tragedy. It wasn’t the fans’ fault that they moved away; that was entirely on ownership’s ineptitude. The fanbase deserved so much better. And my god, this Rangers team was absolutely LOADED. Kinda crazy how they finished third in the Atlantic with all that talent. Also worth mentioning that this was a battle of brothers, Marcel vs Marion Hossa.

Watching this series back is like watching a loved one die. I just felt a sense of dread in the air every game. It hits even harder knowing the outcome of the Thrashers franchise. It really sucks knowing that, if the Thrashers could just have had that miracle run this playoff series, or even just won this series and kept the next series competitive, hockey would probably still be in Atlanta.

This makes me even sadder at the prospect of the Coyotes possibly moving out of Arizona. Even if they haven’t been good in years, they’re still a team with a lot of fans, a lot of history, and some pretty decent runs in the playoffs, even making it to the conference finals in 2012. Im not even a Coyotes fan, nor was I ever a Thrashers fan, but I cant help but feel for those fanbases all the same. I hope one day we’ll see the Thrashers return or another team to ATL.

"Don't say goodbye. I hate goodbyes." I really hope this doesn't sound like trolling given our record against them, but I really miss the Thrashers. When they were around, my Canes had two southern friends (exclusively southern that is, Florida and Texas are kinda their own thing) in them and the Preds, but now it's just us and Nashville. Apart from 2021 the Preds aren't even in our conference. The Thrashers were in our division. They were the coolest team that never got the love they deserved. The year before this one here, in 05/06, they had *three* 90+ point players In Kovulchuk (*52*g, 46a, 98p), Marc Savard (28g, NICEa, 97p), and Hossa (39g, 53a, 92p). For reference, it is a factually true statement that those Thrashers had the exact same number of 90+ point players as the goddam 84/85 Edmonton Oilers. The Thrashers also got 71 points out of Kozlov and .906 goaltending out of Lehtonen when the league average SV% was .899 that season. Then those uniforms were so slick too, at least before the Reebok jerseys. I even loved the powder blue ones. Those fans deserved better than the ownership they got. I'm glad Winnipeg got their team back, but damn I miss the Thrashers.

15:58 I'd never heard any of these stories about the Thrashers; the pain those kids must have felt is probably indescribable

Miss the Thrashers so much, such great jerseys. Hopefully the jets reverse retro jersey is a throwback to these ones

I’m a huge Rangers fan, and this playoff series was a little before I started following the sport. I applaud you for choosing the one series where I’d feel the most guilty by the end

Also it's cool to hear Shane Hnidy have his name called as a player in this video. Shane does an outstanding job in my local market as a color guy for the VGK game broadcasts.

My partner's cousin is a Winnipeg native who adores the new Jets. I'm a long time fan of the original Jets/Coyotes (she calls me the Olden jet) and we try to meet up for Coyotes-Jets matchups. A few years back we went to the outdoor Jets-Flames game. I quipped "Arh, the battle of Atlanta." 😋 She was not amused. 😊 That fluke on Hedberg showed the poor old Thrashers had no puck luck. Especially when the guy at the other end is King Henrik. 🤕

Shout out Michael Nylander. And young Callahan. I have lived in the south for 5 years now, the hole left by the thrashers in hockey fans is very noticeable. I’ll say it, these people DESERVE a hockey team. And I’m very happy to learn that there is a project in Alpharetta to get that started.

the '03 mighty ducks will forever be one of the greatest cinderella stories ever, and the fact that lingering pieces of that team were in this series warms my heart.

Your channel genuinely deserves 100X more views and subs. I like that you take your time and produce quality content, instead of just pumping out quantity. (Although I could watch these everyday) Hope you stick with it, this quality is rare.

Love watching these playoff past videos, I’m interested to see an analysis of the 2001 ECSF Penguins vs Sabres matchup, 3 straight OT’s to end a 7 game series

It’s always a shock to the system to remember Hossa was a Thrasher

Keep it up! Another series with Johan hedberg. As a sabres fan it hurts, but the 2001 eastern conference semifinals sabres vs penguins.

The video and chapter titles are on point here. Ouch. I was just reading about the Oakland A's situation this morning, feeling awful for those fans, and now this. It sucks that the ultimate goal of modern sport is to make money. I'm sure it's been that way in some regard since the dawn of time, but, man. At least they didn't have Bally Sports or "Green Week brought to you by Lockheed Martin" in ancient Greece. great video as always.

Thank you very much for the Rangers content. Looking forward to digesting this asap. Was really hoping for the 2015 Caps series but I understand if that's still a tough one to revisit.

I grew up a huge NYR fan because of my dad and this was the first playoff series I remember watching very cool to see it covered! Great content as always

Such a timely video given the uncertain future of NHL hockey in Arizona

28:00 good to know sam rosen isnt just messing up names now due to his age, some things never change

The Thrashers never had a chance after they were sold to Atlanta Spirit Group. 7 different owners spent more time focusing on the Hawks and battling each other in court buyouts rather than the team itself.

Went to game 2 with my dad. Even though the franchise was a mess, that game and other thrashers games we went too were some of my favorite childhood moments. Thank you for making this video, you’ve earned a new fan for sure.

Thinking back I think I attended an Avalanche game at Pepsi center against the Atlanta Thrashers, and we proceeded to get curbstomped and lost that game. Obviously it's never fun being in attendance to a loss, but this vid helps put in perspective for me that I am still fortunate enough to have a Hockey team to watch and root for. Great vid PHG.

very cool series to cover. I feel like the only time people talk about the Thrashers is when they move to Winnipeg

Honestly, I think this video was the one that made me really feel for the fans of the Thrashers. Hopefully someday they get a team

You've said it best, Pinholes. Even though we all poke fun at terrible teams, at least they exist and have their respective fanbase. My heart goes out to fans of these teams of yesteryear, showing that their legacy still lives on in the hearts of people who followed them. And maybe someday, these former markets can get a second chance to redeem the hearts of fans. It's already happened to Minnesota and Winnipeg, so hopefully, Quebec City will follow suit.

I saw this video in my recommended feed tonight, and even though I knew that reminiscing about the Thrashers would make me cry again, I watched to the very end. Growing up in Atlanta in the 2000s, I was raised on the Thrashers because my dad loved the Flames (and the Knights!), and he was absolutely elated when the news broke that Atlanta was getting another NHL team. I vividly remember how he'd take me to see the games at Philips Arena, how cool it was to see both the team and all of those fans wearing their one-of-a-kind jerseys, and even how scared I was of those fire-breathing Thrasher heads when they scored a goal. By the time their lone playoff series against the Rangers was over, I had picked up other interests and didn't spend as much time on hockey. Nevertheless, my dad would still ask about going to see the Thrashers at Philips Arena, and only after the relocation have I realized that he felt the team wasn't going to last much longer than that. One of my biggest regrets was not enjoying the Thrashers with my dad one last time while I still could. Nowadays, I've rekindled my interest in hockey, but as a fan of the Seattle Kraken. I invite my dad to sit down and watch some of the games with me, but I can tell it's not the same thing for him. Nothing will replace the pride of a hometown team for my dad, and while I may have moved on to another team, I still miss the Thrashers, too. Thank you for using your video to talk about the importance of the fans. While the Thrashers may be gone, we're still here, keeping those cherished memories with us. And I hope that one day, as unlikely as it is, the city of Atlanta might get a third chance. Maybe then, I can take my dad to a game, like he used to do for me. I don't want it to be at Arizona or even Winnipeg's expense, though. No fanbase deserves that heartbreak.

The Atlanta Flames was such a badass team, very brutally honest in terms of the name

I gotta say, as a Calgarian, I always laughed at the Thrashers story and celebrated their sale to Winnipeg. Especially since we got the Flames in 1980. Whenever I’m watching a video about the sale of the team, I never see the fan side of it. Hell, it’s hard for me to even find clips of this series, as if the team’s entire history completely vanished. I love how that was covered here in addition to the series itself. I can’t imagine losing my team. And they lost theirs, twice. I hope the NHL leaves Atlanta alone for a bit, especially considering they have their hands full with the Coyotes (at the least the Thrashers weren’t left on life support way too long like that). But maybe down the road, the third time will be the charm. There’s just something about hockey that brings a city together, it’s amazing. And so is your video, well done.

Oh fuck yeah. The 06-07 season was my favorite NHL season and the playoffs were great. Also I love seeing the Thrashers being involved. It would be cool to see the Thrashers in other playoffs past serieses.

Might be the best video yet. The storytelling of Thrashers fans in between this series. I love it. Hopefully this fanbase gets another chance to house an NHL team, and hopefully the outcome is a lot better. Sadly, it might take decades before that happens. If it ever happens.

As sad as this story is. I really love learning more about hockey history as a newish ice hockey fan. Keep up the great work 👌🏻

It’s interesting how many relatives of modern players played back then, Tkachuk and Nylander in this case, but I’m sure there were others, I guess it has been 17 or so years but it doesn’t seem that way

Graham as always you never miss and your videos are always wonderful to watch

Beautifully intertwined with the demise of the Thrashers in 2011. Well done, Sir. New subscriber for sure!

Watching this amazing video makes me think of 1 thing. The 2015 series between the Rangers and Capitals. What is in my opinion one of if not the greatest goalie duel ever. I can say I'm on behalf of everyone when I say a video on that would be a spectacle

I really like your wording: EC quarterfinal lol this has to be the most flattering way of saying first round of the playoffs...

These in-depth videos about obscure playoff series juxtaposed with a side story about one or both teams are great. Please keep doing them.

Great installment as always! Funny to think the other one Franchise death knell similar to this was the Nordiques which also a happened to be quarter final against the Rangers. Future ep I hope 🤞

The suspense of waiting on your breakdown of the 2012 Penguins-Flyers series is killing me

Love your vids, I’ve been hooked since you made the ducks Vs Stars series keep it up 👍

Thank you for this video. I was 1 of 18,000+ yelling fans at game 1 in 2007. Hockey is the greatest sport in the world and I miss it in Atlanta as do many I know. I would do anything to relive that experience.

I think there was a playoff round in the late 80s or early 90s between the Nordiques and the Whalers. I don’t know anything about it, but I feel like that would be a really interesting series to cover just because of the fate of both teams

Pinholes graham I didn’t realize this was your video. I subbed a few months back after watching your 2003 ducks vs stars playoff review. That was a great series and you covered it great keep it up.

Wow this one was actually sad. F's in the chat for the Trashers F

Well, this is easily the most depressing video you’ve ever made. Fantastic stuff as usual, pinholes.

A Pinholes Graham upload after 2 weeks?! We're blessed again!

Amazing content! As someone commented earlier, u deserve 100x the amount of likes and views. Subbed and looking forward to more videos!

Watching this after what’s happened in Arizona makes it even more potent and heartfelt

Suggestion for a future series to possibly recap: 1994 Canadiens/Bruins It marked the last time a team from Canada went into the playoffs as defending Stanley Cup champion, the end of a run in which MTL/BOS faced off 10 times in 11 years in the playoffs, and the final time these teams met in a playoff series at the Montreal Forum/Boston Garden It was the end of a golden era for an iconic rivalry

Dude. Your channel has become a favorite of mine. Keep it up, and please give us some Sharks content.✌️🇺🇲

This is my first time seeing your channel, and man you're someone the hockey community (at least on youtube) needed. SB nation, or secret base, does some one off hockey documentaries, but nothing as true as this. Appreciate the work that went into this, and hoping for many more to come my man.

Another top-shelf interesting well done video.

Man it's a bit heartbreaking to watch this. When this series happened i was a teenager and i was just absolutely excited that we made it through the first round. That was my first ever playoff round victory the previous year being my first qualifications for playoffs. But now my happy memory is almost like a war memory, the thrashers died whilst my rangers took another step to thriving. Feels bad man. Also i love these videos please keep them coming! Youve absolutely got a talent for this type of series breakdown thing youre doing, feel like im watching a 30 for 30

Brilliant video. For some reason, I thought about the Rangers series and found this. This town did support this team. Ownership didn't reciprocate. It still torches my ass to this day. I was at game 2 and that barn was rocking. Too bad it only happened 2 nights over 11 seasons. Thanks for the video.

I'm a Panthers fan living in Atlanta. I love my cats but I wish we had a pro hockey team in ATL so bad :(

As a Stars fan, we don't talk about Kari Lehtonen.......I still have horrible memories of that Game 7 in 2016.....😢

The Oilers potential move being included in this is always something I like think about, That happened around the time I was born and the 2006 Cup run is the only reason I ever played and fell in love with hockey. Sharing the memories game in and game out is a privilege, decade of darkness be damned!

The legend is back. I love this content.

I finally got the time to watch this. Not the series I was expecting but an excellent choice. If u can find any footage from the 80s oilers runs I think that would be a fun one too

Just so you know, you're my new favorite Hockey channel. Keep up the great work man ❤

Thrashers' jerseys are sharp as heck

Great vid and format ❤

6:23 taking a slap shot from the top of the circle on a 2 on 1 is wild

Your vids are awesome. Can’t believe the channel is as small as it is.

This video made me wish the Thrashers were still around, great video!

This was so damn sad! Great Video!

Good point at the very end. No matter how bad we think we may have it as fans, there is always someone else that is less fortunate. Being a Whalers and Thrashers fan is cruel and unusual punishment.

One of my fav videos, Pinholes. If I may: Coming here after the announcement of the Arizona Coyotes and the move to Utah in 2024. Anyways, I think a video about them similar to this one would be cool. Even have a series picked out: the first series victory in Coyotes history. 2012, Round one, Coyotes vs Blackhawks

I think in his own kid, the owner saw every kid who loved and idolized the Thrashers players. That’s why he was so sad. I’m not even from Atlanta and I feel bad for them that this happened. Hockey needs to return to Atlanta and Atlanta Spirit needs to be FAR away from the team.

Another heartbreaking one is the 2009 ECQF between Pittsburgh and Washington

God, hearing those thrashers names agin brings back childhood memories. I wish i had my team back.

Good vid, u just earned a sub

i love this guy , posted my rangers too 🙏

Fantastic as always graham

30:19 I'm from the same hometown as Dan Snyder, that was a tough time

Babe wake up, new Pinholes Graham dropped

Great work

I so miss this team. Let's hope that Atlanta gets its team back within the next five years. There is promise as of this year, something we haven't had in twelve years.

thrashers horn is very good

Hossa, Kovalchuk, Savard was an insane line.

I just feel bad for the kids. I know the Blackhawks will never leave Chicago but if they did my son would be absolutely crushed and it would break my heart.

i think one of the earlyish omens as to the fate of the Thrashers was when in 2003 there was that tragedy where Dany Heatly had that car accident that killed Snyder

The only time the Thrashers made into the playoffs, never to be made until 2015 as the franchise moved to Winnipeg a few years' prior.

My dad was a season ticket holder. I was at game 2 when I was 8 years old. A memory I’ll cherish forever. Youth hockey was getting pretty big in the Atlanta metro area. Hell I grew up playing hockey. When the team was announced to move I cried. Made me hate hockey. I wish I quit playing way before I did. I hate hockey now.

Thrashers had a future penguins 2 time cup winner in dupius. The rangers had a past back to back penguins cup winner with jagr and a future back to back cup winner in matt cullen.....these guys spanned all 5 rings

This just further proves how amazing Henrik was

The tragedy of the Thrashers is truly one of league’s most embarrassing moments, not because they lost two teams in the city, but because the league never fought for the loyal fanbase that absolutely deserved to keep their franchise at least for awhile longer. The hypocrisy of their insistence on keeping the Coyotes alive, while the Thrashers had to die at the first sign of trouble is deplorable

Strangely enough, the Atlanta Flames' last playoff appearance before they moved to Calgary in 1980, and the Atlanta Thrashers' only playoff appearance ended with the same result.....and opening-round loss vs the New York Rangers.

Feels so weird to me that it was 2007 when the Thrashers stopped existing. Seems both much earlier and much later than that. Also 30:45 come on man why are we catching strays right now lmao

5:09 I get what you’re saying but, “jagr might have been ovetchkin in another life” is such a wild statement 😂 it’s jagr.

There was some decent talent on that team. Going into the series I wouldn't have been surprised if someone said the Rangers would win but I wouldn't have thought they would sweep the Thrashers.

What are your sources for finding full-length old games? I feel like these should be easier to find than they appear to be. Maybe I'm just deprived because they aren't licensed in Canada (?)

Can you do one on the 2003 Canucks vs Wild series?

Vancouver guy Canucks fan but these were the days I took notice of kovalchuk I knew he had some talent. He made the all star team around this time also when he was still with Atlanta if i remember correct.

Only time the Rangers swept a team in the Lundqvist era. His stats: 4W-0L, .939SV% (93/99), 6GA (3 of those in G1).

Will you ever cover Stanley Cup Finals series for this show? I’d love to see one on the 2010 Flyers-Blackhawks series so I can relive the last time my team even sniffed a cup final :')