Movie Review -- Midway

Hey, guys. I’m in the middle of moving again so I’m afraid I’m going to have to keep this review short. Thankfully I did find a moment to escape to the movie theatre to see Midway, an American war movie detailing the events surrounding the pivotal Battle of Midway in 1942. Is it as stunning a victory as the real-life event or does it land as a dud? Let’s take a look.

The film begins with the attack on Pearl Harbour. A leadership shuffle results in Admiral Chester Nimitz commanding the Pacific Fleet. He charges his intelligence officer Edwin Layton with keeping tabs on the Japanese plans and avoiding another disaster. Together they keep the Pacific Fleet busy in the following months as the navy’s pilots, led by the daring Lt. Richard Best, wreak havok on the high seas. And that’s only some of what goes on in this flick; there’s a lot of plot stuffed into this movie and some of it is ultimately inconsequential to the big picture. This includes the Doolittle Raid, the submarine Nautilus, and some film director on Midway Island.

Similarly there’s also a ton of characters in Midway and there’s only a few truly interesting ones to latch onto, chief among them Nimitz, Layton, and Admiral Yamamoto. Richard Best, played by Ed Skrein, is OK but his accent sure sounds weird.

Perhaps the most disappointing thing about Midway is the obvious CG-heavy effects. The Pearl Harbour attack scene looks downright terrible, like watching a cartoon. Moreover, pretty much every scene taking place at sea is green screened, lending an air of fakery to the picture and makes the battle scenes a little less exciting. It’s a shame that director Roland Emmerich – the guy who made 1996’s Independence Day – has only gotten lazier and lazier with his visual effects.

All in all there’s two movies that come to mind when I think of Midway. There’s similar subject matter to be found in Pearl Harbor (2001), which while way sappier at least has some exciting action and characters that stood out more. I’m also reminded of 1962’s The Longest Day in the overabundance of plot/characters and the whole old-fashioned war movie feel. But at least The Longest Day had some impressive real-world visuals.

So what does Midway have? Pretty much the only neat things I’ll remember are the dogfights, the submarine parts, and any scene showing the Japanese perspective. But these are all things that have been done better in other movies. In short Midway is, in a word, average.

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A Brief Look at Combat Memoirs, Part 2

Welcome back to part 2 of my rundown of combat memoirs that I've happened to have read.

Lima-6: A Marine Company Commander in Vietnam by R. D. Camp. Pacifica Military History, 1989.

Unfortunately I won't be able to too into depth about this book because I don't have it anymore and I last read it about six years ago. Lima-6 is written by R. D. Camp who commanded a company of US Marines in Vietnam from June 1967 to January 1968. I do remember how the book detailed Camp's efforts to gain the trust of his men; as such a lot of attention is given to the camaraderie between the troops. One moment that stands out for me is when Camp first experiences the death of one of his men. Apart from that I really don't remember much. Lima-6 isn't a bad book but still if you want one about leadership in combat then you're probably better off looking elsewhere.

Mad Minutes and Vietnam Months: A Soldier's Memoir by Micheal Clodfelter. Pinnacle Books, 1988.

I believe that this was one of the first soldier's memoirs I ever read and to this day I still think it's one of the best. Mad Minutes and Vietnam Months – in reference to how life in war is made up of long stretches of boredom broken up by brief moments of action and terror – recalls Michael Clodfelter's experience in the US army in Vietnam from July 1965 to December 1966. He originally enlisted as an artilleryman but volunteered to extend his tour of duty with the infantry, hungry for some action in the service of Uncle Sam. But the jungle's dangers, the hostile populace, and the overall course of the war gradually made him reconsider his prior gung-ho attitude. His time in the army abruptly came to an end after a wound from a punji stake booby trap. Clodfelter's account shows how much patriotism and machismo played a role in how GIs behaved during war. It's also interesting getting to know the troopers he served with. His squadmates run the gamut from cowards to klutzes, from patriots to bloodthirsty killers, from career soldiers to kids, and not all of them get along very well. If you're looking for one book about one soldier's experiences in Vietnam then check out Mad Minutes. It's got everything; it's like Platoon (1986), just without the GIs murdering eachother.

Soldat: Reflections of a German Soldier, 1936-1949 by Siegfried Knappe. Dell Publishing, 1992.

In Soldat Siegried Knappe covers his entire military career in the German army from 1936 straight to the conclusion of the Second World War. He served as an artillery officer across various fronts including Czechoslovakia, Poland, France, the USSR, and Italy and as Germany's forces retreated back into the Reich Knappe found himself stationed in Berlin's Fuhrerbunker until the bitter end. Captured by the Soviet army, he then spent five years in captivity before returning home and then moving to the USA (as far away from communism as possible). Since the book covers a significant chunk of Knappe's young adulthood you get some nice insight into what it was like to live, grow up, and start a family in Nazi Germany. You also get a good sense of what army life was like back then. While not an especially political individual, Knappe initially had great pride in the achievements his country made in such a short timespan but as the war ground on he grew disillusioned with the inefficient and corrupt Nazi regime. There are a couple drawbacks though; as this is an officer's memoir there isn't all that much combat to be found in these pages. Also the book seems to have a bit of emotional detachment, almost like reading a textbook at times. But still, for those looking for some insight to the German experience of WWII, Soldat has you covered.

Helmet for My Pillow: From Parris Island to the Pacific by Robert Leckie. Random House, 1957.

Well, this was disappointing. If you've seen by Band of Brothers vs. The Pacific article (from January 2016) then you can probably tell that I'm a big fan of The Pacific which was partially based on this memoir by Robert Leckie, one of the miniseries' main characters. Regrettably, the miniseries makes Leckie's wartime experience look more tense and exciting than this book gets across. While there are a are a couple decent battle scenes – as well as a few tense patrols – most of this book revolves around Leckie and his pals getting drunk, stealing things, and getting in trouble. Helmet for My Pillow is written in a very illustrative, almost poetic, kind of way that contrasts with the brutish life and harsh living conditions. On the other hand, it sometimes comes off as pretentious and boring. At least the book is a short one. I'd recommend this one to die-hard Pacific fans only.

With the Old Breed At Peleliu and Okinawa by Eugene Sledge. Ballantine Books, 1981.

However, you don't have to be a fan of The Pacific in order to appreciate the other memoir that it's based on. I'd say that Eugene Sledge's With the Old Breed is probably the best war book I've ever read. Its level of detail is staggering and it unapologetically paints a brutal picture of what combat was like in the Pacific Islands in the Second World War. From notes he kept in his pocket Bible, Sledge lets readers in on the dirty and unsanitary conditions US Marines had to contend with. He also describes the intense hatred both sides had for eachother, which facilitated a loss of compassion and subsequent acts of brutality. In contrast to Helmet for My Pillow, With the Old Breed is written in a very plain, straightforward language that gets across the indignities and fears of the war's participants. As you read it yourself you'll instantly admire the people described within – most of them, anyways – and sympathize with their challenges and heartbreaks. With the Old Breed is a powerful read that I highly recommend to anyone interested in this genre of literature.

Jarhead: A Marine's Chronicle of the Gulf War and Other Battles by Anthony Swofford. Pocket Books, 2003.

Here's a book of which I've just finished my second read through. Jarhead is scout sniper Anthony Swofford's graphic, no-holds-barred account of his time in the US Marines during the boring and interminable Operation Desert Shield and then finally – but all too briefly – Operation Desert Storm. The central focus of the book concerns the Marines' expectations of a war like their forefathers and their subsequent near-existential disappointment at seeing very little actual combat. This disappointment is compounded by the military culture the author grew up in and that fact that the Marine Corps trained him to be a ruthless killer. But the ground war against Iraq ended so swiftly and uneventfully that all the waiting, isolation, and training seems to have gone to waste. Pretty much the only Iraqis Swofford ever saw were either dead or in the process of surrendering; in fact Swofford didn't ever get to fire his rifle in combat. The author seems aware of how boring such a campaign might be to a reader so to compensate Swofford's book randomly jumps around talking about other stuff from his life both before and after the war, most of which involve drunkenness, fighting, and sex (or any combination thereof). While there are some tense scenes with some haunting imagery – the burning oil wells and the bombed-out columns of retreating vehicles come to mind – Jarhead is a very up-and-down read for me. It's worth reading once but I don't think I need to read it again.

A Brief Look at Combat Memoirs, Part 1

Remembrance Day is coming up soon (or Veterans Day for my American readers). As such let's turn our gaze to the past once again, shall we? Ever since I was a kid I read a lot of history books. (I lead an exciting life. What can I say?) One subgenre of history that I read a lot of is combat memoirs. Also known as war memoirs or soldier memoirs, combat memoirs are books about war written by the guys who fought it. I find that the first-hand experiences of individuals – ordinary, everyday people – provides the most engrossing viewpoint of historical events. In short, they're enthralling and hard to put down. So for this article I thought it might be fun to look at some combat memoirs that I've read over the years, sorted alphabetically by author.

Shoot to Kill: From 2 Para to the SAS by Michael Asher. Cassel Military Paperbacks, 1990.

Shoot to Kill details the young adulthood of Michael Asher throughout the 1970's. As a high school graduate he enlisted in the Parachute Regiment. After making it through the gruelling training process he was posted to Northern Ireland during the height of The Troubles. Once his time with 2 Para was up he qualified for the SAS and completed his training there. But soon after he quit the SAS due to some personal difficulties and joined the Royal Ulster Constabulary in a Special Patrol Group. After one year Asher quit the RUC as well, realizing that a life surrounded by violence was wearing on his soul and that the conflict in Ulster simply wasn't his war to fight. I found Shoot to Kill a fascinating read. I like learning about the experiences of people involved in The Troubles – how daily life in a developed Western country existed alongside domestic terrorism and lawlessness – and it's told from the viewpoint of a young man struggling with his self-confidence and sense of identity. And yet you can tell how his training and development amongst the elite of Britain's armed forces gave Asher such a sense of empowerment and pride. Anyone who likes books about boot camp and training should check out Shoot to Kill. The only downside is that there's not much SAS action in it. Otherwise, Asher's memoirs is a fine read.

One Soldier's War in Chechnya by Arkady Babchenko. Portobello Books, 2007.

This freakin' book, man. This might just be the most depressing book I've ever read (and I've read The Jungle for crying out loud!) I knew that things in post-Soviet Russia and Chechnya were bad but still this book was a real eye-opener. Taking place in both Chechen Wars (mid-1990's and early 2000's), One Soldier's War depicts the army of what was once the world's second most powerful nation as little more than an undisciplined horde of barbarians, thieves, and drunkards. No wonder the Russians lost the first war: they were beating eachother up as much as they were the Chechen rebels! The infamously brutal Russian practice of dedovshchina is on full display and life for the average soldier didn't get much easier after boot camp. Being constantly surrounded by danger, corruption, and abuse made it easy for grunts to feel depressed, worthless, and hopeless. Regrettably, the book's veracity does often come into question amongst those who have read it. In the preface Babchenko states that while “everything in [the book] is true” some events told within have been “shifted in time”, he personally didn't witness every event, and that in a few cases he “combined two or three persons into one character”. Real or fake, One Soldier's War is still a powerful read that's hard to put down. But I warn you, it's not for the faint of heart.

Nam: The Vietnam War in the Words of the Men and Women who Fought There by Mark Baker. Berkley Books, 1981.

I know, technically Nam isn't a combat memoir but I figured oral history is close enough. An oral history book such as this one is a collection of interviews from people who took part in or witnessed historical events. Nam's sources range from troopers to pilots, nurses to doctors, pacifists to patriots, killers to POWs: all of them Americans who were involved in the Vietnam War. These accounts – ranging in length from a couple paragraphs to a dozen pages – encompass a wide range of tones, viewpoints, and experiences. Pretty much everything from enlistment (or in some cases conscription) to homecoming is covered. However, as was the case with One Soldier's War in Chechnya, I couldn't help but question how truthful it all was since these are the memories of scores of unidentified people. Nevertheless, if you want a general overview of what the Vietnam War was like for the boots-on-the-ground average American participant, Nam is a fine place to start.

Storming the Falklands: My War and After by Tony Banks. Abacus, 2012.

As was the case with Nam, it might be a little misleading to call Storming the Falklands a combat memoir. A more accurate classification would be “an autobiography starring the Falklands War”. Tony Banks was an average working class youth in the rough-and-tumble Scottish town of Dundee who joined the army and served with 2 Para during the war in the South Atlantic. His experience there was nasty, brutish, and short. A significant portion of the book deals with his life after the war, about how he lived with this sense of anger, frustration, and a single-minded drive for success that still didn't satisfy him even after becoming a millionaire. About 18 years after the war Banks broke down and realized that he was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. The book ends with him coming to terms with his experiences, travelling to some familiar places. In spite of – or possibly because of – it being so different from other combat books I've read I found Storming the Falklands to be a riveting read. Most other combat memoirs come to an end once the war is over or once the author comes home, but Tony Banks reminds us that even after the fighting our veterans need our support.

Poilu: The World War I Notebooks of Corporal Louis Barthas, Barrelmaker, 1914-18 by Louis Barthas. Yale University Press, 2014 (English translation).

Originally published in French in 1978, Poilu is the collection of notebooks kept by Louis Barthas who more-or-less spent the entire First World War on and around the front lines. By the time the war began Barthas, a reservist, was not only a zealous socialist who hated militarism but also was in his late-30's which is pretty old by soldiering standards. As a result pretty much every page of Poilu is filled to the margins with criticism, sarcasm, and complaining about everything from incompetent officers and wasteful tactics to the lousy weather and pitiful sleeping quarters. Sometimes it's humorous while other times it's serious and tragic. With everything Barthas went through it's a miracle he was never wounded, although as the war went on he certainly became exhausted and worn out. War from the viewpoint of a mature artisan in early 20^th century France frequently takes on a religious perspective and attention is always drawn when the author comes across another soldier from his hometown of Peyriac-Minervois. However with so many place names and with so many people to keep track of the book can be a bit dense at times. Also the author's political beliefs often manifest in an overbearing self-righteousness: does he think that only socialists value human life? Do only socialists dislike war? Regardless, Poilu is still an interesting look into the French trooper's day-to-day life more than one hundred years ago.

LRRP Team Leader by John Burford. Ivy Books, 1994.

One subgenre of combat memoirs I find fascinating is that of the elite soldier or special forces soldier. In the Vietnam War the US Army made use of Long Range Reconnaissance Patrols (LRRPs, pronounced as “lurps”) that would be deployed in small teams deep into enemy territory. Their missions included things such as observing enemy outposts/movements, rescuing downed pilots, staging ambushes, and calling in airstrikes. Burford's book LRRP Team Leader is a short book that sheds light on how LRRPs operated with such a high level of professionalism and calmness in the face of danger. In spite of the high level of tactics involved the book never gets too technical on the reader. In fact it gets pretty personal by the end, as Burford's uncomfortable homecoming ends up with him becoming estranged from his family. In short, if you like books about professional soldiers or counterinsurgency then LRRP Team Leader is a book you'll want to check out.

That's all for this time, but come back soon for Part 2. Thanks for reading.

Movie Review -- Joker

  Is it just me, or is it getting crazier out there? Entertainment companies are invoking censorship to appease Chinese communist totalitarianism, Bohemian Rhapsody got nominated for Best Picture, and even Star Wars movies are becoming boring now. It's a funny world we live in and sometimes the only sensible way to live in this world is with a smile on that face. If laughter is the best medicine then let's see how this year's Joker treats us. So without further ado let's dance with the devil in the pale moonlight.

  All joking aside, Joker is definitely not a comedy, it's about as grim and gritty as they get. With its serious and unnerving tone, Joker reminds me a bit of 2017's Logan in that it's the rated-R story of a character we've always wanted to see done justice. Joker takes place in the harsh and unfriendly Gotham City of 1981 and I've got to say the attention to detail is astounding with the claustrophobic and messy sets and period-appropriate aesthetic. The story follows Arthur Fleck, a lonely part-time clown and aspiring stand-up comic who takes care of his aging mother. He also has a multitude of mental conditions and as events unfold he steadily loses his grip on sanity. While the story starts off conventionally enough, it soon becomes apparent that this is a dedicated character study of the Clown Prince of Crime and his origin. It's a fascinating tale, one that arguably doesn't require the ties it has to the Batman mythos.

  The star of the show is Joaquin Phoenix, and he is outstanding. His Oscar-worthy, frighteningly energized, and hypnotic performance – for which he reportedly lost 50 pounds – represents a total commitment to what is a textbook example of a villain-protagonist: Arthur Fleck is a captivating guy and while you will sympathize with him from time to time he is definitely not a person you want to be. Robert De Niro stars as a talk show host that Fleck and his mom like to watch. At first it may not seem like he's properly cast to play a comedian but soon you realize that he's believable as a smug, elitist entertainer who intermittently tries to show some morality.

  When I first saw trailers for this movie I jokingly referred to it as “Taxi Driver but with clowns”. It turns out that I wasn't that far off: both films take place in roughly the same time period with comparable settings and lonely characters that aren't quite right in the head. Both films have finger guns pointed at the head, Robert De Niro, a pretty girl who's just out of reach, and a big shot rich guy running for public office. Oh yeah, and those endings... All in all, Joker is a masterpiece thanks to its finely crafted tone, excellent performances, and socially relevant themes that you could debate for weeks on end. If you want a comic book movie that isn't all about loud and flashy superheroics, watch Joker. This more grounded and down-to-earth version of the character is well worth your time.

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Movie Review -- Ad Astra

  Every once in a while a friend will invite me to go see a movie I know absolutely nothing about. Ad Astra is one of those movies; I went in almost totally cold. The only things I knew was that it took place in space and that it has Brad Pitt. So is that all there is to this out-of-this-world odyssey or is there something more to discover? Let's take a look.

  In the somewhat-near-future accomplished astronaut Roy McBride must go on a secret mission to make contact with his previously presumed dead father Clifford whose experiments in the outer Solar System may be the cause behind dangerous power surges that threaten the Solar System's stability. Along the way Roy must come to terms with his father's absence and his emotional responses which are highly regulated by Space Command. It's an intriguing premise reminiscent of Heart of Darkness – or perhaps The Thin Red Line when you consider all the introspective narration going on – but it isn't paced all that well. There are a few action scenes jammed in that seem like they were added to keep the film from being boring because the plot does take its time in small steps.

  The plot also has some giant leaps in logic. For example, how does Roy not end up in jail for the things he's done? Why do all the planets have the same level of gravity? And speaking of Gravity, how do the astronauts survive such punishment? But the silliest moment of all is when the movie expects you to believe that duct tape can effectively seal a shattered helmet against the vacuum of space, as if this is some kind of goofy comedy.

  Brad Pitt's performance as Roy McBride is dead serious, however. His acting is very understated as he's portraying a very repressed astronaut who tries staying focused only on his job. Tommy Lee Jones portrays his reclusive, solitary father Clifford McBride which is a fine choice. When I think of crazy old man, Tommy Lee Jones is one of the first actors to come to mind. While these are fine performances, it is unfortunate that their characters aren't terribly interesting.

  At least Ad Astra is pretty to look at. It's a finely-shot film with eye-catching visuals, compositions that would look right at home in an art gallery, and excellent special effects that rival other space movies like Interstellar. While much of the sets appear cold and utilitarian they're given life by the dynamic lighting. Ad Astra's use of lighting, whether it's the coloured glow of nearby planets or the flickering fluorescent bulbs of neglected spacecraft, makes its scenes more rich and enveloping the way few other movies do.

  In short, Ad Astra is an ambitious movie. Unfortunately the grand story it tries to tell isn't all that original and will leave you wanting. In spite of some decent performances and some beautiful visuals Ad Astra winds up being merely OK. In one line in the movie Roy says, “below the surface there was nothing.” Couldn't have said it better myself.

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Movie Review -- It: Chapter 2

  Has it really been two years since the remake of It came out? I remember it being a well-put together picture with plenty of good scares, some good acting, and a charmingly creepy setting. I also remember that it was only half the story told in the novel (and TV miniseries), showing only the Loser Club's harrowing struggle against a supernatural evil in 1989 as children. So how does the modern-day second outing stack up against the retro one? Let's find out.

  It is 2016 and a new string of It-pattern murders are popping up which prompts Loser Club member Mike to gather the other, now grown-up losers (who are all rich now) back to Derry, Maine, to finish off the killer clown Pennywise once and for all. It's a story that ties in nicely with the first with a lot of flashbacks. However, a lot of these flashbacks end up retconning the previous film, railroading in a bunch of the kids' confrontations with It that weren't shown or even mentioned in the first It. But that's nothing compared to It: Chapter 2's biggest problem: it's way too long! If you're going to make me pay to sit still in one place for nearly three hours then you'd better deliver something that'll make my resisting of going to the bathroom that whole time worth it (or perhaps an intermission like the good old days?). Instead there's not one but two generic inspirational speeches, each Loser has to go searching for old tokens, the ending takes forever to wrap up, and the characters all split up and confront It alone... twice! They could have easily trimmed 45 minutes off and the film would have been better for it.

  Tone is everything in a horror movie and the tone in It: Chapter 2 is sometimes unfocused. Don't get me wrong, there are a bunch of decent scares, Pennywise's kills are rather brutal, and the visual design and effects on the film's various monsters are freaky. But unlike the last film comedy pervades almost every scene. Oftentimes just as something frightening is about to happen somebody does something that ends up being funny rather than unsettling, thus ruining the tone. In other scenes the jokes work fine – and they're downright hilarious at times – but overall It: Chapter 2 is far less scary than its predecessor.

  What Chapter 2 does copy from the first is a great cast that all have good chemistry together. While Bill Skarsgard does just as good a job as before in the role of Pennywise, new faces such as Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, and Bill Hader give splendid performances of their own. Stephen King himself even makes a cameo appearance as a pawnshop owner who is disappointed in novels that have lousy endings. Henry Bowers, the bully from the last film, returns to menace the Losers some more but his presence in this film is kind of wasted.

  I also couldn't help but notice that there's some gaps in logic. For example it's established early on that since she previously saw It's deadlights Beverly knows how each of the Losers is going to die. But after the first death, this ability never comes into play nor is it mentioned again. Also, we see that in 2016 body parts are washing up in Derry's river and has made front page news in that town. So why has it not made national news? And when you think about it It kind of sucks at catching people. He wastes time messing around with his prey and as long as you can run and avoid falling for his tricks then you'll be fine, even if you're just a kid.

  Regardless, It: Chapter 2 is simply OK, a far cry from the one we got two years ago. It runs for much too long, the script could have used another edit or two, and the experience isn't as scary as the one before it. Basically a handful of good scares, a bunch of laughs, and a few standout performances are all that keep this one afloat.

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All-Time Team: the Atlanta teams (1972-80, 1999-2011)

Howdy, fellas. Here's another all-time fantasy roster of some defunct National Hockey League teams for you. This time we'll be looking at the two Atlanta, Georgia, based franchises, the Flames and the Thrashers. Both these teams were but curious blips in NHL history and they didn't last too long, making Atlanta the only city to have lost more than one hockey franchise (in the modern era of hockey). Before we look at the best players these clubs had to offer let's take a brief look at Atlanta's sad history with hockey.

Atlanta Flames (1972-80)

The NHL originally had no immediate plans to add more franchises after 1970 but the formation of the rival World Hockey Association (WHA) in 1971 was a catalyst for further growth. As the two leagues battled for new markets – such as the American South – the NHL announced it would grant a team to Atlanta. While unsurprisingly the Flames missed the playoffs in their inaugural season, they did qualify in their second thanks to the efforts of top-scoring rookie Tom Lysiak. After missing the postseason in 1975 the Flames got a new coach, Fred Creighton, whose technical style produced a team that consistently finished at or above .500 for the following five seasons. However, the team's exploits weren't exactly headline-grabbing for a city like Atlanta, a place that barely gets snow. Attendance gradually subsided and the Omni Coliseum's lack of luxury boxes certainly didn't help the club's financial woes. The Flames, which had earned a net loss of $12 million during its history, were sold to the Seaman brothers and moved to Calgary in 1980. In their eight seasons in the NHL the Atlanta Flames made six playoff appearances, winning only two playoff games in the process. Kent Nilsson was the last remaining Atlanta Flames player in the NHL and he played his last game in 1995.

Atlanta Thrashers (1999-2011)

The Thrashers entered the NHL as part of the league's 4-team American expansion scheme in the late 1990's (the other new teams were Columbus, Minnesota, and Nashville). Their first year was pretty bad – as is usually the case for expansion teams – and their top two draft picks in 1999 turned out to be great big flops. Fortunately, the Thrashers' top draft picks in 2000 and 2001 were far better: playmaker Dany Heatley in 2000, followed by franchise player Ilya Kovalchuk the following year. These two guys made their debuts in 2001-02 and they finished first and second in the league in rookie scoring. While the team wasn't any good, the games were still entertaining and attendance held steady. After the NHL lockout in 2004-05, the Thrashers made a series of trades that saw the team's output improve from 78 points in 2003-04 to 90 in 2005-06. A playoff berth still eluded them but the following season Atlanta finally saw playoff action in 2007... only to be swept by the New York Rangers in the opening round. It turns out that this would be the Thrashers only foray into postseason play. Key players (Kovalchuk, Marc Savard, and Marian Hossa) would be traded away, coaches were shuffled round, the team's ownership group was at eachother's throats, and ticket sales were dropping. The franchise – which had allegedly lost $130 million in its last six years – was sold to True North Sports & Entertainment and relocated in 2011 to become the new Winnipeg Jets. (Winnipeg previously had an NHL team called the Jets from 1979 to 1996, but they were moved to Arizona for some confounded reason.) In their eleven seasons, the Atlanta Thrashers won one division championship.

So let's take a trip down memory lane and have a look at what both these clubs might offer to a hypothetical fantasy team. As usual only these players' achievements as an Atlanta-based player will factor into consideration. Also, only players who participated in at least 200 of Atlanta's games qualified. And in case you're wondering, no player has ever played for both the Flames and Thrashers. Let's begin.

Forwards

L-R: Kovalchuk, MacMillan, Hossa

Ilya Kovalchuk (2001-10)	Tom Lysiak (1973-79)	Marian Hossa (2005-08)
Vyacheslav Kozlov (2002-10)	Guy Chouinard (1974-80)	Bob MacMillan (1977-80)
Keith McCreary (1972-75)	Bill Clement (1976-80)	Willi Plett (1975-80)
Eric Boulton (2005-11)	Chris Thorburn (2007-11)	Jeff Odgers (2000-03)

Let's load up the first line with some top-notch scorers, shall we? For Atlanta fans there’s no one better than the Thrashers all-time leading point scorer Kovalchuk (5x40 goals), the Flames all-time leading point scorer Lysiak (5x60 points), and Marian Hossa, the only Thrasher to score 100 points. Right behind them is some deft passing from Kozlov (3x70 points), Chouinard's goal-scoring ability (50 goals in 1978-79), and playmaking ability from the squeaky-clean MacMillan (1.06 PPG). On the third line Keith McCreary and Bill Clement bring some defensive stability, while Willi Plett (also my pick for the Minnesota North Stars' all-time team) contributes his trademark aggression combined with a not-insubstantial amount of scoring (3x30 goals, 3x171+ PIM). The fourth line adds some hard-nosed tough guys, chief among them Jeff Odgers.

Honourable mentions: Dany Heatley, Marc Savard

Defensemen

L-R: Quinn, Enstrom

Randy Manery (1972-77)	Tobias Enstrom (2007-11)
Pat Quinn (1972-77)	David Shand (1976-80)
Andy Sutton (2001-07)	Garnet Exelby (2002-09)

For our first defensive pairing we have the versatile Randy Manery, who can kill penalties, defend consistently, and adeptly move the puck up to his teammates (never less than 29 points). At his side is the durable Tobias Enstrom (played all 82 games in 3 seasons) who never scored less than 32 points. The second pair has solid stay-at-home defence from the tough Pat Quinn and the consistent David Shand (+21 or higher three times). The rugged Sutton and hard-hitting Exelby hold down the fort on the third pairing.

Goaltenders

Lehtonen

Kari Lehtonen (2003-10)

Dan Bouchard (1972-80)

This one was a close call. At first glance Lehtonen and Bouchard (whom I previously chose to be the Quebec Nordiques' all-time starting goalie) don't seem all that different. They posted similar per-year stats for games played, minutes, and shutouts. But Lehtonen's performance seems just a bit more admirable when you consider that he did this while playing with squads that weren't as good as the ones Bouchard played with. Bouchard always had a fine defensive corps in front of him, so of course he ended up never having a losing season. In contrast, Lehtonen was one of the few things holding his team together. And he did it while maintaining a more consistent GAA and save percentage.