If there was any earth-shattering news from today's morning skate this would have gone up sooner. Here's what you need to know:

• Todd White injured his shoulder against the Islanders at the same time he hurt his elbow. He's been playing through it but aggravated it on Tuesday in practice and wasn't as effective as he wanted to be on Wednesday. He'll sit for the weekend at minimum.
• Alexei Zhitnik will sit out tonight and was the last player off the ice. The other defensive scratch will be determined later today, but Mark Popovic was the second-last player off the ice so I'd be mildly surprised if he played tonight.
• Johan Hedberg gets the start in the first of back-to-back games.
• Here are the expected lines based on the scratches.

I spoke to Ken Klee about Minnesota's style of play since he saw a lot of them while he was playing for Colorado. He described them as very, very patient and not afraid to try to win games 1-0. At the same time they're capable of piling up goals with Gaborik, Demitra, Bouchard and Rolston. One of their set plays is to flip a puck deep into the neutral zone for Marian Gaborik who has explosive speed and great hands. Kozlov did the same thing for Hossa on a regular basis last season and it worked more often than not. Klee suggested that the best way to beat them is to score first, spend a lot of time in their zone, and put pucks on net. It's a great strategy, but not one the Thrashers have been putting into action much lately.

The Wild are also capable of playing a physical game and if they feel like it they can dress Todd Fedoruk, Derek Boogard and Chris Simon. Fedoruk is the only one of the trio that sees regular ice time though.

Feel free to come a bit early for Aaron's NASCAR night tonight. Here are the details.

Is the glass half full or is it half empty?

The Thrashers didn't win on the weekend and haven't won any of their last seven games, but they did pick up a single point in three straight games. From a points perspective they could have gone 1-1-1 and wound up in the same spot in the standings, eight points behind the Canes.

Regardless, the team can't be happy with leaving points on the table on Saturday and Sunday, especially after playing well enough to win both games (the first three minutes of the Pittsburgh game notwithstanding). The Thrashers had a chance to make up some serious ground on Carolina and instead the weekend was a wash- Carolina won their sole game and Atlanta earned two points in two shootout losses. That's obviously not going to be good enough to get them into the playoffs.

There's still some hope though, and this is going to be a big, big week for the Thrashers. It starts on Wednesday night when Carolina comes to town. The Hurricanes don't play between now and then, so if the Thrashers can win in regulation they can close the gap between them and Carolina to six points, and that's a manageable margin. Minnesota comes to town on Friday for the first time in a long, long time, and they'll be playing their third game in four nights. Who do they play Thursday night? Carolina. So be a Wild fan on Thursday. then Saturday night the Thrashers go down to Florida where they tend to play well as often as not.

I know this is going to sound like a stretch given that the Thrashers haven't won in over two weeks, but hear me out. If the Thrashers win Wednesday night the gap gets narrowed to six points. If Carolina loses to the Wild and then Atlanta beats the Wild on Friday then the Thrashers are just four back. A win in Florida and a Hurricanes loss to a surging Buffalo on Saturday puts the Thrashers two back.

It might not seem realistic, but I honestly believe that the Thrashers can make up some ground if they keep playing the way they played on Saturday and Sunday. They came out hitting, they blocked shots, they put the puck on the net on a regular basis and they put traffic in front of the opposing goalie. That's a recipe for success, and if they stick to it they'll win more often than not. If they can get some help from the Wild and Sabres this could be a huge week for the Thrashers.

As soon as I get word on the status of the banged up players I'll let you know, but the young guys seemed to rise to the occasion on the weekend when they filled in for Todd White (lacerated elbow), Ken Klee (groin) and Nic Havelid (elbow). None of the injuries seem to be too serious and hopefully everyone recovers quickly, but I'm not opposed to a brief youth movement while they're out. You can't go wrong giving guys that have something to prove more ice time.

Your (late) daily links;

• AP: - Thrashers/Hurricanes preview
• AJC - THRASHERS: Division not grand, but beating teams within it is
• AJC - Too much is being asked of Lehtonen
• NHL.com - Experience eases deadline jitters; Don Waddell quoted
• Raleigh News & Observer – Eye on the Hurricanes; Thrashers-Hurricanes previewed
• AJC.com – Thrashers Blog: Waddell: Nothing on the table I’m considering
• Hockey's Future: Thrashers NCAA Prosect Update

If you're wondering how our college kids are doing I recommend Holly Gunning's Hockey's Future article. A friend of mine used to teach at North Dakota and he knew a lot of the hockey players quite well since a lot of them were in his classes. If I remember right he was a big Rylan Kaip fan.

On to the game tonight- no major changes for the lineup. Given that he's been the Thrashers' best player night in and night out since the All-Star Game, Kari Lehtonen gets the start. Alexei Zhitnik is over the flu and is back in the lineup, so Mark Popovic is out. No changes up front that I know of- at least not to the actual  lineup. I can't vouch for the lines since the morning skate was in Raleigh and I'm here in Atlanta.

I'm not one to throw around terms like "Must win" and Biggest game of the year" but tonight's game is big. Really big. The Hurricanes have a three point lead over the Thrashers atop the Southeast Division and a regulation win for them tonight puts them five points up on the Thrashers. That's not an easy gap to overcome, even with 20 games left in the season. A regulation win by Atlanta closes the gap to one point and could have them nipping at the heels of some of those teams (Boston, Philly, Buffalo) that are fighting for the eight place spot. I agree with Don Waddell- I think two teams from the Southeast can make it into the playoffs. with all of the division games coming up to end the season all it would take is for one or two teams to post a solid record against their own division. If Atlanta and Washington beat up on Tampa and Florida they could separate themselves from the pack. Likewise, if Boston and Buffalo struggle against their own division late in the season they could drop out of the race.

A few things to look (and hope) for tonight:

• Faceoffs. Rod Brind'Amour is out and Matt Cullen is the only other accomplished faceoff man on the team. Look for Bobby Holik to have a strong night taking draws. He hasn't lost more than 50% of his faceoffs in a game in more than a month.
• Score first. Score often. The Thrashers have struggled mightily to put up goals lately, but games against the Hurricanes tend to be good remedies for Ilya Kovalchuk and Marian Hossa. Kovy has 7 points in 4 games against the Canes this year (and 42 in 34 career games) and Hossa has 6 points in those 4 games- including 5 goals.
• A balanced attack. It seems that the thrashers have had trouble getting everyone rolling at the same time this season, most notably the Hossa and Kovalchuk lines. If both of those lines can get on the scoresheet while the third and fourth lines contribute the Thrashers will be in great shape.
• Shoot! 10 shots in a game is embarrassing. If nothing else the Thrashers should come out with an eagerness to shoot every time they touch the puck. Any forward that doesn't register a shot tonight (or at least one that gets blocked) should have to walk to Toronto for Saturday's game.

What are your thoughts?

By the way, have you ever wondered how the Thrashers are doing compared to where they were at this time last season? Or the season before? Well now you can know. Swap out the team name in the URL and you can bring up the same stat for any team in the league.

It's that time of year again. Morning skates are optional, particularly for veterans, so some players opt out and others cut their skates short. Mark Recchi, Ilya Kovalchuk, Slava Kozlov and Todd White were among the first off the ice today while Marian Hossa exercised the option not to skate.

The mood on the ice and in the room was good as players joked around as they trickled in from the ice surface. Local news crews were getting comments from players about the Richard Zednik accident. Don Waddell didn't say anything particularly surprising. He reiterated how important it is to finish this stretch of home games with a win before playing five straight on the road (although the trip will be broken into two segments). Waddell pointed out that the thrashers have done well in Southeast Division games, going 11-8-1 which is the best record in the Southeast against Southeast teams.

Kari Lehtonen gets the start again and the lines will stay the same. Alexei Zhitnik thrived against the Caps in Washington 11 days ago so look for him to get lots of time tonight if situations allow for it.

Alex Ovechkin is the most dangerous player in the NHL right now and his team has the second-best record in the league since they made their coaching change according to Darren Eliot. Don't expect an easy game for the Thrashers tonight. It ought to be a close one, as all of Atlanta's games in February have been.

Here are the basics for tonight.

• Niclas Havelid is back after missing Thursday night with the flu.
• Kari gets the nod in goal again (you can't blame him for losses when the offense only scores 1-2 goals per game).
• You can see the most current line combinations here. You can access that page any time by going to the main site and choosing 'line combinations' from the Team drop-down menu. We'll try to keep them as current as possible.
• Tampa Bay is in town and it's mullet night at Philips. I suspect we'll be seeing some special mullet-themed videos and costumes.
• The Thrashers have won three straight against Tampa Bay and Kovy had 6 goals and 9 points in 5 games against the Lightning this season. He has 21 goals and 38 points against them in 35 career games.
• The game isn't on TV in Atlanta, so either get a ticket or tune in to 680 via radio or the internet.
• Atlanta Braves pitchers Tyler Yates, Phil Stockman and Peter Moylan will each be attending their first hockey game tonight. Make them feel welcome and show them how loud it can be in Blueland. Hopefully I'll get a chance to talk to them and see what they think of the game.
• On the Hossa front, Craig Custance quotes Don Waddell as saying he has not discussed Hossa with Montreal's GM at all. Waddell hints that he's looking to make a splash leading up to the deadline and that could be the key to Hossa staying in Atlanta. Remember- the Thrashers added Eric Belanger and Keith Tkachuk well before the deadline last year. Waddell won't necessarily wait until the 26th to do something this year.
• Speaking of the 26th (which is trade deadline day)- the Thrashers only have one more home game after tonight before the annual trade frenzy. That means Wednesday night could be the last time you see some of our players in a Thrashers uniform. I don't know what Don has planned, but it's not easy to improve a team without giving up a roster player or two. If nothing else some players might have to be dealt to make room for any new bodies coming in, although the Thrashers do have two open roster spots before they hit the 23 man limit.

Aside from the previously posted line combinations there's not a lot to report from today's morning skate. Steve McCarthy and Brad Larsen were getting plenty of attention as British Columbia natives and McCarthy and Moose both got some time with the press as former Canucks.

Larsen said he looks forward to playing the Western teams since it's so rare and that he's excited about the upcoming schedule change that will see all 30 teams play each other at least once per season. He'll have plenty of friends and family watching on Sportsnet Pacific.

McCarthy is from the small town of Trail, BC, which happens to be the hometown of Canucks assistant GM Steve Tambellini. And Adam Deadmarsh, Ray Ferraro, Dallas Drake, Shawn Horcoff, Barret Jackman and MLB star Jason Bay. Not bad for a town of less than 8,000. I asked McCarthy why so many pro athletes come out of Trail and he said there simply isn't anything else to do. The town takes pride in its sports teams and keeps cranking out top level players.

In other news, Kovy feels good, Kari is starting and the mood in the room is good.

The Canucks enter tonight's game with one win in their last nine games. Their last two games have been shootout losses (to Florida and Dallas) and they're struggling at both ends. They haven't put up more than three goals in a game (not counting shootouts) since Dec. 27 and they habitually score 1-2 goals per night. Luongo has been average and doesn't have good career numbers against Atlanta (8-11-1 with a 2.97 GAA and 9.09 save %) compared to his career- long numbers. To make matters worse for Vancouver, their blueline has been decimated by injuries, forcing them to dress four rookies to go with Sami Salo and Mike Weaver. Keep an eye on Alex Edler though- he's a bigger version of Toby Enstrom with a bit less skill with the puck. The game plan for the Thrashers should be simple- get the puck in deep and pressure the rookies. Salo is the only talented puck carrier on the blueline and the Thrashers should be able to win battles in the corners and pick up loose pucks in the neutral zone. As long as Luongo doesn't stand on his head this should be a game the Thrashers can win. The Sedins and Marcus Naslund are dangerous but after that the scoring drops off pretty quickly. Vancouver works hard but doesn't have a lot of skill up front right now. On paper the Thrashers have a decided edge up front, a good edge on defense and an edge in goal if Luongo plays like he's been playing for the last month.

That's my take. Here's what the coach had to say.

Lots of morning skate news to talk about today.

Garnet Exelby is one of the few Thrashers who was around the last time Atlanta beat Philly in regulation time but he can't put his finger on why the Flyers have done so well against Atlanta. He expects a good game and he's looking forward to the Finnish goalie matchup, which leads us to our next point.

Kari Lehtonen is indeed starting tonight and will go toe-to-toe with Antero Nittymaki. Kari didn't know he was facing him until Craig Custance asked him about it in the locker room. Kari's eyes lit up when he heard the news.

"He's playing tonight?" Kari asked with a grin from ear to ear. Kari normally doesn't talk much on game days but he was happy to talk about Nitty (as they call him in Philly). The two are friends and rivals, but so far Nittymaki has won every game in North America (both in the NHL and the AHL where the two faced  off for the Wolves and Phantoms). Kari has beaten him though. It was in Finland in the Junior A finals in 2000 when Nittymaki was recalled from the senior team. Kari was 15 at the time, so it's been a while. Despite the historical data I like our odds tonight.

Kari is confident, everyone is loose (but focused) and the Thrashers might be getting reinforcements. There's a possibility that they could dress a hot-shot 24 year-old Russian tonight.

"I feel like I'm ready to play.... It's up to them." Kovy told the media today. From the way he skated and shot the puck Ilya looks ready to go. He stayed on the ice much longer than normal, which would be odd if he wasn't 100%. He looked like someone itching to play rather than someone rehabbing a knee. The actual decision will be up to Don Waddell who said Kovalchuk would meet with the doctors this afternoon before a game-time decision was made. Don said there's no reason to keep him out but he wouldn't commit to playing him before talking to the doctors. If I was a betting man I'd say he's playing.

For his part Kovy said he's not sure the team needs him the way they've been playing lately. Who would have thought the Thrashers would go 2-0-1 without Kovalchuk this season?

Part of the reason they've played so well is because the veterans have stepped up, as JP Dellacamera pointed out. Since the All-Star break Mark Recchi, Bobby Holik and Ken Klee have been some of Atlanta's most effective players (along with the Greek God line). This is Holik's time of the year and if you think back to last season you'll recall that he was Atlanta's best player down the stretch. Expect more of the same this year, and don't expect Holik to be traded at the deadline unless someone puts together a very, very good offer.

Waddell was candid today when discussing trades and when Bill Clement suggested that Holik is a player that might generate interest Waddell replied that Holik brings a lot to this team, including size and strength down the middle. He won't be quick to trade those skills away. Clement suggested it might take a crowbar to pry Holik from Waddell and Don didn't disagree. He did add the caveat that he would look at any deal that makes the team better now.

Which brings us to Marian Hossa. Negotiations are ongoing and Don described the situation as "encouraging". He also said that he's getting calls about Hossa but that no trade offers have been made. He's not letting the discussions get to that point yet. Most of the calls are coming from the West but some are from the East. Waddell re-affirmed that he won't trade Hossa if he can't find a deal that he thinks makes the team better this season. If the time comes for trade offers to be made Waddell will have a wishlist ready of the players he'd like from each interested team. It won't be a deal that can be put together at the last minute since so many teams have interest.

So that's that.

As for the lines tonight, that depends on if Kovy plays. During the drills Kovalchuk skated with White and Recchi, Stuart was with Perrin and Hossa, Kozlov skated with Holik and Dupuis and Larsen took turns with Boulton, Slater and Thorburn. If Kovy sits Slater will play in his spot and Larsen will play on the fourth line. If Kovy plays things are a bit more up in the air (I'm sure there's a plan in place but nobody asked about it). Stuart could theoretically sit and Kozlov could move up with Hossa and Perrin with Larsen playing with Holik and Dupuis. Or Boulton or Thorburn could get the night off.

I guess we'll find out tonight.

Earlier in the week I said the Thrashers needed to win at least two of three games this week to keep pace and so far so good. Tonight's game in Washington is the biggest of the week though. The Thrashers sit one point ahead of the Caps and two back of the Hurricanes who are holding down first in the division. A regulation win tonight would put a little bit of breathing room between Atlanta and Washington and put some more pressure on Carolina. The Hurricanes face the Penguins tonight so a Thrashers win doesn't necessarily move them into a tie for first.

Looking back at last night's game, it was great to see Jim Slater get another goal. With Kovy out it's key that the Thrashers get scoring from multiple sources and that's happening. Jim Slater has goals in back-to-back games and after a lengthy dry spell Bobby Holik has stepped up with two goals and an assist in the two wins. Throw in Toby Enstrom's contributions and the Thrashers are getting help from just about everywhere. Now if Slava Kozlov and Marian Hossa could get hot...

The Thrashers dominated Buffalo in the faceoff circle on Friday and that led to some key scoring chances. They also turned over the puck less than the Sabres and outhit them by a healthy margin. You know everyone is on the same page when Marian Hossa is throwing his weight around and getting credit for just as many hits as Exelby, McCarthy and Thorburn. Give Hossa credit- when he's not finding the back of the net he finds other ways to contribute.

The key to tonight is going to be finding a way to contain Alex Ovechkin. He was absolutely dominant against Montreal on Thursday, scoring four goals and adding an assist in Washington's 5-4 win over a very good Montreal team. He was scoring at will and hitting everything that moved. Somebody is going to have to dampen that enthusiasm tonight.

The puck drops at 7 pm on SportSouth and 680 The Fan.

Mark Popovic gets a break tonight and Kari Lehtonen will get the nod in goal when the Thrashers play their first game at MSG since the playoff sweep.

As much as the players might want to act like this is just another game, it isn't. Anyone that was on this team during the playoffs last year should have circled this game the day the NHL released the schedule. They might want to say that that's all in the past, but I can guarantee you the memories came flooding back when they walked into the visitors dressing room this morning to get ready for the morning skate. Consistency, effort and the level of respect for opponents have all been questioned lately, but if tonight's game in New York doesn't get the Thrashers stirred up I don't know what will.

I expect two huge performances tonight- one from Ilya who openly says he hated what happened in the playoffs, and one from Kari who got shelled in Game Three of the Rangers series. I think they both have something to prove in New York and I'll be disappointed if they don't put on a show. They'll need help of course, but I think it starts with those two. It will also be interesting to see how Alexei Zhitnik responds after being a healthy scratch for the first time in his NHL career. Don Waddell told him he needs more from him. Did the message sink in?

As for the Rangers, they're reeling and coach Tom Renney is insisting this team can win without making any trades. The Rangers are on point ahead of the Thrashers which puts them last in the Atlantic Division. they're 2-6-2 in their last 10 games and they've struggled at both ends. On nights when they get good goaltending the offense is letting them down, and when they score the defense and goaltending has been inconsistent.

This game and the one following it on Thursday (also in New York) won't determine the fate of this year's thrashers squad, but they will say a lot about where the team is headed. With two losses the Thrashers will drop to three games below .500 for the first time since working their way back up to an even record. With two wins they're back in contention for the Southeast title and eyeing a playoff spot.

Right now the Thrashers sit third in the Southeast and are in a vicious battle with Washington, Carolina and Florida. They need points in these games and they need to prove to themselves that the last three games are an anomaly and not a true picture of this team's abilities.

The puck drops at 7 on SportSouth. If you're looking for a place to watch the game head to TJ's on Holcomb Bridge Road where Bud Light is throwing a party. Thrash and the Blue Crew will be there along with the Bud Light Girls. You could also win tickets to the All-Star Game.

No major changes tonight when the Thrashers take on the Panthers. Kari Lehtonen will get the start in goal but otherwise the roster and lines are staying the same. Eric Boulton should be ready for Saturday (though that doesn't guarantee he'll play since Doell is doing well). Steve McCarthy won't skate for at least the next three days but he's making progress and feels pretty good. Jim Slater is still day-to-day with a lower body injury and isn't skating.

Here are the unchanged lines in case you need them:

Kovalchuk - White - Recchi
Stuart - Perrin - Hossa
Kozlov - Holik - Dupuis
Larsen - Doell - Thorburn

Asked today if there's a certain number of wins or points Waddell wants the team to have by the All-Star Game he responded that there's not a set number but that he obviously wants the team to be above .500 by then. He also said the team is focusing on eliminating costly mistakes that lead to goals early in periods.

"It's all mental. What happens is one mistake leads to two and two leads to three and three leads to the puck being in the net. It's all about how we recover from that first mistake."

Carroll Rogers from the AJC also asked Waddell about Slava Kozlov's performance so far this season. Waddell conceded that Kozlov hasn't put up the numbers they'd like to see from him and that with him playing on the third line it's hard to get him as much ice time because Dupuis and Holik both kill penalties. On nights when they're busy its tough to send out the third line as a unit because they need rest after a PK.

"The minutes will be dictated by how everyone on that line is going... I think (Kozlov) can be better for us- there's no doubt about it. He's a true professional. He comes, he works, he's in great condition. Sometimes things don't go well for him and you have to find a way to dig deeper and find  way to get out of there. But certainly we know he can play better."

The most obvious sign that the staff isn't thrilled with Kozlov's play is the fact that he's still on the third line with Holik and Dupuis. After being given chances to play out of his rut with Marian Hossa Kozlov has been bumped by Colin Stuart. Stuart has been great and has earned every minute of time he's received, but I doubt you'd find anyone who expected him to steal a scoring line spot from Slava Kozlov.

The Panthers are banged up right now and will be missing four regular defensemen, three of who are on the IR. Vokoun has been playing well between the pipes but Florida is struggling to score. The Panthers have one win in their last six games and it was in overtime. In the five losses they've scored a total of four goals. Keep an eye on Horton and Jokinen. If they get going the Panthers could put up a pretty good fight.

Not much to report from morning skate. the Thrashers won on Sunday and nobody got hurt, so you won't see any line changes. Johan Hedberg gets the start again after stopping a season-high 37 shots against Buffalo. Here are the lines in case you missed Sunday's action:

Kovalchuk - White - Recchi
Stuart - Perrin - Hossa
Kozlov - Holik - Dupuis
Larsen - Doell - Thorburn

On defense you'll see the same pairs of Havelid/Enstrom, Klee/Zhitnik and Exelby/Popovic. Eric Boulton is expected to be back for Thursday's game but that could change.

Bobby Holik fielded questions about the line changes and he said the media makes a bigger deal out of the shuffling than the players do. Holik doesn't see much sense in keeping the same lines when the team struggles.

I briefly chatted with Pascal Dupuis about he feels his season is going. Before the season he was looking forward to a big year. He doesn't think he's met his own expectations yet but feels like he is finding his groove and making progress. The points are coming and he's proving to be very valuable on the penalty-kill. He has three goals and an assist in his last five games. Dupuis said a lot of his success is coming from having a clearly defined role and a steady PK partner in Eric Perrin. He was also happy to point out to anyone that would listen that he'll be playing in his 400th career game tonight. Dupuis is one of the characters in the locker room and does a good job of keeping guys loose when some levity is needed.

Here's what Don Waddell had to say to the media in front of the cameras. Afterwards the Philly contingent stuck around to ask the usual questions about Ilya's improved play and Marian Hossa's situation. Don was firm in stating that his intention is still to re-sign Hossa. He played things close to the vest, as usual, and made it clear that he was looking to do what's best for the team. Nothing shocking there.

Here are your daily links:

• AJC: Stuart fueled by hockey-mad family ( a must-read)
• Gwinnett Daily Post: Recchi enjoys resurgence in Atlanta
• ESPN: US program needs overhaul; NHL notes
• Sporting News: Eastern Conference notes; Beast next in line?
• AP: Thrashers/Flyers preview
• NHL: Goals of the Week

In other news, the starting lineups for the All-Star Game have been released and no Thrashers made the cut. Thank you to everyone that voted for our guys, especially for Ilya Kovalchuk who is having an incredible season. We know that you appreciate how good he is, even if fans around the league don't.

Not much to report from morning skate today. The line's were pretty much set yesterday in practice so there are no surprises. Mark Popovic isn't expected to play tonight and Kari Lehtonen will get the star in net. Here are the line combos in case you can't be bothered to scroll down to yesterday's post:

Kovalchuk- White- Recchi
Hossa- Perrin- Kozlov
Larsen- Holik- Dupuis
Boulton- Slater- Thorburn

Havelid- Enstrom
Klee- Zhitnik
Exelby- McCarthy

Maal over at Fire Wagon Hockey has a bit of a gameday preview up, and it doesn't contain as much swearing as usual so I don't mind linking to it. It's a great blog if you don't mind the roughness around the edges. Don't say I didn't warn you though.

The Thrashers themselves are restless. Slava Kozlov was wandering off on his own towards the end of the morning skate to take shots on the empty net after Kari went to the locker room. There wasn't a lot of laughing on the ice and not much kidding around in the locker room. The good thing is that the mood is still a whole lot better than it was when the Thrashers lost six straight. Back then they weren't sure if they could be a good team. Now they know they can be, but they're struggling to actually play up to their own expectations. At least now they know what they're capable of.

Looking at tonight, the Lightning have won four of their last 14. They give up plenty of goals but they score them in bunches too. Sound familiar? As Don Waddell said after today's skate- Tampa will score but they'll also give up plenty of chances. If the Thrashers can convert it should be an exciting game. The Lightning are banged up and have three players on the IR right now, including Dan Boyle, Ryan Craig and Michel Ouellet. Chris Gratton has missed some time as well, so Atlanta isn't exactly facing a healthy Tampa squad.

My biggest beef with the four-game losing skid isn't that the Thrashers have lost four in a row but that they've barely been in any of those games. they got clobbered by Washington and Ottawa, shut out by the Leafs, and very briefly looked like they might beat the Bruins. Losses are a lot more tolerable when they're close. With three home games in five nights we need to see a stronger effort here at Philips. Scoring the first goal of the game would be a great start. The last time they did that was... wouldn't you know it?... their last win.

If you were hoping for a shakeup after Wednesday night's listless effort you're going to be sadly disappointed. With Mark Popovic still on the mend the defense stays as is, and Brad Larsen gets another chance to contribute, making Darren Haydar a healthy scratch. Haydar is either going to have to convince the coaching staff that he can be effective on one of the lower lines or hope for an injury, because he's not bumping Kovalchuk, Hossa, Kozlov or Recchi from those top forward spots.

No changes tonight except in goal where Lehtonen gets the start. Tomorrow night's starter will be determined after the game.

Kovalchuk- White- Hossa
Kozlov- Perrin- Recchi
Thorburn- Holik- Dupuis
Boulton- Slater- Larsen

Havelid- Enstrom
Klee- Exelby
Zhitnik- McCarthy

Lehtonen
Hedberg

Brad Larsen was the first skater out on the ice today and he helped warm up Moose. Jim Slater came out shortly after that and he was followed by Mark Recchi who took about 20 warmup shots no an empty net from a few feet beyond the hash marks. A lot has been written about Recchi's departure from Pittsburgh and some people would have you think there's a lot of ill will between him and the team. I don't buy it. As a player he was frustrated to not be playing, but he said that he got plenty of congratulatory texts messages from former Pittsburgh teammates and staff after Wednesday night's game. He's been a class act so far here in Atlanta and he's already having a big impact on the younger forwards who all look up to him. Recchi is on of just six players still playing in the NHL who have scored more than 500 career goals and that fact isn't lost on Ilya Kovalchuk and Eric Perrin. I think having Recchi in the room also takes some weight off of Bobby Holik's shoulders. Holik has been the go-to-guy for the media all season after bad games and now Recchi is going to be sought out because he's so good with the press.

I'll tell you one thing though- stay out of the way of the TSN and Sportsnet crews. They'll run you over and then push you to the side to get to whoever they want to talk to.

I expect good things from the Thrashers tonight. One member of the local media predicted that Bobby Holik would score tonight and I like where he's coming from. Bobby Holik is an incredibly proud man and he was embarrassed with his own play on Wednesday. I think he'll give us one of his best games of the season tonight. Ditto for Ilya who always gets pumped up against Canadian teams- especially when the games are on TSN or CBC. I foresee a 4-5 goal performance by the Thrashers. Now if they can keep the goals against to less than four we'll be in good shape, won't we?

Here's what Don Waddell had to say today.

Seeing as Craig Custance wrote a whole article about the line changes for tonight's game there really shouldn't be any surprises for you. Here's what you'll see tonight when the Thrashers host the Bruins (on SportSouth if you can't make it down to Philips:

Kovalchuk- White- Hossa
Kozlov- Perrin- Recchi
Thorburn- Holik- Dupuis
Boulton- Slater- Larsen

Havelid- Enstrom
Klee- Exelby
Zhitnik- McCarthy

Hedberg
Lehtonen

Bryan Little has been reassigned to Chicago, Mark Popovic is recovering from a sore ankle (he skated today and could probably play if he was needed) and Darren Haydar (who cleared waivers) will sit this one out.

I talked to Slava Kozlov about his new linemates and his new teammate and he's pretty excited. As he put it, Mark Recchi has been an elite level player and few players make it past the 500 goal mark in their careers. Kozlov himself has had a very long and productive career and he's almost 200 goals behind Recchi. Darren Eliot pointed out that Perrin's line now consists of three Cup winners. When I mentioned it to Kozlov he joked that now they need to find two Cup-winning defensemen to play with.

On to the game.

The Thrashers have beaten the Bruins in their last six meetings and have a marginally better penalty kill than Boston and a slightly better offense. After that all of the numbers lean Boston's way. The Bruins have quietly exceeded all expectations and climbed to fourth in the East despite a rash of injuries to key players like Fernandez, Thomas and Bergeron. They're scoring goals and they clog up the middle of the ice just as well as the Devils. They're incredibly stingy, which makes for a lot of close games. The Bruins have lost 10 games in regulation time and half of those losses were by a goal. Their defense doesn't carry the puck much but they aren't afraid to get involved in the offense. Zdeno Chara has 18 points and Dennis Wideman is riding a seven-game point streak. The Bruins win and lose most of their games in the first period. They're a +9 in goals in the first and pretty even the rest of the game, whereas the Thrashers are -10 in the first and +1 in the third (which is impressive for a team with a -16 goal differential).

Believe it or not the Thrashers are 6-0-0 when leading after the first period and the Bruins are a terrible comeback team, so if the Thrashers can weather the storm and get out of the first with a lead they have a good chance of beating the Bruins. They'll have to contend with Alex Auld though, and he's only given up two goals on 71 shots as a Bruin. Who knows- maybe he'll be thrown off by a low shot total after being shelled in his first two games. The Thrashers aren't likely to fire 40 shots his way.

Tonight also marks the return of two former Thrashers to Atlanta. Marc Savard hasn't done particularly well against the Thrashers since leaving and Glen Metropolit is facing the Thrashers for the first time as a Bruin. Metro has 12 points in 29 games and has gotten some quality ice time since Bergeron got hurt.

Overall the stats favor Boston, but this Thrashers team is primed for a win and has a new look to it. I think the Kozlov/Perrin/Recchi line has the potential to put up a lot of points and I'm expecting big things from Kovy tonight. He has averaged more than a point per game against the Bruins over the course of his career and he's never had a problem beating Boston goaltenders. I'm nervous, but I feel a Thrashers win. Either way it should be a good test against an underrated opponent.

For Don Waddell's brief media Q&A click here to launch the video.

Sometimes you go digging for a story and sometimes you just sit back and watch what's going on around you. Today was a watching day.

The were plenty of reunions before, during and after the morning skate today. During warmups a few Islanders were in the visiting team bench area (I love that hockey teams don't treat practices and skates like top secret events the way other sports do) and several Thrashers stopped by to say hello. Johan Hedberg had a nice chat with former Dallas teammate Bill Guerin. Eric Boulton and Kari Lehtonen both stopped to talk to former Thrashers Mike Dunham who is now the Islanders' goaltending coach. And then of course Billy Jaffe was in the stands with the New York media contingent, so all of us media types got a chance to catch up with him. After the skate Jon Sim was seen wandering the halls by the locker rooms so I took a few moments to shoot the breeze with him. He suffered a pretty serious knee injury early in the season and has been out of commission ever since. He's on the trip because the Islanders have their fathers traveling with the team. It's a nice warmer weather trip for them as they swing through Georgia and then play the Panthers and Lightning in Florida.

On to the actual hockey. Mark Popovic has a mild ankle sprain and might have been able to play tonight if he was desperately needed, but Steve McCarthy is healthy and anxious to play so they're being careful with Popovic and sitting him out. Otherwise everything is staying as it was in New Jersey and New York on the weekend. As is posted on the front page of our site, Kari Lehtonen gets the start in goal (Craig Custance wrote a great article on how Waddell is approaching the goaltending rotation if you're interested, and you should be). So here are your lines:

Kovalchuk- White- Hossa
Perrin- Little- Haydar
Kozlov- Holik- Dupuis
Boulton- Slater Thorburn

Havelid- Enstrom
Klee- Exelby
Zhitnik- McCarthy

Scratch: Brad Larsen

After the skate Don Waddell held conference as he usually does outside of the locker room. I didn't time him but it wouldn't surprise me if he went on for about 15 minutes, covering everything from parity in the NHL to Mark Recchi being waived (the Thrashers aren't putting in a claim) to the commonness of streaks in the Eastern Conference.

Here is the video of the whole talk.

As for the game tonight, there isn't exactly an air of optimism surrounding the Islanders. They've only won in regulation once in their last eight games, they've lost three straight and they haven't scored more than two regulation goals in a game since Nov. 6. That was 14 games ago. I also heard that they only have two first period goals in their last 11 games. None of that matters once the puck drops tonight,, but those are some pretty telling trends. They key will be scoring first and getting the Islanders to play desperate catch-up hockey. That's what they tried to do on Saturday when Atlanta went up 4-0 in the first and it clearly didn't work. Will any of the bad blood from Saturday carry over to tonight's game. We'll just have to wait and see.

A reminder that tonight's game isn't being televised locally, so come on down to Philips and see it in person. And make sure you get in on the Thrashers Ladies wreath raffle.

Don Waddell saw enough from Darren Haydar on Thursday night to give him another chance tonight against the Islanders. It seemed that almost every time there was an Atlanta scoring chance in the 4-2 loss to the Leafs that Haydar was on the ice. He played on the power play and finished the night fourth among Thrasher forwards in ice-time, trailing only Kovalchuk, Hossa and White.

He'll stay on the second line tonight with Little and Perrin while Larsen and McCarthy will remain healt