Not much to report from the morning skate aside from the lines. I talked to Joey Crabb and Brett Sterling who are going to be line mates for the evening (with Eric Perrin in between them). Both of them are happy with how camp has gone (obviously, since they're still here) and Sterling said it's a big advantage to come in knowing the systems that Anderson is trying to put in place. It's been a bit of a role reversal since last year he was the rookie trying to learn everything. Now he's helping the vets. Crabb and Sterling didn't play together in Chicago but they were teammates for four years at Colorado College back in the day and they spent plenty of time playing together there. Hopefully they can make something happen tonight.

Here are your lines, though there could be a change or two to the lineup after warm-ups. Jason Williams and/or Grant Stevenson may be inserted into the lineup if someone is too banged up to play.

Forwards
Kovalchuk- White- Thorburn
Kozlov- Little- Armstrong
Sterling- Perrin- Crabb
Stuart- Slater- Hoffman

Defense
Hainsey- Havelid
Exelby- Bogosian
Valabik- Enstrom

Goalies
Hedberg
Pavelec

Games with Nashville tend to get messy so it's no surprise that Hoffman and Valabik are in the lineup. No word on who is suiting up for the Predators. They have a tendency to not share that kind of thing before games. They haven't arrived yet and didn't skate this morning so there was no chance to snoop around.

Hockey at Philips Arena. It' s been way, way too long. Just short of six months in fact.

It's been more than that for center Erik Christensen who will have a golden opportunity in front of him when he lines up with Ilya Kovalchuk and Jason Williams tonight. That dream job is his for the taking and he knows it.

"It's fun skating out with them and they move the puck so well. They're both great shooters and you just have to keep your legs moving with them. Keep your head up because they're always giving you passes you don't expect. You have to be able to be alert and make those quick give-and-go's to them."

And don't think for a second that Christensen is going to let up just because it's the preseason.

"We're looking for a lot of good things out of the team and it's our goal to earn some respect around the league," he said today after the morning skate. "It's an exhibition game but we want to start putting wins on the board right away here."

Kari Lehtonen will get the start in goal and he's slated to play again on Saturday. That's probably when we'll see Mathieu Schneider in the lineup as well, though that's speculation on my part. Speaking of Schneider, I sat down with him for a Q&A today. That'll be up on the site in the next day or two if all goes well. He had a lot of interesting things to say and he seems really excited to be here.

It's always interesting to see how the locker room is configured coming out of training camp and you have to fight the urge to draw conclusions based on stall assignments. For what it's worth, Zach Bogosian is sitting in the stall between Ilya Kovalchuk and Schneider.

There are more players than stalls right now so Joey Crabb and Colin Stuart were sitting in the middle of the room on chairs after they came off the ice. What were they doing? A crossword puzzle from a newspaper.

The playing group skated at 10am today and the non-playing group went out from 11 until noon or so. Don't expect many practices under these coaches to end early. They're skating hard every day.

If you're looking for the lines for tonight's game, they're the same as the ones I posted yesterday. Kozlov, Perrin, White, Crabb and Hoffman are the scratches up front. Oystrick, Rivers, Schneider and Valabik are the scratches on defense. My prediction is that the bubble players in those groups will play again on Friday and some cuts will be made on Saturday or maybe Sunday and then an extra couple of players will be kept leading up to the season opener in case injuries crop up.

Tonight's game (and Saturday's) will be broadcast on 680 The Fan. There will be no local radio for Friday's game against Nashville.

I haven't had a chance to write a summary of my road trips last week since there's so much to do to get ready for the season, but I did take some pictures. Here is the photo gallery for your viewing enjoyment. If that first link didn't work try this one.

3.5 hours until game time. Will you be there?

In a few short hours Ilya Kovalchuk will play his first preseason game of the year when the Thrashers take to the ice at Joe Louis Arena to face the defending Stanley Cup Champions- kind of.

"It's always exciting to play your first game but I don't think it's going to be the Stanley Cup Champions for their team tonight," said Kovalchuk after the morning skate. And he has a point. There will be no Pavel Datsyuk in the lineup. No Nicklas Lidstrom, Chris Draper, Kirk Maltby or Dan Cleary. And no Chris Chelios, to the slight disappointment of Zach Bogosian who grew up idolizing the ageless defenseman.

The lack of star-power in Detroit's lineup might be on Ilya's mind, but it doesn't take anything away from the importance of the game for Bogosian and Arturs Kulda who are both making their NHL preseason debuts. Both are fighting for a roster spot and are anxious to get on the ice. Bogosian is fully recovered form a hip flexor strain that he said he could have played through if it was the middle of the season. Kulda probably would have made his debut last year if it wasn't for a Traverse City injury. Both players see significance in playing the Red Wings. Bogosian made his first visit to Joe Louis Arena when he took in game two of the Stanley Cup Finals with the other top NHL prospects. Kulda's father's friends back in Latvia are mostly Red Wings fans, so they'll be paying extra attention to the game.

For their parts neither players say they are particularly nervous. Bogosian gets butterflies before every game but he says he's not feeling them any more than normal at this point. When I told Kulda that Grant Lewis had trouble sleeping the night before his first game his response was simple.

"I slept great last night."

Kulda will be paired with veteran Nic Havelid in tonight's game and Bogosian will suit up with Toby Enstrom. Boris Valabik and Nathan Oystrick will be the third pair and Jamie Rivers will sit this one out.

There are also a few forwards making debuts tonight, but they aren't NHL rookies. Jason Williams will take to the ice for his first game as a Thrasher in the building where he won a Stanley Cup in 2002. He'll play wing alongside Grant Stevenson and Ilya Kovalchuk. Joe Motzko is also suiting up for the Thrashers for the first time in a game situation and he's anxious to show what he can do when it matters. Motzko is fighting for a roster spot and this will be his first chance to really make an impression on the coaching staff.

"I'm excited to get back in the swing of things," Motzko said. "I've had a little extra time to get ready in Atlanta and I'm excited to get in my first game. Tonight will be a good gauge for me to see where I stand. "

Here are the lines for tonight' game:

Forwards
Kovalchuk- Stevenson- Williams
Perrin- Reasoner- Lessard
Motzko- White- Crabb
LaVallee- Slater- Hoffman

Defense
Enstrom- Bogosian
Kulda- Havelid
Valabi- Oystrick

Goalies
Lehtonen
Pavelec

Scratches- Stuart, Rivers

Follow the game action here o the Blueland Blog when things kick off at 5pm. To the best of my knowledge there is no radio coverage for the game.

There wasn't a lot to report from today's morning skate. there are a few lineup changes to report though:

• Kari Lehtonen gets the start in goal. He's 2-3-0 against the Caps this season with a 2.96 GAA and .917 save percentage.
• Garnet Exelby is back in and while it was never stated explicitly who would be out, Zhitnik and Kwiatkowski were still on the ice half an hour after everyone else was off and I don't believe Ken Klee skate.
• Boris Valabik will be paired with Mark Popovic. Boris knows Popovic's game having played with him in Chicago, though they've never been paired together before.
• Here is Don Waddell's post-skate scrum video.

Other notes:

• Erik Christensen watched the bulk of the skate in workout clothes form the bench. It's normal for injured players to be in the arena on gamedays but normally they just work out and get checked by the medical staff and trainer. Most of them don't watch the skate. Christensen's presence on the bench is just another sign that he's incredibly disappointed to be out. He's still hanging around the team to get to know the players and feel like a part of the action whether he's playing or not.
• Kovy and Ovy had a good chat while Ovechkin watched the skate from the visiting bench.
• Slava Kozlov spoke highly of his good friend Sergei Fedorov who has provided some veteran leadership down the stretch for the Caps. Washington has to be almost perfect to make the playoffs and Fedorov is one of the few Caps with significant playoff experience. Kozlov pointed out how versatile he is and said that while he won't get a lot of points he's still dangerous. He's also a great mentor for young Russians like Ovechkin and Semin.
• Boris says the nerves are gone and he expects more from himself tonight. He said that the team has given him a lot of support and he's ready to move on from his first game and show what he can do. He isn't looking down the road and would rather focus on playing each game than think of this as a tryout for next season. Boris is one of five players staying at a hotel right now (along with Little, Kwiatkoswki, Armstrong and Christensen) and he said he's been spending plenty of time with those guys. Army is the group chauffeur and commented that Boris fits nicely in the back seat of his car. No word form the two people jammed back there with him on just how roomy it is.

Keep in mind that tonight is Autism Awareness Night and doors will open early at 6pm. Bring money for $1 hot dogs, soft drinks and popcorn (until 6:30). Prior to the game Niclas Havelid will be presented with the Gilner-Reeves Award for community service.

I'm as excited as anyone about Boris getting called up, but we'll have to wait at least another day until we see him play. He won't be in the lineup tonight against the Flyers, and that decision makes sense to me. It's a nationally televised game against a wildly unpredictable team. Valabik hasn't skated with the Thrashers yet (aside from the morning skate today) and he could use a day to settle in. Plus Mark Popovic deserves to play tonight as Ken Klee sits to mend some bumps and bruises.

Why am I so excited about Boris?

• 6' 7" and 240 lbs. That's a big body.
• He's mean on the ice. He leads the Wolves in PIM and he's willing to take on anyone. He's also the first guy to stick up for teammates.
• He's a great interview off the ice. His English is outstanding and unless something has changed since he was here for training camp he isn't afraid to speak his mind.
• It's something different. With the Thrashers slipping out of playoff contention there hasn't been a lot to get excited about. Valabik won't get the thrashers into the playoffs, but he gives disinterested fans something to watch. How will he perform? Is he good enough to crack the lineup next season? How does he stack up to our other defensemen? Those are questions you should all be asking when you watch him.

As I said, he won't play tonight, and neither will Ken Klee, Alexei Zhitnik and Erik Christensen. Todd White is getting eased back into the lineup and will play minimal minutes. Here are your line combinations (with Lehtonen in goal). If you take a look at the game sheets since Kovalchuk started playing with Holik and Thorburn you'll notice that the ice time for everyone has been incredibly balanced. Outside of Enstrom, Boulton and Larsen pretty much everyone else has been playing between 13 and 22 minutes, and on some nights it's even closer than that (depending no how much time is spent on special teams). So while the lineup chart shows Ilya on the third line, there really is no third line in this scenario. The coaching staff is consistently rolling three attacking lines one after the other.

We'll see how that works tonight against the Flyers. History is stacked against the Thrashers, which is why I think they're going to pull this one off. Kari has never been Niittymaki in North America. Both of them are starting tonight. The Thrashers haven't beaten the Flyers in their last nine meetings and haven't won in Philly since Nov. 18, 2005. We're long, long overdue and just maybe the flyers will be caught off guard. They're struggling with injuries and are clinging to that last playoff spot, so they need this win in a big way. I think our guys would take a lot of satisfaction in hitting them where it hurts by giving  the Sabres, Capitals or Panthers a chance to catch them.

And yes, I find myself pulling for the Capitals and Panthers. If we're not going to have playoff hockey in Atlanta I'd just as soon know it's being played in other Southeast cities. It's good for the division and it's good for the sport. The Panthers have a great young core of guys like Weiss, Horton, Bouwmeester and Jokinen who are itching to get in the playoffs. I'd love to see what they can do. The same applies to Washington where Ovechkin will be a treat to watch if the Caps are playing in mid April. I won't be cheering for either team when they play the thrashers of course, but I'd rather see one of them make it into the playoffs than another Atlantic or Northeast Division team.

Some interesting developments on the ice at the morning skate today.

5-on-5 scoring has been difficult for the Thrashers to come by lately so Don Waddell and his staff are mixing up the lines a little bit. Waddell has like Slava Kozlov's playmaking and jump lately and is putting him with Bryan Little and Mark Recchi. Ilya will play with Bobby Holik and Chris Thorburn who both have the ability to get him the puck and clear plenty of space. Thorburn's game has been strong lately and when asked Waddell said this shouldn't be seen as a demotion for Kovalchuk. Waddell thinks this lineup offers three balanced lines (including the Christensen line which has been the best line over the last handful of games).

Kari Lehtonen gets the start in goal- the defense remains unchanged at this point.

I spoke to Bryan Little about how important a call-up to the Thrashers could be for one or two of the Chicago players who haven't gotten a taste of NHL action yet.

"I think it would be pretty important for them. I've played in both leagues this year and there's a big difference in the hockey between the NHL and the AHL. Getting that experience early was good for me this year. For any young guy coming up getting a couple games in would be a huge experience for them."

Little thinks a call-up would help give some players extra motivation for next season as well.

"It's kind of like a wakeup call to start working harder. It's motivation to make the team next year."

It can also serve as a bit of a humbling experience.

"It's a shock. You think when you're in the AHL it's not that big of a step to the NHL but it is. The guys are a lot faster and the hockey is a lot different. You really notice it."

Tonight's game against the Flames should be a good one. Ken Klee was fired up this morning on the ice and is doing his best to get everyone pumped up to finish the season strong. The Flames are the only team in the NHL that has never won at Philips Arena and the Thrashers would love to keep it that way tonight. Regardless, I'm looking forward to seeing Jarome Iginla play in person. Calgary lost the Capitals last night and might be a little worn out from what was a fairly physical game. The Flames took a lot of obstruction penalties, so here's hoping their penalty-killers (who are 20th in the league) are tired.

Don't forget that tonight is the St. Patrick's Day jersey auction. The players will wear the jerseys during warm-ups and they'll be up for silent auction outside the Team Gear Store at the Thrashers Foundation table.

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.

After what happened at practice yesterday you might expect the team to be walking on eggshells at the morning skate today- that wasn't the case. It was business as usual, and if anything the on-ice season was more light-hearted than usual as players warmed up.

At the begin of morning skates a handful of players normally join Johan Hedberg at one end of the ice and make a semi-circle out of pucks in front of the net. Players take turns weaving through the semi-circle and grabbing pucks, firing them on goal or trying to beat Moose with a deke form in close. It's a great drill to work on puck-handling and getting shots off in tight and it's usually Recchi, Larsen, Slater and Perrin that take part. Today they were joined by Mark Popovic, Eric Christensen and Colby Armstrong. Both Armstrong and Christensen excelled.

As players were warming up a whistle kept getting blown and it took a few times for players to figure out what was going on. Either Joel Kwiatkowski had a whistle or can do a very god impression of a coach's whistle. He had the guys confused for a minute or two, since there no coaches on the ice.

As for the lineup- question marks abound. Everyone is dressing. Nobody is a scratch for sure- everything will be decided this afternoon. I'm just speculating, but base don what I saw I'd say Larsen gets scratched and Little plays with Slater and Boulton. It's anyone's bet on defense, but Kiwi and Popovic were the last two defensemen to come off the ice.

I hate the term "must win" but that's what tonight is. A 10 point gap is going to be incredibly hard to overcome and the Thrashers are running out of time to make up ground.

Check the main site later for a Moose feature. Kari gets the start tonight.

"This is a great opportunity for them to come in and establish themselves."

So said Mark Recchi after the morning skate today when talking about Colby Armstrong and Erik Christensen. The consensus among Recchi, Chris Thorburn and Joel Kwiatkoswki, who all played with Armstrong and Christensen in Pittsburgh, is that both players will be well-loved in Atlanta and will thrive in their new roles. Armstrong is the more outgoing of the pair and plays a more physical role, while Erik Christensen is a high-skill player who the other three former Penguins said was under-utilized in Pittsburgh.

"They had him flipping around on wing and all of that," said Recchi. "He's not a winger. He's just a natural centerman. Very high skill level. He shoots the puck great. He passes the puck great. He's a strong skater and good kid. He's going to be asked to play every power play and be an offensive player and I think you're going to see him thrive here."

Christensen and Armstrong will get a prime opportunity to showcase their skills tonight at home when the Thrashers host the Islanders. The pair will play together on the second line with Eric Perrin as the middle lines get a bit of a makeover.

Kovalchuk will stay with Todd White and Mark Recchi on the first line, Eric Perrin will play left wing with Christensen in the middle and Armstrong on the right side of the second line, Kozlov and Holik stay together with Bryan Little to their right and the checking line of Boulton, Slater and Thorburn stays intact. Brad Larsen, Mark Popovic and Steve McCarthy are tonight's healthy scratches. Kwiatkowski will play with Exelby as the defensive pairings remain unchanged from Tuesday night. Here is your updated lines chart.

Christensen will also play on the top power play unit, along with Bryan Little, Mark Recchi, Ilya Kovalchuk and Toby Enstrom. Armstrong was one of Pittsburgh's top penalty-killers so he'll see plenty of ice time doing the same here in Atlanta.

Check the video player for Don Waddell's media scrum. It should be up shortly. The one thing I got Don to address which hadn't been mentioned by any other media is whether or not a fourth alternate captain will be named. At this point there are no plans to name one but that doesn't mean it won't happen if the coaching staff feel it's needed.

For those who are curious about these sorts of things, Colby Armstrong took over the locker room stall used by Marian Hossa and Erik Christensen is in a stall between Eric Boulton and Slava Kozlov.

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.

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.

I'm pressed for time and it was a pretty uneventful morning skate so this is going to be short.

Kari Lehtonen gets the start in net tonight which should come as no surprise. For this team to succeed Kari has to play well and get into a groove. Hopefully that starts tonight. Colin Stuart was skating with Eric Perrin and Marian Hossa again which means Slava Kozlov is with Holik and Dupuis. Slater is centering Thorburn and Boulton and White, Recchi and Kovalchuk remain together. The only question mark is on defense where Steve McCarthy is ready to come back. It not entirely clear if he'll suit up tonight and it could be a game-time decision. If he doesn't play Mark Popovic is the leading candidate to be scratched.

Eric Perrin looks ready to go and he says he's not a guy that's going to play hurt if he thinks someone else could step in and contribute. He doesn't want his presence in the lineup to hurt the team. Ken Klee is good to go despite two black eyes and a lot of stitches from the puck he took to the face last week. The bruising is turning yellow now so it's healing fairly quickly.

This is a huge game for the Thrashers. The team needs to get on a roll and stay in the thick of things in the Southeast and the best way to do that is to get a win tonight. They really need four points this week if they expect to keep pace and they haven't been strong in back-to-back situations like the one coming up this weekend.

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.

There's nothing earth-shattering to report from today's morning skate that pertains to tonight's game. The lines and lineup will stay the same and Kari Lehtonen will get the start in goal. Kari called Tuesday night the best game of his career and I'm inclined to agree. Jim Slater was sent down to Chicago yesterday on a conditioning assignment and will stay there through the All-Star break. Waddell hopes he can get into four or five games. Ideally he'd pick up a couple of goals while he's up against AHL defensemen and goalies and then come back here with some renewed confidence in his offensive game.

While a lot of players talked about playing in Detroit as a highlight of the season Eric Perrin is excited about tonight. He grew up a few minutes from downtown Montreal where the Canadiens play and he grew up watching them and going to games. As soon as the schedule comes out he scans it for the Montreal dates.

Perrin expects a tight game tonight and as both he and Waddell pointed out, special teams will be key. The Canadiens have the best power play in the NHL and they move the puck incredibly well. If the Thrashers get into penalty trouble it's going to be a long night for Perrin on the PK. The other downside of Atlanta taking penalties is that it means more short-handed time for Marian Hossa which leads to less time for him 5-on-5.

So what else could anyone have asked about today after the morning skate. Oh yeah- Marian Hossa's contract situation.

Waddell was very open and forthcoming when both the local and Montreal media asked him about Hossa. Based on what Waddell said it sounds like there is no contract offer on the table but one could come any time. The talks simply haven't gotten to that point yet. So what did Hossa and his agent spend seven hours talking about when they met with Waddell and the owners on Sunday? The future of the team. As Waddell put it, Hossa is a student of the game. He grew up in a house where his dad lived and breathed hockey as a coach and general manager in Slovakia. Hossa pays attention to how the Thrashers draft. He knows who the prospects are. He takes a pretty serious interest in the future of this team and he wants to be sure that the framework is there for success if he's going to agree to a long-term deal. That's his right as someone who is being asked to pass on his first shot at unrestricted free agency.

Don't be alarmed by the lack of talk over term and dollar figures. With the contracts that have been signed over the last six months or so Waddell is confident that "the groundwork for a contract has been laid." Waddell has a 4-6 year deal in mind which could take Hossa to his mid 30's. Assuming he's still producing at that point he could still sign another lucrative multi-year contract.

The greatest determining factor in whether or not Marian Hossa signs a new contract with the Thrashers is how he feels about the overall competitiveness of this team. With the way they've played the last few games and with where they are in the standings he has to be feeling better about the Thrashers' chances. Waddell also said today that the Thrashers intend to be buyers leading up to the trade deadline and you can be sure he has made that clear to Hossa.

Here's the video of the bulk of Waddell's talk this morning.

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.