On a personal noe, it was my last game of the season to go to as a fan (I'll be in the press box for the remaining four home games) and I spent it in the stands with some old high school friends who happened to be in town from Calgary. They came down for the NASCAR race on the weekend and extended the trip just so they could see the Flames play. They got to gloat early, but I gloated more often, and that's what matters most, right?

I don't think they'd mind me saying that they came away impressed with Philips Arena, the in-game experience, the passion of the fans and the game itself. They didn't mind being on the losing end of a game that was that good. To top it all off it was their 3-year-old's first NHL game. He'll be a Thrashers fan for life now, and they're on their way back to Calgary to let everyone know that playoffs or not, hockey is alive and well in Georgia.

I'll forgive you if you thought the first two periods of last night's game were less than exciting. They made up for it in the third, OT and the shootout though. I was in the stands last night with my wife and some friends and they loved every minute of OT and the shootout. They'd been to a couple games before but they had never experienced a game that went to extra time.

I'm going to pat myself on the back for writing this yesterday:

"I'm taking a different view though. This has been such a bizarre season that this is exactly the kind of game that the Thrashers could use to snap a lengthy winless streak. The Wild are battling for their division title and have a lot on the line. The Thrashers are a few losses from being mathematically eliminated from the playoff race. sounds like an upset brewing for me. "

Every once in a while I know what I'm talking about.

My thoughts on the game itself:

• Ken Klee told me yesterday that the Wild aren't afraid to gun for a 1-0 win. It sure looked like that was their plan last night.
• You may or may not have noticed that Eric Belanger took a Kovy slapshot off his ankle during the 5-on-3 power play. He tried to come back but didn't play after the mid-way point of the second period.
• Moose was absolutely right to be upset over the Voros non-call, but I don't believe goaltender interference is a reviewable play.
• The more I see from Erik Christensen the more I like him. He's also a refreshing change in the locker room. This is going to sound wacky, but when you ask him a question he actually listens, thinks about the answer, then responds without resorting to cliches. Did you notice in the post-game interview that Kovy said his goal should probably go to Crusher (Christensen). Good on Kovy for pointing it out and giving credit to a teammate.
• When free agency rolls around this summer I'm all for going young whenever possible. That being said, I've always been a Brian Rolston fan.
• Ilya Kovalchuk- 1 G, 1 A, 2 Pts, +1, 7 shots. That's a nice line. I'm still looking for him to have a couple multi-goal games before the end of the season so he can hit 50 though.
• Bryan Little look great with just over 19 minutes of ice time. He won just over half of his faceoffs and got credit for two shots. He's a keeper and I look forward to seeing what he can do next year.
• Give the Thrashers (particularly the defense) credit for not giving up a single even strength goal. They showed a ton of resiliency and pride and it was refreshing to see. It's been too long since they played like that at home.

Given how well the team played last night (low shot totals notwithstanding) I don't expect any lineup changes tonight, though we might see Kari in goal. The game isn't on local TV but it is being carried by the Panthers so it should be on Center Ice if you have it. It'll also be on 680 The Fan, as always. Here is your AP game preview.

After last night's loss in Carolina JP Dellacamera asked Darren Eliot if there were any positives to take away form the game. Darren paused for a moment before replying that really weren't any. I'm not inclined to disagree, although the Thrashers did show some marginal improvement over Saturday night's loss that saw that fall behind 4-0 before they scored. At least they showed some fight last night and battled back to make it 1-1, and then 3-2 before finally giving up the ghost. This isn't the time of the year where you can happy with marginal improvements though, and this team needs to figure out how to play an opening period before they take to to the ice in Toronto tomorrow night.

The deeply buried silver lining is that Eric Perrin has five points during his four-game point streak and has tied his career-high of 36 points. He now sits tied for third in team scoring (with Todd White). That's great for Perrin, who deserves all the credit in the world for carving out a role for himself here in Atlanta, but it's also reason for some concern. With all due respect to Eric, he shouldn't be the most consistent forward on the team and it probably says something about how things are going for other players when Perrin is tied for third in scoring. Ilya looks like he's feeling better and his line contributed two goals last night (Recchi and White) so there's reason for optimism on that front, but the pressure is really on the veterans and stars to step up and lead this team to the playoffs.  It goes without saying that no team should expect to win when they routinely give up 40 shots a game, so everyone needs to clamp down on defense without sacrificing offense. One issue the Thrashers have struggled with this season is working together as a unit. When things go badly the forwards wait for the defense to get them the puck while the defense waits for the forwards to come back and help them. both groups need to communicate and be more in tune with what their teammates are doing.

Hopefully Darren Eliot is right and the funk that this team is in will lift once the Marian Hossa situation is resolved, whether it's via a new contract, a trade, or the knowledge that he's here through the end of the season. We'll know in four days, if not sooner.

As for my comment yesterday that any forward that didn't take a shot should have to walk to Toronto- the only guys to be held shotless were the fourth line of Larsen, Thorburn and Boulton. I think I'll let that crew on the plane, even though they were a combined -5. It certainly wasn't one of their better nights, but they've been consistent for the bulk of the season.

* Marian Hossa scored with just 19 seconds remaining in regulation to tie the game at three and send it to overtime, and the Thrashers were victorious after 10 shootout attempts coming away with a 4-3 road victory against the New Jersey Devils … Atlanta’s record stands at 29-27-4 for 62 points … The Thrashers are tied with Carolina (29-27-4, 62 points) for first place in the Southeast Division.

* The Thrashers battled back from a 2-0 deficit and a 3-2 deficit to earn the victory tonight … Atlanta improved its record to 14-4 in games that extend past regulation, including a perfect 6-0 mark in overtime and an 8-4 record in the shootout.

* Hossa tallied two points (one goal, one assist) tonight and now has goals in three straight games … He has five points (three goals, two assists) in that span and has tallied 53 points (26 goals, 27 assists) in 57 games this season.

* Ilya Kovalchuk scored his team-leading 40th goal of the season, making him the only player in the NHL to score at least 40 in each of the last four seasons … Kovalchuk also added one assist tonight and leads the Thrashers with 67 points (40 goals, 27 assists) in 57 games.

* Forward Todd White also scored for the Thrashers, netting his 12th goal of the season at the 11:31 mark of second period … White has recorded 34 points (12 goals, 22 assists) in 60 games during his first year with the Thrashers.

* It took a season-high 10 round shootout to decide tonight’s contest … Pascal Dupuis scored the game-deciding goal, while Hossa and Kovalchuk each scored on their shootout attempts … Goaltender Johan Hedberg turned away eight-of-10 New Jersey shooters to preserve the win.

* Hedberg made 30 saves on 33 shots in regulation and overtime … He owns a 13-10-2 mark with one shutout, a 3.30 GAA and a .896 save percentage in 27 games … Hedberg has earned a 4-2 record in the shootout this season and an 8-2 mark in his career.

* The Thrashers are back in action tomorrow night when the travel to face the NY Islanders (7 p.m., SportSouth, 680 The Fan) in the second game of their current five-game road swing.
 

• People have been saying Marian Hossa doesn't want to be in Atlanta. Did he look like a guy that doesn't want to be on this team tonight? Five points in three games including three clutch goals.
• Apparently the best way to beat Brodeur in a shootout is with a shot, not a deke. Who saw that Hossa slapper coming? I'd wager he hasn't scored 10 goals like that in his entire pro career. And hats off to Kovy and Dupuis for beating Brodeur with absolutely perfect shots. Why do I have the feeling that Thorburn won't be before Dupuis the next time a shootout goes 10 rounds?
• The Panthers beat the Capitals in regulation. The result is that Atlanta and Carolina are tied with 62 points and Florida and Washington are just two back at 60.
• The Thrashers now sit at 29-27-4. By NHL standards that puts them at two games over .500 for the first time this season.
• If you were wondering when the last time Ilya Kovalchuk and Marian Hossa scored in the same game was, it was January 6.
• Moose is doing exactly what the team needs him to do- stepping in and winning games one at a time while Kari gets a breather. It's clear at this point that Lehtonen is the starter, but Hedberg is still serving a valuable role. Hedberg has always been strong in spot duty. In fact, he hasn't had a losing record in a season since 2002-03. His 27 appearances this season are his most since 2001-02.

Next up- the Islanders.

You can read most of my thoughts on last night's game here but I wanted to add a few things.

First of all, Kari Lehtonen was outstanding. It's ridiculously unfair that he's only 4-2-0 in his last six games because his GAA in that span is 15 and his save percentage is over .950. If the offense was rolling at its normal rate he'd be 6-0 in those games. The kid deserves all the credit in the world. He stood on his head AND sparked the offense with an incredible assist to set up Hossa.

Which brings me to my second point. Did you see what Hossa had to do to earn an assist on Perrin's goal? When the puck was dumped into the corner Hossa made a beeline for it and battled John Erskine the whole way there. They arrived at the puck at the same time but Hossa got body position against the boards and protected the puck with Erskine all over him. Then he pivoted and kicked the puck with his right foot onto his skate and fired a perfect pass out front to a streaking Eric Perrin who wired it home. Last night was probably Hossa's best game since Detroit.

Eric Perrin was outstanding as well and certainly earned his spot in the shootout rotation. That line is rolling and if Ilya and his linemates can start scoring again the Thrashers will be in good shape. If you missed the game you can catch all of the highlights (including two great hits by Ex) right here

In other news, Don Waddell was on a conference call with three other GMs yesterday afternoon. Excerpts from that call have shown up in various articles but you can hear the whole thing for yourself right here.

This weekend is Hockey Weekend Across America, and to celebrate the Thrashers held some special ceremonies last night (since they don't play at home this weekend). here are some pictures. If you're doing anything hockey related this weekend feel free to send me a picture. tomorrow is "Wear Your Jersey to School Day" so if you wear yours and can take a shot send it in. I'll probably be wearing mine to the office.

What were your thoughts on the game (aside form the obviously weak showing in the first)?

After dropping two straight one-goal games in which they did a lot of things right the Thrashers got two points out of a game in which they probably didn't perform as well. They were good in the first period against the Lightning, terrible in the second and desperate in the third. Desperate worked and got them to overtime where Alexei Zhitnik of all people put the game away. Zhitnik has four goals as a Thrasher going back to last season and two of them are OT game-winners.

As mentioned yesterday some of the Braves went to the game. I stopped by and got a chance to talk to Chuck James and Jo-Jo Reyes who were joined by Buddie Carlyle and Charlie Morton. Both of them were attending their first NHL game and it was Reyes' first hockey game of any kind.

Both players commented on how hockey is a lot faster in person than it looks on TV.

Reyes grew up in Riverside, California- close to Anaheim and LA- but he wasn't really exposed to the game. Asked what his favorite part of the game was through the second period (when the score was 1-0 Tampa) the lefty-handed pitcher said he was a fan of the hitting.

Chuck James liked the physical stuff too. His favorite moment?

"The almost fight. This is my ever professional hockey game. I went to one other one in Michigan. I had a buddy that went to the University of Michigan and they fought a lot."

James echoed Reyes, saying the game was a lot of fun and a lot better in person than on TV.

James sounded a little bit disappointed when he said that they probably wouldn't be able to make it to another game given that the pitchers leave for spring training on Tuesday.

James is confident in the Braves' chances to win their division, pointing out that on paper the Braves have a great team.

"It all boils down to if we can stay healthy though," he said.

After I returned to the press box I made a point of keeping an eye on the group throughout the third period and overtime. They didn't get the fight they wanted but they did get a comeback goal and an OT winner and they certainly looked like they were enjoying themselves.

Next up- Casino Night. I'll be there and if all goes well on the technological end I'll be posting pictures and anecdotes throughout the night for those of you who can't attend. Garnet Exelby said he has something up his sleeve to add to his outfit so we'll find out what that it. Last year he rocked a hat and a brutal 80's mustache.

Brad Larsen has a pretty good beard going right now so maybe he has something special in mind for that tonight.
 Time will tell.

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.

Is it just me or was last night one of the Thrashers' better losses of the year? they didn't get any points but they did a lot of things right. They won faceoffs, they threw their weight around, they battled back after trailing twice, they shot the puck more often than we're used to seeing and perhaps most importantly, they went to the net on a regular basis.

Philly is a tough team to handle when they score first. They have a great mix of forwards that can either grind it out or play wide open hockey on any given night. Their defense is big and strong and their goaltending has been good enough to keep them in games when they struggle defensively. If you try to outskate Philly's D their goalies can stop most shots that they get a clean look at. If you crowd the crease to go for screens and rebounds their D can clear you or at least make you pay a price. Give the smaller Thrasher forwards credit for toughing it out and taking the abuse last night. Perrin, Recchi, Slater and White all went to the net on a regular basis looking for garbage goals or goal-mouth passes. Hopefully they keep it up even though they didn't convert. It's the right idea and it will work on other nights, especially against Vancouver tomorrow night. Roberto Luongo isn't going to be letting in many shots that he gets a clean look at.

In my opinion the Thrashers made fewer mistakes last night than they've made in many of their wins, but Philly was able to capitalize on the few they made. 5-on-5 the Thrashers were the better team, outscoring the Flyers 2-1. If they could have stayed out of the box they would have had a good shot at winning. If they play the same way tomorrow night (minus the penalty parade) I think they'll skate away with two points.

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.

I don't have a lot to say about last night's game aside from this- I'll take that forecheck and defensive effort over anything we've seen from the Thrashers in the last week or so. Maybe that stats folks were a little trigger happy with their buttons, but wow- 42 hits for the Thrashers? When was the last time you saw them come out hitting like that? There could have been more shots and there could have been more scoring chances, but New York played well. the Thrashers stuck to their game plan and played a solid road game in a tough building against an amped up opponent. If they play exactly the same at home next week against Pittsburgh there's a pretty good chance they'll win. I would have liked to see something other than wrist shots from our guys in the shootout, but that's life. The Thrashers picked up a key point, but more importantly they put in a solid effort. I'll take it. Hats off to Bobby Holik (8 hits), Alexei Zhitnik (20:46 of ice time) and Todd White (4 shots and 3 hits) who all stepped up their games noticeably. There were improved efforts all around, but those three stood out for me. Johan Hedberg was spectacular in net, putting the Buffalo loss squarely behind him and keeping the Thrashers in the game when the Rangers pressured.

There's no update on Ken Klee yet, but based on what Craig Custance wrote in the AJC it sounds like he'll be okay.

In roster news, three players are in transit to Chicago. The Wolves play three games this weekend including one tonight to it's a chance for them to get some action in while the NHL takes a break. No news on if any of them will come back immediately after the break, but Brett Sterling, Joel Kwiatkowski and Colin Stuart have all been reassigned for the time being (look for a press release later). They all played well in their time in Atlanta and made it easy for Waddell to give them another call-up if they're needed. Sterling and Kwiatkowski will both be at the AHL All-Star Classic on Monday and Tuesday though, so they'll be participating in six games/events in six nights. That's a lot of hockey.

Stay tuned to the blog this weekend as we try our best to give you exclusive stories from behind the scenes at All-Star Weekend.

Craig Custance has the details on tonight's lineup on his blog. No surprises to me. I figured Moose would start of for no other reason than to avoid having Lehtonen thrown to the wolves again if the team fails to show up. Sterling takes Kovalchuk's spot, Slater centers Boulton and Thorburn, Kozlov is back with Holik and Dupuis and Hossa, Perrin and Stuart will skate together. I'm with Craig on this one- this trip is reminding me way too much of the playoffs. I was there at MSG and I've been having flashbacks. Here's hoping the thrashers can turn that around tonight and end on a high note heading into the All-Star break.

This blog is going to be crazy busy over the weekend, so make sure you keep stopping by. We'll leave the features to the NHL (they're sending a team of writers and a few video crews) and I'll try to get you a look behind the scenes. The NHL is also going to be streaming a LOT of video, so keep an eye open for that. Details to come.

Time for me to start wrapping up so I can get to TJ's for the Legends of Hockey event.

It was about as ugly as a loss could be, but thankfully nobody got hurt and you can only give up two points in the standings. A loss is a loss and the bad ones don't count any differently than the close ones IF you can find a way to move on.

The Thrashers have to move on tomorrow when Edmonton is in town for the first time since the lockout. It should be interesting to see how the two teams come out of the gate since the Thrashers aren't the only team coming off a blowout. The Oilers lost 7-2 to Carolina last night and have just as much to prove as the Thrashers.

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.

A hat trick for Marian Hossa, a career-high 46 saves for Kari Lehtonen and a 5-1 win over the best team in the NHL. Not too shabby.

Last night's game in Detroit was a classic and one for the history books as it was the first time in franchise history that the Thrashers won in Detroit. It was also Don Waddell's first win in his hometown. Let's just ignore the fact that Atlanta gave up 47 shots and would have let the Wings back in the game had it not been for Kari Lehtonen. It's nice to see him outright steal a win though, isn't it?

Here are the bullet points from our PR staff:

• The Thrashers won their second straight game, defeating the NHL’s top team, the Detroit Red Wings, 5-1 in Detroit tonight … The win puts Atlanta over .500 with a record of 23-22-2 … The Thrashers win coupled with Carolina’s 5-4 loss to Toronto brings Atlanta into a tie for first place in the Southeast Division with the Hurricanes … The Thrashers hold the tie-break in the division standings because of their 23 wins compared to Carolina’s 22.
   
• All-Star Marian Hossa recorded a natural hat-trick, his first three-goal game since Jan. 16, 2007 vs. the LA Kings, increasing his goal total to 19 this season … Hossa ranks second on the Thrashers with 42 points (19 goals, 23 assists).
   
• Defenseman Tobias Enstrom, who was named to the NHL’s YoungStars team today, record two assists tonight for his third multiple-point contest of the season … Enstrom ranks second on the Thrashers with 25 assists and leads the NHL with 20 power play helpers.
   
• The Thrashers power play was in high gear tonight, converting on three-of-four chances … Atlanta has scored on five-of-seven power play opportunities over its last two contests and is 36-of-189 (19.0%) with the man-advantage this season.
   
• Mark Recchi tallied two assists and Ilya Kovalchuk recorded one helper in the win tonight … Kovalchuk extended his points-scoring streak to 10 games, posting16 points (eight goals, eight assists) in that span … Recchi has recorded 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists) in 18 games with the Thrashers this season.
   
• Rookie Kevin Doell posted the first point (assist) of his career on Eric Perrin’s second period goal … Doell has recorded one assist and is averaging 9:22 TOI in his first six career NHL games.
   
• Goaltender Kari Lehtonen was spectacular for the Thrashers, turning away a career-high 46 shots for his second-straight victory … Lehtonen improved his record to 9-10-1 with two shutouts, a 2.91 goals-against average a