AJC > Sports > Thrashers > Blog > Archives > 2007 > March > 05
Monday, March 5, 2007
Everybody loves the Thrashers
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Got a call from a guy from a sports radio show in Edmonton that has decided to adopt the Thrashers this year with the Oilers looking like they won’t be heading to the playoffs — so your Thrashers are starting to get some exposure all over North America with their improved play.
Not only that, but Don Waddell was named the sixth-best GM in all of sports by Forbes magazine. Waddell said he wasn’t sure how the formula for the rankings worked, but he promised that it wasn’t concocted by anyone in his family, so congrats to him.
Also, the NHL recognized Kari Lehtonen as one of its three stars for the last week. Lehtonen was 3-0 with a 1.67 GAA last week, earning him the first star over Olli Jokinen and Peter Budaj. Marian Hossa was named one of the NHL’s three-stars for his two-goal performance last night.
Wow, you win a few games and everybody is ready to jump back on the bandwagon. But if I was a fan of the team, I’d be a little concerned about Tuesday’s game against Florida. Here’s a game that has all the signs of a classic letdown. Florida won’t be a playoff team, but the Panthers are actually playing pretty well right now. They’ve won four straight and haven’t lost a game in regulation since Valentine’s Day. We also know how the Thrashers tend to play down to teams — but right now they can’t afford to do that with three games coming against Florida and Montreal - a pair of non-playoff teams (I don’t see the Habs getting in, sorry).
Practice report: Scott Mellanby and Eric Belanger didn’t practice this morning. Mellanby resting makes sense, he’s 40. But I was suspicious about Belanger’s absence. Bob Hartley said he was just resting, and that he’ll play on Tuesday. Not that I don’t trust Bob, but I double-checked with Waddell and he confirmed that a guy like Belanger, who has less body fat than an Olsen Twin, needs to be well-rested. So maybe my suspicions were wrong. Hartley says Belanger will be in the lineup Tuesday, so he should be there.
Tuesday will mark the return of Eric Boulton into the lineup. He’s been a healthy scratch the last two games, and Hartley said he wanted him to get some playing time. If nothing changes between now and the morning, J.P. Vigier will be a healthy scratch, joining Steve McCarthy. Kari Lehtonen is your starting goalie.
