AJC > Sports > Thrashers > Blog > Archives > 2007 > November > 26
Monday, November 26, 2007
Taking advantage of time off
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Thrashers are taking a couple days off here in a scheduling break that comes at a good time. If fatigue, mental or otherwise, was an issue for the ugly losses over the weekend, this slow stretch helps the cause. The team was off Sunday and today. Sunday was a scheduled day off while Monday was a bonus from coach Waddell.
It’s a time to reconnect with families, recover a few bumps and bruises and a few Thrashers are using this time to give back to the community. Marian Hossa will be at the Georgia Aquarium today at 3 p.m. to meet with kids as part of his Hossa’s Heros program. The kids will get a behind the scenes look at the aquarium with Hoss, lunch and games. Ilya Kovalchuk will be meeting with children on Tuesday at Discover Mills for some bowling, food and fun at Jillian’s. At some point this week, I believe Niclas Havelid will continue his work with Habitat for Humanity. Now I realize some of this is PR, but this is just the work that’s being publicized. These guys do a lot of stuff behind the scenes that isn’t reported. I know, more often than not, when they do public appearances, they stay much longer than they’re asked. We hear a lot about the negative things athletes do, but this really is a good group of guys. A couple weeks ago, there was a little kid who lost a couple family members in a horrible accident. I didn’t hear all the details, but he was a huge Thrashers fan so they brought him into the lockerroom and he spent time with the guys, getting autographs and chatting it up with the players he looked up to. The guys were great, and this kid was on cloud nine the entire time. It wasn’t anything that was publicized, I just happened to be there as it happened, and witnessing interactions between the players and the kids was fun to watch.
Alright, enough with the warm and fuzzies, what the heck is wrong with the penalty kill? This is a busy time for the coaching staff, which let’s not forget, is understaffed. I wouldn’t be shocked if Don Waddell used this time to bring in some help. Maybe it’s somebody on the administrative end or another assistant, but this is really the first extended opportunity he’s had to address some of this and the timing would be right. The real question is who - Any suggestions?
You have to wonder if we’ve seen the last of Ondrej Pavelec in Atlanta for awhile. There’s no denying this kid provided a big spark for the Thrashers and is a big reason why they are where they are. But he’s still only 20. He’s going to be inconsistent, and this team doesn’t have the luxury of inconsistency. If Kari Lehtonen looks good on Tuesday and Thursday for the Wolves (anyone get AHL games on their TV?) you could possibly have him start on Sunday in New Jersey. I know they want to give Kari three or four games, but if he looks like he’s ready after two, why not?
We should have a Kari’s return pool. Throw in a buck and pick his return game: It’s hard to say now before seeing how he looks in live action, but put me down for Dec. 5th against the Islanders at Philips. You?
