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Monday, January 14, 2008
A chance to measure up in Detroit
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
In case you were wondering, I’m not the only one excited about going to Detroit. Now, I have my own reasons - It’s a chance to see my sister, my niece, nephew and maybe catch up with a couple friends. But in the Thrashers dressing room, there’s some excitement about heading to the D.
Slava Kozlov has dinner plans with Vladimir Konstantinov, his old teammate with the Red Wings who was paralyzed after that limo accident in 1997. When I asked Kozlov if he was looking forward to the Detroit trip, he answered: “Always, always. I have great memories of Detroit.”
Don Waddell said he has 40 family and friends who will be attending the game. He grew up a few miles from Olympia Stadium, where the Wings used to play. He’s excited to coach in his hometown.
Even Marian Hossa said he was excited to play in Detroit because he said he’s only played there a couple times in his career, which is hard to believe. “I’ll feel like a rookie,” he said.
Why is this important? Well, we know the Thrashers play well when they’re up for a game. Or as Waddell put it, when “we respect our opponents.” And believe me, they respect Detroit. I think it’s safe to say that’s the best team in the NHL. The Thrashers just beat the hottest team in the NHL in the Penguins, but the Red Wings have established themselves as the team to beat in the NHL this season. This is a great opportunity to build some confidence, and I have no doubt the Thrashers will show up for this one. Now whether they can hang with the Red Wings, that’s another story.
Hey, maybe the Red Wings will be distracted by all the buzz around Scotty Bowman. In case you missed it, Bowman told HNIC that he was close to taking a job over the summer to run the Maple Leafs, but the final offer never came. Now the Detroit Free Press is reporting that Bowman isn’t going anywhere. It’s been a rough year for Toronto fans, eh?
Practice report: Eric Perrin practiced today and will be ready to play against Detroit on Tuesday. The knee is a little sore and he joked that Ken Klee owes him a nice dinner for his involvement in the injury which happened in practice the other day. Perrin couldn’t remember the last time he missed a game, saying he hates missing games. I was somewhat surprised to learn that Perrin wouldn’t be returning to center the second line. Kozlov will stay in that spot for now, and Perrin will skate with Bobby Holik and Pascal Dupuis. Waddell said he liked what he saw from Kozlov at center during the Pittsburgh game. Brad Larsen (groin) won’t play, so Perrin will take his spot in the lineup. Jim Slater practiced, but won’t travel to Detroit. Waddell said he’s still a ways away because of his conditioning. Kari Lehtonen will get the start in goal, and they’ll need another effort from him like they got against Pittsburgh.
Hossa update: Sunday was a busy day in the Hossa negotiations. No specific numbers or terms were tossed around, but Hossa and his agent met with Waddell, and ownership. Michael Gearon and Bruce Levenson were on hand for the meetings Sunday and Hossa said he appreciated “being in a room with powerful guys.” The meeting gave the Hossa camp an opportunity to hear directly from ownership where this franchise was headed. The group also checked out the Hawks game and sat courtside, which Hossa said was a lot of fun. I don’t know if any of this means Hossa is going to sign anytime soon, but as Don said, at least the lines of communication are open.
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