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Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Kovy: I’m 100 percent
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
On Super Tuesday, the candidates aren’t the only ones politicking. Ilya Kovalchuk is working Don Waddell hard to let him play tonight. Kovalchuk skated at the morning skate and looked great. Afterwards, he said he was 100 percent. If it was up to him, he’d be out there. He was planning on meeting with trainers after the practice, and ultimately doctors will have the final say. But after seeing Kovalchuk out there this morning and talking to him, I’m convinced he’ll be out there tonight.
Don Waddell said it was a game-time decision, but later in the interview said there isn’t a big difference if he plays tonight or Thursday considering the nature of the injury. Since he’s basically said Kovalchuk will play Thursday, then I’m having a hard time coming up with a reason why Kovalchuk should sit tonight.
In the middle of Waddell’s scrum, Kovalchuk emerged from the locker room into the hallway, and he was smiling and nodding his head towards Waddell, showing he was okay. Don’s reaction to Kovy? “Keep, walking. Keep, walking.” Waddell said Kovalchuk has been lobbying to get back in there since the injury happened.
Fins face off
We’ll see Kari Lehtonen and Antero Nittymaki tonight in goal in my favorite rivalry of goalies from Finland.
I asked Kari when the last time he beat Nittymaki and the best he could come up with was a tournament in Finland when he was 15. Kari hasn’t beaten Nittymaki on North American soil.
Marty Biron is coming off a shutout, but that didn’t matter. Here’s what coach John Stevens told Tim Panaccio of the Philadelphia Inquirer: “I looked at it as Atlanta seems to bring out the best in [Nittymaki’s] game. This allows Marty to get right back in net at home. Marty’s game is really sharp right now.”
More trade talk
I mentioned it in the comments section of yesterday’s blog, but Don Waddell told me yesterday that there was no trade talk at all between him and Montreal GM Bob Gainey during Waddell’s trip to Montreal.
“We never even talked about any kind of deal,” Waddell said. It was strictly a scouting assignment, which Don tends to do during Thrashers off days. It just happened that this one was in Montreal and the media up there was all over it.
That said, Waddell talked a little today about the possibility of a Hossa deal. Signing Marian is still the priority but he did say he’s getting calls from other teams, but for now he’s fending them off.
Here’s what he told me yesterday about those Hossa trade talks: “Teams will call, that’s as far as it’s gone. I won’t allow it to go any further. The No. 1 goal is to still sign him.”
This morning, he said the interest is coming more from the Western Conference than the East, which I thought was interesting although not surprising. And as we know, Hossa isn’t the only one drawing interest, although Don said he’d be real hesitant to deal a guy like Bobby Holik because this is his time of year.
If you haven’t noticed, Holik’s play has really picked up lately. Lehtonen was saying the same thing yesterday: “This is his third year he’s here, and every year it’s the same thing,” Lehtonen said. “He steps his game up so much after the New Year’s and I think he’s been great.”
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