AJC > Sports > Thrashers > Blog > Archives > 2008 > February > 07
Thursday, February 7, 2008
So, how will they make the playoffs?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
OK, it’s not exactly Chipper on a blog — you guys see that? so cool — but I thought I’d check in with a topic for the hockey bloggers.
I wrote a story for this morning’s paper breaking down the Southeast Division based on the premise that the Thrashers need to win the division to make the playoffs.
That’s what I’ve been thinking, just from looking at the standings. Four teams in the Atlantic Division have more points than any team in the Southeast. Four teams in the Northeast Division have as many or more points than everybody but Washington (57 points).
Buffalo gets one more point and nobody from the Southeast would be in the top eight, were it not for the fact that the division leader has to be.
And in case you blinked last night, the Southeast Division leader is now Washington. That’s a team that was in last place not that long ago before making a coaching change and watching Alex Ovechkin go nuts.
But then this morning after the skate, Don Waddell shot down my premise. Not directly aimed at me or in an antagonistic way, but enough to where I thought I should revisit the topic.
So here I am.
He says he thinks two teams will make the playoffs out of the division. They always do, he says. His idea is that in the stretch run at the end of the season, when everybody is playing division opponents, teams are going to pile up some points.
(And conversely, I’d add, some teams in these other divisions should lose some ground, since they’ll be playing each other and unable to gain points from outside the division.)
He made a point to say that the Thrashers are still gunning for the division — that they’re not hoping or planning to sneak in under the wire. But his prediction was interesting to me. I’m curious what you guys think. Is he right? Do you see two teams making the playoffs from the Southeast Division?
Oh, and Kari Lehtonen is back in goal tonight - why not? And Ilya Kovalchuk said his knee is doing just fine — having had no problems in the game on Tuesday, other than adjusting to playing in a brace.
