AJC > Sports > Thrashers > Blog > Archives > 2008 > December > 26
Friday, December 26, 2008
Bogosian now ready for emergencies
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Ron Hainsey was a no-show at the morning skate (illness) but is expected to play tonight. Scott Lehman has been sent back to Chicago. Garnet Exelby is still wearing a walking soft cast whenever he leaves his house. So Zach Bogosian, one of six defensemen on the ice for the morning skate, is now the Plan B if Hainsey can’t play.
Coach John Anderson said he’d rather not play Bogosian on an emergency basis but could give him six or seven minutes of ice time in, well, an emergency. “We want to put him in a game situation where he’s going to succeed for sure, not just we hope he does,” Anderson said. Bogosian said his formerly broken leg is fine and it’s just a matter of getting in game shape. General manager Don Waddell talked, before Exelby’s injury, about having Bogosian play some games in Chicago with the Wolves before returning to NHL games.
“If that’s what we decide to do, that’s what we decide to do, but right now we don’t have that luxury,” Anderson said. “Sending somebody to Chicago for conditioning, that’s a luxury to have because you have enough guys to play, enough good players to play. That decision will be made down the road.”
When could Bogosian play on a non-emergency basis? Probably seven to 10 days from now, Anderson said.
Now we turn from the news to our popular connect-the-dots feature:
Waddell followed the Wild for a couple of games a couple of weeks ago.
Marian Gaborik is in the final year of his contract and isn’t expected to be back with Minnesota.
Gaborik returned from injury, played well, and is now being held out consecutive games post-Christmas break.
Conclusion a lot of people are drawing: Something’s up.
Perhaps.
Obvious question: If Gaborik is being held out in Minnesota, who’s being held out in Atlanta? The answer for tonight’s game doesn’t add much fuel to the fire: Erik Christensen, again, and Kari Lehtonen.
Christensen hasn’t played since the Montreal game and declined to comment earlier this week when asked if he was healthy. He is listed as a healthy scratch. Lehtonen just came back from a long layoff and needs practices to stay in, or get into, game shape; the team didn’t practice Wednesday or Thursday. Plus, Johan Hedberg played well against the Islanders on Tuesday night and has played well against Carolina.
