AJC > Sports > Thrashers > Blog > Archives > 2009 > January > 02
Friday, January 2, 2009
New year, fresh start
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Kari Lehtonen is in net tonight against Vancouver.
It’s fun and new to see the Western Conference teams after so many games against the familiar Eastern teams. This is just the sixth of 18 games against the West for the Thrashers, who are still looking for their first interconference victory (0-4-1 against Nashville, St. Louis, Detroit, Minnesota and Columbus). There will be 12 games against the Western Conference in the second half of the schedule.
A key tonight might be the Thrashers power play; Vancouver takes more penalty minutes than any other team in the NHL (19.6 per game, 5.3 more than the middle-of-the-pack Thrashers). The Canucks have a slightly above average penalty kill (82.5 percent, 13th in the league).
The Canucks played and won yesterday at Nashville. Jason LaBarbera made his Vancouver debut and stopped 31 of 32 shots. LaBarbera was acquired from the LA Kings. The Province reports that LaBarbera expects to start again tonight, despite the fact that his left leg cramped in the third period yesterday.
Services »
