AJC > Sports > Thrashers > Blog > Archives > 2009 > February > 07
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Morning after raises questions, not answers
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Thrashers coach John Anderson had some new combinations skating today:
Stuart-White-Motzko
Kozlov-Peverley-Little
Boulton-Perrin or Christensen-Thorburn
Don’t read too much into that, because these guys were missing when I wrote down those lines: Ilya Kovalchuk (wife giving birth), Marty Reasoner (ill) and Colby Armstrong (hurt). They could all be back for Sunday’s game against Philadelphia.
My guess, and it’s just a guess: Erik Christensen gets a chance, and Garnet Exelby replaces Nathan Oystrick, and Boris Valabik still sits.
I’m thinking if I’m the Thrashers I start finding a way for Valabik and Oystrick to play. They need the experience, and even if they don’t necessarily give you the best shot at winning, isn’t player development more important than winning at this stage of the season?
BTW, I’ve been asked on the blog about Mike Hoffman. Here is the answer, courtesy of a conversation today with Anderson. Hoffman hurt his hand again (it was broken here in the preseason, and then he hurt the tendons in Chicago). He has played in 38 of 51 games, but even when in his minutes have been somewhat limited.
