The Thrashers will get a good test this weekend when they pay visits to Motown and Bah-stahn. So far on the season the defending champs are 4-1-1 while the Bruins are 2-2-3 following last night’s 4-2 fall-from-ahead loss to Toronto.

I suspect that sometime this weekend we’ll have a Moose sighting in the Atlanta goal. My preference would be to allow Kari to start in Detroit and Hedberg have a go at it Saturday night.

As for our opposition…

In their first six games of the season, Detroit’s offense has generated an impressive 38.0 shot per game. They’ve allowed their opposition to take an average of 27.3 shots. Their goals against average is identical to Atlanta’s…2.83…but they’ve been able to score goals to the tune of 3.33 per game.

Early on, Chris Osgood’s numbers aren’t what you’d expect…2-1-1 with a 3.25 GAA and .884 SV%. However, Ty Conklin is 2-0-0 and sports a very good .937 SV% and 2.00 GAA.

Detroit’s 32.0% efficiency on the power play is second only to St. Louis and they’ve been able to kill off 81.8% of the man advantages that they’ve faced. Atlanta has won 52.4%…seventh best in the league.

In the face off circle…the Wings have been successful 55.6% of the time.

Meanwhile…Boston has been scoring and giving up goals at a 2.86 clip. Almost as even is the S/G and SA/G stat….30.6 shots for and 30.7 shots against per game. Their power play is 17.9% effective while their defense has only managed to kill of penalties 74.2% of the time, (only Nashville and Colorado are worse).

In goal…Manny Thomas is 1-1-2 with a 2.65 GAA and .919 SV%. Manny Fernandez is 1-1-1 with a 2.61 GAA and .899 SV%.

The Bruins have won 51.3% of the face offs taken.

Speaking Of Road Trips…

Enjoy the games on Sports South tonight and tomorrow evening. As for me…well, I’ll be on a weekend roady of my own…wheeling my way down in East-Bumblekrappe, Florida with the fam to celebrate the birth anniversary of the divine Mrs. R’s mother.

Yes, the lake house where there’s no Center Ice…no cable…no internet! Not a single lux-ur-EEEeee…it’s primitive as can be.

Joy…rapture.

So…I’ll be catching the games on XM as I make my way down I-75 to the sticks tonight…thank God for XM… and sneakin’ out to the truck to catch the Bruins game on Saturday night.

That is unless the wife and mom-in-law have…without my prior notification and consent… conspired to plan a dinner out at the local eatery or an unscheduled visitation with friends and neighbors. All in a blatant attempt to deprive me of the ability to even simply listen to the game!

Joy…rapture.

But…I Leave You With Weekend Reading Assignments

Atlanta’s new-look blueline has gotten the attention of NHL.com’s Mike G. Morreale.

Among a few other things…SI.com’s Jim Kelley considers how the current economic situation might play into calculating the worth of signing such players as Marian Gaborik and Ilya Kovalchuk.

Terry Frei of ESPN.com takes a look at how the top five draft picks in each year since 2000 are fairing.

Craig Custance notes that a year after signing a large contract with the Buffalo Sabres, Thomas Vanek is starting to pay big dividends.

In case you missed this…Wednesday night the Ottawa Senators trailed the Florida Panthers 3-1 going into the third. Ottawa then fired 26…again, that’s twenty-six…shots on goal during the final period. Panther goalie Craig Anderson turned them all way.

On the opposite end of the goalie spectrum… Sens net minder Martin Gerber may be running thin the patience of Craig Hartsburg. TSN is reporting that the Ottawa coach will turn to Alex Auld Friday night against the Anaheim Ducks.

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