Columbus' Nash a target for Thrashers defense

By Chris Vivlamore

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Columbus star Rick Nash entered Thursday's game fourth in the NHL with 21 points, including 10 points in his past six games.

In an effort to stop Nash, Thrashers coach John Anderson wanted to match him against his defensive pairing of Pavel Kubina and Ron Hainsey.

“That [Rick] Nash is pretty special when he has the puck,” Anderson said. “We’ve got to get our [defense] up on him and limit his space in the neutral zone. ... I’d like to get Kubina against him, a big, strong body.”

Growing hair

Thrashers players Zach Bogosian, Mark Popovic and Jim Slater, along with several members of the coaching staff, are sporting new looks this month. All are growing moustaches for the team’s "Movember" campaign.

According to the Movember Foundation Web site, Movember is a "moustache-growing charity event held during November each year that raises funds and awareness for men's health." The Thrashers' campaign is a cancer-awareness initiative aimed at prostate cancer with the slogan “changing the face of men’s health.”

Fans are encouraged to grow their facial hair and can pledge their support for Movember by visiting atlantathrashers.com/movember. Those fans who register will receive a ticket to the Nov. 28 game against Philadelphia.

Pushing Antropov

Nik Antropov leads the Thrashers with 12 assists, three more than Rich Peverley. However, the top-line forward does not have a goal in 11 games this season.

Anderson said he wants Antropov to shoot more.

“I think that because of where he’s positioned when he gets the puck, he’s right in the middle and he likes to dish it off on either side,” Anderson said. “So he doesn’t shoot as often as we’d like him to. I think last year he had like 250 shots [actually 224], and he’s not anywhere near that pace right now. We’ve got to get him putting more shots on net.”

Etc.

*The Thrashers are 5-1-1 on the road this season, the third best mark in the Eastern Conference. They trail only Pittsburgh and New Jersey, which are each 7-0 on the road.

*Defenseman Mark Popovic was the Thrashers’ healthy scratch.