Lehtonen no closer to returning to Thrashers

By Chris Vivlamore

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Goaltender Kari Lehtonen is no closer to returning to the Thrashers than he was soon after offseason back surgery.

According to Thrashers general manager Don Waddell, Lehtonen again experienced pain in his legs while rehabbing from July surgery to repair a herniated disc. He recently received another epidural injection to reduce inflammation, and he has stopped skating.

Waddell said Friday that Lehtonen is scheduled for another examination by doctors to determine the next course of action. Waddell said he would not label the current situation a setback.

“When you are dealing with the back, everyone heals at a different rate,” Waddell said. “He is progressing very slowly.”

Lehtonen signed a one-year qualifying offer with the Thrashers during the offseason.

Pavelec eager to return

Ondrej Pavelec is looking forward to his chance to get back in net. Pavelec was pulled from Thursday’s loss to Washington after allowing five goals on 14 shots.

“For sure, it was important to get a good practice and get my confidence back,” Pavelec said. “It was a good practice, and I’m ready for [Saturday].”

The Thrashers host San Jose at 7 p.m. Saturday.

Line changes

It is a plus that Nik Antropov can speak the same language as his linemates. The Thrashers’ top line now consists of Ilya Kovalchuk, Max Afinogenov and Antropov following an early-season line switch. The trio combined for three goals and three assists Thursday.

“It seems all right,” Antropov said. “Obviously with three Russians, we understand each other. There is a lot of work to do. It was the first game, and we kind of clicked. Hopefully we can continue to do it.”

The line change also reunites the Little White Russian line that had much success last season. Bryan Little re-joins Todd White and Slava Kozlov.

“We definitely feel comfortable with each other,” White said. “We were able to find [Little] a lot last year. Getting a few more practices together will help for sure.”

Little had 31 goals last season. The line had one assist Thursday.

“The biggest thing is gaining possession in their zone,” White said. “We didn’t get the puck in deep enough to create pressure in their zone and great scoring chances. We’ve got to get back to getting the puck in deep.”

No. 1 special teams

The Thrashers lead the NHL in both special-team categories after Thursday’s game.

Against the Capitals, the Thrashers were 7-for-7 on the penalty kill after being short-handed a total of 12 minutes. The Thrashers are killing penalties at a 90.6 percent success rate, best in the league entering Friday’s games.

The Thrashers also converted 2 of 8 power plays against the Capitals. They are tied for the league lead -- with Calgary and Colorado -- with a 28.6 percent success rate.