Thrashers' playoff to-do list

By Chris Vivlamore

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

After 41 games, the Thrashers are 18-17-6 (41 points) and tied for ninth in the Eastern Conference, just a point out of the final playoff spot,  heading into Monday’s play.

As the season's second half begins, here are five things the Thrashers, mired in an eight-game losing streak, must do to earn the franchise's second postseason berth.

1. Win at home. It sounds strange, but the Thrashers are just 8-7-3 at Philips Aren. After Tuesday’s game at Pittsburgh, they play seven of their next 10 at home. Those are valuable points.

2. Fix the penalty kill. The Thrashers once led the league in the special team. Now they are 17th.

3. Limit shots on goal. The Thrashers are 29th in the NHL, averaging 33.9 shots against per game. Only three teams have allowed more than the 1,390 shots they have faced.

4. Stop playing from behind. The Thrashers have allowed the most goals in both the first (42) and second (57) periods in the league.

5. Get some production from other lines. The Thrashers top line of Ilya Kovalchuk, Max Afinogenov and Nik Antropov are 1-2-3 on the team in scoring. Slava Kozlov, Todd White, Bryan Little and Colby Armstrong are all behind last season’s scoring pace.