Thrashers prospect Esposito lost for the season

By Chris Vivlamore

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Thrashers prospect Angelo Esposito has suffered another season-ending knee injury, Thrashers general manager Don Waddell told the AJC on Saturday. Esposito tore the ACL in his right knee last Sunday while playing for the Thrashers' AHL affiliate in Chicago. An MRI confirmed the injury, and Esposito will return to Atlanta to begin rehabilitation.

Esposito, the highly regarded prospect obtained from Pittsburgh in the Marian Hossa trade, missed all of last season after tearing his ACL in the same knee while playing in the Quebec Major Junior League in February. He worked to return and was ready for Thrashers training camp before being sent to the AHL.

In 12 games with Chicago this season, Esposito had four assists.

• Thrashers defenseman Boris Valabik will return to the Thrashers on Monday, according to Waddell. Valabik was on a rehab stint with AHL Chicago while recovering from ankle surgery. Waddell said the team will not initially make a roster move when Valabik returns.

• Bryan Little learned his lesson. It led to the game-winning goal Friday against Carolina.

Little had two assists against the Hurricanes, his last set up Rich Peverley’s game-winner as the Thrashers scored five third-period goals in a 6-4 victory.

According to Thrashers coach John Anderson, it’s all about recognizing situations. Here is how Anderson describes two very different plays involving Little:

“One play he was on the wing and he has [center Brandon] Sutter back there playing defense. To me that’s the green light for a guy to take the puck wide and go. He made a pull-up play, and we ended up losing the puck. The next time he gets it, he crosses the line, drives the guy out wide and passes to [Rich] Peverley, and we score a goal. That’s the type of things we want to see.”

*Fourth-line wing Eric Boulton was back in the lineup Saturday against Philadelphia. He was a healthy scratch the past two games -- road wins at Detroit and Carolina. Jim Slater played in place of Boulton, who got into a fight with Riley Cote 2:09 into the game.

“[Slater] hasn’t played, and he is a very versatile guy,” Anderson said.

Anderson also said the opponents had something to do with the decision to sit Boulton, the Thrashers’ enforcer.

Slater and defenseman Anssi Salmela were healthy scratches Saturday.

• Get used to the continued juggling of lines. After switching his lines for Wednesday’s win over Detroit, Anderson switched things again late in Friday’s game against Carolina. Ilya Kovalchuk moved back to play with Nik Antropov and Max Afinogenov. Kovalchuk and Afinogenov each scored in the late rally -- assisting on the other’s tally.

“If that’s what we have to do all year to be successful, that’s what we’ll do,” Anderson said of the movement.

• With their five third-period goals Friday, the Thrashers took over the NHL lead for goals in the last period. The Thrashers have 37 third-period goals this season, leading Vancouver (32) and Dallas, Los Angeles and Washington (30). The Thrashers were fourth in the NHL last season in third-period goals.

• Marty Reasoner’s empty-net goal Friday makes Slater the only Thrashers player without a goal this season.

• The Thrashers entered Saturday’s game with a 4-5-2 record at Philips Arena. They are 8-2-1 away from home.

“I have no idea,” Anderson said of his team’s poor home record. “If we keep our road record really solid, hopefully it takes some pressure off us at home, and we’ll play a little better.”