Anderson disappointed with season’s first half

Newark, N.J. — John Anderson didn’t expect his first half season as the Thrashers’ coach to be like this.

“There’s no words to describe the disappointment,” Anderson said.

His team ranks next to last in the NHL, one spot below where it finished 2007-08. He never had a losing season in 13 years coaching in the minors. Now, at the midpoint of his first NHL season, he’s 10 games below .500 at 13-23-5.

Here’s how far out of the playoff hunt the Thrashers are. Eastern Conference leader Boston has 62 points. If Atlanta gets 62 points in the second half it will finish with 93. The last playoff team in the East last season had 94.

Anderson is trying to break things down into smaller, less daunting numbers. The goal for the current three-game road trip was to get four out of a possible six points. To do that now, the Thrashers must win both their second-half opener tonight at New Jersey and Saturday’s game at Florida.

“We’ve not given up,” Anderson said. “You’d be surprised how quick things can turn around. It’s just getting on track and maybe getting a couple of lucky breaks.”

Who stays, who goes

The Thrashers made no trades the first half of the season. That’s sure to change in the second half. Though the trade deadline isn’t until March 4, the first big personnel decision probably comes in the next couple of weeks.

When Zach Bogosian returns from his conditioning assignment in Chicago and Garnet Exelby returns from his hairline fracture of the right leg, the Thrashers will have eight defensemen. If they’re building for the future, they’ll want playing time for Bogosian, Boris Valabik and Nathan Oystrick. Atlanta has made long-term commitments to Tobias Enstrom and Ron Hainsey.

Mathieu Schneider, 39, and Niclas Havelid, 35, are in the final year of their contracts. Exelby, 27, also could be traded. Any deal involving Schneider would have to bring enough of a salary in return to keep the Thrashers over the NHL’s payroll floor.

“Obviously, there’s a chance I could be moved at the deadline, but that’s something I really don’t think about,” Schneider said. “You have to live in the moment. If you start thinking about those things, it affects your performance on the ice.”

How to fix things

“The same effort level [in every game]. That’s all you can ask. Start from that, and hopefully the rest will follow.”

— Colby Armstrong

“Spending less time on our end of the ice is one of the biggest things. … When you spend 25 of the first 35 minutes in your end, in the third period when you need a goal you’ve got guys who look dead tired.”

— Ron Hainsey

“We need to play a better team game. Sometimes individuals try to do too much, and then you end up doing less. That’s a pattern you see when you struggle.”

— Mathieu Schneider

“We have to talk more out there. This is one of the quietest groups I’ve ever played with. It’s tough when you get the puck down low and you don’t know if a guy’s coming in on you or where your support is. … It goes a long, long way when you have someone talking to you.”

— Jason Williams

Doing the math

14: Points between the Thrashers and the final Eastern Conference playoff spot, through Tuesday’s games

298: Goals the Thrashers are on pace to allow, the most since the franchise’s inaugural season