Sports
Next for Thrashers -- N.J. Devils
• When: 7 p.m. Monday
• TV; radio: SPSO, 680
- Heading into Sunday play, the Thrashers had fallen into a tie for eighth place in the Eastern Conference (with the Rangers) with 40 points. They are 4-8-1 in the month of December, including four straight losses (0-3-1).
- This is the Thrashers' second meeting with the Devils in nine days. New Jersey, with the NHL's second-best record with 53 points, won 5-4 on Dec. 19. The Thrashers beat the Devils 4-2 on Oct. 16.
- Ilya Kovalchuk has a season-high nine-game point streak (six goals, eight assists), including goals in three straight games. Entering Sunday's games, he was fifth in the NHL with 22 goals.
- Nik Antropov has points in eight of the past nine games (eight goals, two assists).
- Pavel Kubina is tied for fourth among NHL defensemen and ninth overall with a plus-14 rating.
- Zach Parise leads with Devils with 40 points (15 goals, 25 assists) but is scoreless in his past 12 games.
About the Author
Chris Vivlamore is the sports editor at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He has served as reporter and editor at the AJC since 2003.
