Stapleton gets a chance with Thrashers

“I’m more of a skill guy,” Stapleton said. “I just try to create a lot of offense. Obviously, I’m a little guy, so I try to use my speed as my asset. I just create, make a lot of plays, play good defensively and do whatever I can to help.”

Stapleton made his NHL debut last season, playing four games with the Maple Leafs. He became Thrashers property as part of the Pavel Kubina offseason trade. In 71 games with the Wolves this season, Stapleton had 58 points (29 goals, 29 assists).

“I know it was just four games, but I learned a lot. It makes this a little bit easier,” said Stapleton, who has not been informed how long he might stay with the Thrashers. “I’m just going to take it a game at a time. I’ll play a shift at a time and play it like it might be my last. I just want to do whatever I can.”

Thrashers coach John Anderson said the team re-called a center because they wanted to move Slater to the wing. Todd White was moved to center on the line during parts of games before he was injured. White missed his second consecutive game Saturday with an upper-body injury.

“We wanted another centerman because we feel like Jimmy is more effective on the wing,” Andersons said. “He’s one of our few guys that really forechecks hard. But if he’s in our zone fighting for the puck he’s not effective on the forecheck because he’s behind the play a little bit usually and probably a little tired.”

The Thrashers played with 11 forwards and seven defensemen in Thursday’s overtime loss to the Maple Leafs because of injuries to several forwards.

*Chris Thorburn was back in the lineup Saturday after missing six games with an illness and then a back injury. Slava Kozlov and Eric Boulton were the forward scratches and Chris Chelios was scratched on defense.

*Anderson was critical of his team following the loss to the Maple Leafs and a closed-door meeting was held before Friday’s practice. Asked what he hoped would be different, Anderson said: “Certainly I hope it’s some passion because I don’t think we played with any last game. I know we are a better hockey team than the way we played. When you have a team like that [the last-place Maple Leafs] coming in, you want to establish that it’s going to be a tough game for them. They have to think ‘Oh my goodness, the sky is falling.’ We didn’t portray that. We let them hang around and you saw the result.”