Thrashers have chance to make up ground

There is a prime opportunity at hand.

The Thrashers play their next five games against teams behind them in the standings. Three are road games against Southeast Division opponents -- Carolina, Florida and Tampa Bay. Home games with Carolina and Toronto are also on the schedule.

“If we want to make the playoffs, we have to take advantage of those games,” Thrashers captain Ilya Kovalchuk said. “We have to respect everybody, but first of all we have to take care of ourselves and make sure we are ready right from the start.”

It’s not just the opponents that make this an important four-game stretch, it’s the standings.

The Thrashers (20-19-7, 47 points) are 11th in the Eastern Conference. However, they are only three points behind Montreal and Ottawa, tied for the seventh position.

“Everyone is so close,” Thrashers forward Jim Slater said. “… These are the teams that we are fighting for those last playoff spots. We haven’t played them very much, but we play them a lot toward the end. Every point in big, but these are important as we get closer to the end.”

In other words, it’s time to make some hay.

Here’s a breakdown of the coming schedule, with Slater providing a comment on a key to the game.

Carolina

When; where: 8 p.m. Saturday; RBC Center; 7 p.m. Thursday; Philips Arena

Where they stand: Carolina (14-25-7, 35 points) are 15th in the Eastern Confernce.

The background: Carolina has the fewest points in the NHL. In the one meeting between the teams this season, the Hurricanes blew a 4-1 lead by allowing five third-period goals by the visiting Thrashers.

Statistically speaking: In Carolina's past nine games, goaltender Cam Ward has a 2.19 goals-against average and a .934 save percentage, leading the team to a 5-3-1 record.

The key: "We have to get on them early. They've been struggling," Slater said.

Florida

When; where: 7:30 p.m. Monday; BankAtlantic Center

Where they stand: Florida (19-20-8, 46 points) is tied for 12th, with Tampa Bay, in the Eastern Conference.

The background: The Thrashers are 2-1 against the Panthers this season. All three games have been decided by one goal. The Thrashers won in a road shootout and at home on Max Afinogenov's goal with 5.5 seconds left. The Panthers won at home on Michael Frolik's goal with 1:21 left.

Statistically speaking: Florida is ranked 22nd in the NHL in both the power play (16.8 percent) and penalty kill (80.0 percent).

The key: "They come hard. We've got to make good passes and come out of our zone real smooth," Slater said.

Toronto

When; where: 7 p.m. Tuesday; Philips Arena

Where they stand: Toronto (16-23-9, 41 points) is 14th in the Eastern Conference (entering Friday's game).

The background: The Maple Leafs won the only meeting so far this season, scoring five second-period goals on 12 shots, en route to a 5-2 win in Toronto.

Statistically speaking: Toronto is last in the NHL on the penalty kill (68.9).

The key: "We have to match them physically and can't let them get to our net. They are a strong team, and we have to finish our hits," Slater said.

Tampa Bay