The Little White Russian line is back.
Thrashers forward Bryan Little was moved to the second line, joining Todd White and Slava Kozlov, for Thursday's game against Washington. Little, who has no goals and five assists, was skating on the first line with Ilya Kovalchuk and Nik Antropov.
The first line is now the Russian trio as Max Afinogenov joined his fellow countrymen.
"We are just trying to get everybody going," Thrashers coach John Anderson said. "A couple guys don't have any goals yet, guys that can score. We've been scoring enough goals but you want to have all your assets running at the same time. Maybe a little switch will be a breath of fresh air. Lines aren't set in stone. If we have to change them back, we'll change them back."
Little had 31 goals last season and played alongside White and Kozlov. Anderson first moved Little to the second line for part of Tuesday’s game against Montreal.
Watching Ovechkin
How do you stop the NHL's leading scorer and two-time MVP? You might not be able to stop Washington star Alexander Ovechkin, but one thing is for sure: You better know where he is at all times.
"He's so good," Thrashers defenseman Pavel Kubina said. "You don't want to overplay him. If a few guys jump him, his teammates on the other side are wide open. You have to be patient against him. Any time he's on the ice, you have to be aware of it. He's so good, every game he creates chances."
Hockey fights cancer
The Thrashers will hold Hockey Fights Cancer Awareness Night for Saturday’s home game against San Jose. The Thrashers have collaborated with several local and national organizations to raise funds to battle the disease. As part of the event, the Thrashers will hold a silent auction for lavender mini-hockey sticks signed by each Thrashers player.
Scratched
Jim Slater and Anssi Salmela were the healthy scratches for the Thrashers. Slater has appeared in one game and Salmela has appeared in the first four games.
About the Author
Keep Reading
The Latest
Featured
