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	<channel>		<title>RUWT? News</title>
		<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com</link>
		<description>RUWT? News for Atlanta Thrashers</description>
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		<lastBuildDate>Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:48:46 GMT</lastBuildDate>
		<pubDate>Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:48:46 GMT</pubDate>
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			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Lightning-Thrashers Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By ANDY LEFKOWITZ
STATS Editor

Tampa Bay (8-4-7) at Atlanta (10-6-2), 5:00 p.m. EDT

It's not immediately known who Tampa Bay Lightning coach Rick
Tocchet will start in goal Sunday. He may want to give a long
look to Antero Niittymaki.

Should the backup be tabbed to face Atlanta, Niittymaki will try
to extend his winning streak over the Thrashers to an incredible
14 games.

Niittymaki helped Finland win the silver medal at the 2006
Olympics, but managed only 62 wins in five seasons with
Philadelphia before joining the Lightning via free agency in
July.

So far, the move has paid off handsomely for Tampa Bay. In 10
games, Niittymaki is 5-1-3 with a 1.93 goals-against average
while Mike Smith continues to struggle - 3-4-4 with a 3.36 GAA.

Niittymaki's success against the Thrashers is nothing short of
amazing, as he's 13-0-0 with a 1.78 GAA. Nine of those wins have
come in Atlanta, where he's posted a 1.47 GAA.

Regardless of who starts in net, Tampa Bay comes in having lost
eight of its last nine (1-5-3) visits to Philips Arena.

This is the second meeting of the season for these Southeast
Division foes. After failing to make the playoffs in 2008-09,
Atlanta opened this season Oct. 3 with a 6-3 home win over Tampa
Bay.

Rich Peverley and Ilya Kovalchuk each scored twice and rookie
Ondrej Pavelec made 36 saves in place of Kari Lehtonen, who's
recovering from offseason back surgery and has yet to play.

Tampa Bay, which finished last season with an NHL-low 66 points,
got two goals from Martin St. Louis.

Now, Atlanta (10-7-2) and Tampa Bay (8-5-7) are in the middle of
the pack in the Southeast. The Lightning are in second place,
eight points behind Washington, while Atlanta is one point in
back of Tampa Bay and tied with fourth-place Florida.

Both clubs are coming off losses Saturday.

The Thrashers spotted Pittsburgh a three-goal lead before
falling 3-2. Chris Thorburn scored short-handed midway through
the third period and Maxim Afinogenov got Atlanta within one in
the final minute.

Johan Hedberg stopped 31 shots, drawing praise from Thorburn.

"We could have been down 4-0 in the second period but Moose
(Hedberg) kept us in it," he said.

While Peverley and Kovalchuk remain Atlanta's top two scorers
with 23 and 21 points, respectively, Afinogenov has been surging
with six goals in a five-game streak to give him 19 points.

The Lightning got an early goal from St. Louis but lost their
eighth straight road game to Carolina, 3-1. That also ended
Tampa Bay's seven-game run of picking up at least one point
(4-0-3).

"I am a little disappointed in some of the top guys," Tocchet
said. "I think Martin St. Louis played well, but some of our
other top guys just didn't show up tonight."

One of those top guys Tocchet called out may be captain Vincent
Lecavalier, who has only four goals after averaging more than 40
over the past three seasons.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/136264-Lightning-Thrashers-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/136264-Lightning-Thrashers-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 22 Nov 2009 04:47:20 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Skoula scores 2 goals in Pens' win over Thrashers]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[ATLANTA(AP) -- Defenseman Martin Skoula wasn't thinking hat trick.
In fact, he had never scored two goals in a game before Saturday
night.

Skoula scored his goals - one in each of the first two periods -
and the Pittsburgh Penguins held off the Atlanta Thrashers in a
3-2 victory.

Atlanta scored both goals in the third period, the last by Maxim
Afinogenov with 18 seconds left.

"It had never happened for me before. I got lucky. It went in
twice," Skoula said.

It was only the third victory in eight games for the defending
Stanley Cup champion Penguins (15-8), who have been plagued by
injuries after opening the season by winning 12 of 15. The
Thrashers (10-7-2) fell to 4-5-1 at home.

Evgeni Malkin netted Pittsburgh's other goal.

Skoula, who had scored only one previous goal this season, gave
Pittsburgh a 1-0 lead at 7:38 of the first period. He beat
goalie Johan Hedberg with a long shot from mid-ice on the power
play.

Skoula made it 2-0 at 7:34 of the second, again on another long
blast, easily beating the sprawling Hedberg.

Was he thinking hat trick?

"Not really. I don't think it matters who scores. I'm not in
there to score hat tricks," he said.

"I'm happy for him. It's big having a defenseman score two
goals," Pittsburgh goalie Mark-Andre Fleury said.

"I felt good. I was pretty relaxed. I tried to set the tempo,"
said Fleury, who had a shutout until Chris Thorburn scored a
short-handed goal 9:40 into the third period.

"We haven't had a shutout (this season). It would have been huge
for us. But it's OK. We won. That's all that matters," he said.

"He (Fleury) was solid. We needed that. He made some big saves,"
Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said. "For the first 40 minutes, that
was probably our best game."

Pittsburgh's Maxime Talbot was awarded a penalty shot with 2:26
left in the second period, but missed the net.

"Fleury made some big saves and we hit a few posts," Hedberg
said. "This is a game of margins. Some nights you have them and
some you don't."

Pittsburgh outshot Atlanta 34-33.

"We could have been down 4-0 in the second period but Moose
(Hedberg) kept us in it. We had a lot of chances but Fleury
stood up and made some big saves," Thorburn said.

The Penguins, 8-4 on the road, had lost four straight away from
home after a 7-0 start on enemy ice. Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh's
captain and leading scorer with 10 goals and 12 assists,
assisted on Skoula's first goal.

NOTES: Pittsburgh D Brooks Orpik returned after missing four
games due to a lower body injury. ... The Penguins were 4-0
against the Thrashers last season and are 27-8-2 overall,
including 13-4-2 in Atlanta. ... Afinogenov has six goals and
three assists in his last five games.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/136198-Skoula-scores-2-goals-in-Pens-win-over-Thrashers</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/136198-Skoula-scores-2-goals-in-Pens-win-over-Thrashers</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 22 Nov 2009 03:27:13 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Penguins-Thrashers Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By BRETT HUSTON
STATS Writer

Pittsburgh (14-8-0) at Atlanta (10-6-2), 7:00 p.m. EDT

The Atlanta Thrashers had to settle for one point their last
time out, but lately they've been doing an impressive job of
collecting wins.

They can't claim the same success recently against the
Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Thrashers have won four of their last five games to move up
the Southeast Division standings, but they'll be trying to snap
a five-game slide against the Penguins on Saturday night at
Philips Arena.

Atlanta (10-6-2) has one of hockey's most consistent offensive
attacks, scoring 3.61 goals per game to rank among the league's
top three.

The Thrashers haven't scored fewer than three goals since Oct.
10, and scored 18 during a four-game winning streak from Nov.
8-15.

It looked like their streak of three-goal games might come to an
end Thursday against Boston as the Bruins led 3-2 with under a
minute to play, but Maxim Afinogenov scored with 41.4 seconds
left to send the game to overtime. After five scoreless minutes,
Patrice Bergeron scored the only goal of the shootout to give
Boston a 4-3 win.

"We did get a point. We battled back," defenseman Zach Bogosian
said. "It's not the outcome we wanted, but we got a point out of
it. That's kind of a positive."

It was the Thrashers' seventh consecutive loss to the Bruins,
and they'll be looking to snap a similar drought against the
Penguins (14-8-0).

Pittsburgh has outscored Atlanta 21-10 in winning the last five
games, including a four-game sweep last season behind four goals
and nine assists from Evgeni Malkin.

Malkin missed seven games with a strained right shoulder before
returning last Saturday against Boston, and the Penguins, who
had scored 12 goals in the time he missed, netted 11 in home
wins over the Bruins and Anaheim.

Malkin scored his first goal since Oct. 20 late in the third
period Thursday against Ottawa, but it hardly made a difference.
The Senators had scored four times earlier in the third, chasing
Marc-Andre Fleury en route to a 6-2 win.

Despite Pittsburgh's loss, it welcome two players back Thursday.
Defenseman Sergei Gonchar returned from a broken wrist that
sidelined him for 12 games, and forward Max Talbot, who scored
both goals in the Penguins' 2-1 Game 7 win in Detroit to clinch
the Stanley Cup, played for the first time since offseason
shoulder surgery.

"It was our first game for Max in a long, long time and he
brought his energy and he was effective, he was effective in the
offensive zone and I liked that," coach Dan Bylsma said.
"Sergei, we asked him to play a lot of minutes tonight. It's
tough for him to get back in there but definitely our power
play's a bit more dangerous with him out there."

Malkin's goal Thursday came on the power play, the second
straight game the Penguins - still without four of their top
five defensemen - scored with the man advantage.

The power play was 4 for 51 (7.8 percent) in the 12 games
Gonchar missed, but perhaps Pittsburgh can get it going versus
Atlanta. The Penguins were 8 for 20 (40.0 percent) with the man
advantage last season against the Thrashers, with Malkin
collecting a point on seven of those goals.

Ilya Kovalchuk, who has four goals and seven assists in four
games for the Thrashers since returning from a foot injury, has
three goals and two assists in his last 10 games versus
Pittsburgh.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/135686-Penguins-Thrashers-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/135686-Penguins-Thrashers-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:01:36 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Bergeron's shootout goal gives Bruins 4-3 win]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[BY PAUL NEWBERRY
AP Sports Writer

ATLANTA(AP) -- The Boston Bruins finally figured out how to win a
game after 60 minutes were up.

Patrice Bergeron had the only goal of the shootout after Michael
Ryder scored twice in regulation, lifting Boston to a 4-3
victory over Atlanta that snapped the Thrashers' four-game
winning streak Thursday night.

Boston halted a three-game slide, which included an overtime
loss and another that went to a shootout.

"We have lost several games in shootouts," Bruins goalie Tuukka
Rask said. "We wanted to make sure that didn't happen again."

Rask did his part by turning aside all three Atlanta shooter:
Rich Peverley, Slava Kozlov and Ilya Kovalchuk. Bergeron scored
on Boston's opening attempt, faking Ondrej Pavelec completely
out of position and stuffing the puck into an open net.

"We knew we had to turn it around somehow," said Ryder, who
scored in the first and second periods. "We did a great job of
back-checking."

The Bruins were closing in on a regulation win, leading 3-2 when
Atlanta pulled Pavelec for the extra skater. The Thrashers
picked up a point when Maxim Afinogenov scored with 41.4 seconds
remaining in regulation to send the game to overtime.

Kovalchuk, who had already scored his 13th goal in 12 games,
managed to keep it in the Boston zone, wheeled around and
whipped a cross-ice pass to Afinogenov, the puck just missing
the stick of flailing Bruins defender.

Afinogenov had time to settle the puck and rip a shot past Rask,
just inside the far post for his eighth goal of the season.
Afinogenov pumped his right fist and was knocked to ice by an
exuberant Kovalchuk.

"He just, like, lifted me off the ice and we fell down
together," Afinogenov said. "That was nice."

The Thrashers had the best chances in overtime but couldn't beat
Rask. Ditto for the shootout.

"That goal at the end could have been a killer," Bruins coach
Claude Julien said. "But our guys decided that we weren't going
to allow that to be the winner. Tuukka Rask came up big in the
shootout."

The Bruins jumped ahead 2-0 in the opening period. Marco Sturm
deflected in a shot by Mark Recchi and Ryder added to the lead
with less than 2 minutes remaining, beating Pavelec with a wrist
shot from the left circle.

The Thrashers stormed back in the second. Nik Antropov
redirected a shot from Tobias Enstrom past Rask for his first
goal of the season. Before that, Antropov had 16 points in 17
games - all with assists.

Then there's Kovalchuk, who's all about goals. He tied the game
at 2 with a perfectly placed shot into the upper left corner off
a pass from Enstrom, who picked up his second assist.

Boston, which had the league's worst-rated power play, finally
came through with Peverley off for hooking. Ryder scored his
second goal of the night and sixth of the season, pushing the
Bruins back to a 3-2 lead.

David Krejci passed out from behind the net and Ryder beat
Pavelec from a sharp angle, the puck apparently nicking
Thrashers defenseman Zach Bogosian on its way in.

"We did get a point. We battled back," Bogosian said. "It's not
the outcome we wanted, but we got a point out of it. That's kind
of a positive."

NOTES: Atlanta has lost seven straight to the Bruins. ... Boston
was bolstered by the return of Milan Lucic, who missed 14 games
because of a broken finger. Boston was still missing another
top-line forward, Marc Savard, who is close to returning from a
broken foot. ... Rask started in goal over Tim Thomas, who was
suffering from what the Bruins described as "an undisclosed
injury but short term."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/135527-Bergerons-shootout-goal-gives-Bruins-4-3-win</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/135527-Bergerons-shootout-goal-gives-Bruins-4-3-win</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:56:34 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Bruins-Thrashers Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By MIKE LIPKA
STATS Writer

Boston (8-8-4) at Atlanta (10-6-1), 7:00 p.m. EDT

The Boston Bruins appear in desperate need of a boost as they
try to snap a three-game skid, and they may get it with two key
players perhaps ready to return to action.

The Atlanta Thrashers, meanwhile, would prefer to keep things
just as they are.

The Thrashers look for a fifth straight victory Thursday night
as they host the struggling Bruins, who are hoping to have
either Milan Lucic or Marc Savard - or both - back in the
lineup.

Boston (8-8-4) has looked surprisingly mediocre this season
after earning the Eastern Conference's top seed in 2008-09, and
part of the problem has been the extended absences of two
top-line forwards.

But both Savard (broken foot) and Lucic (broken finger) have
returned to the ice and could play as soon as Thursday, with the
gritty Lucic appearing a bit more likely to play than Savard.

"It's still going to be a game-time decision if I play or not,"
Lucic told the Bruins' official Web site. "... I got that
mobility back. It's still not at 100 percent but it's almost to
100 percent, so now I am just working on trying to get my
strength back."

The Bruins failed to score more than one goal for the ninth time
Monday in a 4-1 loss to the New York Islanders. Boston again had
problems on the power play, going 0 for 4 to fall to a
league-worst 12.9 percent in that category.

The Bruins converted 23.6 percent last season to tie for fourth,
and they never lost more than four straight - something they'll
try to avoid Thursday.

A good penalty kill has helped keep Boston competitive, not
giving up a power-play goal in six straight games and one in the
last 13.

Still, the Bruins have slipped defensively after leading the NHL
with a 2.32 goals-against average last season. Their last two
opponents have scored 10 goals after the team allowed a total of
seven in the previous seven games.

"Those little details that meant so much to us being successful
aren't consistent right now," coach Claude Julien said. "There's
not that confidence or determination we need to be successful.
Right now we have to have our best players playing their best if
we're going to turn it around."

Their task likely won't get any easier against the high-scoring
Thrashers, who rank second in the NHL with 3.65 goals per game,
totaling 17 during their four-game winning streak.

After Friday's 7-0 drubbing of Los Angeles, Atlanta (10-6-1)
beat Edmonton 3-2 on Sunday on Slava Kozlov's first goal of the
season midway through the third period.

"Obviously it was a slow start for me," Kozlov said. "Hopefully,
I will pick it up. I tried to stay calm and just work hard. It
feels good."

The Thrashers have been fine offensively even with Kozlov
struggling. Rich Peverley had two assists Sunday and leads the
team with 23 points, while Ilya Kovalchuk has 12 goals in 11
games.

Atlanta has been especially potent on the power play, going 5
for 11 in the last three games to improve to 26.5 percent for
the season - among the best in the league.

The Thrashers now try to snap a six-game losing streak to the
Bruins, but Boston goalie Tim Thomas has not been at his best at
Philips Arena, going 2-2-0 with a 3.45 GAA in five appearances.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/135054-Bruins-Thrashers-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/135054-Bruins-Thrashers-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:43:30 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Kozlov leads Thrashers past Oilers]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[ATLANTA(AP) -- Slava Kozlov hopes his first goal is the start of
something good.

Kozlov broke out of his slump with his first goal of the season
and the Atlanta Thrashers beat the Edmonton Oilers 3-2 on Sunday
for their fourth consecutive victory.

Kozlov, who had 26 goals last season, put the Thrashers in front
with 8:01 left in the third period, converting a pass from Todd
White after going scoreless in the first 16 games.

"Obviously it was a slow start for me," Kozlov said. "Hopefully,
I will pick it up. I tried to stay calm and just work hard. It
feels good."

Johan Hedberg made 34 saves to improve to 4-1 on the season and
was encouraged by Kozlov's goal.

"We need him to be a part of our team," Hedberg said. "For him
to get his first goal was big for him."

The Thrashers (10-6-1) won their second straight at home to even
their record to 4-4 at Philips Arena. The Oilers lost their
third in a row and sixth in seven games.

"We are a team that finds a way not to do the right thing,"
Oilers coach Pat Quinn said. "We missed our assignments today
and instead of walking away with something to work with, we walk
away with nothing but maybe a moral victory."

The Thrashers tied it at 2 on a power-play goal by Maxim
Afinogenov with 22 seconds remaining in the second. Afinogenov
picked up his seventh of the season and third in two games when
he took a pass from Rich Peverley at mid-ice, outraced a
defender and beat Nikolai Khabibulin from up close.

"Their power-play goal gave them a quick turnaround," Edmonton's
Andrew Cogliano said. "We had chances to put it away. We were
around the net."

The Oilers had taken a 2-1 lead on second-period goals by Shawn
Horcoff and Dustin Penner.

Horcoff knocked in his third of the season with assists from
Steve Staios and Ales Hemsky. Penner added his team-leading 12th
goal with 4:47 left in the period. He converted a nice pass from
Cogliano and easily beat Hedberg from about 10 feet out.

Atlanta's Zach Bogosian opened the scoring with a power-play
goal early in the first. It was his eighth goal, tops in the
league for defensemen.

NOTES: The Oilers were 0 for 5 on the power play. ... Atlanta C
Bryan Little missed his second straight game with a groin strain
and D Pavel Kubina was out with lower body soreness. ... The
Oilers were without F Fernando Pisani with complications from
colitis and D Denis Grebeshkov with a knee injury. ... This was
the only meeting this season between the two teams.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/134261-Kozlov-leads-Thrashers-past-Oilers</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/134261-Kozlov-leads-Thrashers-past-Oilers</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 15 Nov 2009 22:40:26 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Oilers-Thrashers Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By ANTHONY GIORNALISTA
STATS Senior Writer

Edmonton (8-9-2) at Atlanta (9-6-1), 2:00 p.m. EDT

Atlanta Thrashers star Ilya Kovalchuk's outstanding play
certainly doesn't suggest he has a hobbled right foot. In
matchups with the Edmonton Oilers, though, it's easy to wonder
if there has been something wrong with him.

Kovalchuk, on one of his best stretches of the season for the
Thrashers despite lingering injury issues, looks to end his
struggles against the Oilers on Sunday.

Atlanta (9-6-1) managed to go 3-3-0 with Kovalchuk sidelined due
to a broken bone in his foot, but his return has sparked the
Thrashers' best two-game stretch offensively this season. The
All-Star left wing had two goals and two assists in Atlanta's
7-0 win over Los Angeles on Friday night, one day after posting
a goal and two assists in a 5-3 victory over the New York
Rangers in his first game back.

Kovalchuk, who has 12 goals and five assists in 10 games, is
still not 100 percent.

"It's still going to take me time to heal all the way," said
Kovalchuk, whose 309 goals lead the NHL since Atlanta drafted
him No. 1 overall in 2001.

Kovalchuk didn't return after suffering an upper-body injury in
the first period of Atlanta's 4-3 win at Edmonton March 12, the
teams' only meeting last season. He has played at least 18
minutes in his other six matchups with the Oilers (8-9-2), but
has been held to one goal and no assists overall.

Maxim Afinogenov, in his first season with Atlanta after signing
as a free agent in September, has two goals and an assist in his
last two games against Edmonton. He was a big part of the
Thrashers' win over the Kings, matching Kovalchuk with two goals
and two assists.

Afinogenov also had a goal against the Rangers, and Kovalchuk
likes how the right wing is settling down after nine seasons
under Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff.

"Max looks like he got a second life," Kovalchuk said. "In
Buffalo, he took a beating by the coach. He's one of the hardest
workers. Every day, he's smiling."

Kovalchuk and Afinogenov have gotten some help from Evander
Kane, the fourth overall pick in this year's draft. He had two
goals and an assist versus Los Angeles and one goal and one
assist against New York.

Atlanta, though, may be without center Bryan Little again after
he missed the last game due to a slight groin strain. He
finished second on the Thrashers with 31 goals in 79 games in
2008-09, but the 2006 first-round pick has been held to two
goals and four assists in 15 games this season.

Edmonton lost 3-1 to Buffalo on Wednesday night despite getting
Ales Hemsky, its second-leading scorer, back from injury. The
veteran right wing had his 13th assist after missing two games
because of a shoulder injury.

The Oilers lost for the fifth time in six games (1-4-1), scoring
two goals or fewer four times during that span. They converted
on one of their seven power-play chances against the Sabres.

"That's the way it's been lately - not quite able to get the
goal when we needed it," Edmonton forward Patrick O'Sullivan
said.

O'Sullivan was one of the few bright spots for the Oilers,
scoring their only goal to snap a 10-game streak without one. He
also hit two posts in the game.

"The one positive thing is we're playing a lot harder," he said.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/133839-Oilers-Thrashers-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/133839-Oilers-Thrashers-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Sat, 14 Nov 2009 19:24:36 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Thrashers rout Kings 7-0]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By GEORGE HENRY
Associated Press Writer

ATLANTA(AP) -- If Ilya Kovalchuk plays this well with a gimpy
right foot, how much better will he perform when he's 100
percent?

Kovalchuk hardly seems to care. The Atlanta captain knows he and
the Thrashers can only improve.

"Oh, definitely," he said. "It's still going to take me time to
heal all the way."

Kovalchuk and Maxim Afinogenov each had two goals and two
assists to help the Thrashers beat the Los Angeles Kings 7-0 on
Friday night for their third straight victory.

Atlanta rookie Evander Kane, the fourth overall draft pick, also
scored two goals and had an assist. His fifth goal made it 1-0
at the 10:22 mark of the second. His sixth was a short-handed
goal that ended the scoring with 3:26 remaining.

Kovalchuk, who returned the night before in New York from a
broken foot bone that sidelined him for three weeks, finished
with a goal and two assists in Thursday's 5-3 win over the
Rangers.

"The most important thing is we got four points in the bank," he
said. "It doesn't matter who scores."

The Kings, who have lost three of four, outshot Atlanta 38-21,
but couldn't keep Ondrej Pavelec from getting his first career
shutout.

"I didn't play in the last two games, and we won, so I needed to
keep it up," Pavelec said. "We played great hockey tonight."

Afinogenov and Kane each had a goal and an assist during a 5:04
stretch of the second period that included Kings goalie Jonathan
Quick getting chased and major penalties and game misconducts to
Atlanta's Chris Thorburn and Los Angeles' Raitis Ivanans.

Kings forward Justin Williams was assessed a major and a game
misconduct for checking from behind with 1:59 remaining.

"When it got to 4-0, everybody was frustrated," Los Angeles
coach Terry Murray said. "Nobody wants to let a game get out of
control. Nobody wants to get physical, but the score of the game
dictates a lot of that."

Kovalchuk scored his 11th goal 12:28 into the second to make it
2-0. His 12th goal came on the power play with 14 minutes
remaining to pad the lead at 5-0.

"The most important thing is we got four points," Kovalchuk
said. "It doesn't matter who scores."

After defenseman Zach Bogosian's seventh goal put the Thrashers
ahead 3-0 at the 14:16 mark, Murray pulled Quick and brought in
Erik Ersberg.

Kane's fifth goal, a wide wraparound outside the left goal post,
slid between Quick's legs to make it 1-0 at the 10:22 mark of
the second.

Quick dropped to 10-6-2 after stopping 11 of 14 shots. Ersberg
made four saves against seven shots.

"It stunk," Ersberg said. "I can't do anything about it now. You
can't worry about it too long. I think we are the better team."

Kovalchuk, whose 309 career goals lead the NHL since Atlanta
drafted him No. 1 overall in 2001, likes how Afinogenov is
assimilating after spending his first nine seasons under Buffalo
coach Lindy Ruff.

"Max looks like he got a second life," Kovalchuk said. "In
Buffalo, he took a beating by the coach. He's one of the hardest
workers. Every day, he's smiling."

NOTES: Kings C Anze Kopitar, who began the night leading the NHL
with 30 points and tied for , snapped a five-game points streak.
... Thrashers C Bryan Little had a light groin strain and missed
his first game this season. After finishing second on the club
with 31 goals in 79 games last season, Little, a 2006
first-round draft pick, has two goals and four assists in 15
games. ... Atlanta improved to 5-7-0, including 3-3-0 at Philips
Arena, against the Kings.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/133620-Thrashers-rout-Kings-7-0</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/133620-Thrashers-rout-Kings-7-0</guid>
				<pubDate>Sat, 14 Nov 2009 04:26:16 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Kings-Thrashers Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO
STATS Writer

Los Angeles (11-6-2) at Atlanta (7-6-1), 7:30 p.m. EDT

Ilya Kovalchuk's injury may not get much worse, and having their
all-time leading scorer back on the ice is certainly an
improvement for the Atlanta Thrashers.

One night after Kovalchuk made an unexpected return from a
broken foot, the Thrashers open a five-game homestand against
the Los Angeles Kings on Friday.

The Thrashers' all-time leader with 307 goals and 570 points,
Kovalchuk was expected to miss three to five weeks after
injuring his right foot when he was hit by the puck during a 4-3
loss to San Jose on Oct. 24.

Atlanta (8-6-1) went 3-3-0 without Kovalchuk, but the three-time
All-Star suddenly became available Thursday and scored a goal
while adding two assists to spur a 5-3 win at the New York
Rangers.

He hadn't been expected to travel for the game, but was allowed
to do so after X-rays came back clean.

"They told me I couldn't hurt it any worse, so I decided to go,"
said Kovalchuk, who will wear a boot for three weeks. "It's part
of the game: You get hurt, you're wearing those weird shoes."

Kovalchuk, who has 10 goals and two assists in nine games,
appeared to be in sync with his linemates Thursday. The left
wing and center Nik Antropov assisted on an empty-net goal by
right wing Maxim Afinogenov to seal the victory.

"Our line was clicking real well," Kovalchuk said. "We all speak
Russian, so it's kind of cheating because they can't understand
what we're saying."

Kovalchuk will now try to carry some momentum into Friday. He
has four goals and four assists in his last five games against
the Kings (11-6-2), including two goals and an assist in a 7-6
shootout win at Los Angeles on Feb. 16, the lone meeting between
the clubs last season.

The Thrashers haven't hosted the Kings since a 6-2 victory on
Jan. 16, 2007, when Kovalchuk notched two assists.

Los Angeles bounced back from consecutive losses Wednesday with
a 5-2 win at Carolina, which suffered its 13th straight defeat.

"We were aware of (the Hurricanes' losing streak), but we had
our own pressure on ourselves to get off our two-game skid,"
said captain Dustin Brown, who had an assist. "It was about
getting back to playing well."

Despite dropping their previous two games, the Kings are in the
thick of the Pacific Division race early on after missing the
playoffs for a franchise-record sixth consecutive time last
season.

Much of Los Angeles' success stems from Anze Kopitar's
outstanding start.

The center had two assists against Carolina to increase his
NHL-leading point total to 30. His 14 goals are tied with
Washington's Alex Ovechkin for the league lead. He's posted 12
goals and 12 assists in the Kings' 11 victories compared to two
and four, respectively, in their eight defeats.

Kopitar has four goals and five assists in the last five games
overall. He had two of each against the Thrashers in February.

The Kings may have Jon Quick back in net after he rested
Wednesday in favor of Erik Ersberg, who made 22 saves to earn
the win.

Quick has lost his last two starts, allowing seven goals on 54
shots, but is 10-5-2 with a 2.69 goals-against average on the
season.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/133367-Kings-Thrashers-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/133367-Kings-Thrashers-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 13 Nov 2009 05:32:33 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Kovalchuk returns, powers Thrashers to win vs. NYR]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By IRA PODELL
AP Hockey Writer

NEW YORK(AP) -- A bit of bad weather was all Ilya Kovalchuk needed
to make a quicker return to the Atlanta Thrashers.

Out since Oct. 24 when the Thrashers captain broke his right
foot when struck by a puck, Kovalchuk came back Thursday night
and led the Thrashers to a 5-3 victory over the New York
Rangers.

On Wednesday, it appeared Kovalchuk would miss a seventh game.
He felt pain while practicing and decided to visit the doctor.
Weather delayed the Thrashers' flight to New York from 2 p.m.
until 7 p.m., and when an X-ray came back clean, Kovalchuk took
off with his teammates.

Great idea. Kovalchuk had a goal and two assists.

"They told me I couldn't hurt it any worse, so I decided to go,"
Kovalchuk said.

The star forward sported a boot on his right foot after the game
and said he would wear it for three weeks.

"It's part of the game: You get hurt, you're wearing those weird
shoes," he said.

Kovalchuk and his linemates had a big night. The victory was
sealed when he and former Rangers forward Nik Antropov set up
Maxim Afinogenov's empty-netter in the closing seconds.

"Our line was clicking real well," he said. "We all speak
Russian, so it's kind of cheating because they can't understand
what we're saying."

Kovalchuk helped set up Rich Peverley's power-play goal in the
second period and then put Atlanta back in front after the
Rangers tied it a second time.

Thrashers rookie Evander Kane, questionable because of a foot
injury, chipped in with a goal and assist. Johan Hedberg stopped
33 shots while playing in his third straight for Atlanta, which
won for the fourth time in six games. Colby Armstrong also
scored.

Atlanta was 3-3 without Kovalchuk.

"It is pretty surprising to see a guy come back like that after
being off for about three weeks," Armstrong said. "To come back
and be as smooth and as solid as he was is pretty incredible.
The guy is a natural.

"He's our leader, and he played well for us."

New York, missing injured captain Chris Drury (concussion) and
fellow forward Brandon Dubinsky (broken hand), erased a one-goal
hole in the first and another in the second when the Thrashers
controlled play. Penalties again cost the Rangers, who returned
from a 1-2 Western Canada trip and lost for the eighth time in
11 games (3-7-1)

Artem Anisimov and Marian Gaborik erased one-goal deficits for
the Rangers, and Henrik Lundqvist returned from a two-game
absence (leg) to make 22 saves. Brian Boyle brought New York
within 4-3 when he slammed in a rebound of Ales Kotalik's shot
6:18 into the third.

The Rangers couldn't tie it again despite two power plays and a
18-5 shots advantage. Kotalik ripped a drive from the blue line
that was deflected before hitting the goal post with 8:47
remaining.

"We are not getting the results right now," forward Vinny
Prospal said. "The third period really showed how effective we
can be playing 5-on-5 ... we just can't seem to stay out of the
box."

Atlanta dominated the second, scoring three times on 12 shots
and taking advantage of both power plays. The Thrashers played
for the first time since Sunday. New York had been off since
losing at Calgary on Saturday when Drury and Dubinsky were
injured.

After Gaborik got the Rangers into their second tie, Kovalchuk
put Atlanta back in front 3-2 with 2:19 left in the second.
Kovalchuk, who earlier in the period assisted on Peverley's
go-ahead, power-play goal, netted his 10th as Boyle served a
tripping penalty he disputed.

Kovalchuk zipped a shot from the left circle that sailed over
Lundqvist's glove. Kane made it 4-2 just 25 seconds later with
his fourth goal.

"The whole night was a big battle," Lundqvist said. "They didn't
have that many shots, but they got pretty big scoring chances.
It was tough to play."

Gaborik lifted New York into a 2-2 tie with 4:32 remaining in
the second, scoring his 13th goal in 17 games when he beat
Hedberg with a shot under his left arm and over his pad. The
goal was set up when Armstrong tripped Anisimov 34 seconds
earlier.

Armstrong got things going just 19 seconds into the game when he
took a pass in the crease from Kane and directed it past
Lundqvist. That broke a Thrashers string of seven straight goals
scored by defensemen.

"You can't ask for anything better than a quick goal like that,"
Armstrong said.

Anisimov tied it 3:49 later when he got to a rebound of
Gaborik's shot.

NOTES: Kovalchuk has four multigoal games this season,
accounting for eight of his 10 goals. ... The Rangers are
17-12-1-7 against Atlanta. ... New York dropped to 14-4 in its
last 18 home games, dating to last season. ... New York enforcer
Donald Brashear played in his 1,000th NHL game.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/133347-Kovalchuk-returns-powers-Thrashers-to-win-vs-NYR</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/133347-Kovalchuk-returns-powers-Thrashers-to-win-vs-NYR</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 13 Nov 2009 04:03:03 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Thrashers captain Kovalchuk back in lineup]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[NEW YORK(AP) -- One day after Ilya Kovalchuk was ruled out of the
Atlanta Thrashers' game against the New York Rangers, the star
forward was back in the lineup after a lengthy absence.

Kovalchuk broke a bone in his foot on Oct. 24 after being struck
by the puck and was expected to be sidelined 3-to-5 weeks. The
Atlanta captain missed six games and Atlanta went 3-3 without
him.

He skated with the team Thursday morning in New York and then
was officially cleared to play that night after taking part in
the pregame warmup.

On Wednesday, hours after team spokesman Rob Koch said Kovalchuk
did not accompany the Thrashers to New York, Koch then said a
weather delay before the flight changed the plan and that
Kovalchuk did make the trip.

Kovalchuk was tied for second in the NHL with nine goals when he
was injured in a game against the San Jose Sharks.

Rookie left winger Evander Kane, the No. 4 pick in this year's
draft, also was in the lineup despite taking a shot off the foot
a few days earlier. He didn't miss any games. Kane assisted on
Colby Armstrong's goal 19 seconds in against the Rangers.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/133325-Thrashers-captain-Kovalchuk-back-in-lineup</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/133325-Thrashers-captain-Kovalchuk-back-in-lineup</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:35:47 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Thrashers-Rangers Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO
STATS Writer

Atlanta (7-6-1) at New York (10-7-1), 7:00 p.m. EDT

Mounting injuries might become a problem for the struggling New
York Rangers, but the expected return of Henrik Lundqvist should
provide a lift.

The All-Star goaltender, however, may have to contend with the
potential return of high-scoring Ilya Kovalchuk on Thursday
night when the Rangers face the Atlanta Thrashers at Madison
Square Garden.

New York (10-7-1) is 3-6-1 after a seven-game winning streak,
and concluded a 1-2 Western Canada trip by falling 3-1 at
Calgary on Saturday. The Rangers were also dealt a pair of
severe blows with injuries to captain Chris Drury (concussion)
and center Brandon Dubinsky (undisclosed). The availability of
both players is unknown.

Drury left Saturday after less than a minute of play when he was
hit by the Flames' Curtis Glencross. The center was struck away
from the puck and immediately dropped to the ice, where he was
tended to for a couple of minutes before being helped to the
dressing room.

Dubinsky left the game in the second period, but coach John
Tortorella may have been more concerned with the lack of a
penalty call on the hit to Drury.

"It was a missed call, it should have been a major, they missed
it," Tortorella said.

Glencross was suspended three games by the league on Monday.

The Rangers, 6-2-0 at MSG, could get a significant boost if
Lundqvist is able to return from an undisclosed injury that kept
him out of the last two games. He's 8-5-1 with a 2.52
goals-against average in 15 games, but has proved to be more
effective at home, posting a 5-1-0 mark with a 2.06 GAA and his
lone shutout of the season.

Lundqvist, though, has also been impressive in eight home
meetings with Atlanta (7-6-1), going 4-1-3 with a 1.82 GAA. If
he can't play, then Stephen Valiquette would get a third
consecutive start after splitting the last two games while
stopping 45 of 50 shots.

Atlanta could have Kovalchuk back after he unexpectedly traveled
to New York, but the left wing's status is uncertain.

He was expected to miss three to five weeks after suffering a
broken bone in his right foot when he was hit by the puck during
a 4-3 loss to San Jose on Oct. 24. He was tied for second in the
league with nine goals at the time of the injury.

Kovalchuk, the Thrashers' all-time leader with 306 goals and 567
points, has 13 goals and 12 assists in 26 games against the
Rangers.

Atlanta is 3-3-0 without its captain, and coming off Sunday's
3-2 shootout win over St. Louis, as defensemen Tobias Enstrom
and Ron Hainsey scored to erase a two-goal third-period deficit
before left wing Slava Kozlov clinched the win with the decisive
shootout attempt.

It was an improved effort from a night earlier when the
Thrashers lost 6-3 at the New York Islanders.

"We weren't floundering in our zone as much because we played
the body a lot more and helped out when the time was right,"
coach John Anderson said. "Forwards were collapsing in front the
net, all the little things that add up. I just thought our
concerted effort was much better (Sunday)."

While both clubs are dealing with injuries, the Rangers might be
happy with Marian Gaborik's surprising durability.

The oft-injured right wing missed two games last month with a
lower-body injury, but has two goals and two assists in four
games since. He leads the team with 12 goals and 22 points, and
has five goals and three assists in his last five games against
Atlanta.

The Rangers went 2-0-2 against the Thrashers last season, going
1-0-1 at home.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/133126-Thrashers-Rangers-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/133126-Thrashers-Rangers-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Thu, 12 Nov 2009 05:23:12 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
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				<title><![CDATA[Thrashers' Kovalchuk makes NY flight after all]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[ATLANTA(AP) -- Atlanta Thrashers star Ilya Kovalchuk will be with
the team for Thursday night's game at the New York Rangers after
all.

Hours after team spokesman Rob Koch said Kovalchuk did not
accompany the Thrashers to New York on Wednesday, Koch said late
Wednesday night a weather delay before the flight changed the
plan.

Koch said Kovalchuk, given more time to consider how he felt,
made the trip and will see if he feels well enough to play
against the Rangers.

Kovalchuk, the Thrashers' captain, was expected to miss three to
five weeks after suffering a broken bone in his right foot on
Oct. 24. He was tied for second in the league with nine goals
when he was struck on the foot by a puck against the San Jose
Sharks.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/133119-Thrashers-Kovalchuk-makes-NY-flight-after-all</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/133119-Thrashers-Kovalchuk-makes-NY-flight-after-all</guid>
				<pubDate>Thu, 12 Nov 2009 04:10:28 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
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				<title><![CDATA[Thrashers' Kovalchuk out at least 1 more game]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[ATLANTA(AP) -- Atlanta Thrashers star Ilya Kovalchuk's return from
a foot injury will have to wait at least one more game.

Team spokesman Rob Koch says Kovalchuk did not accompany the
Thrashers to New York on Wednesday for Thursday night's game
against the Rangers.

Kovalchuk left Wednesday morning's practice early and remained
in Atlanta in hopes of playing in Friday night's home game
against Los Angeles.

Kovalchuk, the Thrashers' captain, was expected to miss three to
five weeks after suffering the injury on Oct. 24. He was tied
for second in the league with nine goals when he was struck on
the foot by a puck against the San Jose Sharks.

Forward Evander Kane's status also is uncertain because of a
foot injury.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/132964-Thrashers-Kovalchuk-out-at-least-1-more-game</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/132964-Thrashers-Kovalchuk-out-at-least-1-more-game</guid>
				<pubDate>Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:17:25 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Peverley, Kozlov score in SO, Thrashers beat Blues]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By GEORGE HENRY
Associated Press Writer

ATLANTA(AP) -- After his team played poorly the night before,
Thrashers coach John Anderson challenged his players to focus on
fundamental hockey.

"We weren't floundering in our zone as much because we played
the body a lot more and helped out when the time was right,"
Anderson said. "Forwards were collapsing in front the net, all
the little things that add up. I just thought our concerted
effort was much better tonight."

Defensemen Tobias Enstrom and Ron Hainsey forced overtime with
third-period goals, and Rich Peverley and Slava Kozlov scored in
a shootout to give the Thrashers a 3-2 victory over the St.
Louis on Sunday night.

Marty Reasoner set up both third-period goals to help Atlanta
(7-6-1) snap a four-game home losing streak and two-game slide
overall.

St. Louis earned a point for the third straight game, but is
winless in five.

Ty Conklin stopped the first 27 shots he faced for St. Louis
(5-6-4) before Enstrom scored to cut it to 2-1 with 7:01 left in
regulation.

The Blues have lost their last two in shootouts, but coach Andy
Murray didn't regret his decision to keep his team aggressive
with a 2-0 lead.

"We didn't want to play shutdown in the third," Murray said. "We
wanted to play attack oriented hockey. You don't sit on a lead.
We made a mistake. They scored."

Atlanta began the game with a 25.5 percentage on the power play
that ranked third in the NHL, but the Thrashers finished 0 for 6
after failing to score in two chances with an extra man Saturday
in a 6-3 road loss to the New York Islanders.

Defenseman Zach Bogosian thought Atlanta was playing too
passively in its end.

"We needed to get pucks on net and shoot more," Bogosian said.
"We did that in the third."

Hainsey tied it with 3:31 to go. Reasoner won a faceoff near St.
Louis' bench, and Hainsey, who controlled the puck at the left
boards, beat Conklin with a wrist shot.

"You always hope that those bounces even out, and we were one
shot in the Washington game," Reasoner said. "So we got even
today. It's nice to catch that one break and put us in the right
direction for these next home games."

Andy McDonald opened the scoring at 6:55 of the second period,
and David Perron gave the Blues a two-goal lead on a power play
at 7:08 of the third.

Johan Hedberg made 30 saves for Atlanta, while Conklin stopped
38 shots.

"Atlanta is a strong offensive team," Murray said. "The best way
to play against them is to be in their zone. We had a couple of
chances to make it 3-0 but we failed to execute.

In the tiebreaker, Peverley beat Conklin with a low shot. Kozlov
scored after taking a wide turn from the right circle and
crossing the slot.

"He's magic," Anderson said of Kozlov. "And the good thing about
that is it's not the same one every time. I feel confident with
(Hedberg) Slava in there because they practice it every day."

NOTES: The Blues also lost a shootout 2-1 Saturday in
Philadelphia. ... McDonald's goal ended a stretch of four
straight games in which St. Louis failed to score in the first
or second period. ... Atlanta improved to 5-6-1 against the
Blues, 3-3-1 at Philips Arena.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/132435-Peverley-Kozlov-score-in-SO-Thrashers-beat-Blues</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/132435-Peverley-Kozlov-score-in-SO-Thrashers-beat-Blues</guid>
				<pubDate>Mon, 09 Nov 2009 01:50:02 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Blues-Thrashers Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By MATT BECKER
STATS Senior Writer

St. Louis (5-6-2) at Atlanta (6-5-1), 5:00 p.m. EDT

The St. Louis Blues and Atlanta Thrashers are losing for
different reasons, but they are both losing.

The Blues look to shake their offensive woes and avoid dropping
a fifth straight game Sunday against a Thrashers team having
little success keeping its opponents from scoring.

St. Louis (5-6-3) has been getting solid goaltending from Chris
Mason, but the offense has been unable to carry its weight.

The Blues have scored two goals during a four-game skid and have
lost nine of 12, recording two goals or fewer in each of the
defeats. On the season, St. Louis is tied with Nashville for the
fewest goals in the NHL with 31.

St. Louis wasted another stellar performance Saturday by Mason,
who has lost three of his last five outings despite a 1.76
goals-against average in that span. The netminder turned aside
35 shots in a 2-1 shootout loss in Philadelphia, with T.J. Oshie
scoring the lone goal for the Blues.

Although the Blues had another subpar performance, coach Andy
Murray thought his team showed improvement.

"It was a 1-1 hockey game and both teams were going hard to the
net," he said. "Our team battled hard and as long as you keep
working like this, you get rewarded down the road. We'll find a
way to get two points if we keep playing this hard."

While St. Louis has struggled to find the back of the net,
Atlanta (6-6-1) is giving up goals in bunches.

The Thrashers, coming off Saturday's 6-3 loss to the New York
Islanders, have allowed at least four goals in six of seven
games, losing five of those contests.

Atlanta's defense didn't give goalie Ondrej Pavelec much of a
chance Saturday, allowing the Islanders to fire 45 shots on
goal. Pavelec stopped 31 of 36 shots before being removed for
the start of the third period. It was the third time in four
games he faced at least 36 shots.

"It was like we had three or four guys show up and the rest of
the guys didn't," Thrashers coach John Anderson said. "That's
embarrassing. We can't play like that. That's absolutely
embarrassing."

Getting things turned around at Philips Arena might not be easy
for Atlanta.

The Thrashers, who play five of their next six at home, have
lost four straight there since defeating Tampa Bay 6-3 in their
Oct. 3 home opener.

Zach Bogosian, Pavel Kubina, and Christoph Schubert scored
Saturday for the Thrashers, who played their fifth straight game
without leading scorer Ilya Kovalchuk - expected to miss another
two weeks with a broken bone in his right foot.

Kovalchuk had two scores in a 4-2 win at St. Louis on Oct. 8.
Pavelec stopped 29 shots in that game while Mason made 18 saves
for the Blues.

Atlanta backup Johan Hedberg, who made eight saves on nine
chances Saturday, is 4-2-0 with a 1.98 GAA and one shutout in
six career starts against the Blues, but hasn't faced them since
2005, while playing for Dallas.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/132267-Blues-Thrashers-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/132267-Blues-Thrashers-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 08 Nov 2009 05:29:47 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Islanders shake off injuries, beat Thrashers]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[UNIONDALE, N.Y.(AP) -- The New York Islanders knew they needed to
take advantage of the Atlanta Thrashers at home before heading
out on a seven-game road trip.

They did exactly that, generating season highs for goals and
shots in a 6-3 victory over the Thrashers on Saturday night.

"After a couple of losses and going on the road and we have a
couple of teams that are playing well, it's big for us," said
rookie center John Tavares, who set up two goals. "We needed
this. We'll have our confidence up the next couple of days, get
our rest and get ready for some tough games to come."

Sean Bergenheim, Blake Comeau and Jack Hillen each scored their
first goals of the season for the Islanders (6-6-5), who had won
four in a row before their two-game skid. Their 45 shots were
six more than their previous season high. The Islanders got
points from 13 players.

"That's a feel-good for everybody," Islanders coach Scott Gordon
said. "If you can get balanced scoring, you're a lot harder to
play against."

New York came out aggressively against the Thrashers (6-6-1),
outscoring them 3-1 in the first period on goals by Andy Sutton,
Bergenheim and Hillen. The Islanders outshot Atlanta 21-11 in
the opening frame.

"We just tried to simplify, get a good forecheck and put pucks
to the net," Tavares said. "Once we got to them early, we really
started getting the confidence going and believe in what we were
doing, and it was working."

Tavares carried the puck across to the high slot and fed Sutton
at the left doorstep, and the defenseman backhanded it past
Ondrej Pavelec (39 saves) at 9:11 to make it 1-0.

Zach Bogosian, Pavel Kubina, and Christoph Schubert scored for
Atlanta.

Bogosian beat Dwayne Roloson (31 saves) from the top of the
right circle with 7:04 to go in the period. But Bergenheim put
the Islanders ahead 38 seconds later, converting a rebound in
front.

Hillen scored from out near the left point with 1:04 remaining
in the period to make it 3-1.

The Islanders wasted no time in the second period. Comeau,
chosen as first star of the game, carried the puck into the
Atlanta zone and ripped a shot past Pavelec's glove just 22
seconds into the period.

Comeau also had an assist after having been a healthy scratch
the previous six games. He was reinserted into the lineup
because forward Doug Weight is expected to be out for a week due
to an upper body injury.

"There were nerves," Comeau said. "I was joking around with a
couple of the guys that it felt like my first NHL game. I think
once the puck dropped, I played the way I normally play."

After Kubina cut it to 4-2 with a one-timer from the left dot,
Tavares carried the puck behind the net and sent it to Matt
Moulson between the circles. Moulson scored his team-high
seventh of the season to make it a three-goal game again with
8:01 remaining in the period.

Schubert scored his first of the season with 7:57 to go in
regulation to cut the deficit to 5-3. But Josh Bailey increased
the margin to three with a power-play goal with 4:25 left.

"It was like we had three or four guys show up and the rest of
the guys didn't," Atlanta coach John Anderson said. "That's
embarrassing. We can't play like that. That's absolutely
embarrassing."

The Thrashers, 5-2-1 on the road compared to 1-4 at home, played
again without their best player, Ilya Kovalchuk. The star
forward was lost for about a month when he broke his right foot
on Oct. 24.

But the Islanders were without one of their best players, as
well. The team announced before the game that top defenseman
Radek Martinek would be out for the season because of a torn
ligament in his right knee. Martinek was injured Friday night
during a 2-1 loss at New Jersey.

Martinek wasn't missed too much against the Thrashers.

"The Islanders haven't had over 40 shots in any game this
season," Anderson said. "What does that tell you? I got to give
them a lot of credit because they played hard after playing last
night, took a hard defeat and came back and played very, very
hard. They played a great game. That was the worst game I've
seen us play this year."

NOTES: This was the Islanders' final home game until Nov. 25.
They have 12 of their next 14 games on the road, including the
next seven, beginning Wednesday night at Washington. ... The
Thrashers finish a back-to-back set at home on Sunday against
the St. Louis Blues.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/132226-Islanders-shake-off-injuries-beat-Thrashers</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/132226-Islanders-shake-off-injuries-beat-Thrashers</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 08 Nov 2009 04:29:48 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Thrashers-Islanders Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By JON PALMIERI
STATS Editor

Atlanta (6-5-1) at New York (5-5-5), 7:00 p.m. EDT

While their play at home has left a lot to be desired, the
Atlanta Thrashers' outstanding road record has more than
compensated for that.

The Thrashers seek their third straight road victory Saturday
night when they face the New York Islanders for the first time
this season.

Atlanta hasn't been as sharp lately following a 4-1-0 start to
the season, winning two of their last seven games (2-4-1). They
have, however, continued to excel away from Philips Arena, going
4-0-1 since their only road regulation loss to Ottawa on Oct.
10.

That impressive road stretch started with 4-2 victories over New
Jersey and Buffalo before the Thrashers lost 2-1 in a shootout
to the Canadiens on Oct. 20. They followed with wins at Ottawa
and Montreal despite the absence of star forward Ilya Kovalchuk
- the team leader with nine goals who is expected to miss at
least another two weeks with a broken right foot.

With its best player sidelined, Atlanta (6-5-1) needs offense
from other sources and Rich Peverley has responded with two
goals and four assists in four games without Kovalchuk. Also
contributing is center Nik Antropov, who has four assists during
that span and a team-leading 12 this season.

The Thrashers fell behind 2-0 and were unable to come all the
way back in a 4-3 loss to visiting Columbus on Wednesday.

It was another poor start at home by Atlanta, which has been
outscored 6-0 in the first period of its last three home games.

"This is the same press conference as the last games at home,
and it's disappointing," coach John Anderson said. "It's not
that we're playing horrible, but we don't initiate. We wait to
see how the game goes and then we start to play."

The Islanders (5-6-5) managed few scoring chances again in a 2-1
loss at New Jersey on Friday - their second consecutive defeat
following a four-game win streak.

"This was a game we could have won 1-0 and we gave them two
opportunities and they took them," goaltender Martin Biron said.

Frans Nielsen's first-period goal is the Islanders' only tally
in their last seven periods.

Poor road play continues to plague New York, which is 1-4-3 away
from Long Island compared to 4-2-2 at home. The Islanders have
outscored opponents 11-2 during three straight wins at Nassau
Coliseum.

With Biron starting Friday, Dwayne Roloson will be back in net
for New York. Roloson has helped the Islanders gain at least one
point in seven of his eight starts, going 4-1-3 with a 2.70
goals-against average. He is 3-0-0 with a 1.66 GAA in his past
three overall games, and 4-0-1 with a tie and a 2.60 GAA
lifetime against Atlanta.

Islanders defenseman Radek Martinek won't play after he had to
be helped off the ice in the third period Friday with a right
leg injury. He likely will be replaced by Freddy Meyer.

The Thrashers won the first three meetings between the teams
last season before the Islanders recorded a 5-4 road victory
Jan. 29. Atlanta is 4-2-0 in its last six visits to Long Island.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/131928-Thrashers-Islanders-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/131928-Thrashers-Islanders-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Sat, 07 Nov 2009 04:11:34 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
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				<title><![CDATA[Torres, Blue Jackets edge Thrashers 4-3]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By CHARLES ODUM
AP Sports Writer

ATLANTA(AP) -- Raffi Torres is making two-goal games look
astonishingly easy.

Torres scored two uncontested second-period goals and the
Columbus Blue Jackets held off the Atlanta Thrashers 4-3 on
Thursday night.

Torres' second goal gave Columbus a 4-2 lead. He also had two
goals Sunday in the Blue Jackets' 5-4 win at Washington before
taking advantage of the Thrashers' breakdowns in weak-side
defense.

Thrashers goalie Ondrej Pavelec was defending attacks on the
left side of the net when Torres was left alone on the right
side.

"Those two goals were pretty much empty-netters," Atlanta
defenseman Pavel Kubina said. "We overplayed the puck, and two
guys covered one guy on one side and no one covered (Torres) on
the other side. We've just got to be better in the defensive
zone and talk more."

Torres had only one multigoal game last season.

The Thrashers, 2 for 8 on the power play, outshot the Blue
Jackets 35-21.

"Killing penalties takes a lot of energy, but we found a way to
get the points," said Columbus coach Ken Hitchcock, who noted
his team was coming off a 3-2 overtime loss to San Jose on
Wednesday night.

"We played well in the first period, then last night's game
caught up with us and we ended up in the penalty box," he said.

Blue Jackets center Samuel Pahlsson said it's not easy to
overcome eight penalties.

"You don't expect that," Pahlsson said. "You can't take that
many penalties."

The Blue Jackets won for only the third time in nine games after
a 5-1 start.

The Thrashers, coming off road wins at Ottawa and Montreal, lost
for the fourth time in five home games.

Atlanta coach John Anderson said poor starts are the common
problem in the home losses.

"This is the same press conference as the last games at home,
and it's disappointing," Anderson said. "It's not that we're
playing horrible, but we don't initiate. We wait to see how the
game goes and then we start to play."

The Blue Jackets took a 2-0 lead in the first period when Jakub
Voracek and Derick Brassard each had a goal and an assist.
Columbus never trailed.

"When you go up by two goals, there is not nearly as much
pressure," said Mathieu Garon, who stopped 32 shots in his first
start against the Thrashers since 2000.

Blue Jackets scoring leader Rick Nash, who has 10 goals and 21
points, was held without a point for only the fourth time in 15
games.

"He is a big part of this team, but you can't expect him to
score in every game," Garon said of Nash.

Kubina's power-play goal 2:06 into the third period cut
Atlanta's deficit to 4-3, but Garon protected the lead when the
Thrashers attacked most of the last 2 minutes.

"We've been talking about our slow starts for pretty much all
the home games," Kubina said. "We've just got to be sharp."

Bryan Little and Tobias Enstrom scored in the second. Enstrom's
goal was his first this season.

Attendance at Philips Arena was a season-low 10,878.

NOTES: Torres has eight goals this season. ... Garon recorded
two shutouts over Atlanta while a rookie with Montreal in 2000.
... Brassard returned after missing one game because of a hand
injury. ... The Blue Jackets are 5-4 in road games. ... Columbus
RW Derek Dorsett was helped off the ice about 5 minutes into the
third period after he was knocked hard into the wall by Ron
Hainsey.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/131674-Torres-Blue-Jackets-edge-Thrashers-4-3</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/131674-Torres-Blue-Jackets-edge-Thrashers-4-3</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 03:30:39 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Blue Jackets-Thrashers Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By MATT BEARDMORE
STATS Writer

Columbus (7-5-1) at Atlanta (6-4-1), 7:00 p.m. EDT

When the Atlanta Thrashers learned last week that captain Ilya
Kovalchuk would miss several weeks with an injury, general
manager Don Waddell called it an opportunity for other players
to step up.

That's exactly what the Thrashers have done.

Atlanta looks to win its third straight without its leading
scorer Thursday night, when it hosts a Columbus Blue Jackets
club that's dropped six of eight.

Kovalchuk, who leads the Thrashers (6-4-1) with nine goals,
suffered a broken bone in his right foot in a 4-3 loss to San
Jose on Oct. 24.

The team announced two days later that he would be sidelined
three to five weeks.

"The time that he'll be lost, we'll miss him, but our team will
continue on and we'll win hockey games," Waddell said.

Atlanta lost its first game without Kovalchuk - 4-3 to
Washington last Thursday - but returns home following two
straight wins in Canada.

After scoring a goal and adding an assist in Saturday's 3-1 win
at Ottawa, center Rich Peverley had a goal and two assists in
Tuesday's 5-4 victory over Montreal.

"(Kovalchuk is) one of the most dynamic players in the league,"
said Peverley, who has a team-leading 16 points. "We have a lot
of depth on our team this year. We've got some key pieces up
front, on the back end, and in goal, too, so that just shows you
the overall depth we have on our team right now."

Colby Armstrong scored the game-winner Tuesday, while Pavel
Kubina, Bryan Little and Mark Popovic all found the back of the
net for the first time this season.

With Wednesday's news that last year's starting goaltender Kari
Lehtonen will be out another six to eight weeks following a
second back surgery Friday, Ondrej Pavelec will continue to
start for the Thrashers. He is 5-3-1 with a 2.75 goals-against
average.

Pavelec made 29 saves in a 2-0 loss to visiting Columbus last
Nov. 22, the last meeting between these teams. Blue Jackets
captain Rick Nash had a goal and an assist in that game.

Nash scored his team-leading 10th goal of the season Wednesday
on the power play, but he and teammates Nikita Filatov and Anton
Stralman were stopped in the shootout of a 3-2 loss to San Jose.

Nash has six goals and four assists in his last six games.

The Blue Jackets (7-5-2) have dropped six of eight since opening
the season 5-1-0, but coach Ken Hitchcock remains optimistic
after his team has played three consecutive one-goal games
versus division leaders Pittsburgh, Washington and San Jose.

"The confidence is that we can play with all the good teams,"
Hitchcock said. "Now it's whether we can motivate ourselves
every night. That's what the good teams do."

Blue Jackets goaltender Steve Mason, the reigning Calder Trophy
winner, is 6-4-2 with a 3.38 GAA. He stopped 15 shots and posted
his first career shutout in last season's win against Atlanta.

The Thrashers have lost three straight at home since a
season-opening 6-3 win over Tampa Bay.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/131433-Blue-Jackets-Thrashers-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/131433-Blue-Jackets-Thrashers-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 06:00:57 GMT</pubDate>
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