• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Lightning-Thrashers Preview

Oct 2, 2009 - 5:15 PM By ANTHONY GIORNALISTA STATS Senior Writer

Tampa Bay (0-0-0) at Atlanta (0-0-0), 7:00 p.m. EDT

Ilya Kovalchuk seems to like the direction the Atlanta Thrashers are headed in, but not enough to sign a long-term deal with them just yet.

Kovalchuk's future remains the biggest question facing the Thrashers as they kick off the season against the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday night.

Atlanta has made the postseason once since entering the league in 1999, and Kovalchuk has made it clear that he isn't interested in re-signing with a club that shows no commitment toward winning.

After Kovalchuk made those comments, though, the Thrashers signed center Nik Antropov and acquired defenseman Pavel Kubina in a trade with Toronto in July.

"We've got more size and experience now," said Kovalchuk, in the final year of his contract. "Now we have what it takes to win and make the playoffs. I'm ready to go. I'm excited."

General manager Don Waddell and second-year coach John Anderson have said it would be a "failure" if the team didn't make the playoffs.

"We're bigger, faster and hopefully smarter," Anderson said. "We're a much better team."

Despite the improvements, Kovalchuk has yet to sign an extension with Atlanta, which had hoped to lock him up prior to the season opener.

"I didn't put any pressure on them and they didn't put any pressure on me," Kovalchuk said. "Hopefully we'll get it done some time."

Antropov is coming off a career-best season with 28 goals and 59 points and Kubina bolsters the blue-line corps, but Kovalchuk will lead the team's quest for a playoff appearance following a 35-41-6 season.

Atlanta's captain had team highs of 43 goals and 91 points last season.

Kovalchuk hopes to get some help offensively from winger Evander Kane, who made the team even though he turned 18 in August. Kane was the fourth overall pick in this year's draft.

"He skates like the wind," Kovalchuk said. "He's got unbelievable talent and there is a lot of fire in his eyes. I've very excited that they kept him here."

Atlanta may need some early production from Kane as it tries to overcome goaltender Kari Lehtonen's absence. He's still recovering from offseason back surgery, and 22-year-old Czech Ondrej Pavelec will start in his place.

It's uncertain when Lehtonen will return.

Pavelec, who has played 19 NHL games, will be backed up by Johan Hedberg.

The play of goalie Mike Smith will likely be a key factor in whether Tampa Bay can stop a free fall that started after it won the 2004 Stanley Cup.

Smith missed most of the second half of last season due to post-concussion syndrome, and the Lightning finished last in the Southeast Division at 24-40-18 - 10 points behind the Thrashers. Though his record was 14-18-9, Smith had a 2.62 goals-against average.

Tampa Bay felt the acquisition of Smith in a trade with Dallas in February 2008 filled the void left when cup-winning goalie Nikolai Khabibulin signed a free-agent deal with Chicago following the 2003-04 season.

Since beating Calgary in Game 7 of the '04 Cup finals, the Lightning have lost two first-round playoff series and failed to qualify in each of the past two seasons.

Smith should get some support from Tampa Bay's offense.

Vincent Lecavalier is expected to improve on last season's 29 goals after battling shoulder and wrist injuries for two years. He's the Lightning's all-time leader in goals (302), assists (367), power-play goals (85) and game-winning goals (47).

Lecavalier will be joined on the first line by winger Martin St. Louis, who led the team with 30 goals and 50 assists in 2008-09. He has missed two games in six seasons.

"He's just smart, he's just dangerous on the ice," coach Rick Tocchet said. "He's the ultimate pro."

The Lightning also signed Alex Tanguay as a free agent in September. He may have a big year skating with players as skilled as Lecavalier and St. Louis.

"I think we can surprise some people," said Tanguay, who had 41 points in 50 games for Montreal last season. "I think we have as good a shot as anybody to make the playoffs. We just have to execute on the ice."

The veteran trio will be able to mentor Steven Stamkos, last year's No. 1 overall draft pick. The 19-year-old center had 32 points (19 goals, 13 assists) in his last 39 games.

Stamkos had three goals in his last two games against the Thrashers.

Atlanta won last season's series 4-1-1 after going 6-0-0 in the previous six meetings.