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New coach Waddell hopes to snap Thrashers' 10-game skid

Oct 18, 2007 - 2:05 PM NY Rangers (2-3-0) at Atlanta (0-6-0) 7:00 pm EDT

ATLANTA (Ticker) -- The defense of the Southeast Division title has not gotten off to a good start for the Atlanta Thrashers. Bob Hartley paid the price.

General manager Don Waddell will take over the coaching duties and hope to get the Thrashers into the win column when they host the New York Rangers on Thursday in a playoff rematch.

Despite guiding Atlanta to its best season in franchise history in 2006-07, an uninspired showing in the playoffs coupled with an 0-6-0 start to this season apparently was enough to cost Hartley his job. One day after absorbing a 4-0 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers, Hartley was fired on Wednesday.

"This is always a very difficult decision to make, but we feel that this is the best thing for our team right now," Waddell said at a news conference. "We thank Bob for his service over the last four-plus seasons."

"It's something that no matter how many times you go through it, it's somewhat - not surprising, but it's an uncomfortable situation," Thrashers captain Bobby Holik told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution after Wednesday's practice. "It's not Bob's fault, it's everybody's fault."

Though assistant coach Brad McCrimmon ran Wednesday's practice, Waddell will take over coaching duties on an interim basis.

The Rangers started the Thrashers' 10-game slide when they swept the Southeast Division champions from the postseason in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals last year.

New York, however, is not off to the kind of start it expected either. Expected to be an offensive juggernaut after signing centers Chris Drury and Scott Gomez in the offseason, the Rangers have managed just five goals in their last four contests.

Drury has just one goal and three assists and Gomez has been held to a goal and an assist since coming to the Big Apple. Captain Jaromir Jagr leads the club with five points on the season.

Ilya Kovalchuk has tallied three of Atlanta's nine goals this season and Marian Hossa, who has been hampered by a groin injury, has registered just one point in three games.

It will not get any easier for the Thrashers as they will embark on a seven-game road trip following the contest with the Rangers.