Maybe Haydar can provide a spark
| Thursday, October 11, 2007, 01:25 PM
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Thanks to a great sports bar called Tully?s near the Buffalo airport, I was able to see most of the Thrashers loss last night to Ottawa. And despite the outcome, it looks like things might be coming together. But for a moment it looked like the season might be in jeopardy when Ilya Kovalchuk skated to the trainers room doubled over. The coaches and players on the bench thought maybe he took a skate to the stomach, but Ilya thought he broke his arm. What a disaster that would have been ? first Marian Hossa and then Kovalchuk.
But Bob Hartley said that Kovy was fine when he woke up this morning, so the Thrashers dodged a bullet. Just in case, the team called up forward Darren Haydar from Chicago. He didn?t get to Buffalo in time for the morning skate, but was working out pretty hard on the exercise bike in the dressing room by the time the players got off the ice. We?ll see if he can help the lagging offense get on track tonight. It was an optional skate, so there was a pretty small group out there this morning.
Kari Lehtonen is back in goal, and boy could the Thrashers use a big game from him. If he can steal one here in Buffalo, that would take the pressure off everyone else while the team works things out.
Mark Popovic will be in the lineup tonight in place of Ken Klee, who Hartley said is fine, just getting a breather. There will be an all-rookie pairing with Popovic and Tobias Enstrom, but as Popovic said this morning ? ?I don?t think we play like rookies.?
Marian Hossa is back in Atlanta working with the trainers, but Hartley seemed optimistic about the groin injury. There?s speculation that the conditions of the ice in Duluth were questionable, but since I?m jumping back into things here I haven?t had an opportunity to get into that with the players. I look forward to catching up with Hossa at practice on Friday afternoon.
| Thursday, October 11, 2007, 01:25 PM
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Thanks to a great sports bar called Tully?s near the Buffalo airport, I was able to see most of the Thrashers loss last night to Ottawa. And despite the outcome, it looks like things might be coming together. But for a moment it looked like the season might be in jeopardy when Ilya Kovalchuk skated to the trainers room doubled over. The coaches and players on the bench thought maybe he took a skate to the stomach, but Ilya thought he broke his arm. What a disaster that would have been ? first Marian Hossa and then Kovalchuk.
But Bob Hartley said that Kovy was fine when he woke up this morning, so the Thrashers dodged a bullet. Just in case, the team called up forward Darren Haydar from Chicago. He didn?t get to Buffalo in time for the morning skate, but was working out pretty hard on the exercise bike in the dressing room by the time the players got off the ice. We?ll see if he can help the lagging offense get on track tonight. It was an optional skate, so there was a pretty small group out there this morning.
Kari Lehtonen is back in goal, and boy could the Thrashers use a big game from him. If he can steal one here in Buffalo, that would take the pressure off everyone else while the team works things out.
Mark Popovic will be in the lineup tonight in place of Ken Klee, who Hartley said is fine, just getting a breather. There will be an all-rookie pairing with Popovic and Tobias Enstrom, but as Popovic said this morning ? ?I don?t think we play like rookies.?
Marian Hossa is back in Atlanta working with the trainers, but Hartley seemed optimistic about the groin injury. There?s speculation that the conditions of the ice in Duluth were questionable, but since I?m jumping back into things here I haven?t had an opportunity to get into that with the players. I look forward to catching up with Hossa at practice on Friday afternoon.
