(C) J. Slater (Shoulder)
(C) M. Reasoner (Ill, Wife Giving Birth) (Questionable)
(C) B. Little (Ill) (Questionable)
Healthy Scratch:
????????????
Team Leaders:
Goals: I. Kovalchuk (23)
Assists: T. White (31)
Points: I. Kovalchuk (53)
+/-: M. Reasoner (+4)
PP Goals: T. White (9)
OT Goals: R. Peverley (1)
SH Goals: J. Slater/C. Stuart (1)
GWG: B. Little/I. Kovalchuk (3)
SOG: I. Kovalchuk (182)
Shooting %: S. Kozlov (18.0%)
PIM: E. Boulton (123)
Wins: K. Lehtonen (10)
Shutouts: K. Lehtonen (1)
GAA%: K. Lehtonen (3.18%)
Save %: K. Lehtonen (.908%)
Goals For: (156)
Goals Against: (191)
Win % When Leading After 1: (.714%)
Win % When Leading After 2: (.929%)
Win % When Trailing After 1 (.080%)
Win % When Trailing After 2: (.107%)
Southeast Division Standings:
1) Washington 34-16-4 72PTS 54GP
3) Florida 26-19-8 60PTS 53GP
2) Carolina 27-22-5 59PTS 54GP
4) Tampa Bay 18-25-11 47PTS 54GP
5) Atlanta 19-31-5 43PTS 55GP
Keith - Seabrook
Campbell - Walker
Barker - Wisniewski
Johnson
Huet
Khabibulin
***ALL LINES SUBJECT TO CHANGE***
Team Leaders:
Goals: P. Sharp (22)
Assists: B. Campbell (29)
Points: P. Kane (45)
+/-: D. Keith (+25)
PP Goals: P. Kane (9)
OT Goals: M. Havlat (1)
SH Goals: K. Versteeg (4)
GWG: J. Towes (5)
SOG: P. Sharp (157)
Shooting %: K. Versteeg (18.1%)
PIM: B. Eager (95)
Wins: N. Khabibulin (16)
Shutouts: C. Huet (2)
GAA: C. Huet (2.41%)
Save %: N. Khabibulin (.922%)
Goals For: (172)
Goals Against: (133)
Win % When Leading After 1: (.727%)
Win % When Leading After 2: (.857%)
Win % When Trailing After 1: (.413%)
Win % When Trailing After 2: (.077%)
Central Division Standings:
1) Detroit 36-11-7 79PTS 54GP
2) Chicago 29-14-8 60PTS 53GP
3) Columbus 26-23-5 57PTS 54GP
4) Nashville 25-26-3 53PTS 54GP
5) St Louis 22-25-6 50PTS 53GP
Special Teams:
Atlanta is 14th on the power play at 18.8%.
Chicago is 8th on the power play at 21.5%.
Atlanta is 28th on the penalty kill at 76.3%.
Chicago is 16th on the penalty kill at 81.2%.
**************************************************
The Thrashers are hosting the Chicago Blackhawks on home ice this evening for their second in a back to back series before hitting the road for a long West Coast trip.
Kari Lehtonen is in goal tonight.
Bryan Little has not been feeling well and is questionable for tonight. Marty Reasoner is questionable as well. Reasoner has been ill and his wife gave birth to Baby Reasoner today.
There will be no call ups for tonights game as the roster is already maxed out at 23 players. This means you will see defensemen in forward checking positions tonight. There is no word on who will be where in the lines.
All lines listed above are projected only. If time allows and more information is provided, the lines will be adjusted.
Feb 11, 2009, 7:00 PM ET
TV Information
Local Away: CSN-CH (HD)
While the Chicago Blackhawks boast one of the league's better defenses, they weren't sharp at all in their last contest.
On Wednesday night, the Blackhawks look to regroup from a poor performance as they visit the Atlanta Thrashers for the first time in more than three years.
Chicago (29-14-8) is trying to make the postseason for the first time since 2002, and starts play in fourth place in the Western Conference.
One of the biggest contributors this season's success has been an outstanding goaltending tandem. Behind Cristobal Huet and Nikolai Khabibulin, the Blackhawks have given up the fourth-fewest goals in the league with 133.
Neither player, however, played well on Saturday in a 7-3 loss to Vancouver. Huet gave up three goals on the first six shots, and was pulled after the first period for Khabibulin, who stopped 13 of 17 shots the rest of the way.
"I don't think we played poorly, it was just an unfortunate night," said Kris Versteeg, who had a goal and an assist to increase his rookie scoring lead to 40 points. "It was a couple of lucky bounces and I think that really swung momentum their way. It had nothing to do with we weren't playing well."
Still, Chicago fell to 4-2-0 on its eight-game road trip - the second-longest in franchise history and the lengthiest for any NHL team this season. The swing resumes against a Thrashers (19-31-5) team that is averaging 2.8 tallies in its last 14 contests.
Chicago has won three of five games in Atlanta, including 5-4 in a shootout on Oct. 11, 2005 in the teams' last meeting there. But the Thrashers have won two of the last three contests overall, most recently 3-2 on Oct. 27, 2007 in Chicago.
Atlanta, last in the Southeast Division, enters this matchup having won only two of its last eight overall. Kari Lehtonen made 40 saves in Tuesday's 3-1 victory at Tampa Bay.
"We kind of limited their options," said Colin Stuart, who scored for the first time this season. "We tried to keep the shots outside and let Kari see them."
Ilya Kovalchuk also notched his team-high 23rd goal, and has recorded 23 of his team-leading 53 points at home, where the Thrashers will be looking to end a three-game skid.
Kovalchuk has six goals and two assists during a three-game point streak against the Blackhawks - one of three teams Lehtonen has never faced in his NHL career. It's unclear if he or backup Johan Hedberg, 4-1-0 with a 2.34 GAA in six career matchups against Chicago, will start.
Chicago has rotated goaltenders in its previous 21 games, but that trend may not continue in Atlanta. Khabibulin made 29 saves in the Blackhawks' latest game there, and is 5-3-0 with a 2.69 GAA in his last eight games against the Thrashers.
Huet, meanwhile, is 5-0-1 with a 1.78 GAA in his last six contests versus Atlanta.
This one should be interesting... someone tell Boulton not to mess up Burish too bad tonight, thanks!
Thrashers coming off a nice win last night... should be a great game!
My GDT maker is lazy and ours isn't up... but I wanted to talk some hockey... good luck!
Yeah, Boulton has had some really nice scraps recently, this is probably his best fighting season so far as a Thrasher. He made Riley Cote look like Alex Semin twice in the last month!
I'll be there tonight, looking forward to seeing the new-look Blackhawks, here's to hoping it's a competitive game
Scouts in the house tonight: Red Wings, Wild, Hurricanes and Flyers
Dawg, tough one there. Hawks don't play the Thrashers that often, yet it is Mexico v US grudge match. Ah thinking back to Landy Cakes urinating on the field in Mexico City a few years ago and the violence it provoked........good times, good times.
By the way, I have the soccer game on right now and the crowd is really belting out the anthem. I think that's the loudest I have ever heard from a TV crowd.
Scouts in the house tonight: Red Wings, Wild, Hurricanes and Flyers
Dawg, tough one there. Hawks don't play the Thrashers that often, yet it is Mexico v US grudge match. Ah thinking back to Landy Cakes urinating on the field in Mexico City a few years ago and the violence it provoked........good times, good times.
By the way, I have the soccer game on right now and the crowd is really belting out the anthem. I think that's the loudest I have ever heard from a TV crowd.
If the Thrashers were in the playoff race, I would probably watch the hockey game. I have watched some of it, but mostly the soccer game. 1 to 0 USA. From what I have seen, the Thrashers do not look to bad.
Whats going on with your goaltending? Will Lehtonen or Pavelic be moved after this year?
Yeah, it was a bad call, quick whistle, whatever, but that's life. I was really kidding because Tampa had a disallowed goal last night against us and they haven't stopped whining yet.
Yeah, it was a bad call, quick whistle, whatever, but that's life. I was really kidding because Tampa had a disallowed goal last night against us and they haven't stopped whining yet.
How many so-close chances are they going to get this period? Completely giving it all on this last sequence, and the PP sequence, and can't bury one!!! Comon guys...
Kovy is playing like crazy.. but Bulin even better.
