SB Nation - Zach Bogosian

Tracking the toughest players in the NHL: The Black and Blue Trophy

Hooks Orpik — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 19:54:39 -0000

More photos » by Gene J. Puskar - AP

Hits like these are why Brooks Orpik is 4th in the black and blue trophy race, despite missing time to injury.

Long-time readers might remember a metric we took a look at last season, the Black and Blue Trophy. It is a simple measure of which players are blocking shots and the opposition. It's tough, yeoman's work. Often times those throwing their body in front of rubber and into others end up on the shelf, an unfortunate reminder that shows the Black and Blue guys have to be durable to make it on this list.

This year's official Black and Blue trophy has a new twist: defensemen are now the only players eligible. In years past we've included forwards, but they don't block enough shots to be considered in the true spirit of what the award is trying to encompass. This isn't about the guys who forecheck hard (like Cal Clutterbuck and Dustin Brown) but someone that embodies the sacrifice of a black and blue player.

In this day and age there are a lot of great stats out there, like Behind the Net which does awesome work and has a vast database of in depth statistics. Here's a great resource that James Mirtle recently wrote to overview these new-age stats and metrics that are popping up more and more to judge how good players are beyond just goals and assists.

Behind the jump, your tough-nosed leaderboard.

A little more sophisticated look at defensive defensemen is Mirtle's list, which uses a secretive formula to rank players based off the quality of competition they play and the goals allowed by their team while they're on the ice. Brent Seabrook, Andy Sutton and Greg Zanon make both Mirtle's "best defensive defensemen" and the black and blue.

From last February's BnB list: Orpik, Greene, Robidas and Seabrook are on there, showing great durability. Most of those guys are towards the top of the lists and both years.

As always, this isn't a list without it's limitations (hits subjective from town to town, etc, etc) but it serves a purpose to recognize guys who may not be putting up goals/assists but are still specialized defenders.

Here's the rest of the list for the Penguins:

Among BnB/games played, Orpik is still the king (other than Guenin's very short sample size). What jumps out to me is Engelland, who did well to ring up a lot of hits in his brief time in the NHL.

Which Thrashers Are Playing Well at Even Strength?

The Falconer — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 12:00:16 -0000

More photos » by Lynne Sladky - AP

Browse more photos »

The Thrashers have excelled at Even Strength so far this season. After the goaltenders, the biggest reason for improvement in ES situations are the two players acquired mid-summer. Nik Antropov has been the Thrashers best forward at ES and Pavel Kubina has been the best defenseman at ES. I've been critical of Don Waddell's free agent acquisitions in past summers but he hit a home run with these two guys. They were precisely what the team needed and as a consequence the Thrashers are much improved.

Forwards

The coaching staff might not like to use terms like "first line" or "third line" but the ES Time On Ice (TOI) paint a rather clear picture. The Russian speaking line of Kovalchuk-Antropov-Afinogenov is clearly #1 in ice time. The next two lines are pretty even Kozlov-White-Little and Kane-Peverley-Armstrong. The 4th line (Boulton-Slater-Thorburn) with Marty Reasoner going back and forth between the 3rd and 4th lines.

Who is facing the toughest opposition? According the Gabe Desjardin's Quality of Competition measure (opponent's Relative Goal Differential at Even Strength) Todd White, Bryan Little Slava Kozlov and Ilya Kovalchuk face the best players, while Boulton, Slater and Thorburn are sheltered.

Who is most effective? At even strength the name of the game is winning on the scoreboard. I have ranked all the players below according to their Goal Differential (GFA-GAA) per 60 minutes of ES TOI. Antropov is your clear leader. Why have the Thrashers gotten so much better this season? Well look at that list of players and you can see that 4 of the 5 most effective ES players were not on this roster one year ago today. Peverley was added in last January an Antropov via Free Agency, Kane at the NHL Draft and Afinogenov was a late NHL Camp tryout. Every single one of those moves has worked out very well!

Another measure to compare players is Desjardins' "Rating" column which compares each players net Goal Differential when that player is on the ice to when that player is off the ice. For example, Ilya Kovalchuk averages a +.59 Goal Differential when he is on the ice, but his Rating is just .01 which means that the Atlanta Thrashers post a+.58 when Kovalchuk is off the ice at ES. On the other hand, the Thrashers do much better when Nik Antropov is on the ice than when he is off it. In fact, when Antropov is off the ice the Thrashers have been out-scored at ES this season--he is only forward for whom that is true.

NAME	GP	TOI/60	QUALCOMP	GF	GA	GFA	GAA	G Diff	RATING
NIK ANTROPOV	26	14.6	0.00	29	16	4.59	2.53	2.06	2.28
MARTY REASONER	26	9.2	0.00	14	7	3.52	1.76	1.76	1.57
EVANDER KANE	26	12.1	0.00	20	13	3.81	2.48	1.33	1.13
RICH PEVERLEY	26	12.9	-0.03	20	14	3.57	2.50	1.07	0.79
MAXIM AFINOGENOV	26	14.4	0.01	24	18	3.85	2.89	0.96	0.67
BRYAN LITTLE	24	12.6	0.09	16	12	3.17	2.38	0.79	0.64
ILYA KOVALCHUK	20	15.1	0.07	17	14	3.37	2.77	0.59	0.01
COLBY ARMSTRONG	25	11.6	-0.02	12	12	2.48	2.48	0.00	-0.49
VYACHESLAV KOZLOV	26	11.8	0.07	12	14	2.34	2.73	-0.39	-1.21
ERIC BOULTON	24	6.2	-0.09	4	6	1.62	2.43	-0.81	-1.31
CHRIS THORBURN	26	6.7	-0.06	4	6	1.38	2.07	-0.69	-1.40
TODD WHITE	26	12.0	0.13	10	15	1.93	2.89	-0.96	-1.99
JIM SLATER	11	8.4	-0.07	1	5	0.65	3.26	-2.61	-4.94

On defense Pavel Kubina has played like an All-Star minus big gaudy point totals.The Toronto Maple Leafs dumped Kubina's salary so they could sign Mike Komisarek, but I suspect that Kubina is having a better season than Komisarek is. When Kubina is on the ice in Even Skater situations the Thrashers have outscored the opposition by an astonishing 29-11 margin. Wow! When Pavel Kubina is off the ice at Even Strength the Thrashers have been outscored this season--Kubina is the only defenseman for which that statement is true. According to Desjardins Quality of Competition rating, Kubina is also facing the toughest opponents every night (with Ron Hainsey right behind him). Kubina makes some big coin ($5 million) and if he departs as a UFA this summer he will leave a giant hole.

Despite putting up some big goal totals this season Zach Bogosian has been exploited at times during even strength play. His 3.25 GAA is not very good. All three of the 3rd pairing defensemen appear to drag down the team's offense when they are on the ice (compare at their GFA to the top four guys).

NAME	GP	TOI/60	QUALCOMP	GF	GA	GFA	GAA	G Diff	RATING
PAVEL KUBINA	25	16.8	0.08	29	11	4.14	1.57	2.57	3.15
TOBIAS ENSTROM	26	16.3	0.02	26	17	3.69	2.41	1.28	1.20
ANSSI SALMELA	15	13.0	-0.04	7	6	2.15	1.85	0.31	-0.17
RON HAINSEY	24	15.6	0.07	19	18	3.04	2.88	0.16	-0.34
CHRISTOPH SCHUBERT	24	13.5	-0.04	11	13	2.04	2.41	-0.37	-1.14
ZACH BOGOSIAN	26	17.8	0.04	21	25	2.73	3.25	-0.52	-1.67
MARK POPOVIC	16	11.7	-0.09	7	10	2.25	3.22	-0.96	-2.31

Conclusion

The Thrashers are playing better because they are better. The new players that were added this summer (Kubina, Antropov, Afinogenov, Kane) all rank near the top at their respective positions.

Analysis: Who is Playing Well on the Thrashers Power Play

The Falconer — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 12:00:15 -0000

One season ago the Thrashers power play finished the season 11th with 69 PP Goals scored. This year the Power Play is ranked 6th and on pace to score 67 Goals (looks like PP% rate is down in the NHL after rising sharply last season).

FORWARDS

Ilya Kovlachuk always plays the point position on the PP so I have put him in the chart with the other defenseman below. There are really six forwards who have seen substantial time on the PP this season. All six are averaging around 3 minutes per game of 5 on 4 time. The Peverly-Antropov-Afinogenov group has been far more effective than the Kozlov-White-Little group so far.

NAME	POS	GP	TOI/60	GF	GA	GFA	GAA	G DIFF	MINUTES
NIK ANTROPOV	C	25	2.79	13	0	11.19	0.00	11.19	70
RICH PEVERLEY	C	25	2.92	13	0	10.69	0.00	10.69	73
MAXIM AFINOGENOV	RW	25	3.05	12	0	9.44	0.00	9.44	76
VYACHESLAV KOZLOV	LW	25	3.08	8	1	6.22	0.78	5.45	77
BRYAN LITTLE	RW	23	3.04	7	1	6.00	0.86	5.15	70
TODD WHITE	C	25	3.19	7	1	5.26	0.75	4.51	80

DEFENSE

On the blueline the allocation of ice time is much more uneven. Kovalchuk and Enstrom average nearly 5 minutes per game and Kubina, Bogosian and Hainsey get the leftover scraps basically. Kovalchuk has been on the ice for 14 PP GF which leads the team, but he also gets a load of ice time too.

Who should play with Kovalchuk at the point? So far it has been Enstrom, but Kubina has been the most effective point man (in limited action). The biggest problem with Enstrom is that he is extremely reluctant to shoot--everyone knows he is just trying to feed the puck to Kovalchuk. If I were coach I'd give Kubina and Bogosian more minutes on the PP and tell them to take the open shot. If the other PKers go into man coverage on Kovalchuk, then it becomes a 4 on 3 and the Thrashers must become better at exploiting the open man--whomever is open must be willing to shoot the puck.

NAME	POS	GP	TOI/60	GF	GA	GFA	GAA	G DIFF	MINUTES
PAVEL KUBINA	D	24	1.73	7	1	10.12	1.45	8.67	42
ILYA KOVALCHUK	LW	19	4.89	14	1	9.04	0.65	8.40	93
ZACH BOGOSIAN	D	25	1.68	5	0	7.16	0.00	7.16	42
TOBIAS ENSTROM	D	25	4.60	12	0	6.25	0.00	6.25	115
RON HAINSEY	D	23	0.87	2	0	5.99	0.00	5.99	20

CONCLUSION

The Thrashers really need to get Kozlov and Little going in the 2nd half to keep that PP rolling. Some tweaks on the blueline such as more ice time for shooters like Kubina and Bogosian might help as well.

Analysis: Who is Playing Well on the Thrashers PK Unit

The Falconer — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 12:00:15 -0000

One year ago the Thrashers PK allowed 88 goals against. So far this year, the team has allowed just 17 on 107 times being shorthanded.

The data in the table below in ONLY for PK during 5 on 4 disadvantage (excludes 5 on 3 situations). Among the forwards, the coaching staff is leaning most heavily on Reasoner, Peverley, Thorburn and Armstrong. This represents a major change from last season when the top 4 PK forwards included Reasoner, Perrin, Slater and C. Stuart.

Who has been most effective so far? When looking at Even Strength situations I put a lot of weight on Goal Differential, but on the PK scoring is an afterthought (and often involves a lot of luck), so I put greater emphasis on the PK GAA (Goals Against Average). Bottom line, the job of the PK unit is to prevent a goal against.

In the table below I have ranked all the Thrasher forwards who average at least half a minute on the PK in the order of their PK GAA. Rich Peverley has not only lead the Thrashers in points on offense but he currently sports the lowest PK GAA of any forward who plays the PK on a regular basis. Right behind Peverley is Chris Thorburn who has excelled so far this season after being given a bigger role in killing penalties. In the middle of the pack we find surprising rookie Evander Kane, Colby Armstrong and veteran PKer Marty Reasoner. Trailing behind in effectiveness are Jim Slater and Todd White who have each seen their PK minutes decline this year.

Forward	POS	GP	TOI/60	GFON	GAON	GFA	GAA	G Diff
RICH PEVERLEY	C	25	2.47	2	3	1.94	2.91	-0.97
CHRIS THORBURN	C	25	2.36	2	3	2.03	3.05	-1.02
EVANDER KANE	C	25	1.63	1	3	1.48	4.43	-2.95
COLBY ARMSTRONG	RW	24	2.23	1	5	1.12	5.61	-4.49
MARTY REASONER	C	25	3.35	2	10	1.43	7.16	-5.73
JIM SLATER	C	11	1.29	0	2	0.00	8.43	-8.43
TODD WHITE	C	25	0.48	0	2	0.00	10.00	-10.00

On defense, the guys receiving the heaviest PK burden are Ron Hainsey, Pavel Kubina and Zach Bogosian in that order. Last season Tobias Enstrom was the Thashers leading PK defenseman but this year he has seen his PK TOI cut back significantly with the arrival of Kubina and Schubert and with more minutes going to Bogosian.

In his reduced role Enstrom has been nothing short of perfect. In fact, so far the this season when killing 5 on 4 penalties the Thrashers have actually outscored the opposition 1-0 when Enstrom is on the ice--that's rather amazing.

Among the non-Enstrom defenseman new comer Pavel Kubina has the best PK GAA with Popovic right behind him. Bogosian and Hainsey bring up the rear. It is worth noting that the spread among the defensemen is much smaller than it is among the forwards, which suggests that all of the defenseman have been reasonably effective on the PK so far this year.

Defense	POS	GP	TOI/60	GFON	GAON	GFA	GAA	G Diff
TOBIAS ENSTROM	D	25	0.86	1	0	2.78	0.00	2.78
PAVEL KUBINA	D	24	3.02	1	5	0.83	4.14	-3.32
MARK POPOVIC	D	16	1.72	2	2	4.35	4.35	0.00
ZACH BOGOSIAN	D	25	2.87	3	6	2.51	5.02	-2.51
RON HAINSEY	D	23	3.87	0	9	0.00	6.07	-6.07
CHRISTOPH SCHUBERT	D	23	2.13	1	6	1.22	7.33	-6.11

Holiday Special: The Top Secret Thrashers Christmas List.

aaron b — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 22:07:16 -0000

In a massive coup for our writing team, our BWA spies have secured a copy of a very important document – Santa's Christmas list for our very own Atlanta Thrashers. At the risk of ruining the holidays for these players, we present it here for you in it's entirety.

via c cbssportsstore.com

Rick Dudley - 4,524 travel mugs. He's pretty hard on them.

Don Waddell - A mind-control device programmed to operate only on Jay Grossman.

John Anderson - 40 minutes of effort to match the 20 minutes he already has.

The Atlanta Sprit Group - Hawks at 12-5. Thrashers at 14-7-3. Miley Cyrus just played at Philips. What else could they possibly want?!?

Rich Peverley – A permanent ban on any questions including the phrases "Ex-ECHLer" and "waiver-wire". Oh, and will somebody pay this guy some attention, please?

Ilya Kovalchuk – Ten years, one hundred million dollars in Atlanta. And a Kindle. I bet he doesn't have one of those yet.

via komplettie.files.wordpress.com

Maxim Afinogenov - At least three more years in Thrasher blue next to Ilya Kovalchuk.

Nik Antropov - A goal. For the love of all that is good and true, a freakin goal.

Toby Enstrom - A noble steed to match his flowing mane.

Evander Kane - About 35 more pounds of muscle.

Slava Kozlov – A nice crocheted sweater that says "NOT VIKTOR."

Zach Bogosian - Call of Duty strategy guide (Bryan wins too much) and some sweet rims for his ride.

Pavel Kubina - Hey, he's not a Maple Leaf anymore; what else does he want?

Todd White – Quicken 2010/TurboTax 2010 value bundle. And some sedatives. Can't have him getting too wild.

Bryan Little – Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and some new Xbox controllers (Zach keeps breaking them).

Marty Reasoner – Custom "The PARTY is HERE!" t-shirt and matching trucker cap.

Colby Armstrong - A nap.

Kari Lehtonen - One of those back massage thingys they have at Bed Bath & Beyond.

Ron Hainsey - Product. Lots and lots of hair product.

Chris Thorburn - Some recognition for the tireless charity work this guy does. (srsly)

Anssi Salmela - The removal of the sign above his locker that says "The Guy We Got For Nic Havelid."

Christoph Schubert - Schnitzel and The Best of Mike Meyers on SNL. I guess he's likes the "Sprockets" sketches.

Eric Boulton - PunchOut for Nintendo Wii, and a nice display case for Riley Cote's dignity.

Mark Popovic – Something to get the smell of borscht out of his gameday suit.

Johan Hedberg – Bah, he'll be happy with any kind of Spongebob something-or-other.

Ondrej Pavelec - A helmet that stays on.

Jim Slater - His recycling merit badge (finally).

Thursday links: Staying up late to watch hockey edition

averagejoe — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 11:00:24 -0000

Late-night West Coast games are the worst. I remember being a kid and only being able to watch the first period and being forced to go to bed without knowing who won. Glad I'm all grown up and can stay up past 10 p.m.

Blues news

Blues vs. Sharks tonight. Never forget 2000. [CBS Sports]
The Blues are helping out with Big Brothers Big Sisters program. [Blues]
Alex Pietrangelo is a victim of his youth. [Belleville News-Democrat]
The Blues power play coaching duties are being passed around to everyone on staff. Why not have Al MacInnins offer a few tips? [St. Louis Post-Dispatch]
Keith Tkachuk explains a comment he made about the Blues effort against Columbus. Is this the leader I've heard so much about? [STLtoday.com]
Alex Pietrangelo will be playing for Team Canada in the World Juniors. [NHL]
Four others will join Pietrangelo at the World Juniors. [Blues]

Hockey news

Big night in the NHL on Thursday. [Yahoo! Sports]
Your results from last night. [Yahoo! Sports]
From Gallagher: A documentary on the 1960 U.S. Olympic hockey team — it looks pretty bad ass. [Forgotten Miracle]
Several NHL teams celebrated Movember. Zach Bogosian looks awesome. [Puck Daddy]
The Canadiens have traded Kyle Chipchura (who?) to the Ducks for a fourth-round draft pick. [ESPN]
The Rangers claimed Erik Christensen off of waivers and placed Steve Valiquette on waivers. [ESPN]
How cool is Tomas Vokoun? He's not mad at all with Keith Ballard and joking about his injury. [TSN]
The Blackhawks are expected to announce the signings of Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith soon. Didn't this happen already? [ESPN]
Jonas Gustavsson is out of Montreal, will see a cardiac specialist in Toronto. Not good times for Leafs fans. [TSN]
Alexander Ovechkin says he won't change his style — in fact, he's going to play harder. [TSN]

Other links

Christmas Vacation is a holiday classic. Here's why. [I-Mockery.com]
Restaurants shouldn't skimp on hiring copy editors. [Bad Menu]
Ever wanted a branding iron? Have $38.00? Now you can turn your lighter into a 5-character branding iron. [Shapeways]

Video

From Cozmcphsish comes a video that made me laugh way, way too hard.

Risky Business Fail

Game night tonight. Come back for the Game Day Thread.

gametimelinks(at)gmail.com

Thrashers tease Panthers, get it done with seconds left; 4-3 in regulation

Whale4ever — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 02:56:52 -0000

More photos » by John Bazemore - AP

21 days ago: Atlanta Thrashers' Ilya Kovalchuk, right, gets up after scoring a goal on Florida Panthers goalie Tomas Vokoun (25) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Monday, Nov. 30, 2009. Vokoun was taken off the ice on a stretcher after he was accidentally hit in the head by the stick of teammate Keith Ballard, rear. Ballard swung his stick at the net, inadvertantly striking Vokoun on the head. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

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The effort was there on this night, in stark contrast to what played out Saturday in Nashville, but the result remained depressing.

Atlanta's Maxim Afinogenov - left for dead by Buffalo last season (and who could blame them?) - scored at 19:54 of the third period at Philips Arena to seal it for the home boys. Florida showed heart by erasing three deficits to keep it close throughout the evening, with goals by Michael Frolik, Stephen Weiss, and Rostislav Olesz. Wasn't enough.

The Big Story was obviously Keith Ballard's inadvertent hit on Tomas Vokoun. "Tvo" is being described as "alert and responsive" while receiving treatment at an Atlanta hospital. Godspeed, Tomas.

It was a stick swung out of frustration, and a complete accident. The story here is that there really isn't one; a freakish incident.

Notes: The Thrashers led in SOG 35-28. Nathan Horton (1a) paced the Panthers in TOI with 22:54, which was second among both clubs (ATL defenseman Zach Bogosian had a scant three additional seconds). Where's Stevie Mac? FLA's resident pugilist left the bench for all of 1:33. Vokoun left the game after 3 saves on 5 shots. Gregory Campbell did not wind up with PP time. Every Panther was either "even" or minus-1. Frolik led his club with six SOG. Scott Clemmensen finished with 28 saves on 30 shots, while Johan Hedberg stopped 25 of 28. Ilya Kovalchuk scored his 15th goal of the season.

Our best to Tvo for a quick recovery.

Thrashers Beat The Streak, Down Flyers 1-0

aaron b — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 05:19:35 -0000

More photos » by Gregory Smith - AP

23 days ago: Atlanta Thrashers forward Rich Peverley, left, scores a goal against Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Brian Boucher (33) during the second period, of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Nov. 28, 2009, at Philips Arena, in Atlanta. The goal became the game-winning goal as the Thrashers went on to win 1-0. (AP Photo/Gregory Smith)

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One day, I'll learn to stop making predictions. My call of a 5-3 Thrashers win could not have been more off--but at least give me this--would you have guessed a 1-0 Thrashers win?

That's right, never in a million years.

Hit the jump for some quick hit thoughts.

- Concerning Colby Armstrong's hit on Philly's own Chosen One, James van Riemsdyk: Colby did what he did and got what he deserved. JVR also learned a very valuable lesson: if you want to play stickey-poke before the face off with someone who has been known to hit very hard, keep your head up afterwards, ya dig? He's young, he'll learn.

- Rich Peverley has 5 game-winning goals. I bet you didn't think $475K could get you five NHL wins, did you?

(No, this particular meme will not be going away anytime soon. Live with it.)

- Eric Boulton & Riley Cote fought. Rather, Riley Cote hung on while Eric Boulton beat him about the head. No surprises.

- If you run in to Pavel Kubina out and about somewhere, make sure he never has to pay for his own drinks again. He's been the top-pairing defenseman the Thrashers have been looking for since... 2000, maybe? Zach Bogosian and Toby Enstrom can take care of the offense, I'm more than pleased with Kubina stationed beside our net.

- Johan Hedberg looked every bit the confident veteran leader in net as he earned his first shutout of the year. The Thrashers have a young stud netminder who is improving with every game, and a rock-solid "backup" (as Moose is playing like a backup in name only) to help said young stud along. Is anyone else thinking this is how it should've been in goal for Atlanta? Only, you know, three or four years ago?

- Is this a bigger win than last night's comeback against the Hurricanes? Absolutely. Last night proved that the team is capable of stealing control of a game not going their way. Tonight proved that they're capable of controling a game from start to finish. The Flyers played hard, the officiating was as clean as it gets; the Thrashers just played better. Let that sink in.

Tell me what I missed in the comments.

Thrashers 2010 Olympics Hockey Preview

The Falconer — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 06:10:45 -0000

The Olympic Games do not get underway until the last two weeks of February, but SB Nation is counting off each potential Olympian playing in the NHL over the next two weeks. Here's a look at which Atlanta Thrashers may be headed to Vancouver in the spring.

Pack Your Bags

Ilya Kovalchuk is a first line player for the Russian Team. The only thing keeping him from Vancouver would be an injury. He won gold at the most recent World Championships and would certainly love to repeat that performance with fellow countrymen Ovechkin and Malkin.

Christoph Schubert will attend given the paucity of German born NHL players. To be honest I don't know anything about German players playing in Europe, but looking at their list of Olympic candidates, I would expect him to be in their top four defenseman.

Nearly A Lock

Ondrej Pavelec is unlikely to displace Vokoun as the starter for Czech team, but I would consider him the favorite to win the #2 job.

Pavel Kubina is another near lock to represent his team in the spring. He may have lost a step but he still plays big minutes and key situations in the NHL against elite level opponents.

Fairly Safe Bet

Tobias Enstrom should qualify as one of the top 7 defensemen from Sweden. I would rank Lidstrom, Kronwall and Ohlund ahead of him, but Enstrom should be the next four along with Victor Hedman, Oduja, and Tallinder. The tiny defender has proven very adept at playing in small North America rinks against large NHL players.

Ilya Nikulin--OK he's not a Thrasher at the moment, but the team did draft him way back in 2000. Each summer Thrashers fans are treated to rumors he might sign and come to Atlanta. But Nikulin is a big star in the KHL (a starter in their All-Star Game) and has represented his nation at the World Championships. Thrasher fans will get a look at what they have been missing all these years.

In A Battle

Ron Hainsey was invited to the American Olympic Camp, but when I look at the roster I would rank 4 players as a lock at defense (Rafalski, Martin, Suter, Komisarek) and a bunch of guys fighting for the last three slots: Whitney, Gleason, Hainsey, E. Johnson, Goligoski, and Gilbert. Hainsey is probably in the mix, but personally I'd take American Zach Bogosian over Hainsey.

Work To Do

Maxim Afinogenov was on Team Russia's list of potential players, but they have a very deep pool to chose from. Throw in traditional Russian hockey politics (half the team is supposed to come from the KHL) and I have a hard time seeing Max make the final cut.

Rich Peverley is in the top 20 in scoring in the NHL and will likely get almost no consideration for Team Canada. That's the nature of the beast when you're from north of the border. Many good hockey Canadian hockey players have no chance.

Moving Up

Zach Bogosian has been nothing short of spectacular this season. He's leading all NHL defensemen in goals and can also supply a good hit here and there. Thrashers GM Don Waddell is part of the selection committee and makes reports on prospective Team USA members. I would expect that Bogosian's name will be discussed at length.

Moving Down

Boris Valabik has just now returned to the ice after an injury. He did not look all that sharp in Training Camp.

Kari Lehtonen has not even begun to practice after two back surgeries. Not going to happen this year.

Bruins looking to snap 3-game skid in Atlanta

Stanley Cup of Chowder — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:15:08 -0000

More photos » by Frank Franklin II - AP

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The Bruins and Thrashers are scheduled to face-off tonight at the Philips Arena in Atlanta at 7:00. This game looks like two teams heading in different directions. The Bruins enter tonight's game trying to snap a 3-game skid (0-1-2), while the surprising Thrashers are riding a 4-game win string (3-0-1).

Know Your Enemy

Atlanta Thrashers (10-6-1)

Head Coach: John Anderson

Leading Goal Scorers:

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Ilya Kovalchuk	12	6	18	3	8

Goaltending:

	GP	MIN	W	L	T	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Ondrej Pavelec	13	703	6	5			34	2.90	410	376	.917	1

	GP	MIN	W	L	T	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Johan Hedberg	7	320	4	1			14	2.63	181	167	.923	0

Injury Report

Boston
Milan Lucic is a game-time decision tonight. Marc Savard is questionable for tonight but should return soon.

Atlanta
Pavel Kubina and Bryan Little are both game-time decisions. Goalie Kari Lehtonen has been on the shelf all season while recovering from back surgery. Boris Valabik is recovering from an ankle injury and is doing a conditioning stint in the AHL with the Chicago Wolves.

Notes:

- Rumors are swirling about Marc Savard getting ready to sign a 7-year contract extension with the Bruins worth a reported $39 million.

- Atlanta's Zach Bogosian is leading NHL defensemen with 8 goals.

- Highly-touted rookie Evander Kane has 11 points (6-5-11) in his first 17 NHL games.

- Valabik's conditioning stint in the AHL means that we won't get to see a re-match of the towering Slovaks.

Of course Chara won't have to stick up for a poor, defenseless, stick-swinging, undersized forward this time. Watch the beginning of that video and focus on #81 (I am no longer referring to him by name). Valabik is roughing him up a bit (AKA doing his job), Kessel slashes him, and immediately skates away as Z comes in to bail him out.

- Game starts at 7:00. Public Skate (open thread) starts right here a half hour before puck drop.

- For more on the Thrashers, check out Bird Watchers Anonymous...and their creepy Jason the Peeping Tom logo.

Today's Obligatory Embarrassing Thrashers Fan YouTube Video