Jim Slater News

Your Friday morning report from Thrashers practice. As I wait for the players to take the ice, let's pose a question.

There was no Boris Valabik to get under Sidney Crosby's skin Saturday. The Thrashers defenseman is on a rehab assignment in Chicago after ankle surgery.

It took the Thrashers most of last season to adjust to new coach John Anderson 's system.

The faceoff. It's hockey's version of the jump ball -- yet it can happen 70 times a game.

Sunday afternoon, Slava Kozlov packed his bags, bade farewell to Jim Slater, Marty Reasoner and Nik Antropov...then exited Schnide Island.

They can score and they can fight. The Thrashers scored four times on four straight shots -- in a span of 5:04 of the second period en route to a 7-0 victory over Los Angeles at Philips Arena.

Fresh off an embarrassing 6-3 loss on Long Island the night before, the Thrashers once again dug themselves a two-goal hole playing at home.

The Thrashers were willing to try anything to break their four-game home losing streak.

The Atlanta Thrashers seem to play every shift at home as though they are down a goal in the final minute of the game.

Columbus star Rick Nash entered Thursday's game fourth in the NHL with 21 points, including 10 points in his past six games.

Alex Ovechkin got Washington off to a good start. Semyon Varlamov bailed out the Capitals the rest of the way.

Jim Slater returned to the Thrashers' lineup Thursday after being a healthy scratch the past seven games.

's second start of the season didn't last long. He was pulled in the second period, trailing by three goals, in Saturday's 4-3 loss to San Jose.

There were plenty of people waiting to see Max Afinogenov when he returned to Buffalo on Saturday.

The Atlanta Thrashers head to Buffalo after a convincing 4-2 win over the New Jersey Devils on Friday night.

It was a nearly perfect night for Eric Boulton. In the Thrashers' season-opening victory Oct.

Rookie Kris Letang's shootout goal lifted the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 3-2 victory over the Atlanta Thrashers on Sunday and into a tie for the points lead in the Eastern Conference.

Colby Armstrong was skating on a line with Rich Peverley and Evander Kane as the Thrashers returned to practice Monday following Saturday's season-opening victory over Tampa Bay.

Jim Slater 's shoulders are just fine. Enlarge photo AJC file Jim Slater, who had eight goals and 10 assists in 2008-2009, is healthy and ready for the season, which begins Saturday at home against Tampa Bay.

Wea ve been a round and a round the whole subject of whether or not John Andersona s a oeplay more in regular season gamesa comments were in reference to Maxim Afinogenov or not.