Thrashers.Today.Com

By Bud L. Ellis
thrashers.today.com

ATLANTA – Seventy-one days until hockey season starts, and for anybody who’s watched the Braves as much as I have this season, lemme tell you the Thrashers’ season opener can’t get here soon enough.

Granted, you may say given what the Thrashers put us through last season, this winter might be an extension of the misery Atlanta’s baseball team has put me through.

Who’s to say? For now, I remain optimistic the Thrashers will turn things around and rebound. And nothing fuels the optimism of the offseason quite like the release of the regular-season schedule.

If you’re wondering what dates you might want to check out the Thrashers this season – be it at Philips Arena or on the tube – here’s a primer to some of the biggest dates on the Thrashers’ schedule. Today, we look at five must-see games in October and November:

Oct. 10, Capitals at Thrashers: Not only is it opening night and John Anderson’s debut as head coach, you’ve got the defending Southeast Division champions in town. Oh, did we mention last season’s top two goal scorers in the league – Alexander Ovechkin and Ilya Kovalchuk – will be in the house?

Oct. 11, Thrashers at Panthers: Winning games in the division take on more importance this season because, well, there aren’t as many chances to beat the folks in your own neighborhood. The NHL has cut the number of games against teams within your division from eight to six. The Thrashers won just 15 road games last season, a number that has to get better. No better place to start than Florida, who finished nine points ahead of the Thrashers last season in the Southeast.

Oct. 21, Thrashers at Lightning: Two years ago, they dueled to the wire for the division title. Last season, they occupied the bottom two spots in the Eastern Conference. The easy-to-hate John Tortorella no longer stands from the Tampa bench, replaced by the just as easy-to-hate Barry Melrose. Big chance for the Thrashers to deliver an early-season statement.

Nov. 20, Penguins at Thrashers: Sid the Kid brings the defending conference champions to town. Wherever Sidney Crosby – the NHL’s darling child – goes, the spotlight shines. Don’t think Kovy doesn’t realize that. Beyond the star factor, this game will be a good measuring stick for the revamped Thrashers’ defense against the third-highest scoring team from a year ago.

Nov. 28, Predators at Thrashers: Fewer games within your division mean more games against teams from the other conference, and that’s a good thing for the Thrashers. Only separated by a four-hour ride on Interstates 75 and 24, Atlanta and Nashville are in separate conferences. This first meeting of the season between the geographic – if not conference – rivals should be a good one.

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