Nov 13 2008
Thrashers still waiting on Lehtonen to heal
By Bud L. Ellis
thrashers.today.com
ATLANTA — Pardon Ondrej Pavelec if he doesn’t know if he’s coming or going.
Pardon the rest of us if we’re a little frustrated with Kari Lehtonen.
And so it goes with the Atlanta Thrashers’ goaltending situation. Lehtonen, who has missed the past five games with the flu and back problems, reportedly reinjured his back in practice on Tuesday. Now, he will miss the Thrashers’ games Friday at home against Carolina and Sunday at Philly.
Pavelec, who won the first two games of Atlanta’s current four-game winning streak, was shipped to Chicago of the American Hockey League Monday. Now, he’s back, and don’t be surprised to see the youngster between the pipes at least once this weekend. Pavelec has done nothing but impress during his stint in Atlanta.
As for Lehtonen? Well, he played very well during the early days of the season, when the Thrashers weren’t winning. Certainly, he’s the best goaltender on the roster. But at some point in time, you’ve got to wonder if the Thrashers are going to get more than irked at what seems to be Kari’s inability to bounce back from injuries in a timely manner.
We shall see if Lehtonen can grace the Thrashers with his presence next week. For now, it’s Johan Hedberg and Pavelec charged with keeping the streak alive.
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