Entries with the tag: atlanta+thrashers

The Hockey Family

by Alanah on 01/07/08 at 06:35 PM
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From Carroll Rogers in tomorrow’s Atlanta Journal-Constitution,

Dr. Michael Stuart was on the phone with the oldest of four hockey-playing children — Mike, who plays in Austria. They were just chatting when the cheering started from 10 friends and family members gathered at the Stuarts’ home in Rochester to watch the Thrashers on TV.

“Oh my gosh, Colin just went end-to-end,” Dr. Stuart said into the phone. He proceeded to break down the play for Mike, which ended with a back-handed shot past goalie Ryan Miller.

Hockey has been a big deal in the Stuart family for a long time. It’s getting bigger by the day.

Colin, 25, is five games into his NHL career, joining his brother Mark Stuart, 23, who is in his first full season as a defenseman for the Boston Bruins. Mike, 27, who once played in the St. Louis Blues organization, is now playing in Graz, Austria.  Their sister Cristin, 21, plays on the women’s team at Boston College. And Michael Stuart, who is an orthopedic surgeon, is the chief medical officer for USA Hockey.

more... and the video of Colin Stuart’s goal can be seen here.

Mark Recchi Has Something to Prove

by Alanah on 12/12/07 at 02:39 PM
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From TSN,

Recchi, claimed off re-entry waivers by the Thrashers on Saturday, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution he believes Penguins coach Michel Therrien was too quick to remove him from the top line and No. 1 power-play unit.

“They’ll see,” Recchi told the paper. “I didn’t get 68 points for no reason last year. In the first seven or eight games [this season], I had a point a game until the coach decided to move me down two or three lines for whatever reason. I still haven’t figured it out.”

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Can Kovalchuk Score 70?

by Alanah on 12/07/07 at 01:50 PM
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From Craig Custance at Thrashers Blog,

As we sit here right now, Ilya Kovalchuk is on pace for 70 goals. It’s been quite awhile since that’s been done (since 92-93 season) but do you think he can do it? I asked around the Thrashers lockerroom this morning, if players thought it was going to happen. My new favorite corner is the Eric Boulton - Eric Perrin and Chris Thorburn corner of the room, so I presented it to them. I asked Perrin, and Boulton piped in, saying basically ‘good luck answering that. If you say yes you jinx him, if you say no, you’re saying no.’ So Perrin thought about it a moment and said “If anybody can do it, it’s Kovy.” Thorburn refused to talk about it altogether. So what would you put the odds at — How about this, I’ll set the over/under at 64 goals. You going over or under?

Thrashers Policy On Bloggers

by Paul on 12/04/07 at 04:04 PM
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from Craig Custance at Thrashers Blog,

If the Capitals, and their blogger-friendly credential policy are one end of the spectrum, the Thrashers are at the other end. To be fair, they are probably still in the majority with the rest of the league.

Their official stance comes from the PR department: “Our policy is only to allow bloggers from accredited news agencies.”…

We’ve heard a lot of the arguments back and forth, but ultimately it comes down to one thing: accountability. One Thrashers staffer explained it to me this way: “If we have a problem with you, we have someone we can go to.” Presumably my editor or somebody up the food chain at the AJC.

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Waddell Takes Advantage Of Thrashers Skill

by Paul on 11/29/07 at 08:22 AM
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from David Shoalts of the Globe and Mail,

Holik said Hartley also wanted the Thrashers to play that crash-and-bang style and the early results were even worse than the Leafs’.

“That takes a lot out of you,” he said. “Our team didn’t have [the size]. We don’t have the biggest team, but we’re a skating team, so the biggest thing for us is puck control.”

Now, instead of asking talents such as Ilya Kovalchuk to dump the puck into the offensive zone and try to get it back, the Thrashers carry the puck a lot more. Waddell also allows Kovalchuk, Marian Hossa and the other forwards to freelance more on offence.

more on the Thrashers…

Thrashers Upbeat Regarding Hossa Contract

by Paul on 11/25/07 at 09:25 AM
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from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution,

Don Waddell confirmed that he had a meeting with Marian Hossa’s agent Ritch Winter this week and that talks of a contract extension for the All-Star forward are progressing. Hossa is scheduled to become the NHL’s premier free agent this summer, but Waddell is optimistic it won’t get that far.

“It’s progressing, and as long as we continue to have the kind of talks that we had, they’re very upbeat and on target with where we’re headed, then at some point here we’ll be able to announce a deal,” Waddell said.

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Lehtonen Back in Practice - Goalie Surplus in Atlanta

by Alanah on 11/19/07 at 04:16 PM
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From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution,

“It’s been a long month, but it was great today to come here when everybody else comes and not three hours before,” Lehtonen said. “It’s fun to be a part of the team.”

And suddenly it’s a team that will have three capable goalies. According to general manager and interim head coach Don Waddell, Lehtonen’s return to the lineup won’t be rushed. In the past, he said, Lehtonen might have been hurried to action this week. But not now.

Johan Hedberg is coming off his first shutout with the Thrashers and will get the start tonight against Tampa Bay. He’s 4-0 in his last five starts and with his shutout in Carolina, dropped his goals against average to 2.38 in November.

Rookie Ondrej Pavelec is 3-1 in four starts and has a 2.71 GAA on the season. His only other loss came in a relief appearance against Ottawa.

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Thrashers Will Search For Coach After The Season

by Paul on 11/15/07 at 11:37 AM
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from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution,

Thrashers general manager Don Waddell told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Thursday morning that the Thrashers won’t be going outside the organization for a new coach this season. He spoke with the Atlanta Spirit ownership and they supported his plan to keep any replacement at coach within the organization during the season.

For now, Waddell will stay behind the bench and continue to lean on the services of assistants Brad McCrimmon and Steve Weeks. He said the search will reconvene after the season.

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Therie Is No “I” In Ilya These Days

by Paul on 11/14/07 at 01:18 PM
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from Blueland Blog,

Getting Ilya to talk about himself right now is like pulling teeth. When he was asked about his OT goal last night the first thing he said was that it was all about Todd White’s hard work. He’s deflecting attention from himself and heaping praise on his teammates at every opportunity. I’m convinced that if a reporter offered him $1,000 in cash to take credit for a goal he’d pass it up right now.

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Thrashers Facts

by Paul on 11/14/07 at 09:34 AM
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from the IceMan Bloggeth,

Marion Hossa’s 11 short handed goals in the last three seasons leads the NHL. So, when he is slumping, take a penalty, right?

The Thrashers actually out-shot an opponent for the very first time this season 33-21 Tuesday night. It was the 18th game of the year. And there was much rejoicing in Blueland.

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Kovalchuk Driven To Succeed

by Paul on 11/10/07 at 12:13 PM
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from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution,

Kovalchuk credits his father for handing down an intense, competitive drive, a drive Thrashers opponents have seen up close over the past two weeks.

It’s a competitive hunger that former teammate Dany Heatley got to know well in Atlanta, and saw again recently in Ottawa.

“It all goes back to hockey,” said Heatley, who still keeps in close touch with Kovalchuk. “How hungry he is to score. ... You can see that in games, his competitiveness. What I find is he’s like that in practice, scrimmages, a two-on-one drill — he wants to score. He’s hungry to score. He wants to win.”

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thanks to Blueland Blog for the pointer…

Kovalchuk Wakes Up With A Stiff Back

by Paul on 11/07/07 at 03:17 PM
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from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution,

Ilya Kovalchuk was scheduled for a precautionary MRI Wednesday afternoon, the results of which probably won’t be known until Thursday.

Thrashers interim coach and general manager Don Waddell said Wednesday it was too soon to know if the back spasms that forced Kovalchuk out of Tuesday night’s win over Washington would cost him the Florida game Friday as well.

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One Statement May Keep Waddell Behind The Bench

by Paul on 11/05/07 at 07:10 PM
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from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution,

“That’s the reason why I’m here,” said Kovalchuk, speaking of Waddell. “He brought me to this country and drafted me No. 1. When he’s behind the bench, it’s a little bit special for me.”

“It goes back to the first time he was in town [for an interview before the 2001 draft],” Waddell said. “I basically kidnapped him. He had his agent with him and I had one of our PR guys, and they went to the bathroom and I said, ‘You take the agent; I’ll take Kovy.’ I’ve watched him grow up, not just as a player but as a person.”

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Note: Earlier transcript of Kovalchuk interview here

Kovalchuk Breaks Out

by Paul on 11/05/07 at 03:04 PM
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from Darren Eliot at Sports Illustrated,

Many people are going to jump to the conclusion that Ilya Kovalchuk’s amazing run of goal-scoring—nine in seven games—is a direct result of the Atlanta Thrashers removing head coach Bob Hartley after the team’s 0-6 start. Well, that assessment might be right for the wrong reasons.

You see, the coach and the prodigy co-existed for four-and-a-half seasons. Hartley brought needed structure and consistency to both a young franchise and a young player with star potential. But once it was clear that Kovalchuk had absorbed the lessons of accountability, his offensive verve wasn’t quite the same. His kinetic dashes down the left wing—once filled with the promise of brilliance—became tempered, or even worse, predictable.

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Update 3:41pm ET
Transcript of Kovalchuk’s NHL press conference call today:

Continue Reading »

Hot Kovalchuk

by Paul on 11/04/07 at 08:21 AM
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from Blueland Blog,

So as fans, how should we show our appreciation for Ilya Kovalchuk on Tuesday night?

* A KOV-AL-CHUK chant during warm-ups? KO-VY, KO-VY? How about during the first faceoff he’s on the ice for?

* He had back-to-back hat tricks on the road. Can we throw hats on the ice for him on Tuesday since most of us weren’t there on Thursday and Saturday? It’d have to be during warm-ups or else you could spark a delay of game call. then again, you might want to save your hat for when he scores three at home. The way he’s playing it could happen any time now.

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Waddell May Remain Behind The Bench

by Paul on 11/01/07 at 09:41 PM
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from Kevin Allen of USA TODAY,

Although Waddell would still prefer to name a permanent coach, it seems more likely each day that he will retain the title as interim coach for the remainder of the season.

Several factors might be pushing him toward that decision, including the fact that most of top assistant coaches around the NHL don’t have in-season out clauses and their general managers won’t give Waddell permission to talk to them until the summer.

Second, with the Thrashers’ ownership in limbo because of a legal squabble, Waddell could have trouble securing ownership approval for a long-term hire.

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Hossa Not Feeling It

by Paul on 10/31/07 at 06:08 PM
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from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution,

Marian Hossa wasn’t feeling it. The Thrashers had just played Montreal even through three periods and five minutes of overtime. It was time for the shootout.

Don Waddell turned to Hossa to see if the Thrashers star forward still wanted to be the second shooter, just like he was all of last season when he scored five shootout goals.

But surprisingly, one of the most prolific scorers in the NHL declined.

“Don asked me and I said, ‘I don’t think I should go in this time. I just don’t feel it,’” Hossa said.

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Thrashers Fans Get Around

by Alanah on 10/30/07 at 12:29 PM
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From the Atlanta Thrashers,

“How many people can say their Thrasher jersey has traveled from one end of the earth to the other?! My Thrashers jersey has literally traveled around the world from the Middle East to East Asia, traveling thru Europe and the Pacific along the way. In August, my jersey and I took a short deployment to Kuwait. In October, my jersey and I deployed to Qatar. Hockey jerseys were not made with the middle east in mind- the temperature was 115 degrees while taking these photos”

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Here’s the really odd thing: Major Daniel Barnes also just randomly runs into another Thrashers’ fan wearing the team jersey, wandering around Amsterdam.  Small world…

Thrashers & Oilers Rumors

by Alanah on 10/30/07 at 11:13 AM
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Spector takes a closer look at talk about a deal between Edmonton and Atlanta. Plus more speculation about Forsberg…

Atlanta Talk

by Alanah on 10/29/07 at 07:10 PM
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From Craig Custance at the AJC,

Waddell has also been in touch with Marian Hossa’s new agent, Ritch Winter. If Hossa is convinced this team is headed in the right direction, I think he’ll sign. If he doesn’t, he won’t. It’s that simple. Waddell remains optimistic that something can get done.

I know there were rumors of a John Anderson interview, but that hasn’t happened. Waddell said he and Anderson met in Chicago, but it was a conversation and not an interview. He said he used the meeting as much to talk to Anderson about the job opening as to pick his brain about the players in Chicago.

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Update 9:48pm ET: More on the Thrasher’s coaching situation again at the AJC.

Brad McCrimmon Should Be The Atlanta Coach

by Paul on 10/23/07 at 01:49 PM
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from Al Strachan at Fox Sports,

...However, Waddell can certainly be blamed for what has happened since. By naming himself as the interim coach, he has given the impression that he doesn’t have a better candidate available, even though he has one standing at his side in the person of assistant coach Brad McCrimmon.

McCrimmon is a solid hockey man. He was an integral part of arguably the greatest junior hockey team in the history of the game, and he was an elite-level defenseman throughout his career.

more and I do believe both Sean Burke and Scott Mellanby on the CBC Hot Stove Saturday backed McCrimmon too for the job…

Lehtonen Out With Strained Groin

by Paul on 10/22/07 at 11:29 AM
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from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution,

Thrashers goalie Kari Lehtonen will be out four to six weeks with a strained groin. An MRI revealed that there was no tear in the groin Lehtonen injured during Thursday’s win over the Rangers.

Even so, he’ll likely be out until December.

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To Blame or Not Blame the Coach

by Alanah on 10/21/07 at 05:05 PM
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From Terry Frei at the Denver Post,

Atlanta’s 0-6 start this season that led to Hartley’s firing followed, and perhaps a change had to be made. But the “Aw, he was too tough” malarkey that came out of Atlanta was so lamely clichéd and predictable, it makes anyone who went along with it look silly.

In any sport, if it works, it’s “restoring order”; if it doesn’t, it’s “pettiness.” I think they still teach that in Sportswriting 101.

Plus, this is the sport that more than any other gives players excuses to tune out coaches with the prevailing attitude that coaches’ effectiveness is a short-term proposition, and all they need is the ability to determine which side of that rationalization standard the coach falls on.

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Connecting Pat Quinn to the Thrashers

by Alanah on 10/20/07 at 07:32 PM
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From Craig Custance at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution,

Quinn, who last coached in the NHL in 2006 with the Toronto Maple Leafs, spent the last five seasons of his playing career with the Atlanta Flames as a defenseman. He still keeps in touch with the players from those teams who live in Atlanta, such as Tim Ecclestone and Eric Vail.  His daughter was a swimmer at the University of Georgia. Recently, he went pheasant hunting in Montana with former Falcons great Tommy Nobis.

So when Bob Hartley was fired and word spread that Thrashers general manager Don Waddell was looking for a new coach, why wouldn’t Quinn be interested?

“I think after a year away, I wasn’t quite ready to be in retirement,” said Quinn, when reached on his cellphone while visiting Winnipeg, Manitoba. “I still feel healthy and have a passion to be involved.”

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Applications for Thrashers’ Coaching Job

by Alanah on 10/18/07 at 02:37 PM
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From Scott J. Powers at the Daily Herald,

John Anderson has been waiting his entire coaching career for a shot at the NHL.  With the firing of Atlanta Thrashers coach Bob Hartley on Wednesday, that shot may arrive for the 10-year Chicago Wolves coach.

“I would hope so,” said the 50-year-old Anderson. “It’s not a good thing that someone gets fired, but someone has to pick up the pieces. If I don’t, someone else will. If there’s an opportunity in Atlanta, I’d like a whack at it. I think I could fill the job.”

Anderson has done everything else. He starred in the NHL for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1970s and ‘80s. As a coach, he has succeeded at nearly every minor-league level. Since becoming the Wolves coach in 1997, he has won two Turner Cups and one Calder Cup, and he made the playoffs eight times and has had a winning record every year.

“If I’m not ready now, I’ll never be,” he said. “I’ve coached teams that have won championships. I’ve played in the National (Hockey) League. I’ve played on Team Canada. I’m ready. I’m ready for that job.”

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*Previous ‘applicant’ today, Pat Quinn

Hartley Fired

by Paul on 10/17/07 at 12:08 PM
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from TSN,

After six straight losses to open the season, the Atlanta Thrashers have fired head coach Bob Hartley. General Manager Don Wadell will take over behind the bench on an interim basis until a replacement can be hired.

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Atlanta Faces Make Or Break Road Trip

by Paul on 10/16/07 at 11:40 AM
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from the Iceman Bloggeth at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution,

The next nine games, as we know, contain eight road games, so if we are to get better, it’s gonna be in hostile environs. It won’t be easy, but 10 points minimum in that span would go a long way to righting the ship. Either way, when we reconvene in Bluland on the 6th of November we will have very clear indication of just what this team is facing.

more on the Thrashers…

Update 11:46am ET:
From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, a game-by game breakdown of what’s gone wrong and possible fixes.

“When you’re 0-5, everything is an issue,” coach Bob Hartley said. “It’s as simple as this.”

You Don’t See This Very Often

by Paul on 10/12/07 at 08:59 AM
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Ilya Kovalchuk in a fight last night, coming to the defense of a teammate who he thought received a cheap shot.

Continue Reading »

Holik Named Atlanta Captain

by Paul on 10/02/07 at 07:06 PM
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from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution,

The Thrashers named veteran forward Bobby Holik captain on Tuesday.

Holik replaces the retired Scott Mellanby to become the sixth captain in team history. Earlier in training camp, Holik talked about the daunting task of replacing Mellanby inside the team dressing room.

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Perrin Had Offers- Chose Atlanta

by Paul on 09/30/07 at 08:17 AM
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from the Courrier Laval,

Having spent most of last season on a line with Brad Richards, he was looking forward to a similar role this year, a perception which evidently was not shared by Lightning management. “I think the Lightning philosophy is to imitate the Anaheim Ducks and add more size to the line-up. It didn’t look like I figured in their plans,” he specified. “I expected to get an offer from Tampa Bay that would reflect what I had accomplished with the team, but it never came. I was disappointed. I’m not a fourth-line player,” added the former member of the Midget AAA Laval-Laurentides-Lanaudière Regents.

Consequently, Perrin opted for free-agency in the hope that another team would make him a better offer. There was no shortage of interest in acquiring him. As of the first day free agents could be pursued, July 1, offers flooded in from Atlanta, the Islanders, Detroit and Phoenix.

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Sign Hossa

by Paul on 09/23/07 at 11:25 AM
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from Spector at Fox Sports,

In Atlanta, talks are ongoing between Thrashers general manager Don Waddell and top forward Marian Hossa, who’s eligible for unrestricted free-agent status next July. Reports out of Atlanta suggest thus far both sides are agreeable on the term of a new contract (three or four years) but the dollars have yet to be hashed out.

It’s essential to the Thrashers to retain Hossa, arguably their best forward, to prove to their fans that the team still considers itself a serious playoff contender, but uncertainty over the club’s current ownership situation might be affecting negotiations.

read on… My gut feeling, Hossa will offer himself to the highest bidder next July…

Goalie Competition In Atlanta

by Paul on 09/19/07 at 07:44 PM
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from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution,

The goalie competition shouldn’t come as a huge surprise. In crucial games down the stretch last season against the Rangers, Hurricanes and Maple Leafs, Hartley turned to the veteran Hedberg, a departure from the first half of the season.

Who could forget the goalie rotation in the playoffs? Lehtonen started in goal for Games 1 and 3 against the Rangers, while Hedberg played in Games 2 and 4. It was 50-50, and despite a long summer, it doesn’t look like much has changed.

“I will not put numbers out there because there are no numbers,” Hartley said. “Their performances will dictate their playing time, and I think this is a very healthy situation.”

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