GREETINGS FROM NEWARK!

First, allow me to apologize. I have been in technohell since leaving Atlanta. The internet connection at our hotel in NYC did not work. As a result, I haven't been able to post.

Also, another apology from last night's telecast. If you were watching, you know I originally thought Chris Drury scored the tying goal. It was indeed Nicolai Zherdev. I thought it was #23 and it turned out to be #13. Not that it's an excuse, but Madison Square Garden is a tough place to call a game. The broadcast position is far from the ice and the lighting is brutal.

Thoughts about the NYR game:

I thought it was another good road game for the Thrashers although the same result of no points. But in the overall picture, they did a nice job of bouncing back from the Philadelphia debacle and playing as a team again.

Nathan Oystrick had an outstanding game. He jumped into the play and created some offense. When I talked to head coach John Anderson at practice today, he told me Nathan just decided to relax and play his game. He also led the team with six hits.

The fight between Eric Boulton and Colton Orr was one for the ages! Make sure you watch our telecast Sturday night from New Jersey. Darren Eliot did a feature with "Bolts" earlier today with the two of them breaking down the fight. It will run during one of the intermissions from New Jersey. And I agree with Eliot in that Boulton was the team's MVP Thursday night based on the fight with Orr and setting the tone early in the game.

Practice Update:

Anderson tweaked the lines once again. If today is an indication of his plan for Saturday, Brett Sterling will play and Eric Christensen will sit. In addition, Jason Williams will move from right wing to center.

The lines looked like this:

Kovalchuk-Williams-Sterling
Kozlov-White-Little
Armstrong-Reasoner-Thorburn
Boulton-Slater-Perrin

No changes are expected in the defensive pairings.

Enjoy Halloween and be safe.