Tonight the Pens take on the Thrashers at home in Pittsburgh for the first of four faceoffs this season.
The Thrashers started the season off 0-6, on what can only be described subtly as "The wrong foot." After firing Head Coach Bob Hartley, the team made a dramatic turn around that has since brought them to a .500 win percentage with a record of 11-11. On the wake of their first playoff berth in franchise history, the Thrash are looking for a repeater under the leadership of Ilya Kovalchuk and Marian Hossa.
Kovalchuk, went two consecutive games with a hat trick against both Tampa Bay and Ottawa, while Hossa has been nothing short of prolific averaging nearly a point a game. In there most recent game Friday night, The Thrashers were shutout by Martin Brodeur and the Devils squad, delivering Kovi and the gang their first loss in four games.
The Pens are hoping to wrap up the month of November on a positive note. In the 11 previous games this month, the Penguins hold the record of 3-7-1. As far as the Atlantic Division race is concerned, this was no doubt a harsh month for the Penguins to slump. Out of 18 potential points within their division, the Pens barely walked away with five. They suffered two losses from the Flyers, the Devils and one regulation loss and overtime loss from the Rangers.
However, things have started to look like they're turning around. In their last four games the Pens are 2-1-1. Most recently Pittsburgh dropped Ottawa in a 6-5 shootout victory that proved a variety of morale boosts to the struggling squad. The team tied their highest single game performance of the year (5-0 against the Devils), beat one of the best teams in the league and additionally sent a message out to teams everywhere that they're ready to play.
Tonight, the Penguins are hoping to finish the remainder of this month with two more wins. They'll have to fight past the Thrashers and goalie Johan Hedberg before the last battle of November against the Stars.
The puck drops tonight at 7:30.
