Thrashers Battle Blackhawks in a Showdown of Wills

Tonite, the Thrashers, led by former Blackhawks Dustin Byfuglien and Andrew Ladd, welcome the defending Stanley Cup Champions from Chicago. The four former Hawks, along with former assistant coach John Torchetti, welcome their former mates for their one and only chance to show the fans of Chicago just how much they should be missed now that they play in Atlanta. The game this evening should prove to be one full of emotion and passion as Big Buff, Laddy, Ben Eager and Brent Sopel try to send a message to their former employer. And fans hope that the emotions felt by familiar faces will produce an exciting and entertaining game, unlike the one a small crowd of Blueland faithful observed Thursday nite against Columbus.

So, above and beyond solid contributions from players like Byfuglien, Ladd and of course, netminder Ondrej Pavelec, who gets his second start in a row at home, what are the keys to tonite's contest for your Thrashers? First and foremost would be to channel their emotions and energy into a focused, efficient team effort. Passing must be better than Thursday and the "work-rate" as Darren Eliot likes to say needs to be earnest and consistent. Secondly, the Thrashers must support each other more aggressively to win battles in the corner and along the wall (as demonstrated here in this video):

And finally, the Thrashers must play as a more cohesive, unified unit to help create more chances and scoring opportunities for their mates. Hockey requires cat-like reflexes and decision-making and to have success, the team must be in sync with each other and remain committed to their gameplan. As an example of how important it is for a team to be on the "same page", see the next demonstration video:

Do those few things and the Thrashers should come out on top tonite. If not, then it's back to the drawing board and the animal farm for more inspiration.