The Thrashers' January troubles - only one win in regulation, and three overall - have finally caught up to the team. The Thrashers are just 3-4-3 this month. While getting points in six out of ten games isn't bad, it's not good enough to gain any ground on the Carolina Hurricanes. In all actuality, if the Thrashers lose Wednesday night to the Capitals and if the Hurricanes defeat the New York Islanders (which is almost a situation unfair in itself), then the Canes leap the Thrashers and find themselves in the eighth and final playoff spot.
The playoff tank has begun, apparently, and hopefully the All Star break will give the Thrashers some time to re-evaluate and heal up. Last season this began in March (oddly enough, when the "March to the Playoffs!" promotion began), and this year it happened in January, when they were bandying about the "playoff" word at Philips Arena. Coincidence? I think not.
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