After winning the Southeast Division a season ago, the Atlanta Thrashers were looking to improve this season and make a deeper run in the playoffs. But a slow start and a lackluster offense forced the Thrashers to their worst point total since 2003. Here is a review of the season that was in Atlanta.

The expectations were high in Atlanta at the start of the season, but a 0-6 start and the firing of head coach Bob Hartley on October 16 was the beginning of the end for the Thrashers. The six game losing streak was the worst start in franchise history. General manager Don Waddell took over for the remainder of the season.

"The emotions were so high last year going into the playoffs and we went out quickly, and to be honest I don't know if we've recovered from that yet," Waddell said. "If you look, we've lost ten games in a row now, including the last four last year. That's where I believe a change has to be made."

The Thrashers finished off the season at 34-40-8 and failed to qualify for the playoffs following the miracle season a year ago. Atlanta’s 216 goals scored was the fourth worst in the Eastern Conference and finished off with a 29-35-8 record against the Eastern Conference.

Atlanta was actually able to climb back into playoff contention midway through the season, but between February 13 and their last game on April 5, the Thrashers only won five times.

Ilya Kovalchuk was once again a force for the Thrashers, but in today’s NHL, not one single player can lead a team to victory. Last season, he had Marian Hossa and Vyacheslav Kozlov, but this season, it was just Kovalchuk. Sure Kozlov was there this season, but his production decreased by nearly 50% from last season. Mark Recchi was a late season addition and fit in nicely with the Thrashers, but not even a player of Recchi’s stature could change this team.

Kovalchuk finished off the season with 87 points, and he was the only Thrasher to finish with more than 50 points. The Thrashers officially packed it in on February 26 when they traded Hossa to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Angelo Esposito, Colby Armstrong, Erik Christensen, and a 2008 first round draft pick. The Thrashers were officially in a youth movement with a team already filled with youth.

The Thrashers are still feeling the effects of signing aging veteran Bobby Holik three years ago. When they signed Holik, they thought they were getting someone that could produce 50-60 points a season. Instead, Holik had another disappointing season with 34 points in 82 games. Holik will be an unrestricted free agent this summer and it’s a guarantee that he won’t be back.

The defense was absolutely horrible for the Thrashers. Of the 20 players to have appeared in 20 or more games, only two finished with a positive plus/minus rating; Colby Armstrong was +4 and Niclas Havelid was +2. Armstrong actually finished at -2 with Atlanta, but thanks to his time with the Penguins, he finished on the plus side overall.

Atlanta allowed the most goals in the NHL with 272 after allowing only 245 a season ago. Kari Lehtonen found the win column just 17 times after 34 wins last season. Lehtonen was injured for parts of the season which allowed Johan Hedberg to step in and play considerably well; except for the 3.46 goals-against-average.

Special teams were a problem that haunted the Thrashers as well. Atlanta finished 23rd in power play and 27th in penalty killing. Atlanta’s penalty killing allowed 75 goals which was second worst to Toronto’s 77. The Thrashers allowed ten shorthanded goals; only Phoenix (12), Carolina (13), St. Louis (13), and New York Islanders (15) were worse.

When the Thrashers traded away Hossa, they told their fans that winning might have been a thing of the past; even though it lasted only one season. Atlanta will need to rid themselves of some aging high priced veterans and will have to start with Holik and Steve Rucchin. Atlanta will look to the draft for young talent to groom, but they will also need to look at free agency. With Washington and Carolina as the two top teams in the Southeast Division, it might be a few years before the Thrashers are once again contenders.