ESPN NHL

Florida Panthers: When you face 54 shots in a game, one of them is bound to hurt. Panthers goaltender Roberto Luongo left practice early with a sore thumb Thursday, a day after he faced a season-high shot total in a 6-4 victory over the New York Islanders.

Atlanta Thrashers: Thrashers fans get a glimpse of their future Friday night when goaltender Kari Lehtonen makes his first NHL start against Florida. The 20-year-old Finn was the second overall selection in the 2002 entry draft and went 18-13-2 with a 2.50 goals-against average in AHL Chicago this season.

Chicago Blackhawks: It's a little later than the Blackhawks had hoped, but Chicago rookie Tuomo Ruutu is starting to show results for all the promise he showed before the season. Since Dec. 31, Ruutu has 14 goals and 16 assists in his past 34 games.

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