Remain calm: It's only Jan. 10
Plenty of season to go before Thrashers
can finally say they're playoff-bound

There's a reason Atlanta fans are hesitant to get their hopes up about the prospect of postseason hockey: Dec. 26, 2003.

On that day, the Thrashers welcomed Dany Heatley back to the ice for the first time since the wreck that left teammate Dan Snyder dead; defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning; and sat atop the Southeast Division Standings. In its fifth season, Atlanta looked like a legitimate playoff contender and had fans in a frenzy.

No one had any idea what would follow. During the next six weeks, the Thrashers won two of their 21 games. The team fought back to finish the year in second place in the division — behind eventual Stanley Cup champions Tampa Bay — but sat in 10th place in the Eastern Conference, out of the playoffs.

This year, I'm pointing to another date: March 4. It will mark the team's first home game in a month and put us only 22 games from the end of the regular season. If we're anywhere from six to (a close) 10 in the standings, I'll admit I'm going to be hopeful that postseason hockey could finally be played in Philips Arena.