Determined to honor the memory of Dan...

Determined to honor the memory of Dan Snyder, support Dany Heatley and grieve together, the Atlanta Thrashers rode a tide of emotion and earned at least a point in each of their first seven games, on four wins, two ties and an overtime loss.

A regulation loss to Florida on Saturday brought them to the next stage of a distinctive journey. There’s no script for this, no manual offering advice on going about life and hockey without Snyder, who died Oct. 5 as the result of injuries he suffered in a car crash with Heatley at the wheel. Snyder’s empty locker and the convalescing Heatley remind them of what they lost, but they can’t lose sight of what’s left to gain.

“We know we’re going to hit the wall at some point, and we’ve talked about that,” General Manager Don Waddell said. “We’ve talked a lot through this, and we’re trying to be aware of it, but everybody handles things differently.

“One thing we’ve found out is that when you’re together with the team, it’s like sanctuary on the ice. We’re going to go through some hard times, but if we talk about it, we’ll get through it.”

For that knowledge he credits Snyder’s parents and siblings, whom he invited to the Thrashers’ game Monday at Toronto.

“They’re wonderful people,” Waddell said. “The No. 1 reason we’ve held together has been the Snyder family and how strong they’ve been through this ordeal.”

The team’s on-ice strength was evident Monday, when it rallied for a 3-2 overtime victory at Toronto. Goalie Pasi Nurminen has solved a problem Waddell called “our Achilles’ heel for 3 1/2 years.” Winger Ilya Kovalchuk has scored a league-high 10 goals, and Marc Savard, Slava Kozlov and Frantisek Kaberle are making vital contributions. The glue is Coach Bob Hartley, building on the 19-15-5 record he compiled after he replaced Curt Fraser last season.

“He had a pedigree -- he had won the Stanley Cup with Colorado -- and brought us instant credibility we needed,” said Jack Ferreira, the Thrashers’ director of player personnel and former Mighty Duck general manager. “What he implemented worked, even though we had a lot of games and he didn’t have much time to teach, and the guys liked that. What player doesn’t like it when the coach says, ‘We’re going to make you better’? “

Ferreira was impressed with Hartley’s knowledge of Atlanta’s assets when he interviewed Hartley for the job, and he remains impressed.

“No one except Kovalchuk is really overachieving,” Ferreira said. “Bob has everyone playing within themselves.... When we finished last year our attitude was, ‘We’re going to make the playoffs.’ Obviously we got hit with a tragic setback, but even through all the adversity, he’s got them focused.”

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The Son-In-Law Also Rises

Blackhawk senior vice president Bob Pulford looked grim while he spoke on his cellphone Sunday night at the Arrowhead Pond. His expression didn’t lighten when he’d finished the call and headed for his seat, but he stopped to take a reporter’s inquiry.

Had he established a timetable for replacing general manager Mike Smith, whom he’d fired Friday, and had he come up with a list of candidates?

“My wife just asked me the same question,” he said, indicating his cellphone. “I told her I wasn’t sure what the timetable is and how fast Mr. [William] Wirtz [the club’s owner] wants to do this. I’m sure he’ll want to get some names, and I’ll give him some names.”

Sure to top the list is Dean Lombardi, the former San Jose general manager who molded a team that improved its record five consecutive seasons but was fired last March after contract disputes and injuries led to an implosion. He’s intelligent, articulate and respected enough that the Flyers hired him as a scout. And he’s family: His wife, Wanda, was raised by Bob and Roslyn Pulford after her parents died.

“That’s a difficult question and a difficult situation to be in,” said Pulford, who will excuse himself if Lombardi is interviewed. “I’ve made no bones about saying he’s the most qualified guy out there. I’ll put his name on the list and [Wirtz] can go from there. I’m sure there are other people not as closely connected with him that think that too. I can’t be alone.

“I’m sure when I get back to Chicago, we’ll talk. Mr. Wirtz might not want to rush. He might want to take his time and make sure he’s getting the right person for the personalities we have and our city.”

Smith wasn’t that person, although he brought a stream of talent into what had become a sorry organization. He favored European players and made Alpo Suhonen the NHL’s first European-trained head coach, then had to fire him when Suhonen failed miserably. Smith then wanted to hire Bryan Murray but was pressured to hire Brian Sutter, and they never got along.

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Big Ned a Big Pioneer

Vaclav Nedomansky was a novelty when he defected from Czechoslovakia to Canada to play for Toronto of the World Hockey Assn. in 1974. A big, powerful forward with great presence, he was among the first players trained behind the Iron Curtain to jump to North America. Although he didn’t reach the NHL until 1977, when he was 33, he had a respectable career.

Now a pro scout for the Kings, he’s delighted to see the NHL’s elite filled with players from the Czech Republic, his homeland, and Slovakia, where he began his career with Slovan Bratislava.

“The situation is such now that the best players are coming here,” he said last week, while Slovak Ziggy Palffy of the Kings was leading the league in scoring and teammate and compatriot Lubomir Visnovsky was leading NHL defensemen in scoring. “It doesn’t matter, Czech or Slovak. I’m proud of them.”

According to the NHL, 58 Czechs were on opening-night rosters, behind only Canadians, with 379, and Americans, 113. After Russia with 46, Sweden, 42, and Finland 33, came Slovakia, with 25 players. The Kings have four Slovaks (Palffy, Visnovsky, Martin Strbak and Jozef Stumpel) and three Czechs (Roman Cechmanek, Tomas Zizka and Jaroslav Modry). They also employ Jan Vopat as a scout in the Czech Republic.

“The Slovaks, in particular, are an emerging country,” King Coach Andy Murray said. “They’re going to be one of the favorites to win the World Cup of Hockey next summer, though they’ve got to find a goalie. The Slovaks are real interesting people. They’ve all got personality, every one of them.”

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Slap Shots

Buffalo Sabre Coach Lindy Ruff would like scoring to rise. “You don’t even get excited about a shutout anymore, because it’s a pretty common occurrence,” he said. “You want to increase the production of goals, you’ve got to make the nets bigger. Goalies have outgrown the nets. All the goalies are 6-4 and their equipment is twice the size.”

He also doubts limiting the height of pads would help.

“You reduce it by inches and then they stick 10 inches of foam inside their hockey pants,” he said. “I don’t think we need to roll a soccer net out there, but there comes a time, if you want fans to cheer about the thing they come to games for, something has to change, and it isn’t giving teams nine power plays a game. Power-play percentage isn’t 30%. It’s about 15%, and that’s one in seven.”

Washington’s Jaromir Jagr has been mostly invisible, except to grouse about not getting enough playing time from Coach Bruce Cassidy. If the Capitals could trade him, they would. They’re 1-6-1 with him, and couldn’t be much worse without him. Jagr also said he might play in Russia if there’s a lockout next season. How long would he last after seeing the travel and iffy playing conditions?

Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, parent company of the Maple Leafs and NBA Raptors, last week sold Maple Leaf Gardens to the Loblaws grocery chain, which plans to build a market on the site. Sentimentalists hoped a buyer would operate an arena there, but the Maple Leafs opposed that, fearing they’d lose customers at the Air Canada Centre.

Curtis Joseph, a 4-1 winner in a rehabilitation assignment at Grand Rapids, Mich., on Friday, was recalled by the Red Wings and probably will start a game this week so they can showcase him for trade purposes. He has this season and next at $8 million, and a no-trade clause he’d have to waive.