Dany Heatley's talent has been well known in hockey circles for years, but his general popularity took a big step forward after the All-Star Game. Last season's Calder Trophy winner earned MVP honors after scoring a record-tying four goals and becoming the youngest player in event's history to score a hat trick.

Now he's back with the Thrashers, hoping to lead them to respectability and, eventually, a playoff berth.

	HOCKEY TALK
	"I can appreciate and sympathize because we went through it. What happens when you have success like they had, is that players who played as a team start hearing over the summer how good they are. They feel as if they should play a little more. They can get out of their realm very quickly. It doesn't take much. It snowballs." -- Devils' general manager Lou Lamoriello on the Hurricanes' disappointing followup to their Stanley Cup finals appearance last year.
	THE NUMBER
	167:09 The length of the Flyers' scoring drought before Marcus Ragnarsson scored in the second period against the Blues.
	WHO'S HOT
	Jaromir Jagr had a six-game point streak (5-4-9) stopped by Montreal on Sunday. But he picked up where he left off on Wednesday, registering a goal and two assists against the Thrashers.
	WHO'S NOT
	Florida forward Kristian Huselius, who has one goal in his last 22 games after scoring 14 in his first 34.

"I think the goals I'm going to set are team goals, and I think I just want to be part of this team growing up and eventually bring a Stanley Cup to Atlanta,'' he said.

The biggest assist to that end has been the hiring of Bob Hartley. Heatley said he and his teammates have thrived since bringing in the new bench boss.

"He's made a few changes system-wise," Heatley said. "There is a little more back pressure from the forwards as the forwards come back a little more and it's allowing our defensemen to step up. Other than that, I think just having him come in. And I think what he gave us was just a spark and a lift, and he just changed the attitude of our team. We are playing a very confident game right now and I think that's the biggest thing that he's done.

"A team like this, you have to respect a guy like Bob Hartley. I think all of the guys listen to what he has to say. He's won a Cup, obviously. That's a big thing for him; he has that over us, and we feel that his system is going to work for us, and it has. I think you have to have a good relationship between the players and the coach, and it's been great so far. I think the early part of the season, we felt we had the guys to do the job and just weren't getting it done. Now we're starting to get a little bit -- playing how we're capable of playing and get something results and that's about it."

Sometimes, it's tough to follow up a great rookie year like Heatley's with an equal or better one -- sometimes because of increased defensive attention from opponents, sometimes because of internal pressure or unrealistic expectations.

"I think you can make of it what you want,'' said Heatley, who went into Friday's game against Tampa Bay with 51 points, 23 of them goals, in 50 games. "I just wanted to ... obviously, [the media is] talking about it, so you're thinking about it a little bit. But at the same time, just wanted to not try and change anything. I had success last year. I just keep trying to do the same things and improve and work hard every day. I haven't really tried to think about it. I just tried to help our team. It's been good to avoid it.''

He also hasn't been bothered by the demands that accompany being a high draft pick (second overall in 2000). He said he's discussed that pressure with Minnesota's Marian Gaborik (third overall in 2000) and others.

"We wondered whether we were going to go 1 to 5, there was so much talk," Heatley said. "I think for me it was not a matter of where I was going to go, but what city was going to pick me and the best situation. I knew pretty early before the draft that Atlanta would be a great fit, and it has been, and I couldn't be happier to be here."

Many top propects who come out of junior hockey are 18- or 19-years-old and need time to develop before they achieve success in the NHL. Heatley spent two years at the University of Wisconsin before breaking in to the league at 20. Those extra years are why he thinks he's been able to make the transition so well.

"I think, for me, coming out of college was a big part of it," he said. "I think especially that second year at Wisconsin, I did a lot of growing up there. It was a tough year for me hockey-wise. I had to struggle through that. I think that's helped me a lot, going in there as an 18-year-old. And being there also for the first time in a college atmosphere, it was tough and it was good for me. It allowed me to deal with the NHL a little bit better."

Thanks, coach

	Jokinen

Florida coach Mike Keenan has done for Olli Jokinen what he did for Bruins' center Joe Thornton, he gave him the jump start he needed. Thornton said he's known for a long time what Jokinen can do.

"I played against him growing up, just at tournaments and stuff like that," said Thornton. "I always knew he had great hands and obviously, he can fly out there, too. He was kind of like me in the sense he had slow starts and people kind of forgot about him a little bit. Being down [in Florida], you don't get as much exposure as you would up [in the Northeast]. But as you can see from his numbers, he's having an incredible year. He's pretty much taking his team on his back right now."

Thornton said Keenan just has a knack of getting the best out of youngsters.

"He sees something in a young guy and he pushes that button and it seems to work with all the young guys he has," he said. "It's not failing with Olli Jokinen that's for sure. He shows confidence in a player like that. When you see your coach give you confidence and plays you a lot, you feed off of that. You just play a lot better. His numbers don't lie. They're remarkable." The numbers to which Thornton refers are the 6 goals and 11 assists in 102 games before Keenan and the 38 goals and 40 assists in 111 since.

Depth chart

	Woolley