Curt Fraser, the Atlanta Thrashers' coach, is usually a pretty easygoing guy. Throughout his three years behind an NHL bench, he has greeted everyone he meets with his familiar, "Hi, I'm Curt."
But after his team's 6-3 loss to the Penguins last night at Mellon Arena, he blew a gasket at his starting goaltender.
Milan Hnilicka came off the ice after the first period and showed he was experiencing flu-like symptoms, prompting Fraser to ask if he felt he should come out.
"He knew he was sick when he came off. He knew it," Fraser said. "I told him we had Damian Rhodes ready, and he said to me, 'I want to stay in. I'll be OK.' I gave him a choice right then. Then after the next goal ... he was just swimming in there."
That came 1:46 into the second period, when center Kris Beech scored after two harmless-looking shots clanged off the posts behind Hnilicka to give the Penguins a 2-1 lead. Fraser immediately sent him off and inserted Rhodes.
"I understand he wants to compete, and he knows how much we depend on him," Fraser said of Hnilicka. "But that's putting yourself ahead of the team."
Hnilicka finished with 16 saves on 18 shots, Rhodes 19 saves on 22 shots.
Atlanta coach angry with goalie 
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