ATLANTA -- A few years ago, Ryan Stone was considered one of the Penguins' finest prospects.

This season, no fewer than five forwards -- Janne Pesonen, Chris Minard, Jeff Taffe, Tim Wallace and Connor James -- were summoned to the NHL from their farm team in Wilkes-Barre before Stone got the call Tuesday.

Even so, Stone said before the Penguins' game against Atlanta at Philips Arena last night that he hadn't necessarily been wondering when, or whether, he would get an opportunity to play in the NHL this season.

"I wasn't trying to think about it too much," he said. "Now, here's my chance."

How long Stone, who was brought up with Taffe because of injuries to Max Talbot and Mike Zigomanis, will stay isn't clear. How many more chances he will get to prove he can contribute at the NHL level is also uncertain, although team officials insist he is not running out of time to make a favorable impression.

"I don't know if there's pressure," Stone said. "You just want to play the best you can, and show you belong here."

Hedberg relegated to backup

Thrashers goalie Johan Hedberg, who became a folk hero in western Pennsylvania with his play during the stretch drive into the playoffs in 2001, began game last night in his usual spot when facing his old team.

On the bench.

Atlanta coach John Anderson said he opted to start Ondrej Pavelec because of his 28-save performance during a 3-1 victory in Ottawa Tuesday.

"It was just that [Pavelec] played so well," he said. "If [Hedberg] had played really well the other night, we'd have [come] back with him, too. We need to win right now. I want to pitch the hot hand."

Hedberg, who replaced Pavelec at 8:04 of the second period, had faced the Penguins once since leaving them as a free agent in 2003, earning a 4-3 overtime victory Dec. 9, 2003, while playing for Vancouver.

"I don't know if it's by the coach's choice or if that's just the way it keeps playing out," Hedberg said.

His next chance to face his former club will come when the Thrashers visit Mellon Arena Jan. 5.

Scoring on one skate

Former Penguins right winger Colby Armstrong scored two goals in 31 seconds in the Senators game, a pretty fair accomplishment for a guy who had a total of 25 goals the past two seasons.

What makes it all the more impressive is that Armstrong scored his second while playing on a skate that had lost several of the rivets that hold the blade in place.

That prompted Armstrong to joke after the game-day skate that,

"I'm actually going to wear my skates on the opposite feet" against the Penguins, on the off chance it would enhance his prospects for scoring.

Anderson, unaware of Armstrong's skate problem, said he actually sent him back on the ice as soon as he went to the bench during the Ottawa game "because I thought, 'Wouldn't it be great if someone on our team could score three goals in one shift?' "

Or in one game, for that matter, which Armstrong, in typical selfless fashion, passed on a chance to do as the game was winding down.

"I put him back out with a minute to go, and he tries to pass it on a two-on-one," Anderson said. "That's the last time I try to help him score three goals."

Tip-ins

Penguins coach Michel Therrien said defenseman Ryan Whitney is "very close" to joining the lineup after recovering from foot surgery and that he hopes it will happen before the Christmas break. ... Thrashers center Erik Christensen, another ex-Penguin, missed his seventh consecutive game because of a partially separated right shoulder, but is expected to return soon. ... Therrien said goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, who returned last night after missing a month because of a groin injury, is penciled in to start at home against Toronto tomorrow at 7:08 p.m.