Thrashers beat Flyers for 3rd straight
The new-look Atlanta Thrashers are showing they didn't give up
on the playoffs when they traded Ilya Kovalchuk.
Colby Armstrong and Nik Antropov have helped lead a more
balanced scoring attack that has the Thrashers back in playoff
contention.
Armstrong scored two goals and the Thrashers beat the
Philadelphia Flyers 5-2 on Saturday night for their third straight
win.
The Thrashers trail eighth-place Boston by one point in the
race for the Eastern Conference's final playoff spot.
"We know our position," Armstrong said. "We know what's at
stake every game. We're just trying to worry about ourselves and
win games."
Atlanta had not won as many as three in a row since a
four-game streak from Nov. 25-30.
Armstrong had his second straight two-goal game. Antropov,
Niclas Bergfors and Bryan Little also scored against Brian Boucher,
who had 23 stops. Johan Hedberg made 25 saves for Atlanta.
Dan Carcillo and Blair Betts had goals for the Flyers, who
are in a three-way tie with Ottawa and Montreal for fifth in the
conference with 79 points.
"They played with more passion and desperation than we did,"
Philadelphia defenseman Chris Pronger said.
Ian Laperriere said the Flyers have to play with the same
desperation the Thrashers showed.
"We need these points as much as they do," Laperriere said.
"We are not in the playoffs yet."
The Thrashers were in eighth place before losing six straight
from March 6-14 to fall to 11th.
"We're fighting for our lives," Atlanta's Eric Boulton said.
"We lost all those games in a row, but we're still in it."
Antropov, a 10-year veteran in his first season with the
Thrashers, has emerged as Atlanta's scoring leader after the team
traded Kovalchuk to New Jersey on Feb. 4 for four players,
including Bergfors. Antropov has set a career high with 63 points,
including 25 points in his last 21 games.
"That's not important to me," Antropov said of his team
points lead. "My goal is for us to get into the playoffs."
Antropov's leadership showed late in the game when he put
Philadelphia's Scott Hartnell in a headlock after Hartnell took a
swipe at Hedberg. Antropov drew a 2-minute penalty for roughing and
Hartnell was called for slashing.
Goals by Bergfors and Armstrong in the first six minutes gave
Atlanta a 2-0 lead, and Carcillo answered for the Flyers 8:16 into
the first period.
Antropov and Betts traded goals in the second period, leaving
the Thrashers with a 3-2 lead.
Little pushed the lead to 4-2 with his follow shot in front
of the net midway through the third period. Armstrong added his
second goal late in the period.
Philadelphia, which has been good on 23 percent of its
power-play chances to rank third in the league, was 0 for 3 with
the man advantage.
Boucher, who fell to 5-13-2, is the Flyers' third No. 1
goalie of the season, following injuries which ended the regular
seasons of Ray Emery (hip) and Michael Leighton (left ankle
sprain). Leighton was injured Tuesday night in a loss at Nashville.
The Thrashers are 3-0 in the season series.
"You can talk the talk, but it comes down to how you walk,"
Flyers coach Peter Laviolette said. "Tonight they walked with a
really good swagger and good pace. We played like it was just
another game."
The teams play again Sunday in Philadelphia. Thrashers coach
John Anderson said it will be difficult to take two wins in two
days over the Flyers.
"I think going into Philly will be a little tougher,"
Anderson said. "They're going to be a little more prepared. They're
going to play hard."
NOTES: Atlanta's Jim Slater and Philadelphia's Carcillo drew
5-minute penalties for fighting only 39 seconds into the game.
About 3 minutes later, Atlanta's Eric Boulton and the Flyers' Ian
Laperriere followed them into the penalty box after a fight. ...
Slater also drew 2-minute roughing and tripping minors for a total
of three penalties. ... The Flyers had only three shots on goal in
the second period. ... Atlanta's Chris Chelios was a healthy
scratch for the third straight game.