RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) --Now that the Atlanta Thrashers are winning games
on the road and against the Carolina Hurricanes, maybe they can make a
run toward the playoffs.
Tim Stapleton scored 1:38 into overtime
to help the Thrashers to a 3-2 victory that snapped two streaks -- a
six-game road winless streak and a four-game losing skid to the
Hurricanes.
"We finally did it," Atlanta goalie
Ondrej Pavelec said. "(The losing streak) didn't mean we didn't play
well against them -- we played really well against them, but we couldn't
find a way to win. Finally, we did it tonight, and it's a big win for
us."
Rob Schremp and Tobias Enstrom scored
first-period goals and Pavelec made 35 saves.
Erik Cole and Troy Bodie scored for
Carolina. The Hurricanes earned a point for getting to overtime to move
into a tie with Buffalo for the final playoff spot in the Eastern
Conference.
Atlanta is five points behind the
Hurricanes and Sabres.
Cam Ward made 26 saves for Carolina.
"We've got to get a little more
concerted jump," Carolina coach Paul Maurice said. "I don't think we
were nearly as aggressive on our forecheck or physically aggressive."
After Cole tied it at 2 on a breakaway
with 7:39 remaining, Stapleton scored on a 2-on-1 rush in overtime,
converting a nice pass from Ron Hainsey. Stapleton deflected Hainsey's
pass past Ward's left pad.
"We really wanted to get out without
giving up an extra point," Atlanta coach Craig Ramsay said. "Once they
scored that goal, it certainly feels really good."
The Thrashers jumped on the Hurricanes
early.
After Blake Wheeler nearly scored from
the side of the net on the power play, Schremp snapped a shot past
Ward's glove, giving the Thrashers a 1-0 lead 3:22 into the game.
Enstrom then one-timed a shot from the
slot, giving Atlanta a 2-0 edge later in the period. Carolina cut it to
2-1 midway through the second period. The puck got caught in Enstrom's
skates after wrist shot from point by Carolina's Bryan Allen. Bodie
controlled the puck in the slot and snapped it past Pavelec's glove. It
was Bodie's first goal with the Hurricanes.
Carolina's Cory Stillman hit the
crossbar after nice pass from Cole on a 3-on-2 rush shortly thereafter.
Stillman then set up Cole's breakaway goal in the third with a perfect
pass through the neutral zone.
"(Cole) came off the bench and nobody
saw him," Ramsay said. "He got that full-speed pass. Not many guys pass
it better than Stillman on a play like that. I could see him loading it
up, and I yelled from the bench, but it was too late."
Atlanta star defenseman Dustin
Byfuglien missed the game because of a lower-body injury sustained in
practice Monday.
