Thrashers Team Report

INSIDE SHOTS

Just like all good things, all bad things, too, must come to an end.

It took more than four years and 15 games, but the Thrashers finally beat the Philadelphia Flyers, and they have goalie Johan Hedberg(notes) and a sputtering Flyers offense to thank for it.

Try to explain this: Atlanta beats Philadelphia by a measly score of 1-0 less than 24 hours after scoring five goals in the final period in a furious comeback win over the Hurricanes. Those two things usually don’t go together. Good luck trying to figure this team out; you never will.

The offense can be potent one night and non-existent the next. Against the Flyers, Atlanta managed just three shots on goal in both the first and third periods.

But Hedberg was up to the task, turning aside all 34 shots. The veteran backup has proved to be to the perfect reliever for Ondrej Pavelec(notes) this season.

Beyond Hedberg’s shutout, Atlanta was far from perfect against the Flyers, especially in the closing seconds.

Ron Hainsey’s(notes) errant pass—yet again—through the middle of the Atlanta’s defensive zone nearly ended up in the back of the Thrashers’ net. Hedberg also coughed up the puck twice while trying to fire it the length of the ice, apparently trying to score an empty net goal for himself as the clocked ticked down. He should stick to stopping the puck.

It might be difficult to explain how the Thrashers win from one night to the next, but they’re just winning and that doesn’t require an explanation.

Thrashers 1, Flyers 0:   Johan Hedberg stopped all 34 shots he faced to post his first shutout of the season and 12th of his career as Atlanta won its third straight game. The Thrashers snapped a 14-game losing streak to the Flyers as Rich Peverley(notes) netted the game-winner for the second straight night.

NOTES, QUOTES

• With their 1-0 shutout of the Flyers on Saturday night, Atlanta is 9-0-0 when scoring the first goal in a game.

• The Thrashers’ win over Philadelphia on Saturday night ended the team’s 14-game losing streak to the Flyers, which dated to Nov. 18, 2005, making it the longest such streak in the NHL.

• Thrashers prospect Angelo Esposito(notes), acquired from Pittsburgh in the trade that sent Marian Hossa(notes) to the Penguins, will miss the remainder of this season with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves after tearing the ACL in his right knee. Esposito missed most of last season in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League after tearing ligaments in the same knee.

Quote To Note:   “This was a big game for us, not only to get the points, but a mental break against a team we’ve been struggling against.”—Thrashers goalie Johan Hedberg on Saturday’s 1-0 win over the Flyers, which ended the team’s 14-game losing streak against Philadelphia.

ROSTER REPORT

Goaltenders O  ndrej Pavelec, Johan Hedberg.

Defensemen:   Tobias Enstrom(notes), Christoph Schubert(notes), Anssi Salmela(notes), Zach Bogosian(notes), Pavel Kubina(notes), Ron Hainsey.

First Line:   Slava Kozlov(notes), Nik Antropov(notes), Maxim Afinogenov(notes).

Second Line:   Ilya Kovalchuk(notes), Rich Peverley, Colby Armstrong(notes).

Third Line:   Evander Kane(notes), Todd White(notes), Bryan Little(notes).

Fourth Line:   Eric Boulton(notes), Marty Reasoner(notes), Chris Thorburn(notes).

Player Notes:  

• C Rich Peverley recorded the game-winning goal for the second straight game, netting the game’s only tally in Atlanta’s 1-0 shutout of the Flyers. Peverly also scored in Atlanta’s come-from-behind win over the Hurricanes a night earlier, ending a six-game scoring drought. Peverley has 10 goals and 16 assists in 22 games and leads the NHL with five game-winning goals.

• G Johan Hedberg became the first goalie to shut out the Philadelphia Flyers this season when he stopped 34 shots in Atlanta’s 1-0 win on Saturday, which snapped Philadelphia’s streak of 14 straight wins over Atlanta.

• RW Eric Boulton, a healthy scratch for Atlanta’s past two games, returned to the lineup for Saturday’s game against Philadelphia. During his time off, Boulton clearly didn’t forget what he does best. Just 2:09 into the game, he squared off with Flyers tough guy Riley Cote(notes).

Medical Watch:  

• G Kari Lehtonen(notes) underwent his second back surgery in the past four months on Oct. 30 and is expected to be out through the end of December.