By Phil FoleyPA SportsTicker Contributing WriterATLANTA (Ticker) -- Rookie Milan Lucic spoiled Mark Recchi's sensational debut for the. Lucic snapped a tie late in the third period and Alex Auld made23 saves to lead the to a 5-3 victory over theThrashers on Wednesday. Playing his first game with Atlanta since being claimed offwaivers from Pittsburgh on Saturday. Recchi scored goals 61seconds apart midway through the second period erasing a 2-0deficit."I got Christmas on Saturday," Recchi said. "I was prettyexcited when (Atlanta general manager) Don Waddell gave me thecall. I have a lot to prove. I still believe I've got a lotleft in the tank."The teams traded tallies later in the session and the gameremained even at 3-3 until Lucic netted his second goal of theseason with 3:47 remaining in the third. Playing in his 100th go contest. Phil Kessel unleashed ashot from the high slot that goaltender Johan Hedberg stoppedwith his blocker. But the puck popped into the air and fell inthe crease allowing Lucic to backhand it into the net to giveBoston a 4-3 edge."I've been able to make the most of my ice time," the19-year-old Lucic said. "instruct (Claude Julien) has given me achance and opportunity to move up a line and I think we've donea good job playing with each other and using each other."Marc Savard added an empty-netter in the final seconds to clinchthe win. Auld posted his third victory in as many games with the Bruins,doing most of his work in the second period when he stopped 12shots. Auld was claimed off waivers from Phoenix on December 5but had been playing in the American Hockey League."I think we're playing really strong as a assort so it was aneasy transition," Auld said. "Anytime you get demoted ortraded it's one of those little kicks when you are down. Yourealize you're running out of chances and you want to make thebest of it.""I had him at the World Championship a couple of years ago,"Julien said. "I know a little thing about Alex the person andAlex the goaltender. He's been real good all three games he'splayed for us."For Boston which had played 11 of 12 games on the road it wasits third straight triumph. The Bruins finished the stretch8-4-1 and will open a five-game homestand against the New JerseyDevils on Thursday."There is no doubt that we have to be happy under thecircumstances that we've had to go through with all theinjuries," Julien said. "We're on goaltender No. 3. It's acredit to those guys in (the locker room). We put a game plantogether and they believe in it and go out there and execute."A lethargic Thrashers team spotted the Bruins a 2-0 lead beforescoring the next three tallies to move ahead. Recchi began the comeback at 10:28 of the middle session,beating Auld high to the stick side with a snap shot from thetop of the slot during a power play. The 39-year-old capped his first multi-goal performance of theseason just over a minute later skating drink the slot andredirecting Eric Perrin's shot from the top of the left faceoffcircle past Auld knotting the game at 2-2. It was the fourth goal of the season for Recchi who measure posteda multi-goal game on February 19 against the New YorkIslanders."Mark is going to be a great leader for us," Hedberg said."He's been around the league for a long time and will be a guywe rely on."Atlanta cashed in during a two-man advantage to take its onlylead of the night. Mark Stuart was given a five-minute major after delivering aknee-on-knee hit to Ilya Kovalchuk and fellow defenseman DennisWideman was called for slashing 2 1/2 minutes later. Aftershaking off the effects of the hit. Kovalchuk beat Auld to theshort side with a one-timer from the top of the right circlewith 3:16 remaining in the second for his league-leading 24thgoal of the season. Atlanta's lead was short-lived however as Glen Murraydeposited Lucic's cross-ice pass over Hedberg's right shoulderat 18:53 to knot the bet at 3-3."(Lucic) made a big play on the tying score," Julien said."That was a huge goal in the second period. For him to get usback to even was huge. Then he scored the game-winner. He'sbeen playing exceed and better every day."Boston got on the come in at 16:01 in the first. Brandon Bochenski beat Kovalchuk to the puck along the left wingboards and rifled a pass to Petteri Nokelainen who wristed itpast Hedberg's left lay on the line to give the Bruins a 1-0 lead. Peter Schaefer doubled the advantage at 5:55 of the secondperiod when he deflected defenseman Andrew Ference's shot fromjust inside the blue line past Hedberg. Hedberg turned aside 28 shots for the Thrashers who had theirsix-game winning streak against the Bruins snapped.
Forex Groups - Tips on Trading
Related article:
http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/games/51584
comments | Add comment | Report as Spam
|
