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		<description>RUWT? News for Atlanta Thrashers vs. New Jersey Devils 1/9/2009</description>
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		<lastBuildDate>Sat, 21 Nov 2009 03:48:47 GMT</lastBuildDate>
		<pubDate>Sat, 21 Nov 2009 03:48:47 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Lehtonen unbeatable as Thrashers blank Devils]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By Daren Smith
PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

NEWARK, New Jersey (Ticker) -- The Atlanta Thrashers let coach 
John Anderson know they are still breathing.

Colby Armstrong and a resurgent Ilya Kovalchuk scored 2:28 apart
during a three-goal second period and Kari Lehtonen made 29 
saves for his first shutout in nearly a year as the Thrashers 
blanked the New Jersey Devils, 4-0, on Thursday.

Jim Slater netted the other second-period goal, Marty Reasoner 
tallied in the third and Todd White collected a pair of assists 
for Atlanta, which won for only the second time in eight games 
(2-5-1) and for the first time in regulation since beating the 
New York Islanders on December 23.

"I now know there's a pulse in our room and that we do care," 
Anderson said.  "To come in here against a team like New Jersey,
which plays so consistently good and is big and strong, to win 
on the road like that when we really needed it says a lot about 
our room."

Lehtonen turned aside six shots in the first period, 13 in the 
second and 10 in the third en route to his first shutout of the 
season and 12th career.  The 25-year-old Finn had not held an 
opponent scoreless since blanking Tampa Bay on March 31.

Scott Clemmensen lasted only two periods, allowing three goals 
on 19 shots in his 13th straight start for the Devils, who have 
lost two in a row and been shut out three times in their last 
five home games.

While Anderson called it the Thrashers' most complete effort of 
the season, Devils counterpart Brent Sutter believed it was his 
team's low point.

"I feel bad for anyone who had to come and watch that," Sutter 
said.  "We didn't play tonight at all, that's a no-brainer.

"It's about everybody.  I'm not leaving anybody off the hook - 
goaltenders, defensemen, forwards.  They just have to get back 
to where they need to be."

Lehtonen was on his game early, denying Brian Rolston on a 
breakaway six minutes in and getting a piece of Patrik Elias' 
chance during a 3-on-1 with just under seven minutes remaining 
in the first period.

"When you start thinking about (a shutout), the other team 
scores," Lehtonen said.  "The first half of the game, I felt 
good.  I just tried to keep it going and got lucky a couple of 
times in the third."

Lehtonen helped Atlanta successfully kill a pair of third-period
power plays, including a four-minute advantage after enforcer 
Eric Boulton received a double-minor for roughing.

"It doesn't make me very happy to see our guys going to the box,
but we were able to kill them, and that was great," Lehtonen 
said.  "It was a lot easier that the game was 4-0 at that time. 
If it would've been tighter, I might have snapped a little bit 
(at) a couple of guys."

The Thrashers also killed a couple of power plays in the opening
22 minutes, limiting the Devils to one shot.  Just 46 seconds 
after the second man advantage expired, Armstrong broke the 
scoreless deadlock.

After grabbing a loose puck behind the net, Armstrong moved just
above the end line on the right side and unleashed a backhander.
The puck trickled past Clemmensen, who inadvertently knocked it 
across the goal line while sprawling backward in the crease at 
3:03.

Atlanta, which had scored just one goal in three of its previous
four games, needed less than a minute to convert its first power
play as Kovalchuk received a cross-ice pass from Vyacheslav 
Kozlov and blasted a one-timer from the top of the left faceoff 
circle past Clemmensen at 5:31.  It was his 15th goal of the 
season and fourth in five games.

"Kozzie made a great play and I was right in the middle of the 
zone," said Kovalchuk, who earlier in the day was named as a 
reserve on the Eastern Conference All-Star team.

It also was Kovalchuk's 98th career goal with the man advantage.

Slater capped the second-period outburst with exactly six 
minutes to go, receiving a pass from Chris Thorburn alone in the
slot and pulled the puck from his backhand to his forehand 
before sliding it past Clemmensen for his fourth tally.  It came
moments after Lehtonen got his glove on David Clarkson's wrist 
shot during a 2-on-1 rush.

Reasoner ended his 10-game goalless drought at 2:09 of the 
third, beating Kevin Weekes from just above the right circle on 
the first shot the backup goalie faced.

"We have to be more consistent.  We have to play the kind of 
hockey we played tonight more often," Kovalchuk said.  "That's 
the only way we can turn the season around and get closer to the
playoffs."

New Jersey has a firm grasp on a playoff spot but embarks on a 
season-high five-game road trip Saturday at Los Angeles.

"This may be the best thing for us," Sutter said.  "We need to 
get away and start that process that needs to be done.  I trust 
this group.  We've had a bump in the road that we'll deal with."

The loss was New Jersey's first to Atlanta in regulation in 
their last nine meetings (6-1-2).  The Devils outscored the 
Thrashers, 7-1, in two victories earlier this season.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/84955-Lehtonen-unbeatable-as-Thrashers-blank-Devils</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/84955-Lehtonen-unbeatable-as-Thrashers-blank-Devils</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 09 Jan 2009 07:48:31 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Devils look to bounce back against Thrashers]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Atlanta (13-23-5) at New Jersey (23-13-3), 7:00 p.m. EST

NEWARK, New Jersey (Ticker) -- With an extensive road trip 
looming, the New Jersey Devils hope to leave the Prudential 
Center on a good note.

The Devils look to bounce back from a deflating loss on 
Thursday, when they host the listless Atlanta Thrashers before 
beginning a season-high, six-game road swing.

Goaltender Scott Clemmensen has yet to allow more than three 
goals in any of his 12 road games this season.  Such was the 
case once again on Tuesday, but the Devils offense failed to 
support him in a 3-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes.

In that contest, New Jersey fell into a 3-0 hole before 
defenseman Paul Martin and Patrik Elias tallied just over seven 
minutes apart late in the third period.  Carolina goaltender Cam
Ward held on, though, and handed the Devils their second 
consecutive road loss.

The Thrashers have dropped six of their last seven overall - 
including a 3-1 setback against the Pittsburgh Penguins on 
Tuesday.

Despite ongoing struggles, they have gotten a boost from star 
Ilya Kovalchuk, who has three goals in four games since snapping
a career-high, nine-game goalless drought.

Atlanta has posted three total goals in its last three losses 
and Kovalchuk has accounted for two of those.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/84898-Devils-look-to-bounce-back-against-Thrashers</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/84898-Devils-look-to-bounce-back-against-Thrashers</guid>
				<pubDate>Thu, 08 Jan 2009 11:33:15 GMT</pubDate>
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