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Lucic's tally spoils Recchi's big debut with Thrashers

Dec 13, 2007 - 4:50 AM By Phil Foley PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

ATLANTA (Ticker) -- Rookie Milan Lucic spoiled Mark Recchi's sensational debut for the Atlanta Thrashers.

Lucic snapped a tie late in the third period and Alex Auld made 23 saves to lead the Boston Bruins to a 5-3 victory over the Thrashers on Wednesday.

Playing his first game with Atlanta since being claimed off waivers from Pittsburgh on Saturday, Recchi scored goals 61 seconds apart midway through the second period, erasing a 2-0 deficit.

"I got Christmas on Saturday," Recchi said. "I was pretty excited when (Atlanta general manager) Don Waddell gave me the call. I have a lot to prove. I still believe I've got a lot left in the tank."

The teams traded tallies later in the session, and the game remained even at 3-3 until Lucic netted his second goal of the season with 3:47 remaining in the third.

Playing in his 100th career contest, Phil Kessel unleashed a shot from the high slot that goaltender Johan Hedberg stopped with his blocker. But the puck popped into the air and fell in the crease, allowing Lucic to backhand it into the net to give Boston a 4-3 edge.

"I've been able to make the most of my ice time," the 19-year-old Lucic said. "Coach (Claude Julien) has given me a chance and opportunity to move up a line, and I think we've done a good job playing with each other and using each other."

Marc Savard added an empty-netter in the final seconds to clinch the 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 12 shots. Auld was claimed off waivers from Phoenix on December 5 but had been playing in the American Hockey League.

"I think we're playing really strong as a group, so it was an easy transition," Auld said. "Anytime you get demoted or traded, it's one of those little kicks when you are down. You realize you're running out of chances and you want to make the best 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 and Alex the goaltender. He's been real good all three games he's played for us."

For Boston, which had played 11 of 12 games on the road, it was its third straight triumph. The Bruins finished the stretch 8-4-1 and will open a five-game homestand against the New Jersey Devils on Thursday.

"There is no doubt that we have to be happy under the circumstances that we've had to go through with all the injuries," Julien said. "We're on goaltender No. 3. It's a credit to those guys in (the locker room). We put a game plan together and they believe in it and go out there and execute."

A lethargic Thrashers team spotted the Bruins a 2-0 lead before scoring 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 the top of the slot during a power play.

The 39-year-old capped his first multi-goal performance of the season just over a minute later, skating down the slot and redirecting Eric Perrin's shot from the top of the left faceoff circle past Auld, knotting the game at 2-2.

It was the fourth goal of the season for Recchi, who last posted a multi-goal game on February 19 against the New York Islanders.

"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 guy we rely on."

Atlanta cashed in during a two-man advantage to take its only lead of the night.

Mark Stuart was given a five-minute major after delivering a knee-on-knee hit to Ilya Kovalchuk, and fellow defenseman Dennis Wideman was called for slashing 2 1/2 minutes later. After shaking off the effects of the hit, Kovalchuk beat Auld to the short side with a one-timer from the top of the right circle with 3:16 remaining in the second for his league-leading 24th goal of the season.

Atlanta's lead was short-lived, however, as Glen Murray deposited Lucic's cross-ice pass over Hedberg's right shoulder at 18:53 to knot the game 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 us back to even was huge. Then he scored the game-winner. He's been playing better and better every day."

Boston got on the board at 16:01 in the first.

Brandon Bochenski beat Kovalchuk to the puck along the left wing boards and rifled a pass to Petteri Nokelainen, who wristed it past Hedberg's left stake to give the Bruins a 1-0 lead.

Peter Schaefer doubled the advantage at 5:55 of the second period, when he deflected defenseman Andrew Ference's shot from just inside the blue line past Hedberg.

Hedberg turned aside 28 shots for the Thrashers, who had their six-game winning streak against the Bruins snapped.