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Thrashers-Islanders Preview

Jan 2, 2010 - 6:53 AM By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO STATS Writer

Atlanta (18-17-5) at New York (16-18-8), 7:00 p.m. EDT

Luck has not been on the Atlanta Thrashers' side during their longest losing streak in almost two years, but a matchup with the punchless New York Islanders on Saturday night might be quite fortunate.

The Thrashers (18-17-5) have dropped seven in a row since beating Dallas 6-5 on Dec. 17. It's their longest slide since losing eight straight Feb. 16-March 5, 2008.

"We're going through a stretch where we make one mistake and it ends up in our net," coach John Anderson said.

It wasn't a mistake that led to Friday's 4-3 overtime loss at Buffalo, but rather an unlucky bounce.

Atlanta appeared set to end its current slide after scoring three goals in a 6:33 span of the second period, but proceeded to give up four unanswered. The deciding goal came in bizarre and unlikely fashion with 58 seconds to play in the extra session.

Johan Hedberg came out of his net to play the puck after Sabres defenseman Tyler Myers dumped it in along the boards. However, the puck took a strange carom off the glass and bounced directly into the slot, where Derek Roy knocked it into the open net.

"We definitely deserved a better fate," Hedberg said. "We were the better team. They had the bounces, you can say that."

The Thrashers' losing streak also includes the first five contests of their season-high seven-game road trip, which will conclude Tuesday at Pittsburgh.

Atlanta has dropped nine of its last 10 road games after winning nine of its first 12.

Ilya Kovalchuk has been outstanding amid his team's overall struggles. The left wing has eight goals and eight assists in his last 12 games, but Atlanta has won only three of them.

The three-time All-Star's 24 goals rank fourth in the NHL, one back of San Jose's Patrick Marleau and two behind co-leaders Alex Ovechkin of Washington and Marian Gaborik of the New York Rangers.

Kovalchuk, who also leads the Thrashers with 43 points, has seven goals and six assists in 11 games at Nassau Coliseum. However, he was held without a point in a 4-1 home loss to the Islanders on Dec. 3.

Atlanta has dropped both previous meetings with New York this season.

The Islanders (16-18-8) are the lowest scoring team in the league, averaging 2.36 goals.

Part of their recent scoring woes can be attributed to a poor stretch from John Tavares, the team leader with 16 goals and 28 points.

The center has found the net only once in his last 11 games, and was stopped on the deciding shootout attempt in a 3-2 loss at Ottawa on Thursday.

"Obviously, I want to put that one in," said Tavares, who remains the NHL's rookie scoring leader despite a four-game drought without a point. "It just kind of rolled off my stick, and I thought I had him. We pick up a point and move on."

Tavares has a goal and two assists this season's two games against Atlanta.

New York could be without right wing Tim Jackman, who injured his eye Thursday when he was punched by the Senators' Matt Carkner. Jackman was taken to the hospital for precautionary reasons.