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Thrashers-Hurricanes Preview

Mar 27, 2010 - 1:26 AM By MATT BECKER STATS Senior Writer

Atlanta (32-30-12) at Carolina (31-34-9), 7:00 p.m. EDT

Atlanta is in the mix for one of the final playoff spots in the Eastern Conference, but coach John Anderson doesn't feel like his Thrashers are playing like a team with postseason aspirations.

The Carolina Hurricanes are displaying the kind of intensity Anderson covets, but they're probably going to miss the playoffs one season after advancing to the conference finals.

In the opener of a home-and-home series, the Thrashers look to bounce back from another disappointing loss Saturday night when they visit the surging Hurricanes.

Atlanta (32-30-12) is only two points back of eighth-place Boston in the East with eight games to play, but has wasted chances to vault past the Bruins in its last two games.

The Thrashers' season-high tying four-game winning streak ended Tuesday with a 4-0 home loss to Boston, their 10th straight defeat in that series. Atlanta, which hasn't been to the playoffs since 2007, had a good chance to get back in the win column Thursday at home against conference-worst Toronto, but fell 2-1 in overtime.

"We didn't put forth our best effort, and that really bothers me at this point," Anderson said.

The Maple Leafs scored the game-winner 39 seconds into overtime after the Thrashers failed to clear the puck from their zone.

"I'm disappointed and really dismayed," Anderson said. "If we play like that, we'll be out in two or three games from now. We have to be better. We've got to be smarter. We have to play harder. We've got to show that we want it."

Atlanta's offense also had its problems, managing 20 shots - the team's fewest since December - against the league's worst defense. The Thrashers have only one goal in their last two games after scoring 18 in the previous four.

Getting the offense back on track could prove difficult against Carolina.

Goaltender Manny Legace, who has appeared in four consecutive games for the Hurricanes (31-34-9), is 3-1-1 with a 1.80 goals-against average and two shutouts in his career versus Atlanta. He made 27 saves March 7, when Carolina got goals from four different players en route to a 4-0 road victory over the Thrashers.

Legace stopped a season-high 41 shots Thursday to help shut down the league's top offense and top team in a 3-2 shootout win at home over Washington. Rookie defensemen Jamie McBain and Bryan Rodney each scored goals for Carolina, which improved to 10-3-0 at home since Jan. 24.

The Hurricanes are 12-4-2 with a league-high 26 points since Feb. 5, yet trail Boston by seven points.

The Hurricanes have outscored the Thrashers 9-2 to win the last two meetings - both in Atlanta - after being outscored 11-7 while losing the first two games of the season series at home.

These teams meet again Monday in Atlanta.