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Flyers net rare win vs. Thrashers

Mar 16, 2007 - 3:49 AM PHILADELPHIA (Ticker) -- Stefan Ruzicka gave Philadelphia Flyers fans something to cheer about in a rare win.

Ruzicka had a goal and two assists to lift the Flyers to a 3-2 victory over the Southeast Division leading Atlanta Thrashers.

Left wing Geoff Sanderson added a goal and an assist for the Flyers (20-40-11), owners of the NHL's worst record.

Philadelphia took the lead with just 43 seconds left in the first period when, after a Braydon Coburn slap shot, Ruzicka gathered the puck in the corner and fired a snap shot on net that hit teammate Derian Hatcher in the chest. Hatcher tapped the loose puck low blocker side into the net for a power-play goal and 1-0 lead.

"Hatcher has been doing a good job and that was just a great play that put him right in front of the net on the power play," Philadelphia coach John Stevens said. "He wins a lot of puck battles and he can make those important plays. That was a great effort by him and a big turning point in the game."

The goal was the first for Hatcher in 126 games.

"This wasn't my first goal as a Flyer, but obviously it feels good," Hatcher said. "Now you guys (media) can stop talking about it. I just saw the shot and it hit me in the chest. The puck was just lying there so I tapped it in. I kinda put the whole thing out of my mind, but it always feels good to score."

The Thrashers tied the score at the 1:16 mark in the second period when Ilya Kovalchuk, circling behind the net, passed the puck to Niclas Havelid, who fired a slap shot from the top of the slot. The shot hit goaltender Martin Biron but Keith Tkachuk was there to backhand in the rebound.

Sanderson set up the game-winner at the 8:16 mark in the second, when a streaking Ruzicka grabbed the rebound of his slap shot and flipped a wrist shot into the goal for a 2-1 advantage.

"We thought last year, and really think so now, that (Ruzicka) might be a better playmaker than he is a scorer," Stevens said. "He has vision with the puck, and Geoff is a shooter. I think anytime you get a guy who is a shooter you should put a playmaker with him."

"They had us together for the last couple of weeks and Rosey (Ruzicka) has been making some great plays on the power play and at even strength," Sanderson said. "Tonight we finally clicked and got a couple of goals for our line. We have been overdue."

Biron made 37 saves and improved to 4-2-1 for Philadelphia since being acquired at the trade deadline.

"We had a lot of scoring chances but Biron had a great game," Thrashers goalie Kari Lehtonen said. "Thats been the case with this team all year. I think we played OK but we just couldn't put it in. It's a tough part about this game. Sometimes a goalie plays pretty well and tonight Biron was one of those goalies."

Lehtonen made 33 saves for Atlanta, which remained two points ahead of idle Tampa Bay (39-28-4) in the Southeast Division.

The win gives the Flyers a season sweep of the Thrashers.

"We weren't quick enough on the loose pucks, especially in our own zone," Tkachuk said. "You can't do that. You have to have solid position. We were spending too much time in our own zone and the 3-on-2s we were giving up were tough. You can't do that at this time of the year. It is unacceptable."