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Blues top Thrashers in Atlanta

Dec 22, 2010 - 3:35 AM Atlanta, GA (Sports Network) - Alex Pietrangelo and Vladimir Sobotka each notched a goal and an assist as the St. Louis Blues took a 4-2 win over the Atlanta Thrashers at Philips Arena.

Alexander Steen and Brad Boyes each had a goal for the Blues, who had dropped four of five coming into the game. Ty Conklin stopped 37 shots in the win.

"We stuck to the details in this game," said St. Louis head coach Davis Payne. "We knew that they were a really good forechecking team with some skill in the back as well. We knew how important that first goal would be especially with both teams playing back-to-back nights."

Bryan Little and Dustin Byfuglien both lit the lamp for the Thrashers, who had won four of six prior to the setback. Chris Mason stopped 23-of-26 shots in the loss.

"You have to dig down and find a way to win," said Atlanta head coach Craig Ramsay. "In the third period we put everything out on the line and it caught up with us. We have to re-group quickly because we're back on the ice in two days."

The Blues got on board 5:07 in as a turnover in the Atlanta zone saw Chris Porter come up with the puck and center it for Boyes, who ripped it past Mason.

Little tied it 1:36 later when he finished a rush by tapping home a rebound of an Evander Kane shot for his 10th goal of the season.

Steen made it 2-1 with 1:21 left in the second when he sent home a wrister from the right circle off a Barret Jackman left-point feed.

Pietrangelo gave the Blues a 3-1 lead just 2:13 into the third when he blasted a shot from the right point past Mason off a faceoff win.

Byfuglien got it back to one when he banged the puck in off the goaltender from behind the net with 7:23 to play.

A penalty to B.J. Crombeen saw Atlanta got on the power play with 1:58 to play and the team pulled Mason for a 6-on-4 advantage, but Sobotka iced the game with his empty-netter with 48 seconds left on the clock.

Game Notes

St. Louis hosts Detroit on Thursday...Atlanta plays in Boston on Thursday...The Blues won both matchups with Atlanta this season. The other came on October 30 in St. Louis as the Blues took a 4-3 shootout win...Both teams went 0-for-4 on the power play.