Final
Devils and Thrashers clash in Newark
Mar 15, 2011 - 3:07 PM (Sports Network) - A battle between playoff hopefuls is on tap tonight in Newark, as the New Jersey Devils welcome the Atlanta Thrashers to the Prudential Center.Just two points separate the Thrashers and Devils in the East standings, as Atlanta is tied for 10th with 70 points and New Jersey is 12th with 68. The Thrashers are six points behind the New York Rangers and Buffalo for the conference's final two postseason berths.
The Devils have been on an amazing run over the last two months, posting a 22-3-2 record in their last 27 contests. New Jersey enters this evening on a two-game win streak overall and the Devils have also won seven of their last eight on home ice.
Atlanta, meanwhile, has recorded a point in four straight games (3-0-1) after losing 11 of its previous 13 tilts.
Tonight's matchup marks the second meeting between these clubs in less than a week. The Devils recorded a 3-2 overtime victory Friday in Atlanta when Travis Zajac scored his second goal of the game in the final minute of the extra session.
New Jersey has won two straight against the Thrashers since getting slammed, 7-1, in the season series opener on Dec. 18 in Atlanta. The Devils have taken five of six overall from Atlanta and the Thrashers have dropped two straight and five of their last eight in the Garden State.
The Thrashers were able to rebound from Friday's OT loss to Jersey with a thrilling comeback victory the following night in Philadelphia. Atlanta trailed the Flyers by a 3-0 score heading into the third period, but the Thrashers stormed back for the eventual 5-4 overtime win.
Ron Hainsey's tip-in at 1:17 of OT was the game-winner for the Thrashers, who overcame a hat trick by Philadelphia's Ville Leino. Evander Kane carried the puck down the left wing side and laid out a perfect pass to Hainsey, who flipped his shot high and inside the right post.
Kane and Andrew Ladd posted a goal and one assist each for the Thrashers.
"We were down 3-0, but we came back and played a wonderful game. We played and looked like a team," Thrashers head coach Craig Ramsay said. "They dug down and found something special."
Chris Mason was credited with the victory after stopping 11-of-12 shots. Starter Ondrej Pavelec allowed three goals on 12 shots through two periods before being pulled.
Pavelec was the loser in Friday's loss to the Devils and he has a 2-1-1 record and a 2.51 goals-against average in his career against New Jersey. Mason is 1-1-0 with a 2.93 GAA in two lifetime appearances versus the Devils.
Thrashers defenseman Dustin Byfuglien is questionable for tonight's test with an undisclosed injury. Byfuglien, who is leading all NHL defensemen with 19 goals this season, suffered the injury in Sunday's tilt.
Atlanta has won its last two road games, but is just 14-14-5 as the visiting team this season.
The Devils followed Friday's win over Atlanta with a victory the following night against the visiting New York Islanders. Anssi Salmela scored with 1:51 left in overtime to give the Devils the 3-2 win at Prudential Center.
In the extra session, Mattias Tedenby sent a pass from the neutral zone over to a streaking Salmela, who backed off his defender before snapping a wrister past Al Montoya for his first goal of the season.
It was New Jersey's ninth straight game decided by one goal and the Devils improved to 7-2-0 in those tilts.
Jacob Josefson and David Clarkson each had a goal and an assist for the Devils, while Martin Brodeur faced just 15 shots in the game and stopped 13.
"Any team that has success in [the NHL] is counting on a few different players, and that's probably one of the reasons why we're able to go through that streak right now, just because a lot of different guys are chipping in," Brodeur said.
Brodeur is expected to get the start tonight. He is 1-1 with a 3.92 GAA in his two outings against the Thrashers this year, but is 21-8-5 with three ties and a 2.17 GAA in his career versus Atlanta. The 38-year-old stopped 24-of-26 shots in last week's win over the Thrashers.
New Jersey is 17-14-3 as the host this season.
- ATLANTA: 2
NEW JERSEY: 4
Final
Mar 15 9:23 PM - New Jersey Empty Net Goal - Ilya Kovalchuk, from Dainius Zubrus at 19:43.
Thrashers 2, Devils 4 3rd - 0:17Mar 15 9:22 PM - New Jersey Goal - Jacob Josefson (2), from Mattias Tedenby at 4:14.
Thrashers 2, Devils 3 3rd - 15:46Mar 15 8:52 PM - ATLANTA: 2
NEW JERSEY: 2
End of 2nd
Mar 15 8:29 PM - ATLANTA: 2
NEW JERSEY: 1
End of 1st
Mar 15 7:41 PM - New Jersey Goal - Travis Zajac (13), from Mark Fayne at 18:52.
Thrashers 2, Devils 1 1st - 1:08Mar 15 7:39 PM - Atlanta Goal - Chris Thorburn (8), from Radek Dvorak at 16:29.
Thrashers 2, Devils 0 1st - 3:31Mar 15 7:37 PM - Atlanta Goal - Tim Stapleton (3), from Evander Kane at 15:24.
Thrashers 1, Devils 0 1st - 4:36Mar 15 7:34 PM - ATLANTA: 0
NEW JERSEY: 0
1st Period - 20:00
Mar 15 7:08 PM
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