Senators 4 - 5 Thrashers
Final - 2OT
  for this game

Ladd lifts Atlanta to SO win over Ottawa

Mar 27, 2011 - 11:16 PM Atlanta, GA (Sports Network) - Andrew Ladd scored the lone goal of the shootout, as the Atlanta Thrashers got by the Ottawa Senators, 5-4, at Philips Arena.

After a scoreless overtime, the first six shooters were unable to light the lamp, then Ladd started the fourth round by faking a backhander and went to the forehand, beating Craig Anderson to the blocker side.

Ryan Shannon had a chance to keep the game alive, but went wide on a forehand attempt and Chris Mason stayed with him and turned the puck aside to preserve the win.

Blake Wheeler and Ben Maxwell each registered a goal and an assist for Atlanta, which has won three of its last five. For Maxwell, it was his first two NHL points. Bryan Little and Mark Stuart also tallied in regulation for the victors.

Mason stopped 24-of-28 shots for the Thrashers, who are still on the outside looking in for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

"It was back-and-forth, both teams working hard," Mason said. "For us, we basically have to win every game and get help from some other teams."

Marek Svatos scored twice, while Chris Neil and Erik Condra each picked up a goal for the Senators, who had won four of five coming into the contest. Anderson made 43 saves in defeat.

"We just turned the puck over too many times. We didn't manage the puck as well as we had in the past," Senators head coach Cory Clouston said.

With Atlanta ahead 3-2 after two periods, Stuart snapped a wrister from the slot that appeared to hit an Ottawa stick and went through the pads of Anderson for a Thrashers' two-goal cushion 2:08 into the third.

Ottawa got it back at the 7:12 mark when Jason Spezza carried the puck down the left side and fed Condra for a redirection in close for a 4-3 game.

Then with 5:08 left, Svatos tipped home a Filip Kuba shot to tie the contest.

Atlanta opened the scoring 4:02 into the contest on Wheeler's defection of a a Zach Bogosian wrist shot from the point. However, Svatos banked a shot off a defender in front at 5:51 to tie the contest and it stayed 1-1 after 20 minutes.

The Thrashers then struck twice 19 seconds apart midway through the second. First it was Little, taking a pass from Wheeler, cutting in front off the net, outmuscling a Senator and putting it home while falling to the ice at 10:15

Maxwell picked up his first career NHL goal at 10:34 when he fired a shot from a severe angle below the left circle that found the back of the net.

Neil banged home a rebound on the doorstep with 6:23 remaining in the middle stanza to pull the Senators to within one.

Game Notes

The Thrashers have won five of the last seven matchups overall against Ottawa...Mason improved to 2-4-0 lifetime versus the Senators...Anderson fell to 8-5-0 in his career against Atlanta.






Related News