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Islanders blow another third-period lead in loss to Thrashers

Nov 7, 2008 - 4:17 AM ATLANTA (Ticker) -- Third-period leads apparently do not agree with the New York Islanders.

Defenseman Tobias Enstrom capped a three-goal third session with 8:31 remaining as the Atlanta Thrashers rallied for a 4-3 triumph over the Islanders on Thursday.

Vyacheslav Kozlov began the comeback with his second goal of the game and Jason Williams forged a 3-3 tie with a power-play tally for the Thrashers, who have won two in a row - their first winning streak since February - following a six-game slide.

"It feels good to come here and smile two times in a row," Atlanta coach John Anderson said.

Enstrom, Bryan Little and Todd White added two assists apiece for Atlanta, which improved to 1-4-0 against Atlantic Division opponents.

Jon Sim, Frans Nielsen and Trent Hunter scored for the Islanders, who squandered a third-period lead for the third time in four games.

"It's disappointing," New York goaltender Joey MacDonald said. "No lead is safe going into the third period."

On Saturday, New York carried a 4-1 lead into the third against Montreal only to suffer a 5-4 loss. Two days later, Columbus trailed, 3-0, after 40 minutes but forced overtime before finally succumbing to the Islanders, 4-3.

In this one, New York held a 3-1 advantage after two periods as Nielsen and Hunter scored 17 seconds apart midway through the middle session. But Kozlov drew Atlanta within one just 29 seconds into the third and Williams forged a tie 48 seconds later.

Little chased down the puck behind the net after a dump-in and chipped it to Kozlov, who beat MacDonald to the stick side from the doorstep for his eight goal of the season. Kozlov, who also tallied in the first period, is in the midst of a four-game goal-scoring streak and has netted six in his last six contests.

"Right now, we're far behind in the playoff race," Kozlov said of his team, which has just 10 points through 13 games this season. "I'm not worried about stats and the goals I scored."

MacDonald inadvertently fired the puck over the glass 40 seconds later, drawing a delay-of-game penalty. The Thrashers cashed in for the equalizer as Williams tipped a shot by Enstrom past the netminder for his third of the campaign.

"It was a routine save," MacDonald said. "Instead of going off the toe, it went off of the heel."

Obviously stunned by their latest meltdown, the Islanders allowed the Thrashers to carry the play for much of the next 10 minutes before finally surrendering the deciding goal. From the left point, Enstrom fired a one-timer that deflected off the stick of New York defenseman Thomas Pock and between the pads of MacDonald for a 4-3 advantage.

"We had an opportunity to go to the net in the third period," Islanders coach Scott Gordon said. "But we didn't. We stopped skating. The fact that they play with caution when they get the green light is frustrating."

New York looked like a totally different team in the first two periods.

Sim opened the scoring on the power play just 2:23 into the contest, chipping his own rebound past netminder Ondrej Pavelec. But Kozlov knotted the contest less than two minutes later as he beat MacDonald high to the stick side with a wrist shot from the slot at 4:17.

Nielsen banged in a loose puck at the right side of the net at 9:40 of the middle session for a 2-1 edge before setting up Hunter for a snap shot from the right faceoff circle less than 20 seconds later to double the lead.

"We played well the first two periods," MacDonald said. "It seems like we can't handle those two-goal leads. We have to learn from it and bounce back."

Atlanta regrouped after receiving a tongue-lashing from Anderson during the second intermission.

"I'm a pretty patient man," Anderson said. "But when I see that in the second period, that's not what I want this team to be about."

"He was very upset with the way we were working and (told us that) if we were to keep playing like that, we weren't going to win," Kozlov said. "He has a lot of patience, but once in a while, he will get upset like that."

Pavelec turned aside 24 shots for the Thrashers, who were without starting goaltender Kari Lehtonen for the third straight game due to illness.

MacDonald made 23 saves for New York, which had won two in a row following a six-game slide.