Kozzy sharp again as Thrashers win second in a row

Nov 07 2008

Published by bud006 at 8:38 am under Thrashers Recaps Edit This

By Bud L. Ellis
thrashers.today.com

Thrashers 4, Islanders 3

Top of the Slot: Slava Kozlov continued his scoring tear and Ondrej Pavelec made 24 saves in goal, sparking the Thrashers to a season-best two-game winning streak.

The Good: Wow, the offshore surgeries on his shoulder and knee have made one heck of a difference for Kozlov, who looks like he’s 10 years younger. Two more goals Thursday, giving him five in the past four games and eight on the season. Kozzy finished a plus-3, as did Bryan Little and Todd White, each of whom notched two assists as the second line dominated. The top defensive pairing shined. Nic Havelid finished a plus-3, and Toby Enstrom picked a good time for his first goal of the year, snapping a 3-3 tie with 8:31 left on a shot from the point. Pavelec looked comfortable between the pipes. Off the ice, Kari Lehtonen – out with back problems and the flu – is expected to play tonight at Buffalo. Jason Williams scored on the power play, and Ilya Kovalchuk added an assist.

The Bad: The Thrashers played without Mathieu Schneider, who injured his hip and will miss at least the next two games. Atlanta looked lethargic for a big part of the second period and it hurt, as the Islanders scored twice in a 17-second span to take a 3-1 lead. Boris Valabik, promoted from Chicago to add depth to the blueline, finished minus-1 and earned a two-minute tripping penalty. Chris Thorburn took a hooking call with 10 seconds left, but the Thrashers weathered a 6-on-4 at the finish to earn the win.

View from the Sports Garage: Boy, it’s been a while since this team won two games in a row. How long? Try Feb. 15. And you had to wonder if it was going to happen while watching this team slip into a shell in the second period. But head coach John Anderson lit a fire under the boys during the second intermission, and Atlanta responded with one of its better periods of the season to close things out. Kozlov is playing like he’s 27, not 37. Smooth and steady, the veteran is leading the way. Little and White looked fantastic, as did Enstrom. A really good victory for a team that, despite its early-season struggles, finds itself only six points behind division-leader Carolina.