European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 2, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 36 stars and stripes monday april 2 2007 Michael Atlanta Brad Larsen left congratulates goalie Kari Lehtonen after the Thrashers beat the Boston Bruins 32 in Boston on saturday Atlanta can Clinch a playoff berth with a Victory in one of its last three games Thrashers get step closer to their first playoff berth the associated press Boston when the Atlanta Thrashers traded for Keith Tkachuk and Alexei Zhitnik last month they were in the midst of a free fall now there on the Brink of clinching their first playoff berth and have both players to thank Tkachuk scored the Winner Kari Lehtonen stopped 25 shots and the Atlanta Thrashers moved closer to clinching their first play off berth with a 32 Victory Over the Boston Bruins on saturday the Thrashers squandered a 20 Lead but Tkachuk bailed them out when he swatted a re bound past Boston goalie Joey Macdonald with 186 seconds remaining in the third Zhitnik assisted on the goal by shooting it toward the net to get the puck near the crease both Guys were the reason we scored Atlanta coach Bob Hart Ley said if you look at the replay Zhitnik did a great Job of battling 1 for the puck and Tkachuk just had to push it in Hya Kovalchuk and Greg de Vries also scored and Tkachuk added an assist for the Thrashers who swept the fou game series with Boston the Thrashers won their Sec Ond straight and improved to 412711 tying the franchise record for victories and moving three Points ahead of Tampa Bay in the Southeast division with three games left Atlanta which won 41 games last year can Clinch a playoff berth with a Victory in any of its last three games the Thrashers would also Clinch a spot with a loss by Toronto and the new York islanders the Thrashers improved to 1041 since acquiring Zhitnik from Philadelphia on feb 24 and Tkachuk from St Louis a Day later Marco Sturm and Petr Kalus scored and Macdonald made 37 saves for Boston which has lost seven of eight to drop out of play off Contention stars 4 predators 2 Stu bar nes and Mike Modano each had a goal and an assist and visiting Dallas got revenge where it counted by beating Nashville the predators came in needing a Victory to pass Detroit and move Back atop the Central Divi Sion and Western conference standings while tying Buffalo for the nil Lead but there was More to this game than that this marked the first time these teams had met since March 17 when predators Forward Jordin Tootoo decked Stephane Robidas knocking him out with an unexpected gloved punch that Drew a five game sus pension for Tootoo a ban that ended saturday and Robidas has missed seven games since lightning 5 capitals 2 at Tampa la Vincent Lecavalier scored his 51st goal and had two assists to Lead the lightning past Washington the lightning remained three Points behind Southeast Divi Sion leading Atlanta Tampa Bay also stayed in sixth place in the Eastern conference one Point ahead of the new York rangers rangers 6 flyers 4 Jaromir jagr had two goals and an assist and visiting new York chased goalie Martin Biron and beat Phil Adelphia Thomas pock Martin Straka and Petr Prucha each had a goal and an assist and Ryan Callahan also scored for the rangers who won for the sixth time in seven games and held onto seventh place in the Eastern conference Mapie Leafs 5 penguins 4 Tomas Kaberle scored his second goal of the game at of overtime and Host Toronto helped its playoff chances by beating Pittsburgh Chad Kilger Alexei Poni Karovsky and Bryan Mccabe also scored for the Maple Leafs who stayed in ninth place in the East Ern conference one Point and one place below Montreal and the playoff cutoff canadians 4 sabres 3 Saku Koivu scored his 20th goal Early in the third period and Michael Ryder got his Tea leading 27th in the first in Host Montreal Vic tory Over Buffalo Buffalo which has four games left to play remained atop the Nils Overall standings with 107 Points senators 5 islanders 2 at Uniondale by Mike Comrie scored twice and Christoph Schu Bert added a goal and assist As vis iting Ottawa swept the season series from the islanders Avalanche 2 wild 1 at Den ver Colorado kept its playoff Hopes alive beating Minnesota be Hind Peter Burdajs record tying 10th Victory in March ducks 3 blues 2 Andy Mcdonald swatted in a Backhander 25 seconds into overtime for his second goal of the game help ing Anaheim spoil St Louis Home finale flames 3 canucks 2 at Van Couver British Columbia Day mond Langkow had a goal and two assists and Mitikka Kip Rusoff made 32 saves As Calgary moved closer to clinching a playoff spot with a Victory Over Vancouver a Detroit a Anaheim a Vancouver Nashville Dallas san Jose Minnesota l 47 19 47 20 4724 4923 4824 4826 45 26 12 12 7 7 6 4 s 106 106 101 105 102 100 98 238 251 212 262 218 242 224 193 200 190 205 188 188 190 209 Colorado 41 30 St Louis 32 33 Columbus 32 39 Edmonton 31 40 los Angeles 26 38 Chicago 28 40 Phoenix 29 44 two Points for a win one time loss or shootout 89257240 13 77 203 241 7 71 195 237 7 69 191 238 14 66 218 268 9 65 189 243 5 63 206 273 Point for nil scoreboard Eastern conference a Buffalo a Pittsburgh Satanta Ottawa new Jersey Tampa Bay by rangers Montreal w l opts 50 21 7 107 45 23 11 101 41 27 11 93 47 24 8 102 8 100 4 90 9 89 4624 43 32 4029 41 32 6 88 of a 295 235 271 239 237 239 279 214 206 194 246249 229208 237 247 Toronto Carolina by islanders Florida Boston Washington Philadelphia 3829 11 3832 8 36 30 12 34 30 14 3537 6 26 39 14 21 46 11 87 245 250 84 229 239 84 233 232 82 233 245 76 213 274 66 231 282 53 204290 Western conference saturdays games Atlanta 3 Boston 2 Colorado 2 Minnesota 1 Montreal 4 Buffalo 3 Ottawa 5 by islanders 2 Toronto 5 Pittsburgh 4 of by rangers 6 Philadelphia 4 Tampa Bay 5 Washington 2 Anaheim 3 St Louis 2 of Dallas 4 Nashville 2 Calgary 3 Vancouver 2 sundays games Detroit at Columbus Edmonton at Chicago Boston at new Jersey Carolina at Florida los Angeles at san Jose Toronto at by rangers mondays game St Louis at Dallas tuesdays games Buffalo at Pittsburgh Florida at Washington Boston at Montreal Columbus at Detroit Philadelphia at Toronto Ottawa at new Jersey by rangers at by islanders Carolina at Tampa Bay Edmonton at Minnesota Chicago at Nashville Colorado at Calgary St Louis at Phoenix los Angeles at Vancouver saturday Thrashers 3 Bruins 2 Atlanta 1 1 13 Boston 0112 first period1 Atlanta Kovalchuk 39 Exel by 24 second period2 Atlanta de Vries 3 do Boston Sturm 26 Chara Berg third period4 Boston Kalus 2 5 Atlanta Tkachuk 27 Hossa hit shots on Goa Atlanta 1681640 bos ton 7101027 Power play 0 of 7 Boston 1 of 3 goalie Atlanta Lehtonen 33239 27 shots25 Boston Macdonald 372 a16218 Avalanche 2 wild 1 Minnesota 1 0 Colorado 0 2 first Minnesota Gaborik 29 Rolston second period2 Colorado Liles 14 Woiski 3 Colorado Stastny 26 Hejduk shots on Goa Minnesota 126624 Colo Rado 1311832 Power play opportunities Minnesota 1 of 4 Colorado 2 of 6 Harding 321 32 shots30 Colorado Budai 29156 a17192 canadians 4 sabres 3 Buffalo l i 13 Montreal 12 14 first period1 Buffalo Briere 32 Hecht 2 Montreal Ryder 27 Bouillon second Montreal Bonk 13 Niini Montreal Lapierre 6 Kovalev 5 Buffalo Vanek 39 Roy third Montreal Koivu Buffalo Zubrus 24 Paille shots on Montre Al 512219 Power play 0 of 2 Montreal oof 2 goalie Buffalo Conklin 342 19 shots15 Montreal Halak 950 a21273 t224 senators 5 islanders 2 Ottawa 1 1 35 by islanders 0 1 12 first period1 Ottawa Schubert 8 spec second period2 by islanders Kozlov 25 Yashin 3 Ottawa Comrie 18 Schaefer third period4 Ottawa Comrie 19 Schu Bert 47 5 Ottawa Mcammond 14 6 by islanders Berg Eron 14 Yashin 7 Ottawa shots on Goa Ottawa 18141547 by islanders 88723 Power play opportunities Ottawa 0 of 7 by islanders 1 of goalie Ottawa Gerber 1593 23 shots21 by islanders Tubielewicz 010 a15598 t221 Leafs 5 penguins 4 of Pittsburgh 112 04 Toronto 220 15 first period1 Toronto Kilger 14 Well Wood 2 Pittsburgh Roberts 18 Gonchar 3 Toronto Poni Karovsky 20 Antropov second Toronto Kaberle 10 Tucker 5 Toronto Mccabe 13 Sundin 6 Pitts Burgh Talbot 12 third Pittsburgh Crosby 36 Whitney Pittsburgh Whit Ney 14 Gonchar Toronto Kaberle 11 Kubina shots on Goa Pittsburgh 12814236 Toronto 10147637 Power play l of 6 Toronto a of 4 Thibault 20 shots16 Fleury 38159 second Toronto Raycroft 36239 a19649 rangers 6 flyers 4 by rangers Philadelphia 06 14 first by rangers pock 4 jagr Philadelphia eager 5 gue Ninny rangers Callahan 3 Cullen by rangers jagr 27 Nylander second Philadelphia eager 6 Potulny by rangers jagr 28 by rangers Straka 28 Malik Philadelphia Coburn 3 Pitkanen 9 by rang Prucha 20 Straka third Philadelphia Potulny 6 Gagne shots on Galny rangers 1313834 Philadelphia 16111037 Power play  rangers 1 of 2 Philadelphia 1 of 5 rangers Lundqvist 35217 37 shots33 Philadelphia Biron 17112 Niit Tomaki second a19555 lightning 5 capitals 2 Washington 1 0 12 Tampa Bay 21 25 first Tampa Bay Lecavalier 51 Ranger 362 Washington petting or 16 Clark 3 Tampa Bay Craig 14 Karlsson second Tampa Bay Boyle 19 Lecavalier St third i ampa Bay St Louis 43 Lecavalier 6 Washington Bradley 4 Tampa Bay Ward 7 Prospal shots on Tampa Bay Power play 0 of 2 Tampa Bay 1 of 2 goalie Washington Krolzig 21236 28 shots24 Tampa Bay Holmqvist a20064 ducks 3 blues 2 of Anaheim 110 13 St Louis 10102 first Anaheim Niedermayer 14 Getzlaff 2 St Louis Backes 10 Mcclement second Anaheim Mcdonald 25 Kunitz third St Louis Stempniak 25 Jackman Anaheim Mcdonald 26 Nied 25 shots on Goa Anaheim 51110127 St Louis 859022 Power play 2 of 4st Louis oof 4 Giguere 36108 22 shots20 St Louis Bacashihua 253 a18609 stars 4 predators 2 Dallas 30 14 Nashville 1 l 02 first period Dallas Halpern 8 Barnes 2 Dallas Jokinen 14 Modano Nashville Zanon Dallas Barnes 12 second period5 Nashville Radulov 17 Hordichuk third Dallas Modano 21 Jokinen 1031 shots on Goa Dallas 1115935 Nash Ville 4111126 Power play opportunities Dallas 0 of 4 Nashville oof 3 goalie Dallas Turco 36195 26 shots24 Nashville Vokoun 25124 35 shots31 a17113 flames 3 canucks 2 Calgary 12 Vancouver 0 0 first Calgary Langkow 32 Huse second Calgary Conroy 13 Langkow 3 Calgary Juselius 33 Gimla third period4 Vancouver Morrison 20 5 Vancouver Naslund 23 Cooke shots on goal Calgary 5103ia Vancou ver 6101834 Power play opportunities Calgary 0 of 4 Vancouver 1 of 8 goalie Calgary Kip Rusoff 40219 34 shots32 Vancouver Luongo 45216 a18630 t230