Andrew Ladd lifts the Atlanta Thrashers past the Florida Panthers 4-3 – NHL Update
Andrew Ladd lit the lamp twice, including the game winner in the extra session, as Atlanta Thrashers rolled to a 4-3 victory against Florida Panthers, at Philips Arena on Saturday night.
Blake Wheeler also tallied twice and Dustin Byfuglien earned four assists for Atlanta, which came into the game having dropped seven of its previous eight games. Chris Mason made 31 saves to earn the victory.
"You've gotta use the good feeling and the energy that comes with that," said Ladd. "We have the day off tomorrow and will come back Monday with lots of energy. We have to keep the pace up and go from there."
Stephen Weiss and Sergei Samsonov both found the net and had an assist for Florida, which has lost four consecutive play-offs and six of seven overall. David Booth also notched a goal, while Tomas Vokoun turned away 32 shots in the losing effort.
"We got down and took some penalties in the second half of the game. When we got down 3-1, we pushed back and netted a couple of goals. It's tough and we've lost a bunch of our regular players. It's not easy in this league, you just try to do the best you
can." said Vokoun.
Samsonov got the Panthers on the board first for a 1-0 lead just 5:46 into the opening period, as he knocked in a wrap-round effort from the front of the net.
However, the Thrashers knotted the game at 1-1 just 43 seconds into the middle session, as Wheeler fired a rebound into the net from the right side.
Thrashers went ahead by 2-1 lead on a power play just 68 seconds into the final period, as Ladd stole a bouncing puck at the right side of the net and swept it in before Vokoun was able to recover.
Atlanta then took a two-goal margin, 3-1, just 6 minutes into the third period. The goal came when a shot from Byfuglien was saved by Vokoun, but the whistle never blew to end the play and Wheeler buried the puck into the net for his second goal of the night.
The Panthers rallied to pull the game even at 3-3, as the first goal came just a minute later on a power play when Weiss ripped a slow wrist shot from the high slot and it made its way through traffic in front.
Florida knotted the game at 3-3 with nine minutes left in the final period, as Booth grabbed a rebound from the left side and jammed it into the back of the net.
Just 25 seconds left in the over-time, Byfuglien brought the puck into the zone and he blasted it from the right side over to the left where Ladd knocked it home to seal the win at 4-3.
Tags: