Atlanta Thrashers and New York Rangers streaks come to an end
The Atlanta Thrashers held off a third period surge by the New York Rangers snapping their their three-game losing streak with a 6-4 win, and bringing the Rangers' three-game win streak to an end.
How it happened
The Rangers got off to a quick start scoring after just 38 seconds when Ryan Callahan got his second of the season.
The Thrashers answered back midway through the period when Bryan Little got his first of the season on beautiful solo effort as he took control of the puck at his own blue line and skated end to end before
slipping a nifty backhand between the legs of Rangers goalie Martin Biron.
The Thrashers went into the third period up 3-2 with second period goals from Evander Kane and Niclas Bergfors with the Rangers' Sean Avery scoring his first of the season sandwiched in between.
It was a wild third period as the Thrashers went up 4-2 just 49 seconds in on a goal from Eric Boulton, and then extended their lead on the power play when Dustin Byfuglien got his third of the season.
Down 5-2, the Rangers poured it on late in the game and reduced the deficit to 5-4, on goals from Todd White and Brian Boyle, before Thrashers left winger Andrew Ladd scored an empty-netter.
What they're saying
"Wow, we are fun to watch," Thrashers coach Craig Ramsay said about the high-scoring affair. "We talk a lot about composure. The coaches have to be composed on the bench and the players have to be composed
when they step on the ice. They have to want the puck and that's one of the key things that I saw in the last while. Everybody on the bench wanted to play and everybody wanted the puck."
Rangers coach John Tortorella wasn't pleased about how his team had to play from behind for almost the whole game, and was not particularly impressed with goaltender Biron's home debut.
"We're not good enough to let down. We're not good enough," he said. "Whether we're healthy or not, we're not a good enough team to have letdowns. We have to learn to take that next step."
"We need some saves there," Tortorella added. "In that type of game if we get a couple more saves it may be the difference."
The Thrashers now return home to test their offence against Ryan Miller and the Buffalo Sabres on Friday 29 October.
The Rangers also play again on Friday as they host the Carolina Hurricanes.
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