Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Peter Forsberg scored twice, including
the game-winner in a shootout to give new head coach John Stevens his first
win as the Philadelphia Flyers emerged victorious over the Atlanta
Thrashers, 3-2, at the Wachovia Center.
Simon Gagne scored for the Flyers to open the shootout, but Vyacheslav Kozlov
tied it, before Forsberg, who returned after a one-game absence with a sore
wrist, used a snap shot to beat the glove of Kari Lehtonen. Antero Niittymaki
then stopped shots by Marian Hossa and Ilya Kovalchuk to secure the win.
It was Philadelphia's first victory since October 10 when they defeated the
New York Rangers and just its second of the campaign.
Randy Robitaille also scored for the Flyers, who were playing their first game
under Stevens. He took over for Ken Hitchcock whose firing was announced in a
press conference last Sunday, along with the resignation of general manager
Bob Clarke.
Niittymaki made 28 saves, including 10 in the second period.
Kovalchuk and Bobby Holik each tallied for the Thrashers, who have dropped two
straight. Johan Hedberg stopped 29 of the 31 shots he faced, but was pulled in
favor of Lehtonen during the shootout.
Philadelphia took a 1-0 lead just under two minutes into the first period.
Mike Knuble skated down the right side and fed the puck to Robitaille, who
tipped it in through the stick side of Hedberg.
The Thrashers tied the game, though, when Kovalchuk scored on a breakaway at
the 7:06 mark. Jon Sim slid the disc to Kovalchuk, who used a wrist shot to
tally through the legs of Niittymaki.
After an idle second, Forsberg opened the third frame with a power-play goal
off the pads of Hedberg for the go-ahead score. Forsberg netted the puck from
behind the left circle after receiving a pass from Lars Jonsson.
Holik tied the game for Atlanta, 2-2, 8:31 into the third. After a centering
pass from Hossa, Vishnevski's slap shot deflected off the stick of Holik and
over Niittymaki's left shoulder.
