Devils Blow 4-1 Third-Period Lead in Atlanta
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ATLANTA – Peter Bondra scored 1:03 into overtime to give the Atlanta Thrashers a 6-5 win over the Devils last night and a four-game season sweep of New Jersey.
Bondra knocked in a rebound shot from Andy Sutton, whose shot bounced off Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur’s chest and onto Bondra’s stick. It was his 18th goal.
It was the Thrashers’ third straight win and New Jersey’s fifth loss in six games and lifted Atlanta into a tie with the Devils for seventh place in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Each team has 76 points.The top eight teams make the postseason. Atlanta has 12 games left and New Jersey has 13.
The Thrashers overcame a 4-1 third period deficit, scoring four times in the final period. Patrik Stefan, making his first apperance since undergoing surgery for a sports hernia on February 13, scored his 10th goal with 2:01 left for a 5-4 Atlanta lead.
New Jersey, however, tied it a minute later on a goal by Brian Gionda,his 38th, sending the game into overtime. Scott Gomez assisted, his third of the game.
Atlanta’s Vyacheslav Kozlov scored his 21st goal to tie the game at 4 with 3:07 left to play.
New Jersey took a 4-1 lead and appeared to have the game clinched it when Zach Parise scored his ninth goal at 2:41 of the final period.
The Thrashers, however, who have never reached the playoffs in their first five NHL seasons, scored a pair of goals within a 3:05 span to get within 4-3. First, Bobby Holik scored his 11th goal on a power play at 5:55, then Ilya Kovalchuk blasted his 44th goal.
New Jersey took a 1-0 lead after the first period on a power play goal from Patrik Elias, who beat Kari Lehtonen with a backhander into the top right corner of the net with 4:54 left in the period.
Jamie Langenbrunner scored his 16th goal for the Devils on another power play 10:21 into the second period with Elias assisting along with Brian Rafalsky for a 2-0 lead.
The Thrashers got on the scoreboard two minutes later to cut the margin in half when Marian Hossa, who added two assists, beat Martin Brodeur from in close on a power play for his 33rd goal. New Jersey, however, replied with a goal by Brad Lukovich with 3:26 left in the period for a 3-1 lead.
