Kozlov shoots down Blues to end Atlanta’s losing run

The National staff

• Last Updated: November 09. 2009 7:24PM UAE / November 9. 2009 3:24PM GMT

Ty Conklin, No 29, made 38 saves for the Blues. His team still lost to the Thrashers on Sunday. Gregory Smith / AP

Rich Peverley and Slava Kozlov scored shoot-out goals to complete an Atlanta Thrashers rally for a 3-2 victory over the St Louis Blues on Sunday.

While Atlanta managed to score from both their shots on goal, netminder Johan Hedberg blocked Andy McDonald and Brad Boyes’s attempts, to help the Thrashers (7-6-1) end a four-game home losing run. “He’s magic,” the Thrashers coach John Anderson said of Kozlov’s overall performance in shoot-outs.

“I feel confident with Hedberg and Kozlov because they have shoot-out competitions every day before and after practice, so it really helps.

“That’s why he [Kozlov] goes second, because he very rarely misses.”

St Louis had looked on course for victory when goals from McDonald and David Perron in the second and third periods put them 2-0 ahead before Atlanta’s defencemen Tobias Enstrom and Ron Hainsey both netted in a frantic four-minute span.

Marty Reasoner assisted on both the home team’s goals, winning a face-off for the equaliser with 3:31 remaining as Hainsey’s bouncing shot beat the St Louis goaltender Ty Conklin. “I was trying to get something going,” Hainsey said. “I just threw the puck there and hoped for the best.”

Hedberg, who had 30 saves, thought the shot, which came off a broken play was a key to the victory. “All we needed was a good bounce, which we got there,” the goaltender said.

Conklin made 38 saves for St Louis but could not stop either Peverley nor Kozlov in the shoot-out.

Meanwhile, the Colorado Avalanche relinquished their unbeaten home record this season as they slumped 5-3 to the Edmonton Oilers.

Edmonton grabbed three power- play goals in the first period from Mike Comrie, Tom Gilbert and Dustin Penner, and another in the third from Ryan Potulny, while Andrew Cogliano also scored. Colorado’s strikes came from Marek Svatos, TJ Hensick and David Jones.

* With agencies