Thrashers' Kovalchuk Gets OT Winner To Sink Habs

The Montreal Canadiens slip to a 3-4-1 record in their their last 8 games after dropping a 4-3 overtime loss to the Atlanta Thrashers. The Canadiens were ahead 2-0 halfway through the 2nd, but Atlanta kept coming back to tie the game, with Thrashers' sniper Ilya Kovalchuk beating Habs' netminder Carey Price in the extra frame.

Canadiens' center Glen Metropolit got his 7th with a power play goal 3:33 into the 1st period with a backhand that got past Atlanta goalie Johan Hedberg as Metropolit came from behind the icing line squeezing the puck behind Hedberg's left pad and the post. Montreal outshot Atlanta 10-9 in the period, but could only manage another 9 shots through the rest of the game on the Hedberg, while the Thrashers got 26 more on Price, including 2 in overtime.

Andrei Kostitsyn scored the first of his 2 goals on the night at 6:44 of the 2nd to give Montreal a 2-0 lead. Atlanta answered with a couple of goals from Christoph Schubert and Colby Armstrong as the Thrashers dominated in the shots department in the middle period, outshooting the Habs by more than 4-1, getting 17 on Price, while the Canadiens could only direct 4 at the Atlanta goal. Despite the onslaught, Montreal took a 3-2 lead at Kostitsyn got his 6th of the season with 4:47 left in the period.

Atlanta's Nik Antropov got his 4th of the season, beating Price with a wrist shot after getting a pass from defenseman Tobias Enstrom, and tucked it stickside past Price to tie the game 3-3. There was no scoring in the 3rd period and the Thrashers had 3 power plays with Metropolit being sent off with 40 seconds left in regulation for high-sticking which meant Atlanta would have the man advantage for the first 1:20 of overtime.

Kovalchuk beat Price to complete the comeback at 1:18 of OT, giving the left winger his 17th of the season.

Both teams play Monday with Atlanta heading to New York to take on the Rangers and the Habs heading home to face their division rival Buffalo Sabres.