It took overtime to conclude last night’s contest between the Boston Bruins and Atlanta Thrashers at Phillips Arena, ending with a Patrice Bergeron goal for the only score of the shootout to give his Bruins the 4-3 win. Marco Sturm found the net to start six minutes into the first period, followed by a Michael Ryder goal to give Boston the early advantage heading into the second.

The Thrashers answered back to tie it up before Ryder came through again for the B’s on a power play. Maxim Afinogenov scrambled for Atlanta’s desperation goal with 40 seconds left in regulation, setting the stage for Bergeron to finish the battle in dramatic fashion.

Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask came up with 35 saves and completely shut down the Thrashers in OT when it counted. “We have lost several games in shootouts,” said Rask. “We wanted to make sure that didn’t happen again.” Bruins will now make their way to Buffalo to matchup with the Sabres tonight at 7:30 PM. Regular season Boston Bruins tickets are available now!

The Boston Bruins are on a tear.  Their Saturday matinee win over the Atlanta Thrashers was their 6th straight.  The B’s have used this streak to close the gap between themselves and the recently struggling Pittsburgh Penguins and Ottawa Senators.  Currently the Bruins sit in 6th place, tied with the surging New York Rangers.  Phil Kessel showed his shootout prowess again, scoring the game winner for the black and gold.

Monday night the Bruins will match up against the Washington Capitals on the road.

Recap – The Atlanta Thrashers have been playing mediocre hockey all year long. They have not been good, not been bad, not been exciting, and not been disappointing. How can that happen? Well, they do play in Atlanta and hockey is definitely not the number one prioritized sport down in Georgia Bulldog country. One thing that may stir some excitement for the team is Atlanta is the site of the 2008 NHL All-Star Weekend, playing host to the game on January 27, 2008. Two Thrashers wingmen, Ilya Kovalchuk and Marian Hossa, will be joining the festivities and partake in the All-Star game as members of the Eastern Conference team.

2nd Half – Without the fans behind you, it is always very tough to win. The Thrashers do not have the support they need and will just continue to float around the .500 win percentage mark all season long. That may be good enough to squeak into the last playoff spot, but do not count on it.

Team Name: Atlanta Thrashers (23-25-3)

Southeast Division Standing: 2nd place

Conference Standing: T-9th place

Final Predictions: 2nd in Southeast Division, 10th in Eastern Conference