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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
ATLANTA (AP) -- Pat Burns was more relieved than excited after
the Boston Bruins ended a six-game winless streak.
"Well, I've forgotten a bit how to celebrate," the Bruins
coach said Wednesday night after Boston rallied to beat the Atlanta
Thrashers 4-3. "I don't recall, but it was certainly a good win."
|  | | Boston's Ray Bourque takes an elbow in the chops from Atlanta's Denny Lambert, right. |
P.J. Axelsson's seventh goal, the game-winner, came with 4:17
remaining after Rob DiMaio made a nice wraparound pass. Axelsson
knocked his shot over the right shoulder of rookie Scott Fankhouser
to give the Bruins their second win in 15 games and fourth since
Nov. 24.
Ray Bourque played in his 1,500th career game, two days after
being hit in the mouth by a slap shot against Atlanta.
The veteran defenseman of 21 years, who led the Bruins in ice
time with 27:02, took 11 stitches in his upper lip after a shot by Atlanta's Ray Ferraro deflected off Bourque's stick and hit him Monday.
"I've been around a long time," said Bourque, fifth in NHL
games played. "Not too many people have been able to play this
long and in this many games."
In facing only 17 shots, Bruins goalie Byron Dafoe raised his
record to 10-11-8 and helped Boston avoid a tie for the fourth
straight game. A loss would have sent the Bruins six games under
.500 for the first time since the end of the 1996-97 season.
"We've been struggling for the last month," Dafoe said.
"Coming from behind in the third period gave us a big lift."
Kyle McLaren made it 3-3 with a 35-foot wrist shot with 8:22
left.
The power play continued to haunt the Bruins, who have scored
just once in their last 34 man-advantage situations.
All of Atlanta's goals came on the power play. Petr Buzek ended
a personal 21-game scoreless stretch to make it 1-0 only 1:32 into
the second period with a slap shot from the top of the slot.
Nelson Emerson scored the next two. His breakaway shot from the
bottom of the slot gave Atlanta a 2-1 lead with 8:55 left in the
second. Emerson followed with his ninth goal -- a wrist shot from
the slot with 9:45 left in the game.
"We need to learn how to not make mistakes in the last 10
minutes, especially when we are winning the game," Atlanta coach
Curt Fraser said. "I thought we did a lot of good things tonight,
but really both teams were stuck in the mud. It was one of those
games where the last one standing was going to win."
Anson Carter brought Boston back from a 2-1 deficit with his
team-leading 19th goal -- a slap shot from the top of the right
circle with 10:42 to play.
Boston tied it 1-1 when Hal Gill drilled a shot under
Fankhouser's stick side. Fankhouser stopped 24 shots in falling to 2-6-2.
"When we were down 2-1 going into the third, a lot of guys were
saying, 'we can't lose this game,' " Carter said. "We've got to
be a desperate hockey club right now. This is the first game of an
important three-game road trip, and we need to gain as many points
as possible."
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ALSO SEE
NHL Scoreboard
Boston Clubhouse
Atlanta Clubhouse
Long-in-the-tooth Bourque, minus some teeth, returns to work
RECAPS
Boston 4
Atlanta 3
Washington 3
Florida 1
Montreal 3
NY Islanders 0
New Jersey 4
Chicago 1
Pittsburgh 3
St. Louis 1
San Jose 0
Colorado 0
Edmonton 7
Calgary 0
Detroit 3
Vancouver 3
Anaheim 3
Dallas 1
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