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Thursday, Nov. 2 7:30pm ET
Atlanta can't capitalize on power play | |||||
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ATLANTA (AP) -- The Los Angeles Kings finished what they started against the Atlanta Thrashers. Two nights after scoring just one goal on 46 shots in a loss at Columbus, the Kings didn't waste many opportunities on 30 shots, beating Atlanta 5-2 Thursday night to stop a two-game losing streak. "We read off one another a little better and we moved the puck better and we scored off our opportunities," forward Kelly Buchberger said. "We hadn't been playing that great of late; it's nice to get a win." Jamie Storr made 22 saves for the Kings, who got goals from Bob Corkum, Mathieu Schneider, Steven Reinprecht, Jozef Stumpel and Rob Blake, and three assists from Ziggy Palffy. The Thrashers' franchise-record four-game unbeaten streak (1-0-3) was stopped as they went 0-for-8 on the power play. Corkum converted a 2-on-1 break with Buchberger against Atlanta backup goalie Milan Hnilicka, starting in place of the injured Damian Rhodes, for a 1-0 lead just 2:26 into the game. The Thrashers tied it at 11:34 when Andruw Brunette set up defenseman Yannick Tremblay, who beat Storr for his first goal of the season. Los Angeles took control in the second period with three goals against Hnilicka, making just his third NHL start. Schneider scored on a backhander for a 2-1 lead at 6:26. The Kings made it 3-1 on their first power-play chance. Reinprecht was credited with a goal when his pass from the corner along the goal line went in off the skate of Thrashers defenseman Steve Staios. The Kings, who had just three goals in their last 34 power plays before Thursday, were 2-for-4 with the man advantage. "That's the one reason why we won, we have to keep it going on our power play and score some goals," Palffy said. "It's going to be important to win games like that by scoring on the power play." Atlanta cut the deficit to 3-2 when Patrik Stefan captured the puck behind the net and passed to Tomi Kallio, who scored his second goal from in close with 6:54 left in the period. The Kings restored their two-goal lead 15 seconds later when Stumpel tipped Lubomir Visnovsky's shot from the right point past Hnilicka for his fourth goal. "Our defense was nonexistent, our penalty-killing was nonexistent and those are two things we had to have to expect to be successful against the Los Angeles Kings," Atlanta coach Curt Fraser said. Rob Blake blasted a shot past Hnilicka for a power-play goal and a 5-2 lead at 7:02 of the third, his fifth goal of the season. Game notesThrashers defenseman Petr Buzek missed his seventh straight game with headaches and dizziness. He was injured Oct. 11 against Washington. ... Buchberger was the first captain of the Thrashers in their expansion season of 1999-2000. Buchberger and Nelson Emerson were traded to Los Angeles for Donald Audette and Frantisek Kaberle on March 13, 2000. Audette is Atlanta's leading scorer with seven goals and 14 points. ... Rhodes (sore knee) is expected to be back in goal Saturday night when the Thrashers play at Boston. | ALSO SEE NHL Scoreboard Los Angeles Clubhouse Atlanta Clubhouse RECAPS Ottawa 6 NY Rangers 5
Los Angeles 5 AUDIO/VIDEO   Steven Reinprecht scores a power-play goal on Milan Hnilicka.avi: 763 k RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1 | |||||