Thrashers host Sens in battle between struggling clubs

Hockey Betting Lines

03/18/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A pair of struggling Eastern Conference inhabitants get together for a key late-season matchup tonight at Philips Arena, where the Atlanta Thrashers hope to strengthen their fading playoff hopes when they take on the visiting Ottawa Senators.

Atlanta lost ground in the postseason race after a recent 0-5-1 stretch, but did manage to bounce back with a much-needed 4-3 home win over Buffalo on Tuesday. After allowing the Sabres to come back from an early 3-1 deficit, the Thrashers went ahead to stay on Jim Slater's goal with 6:44 remaining in the third period.

Tim Kennedy scored 7:02 into the final session to draw the Sabres even, but Atlanta moved back in front just over six minutes later after Niclas Bergfors' shot from the right boards hit off Slater's glove and trickled past Buffalo goaltender Patrick Lalime.

"I just charged the net and it went right to me," said Slater. "I just did what I like to do and got the goal."

Buffalo pulled Lalime late in the game for the extra attacker, but Atlanta was able to keep the puck away from netminder Johan Hedberg on the way to the win.

Bergfors assisted on three of the Thrashers' four tallies on the night, while Nik Antropov and Maxim Afinogenov both registered a goal and an assist for Atlanta. Hedberg finished with 29 saves

The Thrashers still have some work to do in order to reach the playoffs for only the second time in franchise history, as the club trails Boston by five points for the No. 8 seed in the East.

Tuesday's triumph also benefited the Senators, who trail the Sabres by three points for first place in the Northeast Division. Ottawa missed out on a chance to close the gap, though, after dropping a 4-1 decision to cellar- dwelling Toronto Tuesday at Scotiabank Place.

The loss was the Senators' third in a row and followed up a lopsided 5-1 setback at Vancouver on Saturday. Ottawa has gone just 1-5-1 since the Olympic break and has scored one goal or less in each of those six defeats.

"These are points that we need and we know that," goaltender Brian Elliott said after Tuesday's game. "We have to look at the tape and see what we did wrong."

Ottawa still stands fifth in the Eastern Conference standings with 79 points, but rival Montreal is lurking just one point behind and seventh-place Philadelphia is just two back of the Senators.

The Sens have also struggled in their last couple of meetings with the Thrashers, losing both games by a combined 9-2 score earlier this season. Atlanta came through with a 6-1 rout of Ottawa at Philips Arena back on January 12 and is 5-2-0 in its last seven outings as the host in this series.

Tonight's test begins an important three-game road trip for the Senators, with stops in Dallas and Montreal to follow. Ottawa has lost five of its last seven away games and is a lackluster 14-18-1 as the visitor this season.

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