In their last game of Prospect Camp the Atlanta Thrashers beat the St. Louis Blues six to four.
The first goal of the game went to Atlanta. Karl Stewart set up Mark Hartigan with a pass across the front of the net. Hartigan was standing next to the right post waiting for the pass and neatly tucked the puck in behind a helpless Marc-Andre LeClerc.
St. Louis tied it up with a goal from Ryan Cuthber who had an assist from Greg Day.
Atlanta scored once more with a goal from Pauli Levokari and assisted by Judd Medak.
Five and a half minutes into the second period Atlanta’s Matt Suderman cross-checked Brian McMeekin who didn’t like and they got in a little tussle. Both went to the box for roughing and Suderman got an extra two minute minor penalty for cross-checking.
With eleven seconds left on the power play Doug MacIver put the puck past Michael Garnett for St. Louis tying the game back up again.
Atlanta picked up the puck up after a good scoring chance by St. Louis and rushed up the ice. Charles Linglet got the puck to Kurtis Foster who put it cleanly over LeClerc’s left shoulder.
Libor Ustrnul sent D.J. King head first into the boards with five minutes left in the second period. King took exception to the hit and dropped the gloves. The officials let the fight go for a a little bit before it became obvious that Ustrnul had the advantage. Both went to the box for fighting but Ustrnul had an extra two minutes for boarding.
St. Louis again took advantage of the power play and Andrei Mikhnov shot the puck under Garnett’s catcher, tying the game for the third time.
With a minute and a half left in the period St. Louis had the lead for the first and only time during the game. John Pohl scored with an assist from Jay McClement.
St. Louis’ lead didn’t last for long though as Lane Manson scored a minute later and the game was tied again, for the fourth time.
Hartigan scored his second of the night three minutes into the third period giving Atlanta the lead once again.
St. Louis wasn’t able to get the puck past Garnett in the third period. With a minute left they pulled LeClerc for the extra attacker.
Atlanta’s Mike Wirll shot the puck in at the empty net from the blue line and hit the post. St. Louis recovered the puck but Atlanta got it again in the neutral zone. THis time Linglet put the puck in the net with sixteen seconds left in the game. The game ended with Atlanta up six to four.
The Washington Capitals had a four to three win over the Minnesota Wild.
The game was surprisingly low in penalties with only nine minor penalties called during the game. Perhaps, it was due in part to the fact that Derek Boogaard was out with an injured knee. Boogaard says that he may try playing on it Tuesday in the game against Detroit.
Joni Lindlof of Washington scored the first goal, shooting it over Josh Harding and the defenseman who was down in front of him.
Washinton’s lead didn’t hold for long though as Minnesota’s Jeff Hoggan came down twenty-four seconds later and put the puck by Robert Gherson.
With Washington’s Boyd Gordon and Minnesota’s Armands Berezins trading goals in the second period the game was still tied.
Washington gained the lead again with a goal from Jevon Desautles who popped the puck over Harding’s catching glove after receiving the pass from behind the net from Graham Mink.
Late in the third period, with just two and a half minutes left Washington scored again giving them a two goal lead. Marian Havel faked Harding out, leaving Harding stretching as far as he could with his skate which wasn’t quite far enough as Havel wrapped the puck around his outstretched pad and into the net.
With twenty-nine seconds left in the game on a power play Jean-Phillipe Pare slipped the puck under Gherson to bring Minnesota within one. Minnesota wasn’t able to tie it up again though before the buzzer sounded and the game was over.
