Thrashers fail to make up ground after loss

By Chris Vivlamore

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

WASHINGTON -- The out-of-town scoreboard was a dream.

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Nick Wass, AP The Capitals' Matt Bradley, left, celebrates his go-ahead goal in a 2-1 win over the Thrashers. Atlanta remained two points out of a playoff spot with four games to play.

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The one for the game inside the Verizon Center was a nightmare.

The Thrashers failed to move into a four-way tie for the final three playoff spots in the Eastern Conference after a hard-fought 2-1 loss to the Capitals on Thursday night. While the Thrashers lost to the top team in the Eastern Conference, the Flyers and Bruins also lost. The Thrashers remain two points behind the two teams and the idle Canadiens. The Thrashers have four regular-season games remaining.

“It happened to us again,” center Nik Antropov said. “We had an opportunity to jump out of ninth place, and we couldn’t do it. It’s frustrating. We played a pretty good game, and we have something to build on. But there are only four games left, and we are running out of chances.”

Matt Bradley’s third-period goal gave the Capitals the victory. Bradley got to a loose puck and beat defenseman Chris Chelios. He turned to the Thrashers' goal and stuffed a shot past goaltender Ondrej Pavelec.

“I didn’t see [Jason] Chimera coming down the boards, and me and [Max Afinogenov] got caught on the same guy,” Chelios said. “I never even saw Bradley coming. It’s unfortunate. It was a miscommunication.”

Thrashers coach John Anderson didn’t fault his team’s defense on the game-winner.

“Max came in because he thought nobody else was coming later,” Anderson said. “I don’t think it was wrong, it’s just the way the puck bounced, and Chelly got caught standing still. ... It took the wind out of our sails.”

Bradley jammed the puck past Pavelec at the 9:46 mark.

“It was a bad bounce,” said Pavelec, who stopped 22 of 24 shots. “I had my stick on the ice, and it bounced over. Lucky goal. We deserved two points.”

However, the Thrashers didn’t get two points. They stand where they started the night.

Time is running out.

“We are behind,” Anderson said. “We’ve got to win. [The Bruins and Flyers losses don't] mean anything. It gives us another chance, but we’ve got to find ways to win and get points. If everything stays the same, we are out of the playoffs.”

Tim Stapleton tied the game 1-1 with his first goal as a Thrasher -- and second in his eight-game NHL career. Stapleton broke down the center of ice, took a pass from Colby Armstrong, and buried a shot past Capitals goaltender Semyon Varlamov with 2:09 left in the second period.

Stapleton has played four games with the Thrashers since being called up from the AHL on March 27. He appeared in one game for the Maple Leafs last season and scored a goal.

The Capitals struck with 57.7 seconds left in the first period when Nicklas Backstrom tipped a shot from the point past Pavelec. Mike Green wristed the puck on net after taking a cross-ice pass from Alex Ovechkin. Backstrom deflected the shot into the back of the net for his 30th goal of the season. It was the 56th assist for Ovechkin and 55th for Green.

The Thrashers are 0-5 against the Capitals this season. They have been outscored 24-11, with another game in Washington next week. The Capitals have won six straight, dating to last season. It doesn’t get easier with the defending Stanley Cup champion Penguins up next, on Saturday.

“These are nights were you have to take advantage,” defenseman Ron Hainsey said.