If it weren't nearly March, and the Thrashers weren't in the midst of a losing streak, you might be more inclined to pull the positives from their 5-4 overtime loss to the Islanders at Philips Arena.

They battled back from a three-goal deficit with three goals in the second period.

That was enough to convince the fans that the team wasn't cashing in on the season, and they rewarded the Thrashers with a standing ovation at the end of the period.

Then, after the Islanders regained the lead, Bobby Holik tied it with a wrister from between the circles with 1:22 left, and the game was destined for overtime. The Thrashers never lose in overtime.

They lost in overtime.

The window is closing on a playoff push, so all the positives are worthless unless it adds up to two points.

"You hate to lose [an overtime game] in February for sure because every point is so big for us," coach and general manager Don Waddell said. "If we could have found a way to get that extra point, it would have been tremendous. We have to find a way to get points every night. That's the bottom line."

The Thrashers lost because the Islanders got too many good looks at Kari Lehtonen. On the overtime winner, Thrashers center Erik Christensen won the draw, but defenseman Ken Klee lost the battle for the puck in the corner to Josef Vasicek, who found Trent Hunter in front of the net for the game-winner.

There was little Lehtonen could do, and Klee took the blame after the game.

"[Vasicek] just made a great play," Klee said. "It's a play we make 100 times in a game. He knocked it down, a quick shot to the middle, and it basically goes from our puck to a turnover and bam. It's my fault. It's my job to get it to my partner."

But there was plenty of blame to go around.

Niclas Havelid's turnover on a clearing attempt from the corner set up the Islanders' fourth goal. And Lehtonen's weak attempt at clearing the puck in the first period went right to Hunter, who found Vasicek for another easy goal.

On a night when they showed a lot of battle to overcome deficits, the Thrashers also had 15 giveaways. Giveaways that led to easy goals.

"Basically, all the goals were a couple feet away from the net," Lehtonen said. "We've been great taking the man in front of the net; now a couple times, we didn't have any men there."

Despite the struggles on defense, the Thrashers got things going on offense after a slow start.

Eric Perrin made a great play on the penalty kill that led to the Thrashers' first penalty shot of the season. Perrin scored his first career penalty shot, with his patented shootout move, and the deficit was two goals.

Klee scored his first goal of the season, and Alexei Zhitnik pitched in another goal from the defensemen.

"We're trying to get up and trying to make plays," Klee said. "Lately, I think the D has been trying to get up and generate chances. We need everybody pulling on the rope and contributing to get wins."

The game marked the Thrashers debut of Colby Armstrong and Christensen, acquired from Pittsburgh for Marian Hossa and Pascal Dupuis. It also was the debut of Mark Recchi as an alternate captain, replacing Hossa.

Armstrong assisted on Klee's goal and laid out Aaron Johnson early in the second for his first big hit with the Thrashers.

"One thing Colby does is finish checks. When he hits guys, he hits them hard," Waddell said. "That's something that we desperately needed."

That and two points.