Leino's hat trick not enough as Thrashers get by Flyers in OT

by Bob Herpen
Phanatic Hockey Editor 

Ville Leino recorded his first career hat trick, but Ron Hainsey's tip-in at 1:17 of overtime capped a late rally and sent Atlanta to a 5-4 victory over Philadelphia.

Evander Kane carried the puck down the left wing side and laid out a perfect pass to Hainsey, who flipped his shot high and inside the right post.

Kane and Andrew Ladd posted a goal and one assist each for the Thrashers, who entered the third period down 3-0 but scored five times in the final 21-plus minutes to take their third win in four games.

Chris Mason was credited with the victory after stopping 11-of-12 shots. Starter Ondrej Pavelec allowed three goals on 12 shots through two periods before being pulled.

Leino, who hadn't scored since February 22, continued to add to his career high in goals with his trifecta, bringing this season's total to 17 for the Flyers.

Kimmo Timonen also tallied and Mike Richards added three assists in the loss, Philly's fifth in seven games. Sergei Bobrovsky was tagged in defeat for five goals on 41 shots.

The home team took the lead with 5:49 left in the first period, when Danny Briere and Scott Hartnell set up Leino for an easy shot from the right side of the crease.

It was 2-0 for the Flyers while shorthanded at 4:21 of the second period, when Richards faked a shot, managed to pull Pavelec out of his crease, then slid the puck in front for an easy tap-in from Timonen.

Leino jumped on a loose puck in the crease to make it a three-goal Philadelphia lead on a power play at 14:22. Richards set up the score when his rising shot from the left circle eluded Pavelec.

Kane fought off a defender and slipped a shot through Bobrovsky's pads 1:09 into the third period for a 3-1 game and Zach Bogosian brought the Thrashers within a goal with 7:45 to play when his blast from the point got through Bobrovsky's arm and body.

Leino provided a two-goal cushion for the Flyers when he one-timed a Timonen feed from the right point on a power play with 6:28 remaining, but Tobias Enstrom roofed a shot from the right circle to make it 4-3 on an Atlanta power play just inside of three minutes to play.

Mason was called to the bench with over a minute to go, then Ladd capitalized on a miscommunication between Bobrovsky and a defenseman by scoring at the right post to tie the game with 45 seconds left.

Notes: Atlanta has won five of the last six meetings with Philadelphia...The Thrashers have won an NHL-best 10 games in overtime...Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger sat out his second straight game with the remnants of a hand injury suffered two weeks ago. Prior to the game, he was listed as day-to-day by Flyers GM Paul Holmgren...John LeClair is the last Flyer to score four goals, on October 15, 2002 in a 6-2 win at Montreal...Atlanta defenseman Dustin Byfuglien left the game early in the third period and did not return...Richards' last three-assist game came in a four-point performance on March 2, 2010 at Tampa Bay.