Boston Bruins 0, Atlanta Thrashers 5: Final

Atlanta Thrashers left wing Vyacheslav Kozlov (13), of Russia, skates against Boston Bruins defenseman Marco Sturm (16), of Germany, during the first period, Saturday, Dec. 29, 2007 at an NHL hockey game at Philips Arena in Atlanta. The Thrashers won 5-0. (AP Photo/Gregory Smith)

As seen on NESN -- The Boston Bruins fell to Atlanta, 5-0, Saturday night in Georgia.

The Thrashers scored five unanswered goals in the first and second periods to put the Black & Gold in a very early hole that was much too deep for the depleted Boston club to negotiate.

Atlanta goalie Kari Lehtonen stopped 26 shots for his second shutout of the season.

"Throughout the season you are going to go through some tough times," said Bruins head coach Claude Julien to NESN's Rob Simpson.  "Obviously, we are going through those tough times (now)."

The B's traveled to Georgia losers of five games in a row and hoped to pull themselves out of a unsettling December slump.

As such the Bruins looked to generate some energy right off the hop as both of Boston's beat cops, Jeremy Reich (2:26) and Shawn Thornton (2:30), each grabbed an Atlanta dance partner (Chris Thorburn and Eric Boulton respectively) early in the first period and, in succession, attempted to fire up the Black & Gold with some fisticuffs.

It worked for a bit as the Bruins seemed to put the Thrashers back on their heels momentarily, but Atlanta's Vyacheslav Kozlov took a gorgeous Eric Perrin feed and deflected it by Boston starting goalie Alex Auld at 7:50.

Then, just over a minute later, deep in the Bruins end Bobby Holik took advantage of a puck handling miscue by Auld and deposited the biscuit into a wide open basket at 9:22.

Later in the period it was Atlanta's Pascal Dupuis who stuffed the puck by Auld to make the score 3-0 going into the first break.

Boston Bruins right wing Brandon Bochenski (10) vies for the puck against Atlanta Thrashers right wing Mark Recchi (8) and defenseman Tobias Enstrom (39) of Sweden, during the first period, Saturday, Dec. 29, 2007 at an NHL hockey game at Philips Arena in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Gregory Smith)

Goalie Tim Thomas led the B's out of the dressing room to start the second period and relieve Auld. But despite some initial success for Boston's usual starter, Kovalchuk greeted him with a goal at 11:05.

Finally, Alexei Zhitnik scored Atlanta's fifth goal at 13:48 to make the docket read 5-0 Thrashers, and close out the scoring in the second period --- and, eventually, the game.

Boston was unable to create any real pressure in the third period and were shut out for the first time this season en route to their season-high sixth loss in a row.

"We have to stick together here," said Bruins forward Marc Savard. "We are the only ones who are going to get us out of this.

"The good thing is that we play these guys Monday and we''ll be ready for them."
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