NHL Recap: Bruins Beat Thrashers, Solidify Playoff Spot

The Boston Bruins went to Atlanta on Tuesday night knowing they needed a huge effort to keep the hard-pushing Thrashers out of playoff contention. They got exactly that.

Led by rugged winger Milan Lucic’s two-point effort and some stellar goaltending from Tukka Rask, the Bruins beat the Thrashers 4-0 to further distance themselves in the change for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Bruins have now won two straight and pushed their lead for 8th place to three points with just a handful of games left to play in the National Hockey League regular season.

For Atlanta, it was a disappointing evening, coming off a stretch where they’d gone 8-6-3 since trading superstar Ilya Kovalchuk to the New Jersey Devils. The Thrashers only mustered 27 shots on goal, rarely testing Rask and leaving those in attendance scratching their heads with the unimpressive effort in what was a massive game for playoff jockeying. It was an especially tough night for the trio of Brian Little, Clarke MacArthur and Rich Peverley, who all finished minus-three on the night.

In other NHL hockey betting stories from Tuesday night:

— New Jersey continued its quest for a top-three finish in the Eastern Conference with a 6-3 win over the visiting Blue Jackets. The aforementioned Ilya Kovalchuk was huge for the Devils, scoring a goal and adding three assists in what was his best offensive performance in a New Jersey uniform. Centre Travis Zajac chipped in with two goals while Team USA Olympian Zach Parise finished with three points of his own (2G, 1A).

— Ottawa Senators goalie Brian Elliott posted his second shutout in three games as the Sens dispatched of the Philadelphia Flyers 2-0. Elliott stopped 26 shots while Chris Kelly and captain Daniel Alfredsson scored, keeping Ottawa right in the midst of the Eastern Conference playoff picture while Philadelphia’s hold on 7th place got even weaker. The Flyers are now tied with Montreal for 7th and are just one point clear of Boston for 8th. The Flyers are having real trouble scoring goals right now, thanks in large part to leading scorer Jeff Carter being out with a broken bone in his foot.

— The Chicago Blackhawks staked their claim for top spot in the Western Conference with a solid 2-0 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes. ‘Hawks netminder Antti Niemi stopped 28 shots to earn the shutout while another Team USA Olympian — Patrick Kane — scored his 28th goal of the season for what proved to be the game-winner. Marian Hossa added the insurance marker midway through the second period for his 22nd of the year, and Chicago finished the night with 99 points on the season, good enough for 1st place in the Conference. The loss dropped Phoenix into fourth, but the Coyotes are still just one point behind Pacific Division leaders San Jose and two behind the Blackhawks.

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