Thrashers win season opener

This is for the hockey fans out there, and I know there are a couple.

THRASHERS 6, LIGHTNING 3

OCTOBER 3, 2009 at PHILIPS ARENA





Thrashers Scoring Summary

Per(Time) Goal(Assists)

1(8:20) Kovalchuk(1)(Little(1),Kubina(1))EV

1(11:23) Salmela(1)(Boulton(1),Thorburn(1))EV

2(9:01) Bogosian(1)(Peverley(1),Enstrom(1))EV

2(12:42) Peverley(1)(Kane(1))EV

3(11:52) Peverley(2)(Kovalchuk(1),Afinogenov(1)PP

3(13:15) Kovalchuk(2)(Little(2),Enstrom(2))EV



Scoring by Period

ATL: 2 – 2 – 2 –- 6

TB : 0 - 2 – 1 -- 3



Shots by Period

ATL: 8 - 10 – 19 –- 28

TB : 12 – 13 – 14 –- 39



Special Teams

ATL: PP – 1/2 PK – 2/3

TB : PP – 1/3 PK – 1/2





* The Thrashers opened their 2009-10 NHL regular-season schedule tonight, defeating the Southeast Division-rival Tampa Bay Lightning 6-3 in front of a sold-out crowd at Philips Arena … The Thrashers have now won two straight season-opening games and hold an all-time record of 4-5-1 on opening night.



* Captain Ilya Kovalchuk (2g,1a) and forward Rich Peverley (2g,1a) led the way for the Thrashers offense, earning three points apiece in the victory … Kovalchuk opened the game’s scoring in the first period and put the finishing touches on the Lightning with the game’s last goal midway through the third.



* Forward Bryan Little and defenseman Tobias Enstrom tied for the team lead with two assists each … Little assisted on both of Kovalchuk’s goals.



* Rookie forward Evander Kane picked up the lone assist on Peverley’s first goal, becoming the first Thrasher to record a point in his NHL debut since Bryan Little scored a goal in the first game of the 2006-07 campaign.



* Several other Thrashers found their way on to the score sheet tonight, including: Zach Bogosian (1g), Anssi Salmela (1g), Chris Thorburn (1a), Eric Boulton (1a), Maxim Afinogenov (1a) and Pavel Kubina (1a).



* Goaltender Ondrej Pavelec made the first opening-night start of his NHL career and stopped 36-of-39 shots en route to being named the game’s Third Star … Mike Smith allowed six goals on 28 shots in the defeat for Tampa Bay.



* The Thrashers will return to action on Thursday, Oct. 8 when they begin a five-game road stretch in St. Louis (8 p.m., 680 The Fan, SportSouth (HD)).