Pogge gets first win as Leafs rout Thrashers

Hockey Betting Lines

12/22/2008 - Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Justin Pogge got the win in his NHL debut and the line of Alexei Ponikarovsky, Matt Stajan and Nik Antropov accounted for nine points, as the suddenly high-powered Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Atlanta Thrashers by a 6-2 final at Philips Arena.

Pogge, who was recalled from Toronto's AHL affiliate on Sunday, got the start between the pipes with first-stringer Vesa Toskala dealing with a groin pull. A third-round choice in the 2004 NHL Draft, Pogge needed just 19 saves to get the victory but made several key stops with the game still in doubt.

Stajan scored twice and assisted on another, Ponikarovsky had a goal and two helpers and Antropov logged three assists for Toronto, which has won five of its last six overall and is coming off an impressive 7-3 win against Pittsburgh Saturday at the Igloo.

Jeremy Williams and Dominic Moore each notched a goal and an assist, with Toronto capping a three-game road trip, 2-1, Monday. The Leafs are now 8-8-2 as the visitor this season.

Colby Armstrong and Todd White had the goals for the Thrashers, who had won two of their last three games coming in but are just 3-8-2 in their last 13 games overall.

Kari Lehtonen was peppered with 37 shots in taking the loss, having made his first appearance in almost two months on Saturday in a win against Tampa Bay. He had been battling a back injury and hadn't played a game since October 30.

Atlanta has also lost eight of its last nine home tests and wrapped a three- game homestand, 1-2, Monday. The Thrashers are just 6-9-2 as the host this year.

Toronto scored twice in the first 20 minutes for the early lead and Pogge not only notched his first NHL save but was perfect over that stretch with six stops.

Ponikarovsky scored just 59 seconds into the game off his own rebound in front and the Leafs manufactured a second score with 9:17 to play in the period. Jason Blake threw it down low into the left corner where Moore corralled the puck behind the net, re-directing a pass out in front for Williams, who one- timed the disc into the top-right corner of the net.

Pogge and Lehtonen held their opposites off the scoreboard for most of the second until Toronto made it a 3-0 affair with 2:24 left.

The Leafs broke out of their own zone on a 3-on-2 with Ponikarovsky gaining the zone along the left boards before skating across the high slot and sending a backhand pass to Antropov at the right circle. Antropov accepted the puck and immediately directed it back across to a cutting Stajan inside the opposite circle and a swipe of the stick sent it past Lehtonen.

Atlanta was able to solve the 22-year-old Pogge, though, just before the close of the frame. Jason Williams sent a long outlet pass to Armstrong along the right boards. Armstrong skated into the zone and let rip a slapper that beat Pogge over the left shoulder as the clock wound under 10 seconds.

An offensive zone power-play draw had the puck scoot back to Pavel Kubina for a hard shot from the left point and Moore was able to put back the rebound with a backhander under the left pad of Lehtonen to restore Toronto's three- goal advantage just past the midway point of the third.

Viktor Kozlov cut into the Toronto zone and wheeled around for a pass just inside the right circle to White slicing from the left toward the net and he finished it off with a backhander past Pogge to make it 4-2 with 5:46 left.

However, the Leafs countered just over 1 1/2 minutes later as John Mitchell cut down the left side and drew two defenders before sending a blind, backhand pass to Niklas Hagman in front for a bang-bang score.

Atlanta pulled Lehtonen with 1:39 to play and the Leafs had the puck in the net shortly thereafter via Stajan for the 6-2 final.

Game Notes

Atlanta logged a 6-3 victory in Toronto on November 25...Toronto has won three straight and eight of its last 10 in Atlanta...The Maple Leafs scored 18 goals on their three-game road trip.

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