Rangers rally to beat Thrashers in shootout

ATLANTA - Trailing by a goal entering the third period and with two more players injured during the game, the Rangers mustered a character win Saturday night in a 3-2 shootout victory over the Thrashers.

After failing to convert on a five-on-three for 1:24 that would have tied the score, the Rangers, already playing with a rash of injuries, did not cave. With 5:19 left in regulation at Philips Arena, Brian Boyle scored his 17th of the season, tying him for the team lead, after he split All-Star defensemen Dustin Byfuglien and Tobias Enstrom, veered left and went to his forehand to chip a shot off Ondrej Pavelec's glove to tie the score at 2.

Mats Zuccarello deked Pavelec for the lone goal in the shootout. Henrik Lundqvist stopped all three Atlanta attempts as the Rangers earned a win that gave them a four-point cushion over the eighth-place Thrashers in the Eastern Conference.

"Gotta give them high marks, especially after the five-on-three, " coach John Tortorella said. The Rangers twice rallied from a one-goal deficit to force the shootout. Said Tortorella, "When we got through that overtime, you like your chances as far as how Henrik handles himself there."

In 15 games, Zuccarello has two shootout game-deciders and an overtime winner.

"About time I got a goal," said the Norwegian winger, who had five shots. "We probably could have ended the game in the second period. We've got to start scoring a little early. But it's huge, battling hard after losing two guys and other players stepping up."

Both Dan Girardi, who fought Andrew Ladd at 8:08 of the second after a hit on Marc Staal, and Brandon Prust, who blocked Byfuglien's shot with his left foot and couldn't return, are day-to-day. Girardi has a pulled rib muscle and Prust's X-rays were negative.

Evgeny Grachev and defenseman Michael del Zotto were recalled from the AHL Connecticut Whale. Dale Weise was returned to Hartford.

Lundqvist, who stopped Brian Little, Nik Antropov and Niclas Bergfors for his third shootout win of the season, said he "felt pretty comfortable. I was patient. But it was a team effort. We work hard every night and don't take anything for granted."

With the Rangers down 1-0 after one period on Antropov's tip-in, Wojtek Wolski tied the game with his third goal and sixth point since being acquired from Phoenix. Girardi pinched along the boards and Derek Stepan's shot was tipped high into the right corner by Wolski at 2:43 of the second. The Thrashers regained the lead when Anthony Stewart fought off Ryan McDonagh to sweep in a rebound at 18:01.

The grit from Girardi and Prust, though, left the biggest impression on the players and coach.

"Danny stands in there in a situation where he needed to against a pretty tough kid," Tortorella said. "And Prust, he tried to skate at the beginning of the third and he couldn't at all. I got him off and he still wanted to play; that's what he's been to our team. I'm glad they got rewarded."