Kovalchuk ties NHL's leading scorers

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Game Information

Arena: Philips Arena Location: Atlanta, Georgia

Referees: ChrisRooney, IanWalsh Linesmen: DavidBrisebois, AngeloD'Amico

Attendance: 18,854 (101.7% full)

Team Stat Comparison
190	Goals	214
303	Goals Against	243
65	Power Play Goals	60
84	Power Play Goals Allowed	58
7	Shorthanded Goals	11
15	Shorthanded Goals Allowed	7
1270	Penalty Minutes	1505
15	Average Penalty Minutes	18

Scoring Summary
1ST PERIOD			PIT	ATL
18:48		Lasse Pirjeta Assists: Aleksey Morozov, Josef Melichar	1	0
2ND PERIOD			PIT	ATL
1:36		Kelly Buchberger Unassisted	2	0
9:26		Dany Heatley Assists: Randy Robitaille	2	1
3RD PERIOD			PIT	ATL
19:12		Aleksey Morozov (Empty net) Assists: Brooks Orpik, Lasse Pirjeta	3	1
19:54		Ilya Kovalchuk Assists: Slava Kozlov, Randy Robitaille	3	2

ATLANTA (AP) -- While the Atlanta Thrashers tried to get set up Ilya Kovalchuk, the Pittsburgh Penguins took advantage.

Kovalchuk, in the race for the NHL lead in goals and points, was denied on his first 13 shots before he finally scored with 5.6 seconds left. By that time, the Penguins had secured a victory, 3-2 Friday night.

The young Thrashers forward took a team-record 14 shots, breaking his own mark of 10, and netted his 40th goal, tying him for the NHL lead.

"They were going out of they way trying to set up Kovalchuk," Pittsburgh coach Eddie Olczyk said. "When you start doing that, players on the opposing team will play off of that. He had a bunch of shots, but they were looking for him.

"They had a lot of times when they passed up scoring opportunities."

Kovalchuk pulled him even with Columbus' Rick Nash and Calgary's Jarome Iginla atop the goal list. He is third in the league in points.

The Thrashers, playing their final home game, made no attempt to disguise their plan.

"We had two objectives," Thrashers coach Bob Hartley said. "One was to win the game and No. 2 was to try to get Kovalchuk as many goals as we possibly could."

Kovalchuk, who was denied on six first-period shots by Jean-Sebastien Aubin, hadn't scored in five games.

"This is my first 40-goal season and I appreciate all the guys looking for me all game long," Kovalchuk said. "I hadn't scored in five games. I was so close so many times."

Aubin, who stopped 31 shots, was making his last start of the season for the Penguins. Pittsburgh will close its season Sunday at home against Washington.

Pittsburgh has the worst record in the NHL but is 9-4-3 in March and April, matching its win total for the first three months of the season.

Kelly Buchberger scored his first goal of the season for the Penguins, who were outshot 12-7 in the first period and 33-24 overall.

The Penguins took a 1-0 lead on a goal by Lasse Pirjeta with 1:12 left.

Just 1:36 into the second period, Thrashers goaltender Pasi Nurminen attempted to clear the puck but instead directed it straight to Buchberger in the left circle. Buchberger sent the puck right back past Nurminen to make it 2-0.

"Usually when I make a mistake that bad, it shows up on the scoreboard right away," Nurminen said.

Dany Heatley's 13th goal 9:26 into the second period cut Pittsburgh's lead to 2-1. Randy Robitaille was credited with the assist on the even-strength goal that was scored from the left circle.

Aleksey Morozov, who also assisted on Pirjeta's goal, scored into an empty net with 47 seconds remaining.

Game notes
The Thrashers recalled D Kyle Rossiter from Chicago of the AHL. Rossiter was acquired from Florida on March 8. ... Atlanta D Garnet Exelby, held out with flulike symptoms, was given the first Dan Snyder Memorial Trophy, awarded to the Thrashers' unsung hero. Snyder was killed in an accident on Oct. 5 while riding in a car driven by Heatley. Snyder's family attended the pregame ceremony. ... The Penguins are two points behind Washington and Chicago at the bottom of the NHL with one game remaining.