Bruins put a shucking on Thrashers

The Atlanta Thrashers are in such a rut, they can't even stay in a game against the Boston Bruins.

Jochan Hecht and Keith Tkachuk each scored twice and the Bruins beat the hosting Thrashers 7-2 Saturday night, sending the reeling Thrashers to their tenth straight loss.

"We're beating ourselves up mentally," Atlanta coach Steve Smaczniak
said. "We need to win a game to get the feeling going."

Tomas Kopecky, Lee Goren, and Bill Guerin also scored for Boston, which scored seven goals for the third time this season. It was the team's largest win of the year.

Lars Jonnson, Tim Connolly, and Andy McDonald each had two assists for the Bruins, who are 6-2-2 in their last ten games.

"Just an all around strong effort from all lines," Columbus coach Robbie Ftorek said in praise of his team. "They worked so hard."

Bill Muckalt and Pontus Petterstrom each had a goal for Atlanta, which has been nearly double up on in goals against this season.

The teams were tight at 3-2 in favor of the Bruins after two periods but Boston broke it open with four unanswered goals in the third.

A streaking Keith Tkachuk - playing in the nude as the result of a lost wager with Shawn McEachern - took a pass on the power play from Sean Brown and fired a shot from the left circle past goaltender Michael Garnett at 3:24 to make it 4-2.

"Brownie's been having a heck of a run the last few games," Tkachuk said.

The Bruins kept the pressure up during a power play. Lee Goren's point shot caromed off the stick of an Atlanta defenseman, struck Garnett in the chin and bounced into the net at 06:28. Garnett, who made twenty-two saves was then replaced by Stephane Fiset.

Bill Guerin added his twelfth of the season less than one minure later, converting a breakaway started by Andy McDonald to make it 6-2.

Keith Tkachuk found an opening outside the crease and converted Tim Connolly's centering pass from behind the net to make it the final of 7-2 at 18:21 of the final frame, givingh im his second of the game and third of the year.

Nine thousand, three hundred and twenty-four showed for the second torching of Atlanta, which also included Lee Goren's whipping of Luke Sellars.