Thrashers Back to Winning

Randy Robitaille and Daniel Tjarnqvist helped the Atlanta Thrashers earn their first victory of 2004.

Robitaille scored two power-play goals off assists from Ilya Kovalchuk to lift the Thrashers past the Carolina Hurricanes, 5-2, Sunday at Raleigh, N.C.

Tjarnqvist had a big third period, scoring a short-handed goal with Carolina on a five-on-three power play and making a key defensive play that preserved Atlanta’s lead.

Zdenek Blatny scored a second-period goal and Kovalchuk had an empty-net goal for the Thrashers, who ended a nine-game winless streak.

They were 0-5-1 in January and had not won since beating Tampa Bay, 3-1, on Dec. 26.

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Washington 4, Pittsburgh 3 -- Robert Lang had a power-play goal and three assists at Washington, helping the Capitals earn a point in five consecutive games.

Bondra, who sat out Saturday’s game in New Jersey because of flu, scored from the right faceoff circle off a pass from Sergei Gonchar, beating Sebastien Caron and giving Washington the lead for good at 9:47 of the second period.

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Edmonton 4, Columbus 4 -- Rick Nash scored his NHL-leading 28th goal a minute into the third period to help the Blue Jackets tie the Oilers at Columbus, Ohio. The Oilers’ Eric Brewer scored the tying goal 5:45 into the period.

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Philadelphia Flyer defenseman Eric Desjardins needs surgery on his broken right forearm and is expected to be sidelined up to eight weeks. He broke the forearm in a collision with teammate Jeremy Roenick during the first period of Saturday night’s 4-0 win in Toronto.... Defenseman Jay Bouwmeester of the Florida Panthers could be sidelined six weeks because of a broken left foot. Bouwmeester suffered the injury Jan. 11 at Vancouver. He had X-rays the next day, but results were negative and he was cleared to play. He continued to have discomfort in the next two games, and more tests after Saturday night’s game against Tampa Bay revealed the fracture.... The Panthers exercised the option in Coach and General Manager Rick Dudley’s contract for next season.