Thrashers extend Blues' goal drought, win 2-0

The Asssociated Press

ATLANTA -- Kari Lehtonen made 37 saves in his second career shutout and the Atlanta Thrashers beat the St. Louis Blues 2-0 Friday night for their franchise-record tying fourth straight victory.

Lehtonen, who injured his groin in the first game of the season, improved to 5-2 and posted his first shutout. The Thrashers also had two four-game winning streaks early in the 2003-04 season.

St. Louis lost its fifth in a row and has managed a total of two goals in the last four defeats.

Patrik Stefan gave Atlanta a 1-0 lead that stood up from the first period until the third when Ilya Kovalchuk scored his NHL-leading 34th goal with 5:39 left on a power play.

Kovalchuk's goal snapped an 0-for-6 power-play skid.

After the Thrashers opened 3-8 in October, they are 19-10-6 and have won 12 of 17 to move into seventh place in the Eastern Conference.

The Blues were held to only six shots in the first period before recording a season-high 19 in the second period. But they couldn't solve Lehtonen.

The Thrashers had six shots in the middle period and only one in the first 10 minutes of the third.

St. Louis defenseman Eric Brewer dislocated his shoulder during a collision with Atlanta's Karl Stewart in the second period and didn't return.

Notes: The Blues had an 11-game losing streak from Oct. 20-Nov. 12. ... The Thrashers activated LW Brad Larsen, who had been out with a groin injury, and assigned him to Chicago of the AHL. ... The Blues had four penalty kills in the first period. ... DeVries earned his 100th career assist.