NHL

• Kozlov, Thrashers rally to edge Senators

  
  

  Atlanta, GA (Sports Network) - Slava Kozlov recorded his fifth career hat trick, including the game-winning tally in the third period as Atlanta scored three unanswered goals to beat Ottawa, 5-4, at Philips Arena.

  Ilya Kovalchuk scored his 13th goal of the season to tie teammate Marian Hossa for the league-lead, while Hossa finished with three assists for the Thrashers, who won their fourth contest in a row.

  Goaltender Kari Lehtonen took over for an ineffective Johan Hedberg, stopping all 19 shots he faced to pick up the win.

  Jason Spezza, Chris Kelly and Antoine Vermette each had a goal and an assist for the slumping Senators, who have dropped five in a row.

  "Any time you don't win hockey games over a period of time, it's disappointing and frustrating for the players," said Ottawa head coach Bryan Murray.

  Martin Gerber yielded all five Atlanta goals on 31 shots.

  Down by two goals late in the second period, Kozlov's second goal of the game ignited the Thrashers' rally.

  Hossa's initial shot was deflected behind the net, but Niko Kapanen collected the puck and fed it in front for Kozlov, who found the back of the net to make it 4-3 with 1:36 left before the second intermission.

  Then, 4:08 into the final period, Kovalchuk slipped a shot under the right arm of Gerber to tie the game at 4-4.

  Kozlov then completed the comeback, firing a slapshot that beat Gerber glove side 8:09 into the third.

  Ottawa pulled Gerber late, but the Thrashers held on for the win.

  "I knew it was going to be a big game," said Kozlov. "They didn't have a good start this year, but they are a very solid game. They are dangerous, especially in the new NHL."

  Ottawa drew first blood at the 10:08 mark of the first period as Spezza's shot from the point was unintentionally redirected into the Thrashers net by Atlanta center Steve Rucchin.

  Brad Larsen's breakaway, shorthanded goal briefly evened the score, but the Senators scored on the same power play to regain a 2-1 lead.

  Dany Heatley found Daniel Alfredsson in the left circle and he rifled a shot that beat Hedberg top shelf with 3:58 left in the first.

  The Senators then grabbed a 3-1 lead 6:06 into the middle stanza as Vermette wrapped around the Atlanta goal and threw a shot on net. The rebound kicked out to Kelly, who stuffed in the rebound for the goal.

  Just over two minutes later, the Thrashers took advantage of a 5-on-3 power play to crawl back within a goal. Hossa fed the puck down low for Kozlov, who tipped the disc past Gerber to make it 3-2.

  Then, less than a minute after Kozlov's first goal, the Senators got a shorthanded goal of their own to take a 4-2 lead. Kapanen blocked an Atlanta shot and then sent an outlet pass to Vermette, who skated in and picked up his sixth goal of the year, prompting Hedberg's exit from the game. Game Notes

  Hedberg gave up all four Atlanta goals on just 19 shots...Atlanta went 1-for-3 on the power play, while Ottawa went 1-for-6 with the man-advantage...The Thrashers will host the Rangers on Friday, while the Senators will visit Pittsburgh.

  11/08 22:14:08 ET