"The Panthers may no longer have a realistic shot at a playoff berth, but they're certainly not interested in being bullied or in laying down so the Atlanta Thrashers could get there through them. Despite getting outshot 19-2 in the second period when they had to kill off five power plays and then trail by two goals early in the third period, the Panthers clawed back to push this action-packed skirmish into overtime. However, just 25 seconds into OT, Atlanta captain Andrew Ladd streaked down the ice and ripped Dustin Byfuglien's pass by Tomas Vokoun to lift the desperate Thrashers to a 4-3 victory in Philips Arena Saturday night. "I was proud of everybody,'' Panthers coach Pete DeBoer said. "We took some penalties and lost some momentum in the second. In the third we didn't quit, played right to the buzzer. We made one unfortunate gamble in the neutral zone in overtime.'' The overhauled Panthers, relegated to jockeying for draft position rather than a playoff position, are just one point ahead of the 28th-place Islanders. The Panthers finished the season series with Atlanta at 2-3-1 with all six games decided by one goal. The Thrashers crept to within six points of idle Carolina for the final playoff berth. Tied 1-1 after two, the Panthers' third-ranked PK unit couldn't prevent Ladd's wrap-around goal that gave the Thrashers a 2-1 lead at 18:52. Ladd has nine goals in his last 11 games." Read more: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/...thers-thrashers-0306-20110305,0,1663539.story
