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Last-second score lifts Thrashers to win
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ATLANTA — Maxim Afinogenov scored with six seconds remaining in the third period to give the Atlanta Thrashers a 4-3 win over the Florida Panthers for their fourth consecutive victory.

It was the fifth straight loss for the Panthers.

Afinogenov knocked in a 15-footer for his 11th goal off a pass from Nik Antropov, beating Florida goaltender Scott Clemmensen.
Florida Panthers goalie Tomas Vokoun was taken off the ice on a stretcher after he was accidentally hit in the head by the stick of teammate Keith Ballard in the opening period.

Vokoun had an ear laceration and was alert when taken by ambulance to a local hospital, a Panthers spokesman said. The incident occurred after Atlanta’s Elya Kovalchuk scored a goal at 8:54 of the first period, knocking in his own rebound. In apparent frustration, Ballard swung his stick at the net, inadvertently striking Vokoun in the head.

After about a 10-minute delay, Vokoun was wheeled off in a stretcher. He was replaced by Clemmensen.

The Panthers tied it at 3 with 2:23 remaining in the second period on a goal by Michael Frolik, his seventh. Stephen Weiss took the puck away from Atlanta’s Mark Popovic behind the net and passed to Frolik, who easily beat Atlanta goalie Johan Hedberg.

Atlanta had gone ahead 3-2 on a goal by Chris Thorburn at 5:28 of the second period, beating Clemmensen from in close.
Popovic and Kovalchuk each scored goals off Vokoun in the opening period which ended in a 2-2 tie. Weiss and Rostislav Olesz scored for the Panthers.

Popovic opened the scoring with his second goal by beating Vokoun after only 3:36. Weiss scored his eighth goal at the 4:21 mark before Kovalchuk added his 15th goal to make it 2-1. Olesz tied it again with his sixth goal on a power play goal with 4:13 left.

Atlanta’s Eric Boulton had a two assists, coming on the goals by Popovic and Thorburn.

NOTES: In his last start on Saturday night, Hedberg shut out the Philadelphia Flyers 1-0. ... Weiss has four goals and eight assists in his last 10 games. ... The Thrashers are 6-5-2 at home. The Panthers fell to 7-6-2 on the road. ... The Panthers have played eight games in 13 days.
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