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  Sunday, Mar. 26 7:00pm ET
Kings' Fiset sticks around, stops Thrashers
 
  RECAP | BOX SCORE

ATLANTA (AP) -- Stephane Fiset wasn't in the best frame of mind Sunday after getting pulled the previous night. A few saves changed his outlook.

Fiset stopped 26 shots and the Los Angeles Kings won for the only the second time in seven games, beating the Atlanta Thrashers 4-1.

Brad Chartrand scored the tie-breaking goal in the second period, Glen Murray added an insurance goal in the third before Ian Laperriere finished off the Thrashers with an empty-netter in the final seconds.

Fiset was pulled in Boston the previous night after surrendering four goals through two periods. The Kings rallied for a 4-4 tie and Fiset kept things rolling with a strong performance in Atlanta.

"It's always hard to come back the next night after you get pulled," said Fiset, who made a sprawling stop on a breakaway by former teammate Ray Ferraro in the final minute of the first period.

"I knew I didn't play bad against Boston, but I was a little nervous. After a couple of shots, I was right in the game."

It was the first meeting between the teams since a four-player deal in which the Thrashers sent captain Kelly Buchberger to Los Angeles. He started for the Kings and was greeted with cheers from the crowd, one holding up a sign that said, "We Miss U Buchberger."

"Any time you play for a team and come back to get a win, it's nice," Buchberger said. "I know what it's like to play in that dressing room. Every game is a battle."

Damian Rhodes made 34 saves in his sixth straight start for Atlanta, which has won only twice in 32 games (2-27-3). He was victimized by two rebounds and a deflection.

"Damian is getting better," Thrashers coach Curt Fraser said. "It would probably be smart to rest him a game, but I think we're past that point. We'll play him again Tuesday night (at Washington). We've got to fix things defensively in front of him."

Chartrand scored his sixth goal at 11:51 of the second, breaking a 1-1 tie. Camped out between the faceoff circles, he deflected Jason Blake's shot from the blue line past Rhodes. Murray sealed the victory at 6:48 of the third with his 27th goal, firing in the rebound after Rhodes made a pad save on the initial shot by Craig Johnson.

"I thought we were in pretty good control of the game at all times," coach Andy Murray said.

After Rhodes was replaced by an extra skater, Laperriere scored into the empty net with 11 seconds to go.

Donald Audette, who came to the Thrashers in the Buchberger deal, assisted on the Thrashers' lone goal at 6:13 of the second period. While a delayed penalty was in effect, he sent a perfect pass from the right boards to Hnat Dominechelli standing alone at the left side of the net.

Dominechelli scored his ninth goal, tying a career high. He has four goals since being acquired from Calgary last month.

"Everybody knows we're out of the playoffs and we struggle to get wins," Dominechelli said. "But we're professionals and we've got to get ourselves ready to play each game."

The Kings went ahead 1-0 at 4:58 of the second, also while controlling the puck during a delayed penalty. Rob Blake's shot from the point was saved by Rhodes, but Luc Robitaille knocked in the rebound for his team-high 36th goal, marking the third straight game he has scored.

Prior to his streak, Robitaille went nine games without a goal.

Kerry Fraser, one of two referees, was struck under the left eye with a puck while standing behind the Kings net in the first period, the result of an errant shot by Atlanta's Matt Johnson. Fraser crumpled to the ice and immediately skated to the dressing room, where he took seven stitches.

Rob Martell handled the referee duties alone until Fraser returned in the second period, wearing a helmet and visor.

Denny Lambert didn't play for the Thrashers after his wife, Rhonda, delivered twin boys Sunday morning.

 


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