SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) -- Although Trevor Kidd faced only 24 shots, he continued to be a dominant presence in goal for the Florida Panthers.

Kidd's solid play helped lead the Panthers to a 3-0 victory against the Atlanta Thrashers on Saturday night as he got his first shutout since Jan. 31, against Boston.

	Florida's Rob Niedermayer celebrates his goal Friday as he leaves the Thrashers' Nelson Emerson in his wake. Emerson later left the game with a concussion.

"I just hunker down when the puck drops at the start of the game," said Kidd, who improved his record to 11-3-2. "I don't stop until the final whistle blows."

His teammates gave him some early breathing room, scoring two goals in the opening five minutes of the game.

Cam Stewart scored Florida's first goal 1:16 into the game. Paul Laus, from his own blue line, caromed the puck off the boards at center ice to a streaking Stewart, who beat defenseman Kevin Dean to the puck. Stewart skated in alone and beat goalie Scott Langkow.

Talk after the game centered on whether Laus, better known for his defensive play rather than his passing ability, intentionally made the seemingly impossible pass.

"I was trying to throw it to the guy in the fifth row," Laus said. "It looked like a set play and that's all I'm going to say about that."

Thrashers coach Curt Fraser didn't find as much humor in describing the play that ultimately proved to be the game-winner.

"This team is big, fast and highly skilled," he said. "Dino getting caught flat-footed. That can't happen. And the other goal was (Nelson) Emerson not picking up his man in front of the net. These were the two big mistakes of the game."

Fraser was referring to Florida's second goal just 5:02 into the game. Scott Mellanby slipped a backhanded pass from the faceoff area to Rob Niedermayer, who slapped it past Langkow.

Jaroslav Spacek assisted on both goals and has a four-game point streak.

Panthers coach Terry Murray focused on Kidd's play.

"Kidd played very well," he said. "He had some big saves that he was called on to make in all three periods."

Atlanta, which didn't manage a shot on goal until midway through the opening period, had just four in the period. One of those was on Nelson Emerson's breakaway at the 12-minute mark, but he shot low directly into Kidd's pad.

Pavel Bure scored his 10th goal of the season with 2:02 left in the second period after taking Bret Hedican's pass from the point to the left of the goalie area. Bure has 22 goals in 26 games for the Panthers, who are 7-0-1 this season when Bure scores.

"I was nervous coming in," said Langkow, who dropped to 2-5-0. "The name Bure just scares me to death."

Spacek and Emerson were involved in an ugly collision early in the second period, which resulted in a 10-minute stoppage as Emerson was carried off the ice on a stretcher. Spacek was given a five-minute penalty for charging and a game misconduct. The replays looked like neither player was at fault as Florida vehemently protested the call. Emerson was diagnosed with a Grade II concussion and taken to Westside Regional Hospital.

"He turned his head the other way," Spacek said. "He didn't see me and I hit him."

Spacek would not say it was a bad call by the referee.

"You shouldn't be surprised (by the call) when a guy is leaving on a trolley (stretcher). I talked to the doctors and they said he'll be ok. Nobody wants to hurt a guy."

Murray had his own opinion, too.

"I think it all depends on what bench you're standing behind," Murray said. "I had the luxury between periods that I did get a couple looks at it. It was a drop pass and Spacek was already in his motion forward. They hit the lower bodies. Spacek flipped up and it might have looked like he left his feet to make the hit. It ends up that Emerson's head hits Spacek in his back right on the No. 8 and then hits the ice. I think the ice is what really did the damage on him."

Atlanta managed one shot during Spacek's major penalty and finished the game 0-for-5 on the power play with three shots.

"The whole problem (during the power play) is coming up our zone," Fraser said. "When that happens we make other team's penalty killing look pretty good."

The Thrashers, who have lost eight of their last 10 games, dropped to 1-8-1 on the road. The Panthers, who have won seven of nine, improved to 10-2-1 at home.