GodsendJen

It's strange how sometimes something you dread can turn out so well.  Atlanta has a miserable record against the Toronto Maple Leafs.  Last season the Leafs beat us 4 times by a combined total of 19 points.  Earlier this season they beat us 4-2. In fact to find the last time Atlanta beat Toronto you have to go all the way back to October of 2003 when we walked away with a 3-2 OT win. Tonight we took a big step ahead as a team and dominated the Leafs walking away with a 5-0 win.  The highlights:

• Marian Hossa had his first Thrasher hat trick. (His last one came when he was with Ottowa in a game against the Thrashers.) 
  
• Kari Lehtonen had his 4th shut out of the season (setting a new single season franchise mark for shut-outs).  
  

The hat trick and the shut out are both impressive, but more so was the way the whole team pulled togather.  The hat trick wasn't just a product of Hossa's puck mastery.  When we found ourselves on the power play late in the game everyone on the ice was trying to get the puck to Hossa.  On the other end of the ice everyone was working hard to help Kari preserve that shutout.  Kari was on fire tonight and its obvious that his success in the last two games has really bolstered his confidence.  It was also refreshing to hear chants of "Hos-sa, Hos-sa" and "Kari, Kari" coming from the crowd instead of the usual drivel.