Boston held the league's second-best power-play to one goal in seven chances, converted a rare power-play chance of its own and got a stellar effort from goaltender Tuukka Rask, who had 32 saves.
"Tuukka stood tall for us tonight and we got shots blocked when we needed it," said defenseman Dennis Wideman, who had two assists.
The B's, who have won seven straight against Atlanta, get little time to enjoy one of their best wins of the season as they head to Buffalo for a Friday night affair. We will have all the action here as the Northeast Division rivals meet for the first time this season.
Final, Bruins win 4-3: Tuukka Rask is a star in the shootout, finishing a perfect session by stopping Ilay Kovalchuk.
After Vyacheslav Kozlov was stoned by Rask, the Bruins went to Blake Wheeler with a chance to win.
Wheeler had an open net but lost control of the puck and it was put in the hands of Kovalchuk.
Rask improves to 2-1 in shootouts and the Bruins improve to 3-1-2 in their last six games.
Shootout: Rich Peverley starts it off for Atlanta by missing glove-side.
The Bruins counter with Patrice Bergeron, who fakes out Ondrej Pavelec with a sensational move to convert.
End of overtime, 3-3: Atlanta had several good looks in the extra session and figures to have the advantage in the shootout, in which it is 1-1 this season.
Boston, which is 2-3 in shootouts, held a 15-shot advantage at one point in the third period but now lead in that category by just seven, a sure sign how much pressure the Thrashers have put on Tuukka Rask.
End of third period, 3-3: We have overtime at Philips Arena after a furious final charge by Atlanta gets the equalizer.
Boston is 2-4 in overtimes this season. The Thrashers are 1-1.
Third period, 44.1 seconds, 3-3: The Thrashers pulled their goalie and got chance after chance before Maxim Afinogenov finally tied it.
Third period, 3:37, Bruins 3-2: The B's kill another power play and nearly got a shorthanded goal from Daniel Paille.
Third period, 5:51, Bruins 3-2: Let's hear it for Tuukka Rask, who made a series of saves on the Thrashers' recent power play and just stopped a breakaway before Boston was whistled for another penalty.
The Bruins have killed 6-of-7 penalties thus far but they are playing with fire by giving Atlanta chance after chance here with a man advantage.
Third period, 7:41, Bruins 3-2: Atlanta has its sixth power-play chance of the night. A critical moment in this game.
Third period, 8:20, Bruins 3-2: Michael Ryder was just alone with a chance for a hat trick but was turned aside.
Still, the Bruins are controlling play here late in an effort to pick up a road win.
They took the first eight shots of the period and Ryder's breakaway set off a wild sequence before the break.
Third period, 13:42, Bruins 3-2: Some great minutes here for Steve Begin helps the Bruins first kill off some power plays and then put some pressure on Atlanta.
In that flurry of whistles Boston was able to kill three separate power-play chances for the Thrashers, including 20 seconds of a 5-on-3.
Third period, 15:20, Bruins 3-2: The run of penalties continues but this was a good one by Michael Ryder to break up a good scoring opportunity for the Thrashers.
Third period, 16:39, Bruins 3-2: Boston's power play lasted just seconds before Mark Recchi goes off with an interference penalty.
Atlanta will eventually get about 20 seconds of a power play at the end of this 4-on-4.
Third period, 16:59, Bruins 3-2: Rich Peverley is called for hooking with 16 seconds on Atlanta's power play.
If the Bruins can survive 16 seconds of 4-on-4 they will get a man advantage.
Third period, 18:45, Bruins 3-2: The vaunted Thrashers power play gets another chance to tie it here after Marco Sturm goes off on a tripping call.
Atlanta is 1-for-2 on the power play.
Third period, 19:30, Bruins 3-2: The season could still be called young but this has to be considered a big period for the Bruins.
Escaping with two points would be a great way to start a four-game road trip, which should see the return of Marc Savard.
End of second period, Bruins 3-2: That goal by Michael Ryder is huge for the Bruins, who had given momentum back to the Thrashers.
It is Ryder's 16th two-goal game of his career and his first since Feb. 26.
Ryder, who had been struggling, was also slow out of the gate last season before getting going. Perhaps he is following the same pattern.
Boston entered the game with the worst power play in the NHL, converting just 12.9 percent of its chances. Nice to see Ryder make the club's first opportunity pay off.
Second period, 2:22, Bruins 3-2: The miserable power-play unit for the B's comes through for a rare tally.
With just five seconds left on a man advantage Michael Ryder gets a backhand past Ondrej Pavelec for his second goal of the night.
It is Ryder's first two-goal game of the season.
Second period, 4:09, 2-2: On his first shot of the night Ilya Kovalchuk ties it, scoring just seconds into a power-play opportunity.
Kovalchuk fired a one-timer from the point past Tuukka Rask for his 13th goal of the season.
The Bruins are given a man advantage momnents later, their first of the game.
Second period, 5:59, Bruins 2-1: A high-sticking call on Mark Recchi has given the Thrashers a second power-play opportunity.
Boston has killed its last 26 times short.
Second period, 7:47, Bruins 2-1: There has been just one penalty, few big hits and very little pushing and shoving in this one but the pace has quickened and the intensity usually follows.
It's a dangerous time for the Bruins, who have not had many good scoring chances this period.
Second period, 9:41, Bruins 2-1: Just as I mention a lack of offensive punch from Thrashers left wing Ilya Kovalchuk, he managed to find defenseman Tobias Enstrom for a drive that Nik Antropov tips past Tuukka Rask to cut the B's lead to one.
Atlanta is getting a ton of pressure on Rask right now. He was just forced to make a sprawling glove save to keep Boston ahead.
Second period, 13:14, Bruins 2-0: The Bruins have held Thrashers superstar Ilya Kovalchuk without a single shot on net thus far.
Kovalchuk has 12 shots in his last three games.
Second period, 14:58, Bruins 2-0: Milan Lucic gets his best opportunity in his first game in over a month.
Lucic takes the feed from Mark Recchi on a 3-on-2 and drives a slapshot that Ondrej Pavelec deflects over the glass.
Second period, 16:35, Bruins 2-0: This is the last I'll mention it but how can the Thrashers get motivated before a crowd so sparse?
Perhaps the records prove that they can't; Atlanta is 4-4-0 at Philips Arena and 6-2-1 on the road.
Second period, 19:05, Bruins 2-0: We are underway in the second and Rich Peverley has an early chance for the Thrashers but gets stoned by Tuukka Rask.
End of first period, Bruins 2-0: A quality first 20 minutes for the Bruins has to have coach Claude Julien feeling a little better about things.
Boston dictated the play throughout and finished the period with a 13-7 shots advantage.
A few notes on the goals:
– Marco Sturm has three goals in his last six games after a stretch of four games without a point.
– Mark Recchi has five points (one goal, four assists) in his last six games after going five games without a point.
– Defenseman Andrew Ference had an assist on Sturm's tally, Ference's first point since Oct. 10.
– Michael Ryder has scored twice in three games following a 10-game pointless streak.
First period, 1:49, Bruins 2-0: Michael Ryder tips in a shot by defenseman Dennis Wideman to put the Bruins up 2-0.
Blake Wheeler is also credited with an assist.
Boston displayed great patience and puck movement on that possession and followed the goal up with another rush moments later.
The B's are looking much more refined tonight.
First period, 5:18, Bruins 1-0: There's another rush by Marco Sturm and Mark Recchi, who have come to play tonight.
This time Sturm's shot is turned away by Thrashers goalie Ondrej Pavelec. It is Sturm's third shot on net already.
First period, 7:52, Bruins 1-0: The goal by Marco Sturm comes in his 800th career game.
A nice addition to a milestone night for Sturm.
First period, 8:17, Bruins 1-0: That is now 26 straight penalty kills for the B's, who got their latest against the second-best power-play unit in the league.
Atlanta managed two shots on the power play.
First period, 10:35, Bruins 1-0: Vyacheslav Kozlov gets a good shot off the Tuukka Rask denies.
The Bruins have an early 5-2 shot advantage and have scored first for just the seventh time this season.
They will now have to kill a power play after Zdeno Chara is whistled for a delay of game.
First period, 11:30, Bruins 1-0: The Marco Sturm-Mark Recchi combination nearly teamed up for a second goal but Sturm's pass back to Recchi in front was broken up.
Still, the Bruins have had some nice chances early and are playing with a bit more spunk than the other night against the Islanders.
First period, 14:01, Bruins 1-0: Marco Sturm gives Boston an early lead with his fifth goal of the season, taking a feed from Mark Recchi, who got a turnover and found Sturm in front.
Earlier, Milan Lucic got his first shift in and got in on a few plays, including one pass toward the net that yielded nothing.
The Thrashers went five minutes before getting their first shot on net.
First period, 16:54: We are underway and no major chances in the first few minutes here.
Not to harp on it but this has the feel of a minor league game with the bevy of empty seats throughout the lower sections.
7:07 p.m.: Just about to start here but I have to point out how sparsely settled Philips Arena is.
6:50 p.m.: The expected starters for the Bruins tonight are as follows:
Marco Sturm – LW
Patrice Bergeron – C
Mark Recchi – RW
Zdeno Chara – D
Derek Morris – D
Tuukka Rask – G
We're about 15 minutes from the start of this one. Boston holds a six-game winning streak in the series but it's Atlanta that comes into the contest on a roll, having won four in a row. It should be interesting to see how the B's respond.
6:40 p.m.: The Bruins have made it official. Milan Lucic is back after a 14-game layoff with a broken finger, a welcome sight for a team in need of both a dose of intensity and scoring punch.
As expected, Marc Savard will not dress but still hopes to return soon, perhaps Friday at Buffalo or Monday at St. Louis.
In other news, goalie Tim Thomas will not start due to an undisclosed injury, according to the Boston Globe. Thomas is dressed and will serve as the backup for Tuukka Rask, who gets his second straight start between the pipes.
10:41 a.m.: The Bruins are in Atlanta to try to snap a three-game winless streak and we'll have all the action right here. The puck drops at 7 p.m.
The B's are coming off a 4-1 loss at home to the New York Islanders on Monday. Daniel Paille scored for the second time in four games to account for the lone Boston goal, as the Black and Gold fell to 2-3-3 this month.
Despite the struggles, the Bruins may get things pointed in the right direction soon. Although left wing Milan Lucic stayed home from the trip to Atlanta because of food poisoning, he is due back in the lineup any day now. And center Marc Savard, who has missed the last 13 games with a broken foot, has started to skate again and could play on Thursday, although he's leaning toward Friday.
With those two sidelined, the B's offense has been unable to finish off chances (only Nashville scores fewer goals per game), as evidenced against the Islanders. In that game, Boston outshot New York 29-20 and won 43 of 61 faceoffs, but failed on all five of its power-play chances, including a lengthy 5-on-3 opportunity. The Bruins' 12.9 percent success rate on power plays is the worst in the NHL.
On the other side of the coin, Atlanta's 26.5 percentage with a man advantage ranks second overall. The Thrashers received two power-play goals and then a game-winner with 8:01 left in the third period by left winger Slava Kozlov to top Edmonton 3-2 on Sunday.
The win was the fourth straight for the Thrashers.
