ATLANTA — Blake Wheeler and Ben Maxwell each had a goal and an assist, Andrew Ladd scored the deciding shootout goal and the Atlanta Thrashers stayed on the fringe of the playoff race with a 5-4 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Sunday.
Marek Svatos had his third and fourth goals, Chris Neil his sixth and Erik Condra his sixth for Ottawa.
Wheeler scored his 16th, Bryan Little his 17th, Mark Stuart his second and Maxwell his first career goal for Atlanta.
The Thrashers have won two of three, but began the game with only a mathematical chance of making the postseason. With 76 points — nine behind Buffalo for the eighth and final Eastern Conference playoff spot — 11th-place Atlanta also trails Carolina and Toronto in the standings.