ATLANTA -- After reaching the Eastern Conference finals last season, the Ottawa Senators weren't overwhelmed by a five-game winless streak that left them in last place.
Even so, a return to the win column was appreciated Tuesday night.
Bryan Smolinski scored twice, including a clinching goal in the final minute, to lead the Senators to a 5-3 victory over the Atlanta Thrashers. It was Ottawa's first win since Oct. 25 at Montreal.
"We knew it was just a matter of time," Ottawa goalie Patrick Lalime said.
The Senators slipped to last place in the Northeast Division as a result of their 0-3-2 skid, but coach Jacques Martin said the slump didn't create doubt within the club.
"I don't know about feeling any pressure. I think we've got a fairly mature team and we recognize what we need to do to be better," Martin said.
Martin Havlat slapped a shot past Atlanta goalie Pasi Nurminen to give the Senators a 4-3 lead early in the third period, and Smolinski sealed it with an empty-net goal. The two goals doubled Smolinski's season total.
"It was important for him to have a good game," Martin said. "That is what we expect out of him."
The Thrashers owned a rare 1-0 lead, but couldn't hold it. Atlanta was also uncharacteristically outscored in the third period.
Atlanta had held an 18-7 goal advantage in the third period, but allowed the Senators to score twice without scoring any themselves. The Thrashers' 18 third-period goals lead the NHL.
The Thrashers have enjoyed recent success by rallying from early deficits. Atlanta is 4-3-3-1 in games it trailed 1-0, including a comeback from 2-0 on Saturday against the New York Islanders.
Atlanta has been trying to reverse the trend of falling behind, and the Thrashers broke through first when Jeff Cowan passed to Ronald Petrovicky, who scored for the third straight game at 10:34.
The Senators answered 42 seconds later on Daniel Alfredsson's eighth goal. But Atlanta took the lead right back when Randy Robitaille put a shot in off Lalime's skate at 12:16.
The three-goal spurt was completed in just 1:42.
Ottawa pulled even at 2-2 with 33 seconds left in the first on Peter Schaefer's slap shot from the left circle.
The Senators needed only 27 seconds into the second to take the lead when Smolinski scored his first of the night. Yannick Tremblay tied it at 3 for the Thrashers 1:46 later.
Based on his team's strong third-period play this season, Atlanta coach Bob Hartley was happy with the tie after two periods.
"(Ottawa) is a very experienced hockey club, and to keep them at a tie game going into the third period, I thought we were in good shape," Hartley said.
A turnover by Atlanta's Ilya Kovalchuk set up the go-ahead goal by Havlat.
"Basically, a turnover cost us the game," Hartley said. "When you make that kind of mistake against a good team, they're going to make you pay for it."
Lalime made 22 saves to win for the sixth time this season. Nurminen stopped 24 shots.
Though the Senators needed until Tuesday to snap the skid, they gained momentum in Saturday night's 1-0 loss to New Jersey.
"The last few games, we played well and got no win," Lalime said. "Tonight we came out of the gate strong."
And with an even stronger finish, the Senators don't have to answer any more questions about a winless streak.
"It's a good thing we finally won a game," Havlat said. "We needed to win again."
Notes
- Ottawa made an emergency recall of RW Denis Hamel from Binghamton of the AHL. Hamel was acquired from Washington on Oct. 5.
- Atlanta D Ivan Majesky limped off the ice after Ottawa's Chris Neil fell on his left knee. Hartley said the injury was not believed to be serious.
- Atlanta's 15-game start (7-4-3-1 for 18 points) was better than any fifth-year expansion team in the past 10 years.
- Robitaille's goal was Atlanta's first unassisted score of the season.
- The Senators are 11-4-2 against the Thrashers.
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