<p>Shawn McEachern scored twice and Pasi Nurminen stopped 33 shots, helping the Atlanta Thrashers beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-1 Friday night.</p><p>The Thrashers won their third straight game just hours after All-Star Dany Heatley spoke publicly for the first time since the car wreck that killed teammate and friend Dan Snyder. Heatley, who broke his jaw and tore knee ligaments in the crash, started skating again this week and hopes to return this season.</p><p>Heatley and his family made the decision to hold the news conference as a way to continue the healing process, and he readily admitted the wreck has changed him off the ice.</p><p>Im going to think about this forever, Heatley said. Every time I go to sleep I think about it, and Dan. Its something Ill deal with the rest of my life.</p><p>Heatley was on the mind of at least one fan, a young girl who was without a few of her front teeth. She proudly held a sign that read, I love my Dany Heatley smile, in reference to Heatleys gap-toothed look.</p><p>Ilya Kovalchuk, who teamed with Heatley during their rookie seasons on a line affectionately called The Kids, had an assist. Without Heatley in the lineup, Kovalchuk has blossomed, staying near the top of the NHLs scoring leaders. He has 21 goals, tied with Rick Nash of Columbus for most in the league entering the night.</p><p>Randy Robitaille also scored for Atlanta.</p><p>Brad Lukowich spoiled Nurminens chance at his third shutout of the season, scoring on a one-timer after a faceoff with about seven minutes left. Tampa Bay lost for the sixth time in eight games (1-6-1-0) and fell to 1-8-3 all-time in Atlanta.</p><p>The first sellout crowd of the season saw Atlanta increase its lead in the Southeast Division to eight points over the Lightning.</p><p>For the third straight game, the Thrashers jumped to an early lead. Robitaille took a cross-ice pass from Jeff Cowan, then quickly slapped the puck passed Nikolai Khabibulin for a 1-0 lead.</p><p>Actually, the pass was intended for Kovalchuk, who was taken down in front of the net by Andre Roy. A penalty was forthcoming on Roy, but Robitailles goal canceled it.</p><p>McEachern made it 2-0 by deflecting a bad-angle shot by J.P. Vigier, then added an empty-net goal with 8 seconds left.</p><p>Notes:@ Atlanta called up LW Zdenek Blatny from Chicago of the AHL before the game, but he was a healthy scratch. He was reassigned to the Wolves on Monday, a day after he was called up for the first time this season. ... Tampa Bay D Dan Boyle slid into Nurminen and the net early in the second period, knocking it loose and causing a brief scrum. No punches were thrown, though. ... Khabibulin stopped a breakaway by Kovalchuk midway through the second period.</p>
