<p>Ilya Kovalchuk's teammates are trying to make sure he has a chance to win a scoring title.</p><p>Kovalchuk, set up by his Atlanta teammates throughout Friday night's 3-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, obliterated his franchise record by taking 14 shots, pushing his season total to a league-leading and team-record 338.</p><p>He was denied by Pittsburgh's Jean-Sebastien Aubin on his first 13 shots before he finally scored with 5.6 seconds left. By that time, the Penguins had secured the victory.</p><p>Kovalchuk has 40 goals this season, tying him with Columbus' Rich Nash and Calgary's Jarome Iginla for the NHL lead. Kovalchuk is third in points with 86.</p><p>"We had two objectives," Thrashers coach Bob Hartley said. "One was to win the game and No. 2 was to try to get Kovalchuk as many goals as we possibly could."</p><p>While intent on setting up Kovalchuk, other Atlanta players passed up scoring opportunities. The Penguins said they used that to their advantage.</p><p>Kovalchuk, denied on six first-period shots by Aubin, hadn't scored in five games.</p><p>"This is my first 40-goal season and I appreciate all the guys looking for me all game long," Kovalchuk said. "I hadn't scored in five games. I was so close so many times."</p><p>Aubin, who stopped 31 shots, was making his last start of the season. Pittsburgh will close its season Sunday at home against Washington.</p><p>"They were going out of they way trying to set up Kovalchuk," Pittsburgh coach Eddie Olczyk said. "When you start doing that, players on the opposing team will play off of that."</p><p>Kovalchuk, who turns 21 on April 14, and the 19-year-old Nash are trying to become the youngest player to lead the NHL in goals.</p><p>"I think it's great for the game," Hartley said. "You have two of the very young franchise players in the NHL going for the goal-scoring race."</p><p>Pittsburgh has the worst record in the NHL but is 9-4-3 in March and April, matching its win total for the first three months of the season.</p><p>Kelly Buchberger scored his first goal of the season for the Penguins, who were outshot 12-7 in the first period and 33-24 overall.</p><p>The Penguins took a 1-0 lead on a goal by Lasse Pirjeta with 1:12 left.</p><p>Just 1:36 into the second, Thrashers goaltender Pasi Nurminen attempted to clear the puck but instead directed it straight to Buchberger in the left circle. Buchberger sent the puck right back past Nurminen to make it 2-0.</p><p>"Usually when I make a mistake that bad, it shows up on the scoreboard right away," Nurminen said.</p><p>Dany Heatley's 13th goal 9:26 into the second period cut Pittsburgh's lead to 2-1.</p><p>Aleksey Morozov, who also assisted on Pirjeta's goal, scored into an empty net with 47 seconds remaining.</p><p>Notes:@ The Thrashers recalled D Kyle Rossiter from Chicago of the AHL. Rossiter was acquired from Florida on March 8. ... Atlanta D Garnet Exelby, held out with flulike symptoms, was given the first Dan Snyder Memorial Trophy, awarded to the Thrashers' unsung hero. Snyder was killed in an accident on Oct. 5 while riding in a car driven by Heatley. Snyder's family attended the pregame ceremony. ... The Penguins are two points behind Washington and Chicago at the bottom of the NHL with one game remaining.</p>
