BOSTON (AP) – Mike Knuble scored a power-play goal with 5:14 left in the third period to lift the Boston Bruins to a 2-2 tie with the Atlanta Thrashers on Saturday night.

The Bruins remained unbeaten in regulation when they hold a lead after one period, improving to 13-0-2-1.

Dany Heatley and Shawn McEachern scored power-play goals for 11th-place Atlanta, which remained nine points behind the eighth-place New York Islanders for the last Eastern Conference playoff spot.

Knuble took a pass from defenseman Nick Boynton in the slot, shifted and slipped a short shot by goaltender Pasi Nurminen.

Boston had the best chance in overtime when Joe Thornton cut in for a short shot that Nurminen stopped with his body with 32 seconds to play.

Heatley matched his career-high with a point for the seventh straight game by tipping Slava Kozlov’s shot past Bruins goalie Andrew Raycroft to move the Thrashers ahead 2-1 seven minutes into the third.

Sergei Gonchar scored 6:24 into the first period, giving Boston a 1-0 lead when he one-timed Knuble’s pass with a shot that caromed in off the right post. It was Gonchar’s second goal in two games with the Bruins after being acquired in a trade with Washington on Wednesday.

McEachern took a loose puck near the right faceoff circle after Boston defenseman Jiri Slegr misplayed it and scored on his own rebound, tying it 2:03 into the third.

The Thrashers nearly took the lead less than two minutes later, but Raycroft made a save with his right pad on Serge Aubin’s breakaway.

Gonchar leads all defenseman in scoring with nine goals and 42 assists.

The Thrashers went 2-for-5 on the power play after failing in nine opportunities in a

3-2 OT loss to Carolina on

Friday night.

Notes Atlanta LW Brad Larson did not play after leaving Friday’s game with a rib injury. … Raycroft has 22 wins, the most by a Boston rookie since Ron Grahame had 26 in 1977-78. Frank Brimsek holds the club record with 33. … It was Nurminen’s 18th straight game and 11th consecutive start. … Kozlov’s next goal will give him 20 in a season for the eighth time in 13 years. … Four fans were booed off the ice after missing badly in an intermission promotion that had them shooting at an open net from the opposite blue line for a chance to win a vehicle.

AP-ES-03-06-04 2206EST