Atlanta, GA (Sports Network) - Ilya Kovalchuk netted his third hat trick of the season and added an assist as the Atlanta Thrashers came back to beat the Calgary Flames, 6-4, at Philips Arena.

Bobby Holik scored the game-winning goal and had two assists while Kari Lehtonen made 28 saves for the Thrashers, who won for just the second time in their past 12 games.

"It was good, but most importantly was the win and we showed a lot of character," said Kovalchuk. "It was a fun game to watch. I think hard work made the difference tonight. We came back and showed a lot of character in doing so."

Jarome Iginla scored twice and Daymond Langkow added a goal and two assists for the Flames, who have dropped three of their last four games.

Curtis Joseph got the start in net and gave up five goals on 31 shots for Calgary, which with 82 points is tied with Minnesota for second place in the Northwest Division. Both teams trail first-place Colorado (84) by two points.

"I think anytime you have a three-goal lead and don't defend it, it will hurt you," said Flames coach Mike Keenan. "We didn't defend the lead last night and we didn't defend it tonight."

Trailing, 4-2, Atlanta made it a one-goal game with just 2:24 left in the second. On the power play, Kovalchuk's one-timer from the left point beat Joseph over the glove.

Chris Thorburn tied the game on a nice individual effort as he skated in on net, slammed on the brakes in front and went from the backhand to the forehand before stuffing the puck past the left pad of Joseph with 9:50 left in the third.

With time winding down, Kovalchuk fired a pass from the top of the left circle to the slot where Holik fired a wrister over Joseph's glove with 3:47 to play for a 5-4 lead.

Kovalchuk completed the hat trick with an empty-netter to seal the win for Atlanta.

"That's probably the best 60 minutes we've played in a long time," said Atlanta coach Don Waddell. "We battled and finished our checks. We were very physical tonight and we put the puck in the net. These guys have battled and it's nice to get rewarded for our hard work tonight."

Skating short-handed, Calgary took a 1-0 lead as Langkow intercepted a pass in the neutral zone, skated into the Atlanta end with a Thrasher all over him and snapped a soft shot between the pads of Lehtonen with 6:03 left in the first.

The Flames took a 2-0 lead into the first intermission as Adrian Aucoin blasted a shot from the high point that Iginla batted out of the air and into the net with 2:16 left in the frame.

Calgary grabbed a 3-0 lead just 2:45 into the second. Shortly after a power play expired, Langkow slapped a shot from the right circle that Lehtonen saved, but Iginla was on the doorstep to tap in the rebound.

However, the Thrashers scored a pair of goals separated by 19 seconds to make it a one-goal game.

A little over two minutes after Iginla's second goal, Holik flew into the Calgary end, faked a shot to get Joseph on the ice and from behind the net threw the puck out front where Kovalchuk banged it home.

Just moments later, Eric Perrin's wrister from the right circle was saved by Joseph, but Colby Armstrong was there to knock in the rebound.

Calgary made it a 4-2 game with 7:21 left in the second as Wayne Primeau skated in on a breakaway and lifted a wrister into the left corner of the net.