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Jokinen keeps Panthers' playoff hopes alive

Mar 18, 2007 - 4:25 AM SUNRISE, Florida (Ticker) -- Olli Jokinen kept the Florida Panthers' playoff hopes alive in a big way.

Jokinen had a career-high two goals and three assists as the Panthers posted a wild 8-5 triumph over the New York Islanders.

Ville Peltonen had two goals and two assists for the Panthers (30-29-13), who have 73 points and moved into a 12th-place tie with the Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference, six points out of the final playoff spot.

"We were opportunistic when we had to be," Peltonen said. "This is a night when things went our way and the hard work paid off. We came hard at them tonight and created some chances, so it wasn't a case of us not earning this because we really had to fight hard for the win."

Rostislav Olesz, Gregory Campbell, Juraj Kolnik and Jozef Stumpel also scored for Florida, which has won seven of its last 10 games.

"We didn't get down and kept coming back and coming back," Jokinen said. "It wasn't our best game, but we were able to bounce back and came away with the two points, which is really all that matters. Sure, you would like a low-scoring game, but sometimes you have to go through a game like this."

Ryan Smyth and Mike Sillinger had two goals and two assists for the Islanders (34-27-10), who are in a three-way tie with the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Montreal Canadiens for ninth place in the East, one point out of the final playoff position.

"Anytime you score five goals, it should be enough to win," Sillinger said. "Our entire defense has to be better. We can make injuries an excuse, and it hurts us not having Rick (DiPietro) in goal, but we have to buckle down defensively and so far that hasn't happened."

New York played its second straight game without DiPietro, who was injured in a 5-3 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday and is listed as day-to-day.

Mike Dunham has struggled trying to replace him, allowing 12 goals on just 62 shots in two straight defeats.

"We've been spoiled by having a premier goaltender," Islander coach Ted Nolan said. "Before, we were stopping most of those shots, but lately they've been winding up in the back of the net."

Jokinen scored two goals 61 seconds apart in the third period. On the second, he circled from behind the net and stuffed the back past Islanders goaltender Mike Dunham for a 6-4 lead at the 7:05 mark.

Smyth sliced the deficit to 6-5 with just under three minutes left in the game, tipping defenseman Marc-Andre Bergeron's pass from the slot past Florida netminder Ed Belfour, before Stumpel and Peltonen iced the victory with empty-net goals.