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Boedker, Jokinen help Coyotes topple Panthers

Nov 9, 2008 - 7:10 AM GLENDALE, Arizona (Ticker) -- Mikkel Boedker scored twice and Olli Jokinen added a goal and an assist as the Phoenix Coyotes skated past the Florida Panthers, 4-1, on Saturday.

Peter Mueller also tallied and defenseman Keith Yandle recorded two assists for the Coyotes, who bounced back from a 1-0 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday by netting four unanswered goals over the final 40 minutes of this one.

"I thought we played our last four games really solid even though we lost a tough one to Minnesota," Phoenix coach Wayne Gretzky said, referring to his team's 3-2 loss to the Wild on November 1. "Tonight after the first period, we really started attacking in the second period, and that was the difference in the hockey game.

"It turned things around for us. (Boedker) scored a nice goal, a battle goal, and that gave us a jump-start."

The Panthers' former captain, Jokinen helped extend their winless streak to six games (0-5-1). Florida dealt Jokinen, its top scorer every season since 2002-03, to Phoenix in June after the Finn became the franchise's all-time points leader with 419.

"I think it was more emotional for my family," Jokinen said. "When you are playing, you don't think of it. You don't think that you are playing against your (old team). At first, I didn't really know how to react. But after that, I started feeling better."

Jokinen was more concerned about getting the victory than scoring a goal.

"It is always nice to score, but at the end of the day, you want your team to win," Jokinen said. "If you can help your team to win that way, it is good."

Richard Zednik tallied in the first period for the Panthers, who were outshot, 39-27, overall and by a 12-5 margin in the third.

"We were better, but still not good enough," Florida coach Peter DeBoer said. "Better doesn't matter in the standings. We have not handled adversity. It's been a problem for the first 12, 13 or 14 games. As soon as we face some adversity, we start trying too much. We start taking penalties, we're getting beat on 1-on-1s - not the way a team handles adversity."

A 10-year veteran, Jokinen came to the desert knowing he would be surrounded by a plethora of budding talent. Taken eighth overall in 2006 and 2008, respectively, Mueller and Boedker make up the core of the youngest team in the NHL, and they showed why in this one.

Mueller started Phoenix's uprising, tying the game at 1-1 with 9:19 left in the second. Jokinen took possession of his own rebound in front of the net and made a backhand pass to Mueller, who slipped the puck past goaltender Tomas Vokoun.

"It was more of a priority getting traffic and people in front of the net, and getting shots at the net instead of relying on tic-tac-toe plays and getting rebounds," Gretzky said.

Boedker gave the Coyotes the lead for good seven minutes later. After Yandle's initial attempt from the point deflected off the skate of Daniel Winnik, Boedker gained possession in traffic on the doorstep and netted his fourth of the season.

"He is a young man," Gretzky said. "He is only 18. He is going to get better every day. He is a hard guy to check because he has such tremendous speed and has power to go with it."

Jokinen scored his fifth tally at 5:39 of the third, and Boedker struck again with three minutes remaining, firing a wrist shot from the slot past Vokoun.

Still, Jokinen felt the second period was the most crucial part of the contest.

"The second period, we took the game over and started playing the way we can play," Jokinen said. "In the intermission, Wayne wasn't happy. He told us we had to shoot more and go to the net a little more."

Ilya Bryzgalov turned aside 26 shots, including 14 in the second period.

"We didn't play hard enough," Panthers defenseman Keith Ballard said. "At times we do that, but at times we make dumb plays. You make your own luck, but we didn't play hard enough, we didn't play well enough."