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Jokinen, Coyotes seek second straight win

Dec 11, 2008 - 11:30 AM Minnesota (15-10-1) at Phoenix (13-13-2), 9:00 pm EST

GLENDALE, Arizona (Ticker) -- After missing his team's previous six games with a shoulder injury, Olli Jokinen gave the Phoenix Coyotes a much-needed boost.

Jokinen and the Coyotes hope to notch their second two-game win streak in December when they host the Minnesota Wild on Thursday.

Jokinen scored a pair of power-play goals as the Coyotes recorded a 5-3 triumph over the Dallas Stars on Wednesday and snapped a two-game skid.

"It's been a month since the last time I scored a goal," said Jokinen, who scored twice on November 9 in a 4-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks. "It's always good to score, but the

bottom line is, we got two points for a win."

Jokinen hurt his shoulder during a 3-2 win over the the Columbus Blue Jackets on November 26 after being checked into the boards. The injury snapped his consecutive games streak at 397.

Minnesota has dropped two straight and three of four in December. Its offense has fizzled in its last two games after scoring nine goals in the first two this month. The Wild were edged, 2-1, by the Vancouver Canucks on Friday and then fell, 1-0, to the Nashville Predators the following night.

They received good news on Wednesday, though, as injured star Marian Gaborik practiced with the team for the first time since suffering a lower body injury in October.

Gaborik, the only player remaining from the franchise's inaugural season eight years ago, has missed a total of 80 games since the lockout ended in 2005.

He has missed all but two games this season.