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PHOENIX (AP) -- The power play worked to perfection for the
Phoenix Coyotes -- regardless of who had the advantage.
Jyrki Lumme scored a power-play goal and had one of his two assists on another as the Phoenix Coyotes beat the Atlanta Thrashers 4-2 Sunday night in the first meeting of the franchises.
|  | | Phoenix's Rick Tocchet uses subtle tactics to slow Atlanta's Denny Lambert, left. |
And the special teams were even more special for Mike Sullivan, who got the game-winner short-handed on a spectacular shot between
the legs of Atlanta forward Nelson Emerson.
"The kid came down and did it," Atlanta coach Curt Fraser
said. "What are you going to say? It was a highlight goal, and it
came at a bad time."
Stan Neckar and Jeremy Roenick also scored for the Coyotes, who
remained two points behind Dallas in the Pacific Division with
their 32nd win -- a franchise-best after 58 games.
The Thrashers skidded to their season-high 12th consecutive loss
and 14th in 16 games (0-14-2) despite goals from Ray Ferraro and
Yannick Tremblay.
The Coyotes and expansion Thrashers were scheduled to play in
Atlanta on Jan. 26, but the game was postponed until next month
because of a snowstorm.
With the teams virtually even on shots most of the game, goalie Sean Burke was the difference for Phoenix. He had 36 saves to 35
for embattled Norm Maracle, whose last win was a 1-0 shutout of
Philadelphia on Jan. 14.
Sullivan scored the Coyotes' 12th short-handed goal, tying them
with St. Louis for tops in the NHL, and broke a 2-2 tie with 9:49
left in the second.
Lumme intercepted a pass by Tremblay and got the puck to
Sullivan at the blue line, and he angled in across the slot with
Emerson in pursuit.
Sullivan turned and fired back between Emerson's legs from the
opposite circle, with Maracle getting only a glimpse before the
puck flew past.
"He was taking away my angle pretty well, so I just tried to
give myself a better angle to get at the net," Sullivan said. "I
just tried to get it through him somehow and pick it up on the
other side. It worked for me."
It was the ninth short-handed goal the Thrashers have allowed --
tied for second-worst in the league.
"It was a good shot, but I've got to stop that shot," Maracle
said. "I've got to make a miracle save or whatever you want to
call it, but I have to keep it 2-2, especially because we're on the
power play."
Roenick got his 27th goal -- the only one of the third period --
on Phoenix's third and final power play.
Maracle fell while Roenick skated behind the net and was getting
up when Roenick poked the puck past him 2:47 into the third.
The Coyotes, whose best games have come against potential
playoff opponents, played lethargically in the first period and
went the first 8:44 without taking a shot.
"Before the game, everybody was talking and we knew the
situation -- that they haven't won in 15 games or something, and we
knew that they work hard," Lumme said. "It was almost like we
were trying to do too much. It totally got away from the team
system, and at times it looked like a fire drill out there."
Trevor Letowski provided a spark with two quick shots in 39
seconds, but seconds later Ferraro scored his 15th goal for a 1-0
lead.
Andrew Brunette made the play possible, skating to the circle,
leaving a drop pass for Ferraro and screening Burke's view of
Ferraro's one-timer with 9:13 left in the first.
The Coyotes tied it with 3:42 remaining when Roenick passed high
in the slot to Lumme, who scored his 100th career goal on a 50-foot
slap shot. Phoenix went ahead on Neckar's goal 4:50 into the second
period.
"A nonplayoff team is sometimes the hardest team to get up
against and be focused, as well as play within your system,"
Coyotes coach Bob Francis said. "You tend to get away from what
makes you successful."
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ALSO SEE
NHL Scoreboard
Atlanta Clubhouse
Phoenix Clubhouse
RECAPS
Chicago 6
Detroit 4
Dallas 2
Colorado 1
Philadelphia 3
NY Rangers 2
Phoenix 4
Atlanta 2
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