ATLANTA (Ticker) -- Olli Jokinen kept his streak alive while putting an end to one by the Atlanta Thrashers.
Jokinen scored in his third consecutive game and Steve Shields made 33 saves as the Florida Panthers handed the Thrashers their first regulation loss of the season with a 3-2 triumph.
After enjoying a breakout 2002-03 season with career highs in nearly every offensive category, Jokinen has picked up where he left off.
Entering the game with five points in eight games, including goals in each of the last two, Jokinen increased a 2-0 lead with his fourth of the season 6:14 into the third period.
"Overall, it was a very good team effort," Jokinen said. "We played our positions for most of the 60 minutes and that's promising. If you want to win, that's what you have to do and the guys stepped it up off the bad loss yesterday."
"He's one of our premier players and we need it from him," Panthers coach Mike Keenan said. "Olli skated well. His speed showed up and he took advantage of it."
The goal proved crucial as Atlanta staged a late rally and cut the deficit to 3-2. Ilya Kovalchuk netted his league-leading 10th goal 1 1/2 minutes after Jokinen's tally, and Vyacheslav Kozlov scored with 2:32 remaining.
"In the last 40 minutes, we came back real strong," Atlanta coach Bob Hartley said. "We generated enough chances to win the game, but the first period cost us the game."
Making his Panthers debut, Shields came within 12:23 of a shutout and held on for the victory. Acquired from Boston on October 5, he stopped just four shots in the first period before turning aside 29 over the final 40 minutes.
"It's nice to get in there and get playing and get a little rhythm and at least get comfortable playing with the guys," Shields said. "It feels good to be able to get in there and make a difference and make some big saves."
Pasi Nurminen made 22 saves for the Thrashers, who also had their four-game home unbeaten streak halted.
Losers of four of their last five games, the Panthers took an early lead when Viktor Kozlov got a feed from Eric Messier while shorthanded, led a 2-on-1 up the ice and beat Nurminen at 10:57 of the first. Viktor Kozlov has at least one point in seven of Florida's nine games.
"It's 2-on-1, so you have no excuse to dump it in," Viktor Kozlov said. "You have to go and do whatever you can. I just tried to use the defenseman because he was trying to block the shot and I tried to miss him. It's a good thing it went in."
Defenseman Mike Van Ryn made it 2-0 with 1:58 to go in the period, knocking in the rebound of a shot by Jokinen.
"Van Ryn told me he owes me one," Jokinen joked. "I said, 'Don't worry about it.' I just try to do the little things, work hard and shoot the puck. It's always nice to score, but it's nicer to get wins."
Off a 3-on-2 rush in the third, Jokinen got a rebound at the left side of the net and deposited it by Nurminen for a three-goal advantage.
Kovalchuk netted his eighth goal in four games 83 seconds later, blasting a slap shot past Shields while on the power play. Vyacheslav Kozlov beat Shields with a slapper to the stick side from the high slot late in the third to cut Atlanta's deficit to 3-2.
"I think we woke up a little too late before we started playing like we can," Nurminen said. "They were already up three goals, so it was hard to come back."
Florida improved to 4-1-4-2 all-time against the Thrashers.
