(My Sportsbook) - The Phoenix Coyotes had dropped three straight games heading into Friday's contest with the suddenly red-hot Atlanta Thrashers and had been outscored 12-6 in the process.

A season that began with so much promise was quickly becoming a disaster, as the Coyotes slipped to the cellar in the Pacific Division.

Well all of that negativity came to a screeching halt on Friday, as Phoenix exploded with a 5-1 victory over the Thrashers to move two points ahead of the defending division champion San Jose Sharks in the Pacific.

"Our work ethic has not been there the past few games, but we were a lot better tonight," right wing Mike Johnson told the Arizona Republic after the game.

An even better sign for the Coyotes was the fact that Tony Amonte was able to light the lamp for the fifth time this season. Amonte, lured away from the Chicago Blackhawks in the offseason thanks to a lucrative contract, has struggled upon his arrival in Phoenix.

"He's looked good all along, the pucks just weren't going in," coach Bobby Francis said. "One went off his skate tonight and, ironically, it goes in. But he's got the skill level, and when he plays with the energy he does, eventually it's going to start going his way."

Amonte, who also had an assist, has now scored in two of his last three games after going the previous seven contests without a goal.

"He's been doing it for 10 years in this league," Johnson said. "To think that he wouldn't do it this year was way premature. As a team, there was no question that Tony was going to do it sooner rather than later."

It was Amonte and Johnson who kick-started the rout against Atlanta with a pair of goals 50 seconds apart that pushed the lead to 3-0.

Amonte converted on the power play 1:52 into the second, beating Atlanta goaltender Pasi Nurminen with a wrist shot from between the circles. Daniel Briere's drop pass set up the score. Johnson followed with a goal on a scramble in front of the Thrashers' net. Lying on his stomach, Johnson slapped the puck past Nurminen.

"(Our struggles) were certainly not because of Tony," Johnson added. "The problem was that we would get one goal, but were having trouble getting two or three. So this game was big in that we got that second and then the third goal."

WHAT'S NEXT

The Coyotes will start a three-game homestand on Sunday versus the Colorado Avalanche. The stretch will also include visits from the Dallas Stars and Florida Panthers.