Wayne Gretzky spoke in a hoarse voice through a wide smile and even mustered a few laughs.

The flu and laryngitis notwithstanding, the Hall of Famer’s return to Madison Square Garden could not have been better.

Illness, not anger, robbed Coach Gretzky of his voice. He didn’t have to yell at his team last night as the Phoenix Coyotes rolled to a 5–1 rout of the Rangers.

Back in the building where he played the final game of his brilliant career eight years earlier, Gretzky stood behind the Coyotes bench for the first time in New York and left with a most satisfying win.

“I don’t know if it was revenge,” Gretzky said. “They’re a good team. Over 82 games, you’re going to have games where it doesn’t go your way. We got a couple lucky bounces and did some good things but I know the next game they play they’ll be a much different team.”

Joel Perrault scored twice and added an assist in his second game of the season, and Ilya Bryzgalov rode a strong start after a rare day off and made 34 saves. The Coyotes earned their second win in two days and third on a six-game road trip that has two stops left. The Coyotes entered with the fewest goals scored in the Western Conference and took on the Rangers, who had allowed a league-low 70. Neither trend held true.

Daniel Carcillo, Radim Vrbata, Fredrik Sjostrom, and Perrault scored in the second period when the Coyotes blew the game open with 11 shots. Phoenix hit the four-goal mark for the fourth time in six games.

“Maybe they’re eating a lot of carrots,” Gretzky said before breaking out in laughter. “Better eyesight.”

Not bad for the Coyotes’ first visit to the Garden since October 28, 2002. The Rangers had been 9–1 against the franchise, formally the Winnipeg Jets, dating to a win on January 6, 1992.

Gretzky retired as a member of the Rangers on April 18, 1999, after his third season with New York.

“It seems like it’s fresh in my mind because I think about it a lot because I wish I could still play,” Gretzky said. “Unfortunately I can’t because I’m not good enough anymore. I remember the last day here. It’s like it happened yesterday.”

Perrault, recalled from San Antonio of the AHL this week, had an assist in the Coyotes’ 4–1 win at New Jersey in his season debut on Saturday. His power-play goal 3:11 in against the Rangers gave Phoenix a 1–0 lead. Another man-advantage tally with 1:14 left in the second stretched the lead to 5–0. The Coyotes took advantage of sloppy play and the shakiness of Valiquette, who got the start because No. 1 goalie Henrik Lundqvist was out with the flu.

New York outshot Phoenix 11–10 in the first period but trailed 1–0. The Coyotes’ shot total didn’t change much in the second, but they consistently found the back of the net.

Carcillo, the NHL leader with 145 penalty minutes, got to a loose puck that kicked out in front after miscommunication behind the net between Valiquette and teammate Marc Staal, and fired in his fifth goal at 2:14.

Vrbata pushed the advantage to three 1:16 later with his 13th, taking advantage of a turnover by defenseman Michal Rozsival.

Sjostrom, who had two goals and an assist Saturday, continued his binge with his sixth at 12:34. Perrault then connected again, bringing boos raining down from frustrated fans who watched the Rangers lose for the fifth time in six games (1-4-1), including three straight at home.

The Rangers have allowed 20 of their 75 goals this season in the last four losses, sandwiched around a 1-0 overtime victory against New Jersey a week earlier.

Girardi scored a power-play goal with 8:30 remaining to spoil Bryzgalov’s shutout bid. The Coyotes goalie played the first 12 games after being claimed off waivers by Phoenix, before giving way to Mikael Tellqvist on Saturday.

DEVILS 4, FLYERS 2

Martin Brodeur won a penalty-shot battle with Daniel Briere, and the New Jersey Devils seized the momentum. John Madden scored two goals and Brodeur made 29 saves, including the game-turning penalty shot, to lead the Devils to a 4–2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday.

The game swung in the Devils’ favor midway through the second period when Brodeur beat Briere. With the score tied at 1, Briere broke into the Devils’ zone and was hooked by Vitaly Vishnevski. Briere was awarded a penalty shot at 9:32 but Brodeur won the duel with a stick stop, energizing New Jersey.

Only 40 seconds later, Madden got his second of the game, completing a 2-on-1 short-handed rush with Jamie Langenbrunner and the Devils never relinquished the lead.

“That was the turning point in the hockey game,” Devils coach Brent Sutter said. “They get the penalty shot and Marty makes a great save. It was massive.”