The Florida Panthers scored twice within 10 seconds in the first period and never trailed, defeating the Arizona Coyotes 3-1 on Friday night in Glendale, Ariz.
Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky made 22 saves to improve to 12-1-2 this season.
The Panthers got goals from Patric Hornqvist, Sam Bennett and Sam Reinhart. Hornqvist and Reinhart each added one assist as the Panthers became the first team in the NHL to reach 40 points this season.
Florida has at least one point in five straight games.
Phil Kessel scored a power-play goal for the Coyotes, who got 20 saves from Scott Wedgewood. Florida beat Wedgewood with three high shots in the first period.
The Coyotes, who fell to 2-8-1 at home, have lost four straight games overall.
Florida again played without two of its top six forwards, Aleksander Barkov and Anthony Duclair, out with injuries.
The Panthers, who have the league’s best home record at 14-1-0, improved to 4-3-4 on the road.
Hornqvist opened the scoring with 9:05 gone in the first. Using Ryan Lomberg as a decoy, Hornqvist unleashed a blast from the right circle.
Ten seconds later, Florida made it 2-0 as Bennett whipped a shot from the high slot.
After Hornqvist was called for tripping Lawson Crouse, Arizona cut its deficit to 2-1. Kessel got the goal from the right circle, ripping a shot under Bobrovsky’s blocker.
But the Panthers increased their lead to 3-1 with just 25 seconds left in the first on Reinhart’s power-play goal from the high slot. Bennett did not get an assist, but he kept the play alive on the boards as the Panthers made Arizona’s Nick Schmaltz pay for his hooking penalty on Brandon Montour.
The Panthers allowed just two even-strength shots on goal in the third.
Arizona pulled Wedgewood with 3:15 left in the third, but the Coyotes could not take advantage of the extra skater.
–Field Level Media
