TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Nick Ritchie scored a tiebreaking goal midway through the third period and the Arizona Coyotes beat the Florida Panthers 3-1 on Tuesday night for their first victory in three games at their new Mullett Arena home.
Ritchie’s power-play goal with 11:05 remaining came on a wrist shot from the slot that beat Spencer Knight to the glove side for a 2-1 lead. Ritchie has four goals this season, all on the power play.
Florida pulled Knight with two minutes remaining and Clayton Keller scored into an empty net with 1:07 left.
Lawson Crouse also scored on a power play for Arizona, which had lost four of five. The Coyotes have converted 11 of 34 power-play opportunities, which ranks among the NHL leaders, after going 2 for 4 in this one.
Karel Velmelka made 40 saves for Arizona.
Colin White scored to give the Panthers a 1-0 lead in the second period in the opener of their four-game, five-day trip out West. The Panthers had won three in a row and were 7-1-1 in their last nine games against Arizona.
Knight made 18 saves while losing for the first time in four starts this season.
Florida hit two posts and Vejmelka stopped Patric Hornqvist on a breakaway in the first three minutes of the second before White broke through, tipping in a high shot from right in front over Vejmelka’s left shoulder at 8:24.
White has a point in all six road games for Florida, tying a franchise record to open the season.
Crouse tied it five minutes later on a power play with a wrist shot from the slot.
THIS AND THAT
Florida G Sergei Bobrovsky is two games short of 600. … The Panthers mustered seven shots in the first period but finished with 41. They had 51 shots and a franchise-record 58 in their previous two games, respectively.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Coyotes F Nick Schmaltz (upper body) missed his eighth straight game and Conor Timmins (upper body) missed his seventh. Arizona D Jakob Chychrun (wrist) has not played this season while recovering from offseason surgery. F Zack Kassian (lower body) is day-to-day. … Panthers C Anton Lundell did not skate in practice Monday because of an undisclosed injury but logged 17 minutes. … C Nick Cousins and D Matt Kiersted were scratched.
UP NEXT
Panthers: Play at San Jose on Thursday.
Coyotes: Host the Dallas Stars to finish a four-game homestand Thursday.
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