Fatigued Coyotes ease past Panthers

[March 12, 2014]  SUNRISE, Fla. — Coyotes 3, Panthers 1: Radim Vrbata recorded a goal and two assists as visiting Phoenix defeated Florida for its fourth win in the last five games.

Mike Ribeiro and defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson also scored for the Coyotes, who beat Tampa Bay 4-3 on Monday in a shootout. Mike Smith turned aside 31 shots in his sixth consecutive start of the month and has allowed two or fewer goals in eight of his last 11 outings for Phoenix.

Brandon Pirri, acquired from Chicago early in March, scored his first goal in his fourth game with Florida. Roberto Luongo made 23 saves in his third game back (1-2-0) with the Panthers, who have lost five of seven games since the Olympic break.

Smith stopped all 13 shots he faced in the opening period and Keith Yandle’s one-timer from the top of the right circle deflected off Ribeiro and past Luongo at 17:43 for a power-play goal. Ekman-Larsson doubled the advantage 9:43 into the second, scoring from the left point through a screen by Lauri Korpikoski.

The Coyotes extended their lead 5:52 into the third when Vrbata knocked home a crossing pass from Antoine Vermette on the rush. Pirri scored on the power play for his seventh goal of the season when his shot deflected off a Coyotes stick and eluded Smith 8:54 into the final period.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Phoenix C Martin Hanzal missed his fifth straight game with a lower-body injury and Coyotes RW Martin Erat suffered an upper-body injury in the first period Tuesday and did not return. … Phoenix is 14-8-3 against Eastern Conference opponents. … Florida LW Sean Bergenheim left after the second period with a lower-body injury.

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