Team-best start extended to 6-0

SUNRISE — Frank Vatrano and Joe Thornton each scored their first goals of the season and the Florida Panthers stretched their unbeaten streak to six games with a 5-3 victory over the winless Arizona Coyotes on Monday night.

Anthony Duclair, Jonathan Huberdeau and Aaron Ekblad also scored goals for the Panthers.

Spencer Knight made 18 saves. Brandon Montour had two assists.

Liam O’Brien and Phil Kessel scored late goals for the Coyotes. Clayton Keller also scored a goal.

Carter Hutton made 10 saves before leaving the game after the first period with a lower-body injury. Karel Vejmelka started the second period and stopped 26 shots.

Florida’s 6-0-0 record extends the best start in franchise history and is the first 6-0-0 start in the NHL since Montreal in 2015-16.

The Arizona loss marks the second time in the franchise’s 42 seasons that they don’t have a win after six games (were 0-5-1 to start 2017-18 season) “You never hope to go through it but we’re in the thick of it and there’s no easy way out,” Coyotes forward Christian Fischer said.

Leading 4-1 midway through the third period, the Panthers seemed to be cruising to an easy victory, but O’Brien scored at 11: 57 to make the score 4-2. Kessel scored 34 seconds later to close the Coyotes to 4-3.

“I think we did a good job at capitalizing on our chances,” Vatrano said. “I think their goalie made two big saves there where we could have put the game away and we gave them life. It’s the NHL and you can’t give any team life. We took the timeout, we knew we had the lead and just play hockey the way we know how and close it out.”

Duclair’s empty-net goal with 38.9 left made the score 5-3 and iced the game.

“We knew going in it was kind of a dangerous opponent, and I think that being respectful from start to finish is part of it, and sometimes you get ahead, you get a little careless, we get a couple of situations that we mis-played and both ended up in the net, now it’s a hockey game,” coach Joel Quenneville said. “We nailed it down at the end but certainly don’t take anything for granted in this game.”