Golden Knights score four in first period in win against Coyotes

LAS VEGAS -- The Vegas Golden Knights scored four goals in the first period then withstood a third-period rally from the Arizona Coyotes in a 7-4 victory at T-Mobile Arena on Friday.

The Golden Knights took a 5-0 lead when Chandler Stephenson scored at 4:10 of the second period, but the Coyotes scored three straight goals, including two in 58 seconds in the third period.
Reilly Smith scored twice, and Robin Lehner made 22 saves for Vegas (26-11-2), which had 13 players score at least one point.
"[The first period] won the game for us," Smith said. "The first four, five shifts, we generated 10-15 shots and a couple goals, and I think that changed the game."
Nick Schmaltz had a goal and an assist, and Phil Kessel had three assists for Arizona (19-17-5), which has lost two games in a row after winning three straight. Adin Hill allowed five goals on 32 shots through the second period and was replaced to start the third by Ivan Prosvetov, who made three saves.
"We weren't ready to play," Schmaltz said. "They're a great team, and that's what's going to happen. It's definitely embarrassing."
The Golden Knights scored four goals in the first period in a span of 5:41.
Jonathan Marchessault scored at 3:03 to make it 1-0, the first power-play goal in 19 attempts in seven games for Vegas.
"We've not been clicking with [the power play]," Marchessault said. "We need to be a force. There's no excuse for that group to not have a successful power play. It was a good first goal, and we can get confidence from that."

William Carrier made it 2-0 at 4:41, Keegan Kolesar increased it to 3-0 at 6:59, and Smith scored shorthanded at 8:44 for a 4-0 lead.
After Stephenson scored his first goal in 14 games to make it 5-0, Schmaltz cut it to 5-1 at 19:07 of the second period on the power play.
"I don't know if we're mentally tired," Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet said. "You look for a push from certain guys. This team can't have four or five guys not ready. We just looked timid out there. Some guys got to step up here. Leadership, get mad out there, go to the net, stop in front, do something. The moment is too big for some guys."

Dryden Hunt brought Arizona within 5-2 at 2:42 of the third period, and Clayton Keller make it 5-3 at 3:40.
Smith restored Vegas' three-goal lead, scoring at 9:44 to make it 6-3.
Michael Bunting scored 15 seconds later, at 9:59, to make it 6-4 before Max Pacioretty scored an empty-net goal at 19:05 for the 7-4 final.
"You're disappointed because you don't walk out feeling how you should," Golden Knights coach Peter DeBoer said. "You should walk out feeling great about that game. That's a good club over there. We should've known they were going to be pushing toward the end. We got away with it."
NOTES: Coyotes forward Christian Fischer left with an undisclosed injury at 13:46 of the second period after he was checked into the boards by Carrier. There was no update. … Bunting set an NHL record by playing his 11th consecutive road game since his debut Dec. 11, 2018. Jaroslav Otevrel of the San Jose Sharks held the record with 10 (Jan. 15-Dec. 23, 1993). … Kessel played his 885th consecutive game to move past Steve Larmer for the fifth longest streak in NHL history. It is the third-longest active streak behind Keith Yandle (906) and Patrick Marleau (893). … Arizona forward Tyler Pitlick had three hits in 12:59 after missing seven games with a lower-body injury. … Pacioretty played his 800th NHL game, and Vegas defenseman Shea Theodore played his 300th. … Carrier has seven points (three goals, four assists) in his past eight games. … Golden Knights defenseman Alec Martinez was plus-1 and had three blocked shots after missing a 3-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday with an undisclosed injury. … Vegas outshot Arizona 22-8 in the first period.