Glendale, AZ (My Sportsbook) - Chuck Kobasew's short-handed tally in the first period proved to be the decisive goal, as the
Boston Bruins held off the Phoenix Coyotes, 3-1.
Patrice Bergeron and Marco Sturm also scored for Boston, which won for the first time under new head coach Claude Julien after dropping Friday's season- opener in Dallas.
Tim Thomas made 36 saves in the victory.
Niko Kapanen had the lone tally and Mikael Tellqvist finished with 21 saves for the Coyotes, who were coming off a victory in their opening game of the season, as they edged the visiting St. Louis Blues, 3-2, on Thursday.
Boston came out firing in the first period and quickly lit the lamp on the power play, as Marc Savard sent a nifty pass to Bergeron to the right of the slot and, through traffic, he wristed a shot past Tellqvist at 4:09.
The Bruins then needed just 38 seconds to sound the horn again, as Kobasew notched a short-handed tally with Peter Schaefer in the box to make it a 2-0 game.
Phoenix held Boston in check the rest of the stanza, shutting down a late Bruins' attack to keep it a two-goal game.
The Coyotes then cut their deficit to 2-1 in the second, as Shane Doane fired a shot on goal that hit Thomas' pads before deflecting off Kapanen's foot and over the goal line at 14:39.
The third period belonged to Boston, however, as the Bruins wasted an early power play opportunity before cashing in on the man advantage with Ryan Caldwell off for roughing.
With just one second remaining on the penalty, Sturm took a feed from David Krejci and ripped a slap shot that sailed past Tellqvist high to the glove side, putting the Bruins on top, 3-1, with 9:15 to play. The assist was Krejci's first NHL point.
Game Notes
Savard sustained an undisclosed injury in the second period and did not return for the third...It was the first matchup between the Bruins and Coyotes since December 11, 2005...Phoenix hasn't gone 2-0 to start a season since 2003-04, when it won the first three games...The Bruins improved to 2-4-1 in seven all- time games in Phoenix.
