The Florida Panthers had a forgettable night in their 5-1 loss to the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday at Gila River Arena.
The defeat which was Florida's second in a row featured a barrage of goals from Arizona and multiple heated moments. There were penalties on both sides for roughing and fighting along with one unsportsmanlike conduct infraction. During the third period, Alex Petrovic and Kyle Chipchura of Arizona brawled and were sent to the box for five minutes.
In between the fisticuffs, Arizona had its way with Al Montoya who had a tough night in the net. Montoya allowed all five goals including three in the final period. It was a rare off-night for Montoya who has been consistent as Florida's backup all season long.
Montoya ended up stopping 21 shots fired at him which resulted in a paltry .808 save percentage. The five goals were the most allowed by the goalie this year and equaled the total he had allowed in his last four games combined.
The game was quiet in the first period with both teams going scoreless. That would change in the second period when Arizona scored two goals in a five-minute stretch. The Panthers would not answer back until the final minutes of the period. Aaron Ekblad's 13th goal of the season at the 17:28 mark made it a 2-1 game. Assists came from Jussi Jokinen and Aleksander Barkov on the score.
Florida currently sits in second place in the Atlantic Division with 80 points after a long stretch in the top spot. The Panthers have struggled as of late and the Tampa Bay Lightning have surged at the same time to take a two-point lead.
Florida will try and turn things back around on Monday after resting up on Sunday. Roberto Luongo is expected to be back in the net when the Panthers host the Boston Bruins at 7:30 p.m.
