PHOENIX (Ticker) -- Scoring the first goal is important. Just ask the Vancouver Canucks.
Trevor Linden and Jiri Slegr scored 51 seconds apart midway through the first period as the Canucks extended their unbeaten streak to seven games with a 4-1 victory over the struggling Phoenix Coyotes.
The Canucks are off to a 7-2-2-0 start. The quick start has been aided by their ability to score the first goal of the game, which they have done in every game this season.
Vancouver's streak is the second-longest in NHL history to start a season. The record is held by Philadelphia, which scored first in 12 straight games to open the 1985-86 campaign.
"It starts with talented players who can score," Canucks coach Marc Crawford said. "That is one big factor in it. Then it is paying attention to doing the simple things and getting the puck in deep and on net. It makes the game easier because when a team has to chase you they have to change their game."
"We like to come out flying in the first period," Vancouver captain Markus Naslund added. "It makes a big difference and we play a lot better with the lead."
Linden opened the scoring with his third goal of the season 8:16 into the contest and Slegr netted a power-play goal for a 2-0 lead.
The Coyotes halved the deficit just 65 seconds into the second period on Ladislav Nagy's fifth goal of the season. But instead of letting Phoenix creep back in it, the Canucks put away the contest with goals by Brendan Morrison and Naslund.
"We were a lot better tonight," Crawford said. "We started right from the get go. They were a determined group of athletes out there. Our forwards were good, our defense battled hard and we didn't give up too many chances."
One night after a 37-save performance at Los Angeles, Dan Cloutier stopped 23 shots for the Canucks.
Vancouver got on the board first when Linden's wrister from the right circle got past Phoenix goaltender Sean Burke. Four seconds later, Coyotes center Mike Sillinger was called for tripping, giving Vancouver its first power-play of the night.
Slegr stopped a pass from defenseman Mattias Ohlund above the right circle and fired a slap shot that Burke couldn't contain. Burke got his glove on the shot, but the puck trickled under his pads.
Ohlund later used his skates to stop an attempt by Phoenix defenseman David Tanabe. But with the puck stuck in the crease, Nagy reached in and put a backhander into a vacated net.
The Canucks blew a 2-0 lead in Sunday's game with Phoenix but weren't about to do it again as Todd Bertuzzi registered the first of his two assists. With a hand on a defender's stick, he pushed the puck to Morrison, who swept a wrister past Burke with 13:52 remaining in the second period.
"That might be the play of the year by him," Morrison said. "It was a great combination of power and finesse."
Naslund sealed Vancouver's second straight road victory 5:13 into the final period as he finished off an odd-man rush and put home a rebound of Bertuzzi's shot.
While Vancouver has not lost in over two weeks, Phoenix is 0-4-3 since opening the season with three straight victories. The Coyotes had tied their last three games but suffered their worst home loss of the season.
"They played well and we didn't play well at all," Phoenix captain Shane Doan said. "We didn't do anything and it is really frustrating. It was very frustrating. We need to find ways to play better in the first. We need a win. This has been a rough stretch."
