Smith has 27 saves in Arizona’s 2-1 win over Pittsburgh

Goalie Mike Smith looked like the 2012 vintage for a second straight game.

Smith was injured in the first period after being run into by teammate Brad Richardson, who was shoved from behind by Pittsburgh’s Patric Hornqvist.

Cody Eakin had two goals, and Mattias Janmark had his second tally in as many games for Dallas. Coyotes C Antoine Vermette played in his 477th consecutive game, the second-longest active streak (Anaheim’s Andrew Cogliano, 623) in the National Hockey League. Too many Pens then got sucked in looking at the puck and Anthony Duclair made a great centering pass to Tobias Rieder who was all alone out in front.

This season Smith has allowed two-goals on 69-shots and is a ideal 2-0, last season he was 14-42-5.

“Right now it’s loose-puck battles and work ethic”, Penguins coach Mike Johnston said. “But I believe our guys know how to play against any of those types of players”. Sidney Crosby, first to celebrate with him, has been held without a point or a shot on goal in the first two games of the season. Forward Kevin Porter had a shot and a hit and was a minus-1 in his Penguins debut.

“Kris Letang logged 28:18 of ice time in the Penguins” 3-0 loss Thursday at Dallas.

The first period had plenty of shots by both teams, but no goals.

Rieder scored early after the Penguins knocked the puck into their own zone to negate an offside on Arizona. He picked the pocket of Coyotes captain Shane Doan in the neutral zone and cruised down the right wing, where he unleashed a howitzer that beat Smith and evened the score.

“My goal was just a scrap at the net and I just shoveled into the goal”, Martinook said.

That hasn’t been a problem for Smith, who has stopped 67 of 69 shots this season and was at his best in the third period when the Penguins started generating quality chances.

“The last thing we want to do is put all the pressure on (them) to carry us and score all these goals”, Maloney said.

The Coyotes started the season with two wins for the first time since the 2009-10 season when they also opened against Los Angeles and Pittsburgh.

He made one tough save after another, including several during a flurry midway through, the highlight his stretch to get Bonino’s shot with his pad.

NOTES: Coyotes D Zbynek Michalek missed the game and is day to day with an upper body injury…. He also passed Roman Hamrlik for 34th on the NHL’s games played list at 1,396….