TEMPE, AZ — Karel Vejmelka stopped 37 shots and the Arizona Coyotes rode a three-goal first period to a 4-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Saturday.
J.J. Moser, Dylan Guenther, Logan Cooley and Clayton Keller scored for the Coyotes. Nick Schmaltz assisted on three of the goals. Keller also had an assist on Guenther's goal, giving him 400 career points. Shane Doan is the only other player to reach that mark during the franchise's 28 years in Arizona.
Nick DeSimone scored for New Jersey, which has lost six of its last eight games and missed another chance to make up ground in the playoff race. The Devils entered Saturday four points out of the final wild-card spot in the East.
Moser opened the scoring at 9:37 with a wrist shot from between the circles. Guenther's goal, his 10th of the season, came on the power play after Tomas Nosek was called for tripping. His shot beat Kaapo Kahkonen high on the stick side at 14:02.
A turnover by DeSimone in front of the Devils’ net led to another Arizona goal. Lawson Crouse made the steal and fed Cooley for the one-timer past Kahkonen. Devils coach Travis Green made a goaltender change after the first period, bringing in Nico Daws, who blanked Arizona the rest of the way. Keller's third-period goal, his team-leading 27th, was an empty-net score.
Kahkonen had 12 saves and Daws made 16.
DeSimone's goal came seven minutes into the second period.
New Jersey’s Kurtis MacDermid and Arizona’s Josh Brown dropped the gloves early in the third period and ach received five minutes for fighting.
New Jersey’s Jonas Siegenthaler remains out with a concussion, which occurred when the New York Rangers’ Matt Rempe elbowed him in the head last week. Rempe was given a game misconduct and is serving a four-game suspension.
NEXT
New Jersey: At Vegas Sunday.
Arizona: At Dallas Wednesday night.
