National Hockey League
New Jersey 2, Arizona 1
When: 8:00 PM ET, Saturday, December 14, 2019
Where: Gila River Arena, Glendale, Arizona
Referees: Kendrick Nicholson, Chris Rooney
Linesmen: Darren Gibbs, Brian Mach
Attendance: 17125

Kyle Palmieri scored the go-ahead goal at 11:34 of the third period, and the New Jersey Devils ended a seven-game losing streak with a 2-1 win over the Pacific Division-leading Arizona Coyotes on Saturday night in Glendale, Ariz.

Jesper Boqvist scored the other New Jersey goal, Miles Wood and Michael McLeod each had two assists, and Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 31 shots for the Devils, who got their first win since Nov. 28.

Blackwood improved to 9-9-4 in net on the season. It was interim head coach Alain Nasreddine's first win since he replaced the fired John Hynes on Dec. 3.

Alex Goligoski scored the Coyotes' only goal, and Vinnie Hinostroza recorded his fourth assist in two games. Darcy Kuemper had 31 saves against 33 shots.

Arizona has lost five of its last seven home games but remained in first place in the Pacific after losses by Edmonton and Calgary on Saturday.

The Devils won despite playing without points leader Taylor Hall, who was in street clothes after being designated a healthy scratch for the second straight game. Hall is the subject of trade talk, with the Coyotes among the teams thought to be interested in acquiring the 10th-year forward.

The Devils scored first, with Boqvist deflecting McLeod's rebound shot past Kuemper at 2:17 of the first period. It was Boqvist's third goal of the season.

Arizona answered with a power play goal from Goligoski, the Coyotes' seventh power play goal in seven games. The Coyotes' penalty kill stopped three Devils' power plays.

After a scoreless second period, Palmieri collected a deflection and flipped the puck past Kuemper high into the net for his team-leading 12th goal of the season at 11:34 of the third.

The Devils placed goaltender Louis Domingue, a former Coyote, on injured reserve before Saturday's game. Evan Cormier, called up from Adirondack of the ECHL, served as backup.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
New Jersey   Arizona
Michael McLeod 2 Points Alex Goligoski 1
Jesper Boqvist 1 Goals Alex Goligoski 1
Michael McLeod 2 Assists Vinnie Hinostroza 1
N/A Power Play Goals Alex Goligoski 1
N/A Short Handed Goals N/A
Mackenzie Blackwood .969 Save Percentage Darcy Kuemper .939
Mackenzie Blackwood 31 Saves Darcy Kuemper 31
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Shots Goals Power Play Penalty Kill Penalty Mins Face Offs Won
New Jersey 33 2 0-3 2-3 6 28
Arizona 32 1 1-3 3-3 6 40
Upcoming Games
  • Arizona will play their next game on the road against San Jose. The Coyotes have a W/L % of .421 after a win and .688 after a loss.
  • New Jersey will play their next game at home against Anaheim. The Devils have a W/L % of .300 after a win and .318 after a loss.