Devils top Coyotes to end seven-game skid

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 talks, 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

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