Kinkaid stops 21 shots, Devils beat Coyotes in shootout
GLENDALE — Keith Kinkaid stopped 21 shots and had two saves in a shootout, lifting the New Jersey Devils to a 3-2 win over the Arizona Coyotes on Friday night.
Kinkaid, who entered after MacKenzie Blackwood left with a lower-body injury in the first period, stopped Alex Galchenyuk and Nick Cousins in the shootout. Kyle Palmeiri and Drew Stafford scored in the shootout for the Devils, who have won four of six.
In regulation, New Jersey’s Nico Hischier scored his 11th goal on a shot that didn’t go into the net and Blake Coleman had his 12th of the season.
Arizona’s Darcy Kuemper made a pair of spectacular saves in overtime, swiping a puck out of the crease after it trickled through on one, snatching another shot from a seated position on another. He allowed goals on the two shots he faced in the shootout and finished with 33 saves.
Coner Garland and Christian Fischer scored for the Coyotes, who have lost 11 of 15.
The Devils scored a goal 1:05 into the game that never actually went into the net.
New Jersey had a 2-on-1 after an Arizona neutralzone turnover and Kyle Palmieri fed the puck to Hischier. Kuemper got a piece of Hischier’s shot and the puck shot in the air just as Arizona forward (Clayton) Keller crashed into the goal, dislodging it. Initially called no goal, the officials awarded it to Hischier upon review, ruling the puck would have gone in had Keller not knocked the goal off its moorings.
Garland tied it late in the first period, intercepting a pass by New Jersey’s Pavel Zacha in front of the crease and slipping the puck under Kinkaid’s left pad.
Fischer put the Coyotes up midway through the second period, beating Kinkaid stick side with a wrister from the left circle.
Coleman tied it late in the period, one-timing in a pass from Travis Zajac that hit Kuemper’s left pad and trickled through his legs.