ARIZONA COYOTES

Darcy Kuemper’s 31 saves not enough as Coyotes fall to Devils in shootout

Mar 23, 2019, 2:20 PM | Updated: Mar 24, 2019, 10:25 am
(AP Photo/Julio Cortez)...
(AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
(AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

NEWARK, N.J. — Blake Coleman and Pavel Zacha scored in the fifth and sixth rounds of the shootout and New Jersey Devils hurt Arizona’s playoff chances with a 2-1 victory Saturday, sending the Coyotes to their fourth straight loss.

Drew Stafford scored in regulation for New Jersey, and MacKenzie Blackwood made 23 saves in regulation and stopped five of six chances in the shootout.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson scored for Arizona while Darcy Kuemper had 31 saves.

Coleman scored the first shootout goal with a forehand, but Conor Garland forced another round scoring on a backhander. Zacha beat Kuemper between the pads and Richard Panik failed to respond for the Coyotes.

Arizona had two great chances to win on a power play in overtime, with Derek Stepan and Clayton Keller both hitting goalposts.

Kuemper kept the Coyotes in the game in the last two periods of regulation, stopping 22 shots as the Devils had five power plays. He had two saves in close on Coleman and another on Nico Hischier in the final seven minutes.

Arizona defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson also batted a floating puck away from goal in the waning minutes.

Ekman-Larsson opened the scoring with a wrist shot from the point 2:31 after the opening faceoff.

Stafford tied the game with just under three minutes left in the period with his second goal in two games. His shot from the left circle went between Kuemper’s pads, and he looked to the rafters after it went in.

Kuemper made up for the mistake in the second period, stopping 10 shots, including eight on the Devils’ four power plays in the period.

Both teams had players returning from injury. The Coyotes’ Stepan missed 10 games with a lower-body injury. Back for New Jersey were Hischier, Kyle Palmieri, Miles Wood, John Queeneville and defenseman Sami Vatanen and Mirco Mueller.

NOTES: Devils D Will Butcher missed his second straight game with an illness. … Devils placed F Blake Pietila on waivers on Friday. He was not claimed. … The Devils recognized recently retired longtime off-ice official Vin Godleski. He stepped in and was a lineman in Game 4 of the 1988 Wales Conference Final between the Devils and Bruins after NHL officials refused to work the game because New Jersey had taken legal action to allow Jim Schoefeld to coach the game despite a league suspension.

UP NEXT

Coyotes: play New York Islanders at the Nassau Colisuem on Sunday afternoon.

Devils: Host Buffalo Sabres on Monday night, finishing a four-game homestand.

Arizona Coyotes center Vinnie Hinostroza, right, goes airborne while competing for the puck with New Jersey Devils center Nico Hischier, of Switzerland, during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, March 23, 2019, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) New Jersey Devils goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood (29) protects the net as Arizona Coyotes center Alex Galchenyuk (17) falls to the ice while attacking during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, March 23, 2019, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) New Jersey Devils right wing Drew Stafford (18) swings by the bench after scoring a goal against the Arizona Coyotes during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, March 23, 2019, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) New Jersey Devils center Blake Coleman, front, is tripped up by Arizona Coyotes defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson (23), of Sweden, during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, March 23, 2019, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Arizona Coyotes goaltender Darcy Kuemper (35) tries to make a save as New Jersey Devils right wing Kyle Palmieri (21) attacks during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, March 23, 2019, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) A trainer talks to Arizona Coyotes right wing Josh Archibald (45) during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the New Jersey Devils, Saturday, March 23, 2019, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) New Jersey Devils center Blake Coleman, bottom, falls after being tripped up by Arizona Coyotes defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson (23), of Sweden, during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, March 23, 2019, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) A shot by New Jersey Devils center Blake Coleman (20) is blocked by Arizona Coyotes goaltender Darcy Kuemper (35) during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, March 23, 2019, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) New Jersey Devils players celebrate with goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood (29) after defeating the Arizona Coyotes 2-1 in a shootout during an NHL hockey game, Saturday, March 23, 2019, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) A shootout shot by New Jersey Devils center Pavel Zacha, not visible, of the Czech Republic, gets by Arizona Coyotes goaltender Darcy Kuemper (35) for a goal during an NHL hockey game, Saturday, March 23, 2019, in Newark, N.J. The Devils won 2-1 in a shootout. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) New Jersey Devils center Blake Coleman (20) trips over Arizona Coyotes goaltender Darcy Kuemper (35) while scoring during a shootout in an NHL hockey game, Saturday, March 23, 2019, in Newark, N.J. The Devils on 2-1 in a shootout. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) New Jersey Devils center Blake Coleman (20) trips over Arizona Coyotes goaltender Darcy Kuemper (35) while scoring during a shootout in an NHL hockey game, Saturday, March 23, 2019, in Newark, N.J. The Devils on 2-1 in a shootout. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) New Jersey Devils goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood (29) makes a save against Arizona Coyotes center Clayton Keller, center, during overtime of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, March 23, 2019, in Newark, N.J. Devils' Andy Greene helps defend on the play. The Devils on 2-1 in a shootout. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Arizona Coyotes center Derek Stepan, left, looks over at the New Jersey Devils bench during the third period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, March 23, 2019, in Newark, N.J. The Devils on 2-1 in a shootout. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) New Jersey Devils goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood, left, blocks a shootout shot by Arizona Coyotes center Alex Galchenyuk (17) during an NHL hockey game, Saturday, March 23, 2019, in Newark, N.J. The Devils on 2-1 in a shootout. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Arizona Coyotes right wing Conor Garland (83) scores a shootout goal on New Jersey Devils goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood (29) during during an NHL hockey game, Saturday, March 23, 2019, in Newark, N.J. The Devils on 2-1 in a shootout. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Arizona Coyotes defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson (23) celebrates his first period goal with defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson (4), of Sweden, during an NHL hockey game against the New Jersey Devils, Saturday, March 23, 2019, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

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