Coyotes jump ahead early, defeat Blues for 4th straight win
Dec 2, 2023, 10:14 PM
Lawson Crouse #67 of the Arizona Coyotes celebrates with the game winning goal scorer Nick Bjugstad #17 of the Arizona Coyotes against the Colorado Avalanche during the overtime period at Mullett Arena on November 30, 2023 in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Zac BonDurant/Getty Images)
(Photo by Zac BonDurant/Getty Images)
TEMPE (AP) — Michael Carcone scored for the fourth time in three games, and the Arizona Coyotes beat the St. Louis Blues 4-1 on Saturday night for their fourth straight victory.
Alex Kerfoot had a goal and two assists for Arizona, which had a 3-0 lead after one period. Nick Schmaltz and Matias Maccelli also scored, and Connor Ingram made 31 saves for his fourth straight win.
The Coyotes’ season-best winning streak has come against the last four Stanley Cup champions — Colorado (2022), Tampa Bay (2020-21), Vegas (2023) and St. Louis (2019).
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Kerfoot got an empty-netter with 1:15 remaining. He has five assists in the last three games.
Brandon Saad scored in the third period for the Blues, who had won four of six. Joel Hofer made 18 stops.
The teams met for the fourth and final time this season, all in the first 23 games. They each won twice.
St. Louis appeared to trim the deficit to 3-2 with 1:43 remaining, but an official review showed a shot from Jake Neighbours hit the cross bar did not cross the goal line.
Carcone has a team-high 11 goals, five in the last five games. Schmaltz has scored three times in the last five games.
Ingram made only three saves in the first period but was tested in the second, when he stopped Saad on a breakaway two minutes in and Torey Krug on a quick wrist shot midway through the period. The Blues outshot the Coyotes 17-7 in the second.
The Coyotes killed all three penalties and have not given up a goal in 22 of the opponents’ last 24 chances.
Jason Zucker appeared to give the Coyotes a 4-0 lead seven minutes into the third, but the goal was disallowed after an official review determined that he kicked the puck into the net.
Carcone put the Coyotes in front 40 seconds into the game, on the first shot. Kerfoot chased down his own pass off the back boards and sent a backhanded pass to Carcone, who hit the far side from the right circle.
Schmaltz scored on a power play after another backhanded pass from Kerfoot, and Maccelli scored on a quick wrist from the right circle after a quick rush with 38 seconds left in the first.
The Coyotes host Washington on Monday.
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