Barrett Hayton made the most of his opportunity in the Arizona Coyotes’ lineup, scoring his first NHL goal to help secure a 5-3 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Friday night. The 19-year-old’s performance and stellar goaltending from Antti Raanta, who made 32 saves, allowed the Coyotes to overcome two deficits and earn their fifth win in six games.
“This is what you dream of for so long,” Hayton said. “You try to stay sharp every day, and I think I was ready. I had fresh legs, and that gave me an advantage to get out there and make plays.”
Hayton, playing in only his third career game and his first since October 12, was in the right spot to redirect Nick Schmaltz’s pass past Devils goalie Mackenzie Blackwood, breaking a 3-3 tie just 1:45 into the third period.
“Definitely a pretty cool experience,” Hayton said. “It’s something I’ve dreamed of for a long time, and it was a great play by Smaltzy.”
Schmaltz, Michael Grabner, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson also found the back of the net for the Coyotes, with Clayton Keller sealing the win with an empty-net goal—his first of the season—with 1:40 left to play.
Jack Hughes, the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft, had his best game yet, scoring a goal and assisting on two others for the Devils. Sami Vatanen and Pavel Zacha also scored for New Jersey.
“I felt pretty good out there tonight,” Hughes said. “It would have been nice to get the win. We played a solid game, but we made a few mistakes. It’s a tough loss.”
Taylor Hall praised his young linemate. “You can see he’s gaining confidence and wants the puck,” Hall said. “This is his first time playing against guys older than him, and he’s adjusting well.”
Blackwood had a rough night, allowing four goals on 17 shots, ending the Devils’ two-game winning streak.
Despite late chances to tie the game, including a power-play shot by Wayne Simmonds that Raanta and a Nico Hischier stopped shot that hit the post, New Jersey couldn’t pull even.
The Devils had taken 2-0 and 3-2 leads, with Hughes contributing significantly in the first two periods. However, Arizona responded each time, with Ekman-Larsson’s goal from the left circle tying the game at 3-3 heading into the third.
Hughes’ setup for Zacha’s goal 31 seconds earlier had briefly given New Jersey the lead. He also had the primary assist on Vatanen’s goal in the first period, and he scored his second career goal just two minutes later with a powerful shot from the right faceoff circle during a power play.
“He’s fun to watch when he plays like this,” Blackwood said.
Schmaltz got the Coyotes on the board with 17 seconds left in the first period, and Grabner tied the game early in the second with a shorthanded goal, his 22nd career shorthanded tally.
Game notes:
- Grabner is second among active players in shorthanded goals, trailing only Boston’s Brad Marchand (26).
- Coyotes defenseman Jason Demers earned his 200th career point with an assist on Schmaltz’s goal. He is the third player from the 2008 draft’s fifth round or later to reach 200 points, joining Cam Atkinson (Columbus) and Jared Spurgeon (Minnesota).
- The Devils placed defenseman Connor Carrick on injured reserve with an upper-body injury from practice on Thursday, while Will Butcher was activated off IR.
UP NEXT:
- Coyotes: Conclude their four-game road trip at Buffalo on Monday.
- Devils: Host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday, marking their second game in 11 days.
