The Arizona Coyotes (6-3-1) looked more like the team fans have been accustomed to seeing recently during their game against the New Jersey Devils (2-5-2) on Friday night.
The Coyotes faced aggressive forechecking by the well-rested Devils from the very beginning, and it resulted in two goals being scored by the New Jersey hosts in the first period.
Defenseman Sami Vatanen scored when a pass that he sent into the crease from the left wing deflected off ofAlex Goligoski’s skate and slid past Coyote’s goalkeeper Antti Raanta at 16:29.
Jack Hughes, the Devil’s talented rookie selected first overall in this year’s NHL draft, scored two minutes later, sending a laser of a shot from the short side over Raanta’s left shoulder and just under the crossbar.