NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Jesper Boqvist scored the tiebreaking goal midway through the third period and the New Jersey Devils beat the Arizona Coyotes 4-2 Saturday night for their ninth straight win.
Tomas Tatar had a goal and an assist, and Jack Hughes and Dougie Hamilton also scored for the Devils, who have their longest streak since winning nine in a row Nov. 17-Dec. 7, 2007. Third-string goalie Akira Schmid had 16 saves in his first start of the season.
Dylan Guenther and Clayton Keller scored for Arizona, which had won the first three games of its season-high 14-game road trip. Karel Vejmelka finished with 22 saves.
Boqvist put the Devils ahead 3-2 with 8:41 left as he converted his own rebound for his first of the season.
Hamilton’s power play goal with 5:45 remaining gave New Jersey a two-goal lead.
Tatar scored 6:29 into the game to put the Devils up 1-0.
Guenther tied it with a power play goal at 9:04, but Hughes put the Devils back ahead just 23 seconds later with his fifth.
New Jersey Devils fans started the season yelling, “fire Lindy” chants directed at head coach Lindy Ruff. At the end of the second period in the midst of a nine-game winning streak, they were chanting “Sorry, Lindy!” throughout the Prudential Center.
Tomas Tatar had a first-period goal and an assist as four different players scored and third-string goal-tender Akira Schmid had 16 saves in his first start of the season as the Devils defeated the Coyotes 4-2 on Saturday night in Newark.
Keller beat Nico Hischier and scored a backhand goal 8:19 into the second to tie it 2-2 on another power-play goal.
Schmid got the start two nights after getting his first NHL win in relief in New Jersey’s win against Ottawa after Vitek Vanecek collided with a Senators player.
ROAD TRIPPING
The Coyotes’ road trip is tied for the longest in NHL history and necessitated while annex construction of Mullett Arena at Arizona State University is completed. The team relocated to a 5,000-seat arena on the college campus while the franchise is seeking approval for a permanent home in Tempe, Arizona.
NOTES
The Devils’ franchise record is 13 straight wins set Feb. 26-March 23, 2001. … New Jersey is 11-0-0 this season when Hischier records a point. He had an assist in this game.
UP NEXT
Coyotes: At the New York Rangers on Sunday night.
Devils: At Montreal on Tuesday night
