Keller Notches 400th Career Point as Coyotes Top Devils on Saturday

STATS

Check another milestone off the list for Clayton Keller.

J.J. Moser, Dylan Guenther, Logan Cooley, and Keller scored as the Arizona Coyotes beat the New Jersey Devils 4-1 at Mullett Arena on Saturday. Nick Schmaltz finished with three points and Karel Vejmelka stopped 37 of the 38 shots he faced, helping Arizona to its second consecutive win.

Keller, who is the Coyotes team leader with four All-Star Game appearances, notched career points 400 and 401 in the victory, and all of them have come with the Desert Dogs.

"It's a cool achievement and a lot of people have sacrificed," Keller said. "I wouldn't be here without the sacrifice of a lot of people who put a lot of time to making me healthy, mentally as well. Definitely lots to be thankful for."

The 25-year-old forward celebrated his 500th career game on March 5, and now has another achievement to add to his already-stacked resume.

"It's a lot of fun watching him. He's super skilled, he's super competitive, and it's a great recipe to be successful," Moser said. "To have him as a teammate is amazing."

Nick DeSimone scored and Nico Daws made 16 saves in relief of Kaapo Kahkonen after replacing him to start the second period. Kahkonen took the loss after allowing three goals in the first period.

The Coyotes used those first period goals to sweep the season series against the Devils, marking the first time Arizona has done so since 2013-14. They beat the Red Wings by the same score in Detroit on Thursday, and showed no signs of fatigue less than 48 hours after concluding a three-game road trip which included a lengthy flight home from Michigan.

"I think the last two games we had really, really good starts," head coach André Tourigny said. "I'm happy because we talked about our game management before the game, saying the last two times we were on the road for a long road trip, when we came back home, the first period was not as good.

"We challenged our guys on that, and they answered really well."

Moser opened the scoring at 9:37 of the first period, wristing a shot from the high slot past Kahkonen to make it 1-0. Guenther notched a power-play goal at 14:02 to make it 2-0, taking a pass from Nick Schmaltz in the left circle before snapping a shot top shelf. The 20-year-old Guenther has 10 goals and 10 assists since being called up from the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners on Jan. 7.

Keller’s secondary assist on the play marked his 400th career point.

"He works hard, he's competitive, and he's really driven," Tourigny said. "He's a good leader for our team."

Arizona made it 3-0 at 17:32 of the opening frame after Lawson Crouse forced a turnover and got the puck to Cooley, who beat Kahkonen from the slot. Kahkonen ultimately finished the period, but was replaced by Daws to start the second.

DeSimone cut the lead to two at 7:01 of the middle frame, slipping one past Vejmelka after an odd-man rush, but Keller iced the game with an empty-net goal at 18:29, marking career point 401, and capping a strong effort from the Coyotes in which they played well with the lead for a second consecutive game.

"I think we handled it pretty well today," Moser said. "That's what it's all about, to learn how to handle that lead, and to just keep it going."

Tourigny agreed.

"We defended really hard," he said. "We blocked a lot of shots, we battled in front of our net, and we eliminated a number of rebounds. I think the guys, they emptied the tank."

The Coyotes are back in action on Wednesday, taking a one-game trip to Dallas to face the Stars. Puck drop is scheduled for 5 pm MST, and the game will be broadcast on Arizona 61 (TV) and ESPN 620 (Radio).