Devils 3, Coyotes 2 (OT)
NEWARK, N.J. -- Defenseman Adam Larsson scored in overtime and goaltender Cory Schneider made 18 saves to lead the New Jersey Devils to a 3-2 win over the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday night at the Prudential Center.
Center Travis Zajac and left winger Mike Cammalleri also scored for New Jersey (2-3-1), which won its second straight and first at home this season.
Goaltender Mike Smith made 22 saves for Arizona (3-3-0), which lost away from Gila River Arena for the first time this season. The Coyotes have dropped three in a row.
Right winger Anthony Duclair and left winger Mikkel Boedker scored Arizona's goals.
Pundits expected little of Arizona and New Jersey prior to the season, outside of contending for presumptive first overall pick in the 2016 draft, Auston Matthews. So benefitting two rebuilding franchises, the game was devoid of scoring chances.
New Jersey opened the second period by firing five shots at Smith in the first 3:12. By the time the period ended, the Devils had outshot Arizona 13-10, and had a 1-0 lead thanks to Schneider, Larsson, center Jacob Josefson and Zajac.
Zajac scored a shorthanded goal with 27 seconds left in the second period for the game's first goal. The sequence began when Larsson blocked Boedker's shot, then sprung Zajac and Josefson for a 2-on-1. Josefson feathered a cross ice pass to Zajac, who deftly tucked the puck past Smith.
New Jersey's lead lasted exactly 1:18 of game action.
Duclair tied the game 1-1 with his fifth of the season 51 seconds into the third. On a line with fellow rookie left winger Max Domi and veteran center Martin Hanzel, Duclair drove to the net and beat Schneider with a deke for a power-play goal.
Cammalleri's goal at 7:09 allowed New Jersey to regain the lead, but Boedker tied the game 2-2 with 50.9 seconds left in regulation.
Larsson's goal 43 seconds into overtime ended the scoring.
NOTES: Tuesday night's match marked the 1,400th for Arizona RW Shane Doan. Doan has played his entire NHL career for the Winnipeg/Phoenix/Arizona franchise. ... New Jersey played with D Jon Merrill (illness), LW Tuomo Ruutu (lower body) and C Patrik Elias (right knee). Elias has not played in any of New Jersey's games this season. ... Arizona D Jordan Martinook was listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury. ... The Coyotes scratched LW John Scott, LW Matthias Plachta and D Stefan Elliott. Arizona had called up Plachta from AHL Springfield on Monday. ... The Devils scratched LW Reid Boucher. ... The Devils swept the series last season, winning by an aggregate margin of 7-1.