Yotes split season-opening four-game road trip
ST. LOUIS — Clayton Keller got the better of his hometown team by recording a goal and an assist to fuel the visiting Arizona Coyotes to a 6-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues.
Born in the St. Louis suburb of Chesterfield, Mo., Keller collected his second goal of the season early in the second period. He also set up Nick Schmaltz’s tally later in the period for his 26th career point (11 goals, 15 assists) in 25 games against his hometown team.
Schmaltz and defenseman Sean Durzi each had a goal and an assist, and Jason Zucker, Nick Bjugstad and defenseman Sean Durzi each scored on the power play. Michael Carcone also scored, Matias Maccelli and Juuso Valimaki each notched two assists, and Connor Ingram made 24 saves as the Coyotes concluded their season-opening road trip with a 2-2-0 record.
Jakub Vrana collected a goal and an assist, Sammy Blais also scored and Joel Hofer turned aside 36 shots in his season debut for the Blues.
Schmaltz skated into the offensive zone and fed a cutting Keller, who got just enough on the puck to send it behind Hofer and give Arizona a 2-0 lead at 2:34 of the second period.
Vrana scored from the slot to halve the deficit at 7:02 of the second period. But the Coyotes answered 42 seconds later. Carcone was able to go wide on Blues defenseman Tyler Tucker before tucking the puck past Hofer for his first goal of the season.
A turnover in St. Louis’ defensive end resulted in Schmaltz backhanding a shot past Hofer with 6:02 left in the second period.
Zucker’s one-timer on a power play pushed Arizona’s lead to 5-1 at 2:09 of the third period before Blais answered 67 seconds later. Durzi capped the scoring with the Coyotes’ third power-play goal of the game.
Arizona took advantage of St. Louis being whistled for having too many men on the ice by opening the scoring with 5:18 remaining in the first period.
Maccelli skated out from the half-wall before sending a seam pass to Bjugstad, who wired a shot from the slot that sailed just inside the right post.
–Field Level Media
