Kuemper, Coyotes shut out Maple Leafs
via NHL.com
Darcy Kuemper made 21 saves, and the Arizona Coyotes defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 2-0 at Gila River Arena on Saturday.
Alex Galchenyuk and Josh Archibald scored for the Coyotes (26-27-5), who had lost six of their previous eight games and are three points behind the Minnesota Wild for the second wild card in the Western Conference.
Kuemper got his second shutout of the season and the 13th of his NHL career.
They said it
“We’ve played well on this road trip. I like the way we’ve played. Good energy, good detail, good work ethic. The sun is going to get up tomorrow and we’re going to get back to work.” — Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock on Toronto’s 3-2-0 record on the six-game trip
“You can’t let them (the Maple Leafs’ top scorers) have time and space, and I think that’s the big thing we did today. You’ve got to get on them fast, cut them down and finish your checks. A lot of those skill guys don’t like it when you finish your checks, they get a little frustrated.” — Coyotes forward Josh Archibald
Need to know
Maple Leafs defenseman Nikita Zaitsev played in his 200th NHL game. … Toronto is 9-3-0 against the Pacific Division. … Arizona forward Richard Panik missed the game with an illness. … Coyotes forward Mario Kempe had a shot and two hits in 13:26 despite a lower-body injury that was expected to keep him out. … Arizona defenseman Jordan Oesterle has seven points (two goals, five assists) in his past seven games.
What’s next
Maple Leafs: At the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, TVAS, SNO)
Coyotes: At the Calgary Flames on Monday (4 p.m. ET; ESPN+, SNW, FS-A)