Arizona @ New Jersey preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 23, 2019 ) Arizona 1, New Jersey 2

The New Jersey Devils hope six days between games doesn't halt their momentum as they host the Arizona Coyotes on Friday. New Jersey lost its first six contests of the season (0-4-2) but has turned it around with back-to-back victories - including a 1-0 triumph over Vancouver on Saturday in its last outing, which featured Jack Hughes - the No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft - scoring his first career goal.

"Everyone is out there playing for each other," Devils goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood, who has battled an illness this week, told reporters. "No one is being selfish. Everyone is out there doing their jobs. We feed off each other's energy. When one guy is going well, then the other goes well, and it becomes contagious. That helps the goaltender a lot." New Jersey's Nico Hischier, who signed a seven-year, $50.75 million contract extension on Oct. 18, is expected to play Friday after missing the last two games with an upper-body injury. Arizona had its four-game winning streak snapped with a 4-1 loss to the New York Islanders on Thursday after beginning a four-game trip with a 5-2 victory over the New York Rangers two nights earlier. Nick Schmaltz registered all of his team-leading nine points in the six games prior to Thursday, when he was kept off the scoresheet.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS Arizona Plus, MSG Plus (New Jersey)

ABOUT THE COYOTES (5-3-1): Conor Garland (club-high five goals) has scored in every other game over the last seven contests after tallying on Thursday. Clayton Keller, who recorded a total of 37 goals while playing in every game from 2017-19, hasn't scored this season but leads the team with seven assists. Antti Raanta (1-0-1, 2.43 goals-against average, .926 save percentage) is expected to start versus New Jersey after Darcy Kuemper made 18 saves against the Islanders.

ABOUT THE DEVILS (2-4-2): New Jersey has recorded only 19 goals this season, with Kyle Palmieri (team-high 27 goals in 2018-19), Blake Coleman and Nikita Gusev scoring three apiece. Hughes recorded his first NHL point in a 5-2 victory over the Rangers on Oct. 17 and owns a minus-4 rating while averaging 15 minutes, 15 seconds of ice time. Defenseman Will Butcher (upper body) was placed on injured reserve and missed the Vancouver game but practiced on Thursday and is expected to be in the lineup against the Devils.

OVERTIME

1. The Devils have scored a power-play goal in each of their last two games (11 total attempts) after going 0-for-18 in their first six contests, while the Coyotes are 7-for-21 in their last five games after starting the season 0-for-9.

2. Arizona D Jakob Chychrun recorded two assists on Thursday for his fourth career multi-point performance.

3. New Jersey is 3-6 in shootouts since the start of 2018-19, with two of the victories coming while sweeping last season's series from Arizona.

PREDICTION: Coyotes 3, Devils 2