Devils 2, Blue Jackets 1
NEWARK, N.J. -- Goaltender Scott Wedgewood made 27 saves in his NHL debut and right winger Devante Smith-Pelly scored the winner in the third period as the New Jersey Devils defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 2-1 at Prudential Center on Sunday.
The 23-year-old Wedgewood, a third-round pick by the Devils in 2010, spent parts of the past four seasons in the AHL.
The Blue Jackets had been 5-0-1 against the Devils in their past six meetings and 4-0 this season.
The Devils (35-31-7) are six points out of a playoff spot and would need a minor miracle to earn a wild-card spot. The Blue Jackets (29-35-8) are still in the hunt for the top pick in the 2016 draft.
Left winger Reid Boucher also scored for the Devils.
Blue Jackets right winger Jared Boll scored his first goal since Feb. 13, 2015. Goaltender Joonas Korpisalo stopped 20 shots.
Boucher's seventh goal of the season gave the Devils a 1-0 lead at 4:32 of the first period. While skating to his left, he snapped a shot in the other direction that flew past Korpisalo's glove and just inside the post.
Over the final 15:28 of the period, the Devils generated one shot.
The Blue Jackets drew even at 2:43 of the second period when Boll was credited with his first goal of the season. Defenseman Dalton Prout wristed a shot from the blue line that Boll deflected through Wedgewood to make it 1-1.
Wedgewood's biggest save during the first two periods came seconds after a failed 5-on-3 power play. Prout stepped from the penalty box for a shorthanded breakaway but was denied by Wedgewood's stick, keeping the game tied.
Six minutes into the third period, Korpisalo made his own big save. Smith-Pelly had a breakaway chance but his quick shot to the stick side was turned aside by Korpsalo.
Smith-Pelly made the most of his next scoring opportunity. After Korpisalo stopped Smith-Pelly's backhand attempt from point-blank range, the puck slipped behind the goaltender and came to rest near the right post. Smith-Pelly notched his seventh goal in nine games by diving to knock it across the goal line, giving the Devils a 2-1 lead with 12:22 remaining.
NOTES: Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella coached the 1,001st game of his career, a record for an American. ... Blue Jackets C Alex Wennberg was replaced by RW Jared Boll for undisclosed reasons. ... Not only did Devils G Scott Wedgewood make his NHL debut, but Devils D Vojtech Mozik did so as well. The 23-year-old native of Czech Republic was signed as an undrafted free agent in June 2015 and had two goals and 13 points in 49 games this season for Albany of the AHL. ... Devils G Cory Schneider (knee) remains out, but he is expected to practice this week. ... New Jersey D John Moore (knee) and D David Schlemko (upper body) did not play.