Devils end Kings' eight-game win streak
NEWARK, N.J. -- Taylor Hall scored twice and Cory Schneider made 16 saves as the New Jersey Devils beat the Los Angeles Kings 5-1 Tuesday night at the Prudential Center.
The win snapped New Jersey's two-game skid and halted the Kings eight-game winning streak, the longest in the NHL this season and one shy of equaling the longest in franchise history.
Hall recorded his second multi-goal game of the season, while Travis Zajac, Brian Boyle and Brian Gibbons also scored for the Devils (17-9-4).
Torrey Mitchell scored a third-period goal for the Kings (20-9-3), who were nearly shut out Tuesday in the opener of a four-game road trip.
New Jersey opened the scoring at 13:44 of the first period when Zajac slammed home a rebound for his second goal of the season. Hall then converted Jesper Bratt's cross-ice pass for a power-play goal to make it 2-0 at 16:14.
The power play goal was New Jersey's first in five games. It also marked the first time this season that the Kings, who possessed the league's No. 1-ranked penalty kill entering play, allowed a power-play goal in three consecutive games.
Hall netted his second of the game and 11th of the season in impressive fashion at 15:42 of the second period to give the Devils a three-goal lead. The Devils winger stripped Kings defenseman Jake Muzzin of the puck at the Los Angeles blue line, broke in alone and beat goaltender Jonathan Quick between the pads for his fifth goal in the past eight games.
Less than two minutes later, Boyle wristed a shot from the left wing that beat Quick through the five-hole, making it 4-0 at 17:04. It was the first time since Nov. 19 the Kings -- who began the night with the league's stingiest defense allowing only 2.19 goals per game -- surrendered as many as four goals.
Schneider lost his shutout bid when Mitchell deflected an Alec Martinez shot into the net at 12:04 of the third period.
Gibbons capped the scoring with 11 seconds remaining.
NOTES: With his second-period assist, Devils RW Stefan Noesen extended his point-scoring streak to a season-high four games. ... Devils LW Marcus Johansson did not play due to a bruised ankle. He is listed as day-to-day. ... New Jersey also scratched D Dalton Prout and D Ben Lovejoy. ... Prior to this loss, the Kings won all five of their games this season against Metropolitan Division opponents. ... Kings LW Kyle Clifford returned to the lineup after a 28-game absence caused by an upper-body injury. ... The Kings scratched LW Jussi Jokinen, LW Andy Andreoff and D Oscar Fantenberg.