Sharp Devils skate past Blue Jackets
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The New Jersey Devils continued their winnings ways on the road Saturday night, beating the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-1.
Corey Schneider made 31 saves in posting his 16th win of the season. Taylor Hall scored two goals, including an empty-netter with just 3:12 remaining, and Travis Zajac added a goal and an assist as the Devils won their fifth straight away from Newark.
Defenseman Seth Helgeson added the final goal, his first, with just 29 seconds left off Sergei Bobrovsky.
New Jersey struck first early in the first period. Hall scored his 12th goal of the season just 3:29 into the game.
The Devils' points leader trailed Zajac, who drew a stickless Zach Werenski to him on the left side of the goal. That allowed Hall to break toward the net and slide the puck between Bobrovsky's legs. Kyle Palmieri also picked up an assist on the play.
The Devils doubled their lead just 1:49 into the second period thanks to a bit of luck. Jacob Josefson won a faceoff to the right of Bobrovsky and skated toward the net as Andy Greene fired from the point. The puck hit Josefson's stick handle and then caromed off the right and left posts before going in. It was the Swede's first goal of the season and his third point in the last four games.
With 1:02 left in the second period, New Jersey added another goal. Zajac scored his 10th of the season on the power play with assists from Adam Henrique and P.A. Parenteau.
Columbus did net a shorthanded goal with 8:25 remaining, After Boone Jenner tripped Greene, his teammates cut the Devils lead to two just 20 seconds later. Matt Calvert, taking a pass from William Karlsson, scored from on his knee right in front of Schneider.
The Blue Jackets thought they got a goal back just 25 seconds into the final period as Cam Atkinson skated around the goal. He threw the puck toward the crease, where it appeared to go in off Jenner's skate past Schneider.
New Jersey coach John Hynes challenged the play claiming interference, and officials reversed the decision.
While New Jersey cashed in on its first power-play chance, Columbus continued its recent struggles with the man advantage.
The Blue Jackets came into Saturday leading the league with a power play that scored 24.6 percent of the time. However, they missed on two chances in the first period. Columbus' last power-play goal came Jan. 21 at Ottawa.
NOTES: Columbus scratched RW Josh Anderson, D Dalton Prout and D David Savard. ... Saturday starts a stretch for the Blue Jackets where they will play eight of their next nine games at Nationwide Arena. In just 24 home games entering Saturday, Columbus had racked up 37 points and was one of six teams with at least 18 home wins. ... Saturday was the first of four games between the two Metropolitan Division teams this season. Columbus won the series 4-1-0 in 2015-16. ... New Jersey scratched RW Devante Smith-Pelly, LW Vernon Fiddler and D Karl Stollery. ... Both teams played the back end of back-to-back games. New Jersey and Columbus entered with identical 6-2-3 records in the second of back-to-back games.