Josefson shootout goal rallies Devils past Maple Leafs
NEWARK, N.J. -- Jacob Josefson scored in the shootout to give the New Jersey Devils a 5-4 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Prudential Center on Wednesday.
New Jersey goaltender Cory Schneider stopped all three shootout attempts from Auston Matthews, Mitchell Marner and Nikita Soshnikov.
Matthews, the 19-year-old rookie sensation, broke out of a scoring slump, connecting for two goals and an assist for the Maple Leafs. Matthews had failed to score in 13 straight games after scoring six goals in the first six contests of the season.
Mike Cammalleri accounted for four of the Devils goals with one goal and three assists. This was his first game back with the Devils after missing the last five to be with his five-year-old daughter who had complications from pneumonia.
Beau Bennett scored the Devils' first power play goal in 10 games.
The Devils (10-6-3), who trailed 3-0 after one period, are the only team without a regulation loss at home (7-0-1).
The Maple Leafs are 8-8-4.
Toronto's James van Riemsdyk hit the post with a wrist shot with less than a minute to play in regulation.
New Jersey defenseman Yohann Auvitu's second goal of the season at 6:50 of the third, blast from the high slot, tied it at 4-4. Cammalleri and Travis Zajac received the assists.
The Maple Leafs regained the lead at 4-3 on a goal from left wing Matt Martin that trickled through Schneider’s pads at 9:26 of the second period.
The Devils tied it at 3-3, scoring three times in the first 5:30 of the second period, with Cammalleri factoring in all three.
Cammalleri scored his fourth goal of the season at 5:30 from the slot.
New Jersey ended an 0-for-29 power-play drought when Bennett scored his first goal since April 3, knocking in a rebound from Cammalleri at 3:10 in the man advantage.
Zajac’s fifth goal of the season on a nice feed from Cammalleri cut the Leafs lead to 3-1 only 32 seconds into the second period.
Matthews took three of Toronto’s eight first period shots on goal, scoring on two. He muscled in a backhander from in close at 10:33 and fired a wrist shot in at 18:52.
He assisted on Kadri’s power-play goal at 13:31, sending the puck across the goalmouth to Kadri.
NOTES: John Hynes coached in his 100th game in the Devils' 4-0 loss to San Jose on Monday. It was the first time the Devils were shut out this season. ... The Maple Leafs play four of their next five and five of the next seven on the road. ... Maple Leafs GM Lou Lamoriello was the Devils GM for 28 seasons from 1987 to 2015, guiding New Jersey to three Stanley Cup championships. .. Devils D Andy Greene skated in his 330th straight game, the third-longest streak in team history. ... Toronto is third in the NHL in shots per game.