COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Timo Meier and Jesper Bratt scored 39 seconds apart in the second period, and the New Jersey Devils beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 2-1 on Monday night.
Jake Allen had a season-high 45 saves to improve to 12-13-1 for the Devils.
Mathieu Olivier scored for Columbus, and Jet Greaves finished with 18 saves while falling to 2-2-2 in six starts this season.
Meier gave the Devils a 1-0 lead with 6:25 left in the second as he got the puck in the neutral zone, skated up the left side and sped past two defenders, cut to the net and put a backhander through Greaves' five-hole before crashing into the net. It was his 20th of the season and fifth of the month.
Bratt doubled the lead less than a minute later with his 20th. Greaves went behind the net to play Brian Dumoulin's dump in, but the puck went off his stick and came out to Bratt on the right side and he quickly put it in from a sharp angle before the goalie could get back in position.
Olivier spoiled Allen's shutout bid with 6:36 remaining in the third as he knocked in a loose puck in front.
Takeaways
Devils: New Jersey won for the fourth time in five games to maintain its firm grip on third place in the Metropolitan Division.
Blue Jackets: Columbus has lost four straight to fall out of the second wild card in Eastern Conference. The Blue Jackets, shut out in their previous two games, had not scored in 182:55 before Olivier's goal.
Key moment
About a minute before New Jersey took a 2-0 lead with goals 39 seconds apart late in the second period, Allen made a sprawling stop on wrist shot from Kent Johnson in close to keep the game scoreless.
Key stat
Allen made 23 saves in the third period as the Devils were outshot 24-3.
Up next
Devils host Calgary on Thursday to open a three-game homestand, and Blue Jackets host Florida to finish a four-game homestand.
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AP NHL: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL
The Associated Press
