Jackets fail to capitalize on scoring chances in 2-1 loss
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) -- Devante Smith-Pelly scored the tiebreaking goal 8:38 into the third period and Scott Wedgewood made 27 saves in his NHL debut to lead the New Jersey Devils to a 2-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday.
Reid Boucher also scored as New Jersey ended a six-game losing streak against the Blue Jackets (1-5-1), less than 24 hours after dropping a 6-3 decision in Columbus.
Jared Boll scored for the Blue Jackets, while Joonas Korpisalo made 20 saves.
Smith-Pelly did most of the work on his seventh goal in nine games in New Jersey. His forecheck on Nick Foligno forced the Columbus forward to send the puck around the boards. Devils defenseman Adam Larsson stopped it at the point and sent it to Smith-Pelly on the edge of the crease.
Korpisalo stopped his backhander but the Devils' forward nudged the rebound into the net.
Wedgewood, called up from Albany before the game with Keith Kinkaid struggling playing every day for the injured Cory Schneider, made it stand up, with his last-second save on a slap shot by Brandon Dubinsky ending the game.
Both teams looked sluggish at times in their fifth and final meeting this season.
The Devils had the early spark, jumping to a 1-0 lead in the opening 4:32 on Boucher's seventh goal of the season.
Kyle Palmieri, who scored twice on Saturday night, had his pass to Boucher tipped by a defenseman but the puck bounced forward off his knee. Boucher collected it and seemed to catch Korpisalo off guard with his shot from inside the left circle.
Boll tied the game 2:43 into the second period with his first goal of the season. Defenseman Dalton Prout wristed a shot from the right point that Blue Jackets' enforcer tipped past Wedgewood.
The goal was originally credited to Prout but replays showed Boll tipped it for his first goal since Feb. 13, 2015.
The Devils had a chance to retake the lead later in the period when minor penalties to Prout and David Savard gave New Jersey a two-man advantage for 1:11. Travis Zajac had two hard shots from the left circle that Korpisalo handled.
Prout got a breakaway stepping out of the penalty box but he lost the puck making a move on Wedgewood.
NOTES: Wedgewood and D Vojtech Mozik were called up from Albany on an emergency basis on Sunday with the injury to D John Moore and Kinkaid struggling. G Yann Danis was sent back to Albany. ... Columbus F Scott Hartnell played in his 1,100 NHL game. ... Seven of the 20 Devils who played on Sunday played at least one game at Albany this season. ... Devils F Tyler Kennedy left the game with a lower-body injury.
