NEWARK, N.J. — Mathieu Olivier scored twice in the third period, and Elvis Merzlikins made 23 saves for his first shutout of the season as the Columbus Blue Jackets beat the New Jersey Devils 3-0 on Tuesday night for their sixth straight win.
Dante Fabbro also scored for Columbus after missing the last six games with a lower-body injury.
The loss was New Jersey's second straight and fourth in its last five games. It's a stretch that has dug the Devils quite a hole to overcome in the standings if they plan on returning to the post-season, as they now sit 10 points back of the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
If the frustration with their performance is growing internally, head coach Sheldon Keefe didn't do a great job of hiding it post-game.
"Through two periods, we're fine. (Jakob Markstrom) made some saves," he told reporters. "We just wilt in the third period. We just wilt. That's really it. It's just not good enough."
Olivier’s first goal was a highlight-reel breakaway. Cole Sillinger sprung him behind the Devils’ defencemen, and he deked one way and went to his backhand, getting the puck past Markstrom at 12:05 of the third period to put the Blue Jackets up 2-0. He added an empty-netter with 4 minutes left, shortly after New Jersey’s Nico Hischer hit the post.
Fabbro snapped a wrister from the top of the left circle past Markstrom 5:24 into the third period, breaking a scoreless tie with his fourth of the season.
Markstrom made 22 saves.
"It's partially confidence. It's partially mental toughness," Keefe said of the Devils' third period. "We're not mentally tough enough, clearly.
"These are critical moments in our season. Go back to (New Jersey's Saturday loss) to Ottawa. Critical moments. You can show what you're capable of in the first period... We're right there."
A first-period goal was disallowed. Danton Heinen scored, but his linemate, Miles Wood — who was drafted by the Devils and spent most of his career in New Jersey — had crashed Markstrom’s crease, taking away his ability to defend it. The goal was taken off the board after a coach’s challenge.
Keefe, who spent five years as head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, is in his second year behind New Jersey's bench. Last season, the Devils went 42-33-7 in the regular season before being eliminated by the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
"I don't believe it's a system issue. Not even for a second," he said when asked about making a change to the team's style of play. "I've been coaching for 20 years. I think anybody who's ever played for me or coached with me on my staff knows how I see the game and what I look for...
"So, players got to step up here. We're putting together a plan and we're right there in games... You set up a plan, you have a scheme, the players make plays, and we haven't had enough of that. That's on me to get them going, get their confidence, but we also just got to step up here."
New Jersey centre Jack Hughes was once again out with a lower-body injury. He could return Thursday, but the Devils aren’t optimistic.
Up next
Blue Jackets: Host Chicago on Wednesday night in their final game before the Olympic break.
Devils: Host the Islanders on Thursday night, also their final game before the Olympic break.
— with files from Sportsnet Staff
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