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Devils try to regain momentum in Columbus

Mar 20, 2011 - 3:09 PM (Sports Network) - The New Jersey Devils will try to halt their first losing streak in over two months when they visit the Columbus Blue Jackets tonight at Nationwide Arena.

The Devils have dropped consecutive regulation games to give the club two straight losses for the first time since an 0-4-0 slide from Jan. 1-8.

The recent setbacks against Ottawa and Washington have slowed down New Jersey's push to the playoffs. The 12th-seeded Devils, who spent much of the first half of the season last in the East, are now eight points behind Buffalo for the eighth and final postseason berth in the Eastern Conference.

New Jersey hopes its success against the Blue Jackets in recent years can get the club back on the right track. The Devils have won three straight in this series since last losing to Columbus on Dec. 11, 2005, when the Blue Jackets recorded an overtime victory on home ice.

The Devils have also taken four of five and five of the last seven meetings in this series and the Blue Jackets have lost two of the last three encounters at Nationwide Arena.

Columbus is also fighting for its playoff lives as the 12th seed in the West. The Blue Jackets are eight points in back of Chicago and Nashville for the Western Conference's final playoff spots.

"We've still got a chance," Blue Jackets captain Rick Nash said after his club won Saturday in Minnesota. "It's going to be tough, but we've got to get as many points as we can."

The Blue Jackets recorded a 5-4 overtime victory over the Wild on Saturday, as Antoine Vermette capitalized on a turnover to score in the final minute of OT.

The Wild had scored twice late in the third to force an extra period, and acted as the aggressor for most of overtime. But following a left-circle faceoff in the Minnesota zone, Wild defenseman Brent Burns turned the puck over in front of the crease, and Vermette was there to net the game-winner with 34 seconds left.

Nash lit the lamp twice and ended with four points for Columbus, which snapped a two-game slide and also got 32 saves from Mathieu Garon.

New Jersey was dealt a 3-1 loss Thursday in Ottawa before returning to the Garden State and getting shut out by Washington the following night. Michal Neuvirth stopped 33 shots for his fourth shutout of the season in the Capitals' 3-0 win at Prudential Center.

Martin Brodeur stopped just 9-of-12 shots for the Devils.

"Defensively we handled their big players pretty good," said Brodeur. "They didn't get many chances out there, but they made the most of them."

This evening's test marks the first of four straight on the road for the Devils, who are 15-19-1 as the visiting team this season.

Columbus is 16-15-4 as the home club this season.