New Jersey keeps playoff hopes alive, holds off Toronto

New Jersey kept its playoff hopes alive with a 3-2 win over the slumping Toronto Maple Leafs, one of the teams the Devils are trying to catch.

Patrik Elias, Jon Merrill and Damien Brunner each scored for the Devils, who snapped a six-game losing streak against Toronto. Cory Schneider earned the win with 21 saves.

Phil Kessel and Tyler Bozak supplied the goals for a Maple Leafs team riding an untimely skid. Toronto matched a season high with its fifth consecutive loss.

The Devils now have 75 points, five fewer than Toronto, which is one point ahead of both Detroit and Washington for the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

[SportsNetwork.com]